Day 2 [EM] Fishing for Clues (Expecting)

[Suzume Rin]

"Whoa!" Hirame jerked his own line out of the water. "Hang on!"

He'd just been talking about the possibility of being pulled overboard. And how much did the Sparrow even weigh? Ninety pounds soaking wet? Which she would be if she got pulled overboard? Reaching out, Hirame grabbed the young woman with both hands, one foot coming up to brace against the railing. "Don't... die..." He grunted out unhelpfully between grit teeth; it didn't really suggest a course of action, after all.

"Hnnnng!" Gasped Rin unhelpfully

The railing groaned slightly louder as the two samurai wrestle with the line for a few moments before there's a quiet 'SNAP' and the line breaks. In the waters below a massive tuna happily swims off with the bait.

Rin, all...well, at least two digit pounds of her goes flying and ends up on the deck with a slightly dazed look, still clutching her rod with a death grip as she stares up into the skiy.

[Funegao no Hirame]

Hirame managed to tuck himself into a not very dignified roll as he tumbled to the ground. He finished in a sitting position, legs stretched out, hands behind him. For a few moments, he panted, chest heaving as he recovered.

Then he grinned over at Rin. "Just to be clear," he said, still grinning, "-that doesn't count as a catch."

[Suzume Rin]

Hirame managed to tuck himself into a not very dignified roll as he tumbled to the ground. He finished in a sitting position, legs stretched out, hands behind him. For a few moments, he panted, chest heaving as he recovered.

Then he grinned over at Rin. "Just to be clear," he said, still grinning, "-that doesn't count as a catch."

Rin rolls her head over to give him a pointed look
"...Almost was! He was coming in until that uh, big wave snapped my line. Woulda had the biggest fish guaranteed!"
She holds the stern look for a few moments before snorting quietly.
" 'Course, he was probably saying the same thing to his friends. Nearly got fished by a fish! Never thought that could happen...Suppose you did warn me though. And then you stopped me going in, which was mighty kind of yah, so I guess it's fair it doesn't count...next one though!"

[Funegao no Hirame]

Hirame flopped back. "Almost...!" There was a brief pause, and then he laughed. "FIshed by a fish! I like that. Well, he'll just have to tell all his fish friends that he didn't quite manage to get a Samurai." Another grin directed at Rin.

He stood up, shaking out his arms. "They get a lot bigger in the ocean than they do in rivers huh? When we go fishing for the really big stuff, we use rope. Or harpoons sometimes. Those are big barbed spears with rope attached, so you can stick 'em in something and then pull them back. I've never done that myself, though."

[Suzume Rin]

Hirame flopped back. "Almost...!" There was a brief pause, and then he laughed. "FIshed by a fish! I like that. Well, he'll just have to tell all his fish friends that he didn't quite manage to get a Samurai." Another grin directed at Rin.

He stood up, shaking out his arms. "They get a lot bigger in the ocean than they do in rivers huh? When we go fishing for the really big stuff, we use rope. Or harpoons sometimes. Those are big barbed spears with rope attached, so you can stick 'em in something and then pull them back. I've never done that myself, though."

"Harpoons?"
Rin levers herself to her feet, hiding a return smile.
"Maybe I shoulda used one of those. Bet that would have taught it a lesson."
Making her way back to the railing and peering out into the water, as if Tuna-kun would return.
"Guess it makes sense ocean fishing is a lot harder than river fishing."

[Funegao no Hirame]

"Haha, I bet you would have!" Hirame gave her a friendly clap on the arm, the same as he would have done to a Mantis sailor. A sign of respect!

He went with her, still holding his rod, to peer over the edge. "Well, yeah! Just like you need a bigger boat to go in the ocean than in the river! And it makes sense; the ocean's bigger than a river, right?" He chuckled. "Actually, there's a lot of small fish, too. You just gotta... only catch those, I guess."

[Suzume Rin]

"Haha, I bet you would have!" Hirame gave her a friendly clap on the arm, the same as he would have done to a Mantis sailor. A sign of respect!

He went with her, still holding his rod, to peer over the edge. "Well, yeah! Just like you need a bigger boat to go in the ocean than in the river! And it makes sense; the ocean's bigger than a river, right?" He chuckled. "Actually, there's a lot of small fish, too. You just gotta... only catch those, I guess."

