[Evening 9 - Hold] "Home Sweet Home"

[Amaya]

A shake of the head and the peasant was heading down the steps and into the hold with the other ashigaru and the two eta. Having to room along with eta was taking almost as much getting used to as talkative crazy shugenja and other insanity. Running a hand through her hair, she scowled once in the privacy of the thinner hallways, away from the door into the hold itself. This place had no privacy, and the feeling of being cramped was high even compared to a sampan on the waves. Still, she could deal with it. She just had to get used to it.

Opening the door, she looked in to see who was off duty. In the last few days, she'd been too busy to meet the others more than in passing, her scarred visage usually being seen busy on one random location or another.

[Rixy]

At a 'table' (a crate that, to the literate, would read 'Dried Nori'), three of her fellow heimen sat playing some sort of game with dice. Two of them were men, both older than Amaya and both with the weathered tanned hides of career seamen. The third was a girl, relatively pale for a sailor and rather pretty by peasant standards.

All three of them looked up as she entered.

The girl, youngest and perhaps relieved to see another of her gender, was the first to speak. "Hey...you...you're the new soldier, neh?"

The men, for now, were quiet, content to watch. The older of the pair was grinning, the other as stone faced as any of the o-samurai had ever managed.

[Amaya]

"Yeah, I'm the new one, though I'm whatever they send me to be. Not like they've really settled me on duties yet," she said, shrugging after a quick bob of her head. "I'm Amaya. Good to finally have a minute to breathe without just crashing." She glanced towards the dice game, mentally noting she had absolutely no coin these days for a gamble, but she could at least watch for the moment and meet the few of them already there.

Her voice sounded like whatever had clawed her throat did some damage to the voice box. It was graveled and harsh. Unlike the young girl, she was tanned, though not like leather. She obviously spent most of her days out in the sun.

[Rixy]

"You kill whatever did that?" The unsmiling man pointed at Amaya's face, his voice the sort used by those who expected to be listened to. To the girl with whom Amaya'd been speaking he said, 'Go get another stool."

The woman did so without pause, though the other man spoke chidingly, "Now, Hanma, give the girl a break...not like ya'll'r workin' just now, is it?"

The first man only grunted though he did nod.

The second, smiling openly and showing that he had precious few teeth to speak of turned his attention back to the newcomer. In a voice thick with a rather markedly Mantis accent he asked, "Wanna join us? Could use the balance o'a fourth if ya don't mind sittin' w'a lot o craftsman."

[Amaya]

She laughed at the first question, answering the other by grabbing a seat. If they weren't betting, why the hell not? "I'm lucky I got away from that damned thing with my life. Stupid bloated ass jellyfish was floating along the surface of the water. I came up too close for air without seeing it was right above and the thing lashed the hell out of my face. Almost lost consciousness and had to swim down and away to get loose," she said, shaking her head and tapping it. "Ugly ass thing too. It was like a purple boulder up on top of the water, stun like you wouldn't believe. One of the guys at the dock said that type almost never comes so close to shore. No point trying to kill the bastards either. It's not like they feel anything."

"Either way, craftsman or fighter or whatever the hell they put me doing, it's nice to not be 'round folks I don't know how to act with on a boat. It's weird, I tell ya."

[Rixy]

The first man, Hanma apparently, just grunted. "Scar like that, ol' Dageki'll have you lined up to fight, you just watch."

The girl, settled back into place now that she'd gotten the required stool, shyly extended a pitcher in Amaya's direction. "Here...it's only water but Cook let me have a bit o' the lime to put in, says it keeps the humors up."

The second man nodded his understanding. "Oh, hai, 'tis a bother an a half...been on boats since I could see o'er a railin', meself. W' th' Mantis, not so bad...most'a them are soft sorts on people that're useful. Me, I'm a fair hand w' sails an' rope braidin'. Nuime's my name, though most'a the crew call me 'Knots'. Hanma there, he's called 'Chuckles' fer his, ah, how'd that damn pretty boy a the Crane call 'im?"

The woman coughed, looked down at her hand, and offered, " 'Friendly disposition.'"

Nuime nodded, grinning toothlessly again. "Aye, that'd be it, right enou'. Our girl here's Kugi...'Blossom', they calls her, 'cause she's the pretty 'un."

