[D1 EA, Expecting] Too Windy Outside

[Shiba Jiro]

"Shanghaied?" he asks with a look of surprise. "I wonder how many pillow books start that way."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"At least three."

[Shiba Jiro]

He grins mischievously. "Such a quick answer... someone's a fan. Should I be worried about an attempt at recreation... or maybe excited?"

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"That part's up t'you."

[Shiba Jiro]

"Maybe I need to read these stories so that I can make an informed decision on how I should feel. What are the titles?"

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Well, uh... there's The Pirate's Promise, by Doji Hanatsuko. An' another of hers, Benten's Storm. An' the third one is Sea of Regrets, by Shosuro Tadanobu."

Just how many pillowbooks Kasumi had read was, well, something a state secret.

[Shiba Jiro]

"I'll need to see if I can find copies so that I can enjoy them myself... and then we can talk about what happens in the books together. That would be fun, no?" And he must know full well what he was suggesting discussing from context... right?

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

HOOOOOOOOOOO BOY.

"Uhm... yeah, if y'like."

Of course, if he reads the bit on the beach in The Pirate's Promise, he'll probably figure out these aren't exactly fine literature...

[Shiba Jiro]

"I'll let you know if I get the chance to read any of them, I'll definitely search for them," he says with a nod.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Seems th'least I can do t'offer th'same if you've got any favorites?"

[Shiba Jiro]

"Rival by Ikoma Naiko. It's a dramatic telling of the story of Bayushi Karitono and Ikoma Komori, the second daimyo of that family," he says with a nod. "It is... colorful. Especially some of the scenes revolving around Ikoma."

And Ikoma had a colorful reputation. It wasn't exactly a romance novel, but it didn't shy from descriptive depictions.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Uh... huh. I'll have t'check that one out if I c'n find a copy..."

[Shiba Jiro]

"Hit or miss if they will have it in Crane lands I imagine. But it's good enough that I suspect it's here somewhere."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Not sure we wanna ask around too loud, though..."

[Shiba Jiro]

"I'm not about to let people's opinions of my interests shape my interests. If I did that I never would have learned the proper way to spread manure on a farm. Let others think what they want. I'm only interested in the opinions of people I consider important to me. And even then, I'm not afraid to disagree."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Well, s'just... if your wife-to-be's gonna be around, might not do t'be heard askin' for all th'same books as someone else."

Especially not those kinds of books.

[Shiba Jiro]

"Ahh. Well, we'll be asking about different books so..." he shrugs. "Not that I would hide the fact that I am spending time and discussing literature with you."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

Literature. Right.

"Maybe we oughtta see if anybody else visiting has similar, er... interests?"

[Shiba Jiro]

"We could," he says with a nod. "Would you like to expand to a reading and discussion group? Because I would be pleased with just us but would not say no to including others. Whatever you want."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Well, much as I'd like t'compare notes with you..."

Among other things.

"... somethin' t'be said for, well... plausibility."

As in, getting to see each other in a context where it wasn't always just the two of them.

Trust a pirate to think of cover.