[Moon 11:Morning-Map Room, Open] Little Things

[Shiba Nozomi]

"I c-can? Arigato gozaimasu!" She places her palms together in front of her in obvious pleasure.

That he should have found someone he cared for so much to have a family with... it reminded her of her own parents, and gave her a warm feeling. Other thoughts, less pleasant ones, are quickly abandoned in lieu of her interest in the sketches.

[Yoritomo Uminushi]

Uminushi grins as he makes his way through the tapestry to his personal quarters. He headed straight for one of the shelves and opens the door, plucking out a slender book before closing it once more. It didn't take long for him to return to map room as he set the book on the table and opened it to reveal a few delicately rendered charcoal sketches and a few watercolors. The artist was rather good at capturing the liquid expressions of children and faces.

"This is the set she gave me this winter," he explains as he points proudly at a serious faced boy in a formal hakama and kimono. He almost looked to be an unsmiling miniature of Uminushi, though his hair was a few shades lighter and his jaw a bit more square despite his youth. "That's Kintaro-kun."

Gently, the sketchbook is poked over to the Shiba.

[Shiba Nozomi]

She leans over and gingerly pulls the book towards her. Her mouth forms a small "o" as she studies the pages. "He's v-very hands-some..."

Nozomi looks between the Captain and the image."L-looks just like y-you."

She pauses slightly and the tips of her ears turn a little pink once again as she realizes some of the connotations of what she just said. "Erm..." a small cough, "Y-your wife painted th-these? She's v-very talented."

[Yoritomo Uminushi]

He grins and gives Nozomi a wink as she blushes, "I appreciate the sentiment Nozomi-san."

"And she is," Uminushi chuckles as his expression gentles, "She has eyes the color of new spring leaves, lips of coral, skin like ivory and I'm of the mind that there isn't a thing she can't have if she put her mind to it."

His expression grows less maudlin and more roguish as he adds, "It helps that she's a deft hand with a blade."

[Shiba Nozomi]

Her blush deepens slightly as he uses her chosen name instead of family name. She shifts in her seat slightly and keeps her focus on the renditions of his family.

"Ano... If I m-may...h-how did you m-meet her?"

[Yoritomo Uminushi]

"During my last year of apprenticeship on my Uncle's ship. We were in port and I was let off to run around the market to look for something to take home to my mother. I saw her with her sister looking at some silks and fell in love, " he smiles in remembrance, savoring the memory of sun and wind, "So, I went up to talk to her, invited her to tea and was promptly rejected though I did get her name."

[Shiba Nozomi]

Nozomi blinks in surprise. "R-rejected?" Well, that's a different start to most of these kinds of stories...

[Yoritomo Uminushi]

"Yes," comes the cheerful confirmation, "She told me that she didn't associate with dirty pirates. Of course, that was a challenge, so I started writing her. Nothing forward, just friendly letters... small trinkets. That sort of thing. We eventually became friends.

[Shiba Nozomi]

A tenuous smile creeps across her lips at the thought of their captain doggedly sending polite, pretty, Crane-like letters to some lovely samurai-ko.

"S-seems she doesn't mind so m-much after all."

[Yoritomo Uminushi]

"Oh, I don't know about that. It took me a year and a visit in my new shiny Imperial Legionnaire uniform to convince her to start writing back," he glances at Nozomi, brows arching as he shrugs.

[Shiba Nozomi]

Her face falls. "I-I've tried writing... b-but..." A shake of her head is accompanied by a small shrug. Not that she can do any other kind, but still.

Internally, she sighs, and turns her focus back on his story. "S-so, then what ha-happened?"

[Yoritomo Uminushi]

He chuckles and gives Nozomi a friendly pat on the head, "It takes practice, that's all."

"Well, I saved up all my pay, and did everything I could to make Captain. By the time I did, she was managing a holding for her family in the port we met in. We'd get together whenever I was in the neighborhood, had tea, walks in the public garden... that sort of thing. Proper courting."

That roguish smile appears on the man's face again as his eyes twinkle with mischief.

"About a month after I made Captain, we docked again and I convinced my men to help me kidnap her from beneath her brother's nose, as is tradition with her family." Uminushi rubs his jaw, "I tell you, that woman has a mean right hook."

[Shiba Nozomi]

Her jaw drops, shock written across her face. "You did w-wh-what? How is k-kidnapping a family tr-tradition?"

[Yoritomo Uminushi]

"Her Family was Moto," he replies simply, chuckling at Nozomi's shock. "Specifically descended from those who entered Rokugan with Shinjo's return. They have this tradition where prospective grooms ride with a coterie of his family, friends and followers to the bride's tent to steal her away from her family and friends. It's a display of the groom's skill and cunning as a warrior."

Uminushi's eyes glitter with ill-concealed laughter.

"I simply took the initiative to convince her Family of my worth rather than going through a nakodo," he finishes explaining in that deceptively mild and casual manner. A roguish grin briefly flashes across the man's face as he adds thoughtfully, stroking his chin, "I think the bride-price I left helped as well..."

[Shiba Nozomi]

This sort of thing is entirely beyond her realm of knowledge. Slowly, gears began to turn... the idea of being swept off one's feet and spirited away by a charming and... oh wait. Yea, no.

"Y-you should turn y-your story it into a p-pillowbook."

[Yoritomo Uminushi]

Uminushi blinks, brow furrowing at the suggestion, "Wait, what...? Really?"

He wore an odd look on his face, as if he couldn't decide whether he should be amused or confused. It was a rather endearing expression.

[Shiba Nozomi]

"O-oh yes. Can you imagine all th-those fine Crane ladies sn-sneaking off to read such a ro-romance with such a daring plot twist?" A giggle almost escapes, but is a gentle cough instead.

[Yoritomo Uminushi]

He finishes his cup of tea and quirks a brow, "Not really, no... but then, I'm not partial to pillow books," Uminushi doesn't hesitate to tease the Phoenix, "I take it they find some favor with you...?"

[Shiba Nozomi]

She glances shyly off to the side and fidgets with whatever is closest on-hand on the tabletop. "One of the off-officers on our last ship had one sh-she'd read aloud to the r-rest of us somet-times. No matter how m-mu-much they complained about how silly it was, s-sure enough, when the time w-would come for another r-reading, no ear n-not on duty was m-missing."

Realizing that what she's fidgeting with is one of the tactical boat pieces, she carefully places it back down on the tabletop and tucks her hands under herself. Er... hope that wasn't anywhere specific...

[Yoritomo Uminushi]

The Mantis looks mildly amused as he moves around the table to move the piece back where it was. "One of my regular crew does that. An Ikoma, unsurprisingly, tall cinderblock of a man but quite deft at telling a story. He even does the voices and, on occasion, gets a smile out of Kaimenko-san when she bothers to show up."

He loomed over Nozomi, but then it was a bit impossible not to. For a moment he was close to the girl (not inappropriately so), before he moved off again.