At this, Kugi only blushed. Nuime didn't notice or didn't care, going blithely on. 'She's Hanma's second, both carpenters."

[Amaya]

"Thanks Kugi-san," she said, taking a slug of the water and passing it back whichever direction seemed the most fitting before breathing out and smiling a rakish enough grin. "Fortunes only know what they're going to call me before this whole thing's done, but if it's fighting they've got me doing, I've killed a few things trying to eat me. Still, good. Ship needs somebody what can patch the sails and wood everyone else's busting up all the time."

She smirked at the comments, though and kept an eye on the tailor. "You got a second, Nuime? This many sails, it's gotta be all day work one way or another. That meat-head up at the front sure wasn't gentle switching out, though he's at least got a spine that didn't crack like a reed in a stiff wind." Even if he's still a lazy bum.

[Rixy]

The older man shook his head. "Nope...my last one got put off ship 'cause she's spawnin' and got too far gone ta risk. Knowin' my luck, I'll be put w' some fancypants o-samurai who usually uses their needle fer fancy 'broidery or some o'er useless thing. As fer sails, well...that's what the uselss ones'll learn first."

All of them laughed at that, though Kugi's was more of a nervous titter. Hanma spoke up again after taking the bottle and drinking, passing it to Nuime who stopped talking in favor of drinking. "Us three, an' Cook, we're the ones that do most of the fixin'. The ones gone topside just now are the fighters, though all of us trim a neat sail and can do most any of the basic things that need done 'round here. Take it you never had to sail with Samurai before?"

[Amaya]

After joining them in their laughter. "One. Two at most. They'd man the rudder and handle navigating, but you never saw them except barking orders down at us," she said, shaking her head. "I've sailed more sampans than I'd ever count, but most of 'em were peasant manned. This is the first ship I've been on where there's this many samurai around. Manning the line's normal though, though damned if my arm's not killing me from this morning. Those sails kick like a beast getting in place."

She glanced at Nuime again and smirked. "You might have backup, depending on where the roster sticks me. I've done that sorta work on the sampans, when they didn't have me busy watching the lines," she added.

Course, the captain's probably got his own plans... Haven't met that one yet.

[Rixy]

"That'd be a blessin' o' Ebisu-kami, sure 'nough." Bottle set at the table's center where anyone could get it, Nuime was once again in full conversational flow. "Some o'em ain't bad...Captain's a good 'nough one, won't let t'others lay a hand where it don't belong. Gunso's're a bit stuffy..."

Hanma interrupted with a blunt, 'Moshi-gunso's a right bitch.'

After coughing, Nuime went one as if the other hadn't spoken, '...but neither of 'em will be unreasonable in orders. 'course, we have the same rules...no beatin' on the eta too bad if'n ya have a bad day.'

Kugi, softly, said, "They're clever with their needles and the herbs...it would be wrong to damage them."

Nuime rolled his eyes at that and Hanma turned to glare at his junior, who dropped her eyes. Seeing that she was properly cowed, he turned back to the dice on the table and picked them up, rattling them idly in his palm. "You know Fortunes n Winds, then? We don't play fer coin, we don't got much of that to be riskin', but it passes the time."

[Amaya]

Talk of beating eta just got ignored, kind of like the eta themselves. It was good to know if they were out and about, and good to stay upwind of them for the smells, but otherwise no point in thinking about what wasn't usually there. She did, however, chuckle at the 'bitch' comment. Hanma wasn't the only one who had noticed the Moshi's ... rougher side, fair orders or no. It was, however, good to know that she wasn't looking at too regular a beating... hopefully.

"Yeah, I've played a round or two now and again," she said, smirking down at the dice. "It's definitely something t'do while the deck's rolling around."

[Rixy]

"We play most nights when we're off duty. Sometimes, Cook likes ta read at us but mosta what she likes ain't fit for most folk, lest yer takin' about needin' a way ter fall asleep." Nuime rolled his eyes. "She's merchant-born 'n has delusions of bein' 'cultured'."

Hanma just grunted and passed Amaya the dice. Kugi, still looking down, murmured, 'Cook's got a few more books than just the ones she reads us about herbs and cooking. She just won't read those unless you ask her nicely." She peered up at Amaya for a moment, offering a shy smile. "Stories about other normal folks, her people, and their travel."

