This day, for a change, Isawa O-washi had further subdivided his group by having the word passed along with the morning meal. With half of his pupils seen to and the sun starting it's downward slide, O-washi awaited his time with the Mantis for what he rather expected would be a short lesson.

He waited by the Mainmast, clad in even less clothing than usual, which was saying something. His vest was gone and his usual hakama had been replaced with simple jinbei which were cut close to his heavily-muscled thighs, the better to avoid catching in the rigging for the lesson he'd planned. Beside him stood one of the heimen, an older man who's broad grin was mostly lacking in teeth. He, unlike the ashigaru from the two prior lessons, was unarmed, encumbered only with a small hourglass and a large wooden whistle. The two men were currently drinking from a large flask, true shipmates who didn't seem to see the need for cups.

A few moments later Kaito came strolling up having heard at breakfast that they were supposed to meet here at this time. "Afternoon Gunso" He says as he bows to his superior giving a polite nod of greeting to the heimen before his eyes momentarily drift to the bottle.

Both men bowed and O-washi, without missing a beat, extended the bottle after catching the Yoritomo's gaze upon it. "Juice. Want some?"

Juice? It wasn't sake but likely the next best thing. "Sure, a little juice would be nice." He replied taking the bottle from the man and taking a swig out of it before handing it back. "Arigato."

The juice was some sort of citrus blend...and there was a kick that indicated that some of that juice was quite likely fermented.

O-washi grinned as he took it back. "Good for the spirit, this stuff. Haven't gotten much of a chance to chat with the Mantis on board yet...how're you finding it?"

Good juice. The mantis thought smiling slightly at the bite. "It's interesting, not exactly like any of the other vessels I've been on but I figure that's on account of all the different clan samurai on board." He looks speculative for a moment as a hand comes up scratch at his chin. "Moshi-sama an yourself know your business and the Captain to from what I seen as well. So as long as all of us crew learn whats what and listen when we are told it don't seem like we will run into any problems other then the usual."

One of the big man's scarred hands moved in an instinctive gesture of warding even as he nodded. "That's the hope. No one's too stubborn to be taught so far, at least, so that's a mercy. Some of this lot are green as grass, true, but they seem to be making a good effort, even if I imagine a quarter of them will be putting in for transfers out of the Ninth as soon as we get back to port."

Shaking his head, he added, "I think they're mad to give up the chance myself but the sea's not for everyone, neh?"

The mantis nods in a agreement his eyes looking towards the ocean. "I'd have to agree with you on both accounts there gunso. Though I suppose those that do leave will likely think us mad for staying on as well."

After a moments pause and a glance around he continues. "There was something I was wondering though Isawa-sama and I heard you were the one to ask about it. And lookin like the rest are still on their way now seems a good a time as any."

"Ask away." The Isawa grinned. "Doubt it's anything too terrible if you asked others about it first and are walking around without bruises."

"Well I was thinking of going out fishing in the next day or so and I was wondering if I caught anything if I could make use of the kitchen. AS long as I can find someone to preform bucket duty of course." The man finishes after a moment.

Slowly, the gunso nodded, nibbling his lower lip. "Hai, I think I can sweet-talk Cook." For a big man, O-washi looked remarkably sheepish. "She's partial to me on account of I remind her of her eldest grandson, but if you make a mess it's coming out of my hide so mind you don't, eh?"

The mantis nodded in acceptance. "I'll be sure to clean up after myself a messy kitchen just leads to poor tasting food after all. Or at least that's what my last cook always said." He paused before adding "Course I would of been careful even if ya hadn't said anything making the cook angry is always something ya want to avoid on a ship."

"That's the truth." He grimaced. "I remember on my first ship, some fool of a Cousin lorded it over the Agasha cook one too many times and next thing we know, all of us Isawa are eatin' food with absolutely no spices. It's a sad state of affairs when you find yourself drizzling sea water on your fish for flavor, let me tell you..."

The mantis chuckles at that. "To tell you the truth that's one of the reasons I usually bring a few seasonings of my own." He said with a smile. "Though the first time I saw it happen weren't so bad on the rest of us as it were on the poor sot that angered the cook. That man was stuck on dry rations for the rest of the journey... all 43 days of it."

Choukichi arrives shortly into their conversatio. After the mornings fog, a sure sign of trouble to come, and the news that they intend to sail through, and not around the sea of shadows, he is feeling exceptionaly doomed today, and it shows in the eyes constantly darting around everywhere, expecting something terrible to happen at any moment. To help ward against this, he has chosen to go barechested today, revealing the full array of wards against malicious spirits and bad fortune, and prayers to and images of Suitengu and Osano-Wo tatooed all over his body. He bows politely as he gets close to O-Washi and Kaito but does not interupt them.

"Damn...I think I might have tried to swim home if I had to get by on nothing but dry seaweed and puffed rice for that long." O-washi shuddered. "What the Jigoku'd the stupid sod do?"

As the other Yoritomo arrived he got a nod but O-washi, caught in the story, didn't turn his gaze.

The peasant, a bit bored, looked idly about and sipped the juice, wondering where the other Mantis was. Maybe she'd decided to skiv off because of Clan matters?

"Well I only heard about what happened second hand ya understand so I can't exactly verify the truth of the matter. But it seems like it was something of a series of events the boy had pissed of the capn in some way or other and had been assigned to scullery duty as punishment."

He says pausing for a moment. "Where it appears he was cleaning up one day and forgot to take the chefs best knives out of the waste water and pitched em overboard. Now this made the chef angry and he would of likely punished the boy if it weren't a honest mistake so he let it pass with only a small scolding." The mantis let this sink in for a moment more so the man could consider it before continuing

"Now bound and determined not to make the same mistake again the next day the boy brought a bit of fine net with him and used it to drain the waste water into another bucket to make sure he didn't leave any knives in it. Which is a fine idea until you realize he forgot to drops the dregs left in the bucket back into the waste water when he went to throw it out. Ended up leaving a bucket of fish guts and other nasty things festering in the kitchen over night."

"Now the chef was a kind hearted man but walking in the next morning to such a stink I think pissed him off mighty and we all heard the thunderous roar when he found it. Still though that were not the end of it. It was the final thing the sent the chef over the edge. You see it was the capn's birthday and the the chef was preparing something special. He'd learned how to prepare some fried fish from a crab friend of his and was gonna make some for the occasion. Now cooking with oil on a ship is a right dangerous affair and the cook explained to the boy that they would have to be extra careful of it. Well the poor boy was taking extra care with it today ready to throw the bucket of water at a moments notice when suddenly he heard a loud pop. Apparently it spooked the boy cause he jumped and some of the water came sloshing out and into the oil which caused said oil to splash out of the pan and onto the chefs tunic and into the fire a bit. Which immediately flared up and caught the poor chefs tunic on fire." The mantis shakes his head. "They ended up getting the fire out easy enough and the chef only got fairly minor burns but the poor boy didn't eat warm again the rest of the trip. The cook wouldn't have a thing to do with him."

"Hotei-kami must have really had it in for the poor man....or maybe the cook." O-washi's face showed sympathy for the plight of both. "Damned unfortunate, either way."

Dusting his hands on his thighs, he decided to get started. "Alright, no sense waiting...Moshi-san'll show or she won't. Either of you lads been up to a Nest before?"

Choukichi nods his head.

"Hai, plenty of times before, though considerably fewer on a ship of this size."

Kaito nods in agreement story time done it was time to get down to business. "Been up more then a few times myself as well but like not so many on such a large vessel."