Percussion, Strings, Winds, Words (D8LA)(Expecting)

[Funegao no Hirame]

"It very much did." Hirame said, nodding firmly. "Because I saw something of myself in the Prince, I think. Suddenly I wanted to prove myself worthy of... well, this." Smiling, and perhaps blushing just a little, he gestured, waving his hand from him to her. "Even if that means changing some of my habits, wearing different clothes..." He took a deep breath. "It made me think of you returning to your parents, and I wanted them to see that you were proud to be marrying me, whichever way this goes. Perhaps even happy."

Smiling, he leaned forward, just a little, his smile going crooked once more. "So I'm going to keep proving myself. But but not everything's going to change. No matter how things turn out, part of me is always going to be a Mantis. Just as I know part of you is always gonna be Crane." The smile grew. "I like that."

[Kakita Ahiru]

Being out here on the water, away from prying eyes and ears, Ahiru did realise there was a sense of comfort to be found in the privacy they had here. The privacy that their conversation was completely for them, and them alone.

"I... must admit, before we met, and when we first met too, I did want you to change - that you'd think being a Crane would be better for you. Because I didn't like the thought of having to marry out, but," she sighed softly, "I think that was a bit selfish of me too. I wasn't thinking of what would make you happy. Neither of us chose this arrangement, and I never thought to ask you how you felt about it. And I was thinking only of what I wanted rather than the fact that I, we, should be thinking of how to make it work for both of us."

She fell silent for a moment after those words, looking to the sea again, but with less worry and melancholy now. "You're right though, you'll always be Mantis, and I'll always be Crane. We can't take away who we have been most of our lives."

[Funegao no Hirame]

"Yeah." Hirame agreed, his voice soft, but with a man's deep timbre. "We'll always be who we are." He turned, looking out at the water himself. It was so soothing, so pleasant. And, after a moment, he too was struck by the intimacy of it. In truth, that was a new experience for Hirame as well; privacy on a ship was a rare commodity for a junior officer.

He turned to look at her, smiling, eyes bright. "Well, if it helps, I think we're making it work already. And if it helps a little more..." Hirame grinned, shrugging. "I feel quite good about it now. Because I'm kinda into you." Was it a strange thing to admit to your future wife? Well, whatever. Hirame's grin was confident.

He chuckled softly. "I'm glad we don't have to court the Mantis way. That's awkward to do on land."

[Kakita Ahiru]

Hirame's words probably got the reaction he wanted, as Ahiru blushed and looked away from him, looking at the water around them instead as her hands linked together in her lap. Her thumb brushed against the back of her hand as she smiled a little.

"And how is it that the Mantis court eachother? Swimming competitions?"

[Funegao no Hirame]

Indeed, the blush and smile together made Hirame smile, his hazel eyes dancing playfully as he looked at her. He shifted a little closer, coming to look over the same side as her, his experienced footing keeping the boat balanced.

"No..." Hirame frowned. "Well actually, sometimes. Competitions are pretty big with the Mantis, and challenging someone to one is a clue. But otherwise it's a few steps, starting with coy glances. And then accidental touches here and there."

He looked at her again, eyebrows going up. "I guess we have been courting the Mantis way. We've done all of those things, like the other night when you put your hand on mine." The playful smirk returned.

[Kakita Ahiru]

"Th-that was an accident!" Ahiru protested, turning more red. "You just took advantage of the situation, you... you scoundrel."

Not that she had minded, and that was clear judging by her bashful smile. Though she quickly covered that up with a haughty tilt of her chin, regaining some of her composure. "There hasn't been nearly enough poetry to be a proper Crane courtship."

[Funegao no Hirame]

"Scoundrel?" Hirame considered that for a moment, and then he grinned. "I kinda like the sound of that." He gave Ahiru a look through his lashes. "It suits me, don't you think?"

"Oh?" Hirame smiled at her. "What else happens in a Crane courtship? I bet it's a lot different from a Mantis courtship. But I'm also betting they've got at least a little bit in common."

