[Moon 13, Evening, Crow's Nest, Open] Terror on the Wind

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Fuichi willed himself calm, slowly pushing the memory of the evil wind from his mind. "Thank you, Isawa-sama, I will try to remember that."

He sighed.

"You have shown me nothing but kindness since I have been here. I find it difficult to express how much I appreciate that, and now I have repaid it with this mess." He shakes his head slowly. "If there is ever a way that I can help you, I know that you will not hesitate to ask. I am not sure what a man strong in the Way of Water would need from a humble carver of statues, but it is yours."

[Isawa O-Washi]

"Oh, I'm sure I'll find something." The larger man smiled and lightly squeezed the shoulder he still supported. "We're shipmates, however. You'll find that it builds bonds tighter than the land allows and in the coming days you'll do things for the sake of that bond too, just as I have."

Lips quirked in a grin.

"Not that I wouldn't have regardless...we're distant kin through your Family founder and, anyway, I'm a soft touch for a pretty face."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Fuichi leaned back into the supporting arm with a small sigh. "Isawa-sama is a flatterer, but he is a handsome flatterer and so must be tolerated." A pause, during which Fuichi looks into O-washi's ocean-eyes with a shy smile.

"Perhaps encouraged as well."

[Yoritomo Choukichi]

When he is told he can leave, Choukichi all too happily hands over the bucket, bows then heads off to his own berth to check on the kittens.

/exit

[Isawa O-Washi]

"When you're up to my fighting weight, we'll have to see, neh?" Chuckling, the big gunso helped his 'patient' with his water. "Now drink up, can't have you fainting on me, else we confuse you with a Doji."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Fuichi drank gratefully. "I don't think there is much danger of my reaching your 'fighting weight,' Isawa-sama. I've never had much of an appetite, and, well, I've seen how Hida-san eats. There is no comparison."

[Isawa O-Washi]

That just made the gunso laugh harder. "I'm not even up to his fighting weight and don't eat half as much I'm sure. My muscle comes from climbing up and down to the Crow's nest on virtually every ship that has one I've served upon and the rigging as a whole before that. Swimming, too. It's why I can knock most folks down without sharing Hida-san's rather impressive mass."

When the cup was empty, O-washi eased Fuichi down again. "Are you feeling better now or do you need some of Cook's fine miso?"

[Daidoji Fuichi]

"I think I am as well as I can be, considering. Thank you, Isawa-sama." The edge of a frown creased his lips. "How much longer until we are free from this?"

[Isawa O-Washi]

"If all goes as usual, two or three days." The gunso sighed. 'The Sea's borders aren't constant, you see. The Captain will see us out, though, he's never failed yet."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

"Then I shall place my trust in him, and stay belowdecks as much as possible." He sighed. "I hope that I will not always be this useless. Sanzaemon tried to tell Father that I wasn't built for this sort of thing, but he never listens. 'Imagawa men take to the sea!' he said."

He shook his head gently. "I miss them."

[Isawa O-Washi]

"I miss my sisters, too, but we all have our own paths to walk, paths that lead us all apart once we are grown. Thank the heavens you can use the kami and can speak to them, when you learn the proper prayers, even if they can't speak back."

He gave a small smile. "Fortunes' know my little sister checks in on me that way at least once a fortnight. She's a right pest."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Fuichi chuckled.
"Fortunes, I hope Father doesn't harrangue some poor priest into sending me a message that way. It would be so like him, though." The chuckle broke into a laugh. "Do you know how it is I am here? The recruitment officer took one look at me and said 'no.' Father knew him from his year on the Wall, and, after a shouting match which I am still blushing from, they decided to play a game of Fortunes and Winds. If Father won the officer would take me; if he lost then he had to announce to the sake house that Crab have always been better sailors, scrappers, and lovers than the Crane."

"Father never loses a game of Fortunes and Winds."

[Isawa O-Washi]

At this, O-washi's laugh went from polite to full-bore guffaws. "Ah, me, but that's a far finer tale than mine..."

Then he paused.

"Well...perhaps not."

Looking sheepish, he said, "You see....I'm here because my Master wouldn't give me Musha Shugyo. Three times I have asked, and three times I have gotten a promotion instead."