Night Fishing [D8LE]

[Funegao no Hirame]

Hirame grinned. "Well, let's not tell your ma, then." He gave Rin a curious look for a moment, and then shrugged.

But then he grinned again. "Yeah, we'll have to be careful. Can't do it when she sleeps, obviously. We're not that good. So we'll have to figure out a way to do it when she's out, and be there when she gets back." He nodded. "It's a proper complicated operation."

Then he frowned. "Oh, and we gotta get Kasumi-san, too."

[Suzume Rin]

Hirame grinned. "Well, let's not tell your ma, then." He gave Rin a curious look for a moment, and then shrugged.

But then he grinned again. "Yeah, we'll have to be careful. Can't do it when she sleeps, obviously. We're not that good. So we'll have to figure out a way to do it when she's out, and be there when she gets back." He nodded. "It's a proper complicated operation."

Then he frowned. "Oh, and we gotta get Kasumi-san, too."

"Of course! Reckon she'd be perfect for that kind of thing. Actually had a chat with her earlier."
Rin frowns slightly
"Think it's been a harder tournament for her, lots of stuff that's just...complicated. But she's nice though, and I bet if we need any climbing done she'd be the first person to ask!"

[Funegao no Hirame]

"You mean if we need a second person for climbing." Hirame said, giving Rin an arch look. "Because hey, I can climb stuff just fine."

He nodded. "But yeah, she's cool. A good sort. Umm... and yeah, complicated stuff." Hirame brushed his free hand back through his hair. "Ummm how's stuff going with you? Complicated, not complicated?"

[Suzume Rin]

"You mean if we need a second person for climbing." Hirame said, giving Rin an arch look. "Because hey, I can climb stuff just fine."

He nodded. "But yeah, she's cool. A good sort. Umm... and yeah, complicated stuff." Hirame brushed his free hand back through his hair. "Ummm how's stuff going with you? Complicated, not complicated?"

"Oh..yeah, I'm sure your climbing is good too Hirame-same."
Rin beams

"Me? Complicated? Ummm...well, maybe...sorta..good complicated? Ummm...we've"
Lowering her voice, clearly embarrassed
"We've hugged a few times now. And it's so nice...'course we're both mainly bone so you gotta watch out for elbows and knees, but even with that it...it just feels kinda right? Now I'm starting to think 'bout...what we should do after, you know? Or should we do anything? What's proper? She's so cute when she's flustered though, goes on about my body and says all these way too nice things that aren't true. Never had anyone speak to me like that so I'm not sure if it's objectively good flirting, but to me it's definitely the best."

[Funegao no Hirame]

Hirame grinned. "Awww, that sounds sweet, you and her hugging, elbows and knees clacking together like drums..." His smile became less teasing. "But seriously, I'm glad you're happy, Rin-san. And oh yeah, don't -sama me! I'm not a captain yet."

He shrugged. "Hey, whatever kind of flirting works for you is good flirting... but what have you thought about doing next?" Hirame cleared his throat. "I mean, after the tournament, not after the flirting."

[Suzume Rin]

Hirame grinned. "Awww, that sounds sweet, you and her hugging, elbows and knees clacking together like drums..." His smile became less teasing. "But seriously, I'm glad you're happy, Rin-san. And oh yeah, don't -sama me! I'm not a captain yet."

He shrugged. "Hey, whatever kind of flirting works for you is good flirting... but what have you thought about doing next?" Hirame cleared his throat. "I mean, after the tournament, not after the flirting."

"Gosh, sorry! You're just so...I mean, your vest is so nice."
He would always be captain-sama in her heart.

"I really ain't sure about what to do after. I mean...should I do something? Is it proper? Surely just...asking the Nakodo to check couldn't hurt, they know how all this works?"
A bit more quietly to herself
"Would I make a good Crab?"

[Funegao no Hirame]

"Yeah..." Actually, Hirame's vest was providing about twenty percent of the ambient light, with other light reflecting off of it. "But y'know, the vest isn't good for all occasions. Maybe I'll get some more clothes. Something else nice."

Hirame blinked. "A Crab. I don't know. Hmmm. I mean, okay, you're practical, and they're supposed to be practical. But they're supposed to be really rough... I don't know..."

Suddenly, Hirame pulled in his line. Setting it down on the dock, he turned to Rin. "Hit me." He said, tilting his chin up.

