[Afternoon 14 - Island] The Call of Thunder

[Kaiu Seiko]

(OOC: ...and Kaiu Seiko makes four for this thread!)

Seiko traveled to the island to make sure Osano-Wo still didn't mind. It was a nice statue, after all, but you could never tell with fortunes.

Leaving the ship wasn't the problem. Annoying, but she would be back.

It was the basaltic rock. There was no way she could go barefoot, as much as she wanted. That meant sandals.

And then... there was the Usagi. Hugging the rocks. Laughing.

She stared at the Hare with a slightly... hurt look.

"He... doesn't like the sea," she observed, a little sad.

[Usagi Zenko]

He hear's a voice somewhere nearby and looks. "Hi...ahm...Kaiu-sama?" He grins. "Isn't this island glorious? So stable, and full of rocks and earth."

He sits up a bit, brushing himself off. "Really must thank the captain for letting us stop here."

[Kaiu Seiko]

Seiko continued to stare mildly at Zenko as if there was something wrong with him.

He was... excited to be back on land. To be away from the ship. On the island with all the sharp rocks that would cut your feet.

And now he was talking to her.

She couldn't just look at him. She had to say something.

But what?

"Why don't you like the sea, Usagi-sama?" she finally replied. "It likes you."

[Usagi Zenko]

He looks at the ocean, and then back to the Kaiu. "It...it does? I...I've just been terrified of it." He goes a little pale and then turns to it, kneeling deeply and searching his obi for a few pieces of spare rice to throw to Suitengu in offering.

[Kaiu Seiko]

Seiko continued to give Zenko that quizzical look. Why didn't he understand?

"Of course it does," she said. Then she looked off into the island, trying to spot the shrine. "If it didn't, you'd be dead by now."

She walked on ahead, leaving the Hare behind for the moment.

[Usagi Zenko]

Zenko knelt in prayer to Suitengu, worried he'd given offense to the ocean that must like him. I wasn't even sick all that long, and there's those others who are still feeling bad...

[Kaiu Seiko]

Seiko wasn't interested in making prayers to Suitengu. After all, she knew the sea liked her. Besides, she came here to pay her respects to Osano-Wo.

She continued toward the shrine, ignoring the other three samurai completely.

[Isawa Junpei]

(Because of my...gift, I was given special dispensation to join as a 5th member since I don't take up room in the boat)

Finishing his own prayers, Junpei rose stretching his legs and smoothing his robes. If ever he'd need the favor of the Thunderer it would probably be now, and given the Fortune's reputation for action, he was perhaps the only Fortune that Junpei had even the slightest chance to count on when it mattered. Still, he was not above offering praise to whatever Fortune's he thought would listen (and even some he assumed would not).

Walking back down to the shore, he stood only a few dozen paces from the Usagi and Kaiu, raising his hands in exaltation to Isora, Fortune of the Seashore and patron of his family (not his Family). With a well practiced cadence he spoke to the gentle sea Fortune, humbling himself and lauding her power before asking for whatever help she might offer. He spoke in the language of the kami, of course, and so, sadly the words were lost on his less spiritually inclined crewmates.

[Amaya]

Nodding, the gunso's gaze slid back at her again. 'Any of the samurai giving you the sense they couldn't work with you if need be?"

"Nope, -sama. More seem t'wanna treat m'more like a member of the crew n anything else. Some're closer'n what I'm really comfortable with, but what -sama wants, -sama gets, long's it's not against what the Cap'n says, I figure," she said, shrugging a bit and catching herself. She saw the floating figure of the Isawa in the distance and was privately glad that ethereal shenanigans went in the direction of the others for now. This place was odd enough as is.

[Isawa O-Washi]

Because she was a peasant and seemed to prefer plain speaking the Isawa didn't soften his words. 'Whoring isn't part of your duty so if any of them try to get you to do that sort of thing, report it. If they try to insist, well, a bruise or two in self defense isn't going to get you in near as much trouble as they'll be in."

[Kaiu Seiko]

Seiko pulled out a statue of Osano-Wo and placed it on the ground. She looked down at the statue, and then up towards the shrine. For a few moments, she just knelt there, looking between the two. Then she closed her eyes and silently said a prayer to the Fortune.

[Amaya]

Because she was a peasant and seemed to prefer plain speaking the Isawa didn't soften his words. 'Whoring isn't part of your duty so if any of them try to get you to do that sort of thing, report it. If they try to insist, well, a bruise or two in self defense isn't going to get you in near as much trouble as they'll be in."

Her face scrunched up and she cocked her head, looking at the Isawa. "Y'er serious, ain'tcha?" she said, lip quivering. For a moment, she looked like she was fighting something. She put her hand to her mouth and a fit of giggles was barely controlled by the action. As she calmed, she bowed deeply in apology. "Sorry, -sama... bu... I'm not th'sort folks come lookin for at feastdays. Ever since th'jellyfish stun me n nearly took my eye, th'offers kinda dried up. Life's simpler without that sorta thing anyway."

Especially considering... well... that.

[Isawa O-Washi]

One corner of his mouth went up. "Sailors can be a desperate lot. You know that I'm sure but when it's a bunch of green recruits who may not have been taught proper respect for shipmates, well...best to be clear that you have rights, mm?"

[Amaya]

"Fair nuff... not somethin I ever expected t'hear, but I'll keep't in mind. Wasn't plannin on pumpin out another me any time soon, so that's good t'know," she said, reflecting in the back of her mind that, with as many pretty samurai roaming around, she figured they'd be hunting each other plenty... at least the ones with hormones raging anyway.

[Isawa O-Washi]

"Like I said...this ship runs like a Mantis ship. You'll find that it's much better life for a peasant." Sighing, the big man looked around. "Present location excluded."

[Amaya]

"Outside'f gettin a bite t'eat and the pricklin feelin someone's watchin me, this place in't so bad," she said, shaking her head and glancing towards the now distant shrine. "An like ya said, life's already better'n how I've spent most days. Ate decent on Crane lands, but this place's nice n regular for the most part, which's good. Th'perks are jus a bonus. Thanks for havin me... even if it's most like cause'f that one thing. I'll make m'self useful either way."

[Isawa O-Washi]

"Yes, well, count yourself lucky that's all you get of this place." For a moment, brows creased in disgust for the Sea of Shadows as a whole. Then, forcibly, it was cleared from the gunso's face. "I'm sure you'll be find. I'll talk to the Captain and the rest and we'll see where to put you, same as the other new recruits. I should be getting back, though you're welcome to remain until we ship out again."

[Amaya]

"Think I'll be happier on board," she said, shaking her head and starting to rise with a salute. "Good t'have th'pitch an roll of th'deck underneath someone. Feels weird t'stand on solid ground as is. If -sama doesn't mind I'll attend back with him."

[Isawa O-Washi]

"I know what you mean. It takes me a few solid days of being drunk enough the world still wavers to get used to being on land again. You're welcome in my skiff...it'll give me a chance to see how you plow an oar, after all." Sighing at the prospect of leaving this small place of peace, the gunso steeled his features and started walking, expecting that the peasant would fall in behind him as was her place.

/exit

[Usagi Zenko]

After appeasing to his best ability Suitengu-kami, Zenko gets on a roll, going down a list of Fortunes to honor as he moves towards honoring Osano-Wo, who's isle of course, this was. While he's no priest, he seems to have the basics down pretty pat.