[Amaya]

She snorted and smirked as the dice rolled out and she glanced down at them. It wasn't a great roll, but it was at least a start. She might not have been able to read the word 'nori' below, but she knew her numbers well enough. It helped knowing what you had to do at certain points. Passing the dice along, she glanced over at the girl and nodded.

"In case the face didn't tell ya, I never was too good at telling people things too nice. I just keep my head down most days," she said with a faint laugh. "I don't worry too much 'bout storytime one way or another. Still, I was just wondering... what's this ship usually about?"

[Rixy]

Nuime, noting her roll, chuckled and then took the dice himself, making a similarly lackluster roll. "O, 'tis fer trainin'. Captain takes out a load a lubbers once, twice a year...only the officers stay, most a the time. Been at it for a few years now."

Kugi, who had returned Amaya's smile, took up her turn at dice, her roll the best so far. Beaming at the small wooden things as she passed them, she said, "Nice with cook just means a bit of manners...not some sort of bellow about keeping a man from his rest." She dared to glare at Nuime, who did her the courtesy of faking repentance. "It's an interesting duty, this. I've been here a fair bit, ever since I passed my tests an' made Journeyman. Mostly it's just go out, have a mock battle or two, sometimes take out a pirate here or there, then go back to resupply for the next lot."

[Amaya]

"Sounds simple enough. Fed regular for that kind of work's not bad at all," she said, barking a laugh and leaning back while she waited on Hanma's roll. "What more could ya ask than a job that's good, stiff work that lets ya sleep at night and a belly full every winter? 'Spose I'm getting trained as much as they are though, since I spent all my time on wee little things."

[Rixy]

"Hardest part of a big boat like this'n is turnin'. Puts a lot o press on the riggin' n' the sails. Ya felt it when you tied 'em, I'm sure." Nuime, eager for her assistance, was happy to fill his fellow tailor in. "Rips hell out a' the ropes 'n we'll be braidin' new ones twice this trip if'n tis like the last four I been on."

Hanma, who had rolled abysmally badly, was scowling so hard that it pulled his brows down into ferocious wrinkles, just nodded. Kugi, though, added thoughtfully, "The good bit is there's not much risk o reef and not much weed to bind in the anchor rope or to wind about the rudder. I can't think of the last time someone had to go in the water to check, 'cept as a punishment by Captain."

[Amaya]

...

She chuckled at that, reaching back and scratching her head as she kept the nerves away at that thought. It had definitely been something of a consideration. "Plenty of rope for braiding then. I'd bet that goes up even more if we start hitting some real choppy waters or hard storms," she said before tossing the dice and letting those solicit a broader grin. That was more like it. "Least we're not running through the rough waters too much."

[Rixy]

"Not yet." Hanma, grumpy about his last roll, was ever the pessimist. "If'n we're unfortunate, some fool will be here who's upset Suitengu-kami and we'll get blown around like a cork in a child's bath water."

Nuime, rolling with yet another round of very average results, shook his head sadly. "memeber that lass we had on here two summers agone? One w' the hate o' the water kami on her?"

Apparently they all did because frowns graced each face, even Kugi's. She took and rolled, not quite matching Amaya's results before passing then along. "I'd never seen someone drown in their bath 'fore. Dreadful."

[Amaya]

"Bath? Damn. That's someone Suitengu definitely had it in for," she said, shaking her head sadly and warding the memory away with a grunt. "I spose it's never too late to give he and Isora another prayer. I do keep a lil statue of Suitengu round if'n you guys want to say a prayer now'n again. Not sure should just leave it round, though the way this ship heaves sometimes. There somewhere to put something like that?"

[Rixy]

Hanma grunted and jacked his thumb toward one of the walls. "Got a few cubbies there for personal stuff that me an' Kugi made a few years back. If'n you got any ancestors you want in good with, usually you can get one of the priests to make you one of those memory stones with their name if you get 'em on a good mood when you're on duty with 'em." He rolled his dice and looked much less annoyed with the results this time, though he didn't smile even though he'd won the round. "Should still be space for your things in one of 'em."