To Hunt Frogs

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

Aiichirō heard about the terrible poisonous frogs terrorizing baths. It was just before the comunal bathtime, and Aiichiro was determined to out an end at this menace. If he got soaked by the rain, he would be taking a bath soon anyway.
He first thought on what he could use against the frogs. He never hunted frogs before. A blade could do, but they had their wakizashi taken. Salt and stick were an alternative, and so was using together one of his snow shoes to throw them outside the roof. Later, he would need to see how the frogs climbed and remove their access to the roof.
But by now, he was sneaking through the halls, trying to find which room guarded either the bokken or their blades.

[Vutall]

In the early morning rain, there are plenty of tree frogs in the area all croaking and ribbiting happily.

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

They were the enemy.
Aiichirō searched for a room with either bokken or real weapons.

[Vutall]

There are plenty of training weapons in the actual dojo itself. No real weapons are anywhere to be found.

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

He took a bokken and went to the bathing grounds. There were too many frogs scattered around. The poisonous ones should be only there.

[Vutall]

The frogs are unaware of the threat to them and seem to be happily hopping along in the rain outside.

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

He was supposed to run down his bokken over each one of them. Without hesitation. Like a Crab would do.
For some reason, he could not. Perhaps it was his Phoenix half, or how innocent and happy the creatures seemed to be. When he lifted the bokken behind the first frog to strike, he didn't bring the mock weapon down like he should. He just stood there.
Then he crouched near the frog to see if anything indicated if it was poisonous.

[Utaku Nesrin]

Yawning as she pads out in her sleeping kimono toward a welcome bath, Nesrin stops and rubs her eyes. Yep, she still sees a student with a bokken out crouching down to look at...the ground?

She startles slightly as a tiny, cold frog lands on her bare foot. It's kind of cute. But more important business is at hand. "Ahh, pardon...is it ok if I ask what you're looking at?" she asks, craning her neck to try and see what the boy is looking at.

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"I'm analyzing if those frogs are poisonous. If they are, I'm going to kill them. But it's a lot of frogs, maybe it is easier to put them on a sack and throw it over the dojo walls." He said without a lot of fancy, then getting up, turning to see who it was and offering a nod. The last Unicorn got kind of angry when he bowed, apparently.
"My name is Kaiu Aiichirō. Didn't see you before so far. Who are you?"

[Utaku Nesrin]

"Utaku Nesrin, daughter of Utaku Kyo," she answers before offering a bow of her own. She's getting much better at remembering not to shake hands in a space surrounded by not-Unicorn.

"Sooo, how poisonous are they supposed to be? Like, one bite and you're dead?" She lifts her foot with the little frog on it. "Because I don't want to startle this one too much, if that's how they are."

[Otomo Nobuko]

Having found herself in the baths early yet again (why not? no one else was using them when everyone else woke up to clean the dojo!), Nobuko was dressed for the day and on her way back to the dorms for breakfast when she came across the Kakita and Utaku studying frogs in the light, early morning rain. She paused under the awning that lined the courtyard and watched them for a few moments before approaching with her wicker umbrella up and out, eyes glancing toward the ground covered in frogs that she carefully stepped around.

"Kohai-sans! Good morning to you! May I ask what is so curious about the frogs?"

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"Those are a little poisonous. If you touch their back with your hand and then use it to stratch yourself or put it inside the mouth or eye without washing your hand first, it can cause a lot of pain." The Kaiu answered, about to again bring the bokken over the frog when an Imperial arrived. He bowed. "I was analyzing if they were poisonous! I have heard that there were poisonous frogs at the ceiling of the bath house, so I went to kill them, but there are so many I'm thinking in rather throwing them on a sack and then throwing the sack over the wall of the dojo. What is your name?"

Day 3 Hare To Hunt Frogs (Lore: Nature to identify the frog): 2d10 13

[Vutall]

Aiichiro does not find any poison frogs, they all seem like normal green tree frogs.

[Otomo Nobuko]

"Poisonous?" She made to back up, then froze, as she had stepped around quite a few of them and did not want to risk stepping on or touching any of them.

"Ah... I am Otomo Nobuko, Kaiu-san," she answered his question distractedly. She settled the handle of the umbrella on her shoulder, holding it with one hand while the other pulled a pair of gloves from her waist. She offered them forward, "I only have two pairs, so if the two of you would like to borrow them to catch the frogs, I will help you find them."

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"Oh, oh, nevermind. Those are safe. I confused them with a smaller frog that's common on the Crab, but I remember reading once that this harmless kind of frog was common in the capital. "I thank you for your gentleness, Otomo-domo, but they wouldn't be needed. I will climb to the ceiling to see if there are frogs there. Can you help me look if there are frogs on the treetops? Those on the ground are harmless."

[Otomo Nobuko]

"Oh, ah..." she hesitated, glancing between the Crab and the Unicorn, looking a little confused at his refusal, "Would you still not rather have your hands covered when attempting to grab them, Kohai-san?"

You want to touch the frogs? Ewwww gross.

[Utaku Nesrin]

Nesrin shook her foot to shoo the little beastie off once it was obvious that it wasn't going to bite. She offers a bow to the newcomer as well, reaching for the offered gloves. "Thanks, Otomo-sama. Wouldn't want poison in our eyes." She pauses and remembers some manners. "Utaku Nesrin, and, well...I was just planning on a bath, but then there was poison frogs to think about." She tucks the gloves into her sash. No sense getting them dirty while climbing if there are no poison frogs to find.

"If there are some of the poison ones up there, the gloves would be better, Kaiu-san," she says as she moves to climb up and look. "How do the poison frogs look different from these little ones?"

[Kaiu Aiichiro]

"Oh, you are right. I forgot that we might find real poisonous frogs. Most poisonous frogs are usually very colorful to warn off predators. Because then the animals who hunt frogs know that those aren't worth the trouble. It's an uncommon but smart defense technique. But some frogs are poisonous and not very bright on colors, so you must have known which frog was or not poisonous beforehand."
He looks at Nobuko.
"I can hold your wagasa if you can't climb with it, no problems. I'm pretty agile. Or you could tuck it into your obi. I could also try to hold it so you don't get soaked whilst climbing because it is raining."

[Otomo Nobuko]

Nobuko had not planned on climbing up to join them.

She demurred with a polite smile, "I think I should stay down here, Kaiu-san. For if you do find any up there, you'll need to throw them to the ground. What better place for someone to be to keep an eye on where they fall?"

Nobuko turned around in place and moved off a few feet, then looked back up at them, "There. I shall ensure that any you find and remove from the trees remain away from the trees!"

[Utaku Nesrin]

Nesrin scooted up the tree, watching happy little tree frogs plip away from her as she went. She handed the other pair of gloves to Aiichiro. "OK, so far they're all just dark little ones like the ones we saw on the ground."

(ooc, going to be running an errand so feel free to chat around Nesrin a bit. She'll be rustling up in the trees).