[Suzume Rin]

"Yeah..." Actually, Hirame's vest was providing about twenty percent of the ambient light, with other light reflecting off of it. "But y'know, the vest isn't good for all occasions. Maybe I'll get some more clothes. Something else nice."

Hirame blinked. "A Crab. I don't know. Hmmm. I mean, okay, you're practical, and they're supposed to be practical. But they're supposed to be really rough... I don't know..."

Suddenly, Hirame pulled in his line. Setting it down on the dock, he turned to Rin. "Hit me." He said, tilting his chin up.

"Huh?"
Rin cocks her head

"Hit yah?...Ain't right to hit someone just standing there. And you're a friend...just...I mean, you sure?"

[Funegao no Hirame]

Hirame nodded. "A Crab wouldn't hesitate to hit me, would they? And besides, isn't this what friends are for? To help their friends do difficult things?"

He tilted his head. "Uh... maybe not the face, though," Hirame reddened a little. "I mean, hey, I've got courting to do, too. I want to make sure I look my best!"

[Suzume Rin]

Hirame nodded. "A Crab wouldn't hesitate to hit me, would they? And besides, isn't this what friends are for? To help their friends do difficult things?"

He tilted his head. "Uh... maybe not the face, though," Hirame reddened a little. "I mean, hey, I've got courting to do, too. I want to make sure I look my best!"

"Dang...you're probably right. Crab ain't known for not hitting people."

She nods at the not the face comment.

''Course, face is hardly civilized."

And then without further ado Rin punches Hirame dead center of the chest.

FLUFF ROLL

Martial Arts unarmed. TN 2? Earth | TN: 2 | Success: 3 / Opportunity: 0 / Strife: 2


"Hiram-san?...You alright?"

[Funegao no Hirame]

As it happened, Hirame's jacket was more than just for looks. It was also pretty tough stuff. Still, it was a solid punch to the sternum, and Hirame took a hefty step back.

"You hit me!" He said, his breathing noticeably disrupted. "I really didn't know if you were gonna do it." A brief pause as he gulped air.

Then he grinned. "Well, there you go. You can be a Crab if you want."

[Suzume Rin]

As it happened, Hirame's jacket was more than just for looks. It was also pretty tough stuff. Still, it was a solid punch to the sternum, and Hirame took a hefty step back.

"You hit me!" He said, his breathing noticeably disrupted. "I really didn't know if you were gonna do it." A brief pause as he gulped air.

Then he grinned. "Well, there you go. You can be a Crab if you want."

"Oww! Filddlesticks!"
Rin rings her hand
"That jacket really is tough, ain't much fun to be hitting it...maybe I hit it the wrong way though."

Grinning slightly, despite herself
"Well, I didn't like hitting yah. And I normally I wouldn't, ma always told me a samurai uses their words. But you did say I should hit yah, twice. You took it well though."

[Funegao no Hirame]

Hirame rolled his shoulders a bit, grinning. "I'm just glad I said not the face. Jacket doesn't protect me there. And you hit harder than I thought someone who's all knees and elbows would."

Grunting, he started to pick up his rod again, but then he paused. "So... for real? You're thinking you might end up joining the Crab? What do you think about that?"

[Suzume Rin]

Hirame rolled his shoulders a bit, grinning. "I'm just glad I said not the face. Jacket doesn't protect me there. And you hit harder than I thought someone who's all knees and elbows would."

Grunting, he started to pick up his rod again, but then he paused. "So... for real? You're thinking you might end up joining the Crab? What do you think about that?"

Hurriedly
"Well it's all...what's that word for when you're just saying 'if it were to happen'? It's all that. Nothing set in stone or the like. But, you know, just if it were to happen it's important to think about."

Rin thoughtfully reaches for her own rod, using the moment to think.

"Their duty is pretty important, right? That means something."

[Funegao no Hirame]

"It is important to think about." Hirame agreed. "For a while before coming here, I was thinking about how to make sure Ahiru-san liked the Mantis, and if I could get her to join. But now, I'm thinking about if I joined the Crane. And..." Hirame took a deep breath, "Maybe it would be good for me. I don't know."

The question made his brow furrow. "Yeah. I mean, I don't know much about it. I know there's nasty places in the ocean that no sane sailor, nor most of our insane sailors, will go. And it's supposed to be connected, maybe?" He shrugged. "But yeah, it seems important, anyway."

