[Moon 15, Morning, Aft deck, Open] Prayers

[Kaiu Seiko]

It looked like Seiko was going to reply to Fuichi, until Narumi interrupted. Her eyes resumed her unfocused state as she turned towards the Asashina.

"Pragmatism is a virtue among the Crab. There is no apology needed, Asahina-sama. Arigato for your care to the ship."

It was almost as if she had a kind of fondness for the Half Moon, and by being careful with the fire, the Crane woman had earned a measure of respect.

[Kakita Sugita]

"Yeah... This is all WAAAAYYY too deep for me." Sugita looks between the Daidoji and Kaiu uncomfortably. "Did you know that turtles can live for over a hundred years?" All smiles. Awkward smiles.

[Asahina Narumi]

The Asahina smiles at the Kakita's blunt honesty, unlike every other time she's heard him be so blunt and felt either embarrassed or slightly offended. "I was not aware Kakita-san," she replies, going along with his change of subject. "They must be favored by the kami indeed to have such long lifespans. I've only ever seen one and he was quite small, I've heard they can be incredibly large though."

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Fuichi cocked his head. It hadn't seemed that deep at all.

[Kakita Sugita]

.... "Or maybe they're just hard and stubborn?"

[Asahina Narumi]

"Possibly," the Asahina said. "Not every fate is affected by the kami. Sometimes one must make their own destiny happen. Perhaps a turtle has a much stronger will to live than does a man." She smiles. "They certainly have a much tougher body."

[Kakita Sugita]

"They have little to worry about other than living. Easy to envy them."

[Kaiu Seiko]

"I wouldn't want to be a turtle, even if I got to live for a hundred years." Seiko blinked, eyeing the Kakia now in her unfocused way. "I wouldn't want to live for a hundred years either. All my friends would be dead."

[Asahina Narumi]

"It is easy to envy others for their gifts, but we should not forget our own. A turtle does not know the joy of the wind in it's hair, a cup of tea, or appreciating a work of art," the priestess says to the Kakita.

She then turns to the Kaiu, "And that is the truth. We serve the empire, but our friends are a part of that empire, so are we not serving our friends? Those relationships are what grant our lives, however short, their value."

[Kaiu Seiko]

Seiko nodded in response to Narumi's words, but she keep looking at the Kakita. Her eyes still refused to focus on him though.

[Kakita Sugita]

"What if all your friends were turtles too?" Sugita looks back. "They seem to manage it."

[Kaiu Seiko]

"But my friends are not turtles," Seiko replied, not taking her eyes off the Kakita. Sort of.

"I am the person I am. I should not want to be someone, or something else. Would you want to be a Crab?"

[Kakita Sugita]

Shrug. "Maybe sometimes. Does it matter? I can cope with not getting what I want."

[Kaiu Seiko]

"But if you want what you cannot have, you come to regret, and regret is a sin," Seiko pressed. "So why should we ever want to be but that which we are? Karma said that you would be born in this life as a samurai. Would you deny karma and the way things are arranged in the Celestial Order?"

Curiously, her voice remained as... dispassionate... as ever.

[Daidoji Fuichi]

Fuichi looked up into the sky. "I shouldn't think that a little harmless wondering about the lives of turtles should lead inevitably to regret at one's own situation. There is a wide gulf between supposition and desire, after all."

[Kaiu Seiko]

Seiko turned to look at Fuichi and simultaneously managed to make it seem as if she was daft and just didn't get it, and Fuichi was twice as bad.

[Kakita Sugita]

... sugita didn't get that either. "Who said I regret anything? That wouldn't be coping at all, would it? Do you imply I am weak?"

[Kaiu Seiko]

Seiko looked back at Sugita, her eyes still unfocused on him.

"I didn't even say you did want to be a turtle. Why would I say you were weak?"

She seemed confused. Like Sugita was even more addled in the head than Fuichi was.

[Kakita Sugita]

"I'm joshin' ya woman." Sugita shakes his head smiling. "Far too serious an atmosphere." The Crane closes the distance with slow steps. "Needs to lighten up. What do you do? Games? Drinking? Swimming? Something... else?" Sugita leans in slyly.

[Kaiu Seiko]

Seiko blinked, several times. A gauntlet of emotions and possible reactions raced through her mind. Her eyes actually focused on him.

He had been teasing her. She believed he was serious. He considered her serious.

Things she likes, things she likes...

"Yes, a bit, not in these waters, and..."

Blink.

Blush!

Seiko thought furiously for a reply.

"I like storms at sea..." she attempted, a little weakly.