[Day 5, Early Afternoon] - It's not at sea, but still...

[Kaiu Seiko]

For a moment, Seiko is content to just sink under the waves, continuing to kiss Sugita.

But reality is what reality is, coming back with an unstoppable certainty. If she did not stop, they would eventually risk drowning.

She didn't want to stop though. But want didn't factor into this as much as need, and the need was there for air.

Eventually.

Under the water, she broke the kiss and almost as slowly, started to make her way back up to the surface. One hand continued to hold onto Sugita, dragging him along just in case.

[Kakita Sugita]

Stunned. Not unconscious. Sugita flollows Seiko to the surface. Ship's rules. Ship's rules. Ship's rules!!! He reminds himself. "That was fun." He says weakly, though not to her face. He can't bring himself to keep eye contact. It's a big fit of shyness.

[Kaiu Seiko]

"I was worried for a moment you might drown," Seiko replied.

Right. Hand still on him. Better not.

Reluctantly, she let go of him. Now that she was sure he was going to be okay and not drown. Purely there to help him, of course.

Oh kami, I just kissed him! While on the ship!

Technically, she had just kissed him while in the water, but there was a kiss beforehand that was on the ship. And there were rules against fraternizing. Rules that applied even during a storm while docked in a gaijin harbor.

"I... we... should probably get back aboard," she said, a little quietly, her words almost lost in the storm. Yeah, he wasn't the only one feeling the shyness. The euphoria from earlier had left her. "If... I go up first, will you be okay? I... wouldn't want you to drown, after all."

[Kakita Sugita]

"Yeah... Yeah. I'll be fine. As long as there aren't any more surprises. Heh." He offers as confident a smile as he can manage to assuage any fears.

[Kaiu Seiko]

Seiko nodded.

"That's... good. Hai."

He kisses better than my late husband. Oh, Kami, I should not be having these thoughts!

"So... um... I will... head on up. See you back aboard?"

The whole situation was awkward. She found she didn't want to go back on board the ship, but she couldn't stay in the water.

But what choice did she have?

Slowly but steadily, she began to climb.

[Kakita Sugita]

Her husband must have been terrible. But then. Crab. "Yeah. Yeah. I'll come after you."

Dammit! I use that line when I'm making dirty jokes! "Eh-heh. Heh." he laughs nervously after realizing it.

[Kaiu Seiko]

It didn't take long to get to the top. Still, all the time she was climbing, she kept thinking about what just happened. The storm, the dive, the kiss, the fall, the second kiss... all of it was just incredible... and wrong... and wonderful... and wrong.

Her thoughts were all jumbled now. She hadn't felt this way about Tadahiro. Tadahiro was just... her husband. Her late husband. It was right to think those thoughts now, wasn't it? She had mourned for the appropriate amount of time. He hadn't meant anything beyond duty. It wasn't as if she was being disloyal to his memory. But wasn't she supposed to...

She was on deck.

She hadn't recalled reaching the railing, and already she was on the deck.

Sugita was going to be right behind her.

A fountain of emotions threatened to come up within her. Everything had been fine until...

Without thinking about it, she acted, doing the only thing she thought appropriate.

She left.

Just like that.

/exit

[Kakita Sugita]

"So, I think I'm going to call it a..." His head peaks up over the railing. Where'd she go? "... day." Odd maybe she stepped off? In the meantime, Sugita puts the rope back.

Then waits a minute.

"OK then. Time to uh. Get your mind on other things Sugita. Other. Things. Like some work. That would be good right now."

I've really got to talk to the other Crab on this ship. That big Hida in the tub this morning might now her more than I do.

/exit
/scene