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

[Shiba Haru]

"Well, I have already made arrangements to cover our lunch, I did invite you after all so it only seemed right."

He placed his first stone, a defensive play but rather standard.

"There must be something else we can offer each other"

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Y'sound t'me like a guy with a notion of his own."

She played her next stone, either a feint or a genuine aggression, it was hard to say.

"May as well share it."

[Shiba Haru]

Oh you don't want me to do that.

Haru looked intently at the Go board while he considered his answer.

"That's a tricky question, we aren't supposed to want things as samurai right? Desire is a sin, right?"

He placed another piece, a measure to cut off any attempt to encircle him and setting on a flank of his own.

"When we talked this morning I said that we needed to do better to understand each other, how about we have to share a secret about ourselves with the other? Something...meaningful."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

Dangerous, but I'm spoiled for choice.

"Seems like a plan t'me."

She made another flanking play, seemingly in the opposite direction.

"But how meaningful's... meaningful?"

[Shiba Haru]

"Oh I don't know, something that could get you reprimanded but not shamed I would say. Or just something you find embarrassing. I will offer you an example, this one I mostly find amusing at this point. When Jiro and I were nine I met a new student of my dojo and we became sparring partners.

I thought she was quite pretty and told Jiro so. He kept prodding me to to talk to her more and eventually, after a whole FOUR weeks of knowing her Jiro convinced me I should confess to her. Being young and stupid I did, rather romantically I might add, after a sparring session. She still had a bokken in her hand and was so embarrassed that she swung it at me and broke my wrist.

Not really the biggest secret but I'm leaving out all the inappropriate things I half whispered to her. I had read a few pillow books and heard some of the things adults whisper to each other when they think no one listening and repeated them, even though I didn't know what half of them meant. Now I do and I can promise you I deserved to have my wrist broken."

Jiro sipped his tea then refilled their cups and made his next move, he ignored the second flank and continued to build up against the first.

"Something like that but maybe more salacious, like if I told you all the details. Or something darker if you have something like that to share."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

Well then.

"Deal."

She moved to address the reinforced flank.

"Think we mighta read some'a th'same books..."

[Shiba Haru]

"On Go strategy or the things we do in the dark?" He asked playfully. He further reinforced the flank and it was clear that it wasn't just a defensive move but he was preparing for something.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Yes."

She returned to her own flanking projects.

[Shiba Haru]

Oh my

"Fair enough, do you spend a lot of time reading about "tactics"?"

Haru abandoned his build up and placed a stone on the other flank that aggressively blocked two pieces. It would be easy to take but also risked her being open to a counter.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

No risk, no reward!

Kasumi knew a bait when she saw it, and countered by offering up one of her own.

"Oh, y'know how it is, your watch is over but y'can't get t'sleep... usually a book or two makin' th'rounds on a given ship, passed along when someone's done with it..."

[Shiba Haru]

Haru didn't take a piece in retaliation, instead placing another piece on the attacked flank trying to box her piece in.

Focus on the game not the image, focus on the game not the image...

"Must be hard to find some privacy on a ship, or is it so noisy that you can read out loud for time to time?"

He sipped his tea and grinned, studying her face intently.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Mostly y'read in your hammock. The noise is, well... y'get used to it."

She made another shift, scooping up his earlier bait.

[Shiba Haru]

"You ever read with someone?"

It was a forward a question as he could ask and he knew it. Oddly, he went to building up the side of the board, allowing her to take more ground if she dared.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

And Mantis always dared.

"Nah. Mostly it's a quick hand-over an' a 'think you'd like it.'"

A pause.

"A'course, y'do need t'practice whatcha read."

[Shiba Haru]

"Practice is important but you have to find the right sparring partner first."

Haru finished his tea and poured himself some sake but didn't drink right away.

"If your brought any books with you we should swap, might learn something new."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Oh, I, ah... didn't bring any of my own. Passed 'em along when I left the Yukikaze."

She half-smiled.

"Been meaning t'look into some others locally. Your brother mentioned a couple of titles..."

[Shiba Haru]

"I'm sure he did, I'm sure he mentioned all sorts of things didn't he?" He asked leadingly.

He placed his next piece, finally pushing back on the weak flank and then sipped the sake.

My god that's bitter

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Aside from yer ginger fixation? A bit."

Early in the day as it was, Kasumi stuck to tea.

"We talked about Isawa-san a bit. I suggested he get t'know some of her interests a bit better."

Which was true, so far as it went.

[Shiba Haru]

"Yes, I think he needs to spend more time with her." He said flatly.

With the warmth returning to his voice he asked. "So how does becoming the Captain of a ship work, is it like becoming the Commander of a unit?"

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Oh, y'gotta earn it. I'm bein' groomed for an officer's posting, but that's no promise I'll become a skipper. I mean... Ships are hard t'come by."

She sighed, took a deep breath.

"So y'gotta both prove you can do it, an'have a ship that needs a skipper. Y'gotta be able t'command th'crew, an' you gotta know th'ship. So... I guess it's a bit like that? It's like commanding a small castle that moves is how my Pa always put it."