(D1, LE) Looking at the big balls in the sky

[Kakita Yuji]

"Oh, day after I was born, Ma had herself rowed out to her ship to have a look-round and brought me 'long. A'course, the first time I was on a boat an' remembered it? Think I was six. Been on 'em more than off 'em ever since. So."

She chuckled.

"Think I might not know th' Isles much better'n you do at this point."

Yuji considered that. It must have been a lonely life for the Mantis girl. Unless her mother ran a floating nursery, she couldn't have been around ids of her own age that often, Tsuma was small, but the Mantis's world seemed so much smaller upon the vast uncaring sea.

"Still, from what I understand the ocean itself is quite beautiful. A seemingly endless expanse capable both of vast calm and great fury, Lit by some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets seen by man." he offered.

Yuji was drawing very heavily upon the works of samurai poets who perhaps focused a great deal of their writing upon what was happening outside the boat, rather than contemplating a bunch of stinky sailors.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

How does anyone talk so pretty? He sounds like a pillowbook!

"Well, Suitengu has his moments. An' it can be right gorgeous at times. Especially if your watch has you up on lookout right as the sun rises or sets and y'got the best seat around t'see it."

She sighed.

"I always like bein' lookout. You're up and away from the smell of the ship itself, an' y'get a bit of peace an' quiet up there too. 'Course, Fortunes help you if y'get caught skylarkin' up there... but y'get first sight of a lot of things, before th'rest of th' crew, an' I've seen whales breaching in th'moonlight, which is... well. Makes me wish I were any good at poetry, put it that way."

[Kakita Yuji]

How does anyone talk so pretty? He sounds like a pillowbook!

"Well, Suitengu has his moments. An' it can be right gorgeous at times. Especially if your watch has you up on lookout right as the sun rises or sets and y'got the best seat around t'see it."

She sighed.

"I always like bein' lookout. You're up and away from the smell of the ship itself, an' y'get a bit of peace an' quiet up there too. 'Course, Fortunes help you if y'get caught skylarkin' up there... but y'get first sight of a lot of things, before th'rest of th' crew, an' I've seen whales breaching in th'moonlight, which is... well. Makes me wish I were any good at poetry, put it that way."

Yuji smiled a bit.

"Just as a Mantis is not born knowing how to sail a ship, a Crane is not born knowing how to compose poetry. It is a skill that can be honed the same as any other, and one of the things that an invitation to the Topaz championship tells me is that Mantis-san is full of potential. IF Mantis-san sets her sights upon learning how to compose poetry, I am certain she can obtain the skill."

He looked up a bit.

"And think how wonderous that would be. Someone who has never seen so much as a seashell could catch a small glimpse of the vistas Mantis-san has experienced. I think it could be quite breathtaking, should Mantis-san choose to do it."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

tag

"Well. I'd say I'm the right place to try'n learn."

She shrugged nervously.

"But there's an awful lot I'm still figurin' out."

[Kakita Yuji]

tag

"Well. I'd say I'm the right place to try'n learn."

She shrugged nervously.

"But there's an awful lot I'm still figurin' out."

Yuji nodded.

"Indeed you are, Mantis-san. As long as one learns one can grow, yes?" he returned calmly.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

Yuji nodded.

"Indeed you are, Mantis-san. As long as one learns one can grow, yes?" he returned calmly.

"Yeah, but it can be a lot to take in..."

[Kakita Yuji]

Yuji nodded.

"Indeed you are, Mantis-san. As long as one learns one can grow, yes?" he returned calmly.

"Yeah, but it can be a lot to take in..."

(Sorry, thought I responded to this one! I remember posting the response!)

"It takes hundreds of strokes of the inkbrush and the sword alike to master their respective arts, Mantis-san. But without a first there cannot be a second. Do not let yourself get overwhelmed by the entirety of what you seek to accomplish, just focus on attaining the next step. The rest will follow." he replied. "After all, you've composed your first poem, now you just need the second."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"It takes hundreds of strokes of the inkbrush and the sword alike to master their respective arts, Mantis-san. But without a first there cannot be a second. Do not let yourself get overwhelmed by the entirety of what you seek to accomplish, just focus on attaining the next step. The rest will follow." he replied. "After all, you've composed your first poem, now you just need the second."

"Might try t'leave 'poetry is hard' outta that one."