Rin blinks for a moment at the arm clap before realising it's a display of sailory respect, just like in all the Mantis stories. She nods at it with deep solemnity before slapping Hirame's shoulder back to demonstrate it was clearly mutual.

"Yeah, that makes sense. I guess if you want to catch something that large you're gonna need a bigger boat."
Carefully rebaiting her line and casting it....on the other side to where the shadow had been.
"Reckon I'll still stick to the small fish then. 'Course, probably still enough to win our little contest, right?"

FLUFF ROLL- Day 2 fishing against Hirame, using Labour/Earth. Come oooon big fish. | TN: 1 | Success: 2 / Opportunity: 3 / Strife: 1


Rin's haul ended up respectable but hardly impressive. It was mostly interesting for the different variety of small fish that ended up on the deck.

[Funegao no Hirame]

Grinning, Hirame nodded. "Well, yeah, that and be flexible. Go for big ones, not for little ones... but also not too big." He shrugged. "You'll figure it out."

And in fact she did... as they caught similar numbers of fish, but hers was just a little bigger. "Well, well..." Hirame said, shaking his head. "I'm not doing well for bets lately. This bodes ill for my future."

Fluff labor, FISH, water approach | TN: 1 | Success: 2 / Opportunity: 1 / Strife: 2

[Suzume Rin]

Grinning, Hirame nodded. "Well, yeah, that and be flexible. Go for big ones, not for little ones... but also not too big." He shrugged. "You'll figure it out."

And in fact she did... as they caught similar numbers of fish, but hers was just a little bigger. "Well, well..." Hirame said, shaking his head. "I'm not doing well for bets lately. This bodes ill for my future."

Fluff labor, FISH, water approach | TN: 1 | Success: 2 / Opportunity: 1 / Strife: 2

"Naww, it was real close Hirame-sama. Besides, you don't wanna use all your fortune on something like this, you need to save it!"
Pause
"I did win though!" There is a happy little dance and some improvised lyrics about fighting four fishes.

"If they'll keep I'll have the cook at the inn prepare them and send 'em your way, seems only fair with them being court on a Mantis boat and all."

[Funegao no Hirame]

Hirame laughed, shaking his head. "Well, there's no shame in an honorable defeat. You're quite the fisher, Suzume Rin!" He said.

With a deft hand, he secured them on a length of line. "So how'd you learn to fish like that, huh?" Hirame asked as they worked.

[Suzume Rin]

Hirame laughed, shaking his head. "Well, there's no shame in an honorable defeat. You're quite the fisher, Suzume Rin!" He said.

With a deft hand, he secured them on a length of line. "So how'd you learn to fish like that, huh?" Hirame asked as they worked.

"Oh we gotta a couple streams and even the odd pond here and there."
Rin starts neatly arraying her fish.
"If the harvest wasn't too good or the winter was going on a little too long then I'd go out and try to catch some fish for everyone. Sometimes times it would be enough and sometimes...well we'd make do. It's why I had to get good at foraging, gotta make sure we're using everything we can on our lands."
Rin frowns very slightly before returning to her fish
"What about you? Fishing off the back of boats? Or were there jungle streams?"

[Funegao no Hirame]

Hirame listened, frowning curiously at Rin as she spoke. "So food was something you've had to worry about a lot, huh?" He frowned a moment longer. "Are you near any major trade routes? Or... medium ones? Seems like someone outta be getting you the goods you need."

He tied a neat knot with the line, hoisting up his collection of fish. "Yeah, back of boats. If sometimes grown men and women have to watch for getting pulled overboard, imagine how easy it would have been when I was this tall?" He held a hand up at mid-thigh, chuckling. "But there were always other, more experienced fishers around. And our dinner never depended on me catching a fish."

[Suzume Rin]

Hirame listened, frowning curiously at Rin as she spoke. "So food was something you've had to worry about a lot, huh?" He frowned a moment longer. "Are you near any major trade routes? Or... medium ones? Seems like someone outta be getting you the goods you need."

He tied a neat knot with the line, hoisting up his collection of fish. "Yeah, back of boats. If sometimes grown men and women have to watch for getting pulled overboard, imagine how easy it would have been when I was this tall?" He held a hand up at mid-thigh, chuckling. "But there were always other, more experienced fishers around. And our dinner never depended on me catching a fish."

