[D4, EA] Lunch to Go (Open/Expecting)

[Shiba Haru]

"Oh? And what was his response to your whispers? Did he freeze up? He may be better at conversation but I promise you my tongue is more talented."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"He didn't freeze up. He also didn't... return fire. Or initiate it, either."

A pause.

"Like he had less t'prove."

[Shiba Haru]

"No he's just shy. I mean, lets be real here, if I thought there was any chance of this going anywhere I wouldn't have come at you like this. It would be great and I think you would find it enjoyable, but between your feelings and my feelings and the watchful gaze of the Crane it is unlikely to happen. But much like you and your shipmates like to tell lies as a game Jiro and I like to do something similar. Not that I'm saying whatever he told you isn't genuine, I'm just having a bit of fun with someone who seems to enjoy the dame is all."

He took another sip of tea.

"But you would never forget it if we did."

Sip.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

Her expression was utterly deadpan.

"That bad, huh?"

[Shiba Haru]

"What? Me? If that's what you choose to believe, there is little I can do to prove you wrong or me right."

He refilled their cups and then continued to play.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"I mean, if it's that bad, I'd expect there'd be songs about it..."

[Shiba Haru]

"Well there is honestly only one way for you to find out for sure, how far will your Mantis bravado take you though?"

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Hm. Not sure. Early days yet, innit?"

[Shiba Haru]

"Well time is running out and every moment you hesitate someone else could swoop in and steal my "heart". "

He changed tunes again to something darker and more tense, now just playing around with his range.

"So you don't like the way you are looked at or treated here. You don't seem interested in changing who you are to fit the norms you see here, which by the way I commend; it shows that you are comfortable in your own skin and like who you are which is important I think. But you don't feel driven to perform here and silence those who look down upon you.

Yet you remain frustrated, so what will you do? Just going to ride it out and leave as quickly as possible? I hope that isn't the case, there are some here who will certainly miss you when you're gone."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"If they steal it out from under me durin' th'course'a this lunch, they must have some moves. And s'far as what I'm gonna do... dunno. Orders brought me here, orders'll send me back."

[Shiba Haru]

"So you don't feel any need to prove yourself or anything like that?"

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"T'whom? People who don't know a shark from a skate? An' who've made it plain they value stuff I got no notion of?"

She shrugged.

"I'd like t'know just how one would go 'bout doin' that."

[Shiba Haru]

"I suppose you have a point there, though not knowing a shark from a skate only makes me want to learn the difference. just because you have no notion of something doesn't mean you can't learn it. But I like to learn new things, I tend to obsess over new things."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"A skate's a kinda stingray-lookin' thing. Found in deep water most'a th'time, sometimes with a bellyfull'a shrimp or crab. A shark's... well, a shark."

[Shiba Haru]

"Well I certainly know what a shark is, I'm pretty sure the Unicorn know what they are as mean and dangerous as they are in the tales but what is a stingray?"

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

She blinked.

"Y'never seen a stingray? Thought th' Shiba had coastal holdings... well, uh... it's a kinda flat fish. Lives in th'shallows. Has a whippy tail with a poison stinger in it."

[Shiba Haru]

"That sounds like a terrible way to die, are they big? Yes we do have beaches but my chances to go to them were limited, our home is farther inland and south, overlooking Otomo lands and keeping a distant eye on the Lion."

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

"Most I've seen were pretty little- maybe two handspans long not countin' th'tail on average. But some get bigger. Seen a big'un jam its spine through a small boat's hull."

[Shiba Haru]

"Great, so the small you can step on and die of poison and the big ones can spear you like a boar; sounds delightful. SO what about all the tales of massive beasts in the sea, things with many arms the size of a kobune and such. Any truth to that?" He studied her carefully, expecting some sort of coy deception.

[Yukikaze no Kasumi]

She actually lit up a bit at that.

"Oh, yeah, we see some big damn squid sometimes... usually lookin' pretty sickly, reckon they live down low. An' sometimes y'see an octopus with arms twice as long as a man standin' up. Suitengu's yard has plenty'a big stuff in it."