The New Winds

Mai had been taken with her sensei on a patrol near the Sea of Shadows. The old man had Crab in his blood and wanted his pupil to learn and respect such duties.

His sensei sent him a strange task.
"You must know all of the lands of our enemy, as well how to deal when the wall is not present."
This meant overseeing a turtle ship. He probably wouldn't enter the actual thing, right? Just learn how the colossus was built, right?
So he hoped. The order of overseeing was vague. And he was technically already a samurai. And the context... He didn't want to bring shame to both her names. So he decided to oversee aboard, just in case.
Armor and war fan on, he insecurely approached the port and... Stood still. Distracted at the sight of the ship. No, not all those other mercantile ships. That ship. It was huge, and he knew, designed by his family.

Mai approached the Crab and bow. "Hey, Kaiu-san. It's good to see you again."

Noticing her, and the special Mon, he bowed. "Hello, Mai-san. What brings you here?"

"My sensei had a Crab parent. He's very insistent that I learn about our shared threat. And after the events that happened during our schooling, I agree."

"It is good to have some help. My sensei thinks the same. How will you learn about the Sea of Shadows? We don't venture on it before gempukku."

Money made the world go around for a ronin. Mirai had needed passage north on a ship, but that required koku. Clan samurai seemed to throw it around as if it were nothing, but Mirai had to earn it. That usually meant work.

That need for work had her out at sea helping out. She wasn't exactly a born sailor, and this was in fact her first time out at sea, but they didn't need to know that, especially with the pay what it was. She had lied about her age as well, though with wave men, such things were always murky besides.

The sleeves of her robes tied back, the ronin girl was on lookout. She had sharp eyes after all, and even a ronin would be hard pressed to have to clean ship. It gave a her a good chance to eavesdrop in on the two samurai talking, though she tried to keep her attention outward. The sea was hard enough to be on, let alone this shadow sea thing.

"We won't actually be going on it. Just nearish to it. It's more cross training. My Clansmen learn more about the dangers of the Sea of Shadows, while yours learn more about our naval practices." Mai leaves the 'superior' implied. She then shrugs. "Well, what my sensei told me, about half of your kinsmen are interested in learning. The other are simply interested in making sure anyone who might go near there knows how to deal with it."

She notices the ronin. She gives a nod. "Oh. Hey there."

Aiichiro notices a ronin with the corner of his eyes. He ignores.
"It would be the thing my sensei would like me to go on. I'm going with you. Who do I need to ask for permission of this fact, Mai-san?"
With Mai calling attention to the ronin, he finally adresses her, nodding with his head towards the ronin, then turning his attention to Mai again. "I heard that they pay ronins for going straight inside the sea of shadows, depending on what they want to do. I don't know about a full-fleshed patrol. Perhaps she is looking for coin."

There were plenty of samurai on the ship, so Mirai was a bit puzzled at the greeting the two gave her. Still, she figured they were close to her age, and many of the others were busy tending to the boat. She gave the two a quick bow to them both but says nothing. The Crab at least seems to still be in conversation, and ronin learn early on when to lay low.

"That would be the captain. I'll let him know you're good. He'll give permission." She thinks about his comments about the ronin. "We're not going into the sea, so that's probably not it. Though the captain may hire a few ronin cheaply to test them out before hiring them for a longer voyage." At least, that's what her brother did.

He nods at Mai and notices again the ronin, who just bowed at them and was waiting, looking at both samurai. "I believe she wants to talk with us. Let's handle this first, so you can indicate her to your captain if you both want to do so?"

Mirai had made it a point to stare out to sea again, but there was still the need to look more than one direction, so it involved looking toward the two samurai every so often as well. She could quite clearly hear the conversation as well, but chose to remain silent. If the two wished to talk, that was their choice, not hers.

She nods for the ronin to come over.

He looks in direction of the rōnin too. "Approach."

Looking around to make certain that none of the crew really seemed to care if she took a break of sorts to talk, Mirai finally turned away from where she stood and took a few steps over, giving another bow as she did so. "Hai, minna-sama?"

"Are you looking to join the crew?"

"Captain may have something for you."

"I was already hired out actually," the girl noted quietly. "I don't think they would have let me on otherwise. I'm helping with odd chores and on lookout, even if they don't expect anything to happen."

"Lost my chance to do an act of kindness then." He waves his hand, turning his attention to Mai again. "Do you know when the captain is going to embark? Better to ask him now than when he decides the crew is complete."