[D4, EA] Lunch to Go (Open/Expecting)

[Shiba Haru]

"You might be surprised." He tried to keep a straight face but couldn't. "Honestly I would be too, I have no idea how he's doing in that regard. We aren't THAT close."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Well, crude as I c'n be, don't reckon I'll be asking Isawa-san t'fill in th'details."

[Shiba Haru]

"So what do you like to do when you are back on your island? What's tropical beach life like?"

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Dunno, I don't go ashore much."

She shrugged.

"An' since I've been in trainin' th'last few years, I don't really get much of what you'd call leave. Even when the ship puts in, I'm not sent ashore unless I'm sick, injured, or got family business."

Which broadly meant never.

"Or if it's an errand for th'ship."

[Shiba Haru]

"Huh. Do you like it that way? There's a lot of nice stuff on the land; fresh water, more variety of food, real beds. Your personal feelings about the Crane aside you have to admit the accommodations have been nice. The area given to the Phoenix here is much nicer than my home is. It took me a few nights to get used to the softness of the tatami here."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Not a question of likin'. Orders is orders. And a few years in, it's what you're used to. F'rexample, can't sleep on th'tatami. Feels all wrong. Glad I brought my hammock. Even then, it don't rock like it should, so it feels... weird."

[Shiba Haru]

"Have you asked to stay on the Winter Wind? Honestly if this is you performing without a good nights rest I should thank the kami because you would be a terror in these event otherwise."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Don't think insultin' th'Crane by rejectin' the rooms they've provided is a good look, d'you?"

[Shiba Haru]

"This isn't a miai, I doubt they are watching our every step just the tests and maybe making sure we aren't doing the kinds of things we've been talking about. A Mantis sleeping on a ship isn't anything new or surprising.

Honestly, when you make it into the dueling tournament I would suggest you sleep the night before on ship if you are a really more comfortable there. Iaijutsu is much more stressful than most people realize and the good nights sleep will really help."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Please, if by some freak I make it into the katana phase'a things, I'll be at such a disadvantage it's hardly worth talkin' about."

[Shiba Haru]

"If you are being modest you need not be if you really doubt yourself then I have to ask, why? You blew off my compliments the other day but surely now you must understand your position in the tests is favorable.

Again, you weren't invited here by accident, you aren't the only Mantis here and you are both doing well so that speaks to the quality of your training but it takes more then that to get invited HERE.

You may not be as skilled a duelist as a Kakita or as thoroughly trained in combat as an Akodo but you ARE a bushi, so you must be able to defend yourself. If you don't believe me why don't we spar? Light contact, full contact, any weapons you choose are fine with me. Heavens, if you want we can put a bet on it."

He smiled daringly.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

She cocked her head to the side.

"How many fights you been in, Shiba-san? Real fights, I mean."

[Shiba Haru]

"What do you consider a "real fight"? I'm gonna guess you don't count sparring in a dojo even though you have never seen how I trained or who I sparred against. If only fights with real weapons count then none. With fist and foot? Many many times when I was younger. But I don't think that makes me an unworthy opponent or a push-over. Why, how many real fights have you been in Kasumi-san?"

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Three where it came t'close quarters with blades drawn. Eight if y'count tradin' arrows 'tween ships."

She paused.

"An' not in one of 'em did I ever see whatcha might call a duel. I'm a bushi, sure, but I've never once seen a katana used with whatcha might call intent."

[Shiba Haru]

"I hope you never do. Maybe that is what gives you an advantage here, you have practical experience that I would venture the majority of us don't. I grant you that dueling is highly ceremonial but at the end of the day it comes down to who can draw and strike fastest. If you can do that you can win, if you want someone to explain all the stuff you have to do leading up to the strike I can show you but at the end of the day all you have to do is hit the other person first and hard enough for some judges to agree that it was a fatal blow. Just try not to actually kill the other person in this case."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"It's a different weapon an'a different mindset."

She frowned.

"Don't think they'd appreciate th'only things I did that got me through those fights."

[Shiba Haru]

"Well it's a question of if you want to or not, if you do I would be happy to aid you but if you don't I understand that as well. So, you do not use katana on a ship, does that mean when you return home you will presented with..."

Haru had to think about what he knew of the Mantis from his studies.

"I believe your Daimyo favors the kama yes?"

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Not sure. I mean, y'see a katana here'n there- we once ferried some guy who trained as a duelist- like that's his whole deal- but we ain't really got a katana stand-in we fall back on."

A shrug.

"Part of it's practical- they're long things t'lug around th'deck all day- some of it less-so- folks worry more if a katana goes over th'side than if we drop a tanto or what have ya."

[Shiba Haru]

"Yeah I can appreciate that, especially with all that we mainlanders put on a katana. Losing it, damaging it, these are grave sins to even the most practical of us. Even wielding two weapons is seen by some as a crime despite most of them never having to guts to say so to a Mirumoto's face.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Way I see it, we got all these tools for hackin' each other up, I've always found it strange t'exalt one in particular."