[OPEN!] At least this maze has plenty of escapes...

[fire_water_wood]

((OOC: S-sorry it's taken so long to get this posted, guys!  I really did think I'd done this already...  OTL))

Characters:  Harlequin and the people of the Winding Way
Content:  With this conversation, Harlequin has agreed to help Gintoki with that HVAC project by mapping out the air circulation ducts throughout the ship . . . from the inside . . .

Comments

Quin can feel free to either hide or jump out, I dont mind!

[forged_smile]

It was a little later in the day than usual when Sai returned to his quarters after completing his cabin boy duties. Up to yet, his time on the Way had been quiet and peaceful. Something he was not used to, but didn't complain about all the same.

Still, what with teaching himself how to get around the ship and his duties, he had had little time to practice his drawings. They were what he had been known for during his time with Root, and just because he had left them, didn't mean he was going to fall out of practice.

Inking his brush, he placed it to the paper and drew a fairly large, detailed butterfly. He placed the brush down, performed a single handed hand signal and muttered "Ninpou, Choujuu Giga."

Just as he finished speaking, the drawing of the butterfly came to life. It fluttered off the page and Sai watched it as it began to flap it's way around his room.

Heh...

[fire_water_wood]

Harlequin knew he was still in the personal quarters portion of the ship, or one of them anyway, but he wasn't sure where. Pulling up to the next grate he could find, he looked out. Oh! It was Mr. Sai! Quin hadn't had a chance to talk to him since he'd been accepted onto the ship.

He watched in fascination as Sai painted a big, detailed butterfly, then set his brush aside and speak over it as he described an odd gesture. Then, the butterfly came to life! A sharp gasp escaped the little puppet as he flinched back from the grate, the sound echoing softly around the duct. He clapped his hands over his mouth, but the damage had already been done. He just hoped Sai hadn't heard him...

[forged_smile]

Sai, being the super special genius ninja boy he is, caught the little intake of breath coming from the grate above him. He looked up straight away, his concentration broken for a moment, making the butterfly flutter back down and sit on the paper it came from. He blinked up at the grate and, raising an eyebrow, he got to his feet.

"Is somebody there?"

Probably not the wisest of movements. But then, it could have been anybody up there. Of course, it was more than likely a member of crew, but, if someone had crept in while they were last docked...

[fire_water_wood]

Harlequin crept forward, trembling softly. "S-sorry, Mr. Sai. I-it's...it's just me." He peered out from behind the grate, offering a small, shy wave.

[forged_smile]

Suddenly relieved, Sai raised a hand in a still somewhat bewildered greeting.

"Oh. Harlequin-san. What... are you doing up there?"

He tilted his head a little to the side, "Are you... stuck?"

[fire_water_wood]

"Oh, no, no, no, not at all! I'm helping Mr. Gintoki with something. He'd said he wanted to find a way to capture the heat that the engine put off and channel it through the air ducts of the ship to help warm everyone up, so I told him that I'd help by mapping out the all the ducts for him." He . . . was really quite proud of himself and his progress so far, even despite the perils and frights he'd had so far...

[forged_smile]

Sai blinked. Well, it was cold, here. He wasn't too bothered by it, but he was sure there were others that were. Still, it was kind of Harlequin to go to the trouble of mapping the ducts.

"I see. That's very thoughtful of you. Is there... anything I can do to help?"

He was a cabin boy now, after all. He was supposed to assist with the crew's needs. If he could do anything to help keep them warm, he would.

With another quick hand signal, the butterfly fluttered back onto the paper and became stationary once more.

[fire_water_wood]

Harlequin answered the question, but in a distracted sort of tone, eyes locked on the once-again-not-real butterfly. "N-no, I...I can't think of anything." He looked up at Sai. "H-how did you do that? I-I mean . . . if you don't mind my asking..." It was so different . . . and beautiful!

[forged_smile]

Sai looked at him for a moment, then looked to the sketch pad in front of him and raising his eyebrows. "Oh!"

He looked back at Harlequin and smiled. He'd been so taken back by his sudden appearance in the grate that he'd forgotten all about it. "It's my own jutsu. Or, technique. It was my specialty, when I was employed as a Ninja."

He raised his eyebrows. "I hope it didn't startle you."

He tilted his head slightly to the side again, "Do you... want me to let you out of there for a moment?"

[fire_water_wood]

Harlequin didn't know what a ninja was, but he thought it must be a mage of some kind if it meant he was able to bring a drawing to life with a gesture and a few words. "Neat!" he enthused, then shook his head. "Not at al-...heh, w-well, maybe a little. But it's okay. I've just never seen anything like it, and I wasn't expecting it, so..."

He blushed lightly . . . and nodded, reminded of the strips of grate metal and suddenly feeling like he was looking out of a cage of some kind. "That would be lovely, i-if you don't mind the intrusion..."

[forged_smile]

Sai smiled once more, then got to his bare feet. "Apologies, Harlequin-san. You wouldn't be the first to be taken by surprise by it."

He made his way over to the grate and carefully removed it from the wall. He placed it against the wall, then stood back to let Quin inside.

"I don't mind. So, tell me... How successful have you been mapping out the ship?"

[fire_water_wood]

Quin found something in the vent to tie one end of a length of twine to, and dropped the rest down the wall, giving himself something to climb down. Once to the ground, he looked up at Sai. "Well . . . decently at least, I think. I feel like I've been getting a lot done, anyway. I can show you what I've got so far if you'd like." He swung his backpack off his shoulders as he spoke.

[forged_smile]

Sai stepped back from the grate in order to give him plenty of room to climb down. He could have given the puppet a hand down, but, well, he looked like he was doing just fine without it. He looked down at him, before glancing around the room for a moment. He spotted his as of yet empty bin, then reached for it and turned it upside down to provide a seat for Quin. He gave him a smile, then sat himself back down on his bed and nodded once.

"I'd like to see. It sounds like tiring work. Although, it will pay off. I doubt this will be the only time we'll find ourselves in a cold climate. I can't say I'm enjoying it much."

[fire_water_wood]

Harlequin shook his head. "Me neither . . . though I'm sure there's a good reason for us to be here. I'm sure the officers know what they're doing. Anyway . . . " He pulled out a somewhat neatly-folded mess of papers, opening them up and showing them to Sai. Some were just notes, others had crude drawings on them - very rough maps of the ship.

"I'm not a good artist like you are, but I hope these will be clear enough for people to use..."

[forged_smile]

Sai nodded once more, agreeing with him that there had to be some reason for them coming to such a cold place. He doubted that anyone really wanted to spend their time here, especially after the heat of the Badlands.

He smiled as he gently took the papers from Quin and unfolded them. He glanced over them quickly. Well, the notes and drawings seemed detailed enough to get the idea.

"You're very talented, to get so much detail from inside the ship." He wasn't lying. This was one of Sai's very rare, genuine compliments. "If you'd like, I could help you draw up a blueprint of some sort, once you've completed the initial plans?"

He looked at him, then raised his eyebrows. "Of course, only if you wanted. I'm not experience in map making, but it would be interesting to learn... And these could be quite useful in the future."

[fire_water_wood]

Harlequin nodded. "Oh, I'd love that! That way they'll be neater and more legible, I'd imagine. Heh . . . I can explore around and write down what I see, but I'm afraid my ability to organize things is probably quite lacking. And as you said, it would be good practice, I think. I know this has been a really good experience for me so far."