Now he did cast his line out again. Once more, it landed invisibly with a plop.

[Suzume Rin]

"It is important to think about." Hirame agreed. "For a while before coming here, I was thinking about how to make sure Ahiru-san liked the Mantis, and if I could get her to join. But now, I'm thinking about if I joined the Crane. And..." Hirame took a deep breath, "Maybe it would be good for me. I don't know."

The question made his brow furrow. "Yeah. I mean, I don't know much about it. I know there's nasty places in the ocean that no sane sailor, nor most of our insane sailors, will go. And it's supposed to be connected, maybe?" He shrugged. "But yeah, it seems important, anyway."

Now he did cast his line out again. Once more, it landed invisibly with a plop.

"Someone's gotta deal with all that. And...you know, if not me, why not me? If I'm capable then I kinda got a duty to it. I'm not that much more bony than she is, and it's her duty."
Still distracted, Rin casts her own line only to realise she's thrown it back down the dock. The lure is hurriedly reeled in and recast.

"Wait? Now you're thinking of joining the Crane even if you win the competition?"
Looking over at Hirame
"Yah know, that would almost be a selfless act, doing that for her. Very mature of you Hirame-san, if I can say so."
Rin hums happily, clearly finding the idea very pleasant.
"Guess, would joining the Crane be better for you than joining the Mantis would be worse for her?"

[Funegao no Hirame]

"That's the spirit!" Hirame said, raising his fist in a little cheer. "You've got some moves, Rin-san. I think you'd do well at whatever duty you put your mind to."

He didn't respond to her question, not at first. "It's been very much on my mind." He finally said. "I think I could do well in the Crane, as long as I apply myself to it. I think that she could do well in the Mantis. But I don't know that she would enjoy it." He shook his head. "I know marriage is hardly all of a samurai's life, but I find myself not wanting to make a decision that I know will lead to her being unhappy. You know?"

He sighed. "So, we'll see. I'd cheerfully take whatever chance myself, but making someone else take a chance is a bit harder."

[Suzume Rin]

"That's the spirit!" Hirame said, raising his fist in a little cheer. "You've got some moves, Rin-san. I think you'd do well at whatever duty you put your mind to."

He didn't respond to her question, not at first. "It's been very much on my mind." He finally said. "I think I could do well in the Crane, as long as I apply myself to it. I think that she could do well in the Mantis. But I don't know that she would enjoy it." He shook his head. "I know marriage is hardly all of a samurai's life, but I find myself not wanting to make a decision that I know will lead to her being unhappy. You know?"

He sighed. "So, we'll see. I'd cheerfully take whatever chance myself, but making someone else take a chance is a bit harder."

Nudging him gently with her shoulder while mimicking the little cheer

"I reckon you're on the right path thinking like that. Captain's gotta think about his co-captain, right? But it's your call though, you did win the bet. 'Course, nothing more impressive than then immediately taking an even bigger gamble to prove your devotion. People will be even more impressed."

[Funegao no Hirame]

Hirame grinned. "I'll admit, that thought had crossed my mind. Especially if I do make it into the finals, and then do well..."

His expression grew more serious. "But it was more than that. The idea came to me the other night when she told me about an ancestor of hers. Well, actually, two ancestors of hers, I suppose. And how her great-whatever grandmother won her great-whatever grandfather... but also how he won her. And I guess it inspired me."

He shrugged. "It's not a done deal. I think, when all this is over, she and I should figure it out. We've gotten to know each other pretty well, so I think we can make that work."

[Suzume Rin]

Hirame grinned. "I'll admit, that thought had crossed my mind. Especially if I do make it into the finals, and then do well..."

His expression grew more serious. "But it was more than that. The idea came to me the other night when she told me about an ancestor of hers. Well, actually, two ancestors of hers, I suppose. And how her great-whatever grandmother won her great-whatever grandfather... but also how he won her. And I guess it inspired me."

He shrugged. "It's not a done deal. I think, when all this is over, she and I should figure it out. We've gotten to know each other pretty well, so I think we can make that work."

Blink blink

"Well uh, you better Hirame-san. I ain't just gonna prank some random girl for you, she's gotta be the right girl. So...you two flirting by her saying you reminder her of her great-great grandma? Interesting take on it, but Crane care alot about that thing."