Getting to work (Day 1, Early Morning)

[Tsuruchi Kiyo]

"Exercise is the best way of forgetting your worries for a while," she says and puts her words to practice by jumping back in, "Possibly... They either want to sell you their junk, or try to rob ... Actually that's just the same thing," she manages between skips.

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

"Apologies, Tsuruchi-san, by trouble I meant pirate attacks or the like."

He'd forgotten that the Mantis may well have already visited such places.

[Tsuruchi Kiyo]

"So did I," the Wasp grins and skips out, offering to take over from one of the twirlers, "Depending on how full their holds are they will try unload them on you at rediculous prices or fill them again."

[Hida Sayuri]

Unworried about her ability at this exercise, or about managing to get a turn jumping, Sayuri proves to be a steady rope-spinner...not precisely the skill she'd expected to show off on this assignment, but it's a pleasant change from watching the shadowy seas.

Listening to the discussion of pirates, she happily trades out twirling duties to Kiyo and moves to heft the coils of rope. Leaping in she easily clears the spinning rope despite the weight of armor, rope, and her own sizable frame, though it's a wonder the thumping on deck doesn't startle out anyone in the hold.

"Better pirates than whatever might swim clear of the seas we just passed through."

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

Oh thank you Hida-san. I had not just spent the last hour trying to forget all about where we've just been.

"Well at least the ship is soundly built."

A weak attempt at changing the conversation topic.

[Tsuruchi Kiyo]

Hida can jump, Kiyo thinks as she does her best to keep the heavy rope twirling clear of the giant of a woman. She's forced to stiffle a giggle not sure if he meant it as a comment on the punishment the Hida was putting it through right now.

[Hida Sayuri]

Any commentary on the beating the deck might be taking went right over Sayuri's head as she skips in and out of the twirling rope. Work wasn't supposed to be this fun, was it?

"Guess so. Never been on a big ship other'n the turtle ships. Seems almost delicate in comparison."

[Usagi Zenko]

"Turtle ships?" The Hare asks, as he bounces in place a bit. "What are turtle ships?"

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

Qian-Fan also looked expectantly at their pair of Crab at that question. He'd heard these Turtle Ships mentioned a fair few times on this voyage alone.

[Hida Sayuri]

"Big ships, all covered around with metal an' studded with jade. They're heavy, and can stand up to fightin' whatever comes at 'em from the sea." Sayuri, it seems, talks with her hands, sketching out the shape of the dense ships, waving to waves as she talks about what can come out of them.

Of course, with a coil of rope in one each hand to wave around as she skips across the flying rope, the aftdeck is momentarily a bit more of an obstacle course than it was.

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

Qian-Fan takes a couple . . . well . . . several steps back to get out of rope whipping range of Sayuri while he considers what she said.

"They must be terribly heavy. How do they stay afloat?"

[Asahina Masamichi]

"Damned brilliant engineering is my guess." the Asahina pipes up to answer the Phoenix's question, not looking up from the nearby ballista he is examining.

[Hida Sayuri]

Sayuri shrugs before pausing to set the rope down, then nods in the Asahina's direction. "That, most likely. I don't build 'em. Leave that ta the Kaiu."

[Hida Musasha]

The Hida keeps spinning the rope listening to all the banter. "You gonna come and train with us?" The comment is directed at the Crane, "Likely we'll be working on our skills with the ballista later today or all day tomorrow, but calisthetics should always start any session, sharpens the mind and brings a group together."

[Agasha Qian-Fan]

"I'll have to ask the Kaiu then. There is no involvement of the Kuni in the making of the vessels then? Other than proper warding for the waters they have to . . . sail . . ."

He trailed off, wondering if 'sail' was the proper word to use for Turtle Ships.

[Asahina Masamichi]

"Thank you Crab-san, but I'd like to get the chance to familiarize myself with these as soon as I can." he says, only looking up for a moment to check the speaker. "Especially if people will be training on them, would hate to miss any maintenance needed before less trained hands got to them."

[Tsuruchi Kiyo]

With no one jumping anymore she motions to Musasha to stop spinning. Assuming she complies, she steps aside to perform a few stretches to limber her muscles and joints while the others discuss the design of Turtle ships and ballistae. Engineering had never been her thing and while ballistae could be described as oversized bows, she'd long since learned that things really weren't so simple.

[Usagi Zenko]

"So, what is it everyone likes to eat on a ship?" Zenko asks. "One of my duties is to assist in the cooking of our meals..." He asks, giving a wane smile.