Day 1, Late Evening/Midnight, OPEN Cleaning before Bed

[Bayushi Nobuyoshi]

A nod to the Phoenix, and then a nod to the Crane.

Nobuyoshi excuses himself to fetch his sake cup as well. He returns quickly enough and presents it, a flat, saucer-like cup that could easily be concealed in an obi, in Scorpion colors.

"Thank you, Asahina-san." he comments. "What blend is it?"

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Seeing her cousin go for his cup and doubting that the Isawa-gunso would reprimand them for taking in one cup at night, Hoshi made a quick trip to get hers. It was a red cup, decorated with golden accents and a painted design of autumn leaves close to the base.

Edit: Post fix.

[Isawa O-Washi]

Far from reprimanding them, O-washi perked up and left off his scribing with a grin. "A lovely idea, Asahina-san! Let me get my cup..."

He too disappeared into the sleeping quarters, returning with a rather large cup, sized to fit comfortably in his equally large hand. It was of hefty earthenware and had a rather whimsical scene of what looked like a hermit crab on it except the crab, when examined closely, was wearing a mountain instead of a shell. Apparently content to leave his work for a time, he moved nearer the rest and plunked down crosslegged, cup extended for a fill.

[Asahina Narumi]

"I acquired it locally, in Two Creeks. It is a local recipe, a bit on the sweet side. We don't have a huge brewery though, so it probably doesn't get shipped frequently. I must apologize that it isn't chilled or heated, but with ice and heat lacking in availability we will have to make do," she says with a slight smile, answering Nobuyoshi's question as she poured.

She waits for the Gunso to bring out his own cup to pour for him first. She then, not knowing the higher ranking of the two Scorpion, waits for one of them to indicate the other before pouring. She saves her cup for last, a cup that bears a painting of any number of colored flowers around the base with a sun on one side and moon on the opposite. She sets the bottle aside.

[Bayushi Nobuyoshi]

Nobuyoshi nods at the Crane's response, and then turns his attention away from the Crane and the other Scorpion, and towards the gunso, hopefully making it fairly clear who the Crane should serve next.

"An interesting design for a sake cup, gunso-sama." he remarks. "It looks like it could almost hold a sake bottle within itself."

"A gift from someone important, perhaps?" he asks.

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Hoshi gave a nod of thanks to Narumi for her pour and brought the cup close to her side of the table. She undid her mask and set it aside but didn't touch her cup yet. There was a glance given to everyone at the table, in case somebody had a toast in mind as it seemed like a good opportunity to do so.

[Isawa O-Washi]

"Hai, it was indeed. A Yasuki friend of mine, the one who got me into the Legions in the first place as a matter of fact." O-washi studied the cup fondly. "I met him in a bit of a rather good bar brawl in Nikesake several years ago. He thought I was one of his kin and was quite startled to find I wasn't, after he came to at least. That's when he, and everyone else for that matter, started calling me a Mountain Crab. That's why the design is as it is...he had it made by one of the potters his family patrons in honor of our time carousing together. "

[Asahina Narumi]

The Asahina smiled at the story.

After having filled all the cups in proper order, she she turns to O-Washi. "Would it be to forward to ask the honor of being taught a proper sailor's toast Isawa-gunso?" she asks reverently with her head bowed.

[Isawa O-Washi]

"Not at all...though 'proper' and 'sailor' are two words not often found in the same place. For example..."

O-washi lifted his cup, tilted his head for a moment in thought, and then decided to use one of the more colorful prayers he knew. "May the warm wind at your back not be your own. KAMPEI!"

[Bayushi Nobuyoshi]

Nobuyoshi nods at the story, it seemed to fit the gunso quite well, both the cup and the story.

He lifts his cup at the toast and chimes in, "Kampei." in his normal dull tone of voice.

He sips sake through his mask, and gives pause to allow someone else to drive the conversation.

[Asahina Narumi]

The Asahina gives a soft grin at the toast and raises her cup with the others and adds her voice to the mix, "Kampei."

After taking a sip, she holds the cup in her lap with both hands. "I believe it was a good day, but I'm more interested in knowing Isawa-gunso's opinion if he is willing to share it. From what I saw most of the crew seemed to be getting along well enough, though I was only witness above deck in the afternoon," the Asahina asks, lowering her eyes deferentially when she speaks.

[Isawa O-Washi]

"As far as the samurai went, it was a good day, hai."

A tightness around the man's eyes warned against asking why he'd specified only the samurai.

"Everyone seemed eager to work, made an effort to get on well with their new taskmates, and no one did anything irreperably foolish."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

"Kampei!" Hoshi joined in at the toast and took a sip from her sake, remembering she was unlikely going to get returned pours from this night. She smiled faintly at the small report. "Very encouraging to hear when it comes to the first day. It's nice to know that we new recruits can get things mostly right, now the next challenge is to get consistently so everyday, and every situation. They shouldn't be big sandals to fill if they're our own ne?"

[Isawa O-Washi]

"Exactly so. This ship is to get all of you used to the tasks of the Navy, yes, but the real purpose as far as I'm concerned is teaching you to work with strangers from other Clans." The big man sipped his drink then added, "Sailing isn't hard, but people? People can be a right confusing pain in the ass."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Hoshi lifted a brow, "Oh? This was actually an issue for some? I thought it was easily an implied requirement to join the Imperial Legion. They couldn't have been gambling to be put in the same unit with those of their own Clan."

[Asahina Narumi]

The Asahina smiles and listens to the feedback and explanations from the gunso. She felt that she was likely going to have more trouble with the sailing part than the people part. But then again, who doesn't like the friendly doctor who knows how to take a joke and gives away free booze.

[Isawa O-Washi]

'It's not the day to day that causes the trouble, at least not at first. It's when battle comes that issues arrise. Every Clan approaches battle differently. For example, a trap that a Scorpion might consider good tactical sense a Lion might see as cowardice. A spell cast by a Moshi that may take a life of an ally or two as a cost for taking an enemy batallion may be seen as barbaric by a Phoenix while the waste of power on healing magic while the fight is still going on may be seen as soft-heartedness by that same Moshi. The trick is to train enough together before hand and to build up enough respect and, if possible, commraderie, between squadmates to survive such strains."

O-washi smiled into his cup.

"Captain is very good at it. Subtle, mind, but skilled."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

"You must have been here a while to know he is good at it Isawa-gunso. How long have you had the pleasure of serving our Captain?" She asked while taking a small sip.

[Isawa O-Washi]

"Coming up on a year. Not so long, I know, but that's seen, oh, four sets of new recruits go through. It'd take a duller man than I to miss talent when you see it repeated that many times."

Sipping his sake again he turned to Narumi. 'Good stuff, this, though it should be chilled. Next time, if you've another bottle, tell me when you plan to serve and I'll see about making some ice.

[Asahina Narumi]

"Ahh, of course," Narumi replied. "But I had been planning on bringing out the other bottle upon the completion of our jouney so it will be a while I think. Another small celebration." She has a bright smile on her face, obviously enjoying hearing about her gunso and captain.