(Moon 13, Afternoon, Foredeck) Watchful {Phoenix Clan}

[Isawa O-Washi]

Today, dismal and cloudy as it was, wouldn't seem a good day for training. Nonetheless the gunso had dispersed the news with breakfast that those who still needed the lesson on scouting would get it...Suitengu never gives second chances to fools, after all.

More surly than ever, despite his cheerfully flame-red jinbei, O-washi paced beside the mast. Somehow, knowing that his kin among the Phoenix, who would be the most equipped to understand his disquiet, were his next pupils made it both better and worse.

[Shiba Nozomi]

Nozomi arrives first, unsurprisingly. She looks fairly unhappy herself, having to be above-deck right now. She could hear the horrible wailing of the waves inside the ship, too... but at least there the wind couldn't carry the sound over to you so easily.

She bows deeply to O-Washi and fidgets with her pendant, waiting for the others to arrive.

[Isawa O-Washi]

She got an understanding grimace and a bow from her fellow priest of the water kami but he said nothing, only continuing to pace.

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

The third Phoenix Water priest arrived, looking as sullen and out of sorts as the others. He wore the 'uniform' he'd been provided with and even his scroll satchel was missing today. He bowed properly to the two already there and then looked distractedly at the sea while fiddling with the end of his long braid as he tried desperately to ignore the voices he could hear.

[Isawa O-Washi]

Again, O-washi only paused to bow, though this time he let out a low "Fortunes, I hate this place...it'll be better to think of other things, at least..." as he started walking again.

[Shiba Nozomi]

"W-we could work on th-the distillery, l-later, maybe?" Nozomi offers hopefully. Not that she thinks the possible fruits of their labor would be helpful in the slightest. Might make it worse, actually... but working on it would be something to focus on.

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

Qian-Fan squeezed his eyes shut and just swayed with the boats movement for a while, but he still couldn't shut out the tortured sound of the waves around them.

"Perhaps this is why Kuni are so disagreeable. If they have to live with this every day on land."

[Isawa O-Washi]

Mindful of the little Shiba's delicate courage, O-washi was still careful to smile at her. "Perhaps, if the training ends early enough."

Turning to Qian-Fan, he said, "No, they hear the echoes of the dead where life should be." O-washi had enough friends amongst the Crab to speak with some authority on the subject. "A different discomfort, though the Wall is like this or so one of my former crewmates once told me." His hands made fists, then unclenched. "It's worse for those of us trained as tensai. It's why my Cousin is excused from this exercise."

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

Qian-Fan nodded. It was bad enough for him as it was without being a tensai and he knew what state poor Junpei was in.

"Just Shiba-san to arrive then."

He continued to fuss with the end of his braid, wanting this over as quickly as possible no doubt.

[Isawa O-Washi]

"She'll catch up." Clearly, O-washi didn't want to be out here any longer than he had to either.

He looked between the two already there. "Have either of you done much climbing?"

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

Qian-Fan shook his head.

"Not really, a steep hill at best to be honest."

Another mental curse at his mother, climbing a few trees as a child would obviously have been handy just about now.

[Shiba Naomi]

Naomi arrived with a hurry. She had felt shaky and nervous all day, and had almost lost track of time. With the severity of the area they were in, she carried her bow and quiver with her, as well as her faithful nage-yari.
"Gomenasai, Isawa-gunso, minna-san..." she bowed quickly to them all. "... I hope I didn't make you wait too long..."

[Isawa O-Washi]

"Not long, no." He glanced at the weapons. 'Leave those below for this, climbing with them's just going to get you stuck and today's no day for foolish risks that might get people hurt or lost over the rail."

[Shiba Naomi]

"Hai, gunso," Naomi obeyed swiftly and put them to the side so they wouldn't get in the way during today's excersice.
At least it was comforting to know she would have them within easy reach rather then below deck in the case of an attack...

[Isawa O-Washi]

Nodding in approval, O-washi finally stopped pacing. "Scouting on a ship requires height, plain and simple. That means we go up to the nest." Looking around his kin, he reminded them, firmly, 'No kami for this, just muscle."

Since Naomi, as a bushi, should in theory have the muscle, he waved to her first. "Up you get, Shiba-san."

{{Athletics/STR (climbing) TN 20}}

[Shiba Naomi]

"Yessir!"
Naomi went to the task with much gusto, and climbed the rigging with a surprising speed for someone of her size and stature.
While she didn't have much muscle, she didn't have to lift as much as the big people...

She gave a wave to her fellow Phoenix when she reached the top.

[Isawa O-Washi]

That, at least, made the Isawa smile. "Alright, next..."

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

Qian-Fan stepped forward and with a face of solid concentration started off on his climb. He was doing rather well until the last span when he picked a poor rope to climb and managed to get into quite some difficulty. Enough to have him starting to look alarmed and signalling for help.

So close IC . . . why, why, why?

[Isawa O-Washi]

"Uncoil the rope around the mast and lower it, Shiba-san."

Then he ascended, muscles rippling with obvious power as he came up by his Clanmate. Reaching out, he grasped ahold of one of the Agasha's ankles and used it to pull him toward himself, using his rather larger form as a brace to help the Agasha find stability against the mast.

[Shiba Naomi]

Naomi made sure to keep her legs hooked into the ropes of the rigging as she freed her arms to uncoil the rope, then quickly lowered it towards O-Washi and Qian-Fan.