[Day 4, Mid-Afternoon] Like Clockwork

[Moshi Kaimenko]

... the woman known as Moshi Kaimenko was back on deck for her watch rotation. She brought her practice nagamaki with her, along with the real thing. Once was for any who wanted to brave her training and the other for trouble. Her eyes swept the harbor with that habitual look of distaste. For the umpteenth time, she noted the presence of tents and the fleet of small fishing boats.

They couldn't get out of here fast enough. With a shake of her head, she turns her dark brown eyes back to the orderly neatness of her ship and the trainees scuttling about across her surface.

[Usagi Zenko]

Having come aboard briefly to locate a few of his things he'd left behind, the Hare paused in his rush to get back to land. He twitched his nose in thought, then nodded to himself and approached Moshi-gunso. On arriving, he bows, "Moshi-sama. Another lesson, I hope?"

[Kakita Sugita]

Sugita had stayed on ship, and took his rotation as usual. Now he's simply bored. "I'd be up for that as well, if you'd have me." The last part of the sentence was an afterthought.

[Usagi Zenko]

Zenko bowed to the Kakita, giving him a smile. Finally, not a scorpion!

[Kakita Sugita]

Oh, right, that bowing thing. I guess I should do that... thinks the Crane. So he does, somewhat awkwardly.

[Usagi Zenko]

"Kakita-sama. Have you been ashore?" he asks innocently enough.

[Moshi Kaimenko]

The Hare received an affirmative grunt from the woman. She had all the grace of manner that a Crab did. Kaimenko retrieves the bundle of bamboo from beneath one of the tarps covering her precious ballista. She selects two at random and tosses them to the Crane and Hare.

"If it's convenient and I'm not interrupting your special bonding time," she drawls, "Let's get to work. Show me your stance."

Kaimenko was a reassuring pillar of sarcasm in a land full of gaijin.

[Usagi Zenko]

"Hai, Moshi-sama." He catches the pole handidly enough, moving to one side in order to present his stance, so to speak. He holds it easily, a little more familiar with the bamboo pole now.

(27 on polearms/agility)

[Kakita Sugita]

Sugita catches the polearm and points it in the right direction. That's the easy part. "We're just... going right at it?"


(IC is full of fail.)

[Moshi Kaimenko]

"It's bamboo, it's not going to bite," she snaps as she turns to eye the Hare. "Hands, Usagi-san. Start with blocks."

Her dark brown gaze shifts back to the Crane, "Come on then, let's see if what they taught you and what I have to undo."

[Kakita Sugita]

Alright alright... He'll need something to block. Sugita thrusts the polearm out like he is stabbing with a yari. Strong and purposeful, but wrong nonetheless. "Yah!"

[Moshi Kaimenko]

"..." through sheer willpower, the woman keeps from saying something sarcastic. "Right. Hands further apart. Pole-arms are heavier and have more reach than spears. You don't want to drop it like some ham-fisted herdboy the first time the weight of the blade and a dead body drag it down."

[Kakita Sugita]

"Hai." That wasn't much help, but Sugita tries it anyway. He swings the polearm down toward the Hare only using a fraction of his strength.

[Usagi Zenko]

Zenko on the other hand sweeps the pole up, having designated once more one of the ends to be the "pointy" end, and using that end to push Sugita's strike away from himself and down in attempt to let the Kakita over extend himself. "Huuaah!"

He takes a step back again in preparation for his next blocking move.

[Kakita Sugita]

Sugita steps backward to regain his footing, lowers his brows, and decides to be serious. "YAAHH!!" The 'pointy end' swings around from the Hare's left side, harder this time.

[Usagi Zenko]

Zenko brings the pole off to the side more bodily catching the swing and stepping foward a little into it, so that his arms are out of reach of the extra bend from the bamboo pole, as well as to lend the strength of his legs to the block alongside that of his arms.

Still the reverbrations of the blocked blow shake his hands, forcing him to spread his hands further apart as he backs up again and gets prepared to block another.

[Kakita Sugita]

As soon as the Hare recovers, two quick blows are successively delivered from top and bottom left. Like the Kakita is using swordsman tactics. Cuz he is.

[Usagi Zenko]

Zenko back peddles here, a Kakita's speed being enough for him to be cautious. He brings the pole up and sets up for a more traditional block afterwards, catching the lower strike with a sudden raised leg at the moment and attempting to kick the blow away.

It leaves him hopping a bit on the other foot backwards and falling backwards to roll to his feet. "Nice! Would probably have just lost my foot there."

[Kakita Sugita]

"Heh. Thanks. I don't know how you can react so fast with these things. They're so... unwieldy." He swishes the pole back and forth. Feels odd.

[Usagi Zenko]

"Practice." He lifts the pole up a bit, "Try that move again?"