"It's a miai", Shokomaru said in answer and blew smoke above him. Then looked back her way with further interest. "So you perform poetry, are you any good? I've thought of a few, but no one's ever excited to hear it." He was grinning, not quite sheepishly.

"I haven't had the chance to stop and sit down to write one in some time," she admitted, glancing away a little and wrinkling her nose. With raised brows she looked back, "Oh! You've thought of a few, Daigotsu-sama?" she laughed, "Any you want to share?" she asked, leaning forward a little, though her nose wrinkled again.

Shokomaru sighed. For a lot of reasons. Though action was necessary. He had no choice. He'd been called out. So he took the ash tray tube from his kimono, popped it open and tossed his cig in, then snapped it shut. Looking at Ichika, he still didn't believe it.

So mean.

Then he leaned close back to her.

"Are you sure you're really interested? Maybe there's a reason people aren't showing up for the poetry workshops I run for battalion."

Yet still, he stood up, smoothed out his black kimono, and cleared his throat.



He was smirking fairly hard.

Ichika brought he sleeve up, giggling into it. "I don't see why they wouldn't join, Daigotsu-sama," she laughed again. "Your style of poetry is very entertaining, could be a wonderful introduction for beginners, yea? Though, now I do wonder," she said, tapping her chin.

"Is poetry so prevalent among the Spider?" she tilted her head a little. "I believe Kuchiki-san spoke of a friend who attempted to code something to write poetry, or something like that?"

He shrugged, smiling easily at her words. "It wouldn't surprise me some code head would try to use science to figure out poetry if they couldn't do it themselves."

He rested one arm in his kimono front, scratching his neck a little, looking one way and the other for a bit. Pensive.

"So...then...well, what about you?" he nudged her foot with his.

"Mmmhmmm," she agreed, touched on by a little covered laughter. Watching him for a moment she giggled when he nudged her foot. "Oh! Alright," she furrowed her brow, looked around. "Hmm.."

Flash, crack, strike 'cross skies,
Shimmer floors, pattering calms
Sweet and sour, laughs, smiles

Ichika laughed a light laugh, "Might have to think that one over again, I think," she shook her head, smiled. "Well.. what do you think, Daigotsu-sama?"

He sat back down next to her, face appearing to chew on her poem thoughtfully.

"The syllable slip isn't really a mistake, your voice is too pretty to sound like it's an error", he told her after a bit. He laughed a little. "It fits, you're too pretty for my mistakes tonight, so it works in duality."

Shokomaru seemed to think on it a little more, finally nodding to himself with a bit of fondness making his features, but he didn't look at her. "I like it."

"Was looking for a particular sound," she said, a light half-awkward laugh. Smiling though as she finished and glanced out toward the people walking around and by.

"I'll have to show you some of my good work another time though, Daigotsu-sama. Ones I sat down and really worked on."

He crossed a leg again and leaned on his knee. "I'd like that. Sharing something of yourself is good, even if it doesn't seem like a big deal at the time."

A slight smiled an Shokomaru people watched with her.

"What about you, Daigotsu-sama?" she looked over to him, raised a brow. "When you've the chance, what do you do most in your spare time?" she tilted her head, a soft smile.

"hm...spare time", he thought a moment, tapping his chin with the hand it rested on. "I like to nap, honestly. Where I come from there's a long summer and light hit the wetland pretty hard, so people stay inside. Play board games, hobbies, have a meal with family...or nap. Good way to recharge before getting back to work."

He looked sidelong at her and smiled wryly.

"It's not that I'm lazy, it's just customary."

"Do you have no other pursuits than napping, Daigotsu-sama?" she asked with a small covered chuckle.

"Sure, talking to nice Crane girls has become a top feature of my life over the past few days", he said with a shrug. Then he looked over at her and made like he was writing something in the air with his hand. "I also like to draw, but I haven't taken the time for it much since I've been here. Mostly renga-style, though."

"Do you have a favorite drawing Daigotsu-sama?" she asked, raising a brow and leaning a little in toward him with the question only to rock back when she waited for the answer.

"Favorite, hmm...I guess which ever drawing I've finished recently that I'd be willing to show someone, it's a very, eh...evolving thing", he said, giving her a glance now. "I didn't bring my densai with me so showing you'd be difficult. Though I'm sure there'll be time, yeah?"

Ichika looked to him strangely, furrowed her brow a bit and tilted her head, "Is it a recent thing you've taken up, Daigotsu-sama?"

"It is, but i've taken to it pretty well, I think", he told her. "I'm trying to...well, say something, I suppose. I don't want to give too much away, but there are things you can say through art that you'd never voice. I'm sure you can understand that, eh?"

He turned his head to face her instead of glancing.

"Sometimes that's the only way we can say anything, is be not...", he rattled his ashtray and smirked.

"Mmm, mhm," she said, nodding. "Art is helpful for things like that," she said with a smile. "Still.." she looked at him, furrowed her brow, "if there's something you want to say Daigotsu-sama. There isn't harm in saying it, yea?"

"I wonder", he said with a massive streak of doubt. "What I told you I hate, remember? That was for you." A nod and he pointed at her. "I don't think I could have shared that with another bushi, or Spider."

Ichika nodded, raising a brow as she listened, "You wonder, Daigotsu-sama?" she tilted her head a little. Then, a look of realization, "You mean to say that there would have been harm in saying that to another, yea? Well.. I suppose, yea, but.. I am curious what you could wish to say that you cannot say then," she said with a soft smile.