She froze upon realising she landed several metres before him.
For a figurative eternity, both human and demi-human stared at each other, but it was the human who reacted first, sedately tilting his head to either side. Up close, she could see his cream white tunic and...
"Wait...is that a...?" She pondered, eying the matching ankle-length plaided skirt fastened around his abdomen area. "Oh, no...hold on. Nya, that's a kilt, an awfully long one, so to speak. But why...argh, you humans are weird."
Before she knew it, he effortlessly slipped his robe behind him and, with an elegantly long and smooth arm swing, he rested it upon her shoulders. Despite his 180cm height, his robe loosely wrapped around her body, the single-breasted somehow silently clipping together just below her breasts. His hand slowly laid and brushed her shoulders, but she felt his gentleness, her arms having submissively crossed together beneath the fabric, sensing he wielded no hostility or tension.
Then, the brown-haired human only applied minimal strength to turn and make her follow him alongside. They walked slowly until a circular house loomed ahead, its green-turquoise onion dome teasingly blending between the sky and forest canopy. There were no fences, no walls, and no bodies of water, but large bulbous semi-subterranean rocks dotted the household perimeter, several of them particular acting as gigantic stepping stones for the duo to elusively ascend towards the encompassing patio.
Its wooden construction almost deceived her if not for the minute slits and grainy varnishing upon the woodwork, including the floorboards themselves. Relinquishing his grip, he slipped his laceless shoes before stepping onto the patio, turning and hooking his shoes. He turned and faced her rather expressionlessly.
"Um, you want me to take off my shoes?" She asked, her eyes switching between him and her worn lambskin boots. "Mmm, I rather keep them on, thank you."
She could have sworn he heard a disappointing sigh in his throat after staring at her for a little longer. So, he turned and took a few steps, but when she took a step onto the patio, he immediately spun around and wavered his right hand, her left foot almost about to lift itself.
"Kute auompa tainen." He said, motioning between his feet and the closest rock. "Tepet tenut auompa mun kepen."
"I have no idea what you're saying, but you really are insisting, aren't you?" She sighed. "Okay, fine. Only because my feet are sore that I'll do it."
She stepped off and sat on the floor, partially lifting the lower half of her puttees in the process. Barefoot as him, she mimicked him; her right hand hooked her boots and she approached him. However, she could have sworn he saw him squint at her boots.
"Tmpe noukon pematan neinten i nkuo tepet nenu anta patta pematan nkankenkatten." He said in an explanatory tone, eying her boots then her face beforehand.
"Still have no idea what you're saying, but it sounds important.
He then raised his left hand and said. "Tmpe noukon a nkuo tenen."
She stared at him, glancing at his offering hand, wondering what he meant.
"Mite kan, tmpe noukon a nkuo tenen." He said more slowly.
"Um..." She murmured as quietly as possible, but her mildly widen pupils and pondering head shaking earned a curious 'hmm' from the human.
So, he showed the underside of his shoes and pointed to the nearly spotless soles and groves, then the floor followed with his hand swinging sideways. However, he raised his left hand like a figurative 'but', forming and moving his fist in a brushing motion hovered above his shoes, concluding with his thumb gesturing towards the wall.
"Oh, you want to clean my boots too?" She chirped, visibly but awkwardly gasping as she mimicked the brushing motion on her own boots, earning an affirmative nod from him. "Okay, um, well here you go."
She almost excitedly gave him her boots, which he gracefully hooked with his left hand. Within his two fingers, however, he could not help but flick his wrist thrice, testing the weight and balance of her boots.
"Kanto naman tmpe, mite kan?" He asked upon lowering his arm.
"Nya?" She purred curtly.
"Kanto naman tmpe, mite kan?" He asked again, pausing before he hummed slightly and said. "Tepet nama matan. Nkuo nama matan, tmpe nama matan, i anna nama matan."
He raised his right arm to his chest and then said. "Nkuo Kino Tenpi Kimpo mepen. Tmpe nkuo Kimpo kamotoman. Nkuo...Kimpo."
"Ki...bo?" She parroted.
She could have sworn she saw his eyebrows flinch, but he nodded slightly and said. "Nkuo Kimpo."
"Kibo?"
"Kimpo."
"Kibo."
"Kimpo."
"Ah, his name...his name is Kibo." She awed. "But I still can't understand him! He got the message across to me, but how am I suppose to reply? I speak a few tongues, but NOT this one."
"Okae, kumotane." He said with a welcoming tone, lowering his arm. "Kumotane."
"Alright, I understood that. He said 'okay'. Don't know if he's complimenting me, but I'll assu-"
"Nuune, kanto naman tmpe, mite kan?"
"Nya, he asking the same question!"
"Kimpokan!" A similarly young woman called from inside the house. "Kano uka a tmpe uoten?"
"Eh? Tokonen." Kimpo said with a curt rightward nod and began to stroll away, eying her before looking at a featureless sliding door; however, there was a faint but neutral and gentle beep before the door opened leftward.
"The door opens automatically? With no servants or interaction?" Sousa wondered, almost forgetting to follow him if it weren't for her curiosity. "Such magic."
But suddenly, there was the beep again, and the door abruptly closed.
She resisted every urge to jump, having sensed the door's swiftness.
"Oh...red means 'no', huh?" She sighed, seeing a red transparent orb in the middle of the door.
However, the orb turned blue and the door opened.
"Nya~"