[D5LA] Boats Boats Boats!

[Funegao no Hirame]

Well, Hirame wanted to scout the river a bit. Even if today didn't seem to be the right day for paddling about at night, the wind didn't seem too much for a day outing. And the only way to make sure a night trip was safe was to do it during the day... and he'd promised he'd take Suzume Rin out on a boat ride...

And so, here he was, at the docks with his boat. It was perfectly round with perhaps a six-foot diameter, and tall sides. A slot was in one side for an oar to go in.

"Here it is!" Hirame said cheerfully, gesturing at it. "It's not much, but, well, it floats. Ready to give it a go?" He asked Rin cheerfully.

[Suzume Rin]

Well, Hirame wanted to scout the river a bit. Even if today didn't seem to be the right day for paddling about at night, the wind didn't seem too much for a day outing. And the only way to make sure a night trip was safe was to do it during the day... and he'd promised he'd take Suzume Rin out on a boat ride...

And so, here he was, at the docks with his boat. It was perfectly round with perhaps a six-foot diameter, and tall sides. A slot was in one side for an oar to go in.

"Here it is!" Hirame said cheerfully, gesturing at it. "It's not much, but, well, it floats. Ready to give it a go?" He asked Rin cheerfully.

Rin is clearly very impressed as she tips back her huge straw hat.
"Hirame-sama yer being modest, looking at how round it is!"
She hadn't even known boats got this round. This was why the Mantis were masters of the waters and the Sparrow just masters of yams.

"I really appreciate yah doing this. Don't think I'd be doing much boating otherwise."
Hefting her chunky snack box the Sparrow steps aboard and wobbles far more than the slight rocking of the boat should warrant.
"...Still getting my river legs."

[Funegao no Hirame]

"It's definitely round." Hirame agreed. "It's not really meant for river travel... but it's pretty calm here, so it should be okay. I don't think I'd have any problem getting us ashore if the winds shifted."

He stepped into the boat as well, wobbling not a bit. He shoved the oar into the slot with a loud thunk. "It's best if you have a seat there." Hirame said over his shoulder; he faced out over the edge. "It's a bit wobbly. Like, really wobbly."

Grinning, he looked back over his shoulder. "Ready?"

[Suzume Rin]

"It's definitely round." Hirame agreed. "It's not really meant for river travel... but it's pretty calm here, so it should be okay. I don't think I'd have any problem getting us ashore if the winds shifted."

He stepped into the boat as well, wobbling not a bit. He shoved the oar into the slot with a loud thunk. "It's best if you have a seat there." Hirame said over his shoulder; he faced out over the edge. "It's a bit wobbly. Like, really wobbly."

Grinning, he looked back over his shoulder. "Ready?"

"Oh yeah, I dunno how people ever get used to the wobble!"
At this rate a perfectly flat plain appeared to be too wobbly for Rin as she takes a seat in the indicated spot, peering around excitedly

"Hai! Um...what do they say in the stores? 'Takes us away captain' "
Her face brightening
"Wait, Hirame-sama, if you're the captain can I be the one below the captain? I can tell all my folks back home I was second in command of a boat."

[Funegao no Hirame]

Hirame laughed. "Sure! That'd make you the First Mate. There's some informal terms for it too, but that's the one I always liked."

"Okay..." Reaching out, he untied the rope that secured the little boat to the deck. "We're casting off! Away anchor!" He called. They didn't have an anchor, of course, but maybe it would make Rin's experience more authentic. After letting the rope flop into the bottom of the boat, he gripped the oar in both hands. It propelled with a strange sort of motion, almost like churning, the oar going up and down. Slowly, the boat began to drift out onto the water.

"So, what do you think?" Hirame grunted over the sound of the oar, and the splashing, and the general river and dock noises.

[Suzume Rin]

Hirame laughed. "Sure! That'd make you the First Mate. There's some informal terms for it too, but that's the one I always liked."

"Okay..." Reaching out, he untied the rope that secured the little boat to the deck. "We're casting off! Away anchor!" He called. They didn't have an anchor, of course, but maybe it would make Rin's experience more authentic. After letting the rope flop into the bottom of the boat, he gripped the oar in both hands. It propelled with a strange sort of motion, almost like churning, the oar going up and down. Slowly, the boat began to drift out onto the water.

"So, what do you think?" Hirame grunted over the sound of the oar, and the splashing, and the general river and dock noises.

"First Mate...oh that's so exciting, I've never been first mate before."
Rin puts on a stern face and turns to the rest of the boat
"Look lively you..scandalous wags! Make everything in the shape of a ship!"
She was pretty sure that was how it went. and all Hirame's efforts for authenticity had Rin doing her best to hide a wide smile with one sleeve.

