As the various training sessions had demonstrated, maintaining one's equipment required extra care in the salt and damp at sea.

So this afternoon, Sayuri sits cross-legged in the space between the men's and women's quarters, pieces of armor and the materials to maintain it laid out around her. She examines each piece, cleaning, mending, and noting cords that would need replacing soon and spots that would need more care when they could risk a fire for lacquer, while humming a cheery-sounding tune.

An oddly acrid floral scent hovers above that of oil and other mending supplies.

Nobuyoshi enters the crew quarters his own quiet song continuing as he makes his way in "...We'd charge in, make our stand, and we'd see victory... he sings to himself. He stops singing once he takes note of the much louder Crab song.

A proper bow upon noting another samurai, as he finds a comfortable place to sit.

He regards the Crab samurai working on her armor in the space between the male and female quarters, and makes a solitary comment in a space in the Crab's song where she pauses.

"Kaiu Shiro" he says in a voice quiet and flat.

Sayuri glances up at the incoming footsteps, and sketches something that resembles a seated bow...the spirit of an offhandedly respectable greeting that falls far short of civilized forms. At the quiet voice she pauses in her humming and rests the shin guard she's been inspecting on her knee and looks up to the Scorpion with a bemused smile.

"Hmm? Sorry, didn't catch that."

The Scorpion looks past the Crab as she speaks at a spot perhaps two feet behind her left shoulder.

"Kaiu" he says slowly and with careful enunciation, and a touch louder. "Shiro"

"Oh!" She shifts her seat a bit so she can stop craning over her shoulder to speak to him. "Was stationed on that part of the Wall only the one winter. Sorry I don't recall you if you were there. It was the winter Kaiu Jinto was testing the new ballista design that misfired and took out half a village five miles back the wrong direction."

A pause from the Scorpion, though it's cause is hard to discern behind his black mask with red stripes.

"It will be problematic if it is the Half Moon's ballista that sinks the other training vessel." he replies, careful to enunciate each word clearly, slowly, and slightly louder for the Crab.

Crab are not unaccustomed to people speaking loudly and slowly for their benefit. Sayuri doesn't even pause to consider it as her laugh fills the small quarters. "Problematic? Y'might say that! Don't think that's Kaiu-sama's design there though, so we should be fine."

"So long's they have folks who know what they're doin,' shouldn't have that kind o'problem." She stares at the mask unselfconsciously, as she hasn't had a chance for a good look before. "Might want ta leave it to such folks if you're not skilled with a ballista, neh? Been sailin' long?"

Nobuyoshi's mask is a full face mask probably made of ceramic and painted black. Rather than an oni's visage, which is somewhat common for a Scorpion Bushi, Nobuyoshi's Mask looks more like an expressionless face. Red lines flow from the eye and mouth holes, giving the impression of a face that is bleeding from eyes and mouth, yet does not realize this.

"The Scorpion Clan is not known for their naval strength, Hida-san." Nobuyoshi continues on as before. "There are certainly no tales of ships with black hulls and blood-red sails appearing without warning at night, leaving naught but rumors of ships lost to sudden storms."

Nobuyoshi shakes his head.

"None at all" he concludes.

She frowns in confusion a moment, focusing on her task. "No they're not. Doesn't answer the question though."

"As ta tales, that's only a little friendlier soundin' than those about the ships one runs across in the Sea of Shadows. So if there aren't tales like that...well there could be with just a few changes."

"Comparing the Scorpion to the Enemy in the South" Nobuyoshi says, in a tone of confirmation.

Rather than drive the point further home, he takes the opportunity to remove pieces of his own armor. While heavy armor is no burden to the Crab, light armor is certainly more appealing to a Scorpion. He starts looking for signs of damage, either from man or sea.

"What?" That confused frown again. "Why would I do that?"

Nobuyoshi shakes his head.

"I don't know why you would do that Hida-san." Nobuyoshi responds. "Typically such claims are made by those who harbor resentment either for slights against them or their family."

"Hmph. Just cause I've reason not to be fond of you or yer kin doesn't mean I'd be sayin' yer like the Enemy. Nobody deserves that" She bends back to her task with a frown.

Nobuyoshi picks at his armor, giving enough pause to let the Crab hope the conversation might be over.

But it's not.


"Moshi-gunso expressed her point of view yesterday that it does not matter where we come from, but that we are here now." he says flatly.

Not looking up as she sets aside the piece she's finished and picks up another. "Sure. Imperial legion an' all. So? Even more reason I wouldn't be botherin' to say anything like that."

"Don't know much about ya, but that you're a warrior, neh? We're all servin' as we're supposed to. Pick you outta the sea if needed, same's I did for my cousin."

From the women's side of the screen, Naomi walked with happy bounce in her step as she made her way around after a brief visit to check that everything was in order with her belongings.

Spotting the two samurai, she paused and gave a quick bow of greeting. "Bayushi-san, Hida-san, konnichiwa."

The Bayushi properly returns the Phoenix's bow.

"Shiba-san" he says, his voice dropping back down to where he normally speaks.

That said he turns his focus back to armor maintenance.

Another quick, seated bow from Sayuri. "Afternoon, Shiba-san." She brushes back a loose strand of hair, tucks it behind her ear, and smiles slightly at the Phoenix, though the recently interrupted conversation still had her unsettled.

"Uhm, I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" Naomi glanced between Sayuri and Nobuyoshi.

"You're not" he confirms, quietly. Focusing more on his armor repair than on the Phoenix or the Crab.