[Day 8, Early Evening] Goshi on the Rocks... Er, Docks (expecting)

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

Rin chuckles brightly

"Well, now I think it all makes sense to me. Takes a Mantis to balance a Mantis I reckon."

"Sometimes th'same Mantis as needs balancing."

[Suzume Rin]

"Sometimes th'same Mantis as needs balancing."

"Self-balancing is key? Guess it makes things a bit easier if you self balance."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Self-balancing is key? Guess it makes things a bit easier if you self balance."

"Easier when y'can do it. Can't always. But that's what your crew's for."

[Suzume Rin]

"Easier when y'can do it. Can't always. But that's what your crew's for."

"Oh yeah, they're sorta like a family, right? What's your crew like Kasumi-san?"

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Oh yeah, they're sorta like a family, right? What's your crew like Kasumi-san?"

"Smelly, foul-mouthed, sometimes violent, sometimes lech'rous, always up t'no good."

She smiled fondly across the waves of the river.

"An' I can trust any'a them with m'life. Even th'ones who hate m'guts."

[Suzume Rin]

"Smelly, foul-mouthed, sometimes violent, sometimes lech'rous, always up t'no good."

She smiled fondly across the waves of the river.

"An' I can trust any'a them with m'life. Even th'ones who hate m'guts."

Blink blink

"Well, that's good!....I mean, not that they cuss or strike or um..that other thing. But that y'all trust one another even if yah don't like one another. That's pretty much family right there...all the latter stuff."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

Blink blink

"Well, that's good!....I mean, not that they cuss or strike or um..that other thing. But that y'all trust one another even if yah don't like one another. That's pretty much family right there...all the latter stuff."

"From what I've seen, a lot'a the former's true too."

She paused.

"What 'bout your fam'ly? What're they like?"

[Suzume Rin]

"From what I've seen, a lot'a the former's true too."

She paused.

"What 'bout your fam'ly? What're they like?"

"Well, they don't cuss, least not when I'm around. And they ain't old enough to be the other thing, but it'll probably come in time. There's a lot of us, got five sister and six brothers. So we're sorta this big ball. Everyone gets along but it's a lot of work, as eldest I keep them in line so mom and dad can sleep through a night every once in a while."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Well, they don't cuss, least not when I'm around. And they ain't old enough to be the other thing, but it'll probably come in time. There's a lot of us, got five sister and six brothers. So we're sorta this big ball. Everyone gets along but it's a lot of work, as eldest I keep them in line so mom and dad can sleep through a night every once in a while."

Kasumi... blinked.

"Twelve'a you?! Your Ma must be made'a iron!"

[Suzume Rin]

Kasumi... blinked.

"Twelve'a you?! Your Ma must be made'a iron!"

Rin snorts
"Something like that. She's definitely made of something that never gets tired. We got almost enough to crew one of yer boats!"

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

Rin snorts
"Something like that. She's definitely made of something that never gets tired. We got almost enough to crew one of yer boats!"

"Def'nitely 'nough for a boarding party or a prize crew..."

The image of twelve skinny Sparrow, all looking like various version of Rin, screaming bloodthirsty cries as they boarded a ship came to her.

Dunno if that's more ridiculous or chilling.

[Suzume Rin]

"Def'nitely 'nough for a boarding party or a prize crew..."

The image of twelve skinny Sparrow, all looking like various version of Rin, screaming bloodthirsty cries as they boarded a ship came to her.

Dunno if that's more ridiculous or chilling.

Rin mimes holding a knife
"Give us yer yams and nobody gets hurt! Arrrh!"

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

Rin mimes holding a knife
"Give us yer yams and nobody gets hurt! Arrrh!"

Kasumi chuckled.

"Not sure anyone else values yams enough t'make much of a fuss 'bout it... 'sides, by th' time you're boardin', talkin's usually over."

[Suzume Rin]

Kasumi chuckled.

"Not sure anyone else values yams enough t'make much of a fuss 'bout it... 'sides, by th' time you're boardin', talkin's usually over."

"Maybe it's for the best? They can give us the yams and nobody needs to get hurt. There's a lot of us though so we will need all the yams."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Maybe it's for the best? They can give us the yams and nobody needs to get hurt. There's a lot of us though so we will need all the yams."

"Assumin' y'can find a ship carryin' 'em. Might be you'd hafta settle for rice'n fish."

[Suzume Rin]

"Assumin' y'can find a ship carryin' 'em. Might be you'd hafta settle for rice'n fish."

"Gosh, you get rice and fish?"
Rin begins to consider this whole boat life business.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Gosh, you get rice and fish?"
Rin begins to consider this whole boat life business.

"Aye. I mean... ocean's fulla fish, so that part's easy. An' rice is easy t'get when y'got stuff folks wanna trade for. Which we do."

She paused.

"An' we got stuff like mangoes, an' pomelos, an' melons, an'... anyhow. We get a fair bit'a variety."

A pause.

"'Least we do in port. Variety drops off a bit when y'been at sea for a while."

[Suzume Rin]

"Aye. I mean... ocean's fulla fish, so that part's easy. An' rice is easy t'get when y'got stuff folks wanna trade for. Which we do."

She paused.

"An' we got stuff like mangoes, an' pomelos, an' melons, an'... anyhow. We get a fair bit'a variety."

A pause.

"'Least we do in port. Variety drops off a bit when y'been at sea for a while."

"Oh yeah, Hirame-sama mentioned that. Mantis seem to have all sorts of nice things folks'll trade rice for, must make things easier."
Thinking back
"Magoes are the sticky ones full of juice? Dunno how you're supposed to eat them without needing to go clean up again."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Oh yeah, Hirame-sama mentioned that. Mantis seem to have all sorts of nice things folks'll trade rice for, must make things easier."
Thinking back
"Magoes are the sticky ones full of juice? Dunno how you're supposed to eat them without needing to go clean up again."

"Mangoes're best eaten quickly. An' y'can chop 'em up an' then use chopsticks t'eat th'pieces. But yeah. We trade in all sortsa stuff. S'why we're not as stupidly shy 'bout commerce as some Clans."

[Suzume Rin]

"Mangoes're best eaten quickly. An' y'can chop 'em up an' then use chopsticks t'eat th'pieces. But yeah. We trade in all sortsa stuff. S'why we're not as stupidly shy 'bout commerce as some Clans."

"That's how you're meant to do it! I just tried eat it whole. Probably explains all the looks I was getting. In my defense, ain't seen many mangoes before."
As for the commerce, Rin just looks uncomfortable and nods.
"Mmmmhm."