"I think it's wonderful Hirame-sama! You're making the whole thing go just by waggling that stick and we're off!"

[Funegao no Hirame]

"Scandalous wags? I'll have to remember that one..." Hirame mused aloud.

"Yeah!" He agreed as the little boat chugged along. "It takes a bit of practice, but then it's not so hard. Today's not a good day for it, but maybe some other day you could give it a try!" He gave her a quick glance, eyebrows up. "Take your turn being captain, while I'm the first mate. How's that sound?"

[Suzume Rin]

"Scandalous wags? I'll have to remember that one..." Hirame mused aloud.

"Yeah!" He agreed as the little boat chugged along. "It takes a bit of practice, but then it's not so hard. Today's not a good day for it, but maybe some other day you could give it a try!" He gave her a quick glance, eyebrows up. "Take your turn being captain, while I'm the first mate. How's that sound?"

"Gosh! You'd trust me to be captain of yer' boat? What if I did the rowing wrong or...flipped it? I'd hate to damage things."
Then again...when would she get another opportunity to be Captain Rin?

"I mean....suppose if I learn from you today and figure it out, then maybe I'd be qualified?...With your supervision of course Hirame-sama"
The two pass an elderly fisherman in a much smaller boat who nods at the samurai politely

[Funegao no Hirame]

"Yeah." Hirame said. "Just watch what I do, and you'll do fine." Hirame kept wagging his stick.

He shrugged. "We'll make sure to go on a day when it's calm. It's almost impossible to flip, then." He grinned at her again. "Not impossible, of course. Just harder. But, well, if it does, it floats, and so do we." He frowned. "Wait, you can swim, right? You've done it before? That's not the sort of thing I recommend learning on the fly."

[Suzume Rin]

"Yeah." Hirame said. "Just watch what I do, and you'll do fine." Hirame kept wagging his stick.

He shrugged. "We'll make sure to go on a day when it's calm. It's almost impossible to flip, then." He grinned at her again. "Not impossible, of course. Just harder. But, well, if it does, it floats, and so do we." He frowned. "Wait, you can swim, right? You've done it before? That's not the sort of thing I recommend learning on the fly."

"Uh...I've...waded in streams?"
Looking into the water
"Not sure about 'swimmin' necessarily. Not much call for it up in the hills. But the trick's just not falling in, right?"

[Funegao no Hirame]

"Uh... yeah..." Hirame scratched his head. "Might be best to stick to shallow waters while you're captaining, then. I'll help you navigate. Which is sometimes the first mate's job!" He chuckled.

He glanced back at her. "There weren't any lakes or anything like that? Deep rivers? Swimming's important!" To a Mantis. Hirame frowned. Was this like how he was bad at art, but good at practical things?

[Suzume Rin]

"Uh... yeah..." Hirame scratched his head. "Might be best to stick to shallow waters while you're captaining, then. I'll help you navigate. Which is sometimes the first mate's job!" He chuckled.

He glanced back at her. "There weren't any lakes or anything like that? Deep rivers? Swimming's important!" To a Mantis. Hirame frowned. Was this like how he was bad at art, but good at practical things?

"Oh yeah, we have a few. But you just sorta fish from the edge. I mean, what'd yah do in the middle of the lake?"
Rin seems baffled by the very idea, surely that's what boats were for?

"You're saying you could jump in the water and just swim around all fine like?"

[Funegao no Hirame]

"You swim." Hirame answered, a confused frown on his handsome features. "It's fun! And then, if you fall overboard in a storm or something, you maybe don't die." That 'maybe' was doing a lot of work.

A brief glance overboard, and Hirame shrugged. "Sure, no problem! Probably. Rivers are funny sometimes. It can be slow on top, but really fast under the water."

Half-turning, Hirame grinned at Rin. "I'd offer to show you, but I don't wanna leave you on the boat by yourself. After all, it's just your first day as first mate."

[Suzume Rin]

"You swim." Hirame answered, a confused frown on his handsome features. "It's fun! And then, if you fall overboard in a storm or something, you maybe don't die." That 'maybe' was doing a lot of work.

A brief glance overboard, and Hirame shrugged. "Sure, no problem! Probably. Rivers are funny sometimes. It can be slow on top, but really fast under the water."

Half-turning, Hirame grinned at Rin. "I'd offer to show you, but I don't wanna leave you on the boat by yourself. After all, it's just your first day as first mate."

"That's sensible, I might run you over!"
Slow on top but fast underneath...Rin gave the river a suspicious look before smiling happily back at Hirame.

"But when I'm worthy of being captain you can show me! I've seen people do it a few times, you just sort of...wave your arms and legs, right?"