[Kakita Ahiru]

She giggled softly, glancing back at him. "It does rather become you, yes."

That he was a scoundrel was something she had thought from pretty early on. She just hadn't expected to like it.

"As for what else happens in a courtship... letters, writing songs, some make a show of winning duels or contests in the name of their intended. Many try to live up to the rather high standards set by Lord Kakita when he won Lady Doji's heart."

[Funegao no Hirame]

Blinking, Hirame let out a huff of breath. "Live up to Kakita... wow. That's really something. Well," Hirame smirked, perhaps unconsciously emulating Kakita in one respect, anyway, "-I'm never one to back down from a challenge.

The boat had continued to slowly, but safely, drift. Nearby, all alone on a dock, a seagull sang dissonantly. Hirame paid it no attention; he had something else on his mind.

He turned fully towards Ahiru, his eyes finding hers. "Perhaps, then, we should court as both Crane and Mantis. Because, you know, the Mantis way has some good points too, if you'd like to see them." There was an intensity in his eyes that made his attention clear. It didn't hurt that the gentle breeze over the water ruffled his hair in much the same way as pictured on the cover of The Princess and the Guardsman.

[Kakita Ahiru]

"I know you're not. And well, have I not already done things a bit like a Mantis, considering I proposed this wager of ours that made the tournament into something of a competition between us, hm?" she asked a tad innocently, though the smugness to her smile was anything but innocent.

"But what else did you have in mind, to show me how the Mantis to things?"

[Funegao no Hirame]

Ooh, that smug smile! There was no way Hirame was going to let that stand. He'd just have to...

Leaning forward, he kissed her, pressing his lips against hers with youthful passion, mixed with just a hint of scoundrel energy.

"That." He murmured as they parted.

[Kakita Ahiru]

Ahiru's eyes widened as Hirame was suddenly very close. VERY very close. And then so close that their lips touched. Her lips, which were warm and soft with a vague touch of sweetness to them, had never before been kissed.

So as they parted, the previously-unkissed duckling half-heartedly slapped Hirame's cheek, though there was hardly any anger or frustration behind it. It didn't even leave a spot of red on his tanned skin. "You... you..." she stammered, a bit in shock still as her mouth opened and closed. It was really a bit comical to look at.

"You kissed me! You really are a scoundrel!"

[Funegao no Hirame]

Hirame grinned at her, his handsome features just a little bit flushed. For his part, his lips had been warm, not quite as soft as hers, and with a bit of a salty tang, reminiscent of the sea.

"I did." He said, still smiling. "And I'd do it again, even if I knew a much harder slap were coming after." In fact, kissing her was even more pleasant than he'd expected, and he found his eyes drawn to her lips again.

He tilted his head as he regarded her, a decidedly rakish angle. "I'm gentleman enough to not do it in public, or again at all if you ask me not to." His lips curled upwards. "But otherwise, well, from time to time, I'll behave like the scoundrel I am."

[Kakita Ahiru]

"I would do more than just a slap if you did that in public," the Crane did protest too much. Though she probably would follow through on it too. His rakish behaviour was both infuriating and alluring.

Oh no, he's hot.

"Surely this can't be how the Mantis do their courtship? Such... such public displays of affection, in public?!"

[Funegao no Hirame]

If anything, Hirame's grin grew wider. "I'll hold you to that, Ahiru." He murmured. In this case, noting what was unsaid was most important.

He shook his head, even as he settled back comfortably in the little tub. "No, no. After the coy looks and not so accidental touching, well, there's not much privacy on a boat. So a quick kiss here and there, moments of stolen time..." He gave a vague wave about, indicating their present surroundings.

"Then there's shoreleave, and all bets are off." Hirame cleared his throat. "Or... so I understand, anyway."

[Kakita Ahiru]

"Shoreleave? Ah, so when a boat docks, its crew is allowed to go on land, if I understand correctly?"

