Bird's Eye View (D4, MidAM, OPEN)

[Isawa O-Washi]

Just after the arrival in port, Isawa O-washi took the deck. His presence this morning was notable for it's lack of covering...never exactly well-dressed, today he came on deck in nothing but a clout and scroll case, the latter worn bandoleer style across his chest. His eagle, seeing him so, swooped down from the foremast and settled on the nearest rail, calling excitedly. The big gunso, grinning, turned to pat his friend's noble head.

"Ready for company, Sensuifu?"

The bird cried again, bobbing in excitement.

[Yoritomo Choukichi]

The clacking of Choukichi's charms announces him as he walks up alongside O-Washi and offers a polite bow, then looks out over the city with a wide smile.

"Heading out to the city as well Isawa-sama?"

[Isawa O-Washi]

"Hai. I've got better trained eyes than any of you lot even in this form. If the Kami are with me, they'll get better still...between me and Sensuifu here we should get a good lay of the land, though his help's marginal at best." O-washi patted the bird again companionably. "He knows how to find large 'flocks' of people in strange colors, though, so that's at least something."

[Yoritomo Choukichi]

Choukichi looks at him confused.

"In this form..?"

[Isawa O-Washi]

"Mmmhmm." Whistling, O-washi unslung the strap his scrolls were on and extended it toward the Mantis. "Hold this for me, will you?"

[Yoritomo Choukichi]

Choukichi shrugs and accepts the scrolls.

[Isawa O-Washi]

The big man, not content with his disrobing so far, went right on with it, undoing the strings of his clout as if it was the most normal thing in the world to stride about on deck in his birthday suit. Grinning as he folded the silk rectangle, he said, "Don't worry, I won't ask you to hold this for me, too." Instead, the Phoenix opted to lay the material over the nearest barrel, several strings dangling down over it's side.

[Yoritomo Choukichi]

"Uhhh...?"

Choukichi keeps his eyes strictly on the mans head and shoulders and waits for something to happen.

[Isawa O-Washi]

This reaction, it seemed, was rather amusing to the large Isawa, who started to laugh at Choukichi's expression even as he knelt down into seiza on the rough planking. "Careful, or you'll catch a few flies."

[Yoritomo Choukichi]

Choukichi grumbles a bit under his breath, but still curious about what is going on, does not tear his gaze away.

[Isawa O-Washi]

Finallly, the big man stopped laughing. He closed his eyes and, after a few moments, grew still save for the movement of his lips in a sutra. It took a rather long time, during which the waves lapping against the ship seemed to come more frequently and with greater vigor, but at lash there was a shimmer around the big man, his large frame shifting and blurring and flowing like water until in his place stood a large eagle, very like the one which perched upon the rail except for it's blue eyes, bright with the power that had wrought the change.

[Yoritomo Choukichi]

Choukichi manages to keep his jaw from dropping.

"Oh... I didn't know... You could do that..."

[Isawa O-Washi]

The eagle that was O-washi clacked it's beak in clear amusement at the Mantis before waddling forward to tug lightly on the scroll case before expanding it's mighty wings, holding them extended.

[Yoritomo Choukichi]

Choukichi looks down at the scroll case, then back up at O-Washi. Then he shrugs his shoulders and starts strapping it to the big bird.

[Isawa O-Washi]

That was what he was meant to do, it seemed, because the bird that was his gunso didn't so much as twitch, though his pet did. The other eagle was flapping excitedly, making a fair amount of racket, though he made no move to do anything more.

[Yoritomo Choukichi]

Once he is done, Choukichi steps back and looks at the two birds.

"You look silly by the way."

[Isawa O-Washi]

The bird that was O-washi, without pause, smacked the Yoritomo with one wing. It was a surprisingly powerful blow, all things considered, but not one meant to cause any real injury. This excited Sensuifu to further antics, the other eagle now hopping in place a few times and flapping hard enough to cause a breeze. O-washi made a few sounds and the other bird quieted somewhat, though it's agitation remained obvious.

O-washi, meanwhile, peered back up at Choucichi and then, balancing carefully, drew a few kanji on the deck with his other taloned foot.

Scouting.

Embassy by Lunch.

Report.

[Yoritomo Choukichi]

Choukichi seems mostly unphased by the blow and nods his head.

"Hai, I will see you there and will learn what I can by listening to what goes on on the ground."

[Isawa O-Washi]

Birds' wings weren't meant for firing off salutes and they have no waists with which to bow and yet somehow O-washi managed to do both. Waddling over to his prior place, he took up his fundoshi by the strings, transferring them from his beak to his talons before hopping up onto the railing beside Sensuifu. The other eagle, which prooved to be slightly larger than his master in this form, let out a piercing cry and took off, O-washi following with a bit less grace soon after.

[Yoritomo Choukichi]

Choukichi watches him go, then mutters something about transforming priests being unlucky and wanders off into the city.

/scene