[Day 2, mid-afternoon] Sharpest Agony

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Fuichi woke amid the piercing stabs of a thousand needles. A sharp intake of breath was followed by a grimace and then a gasp of pain. Maho. It was the only possible explanation! Someone on this vessel! He glanced about feverishly for his assailant, unable to rise because of the shooting anguish in his abdomen and arms.

Then it occurred to him. "Oh, Bishamon's pendulant balls. Exercise is for the insane."

[Ikoma Hikaru]

Hikaru, sitting on his bunk a few bunks down, raises and eyebrow and says.

"It sounds as if Daidoji-san has quite a time last night."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Fuichi groaned in reply.
"It didn't even seem like that much! How does Hida-san get to be like that if this is the reward?"

[Ikoma Hikaru]

"I am under the impression that Hida-san was actually born like that. Armor and all." He says with a raised eyebrow.

[Daidoji Fuichi]

"Maybe..." The fog in the Crane's mind was slowly lifting. "Though that doesn't explain Akodo-san and the others. Is that really what bushi do all day?"

[Ikoma Hikaru]

Hikaru nods and says,

"If you mean run around and hit things with four foot razor blades, then yes that is what most bushi do everyday. I suppose it has some kind of.......appeal to it."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Fuichi shook his hand and, focusing his will, forced himself to sit up. "pain," he whispered.

Leaning against the wall behind his berth, he raises his eyes to the ceiling. "I suppose I can expect a lot more of this, then."

[Ikoma Hikaru]

"If you intend to purse the martial arts, then yes you can expect to feel like this often. However the good news is adventually your muscles will grow accustomed to the movments and they will not resent you so for making them perform them." Hikaru says flatly.

[Isawa Junpei]

It was an oddity to find Junpei below-decks during the day, but since the morning when he'd spied Fuichi flopping into his bunk as Junpei set out for his duties, he thought it might be worth checking in on him. Seeing Fuichi rustling, speaking with Hikaru, he approached.

"Konichiwa," the tensai offered to the two men trying not to interrupt.

[Daidoji Fuichi]

"Konichiwa, Isawa-san. I wish I could say that it is a pleasant morning." Fuichi grimaces again.

[Isawa Junpei]

"Afternoon." Junpei corrected, holding a sleeve over his lips hiding a soft chuckle. "You slept clear through mid-day. Oh, goodness, what a state you're in."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

"Slept through mid-day!" Fuichi's eyes open wide. "Akodo's vengeful fist! I'm late!" He tried to stand, but a fresh wave of anguish from his calves causes him to stumble and lean against the wall. "Oh...Isawa-sama is going to kill me."

[Isawa Junpei]

"How did you even get like this? I saw you come in this morning, but...were you out all night or something?" Junpei drew closer to the two, leaning against one of the berths. He raised an eyebrow in both interest and accusation.

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Fuichi blushed. "I...I've been trying to, y'know..." He looked down. "Ah, exercise some. And...it doesn't seem to agree with me."

[Isawa Junpei]

As much as crude humor might have suddenly leaped to mind with Fuichi's evasive answer, he would leave such jokes to Musasha. He was amidst dignified company, or at least as dignified as it was going to get aboard the Half Moon. Lowering his brow he decided not to press the matter, "All this from some exercises? I'm not entirely sure that's normal. I'm definitely not the one you should talk with about physical fitness, but you might want to see one of the healers."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Fuichi seemed to shrink. "I've...well, I've never been..." He sighed. "I over-exerted. Twice. And I've always been a little sickly." A pause. "Okay, pretty sickly most of my life." He slumped down to the floor. "So embarrassing."

[Isawa Junpei]

Junpei chortled, "Oh, it's embarrassing alright, and thankfully there's enough embarrassment to go around. At least you didn't have your head in a bucket for close to the first whole week of our voyage. Fortunes help me, I'm never going to live that down. Did you know they have a rude nickname for me?"

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Fuichi smirked. "Is it any worse than mine?"

[Isawa Junpei]

"I don't know. Probably." He sighed, "I suppose...if you tell me yours I'll tell you mine."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

"I am the Sea Swallow." Fuichi managed a grin. "It is, apparently, a double reference. The first is that of a sea slug that has beautiful blue-and-white coloration, floats through water as easily as air, and is a hermaphrodite. The second is that of a white bird from exceptionally cold climates that dives for 6-inch eels. The significance of the word 'Swallow' can, I assume, be surmised without assistance."