And then do everything but behave properly.

She calmed down as well as Hirame settled back comfortably, and she rested an elbow on the side of the tub. Pulling back the sleeve of her clothing, it did show some of the very fine porcelain-like skin she had as she dipped her hand down over the edge to feel the water. It was predictably cold, judging from the reaction on her face.

"I talked about it with Kasumi-san recently, but I could ask you as well... if you have personally met Lord Yoritomo before, and what he is like."

[Funegao no Hirame]

Hirame watched as she tested the water, his eyes curious. "Right." He said. "Even Mantis need a break from the sea from time to time. Enjoy themselves a bit." He shrugged. "Some people get a bit wild. After a hard journey, most captains look the other way a bit." Something Hirame didn't take advantage of, actually; he kept a semblance of discipline.

"Met him?" Hirame shook his head. "Not properly. But I've seen him. He's..." Hirame chewed his lip, trying to come up with an answer. "Larger than life is the best way to explain it. He really does seem to have the energy, the drive, the guts of twenty men. Like he could do anything, and he makes you believe it, too."

He tilted his head again. "Is that what you were looking for...?"

[Kakita Ahiru]

She grinned and flicked a bit of water in his direction. "So that's what you do too, now that you're here in Tsuma on 'shoreleave'? Letting loose and stealing a maiden's first kiss?" The tone was also carrying the unspoken question if he had done that and more before.

It was interesting how Hirame and Kasumi had different intepretations of Yoritomo, as Hirame's words seemed more in line with the rumors she heard, and Kasumi's seemed... well, different.

"... Maybe? I'm just trying to get a better idea of what life in the Mantis would be like. Kasumi-san has been rather insistent that I'd be a good Mantis, or good for the Mantis - either of those. Though she and I have very different ideas on what that would entail."

[Funegao no Hirame]

Hirame laughed as droplets struck him, a refreshing cold. "First kiss?" He said, eyebrows going up. "That and the pearl makes two treasures I've stolen from the Crane." His head tilted forward, giving his eyes a more intense look. "But I assure you I'm normally on my best behavior on shoreleave. I think you bring out the scoundrel in me, Ahiru." He said, wearing his playful smirk once more.

He let his own hand dip into the water... from this angle, one could see that he'd clearly owned this shirt before his last growth spurt, the arms being just a little too short. But he didn't return fire, not yet. "She's right. You would make a good Mantis." He pursed his lips a moment. "What did you and she say? I mean, besides that it would be fun to surround me with murder dolls."

[Kakita Ahiru]

"I've done no such thing," she said as she lifted her chin with some polite defiance. She couldn't let a scoundrel just have his way with her however he pleased! But it was a rather funny exchange all in all.

To her discerning eye, it was easy to spot the shortnes of the arms of his shirt. And people think I'm the poor one. At least all my clothes fit me perfectly. Still, she was relaxed for the time being from potential retaliation - she was more concerned about retaliation from the prank earlier than a splash of water. "A couple of things," her shoulders moved in a small shrug. "She says I'd be better for the Mantis than you for the Crane. Stuff like that. Not exactly in those words, but more or less what she is saying."

And what she hated about those words is that it was probably true to a degree.

"Though I don't think she understands what I'm saying that I don't want to live my life on a ship, travelling from port to port to give some level of 'respectability' to my husband's ship. It sounds..." her lips pursed in a small grimace as she sought the right word, "well, it sounds not me! Ships are cramped, and as you say they have no privacy. My clothes being silk would probably dissolve before the first year is over and just the thought of enduring the same as her mother that I'd have to---" Ahiru stopped herself, not wanting to even finish that thought.

With a stretch of her hands she physically and mentally calmed herself. "Sorry, it's just... what she said gave me a lot to think about. For better or worse. But more importantly, I think we both need to think of how we can both be happy, yes? You'd be unhappy if you were placed far away from the sea, no?"