(Moon 13, Afternoon, Foredeck) Watchful {Scorpion Clan}

[Bayushi Nobuyoshi]

Nobuyoshi looks around and sees.....that he's on a boat..

Nobuyoshi shakes his head.

"My training has focused on seeing the opponent in front of me, not the opponent on the horizon" he explains.

And indeed, he was learning quite a bit about the three crows up here.

[Isawa O-Washi]

{{Since Kichirou's player is going out of town, we'll pretend he's equally average and move on}}

O-washi simply nodded, a bit disappointed but not unduly surprised, having gotten a measure of his crewmates. "Even if you can't do the spotting, you still need to learn how to interpret the calls the scout makes."

Pulling a whistle from his waistband, he tapped it against his thigh as he explained. "It's the fastest means to communicate, the distance from here to the deck being so far. Every sailor needs to know them and so I expect you to listen sharp and come to me over the next few days if you need a refresher."

Then he demonstrated the calls that were, indeed, fairly easy to pick up {Sailing/INT TN 10}

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Hoshi breathed out a quiet breath at the conclusion of O-washi's little 'spotting' exercise, this is rather embarrassing for three Scorpions to say the least... She merely thought that to herself in a show of annoyance.

With the next exercise, she fared better when it came to calls and picked them up quickly.


*Caption supposed to be Moon 13 instead of 12

[Bayushi Nobuyoshi]

The whistles do seem pretty straight forward, and Nobuyoshi seems to grasp them pretty readily.

I wonder if it's possible to put just enough variance in to the notes to send one message to the crew, and slip something to someone else? Nobuyoshi wonders.

The messages are pretty tight, and his training doesn't seem up to the task. Still, something for the Scorpion to considering while whistling his way through work.

[Isawa O-Washi]

Nodding his approval, the big Phoenix tucked the whistle away again. 'One last thing, then, and we can all go below away from the sight of the damned Sea. Scouts are a valuable asset in battle and so, of course, they take a lot of fire. Imagine you're under heavy archery fire right now...how'd you get down in the fastest way possible without an arrow in your belly?"

[Bayushi Nobuyoshi]

Nobuyoshi ponders the question.

"Jumping down is fast....and messy for you and anyone you land on. If you pushed really hard you might hit the sea...and bash against the side of the ship." Nobuyoshi offers.

"Taking the rope up here and rappelling down the side of the mast opposite the heaviest amount of archery fire?" Nobuyoshi guesses.

[Isawa O-Washi]

"That's certainly one way you could manage." The Phoenix nodded his approval. "But, there are others. The jumping into the sea you mentioned can be done, actually...you have to run along the spar to get to a safe distance, however, and only the most nimble of sailors should try except in dire need. That is, however, the fastest way you're likely to survive."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

As the two talked, Hoshi slowly drifted her gaze off to the dreadful view that was surrounding the ship. Funny they should talk of jumping into the sea as a viable option for surviving at this time. In the situation of a boiling pot and a grill, there wasn't much option for choosing now was there? She gave a slow nod as she noted this down to herself. "May I ask what would be our other options gunso-sama?"

[Isawa O-Washi]

"Eyes off the water, Hoshi-san."

The Isawa, who's eyes were keen, gave her a glare before calming himself again. "This line here can be used to slide down." He reached up and grasped one of the lines that supported the mast. "Problem is it'll shred your hands if you don't have gloves or something else to get between the rope and you...I've twisted lengths of spare rope for a sort of grip to good effect before. Trick is to take the impact, which won't be a small thing, given the angle, with your legs. Otherwise, you'll snap something but, well, that's better than falling off the mast, eh?"

[Bayushi Hoshi]

"Hai." Hoshi said on attention with the given order.

Given the alternative of taking a prepared fall was better than becoming a pincushion for arrows, she took good note of that. "Hai gunso-sama. I think we'll have to accept that our chances are better down there sometimes." She said in agreement.

[Isawa O-Washi]

"It's especially bad if the mast gets snapped off with you in it." The Phoenix's expression, if possible, grew even worse. "I've seen men drowned from tangling in the sails when the went into the water with the mast."

Then he made the usual warding gesture, not wanting to invite trouble.

"Anyway, any more questions before we get down from here and below decks?"

[Bayushi Nobuyoshi]

"Considering the importance to the crew as a whole to having sharp eyes up here, and that we're you're last group for the day, and we three have all failed to impress you, I'd be curious to know whom in your other groups has." Nobuyoshi asks offhandedly.

[Isawa O-Washi]

"A few here and there." O-washi saw no harm in sharing what would be common knowledge soon enough. "Kitsuki-san, of course...the eyes of his Family are lauded for good reason. Ikoma-san's eyes are likewise keen, again, not unexpected as his Family produces the best scouts of the Lion. Iuchi Xiao Han-san is not exceptional but comes well prepared and my Cousin has unique abilities to rise even higher than this. I expect Toritaka-san would be suitable but he's been too ill to rise from his bunk."

For a moment, true concern drew down the big man's brows. Shaking it off he finished off with, "And the Tsuruchi, of course."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Hoshi begrudgingly gave a few nods at that, "Nothing else from me gunso-sama." She said simply, passing the opportunity to the last Bayushi.