(Distillery, Moon 7 Afternoon) The Best Medicine - OPEN

[Isawa O-Washi]

The bow was returned. "Of course, Suzume-san. If you have any questions, your seniors are here to help."

[Suzume Satsuki]

The girl laughed cheerfully. "Thank you, though if you say something like that, I may end up inconveniecing you. I'll do my best to be more of a help than a hindrance, though."

She smiled and bowed once more, saying "Have a good evening!"

With a final jovial wave, she...

/exited

[Shinjo Qulan]

Qulan offered another bow to the fleeting Sparrow before turning back to the mountain of an Isawa. She would consider herself a willow in comparison. "Thank you for answering my... Well, in hindsight, silly question."

[Isawa O-Washi]

"Oh, it's no trouble." The Isawa's attention returned to the Unicorn. "Better to ask ahead of time, after all. Turnabout is fair play, however, so now I'm going to ask you a few questions."

For a moment, he seemed to hesitate, trying to figure out a polite way to phrase matters before giving it up as a bad job and just going straight to the point. "What sort of things do you count yourself skilled in if you're not a sailor? I'm curious what brings a member of a Clan more known for cavalry to an Imperial kobune who's never been on one before."

[Shinjo Qulan]

"Well, I'm not exactly sure myself, to be honest. Thankfully I was trained in the basics of sailing before coming here." She said before making a thoughtful pause. "I'm a bushi, so I'm skilled in combat, ranged and melee. I'm also a hard worker. And flexible... Errr, I mean adaptable."

[Isawa O-Washi]

For a moment, O-washi smirked. "Flexible...right..."

Then he cleared his throat and dragged his mind back into professionalism before it could drift too far. "Right, then. Did you get any instruction on knotwork? That's key for working the rigging and a good place to start for any new sailor."

[Shinjo Qulan]

Qulan nodded in response, oblivious to how her slip-up caused the Isawa's mind to go elsewhere. "Ah, yes. I have got some experience with knot-work. One of the first things I was taught upon hearing I'd be sailing."

[Isawa O-Washi]

"And just who did the teaching?" Even as he talked, the big man picked up a ledger, turning so that he could resume the task the young ashigaru had interrupted, speaking to Qulan even as he inventoried the contents of the cabinet he'd been so casually propped against. "I don't imagine many Unicorn sail, though I suppose there's the River for rafts at least..."

[Shinjo Qulan]

"No, it wasn't a Unicorn, but a friend of my father's. A Yoritomo. Yoritomo Jorou." Qulan kept her gaze on the man and not the ledger, it was more polite after all. "He wouldn't teach me anything else until I could tie a proper knot."

[Isawa O-Washi]

Another low rumbling laugh rolled out of the priest, though quieter than that which had first drawn her to him in the first place. "That sounds like a Yoritomo all right. What else did he teach you?"

His hands, large and scarred, moved with care as they sorted through a myriad collection of bottles, jars, and pouches, pausing now and then so that he could make a notation on his paperwork.

[Shinjo Qulan]

"Basic navigation skills. We didn't have a boat around, a small raft on the river isn't much of a substitute for a huge thing like this." She gestured around them. "Though he did tell me that it might get a bit cramped at times. Well, for someone like me, that is."

[Isawa O-Washi]

Pausing, O-Washi looked over at her, raising a brow. 'Cramped? You're not all that big..."

[Shinjo Qulan]

Qulan blinked in reply. Then giggled once she realized what she said wrong. "I meant in feel. I'm so used to being outside in the fields that being on this ship... Feels cramped."

[Isawa O-Washi]

"Aaaah." A nod signified he understood. "Stay above deck, then...actually...do you climb?"

He had no idea if Unicorn did. As far as O-washi was aware, Unicorn lands were just hills and grass, no trees, but one never got anywhere by making assumptions.

[Shinjo Qulan]

"Well, I can climb, yes. We Shinjo are an athletic bunch." She then put her hands on her hips in a rather confident fashion. "I'll have you know, back when I was ten, I was the champion of tree climbing! Well, before I broke my arm."

[Isawa O-Washi]

Another laugh, louder this time, escaped and the big man mimed being afraid for a moment...badly. "I see, I see...well then, O Champion of Climbing, I suggest you take to the rigging next time you feel stiffled. You can see for miles in all directions, far better than on land. It reminds you there's a world of space out there, just waiting to be explored...and the wind in the hair's quite nice, too."

[Shinjo Qulan]

"Thank you, Isawa-sama." Qulan giggled girlishly. "The wind through my hair sold me on this idea. It's why we Shinjo like riding horses."

[Isawa O-Washi]

With great force of will, aided by the memory of his Captain's lecture on not frightening the new recruits with his brand of 'charm', O-washi bit back a number of rather inappropriate replies to that statement. Instead, after a moment of smirking, he simply nodded. "I will, of course, take your word...I've not had as much to do with the Unicorn as most others in my time with the Legions."

[Shinjo Qulan]

"Well, then. If you come up with any questions you'd like to ask about my kin, I'd gladly give you an answer." Again, Qulan was largely unaware of the thoughts her comments entice. She just kept on giving her winning Shinjo Smile of Friendliness (tm).

[Isawa O-Washi]

"Oh, I'm sure I will." His friendly smile became a grin that would have been called impish if he was, say, ten years younger and four feet shorter. "I know a fair bit about the Moto, some about the Iuchi, but little about the rest."