Moon 9, Early Morning, Armory; Annoyed Crab

[Hida Musasha]

The Hida nods, "If it comes to it, then, stay close. I have a finger with me at all times. And my tetsubo here ain't friendly ta the taint, either."

[Isawa O-Washi]

Looking rather thoughtful, the big man mused, 'Has anyone ever figured out the exact range of protection for a piece of Jade?"

[Shiba Naomi]

"Please don't worry for me, Hida-san. If we do happen to meet upon such creatures, I wouldn't want you to lose your focus to worry about me instead of thinking of yourself."

As O-Washi mentioned the subject of jade's area of effect, Naomi was silent. She honestly had no idea, and only knew that jade was said to ward of the taint of Jigoku and the Shadowlands.

[Akodo Jishaku]

At the talk of theoretical properties of jade causes the Lion to lose his interest in the conversation. Who cares, strap one around your neck and you'll be fine. Suddenly the sharpening becomes far more interesting than it was earlier.

[Hida Musasha]

He shrugs, "It depends largely on what is pressing in on it. In the shadowlands, it only protects yerself. In the Sea of Sorrows, you can almost see it glow at night, and it can be anywhere from the person wearin' it ta a few feet of usefulness. But out here, it might be more. I wouldna' want to put it up against somethin' right outta Jigoku ta protect more'n one, but wi' some tainted pirates or the odd tainted sea creature, each finger should be enough for 3 back ta back, I think."

[Isawa O-Washi]

Good enough for O-washi, who nodded absently.

"Hopefully it won't come to that..we're not going to be passing that close."

[Hida Musasha]

The Hida looks at Naomi, "An' it ain't worry fer you, lass. It's simply fer all our survival. You slow 'em down an' I'll bash 'em dead."

[Shiba Naomi]

"Ah... yes, of course." She gave a slight smile. At least that was something along the lines of the tactics she had been thinking of in her mind when she began considering what to do in such an attack.

[Isawa O-Washi]

"Back to back, all as brothers, that's the proper way to think on a Legion ship...or any other such assignment, really." The gunso grinned in approval. "Clan or gender's the last thing to worry about when battle comes...it's 'us' and 'them', and 'us' is everyone with a chrysanthemum stitched onto their uniform."

He paused, then added, with a grin, "Well...sometimes the Crane put them on for decoration but those don't count."

[Shiba Naomi]

Naomi nodded, and chuckled lightly at the mention of the Crane decorating themselves with chrysanthemums.

"I look forward to getting the chance to practice more with everyone so we can get into the habit of fighting side by side."

[Hida Musasha]

Musasha stops oiling for a moment, "I ain't got no stitchin' skills. We gonna have access ta someone tha' does?"

[Isawa O-Washi]

"Cloth or flesh?"

The big man looked as calm as if he were asking what flavor of tea they wanted.

[Hida Musasha]

He blinks, "Fer stitchin' a Chrysanthemum onto my uniform..."

[Isawa O-Washi]

"Then, hai, we've got a tailor on ship...maybe more than one if one of you recruits have a skill there." O-washi's brow furrowed as he considered that possibility. "You'd have to ask around...or just get Knots to do it. He's one of the heimen, can't miss him...he's the oldest of the lot and barely has any teeth."

[Hida Musasha]

He nods, returning to his oiling. As he finishes his breastplate, he moves on to the other pieces of his suit.

"What's the odds we see action before we finish our little trainin' voyage? I don' think everyone on this boat is ready fer it. Some o' the greener ones are still fillin' th' buckets wi' fish stew."

[Isawa O-Washi]

"If all goes well, worst action we'll see is the mock battle against the other training ship." He smiled. 'That's actually a good bit of fun by my way of thinking...not so good as a real fight since we can't aim for the ships but we do a good across the rails serge with padded sticks instead of spears and bokken instead of swords. The winning boat's Captain gets first pick of the new recruits the next time we ship out and the winning crew gets first crack at shore leave. We usually see a few broken bones and one or two folks have gotten cut up pretty badly on the barnacles falling between the ships but it's as good of training as you can get without the real thing. Those that manage that without being useless will get put off to real assignments elsewhere in the Legion. Those that can't, well, they'll be headed back to their Lords before full summer."

[Hida Musasha]

He nods, "'Tis a pity ta see a sailor sent home, but some o' them belong there."

He finishes up with the smaller pieces of his armor in short order, moving on to the tetsubo. He puts a lot of care into it. "This ol' thing has been reforged three times. Ya gotta reforge 'em every year or so ta refresh the spirit o' the steel. If th' taint sets into the steel, it has ta be destroyed. Steel resists the taint, but like a man, can't hold out ferever. The renewin' o' their Earth, Fire, and Water is suppose ta make 'em young again, an' steel is too valuable ta let rot."

[Isawa O-Washi]

O-washi glanced at the weapon with no small amount of interest. "I've never been one for weapons, other than those I was born with." He waggled his scarred fingers at the bigger man. "I understand the value for your Clan, of course, but fighting largely other men I've never had the same sort of concern. Your Kaiu are busy fellows, I dare say, if every Crab's constantly getting his tools reforged."

[Hida Musasha]

He shrugs, "It ain't constant, it's only th' ones seein' a lotta action. We saw as much action as one doin' a constant rotation on th' wall fer a year. What th' men that served on th' wall always said they'd go weeks wi'out seein' a damn thing. We saw somethin' every week, an' we all jumped on it beatin' it ta death."

He laughed, a rare display of emotion, "Ain't really no rotatin' out fer a season er two on a boat. Th' usual reforgin' is based on th' number o' rotations. About a reforgin' every 8 rotations. An' it ken be reduced further by th' Kuni blessin's. Ain't always got Kuni blessin's. We Crab got tetsubos, though, cause they break on some o' th' hides we use 'em on. Th' idea is ta make em last as long as possible afore tha' happens. This un is about retirement age. They are cheap an' quick ta make, unlike swords, but we Hida grow attached ta 'em after they save our asses a few dozen times."

[Isawa O-Washi]

As someone who's weapons were often spawned by reading all-to-destructible bits of paper, O-washi understood that all too well, nodding somberly. "I have to rescribe my ofuda at least once a year, more if there's a lot of battle in ill weather. One good gust at the wrong time and whoosh, it's lost to the sea." He shook his head, sighing. "It was hard, losing the ones made in places that mattered. It's not just the thing, it's the fact it's a small bit of what is now lost."

Fists clenched and knuckles popped. "I've only two left that were scribed at Kyuden Isawa, which is rubble now."