[Moon 8:Morning - Distillery] Er... Hello? (open)

[Shiba Nozomi]

Confusion alights on her features. "A...joke? Ano..."

She fiddles with her hands a little bit, causing the cotton of her robes to rustle. "But... even a scent can ch-change how the humors are af-affected. Ever no-noticed how a smell c..can affect your mood?"

[Isawa O-Washi]

"I never thought about it much." O-washi shrugged. "That's really more my sister's sort of thing than mine."

[Shiba Nozomi]

Another Isawa? "Is she here too?"

Furtive glances are made around the room, as if he might have somehow stashed her somewhere and is just hiding her for amusement. In one of the sweeps, her eyes fall on his gigantic frame and she wonders where'd they'd have room to put another person of that size.

"Is she as big as you are?"

[Isawa O-Washi]

The big priest just laughed, shaking his head. "Ije, she's in Tsuma. Advisor to the Governor, at least last time I head...she was always interested in perfumes and poetry and ikebana and other such things." His grimace indicated he wasn't. "Very courtly for a priestess, Ritsuko-chan...which is common enough in the air-aspected or so I've observed."

[Shiba Nozomi]

Air-aspected. Those were always such a funny lot. The additional mental image of some slender young woman dancing about the large Isawa and randomly trying to get him to wear fine clothes and scented oils causes Nozomi to hide a tiny smile behind a sleeve.

Recovering quickly, she replies, "Hai... It's f-funny how shugen-genja sometimes take on a-aspects of the kami that f-favor them."

[Isawa O-Washi]

He nodded at that. "Indeed...my family, 'cept me and an uncle, run to fire and air, most of the time. There were some truly impressive bust ups between my next-eldest sister and my Honored Father a time or two until she married away, I can tell you..."

Remembering it, O-washi chuckled.

"I think we had to replace the tatami floormats of the main parlor at least once a season when they were both at home."

[Shiba Nozomi]

"M-most of those taught by my s-sensei were fire, too."

Not wishing to be rude and pry, she avoids directly asking what element seems to favor him the most. Rather, she says,"Y-you... don't seem like them..."

[Isawa O-Washi]

"Not a whit." He laughed, a low bass rumble that seemed to echo like the booms of waves on cliffs. "I was the one putting out the fires, though it must be said I can be as much of an irate, mean son-of-a-b*&) as any soldier when the battle's on me, water's supposed serenity or no..." Seeming only then to realize he'd cursed, he hastily tacked on, "...begging your pardon, Shiba-san."

[Shiba Nozomi]

She wrinkles her nose at hm. "I'll ig-ignore it if y-y-you will. I ha-have been on a ship b-before."

Much more seriously, she adds,"Hopef-fully I won't have t-to see that... side of you often."

[Isawa O-Washi]

Somber now, he nodded. "That would be best. Though I am more warrior than most of our priestly kin, I don't enjoy the death of my commrades in the slightest and could stande a few months respite from saying prayers for the dead."

[Shiba Nozomi]

The ship had pretty much needed a whole new crew... could that have been why? It was a disconcerting thought. She absentmindedly makes a sign to ward off bad luck with her fingers and decides to change the subject.

"Yoritomo-Captain seems very nice..."

[Isawa O-Washi]

It was a good choice of topic because the Isawa's face lit up and his broad grin returned, with interest. "Oh, hai, Captain's a grand one. He's far more patient with recruits than most I've served with which is, no doubt, why he's got this particular Duty. He has a very nice family, too, and looks out for his people like blood so long as they repay his trust with dutiful service."

[Shiba Nozomi]

Her expression brightens hopefully, "Hai? Not m-much one for keel-keelhauling? ...Family?"

She certainly had the curiosity of her clan's founding kami...

[Isawa O-Washi]

"Keelhauling's really not something you'll see on a ship with a Captain worthy of his title...it's all about brutatlity and fear, not about teachng a needed lesson. You wont see it here, I assure you. If a punishment has to be given, it'll usually be some of the nastier needed duties or, at worst, a flogging." O-washi shrugged, not seeming to find the prospect that worrisome. "And, hai, he has a wife and several children...if you want to get him talking up a storm, ask him about them. Proud as anything of his children, the Captian is, as well he should be...I've met them and they're fine little tykes."

[Shiba Nozomi]

"I... might do that..." Suddenly her overactive imagination was filled with the image of the ship overflowing with miniature versions of the Captain. All with the same sort of smirk that seemed second nature to him...

"Teehee..." A small bout of coughing covers up the giggle. Badly.

[Isawa O-Washi]

That only made O-washi's grin grow wider.

"Good on you...just don't tell him I told you of 'em or he'll think I'm just trying to jolly him out of a mood or something."

[Shiba Nozomi]

She holds one diminutive finger up to equally small lips. "I promise. Eto..."

Shyness creeps back into her tone. "M-maybe later, y-you can show m-me how t-to do..." Small gestures are made towards the distillery,"...all that.""

[Isawa O-Washi]

The smile slipped a bit on the big man's face, humor giving way to surprise. "You've an interest in the brewer's arts? Very well then, though I warn you that this is a new enterprise for me so it's likely to be 'learn what to do by not doing what I just did."

[Shiba Nozomi]

There's a little extra... amusement (maybe? Hard to say)to her next question.

"Well... if it h-helps with m-medicine, what could it h-hurt? And..."

Here she shrugs a tiny bit,"L-life gets ea-easier when you l-learn from w-what others have already d-do-done, anyway."

[Isawa O-Washi]

"That's true enough...and it does help. In several ways, in fact" Secure enough now to tease, O-washi winked at the tiny healer and confided, "Some of the herbs react better mixed in with alcohol and, well, the say some folks complain a drop or two off duty is good medicine for the healers, neh?"