Sugita stumbles into the Embassy bored out of his mind. Normally he'd try staying away from the gaijin. Now there are gaijin on his own ship! The world has already fallen apart. It doesn't even matter. Maybe there is someone to entertain him here.

"Damn gaijin..."

The big Hida man was laying on a bench, soaking in the sun upon his absurdly muscular body. He didn't seem to notice anything, perhaps he was napping?

"Hida-san!" exclaims the Kakita upon seeing the man. Sleeping? Nah. Who would be doing that? "How's things?"

The big man uncrosses his arms and lets them hang from over his head, causing his shoulder muscles to increase the barrel of his chest to maximum size, "My mind is all but numb. You?" He doesn't bother to turn his head, or even open his eyes, he just continues to absorb every ray of sunshine penetrating the fog to caress his body.

"Bored out of my skull! This waiting is killer. Like they actually thought we have a good shore leave on gaijin lands?! May as well have kept us working. I'd sail in circles." Seriously. He would. In the meantime, Sugita plops himself down next to the big man.

He nods, "There's good food 'n' drink at an inn called th' Black Elephant. Beyond food, all I wanted was ta bathe. I migh' go back fer one more meal afore we set out, but who knows. Depends on how fast we set out. Rations just don' got th' holdin' power I'm used ta. Tempura'd ever'thin' on a Crab boat. Stew don' pack tha' kinda punch."

Sugita's nose wrinkles. "Tempura everything? I don't think I can take that. Though it does explain the stuff the one ship I was on delivered down that way."

He shrugs, "Same size ration, bu' fills even th' biggest stomach all day." Musasha sits up and looks around, "This fog ain't natural. He reaches behind the bench and pulls his tetsubo out of its shadow. "Half aspect a bunch o' bakemono ta pop outta this shit."

"Then I'm glad I'm next to you." He smirks. "Ain't never even seen a bakemono. But I think the food here might scare me almost as much."

He shrugs, "Wasn't so bad. Had stuffed onion rolls, spiced bean curds, 'n' plenty of bread and various bean pastes. Not so much rice, bu' na a big deal wi' th' fact tha' it was endless while I drank."

"Doesn't sound terrible. Dunno. Our cook on the ship challenges me enough. And I like knowing exactly what goes into my food." Because he'd break out in hives if he eats the wrong thing.

"Speaking of cook, met yer Clan mate little bit ago in the galley. Kaiu Seiko. You gotten to know her much yet?"

He shakes his head, "Keeps ta herself, mostly. I ain't one ta bother someone."

"Er..." Being friendly isn't bothersome. "Jus' ah... Wanted ta know if you knew her well. Cuz ah. You know." Guy heart to heart. Sort of.

He shakes his head, "Nope." He didn't seem to get your line of questioning.

"Oh. OK." Bother. That isn't going to be any help. Sugita sighs in helplessness. "Women..."

The big man seems to wait for the rest of the statement, causing an awkward silence...

Hm. OK. Topic prod. "Right... So. You have a girl?"

Musasha thinks for a minute, then responds, "Nope. Likely, will be married by nex' year one way er another. You?"

"Not married or engaged. But I got my eye on some. Heh. Some closer than others. Ya know?!" Sugita barely resists the urge to give an elbow nudge.

He shrugs, "Not appose ta fraternize. Makes things messy. I won' tell, tho, jus' be careful. Don' put anyone outta focus, including yerself. I need ta know th' sailor nexta me has their head in th' task at hand."