Strange Brew. [Day 8, Morning]

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

He shrugged off the comments.

"I had been on the ship for almost as long as the others. If I hadn't been occupied healing the wounded I would have used a battle prayer and lit off the gaijin pepper even earlier than we did. I should have recognised the smell earlier."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Fuichi nodded. "Perhaps you might have, at that. Of course, wouldn't that have put the lives of those who were wounded at risk?" He inclined his head. "We already have one battle-experienced shugenja tangling with Regret, Agasha-san, don't let yourself fall into the same trap. The living can't afford it, and the dead do not require it."

[Volsung]

Cook rushed out the door almost as soon as it became clear that the Agasha had the situation at least nominally taken care of. She returned with the older, quieter eta who had a bucket and a cloth to wipe away the blood and get rid of the plates that had been touched.

There was no panic in the woman's eyes, while the specifics were perhaps new to her, it was clear that she had long ago gotten used to sudden changes in situations. She quietly went back to work, though she kept a careful ear and an eye on the duo.

The eta was careful to do his best to stay away from the samurai as he carefully mopped up the blood and squeezed it into the bucket, swiftly giving the clear water a red tinge as he went about his work.

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

Qian-Fan made sure to steer the Daidoji out of the way of the working heimin and eta.

"Another has already unburdened themselves on you then?"

He processed through the shugenja onboard soon coming to the decision it had to be O-Washi. That did nothing for his mood.

[Daidoji Fuichi]

The Crane inclined his head.
"No, but then the reasons for his Regret are known to everyone. Isawa Junpei has much to atone for, but I imagine that he will get his chance before we leave." A sharp cough as they rounded a corner. "However, I do not think that he will see it in that light."

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

He hid his surprise as well as he could, as he did not think that Junpei had any true battle experience.

"We will see. He has the Inquisitors in his future."

Qian-Fan was returning to his usual detached demeanour again at mention of his clanmates failings.

[Daidoji Fuichi]

True battle experience and having been in a battle are pretty much the same thing for this particular Daidoji, Asahina-trained as he is.

"So do I, as it happens." He smiled sadly. "Apparently, a step taken at the right time in the wrong place is still a misstep. I should have listened to the Tsuchi-kami." He shrugged. "I am certain that we will both be vindicated, provided true and righteous testimony is given. And why shouldn't it be?"

The question might be rhetorical.

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

Rhetorical or not, it got an answer.

"Testimony may become secondary if the testing goes badly."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Fuichi nodded. "That much is true." The wind left the sails.

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

"Very little we can do about it now except wait. None has the skill or knowledge to make the such a test here."

A pause as they navigated their way through the ship.

"And I'm not even sure we would get a true result of such a test in this locale."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

"I wonder if the gaijin are aware that that mist disrupts magical activity? It could make a difference when...when it happens."

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

This was new to Qian-Fan.

"What mist?"

[Daidoji Fuichi]

"There was a mist coming out of their temple. The Tsuchi-kami didn't recognize it's existence, but the Kaze-kami were terrified of it and wouldn't respond while it was nearby. Or rather, not for long."

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

He mused out loud again.

"Corrupted mizu-kami? Or something worse?"

[Daidoji Fuichi]

"I have no experience in such things, but they did take poor Asahina-san's blood." He has difficulty saying it. The experience in the temple was pretty earth-shattering.

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

"Tsukai then. Not that we hadn't already assumed such."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

"Indeed." Fuichi looked aside. "I am sorry."

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

"For what?"

He looked confused at the Crane's words of apology.

[Daidoji Fuichi]

"For being so ineffectual. If I had an ounce of military talent we might have gone back and torn down the temple. Instead I carried back her corpse like some eta." He shook his head. "I am also sorry about my display at the embassy. If I had known I would never have been so direct."

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

"If you had known . . . "

Qian-Fan quietly turned red once again.

"He's told you then. i should have known he would."