D4EE, Noodling Around (Expecting)

[Seppun Urusai]

Urusai, unless his doing so would cause some kind of unholy temporal paradox that requires the supreme naughtymancy of retconjuration to undo, finds a place where two can sit at a particular noodle stand, awaiting his companion.

[Asahina Sakura]

Holding her kimono around her tightly against the wind, arms crossed over herself, Sakura arrives and looks around quickly. Spotting him, she makes her way to Urusai and bows deeply, as fit for his station.

"Um, konichiwa, Seppun-sama. I hope the day was good to you?"

[Seppun Urusai]

"It gets better," Urusai says, returning the bow. "And you?"

[Asahina Sakura]

"Hm? Better? Yes, definitely better..." Sakura paused, the briefest shy smile playing across her lips, "You said the noodles here are spicy? I can't say I've had them before? But I'm willing to try them?"

[Seppun Urusai]

"Some of them here are, yes," Urusai affirms. "But there are more...sedate ones, as well.

"Please," and he gestures to the other seat.

[Asahina Sakura]

"Oh! Right!" She does so, sliding into place before smoothing out the fabrics of her kimono to straighten any wrinkles.
"It's, um, good to see you again? And how fares your uncle?" she asks with a quieter voice.

[Seppun Urusai]

"A pleasure," Urusai says in response to the first, and "As he has been" to the second. "But I take it you see him, as well."

[Asahina Sakura]

"Seeing visually is a liberal use of the word. More, um, sensing a presence?" she explained a bit with a friendly smile.

[Seppun Urusai]

"What's that like?" Urusai asks, genuinely curious.

And a voice says to him that he ought to be careful asking such questions of young ladies.

[Asahina Sakura]

A consideration for a moment before she answered, "It can be quite, emotional? Spirits are not bound to the same sense of propriety we are?"

[Seppun Urusai]

The voice says to Urusai something about keeping older, better ways.

"I can understand that assertion," he answers. "Ways change, after all."

The server arrives, and Urusai places his order, asking for a spicy fried noodle dish with tofu. "And for you, daughter of the Crane?"

[Asahina Sakura]

She makes her request for a bowl of noodles with egg and spices. When the server moves on, she looks back to the Imperial and cannot stop a small smile.
"You're not wrong, both have their merits? It's um, always been the way I've understood that... spirits are simply afforded more freedom. We're, uh, held to a code that can be as alien to them as they are to us?"

[Seppun Urusai]

What's she mean alien? says the voice in Urusai's ear.

"Alien even to those who walked among us, even recently?" he asks.

But his eyes are drawn to her smile.

[Asahina Sakura]

"Well. How would Seppun-sama behave if he were no longer beholden to our societal norms? If there was no lord he had to appease? No Emperor's decree he had to live his life in accordance to?" she asked delicately, before smiling shyly, "I'm sorry, I spoke out of place, my apologies..."

[Seppun Urusai]

Urusai blinks in surprise.

"I apologize; I don't understand the question. But I'm not offended."

[Asahina Sakura]

She nodded, looking down at her hands, "Um. I was doing some thinking? and I wondered, what are you hoping to be tested on? Something Seppun-sama would look forward to showing his prowess to the judges or to the other competitors?"

[Seppun Urusai]

The food arrives, and Urusai gives thanks for it before he answers the question.

"Storytelling might be good," he says. "And I am trained more with heavier weapons than many; a chance to demonstrate with a bisento would not go amiss.

"And you?" He puts the question back to her. "What might I look forward to from you in the contest, had you the choice?"

[Asahina Sakura]

She smiled to the servant as well with a small motion of thanks- before looking back to Urusai. "I'm sure this one could listen to Seppun-sama tell his stories all day long.... Hm? And I look forward to your show of martial skill!
As for me, well, my um, companion has been teaching me archery- so had today's competition not been on horseback but instead on stable ground, I believe I might've performed better?
But um, while I wouldn't go so far as to call myself an 'artisan,' I um, enjoy the chance to... make... art..." she could've facepalmed.

[Seppun Urusai]

"Companion?" Urusai's face falls for half a heartbeat. "Oh! Right," he says, realizing the likely implications.

"But, um, what art do you do?"

[Asahina Sakura]

She tracks his expression with muted interest, "Oh I, haven't found my niche yet? I just kind of, dabble?" Sakura gave a shy shrug as she picked up a strange pronged utensil, considering it.