[Funegao no Hirame]

Hirame considered that for a few moments. "I mean, more or less. I don't know. It's hard to explain." He shrugged. "Another thing to practice sometime, I guess!"

He stopped wagging his stick, apparently satisfied with their position. The boat drifted along. "Are you a quick study, Rin-san? I bet you are." Hirame nodded. "You'd have to be, to learn a bunch of stories. Unless there's some sort of trick to that?" He shot her a quick curious glance.

[Suzume Rin]

Hirame considered that for a few moments. "I mean, more or less. I don't know. It's hard to explain." He shrugged. "Another thing to practice sometime, I guess!"

He stopped wagging his stick, apparently satisfied with their position. The boat drifted along. "Are you a quick study, Rin-san? I bet you are." Hirame nodded. "You'd have to be, to learn a bunch of stories. Unless there's some sort of trick to that?" He shot her a quick curious glance.

"Oh no, no I wouldn't say a quick study. I'm just stubborn is all. I hear something or learn something and if it's important I just whack my head against it until it's deep in there. Like, when I had to learn all the family names I wrote out this long story where each of them came up, then I'd tell it to myself every day when I woke up, and when I went to bed. Repetition works wonders like that."

Rin starts humming a tune 'The Agasha in their mountain homes often study ancient tomes and the Asahina family, they make beautiful art uncannily. The Asako are very zen and nothing is beyond their ken, the Akodo are great warriors who very seldom bother us."

Clearly, it was a looooong tune.

"Stories are easy though, I never forget those. It's like...well, when you're sailing I bet you don't even have to think about doing all that stuff. I'm the same, just you know, my boats aren't real."

[Funegao no Hirame]

"Huh." Hirame said, listening with a thoughtful frown until the song made him laugh. "Okay, that's pretty good. But I guess everyone has different things they do to learn. And yeah, stuff that comes easier and harder to them."

Some brief paddling, as Hirame adjusted their course, and then he stopped again. "I was just thinking how much stuff there is to learn, as part of being a good samurai. Like, the test today, with the art. What did you end up making?"

[Suzume Rin]

"Huh." Hirame said, listening with a thoughtful frown until the song made him laugh. "Okay, that's pretty good. But I guess everyone has different things they do to learn. And yeah, stuff that comes easier and harder to them."

Some brief paddling, as Hirame adjusted their course, and then he stopped again. "I was just thinking how much stuff there is to learn, as part of being a good samurai. Like, the test today, with the art. What did you end up making?"

"Oh yeah, everyone is different. A good sensei has gotta work out what works for each of their students."

Rin's expression shifts to embarrassment regarding the art.
"Well, I was thinking about what Kitsu-san said yesterday about making art from the heart. So I tried to paint the field that's outside my house, but you know, the way I see. But it just ended up all splotchy. My hands don't seem to be able to talk to my mind on this sorta stuff."
Rin permits herself the smallest sigh of disappointment

"What about you? I'm real interested to know what you made."

[Funegao no Hirame]

Still standing, Hirame shifted awkwardly. "Well, uh, I noticed that the paintbrush kinda looked like a guy. So, I tried taking the materials and building a little miniature version of me out of it." He cleared his throat. "It didn't go well. At all. I'd say it sorta looks like the sort of doll that would murder someone if it could." Fortunately, murder dolls weren't really a thing.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "But yeah, I know what you mean! I had this idea in my head, and I tried to do it, and it just came out wrong. Really, really, wrong." He shook his head again. "I don't have that problem with, like, cutting planks, or stuff like that. Patching a hole in the hull. That sort of thing."

[Suzume Rin]

Still standing, Hirame shifted awkwardly. "Well, uh, I noticed that the paintbrush kinda looked like a guy. So, I tried taking the materials and building a little miniature version of me out of it." He cleared his throat. "It didn't go well. At all. I'd say it sorta looks like the sort of doll that would murder someone if it could." Fortunately, murder dolls weren't really a thing.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "But yeah, I know what you mean! I had this idea in my head, and I tried to do it, and it just came out wrong. Really, really, wrong." He shook his head again. "I don't have that problem with, like, cutting planks, or stuff like that. Patching a hole in the hull. That sort of thing."

"Oh, you tried to build a miniature doll..of yourself..out of a paintbrush."
Rin coughs...or appears to cough a couple times, her eyes watering slightly.

"That's-"
Pause another 'cough'
"-Real interesting, I would have liked to see that. I think I understand you though. Real work, that's easy...not that art ain't real work. I love art..it's just-"
Searching for the word
"-Different, I guess. Like, I can dig a ditch all day...but I can't make a nice little painting. And you know, we ain't even strictly speaking supposed to be ditch digging since that's for the farmers."