"Oh yeah. I mean, food would have been tight for just me and my folks. But then all those brothers and sisters. I reckon we were fortunate though, folks looked out for us and we looked out for eachother. Sometimes that meant going without, but that ain't so bad when it means someone else gets some."

Rin rubs her nose as she ponders trade.Ummm. Well if you don't wanna go through the marshes there's the road from Kyuden Kitsune? They're friendly enough, but there's not a lot for them to trade either. And we've got this mountain pass on the other side over to some of the Crab Lands? Kinda of a long route though. I think everyone going there takes the river or the coast."

Rin makes sure all her fish are extra secure before collecting her own catch.
"I bet you never get pulled in, even when you were knee high to a dragonfly. Sounds like a fun way to do it, bet there was lots of chatting and stories being told."
Apparently everyone was telling stories all the time in Rin's world.
"And not having to worry about whether you course something or not is a good way to do it. Then you're just fishing instead of surviving I guess."

[Funegao no Hirame]

"Well, that's good. Folks should look out for each other." Hirame agreed, nodding. "That's how it is on a ship, anyway. And between ships, when we find someone else that's in a spot of trouble." He frowned. Admittedly, sometimes they asked for a little something in return...

"And you're right about that, too." Hirame said as he leaned back against the rail. "Lotta chatting, lotta laughing, that sort of thing. I guess it's a challenge. And it was never the line between starving or not, but fish are a lot better than travel rations." He made a face. "Cheaper, too."

He tilted his head looking at her. "Sounds like you're in a bit of a dead spot for trade. Huh." Hirame frowned. "That's rough."

[Suzume Rin]

"Well, that's good. Folks should look out for each other." Hirame agreed, nodding. "That's how it is on a ship, anyway. And between ships, when we find someone else that's in a spot of trouble." He frowned. Admittedly, sometimes they asked for a little something in return...

"And you're right about that, too." Hirame said as he leaned back against the rail. "Lotta chatting, lotta laughing, that sort of thing. I guess it's a challenge. And it was never the line between starving or not, but fish are a lot better than travel rations." He made a face. "Cheaper, too."

He tilted his head looking at her. "Sounds like you're in a bit of a dead spot for trade. Huh." Hirame frowned. "That's rough."

"Yeah, I guess we are. But maybe that was sort of the point? If we'd had a lot of trade we'd probably have had money as well. Being in a deadspot for trade is only bad if you need the money or the goods. And most of us would say we don't, or if we do it's worth the trek to get 'em."
Pause

"Not that I'm saying there's anything wrong with those things Hirame-sama, certainly not on your boat. Seems a lot of good can come of them. And having more means you can give more too, right? Friends of yours need help like those other ships I bet it's easy to do it."

[Funegao no Hirame]

"Yeah..." Hirame scratched his head. "I mean, it's all about getting things where they need to go. But I'll admit, I don't really know how it works for smaller villages. I sorta assumed that a big ship carries stuff to a port, and then smaller ships and wagons carry out from there. If you make a trek to get stuff, I guess that counts?" He shrugged.

He hesitated a moment. "It's a little tricky. We're happy to help, and share our stuff... but sometimes it's not really clear if it's our stuff, or our captain's stuff or his lord's stuff." He shook his head. "The answer isn't always easy, huh?"

[Suzume Rin]

"Yeah..." Hirame scratched his head. "I mean, it's all about getting things where they need to go. But I'll admit, I don't really know how it works for smaller villages. I sorta assumed that a big ship carries stuff to a port, and then smaller ships and wagons carry out from there. If you make a trek to get stuff, I guess that counts?" He shrugged.

He hesitated a moment. "It's a little tricky. We're happy to help, and share our stuff... but sometimes it's not really clear if it's our stuff, or our captain's stuff or his lord's stuff." He shook his head. "The answer isn't always easy, huh?"

Rin clearly doesn't follow but nods politely.
"Of course, when you have more stuff then it's much harder to work out whose stuff is whose. And you can't go giving away someone else's stuff...well unless you know 'em, we had this kimono that made the rounds from me all the way down to the youngest, it was originally our grandma's when she was a kid but I don't think she would have minded."

Rin then launches into the story 'Of the Kimono with the Orange spot' a tangled mutli-generational tale following one item of clothing with a mysterious stain.

((Good to fade to small talk? Thanks for the scene!))

[Funegao no Hirame]

Hirame listened to the stories, even though he didn't understand why wearing onions on your obi was the fashion at the time...

/scene