[Day 1, Late-Morning Open] Duty Beckons with Ropy Embrace

[Usagi Zenko]

Zenko rubbed his hands together, clutching the ropes somewhat acrobatically with his legs before taking hold with his hands once more. He was only shaking a little now, but had managed to avoid the failure of his first attempt at climbing the rigging. His success would have brought a smile to his face, except that he was concentrating on not looking at the ocean while doing this and forgot.

His goal was to reach a pair of ropes that had become twisted around each other and to untwist them, letting someone below then pull them taut. Grunts in effort and concentration accompany the Hare as he moves upwards and to one side.

[Bayushi Kichirou]

Bayushi Kichirou hadn't had the best of times up in the rigging. Still his duties as a sailor required him to work with the ropes and sails at some point. So it was that he found himself holding tight to a pair of ropes that had become entangled and watching the Hare make his way to their point of connection.

Watching the samurai move amongst the rigging was nerve wracking but Kichirou kept his mind on the job at hand and seeing him near the ropes adjusted his grip so he was ready when they were freed from one another.

[Usagi Zenko]

Zenko paused a moment, just below the tangle. "Uhm...." he starts to call downwards. "Where's a safe rope to hold onto?" He starts looking himself, holding his feet on a lower rope and clutching one off to the side. Wind might carry my question or their answer away, gotta look...

[Bayushi Kichirou]

Apparently having the same thought Kichirou takes a moment to find a secure rope before calling up, "Just to your right!" as he spots a length secured to the rigging and the crow's nest and a memory of his own training on the rigging pops into his head.

[Usagi Zenko]

Great, first day on duty and a scorpion is holding my life in his hands... Zenko shakes his head, and reaches for the rope to the right, swinging lightly from the movement in the ropes.

"Got it!" he calls out. "Okay, hold on! Gotta figure out which one to move first!" He yells back down, as he looks up at the ropes, puzzling out their little knot.

[Bayushi Kichirou]

Kichirou nods in agreement before realizing the Hare probably couldn't see him doing that so he decided agreeing more loudly was in order, "Take your time, I would rather have this done correctly over quickly." he calls up silently overjoyed that he doesn't have to be up there himself.

[Usagi Zenko]

The Hare curses a bit as a few of the words make it to his ears. At least someone will see where I fall... He looks down a moment, then "No sweat Zenko, no sweat. Like untying a lady's obi..."

He reaches out to grab on to one of the ropes and tentatively hopes that just nudging it will do the trick.

It doesn't, and so he pauses and gets the bright idea to wrap the ropes that were holding him up around his legs. He'd likely need both hands for this.

[Bayushi Kichirou]

"Careful Usagi-san!" Kichirou says already cursing himself inwardly for showing too much concern even as he was doing it. Closely he watched the Hare. If he fell the best the Scorpion would be able to do is cushion his fall with his own body which would likely leave them both bruised at best and broken at worst.

[Usagi Zenko]

He looks down a moment at the Bayushi, and waves, before looking back up. He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes and thinking about the rope ladder he used to climb at the dojo and how it'd get tangled up.

He waited a few seconds, focusing on the memory, before opening his eyes again. It didn't make the ocean go away, but...it helped a little. He grunted a little as he stiffened his abs and reached upwards to pull apart the pair of ropes.

[Bayushi Kichirou]

Kichirou watched the display above, waiting for the chance to come. As the ropes untangled the Scorpion pulled one taut and tied it off before moving to the next insuring at least some progress could be made from the Hare's adventure in the rigging.

[Usagi Zenko]

"Hah! Ropes!" he exclaims putting a victorious fist into the air, while he grabs a rope holding his legs with the other. He spins about a bit and when he stops, he fails to look quite as happy as he was a moment before.

"Hoookay, no celebrating til I'm back on deck." He starts unwrapping the rope from around his legs.

[Bayushi Kichirou]

Kichirou watches the Hare just long enough to make sure he wasn't going to plummet out of the rigging. Satisfied the other samurai was safe enough he set to work securing the rope he had left unattended. Not for the first time on this voyage Kichirou found himself examining the event he had just witnessed and picking it apart so he might learn as much from it as possible.

[Usagi Zenko]

A little paler than when he went up, the Hare begins the slow descent back to the deck, feet at times dangling out over the deck in the open air. Grunts accompanied the effort as he fought to keep control of the ropes that moved in the wind.

[Bayushi Kichirou]

Keeping the ropes as steady as he could Kichirou attempted to assist the Hare in his descent. It was odd the rhythm on a ship, how everyone had a job and even in such a confined space they all managed to do those jobs without getting in each other's way. His reverie broken as the Scorpion focused on his own job at hand pulling ropes taut to reduce their movement and allow for a faster and safer way down.

[Usagi Zenko]

*thud*

Zenko took the last four-five feet with a fall, rolling backwards and over to absorb it, and continuing the roll back to his feet where he stands, somewhat acrobatically. "Many thanks, Bayushi-sama for your help. Have to hope we don't need to do that, too often, eh?"

[Bayushi Kichirou]

Kichirou watches the acrobatics with a grin, "I imagine it will come up more often than we would hope Hare-san. It would be more realistic I think to hope neither of us is forced up the ropes to fix it very often." he offers, "Bayushi Kichirou, it was a pleasure to assist. I must say you are more able up there than I would be."

[Usagi Zenko]

He bows in return. "Usagi Zenko, Bayushi-sama. And you should have seen me the first time I tried climbing those ropes." He shakes his head. "Got all wrapped up in them."

[Bayushi Kichirou]

Moving to the Hare's side he whispers in mock conspiracy, "You should have seen my cousin Bayushi Nobuyoshi. The ropes absolutely hated him." he offers before offering a bit more space, "Please, there are few -samas on this ship and I am absolutely not one of them." he continues before testing a few more of the ropes in the rigging to make sure they were knotted well and securely.

[Usagi Zenko]

He nods at this. "It'll take some getting used to, Bayushi-san." He moves to try and assist with securing the ropes.

[Bayushi Kichirou]

The Hare's response got a chuckle from the Scorpion, "I seem to get that advice often of late." he says as he calms his laughter, "Life on a ship takes getting used to is easily the first lesson I learned at this posting. The Crab have told me I will find my sealegs, eventually. The Lion that I will learn how to fight at sea, eventually. I am sure I will find comfort in the rigging, eventually. I just find it humorous."