Pony Sticks [Day 1, Early Evening]

[Iuchi Rinzuki]

With some free time on her hands, Iuchi Rinzuki makes her way to the armory, a small pillow book curled under one arm. She looks about, ensuring that the room is empty, and claims a seat against the far wall. Opening her book, she settles down to read, apparently unbothered by the steady rocking of the ship.

[Shinjo Qulan]

Qulan entered the armory in stride for some good ol' training... Almost to turn back when she saw Rinzuki. Sweet Lady Shinjo! I'm not ready for us to speak here of all places!

"Ah... R-Rinzuki-ch-chan... What a pleasant surprise!" No, mouth! Don't announce our presence!

[Iuchi Rinzuki]

Rinzuki looks up from her books and smiles warmly.

"Qulan-chan, good evening! I was just catching up on a bit of reading."

[Shinjo Qulan]

"Ohhh... What'cha reading?" Qulan asked curiously. Damn my natural curiosity!

[Iuchi Rinzuki]

"It's a love story." Rinzuki holds the book out, offering it to Qulan for inspection. "I'm on my second time through it on this trip alone. If I had realized just how much empty time we would have, I would have brought a small library with me."

[Shinjo Qulan]

"A love story?" Qulan accepted the book, casually flipping through it. Is this what she likes...?

[Iuchi Rinzuki]

"It's called Sparrow's Flight. You can borrow it, if you like, though it's a bit steamier than most pillow books of it's type." She smiles as she looks up at Qulan. "It's by a Scorpion author, from just before the Clan War."

[Shinjo Qulan]

"Ah... O-okay..." Qulan nodded as she continued to skim through it. "Oh! Do you have nightmares, Rinzuki-chan?"

[Iuchi Rinzuki]

She frowns in confusion at the question. "From time to time, though I do not recall any recently...have I been keeping you awake at night?"

[Shinjo Qulan]

"Well, you're quiet enough, but I hear soft noises above me sometimes... I just thought you were having a bad dream... " Qulan sighed. "Just worried."

[Iuchi Rinzuki]

The shugenja smirks. "Feel free to give the bottom of my berth a good kick if it happens again."

[Shinjo Qulan]

The other woman frowned in response. "You wouldn't be angry?"

[Iuchi Rinzuki]

"Of course not." Rinzuki leans back onto her arms and smiles playfully. "I could hardly fault you for saving me from some horrible dream about tentacle monsters, now could I?"

[Shinjo Qulan]

"T-tenta--" Qulan paled. "That does sound terrible!"

[Iuchi Rinzuki]

"Very," she agrees with a nod of her head. "They grab you right off the deck of the ship and drag you down to their underwater lairs, where they..." She pauses, as if remembering who she was talking to. "...no doubt do terrible things to their prisoners. Or so I would imagine, at least."

[Shinjo Qulan]

"And I always thought octopus looked cute..." Qulan sighed. "With their round heads and big eyes."

[Iuchi Rinzuki]

"An octopus?" Rinzuki tilts her head to the side as she looks up at Qulan in curiosity. "Is that some sort of tentacle monster?"

[Shinjo Qulan]

"You've never eaten tako before?" Qulan looked quite surprised. "It's my mom's favorite. She showed me paintings of octopus. They have eight tentacles! Which is what we eat."

[Iuchi Rinzuki]

She shakes her head. "I did not eat much seafood while I was growing up. Are these octopuses a favorite among the Crab, then? How big do they get?"

[Shinjo Qulan]

"Deep-fried, yes. Especially among the Yasuki. I suppose the Mantis enjoy it even more." Qulan smiled. "They can be bigger than a full-grown man or as small as your head."