[D7 LA] I Want You... Over for Tea

[Shiba Jiro]

He nods at that. "I'm sure he'll take good care of you. So, what will you be doing when you get back to your ship? Think you will be promoted?"

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Well, I won't be an apprentice, so... yeah. Dunno what sorta berth they got lined up for me- might be I'm not on th' Yukikaze much longer, might be I get sent elsewhere in th'fleet, an' whatever letters Cap'n Kaito sends with me, still gotta prove m'self t'any new crew. Prob'ly a junior officer's spot. You?"

[Shiba Jiro]

"I have no clue. Likely support for an important diplomat. People from my school tend that way."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Well, they'd be lucky t'get you. An' Isawa-san?"

[Shiba Jiro]

"I could not even begin to guess. But I do hope she can find pleasure in her duty. She is very reserved and harder to read and understand than most," he says.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"I still need t'meet her, y'know."

[Shiba Jiro]

He nods. "Yes. Though something shifted between the two of us yesterday that I am still trying to understand."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

Kasumi grew concerned.

"For th'better, I hope?"

[Shiba Jiro]

"I think so, yes," he said with a soft smile. "It was disconcerting but encouraging. We painted two separate paintings, at the Crane's Kisshoten festival. Didn't watch each other during it. And ended up painting different versions of the same little girl, a girl that looked like she could be our daughter."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Well. Call me biased, but I figure a daughter's a fine start, yeah?"

[Shiba Jiro]

"It would be," he says with a nod. "I'd say it's better than the alternative because I knew what I was doing as a kid, but I know you and imagine it's not necessarily going to be much better. I'll bet your were the type to climb on everything and get into all the places you weren't supposed to go."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"More're less. Mindja, m'folks were barely together by th'time I showed, so any time I ran oen of 'em ragged, it was t'other's turn..."

She sighed.

"An'a course, Dad got hurt, an' was a bit more likely t'be in one place by th'time I was walkin'."

[Shiba Jiro]

He nods at that. "Well, we get it back in the end. All that craziness we subject them too, our own children do in the future. Kids getting revenge on behalf of their grandparents generation after generation."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Never knew my grandparents. But t'hear Mom tell it, she must given them eight shades'a hell t'deserve me."

[Shiba Jiro]

Jiro smiles widely at that. "That bad eh? Sounds like you had a fair bit of fun then. Actually, how young do they start you on ships?"

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"I went t'sea at eight or nine. Not sure if that was early or late."

[Shiba Jiro]

"Sounds early to me, but then I'm no sailor so my judgement is about as useful as a wooden stew pot," he says with a chuckle.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"We learn by doin'. An' I suppose if y'want someone t'see their ship as their home, it's a good start on it."

A frown.

"'Course, I'll likely be sent to another ship after this."

[Shiba Jiro]

"And you'll make it your home, and run it like the the talented sailor you are. I have no doubt about that. Until one day you have your own ship and you are truly in charge," he said with a smirk.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"One thing at a time... but yeah, when I get m'own ship... look out!"