Jin was sitting in the common room, idly thinking about what to do. There was still some time to kill before heading out to meet with his shuttle mates, and there was something about a movie on the news... He idly flipped on the screen, though there were still just local adverts (Asako Centipede Paste! When your teeth require the force of nature!).

Yube was slumbering in his lap, too much excitement for the little monkey.

His Daidoji roommate appeared shortly after he flipped the screen on, dressed in an airy, off the shoulder top matched with a tank top and black shorts. She smiled brightly. "Good evening, Ujina-sama!" She leaned over to watch the screen. "Planning on watching Gateway? Oh good, it hasn't started yet."

"Hai, I have some time to kill before going to Koyama, figured I'd watch. Konbanwa Daidoji-san." He gave a half-bow from a sitting position.

"How are you finding Asakaze so far?"

"Ah, the club? I haven't been there yet... Maybe tomorrow." She looked thoughtful, then shrugged. "Have you had dinner?" She checked the time. "If you haven't, I could run out and grab a couple of bentos before it starts."

"Oh, it's been interesting so far. Going somewhere new is always fun."

"Excuse me, is this where they're screening the holovid?" a Scorpion in a red ship uniform asked from the entrance to the common room. He stepped into the room and bowed to the others. "I'm Bayushi Akagi, from bunk room 7."

"Ah, Daidoni-san, I do not wish to bother you, you don't need to do that for me." He nodded towards the Scorpion. "Aye. Ujina Jin, nikutai of the 101st Drop Trooper brigade, 1st Spaceborne Battalion."

"Pleased to meet you, Usagi-nikutai," Akagi said politely, bowing again before finding a seat. "I'm crew on Hanei Maru, a merchant ship; we mostly trade in Scorpion Space, but occasionally venture farther if the situation is right."

"So what is this holo about?" he asked. "It's a Miya production, I heard?"

"That wasn't what I asked, Ujina-sama," she replied with a chuckle. "I need to eat, anyway, so it's just a matter of grabbing one or two."

She bowed to the Bayushi. "Hello, Bayushi-san. I'm Daidoji Shizuku, shipboard marine in the Crane Navy. Apparently it's a horror play involving the dead taking over the circuits meant for the kami in devices."

"A marine!" Akagi said, smiling. "I've worked with a few Scorpion marines before, and they're good sorts to have around in a pinch. Pleased to meet you, Daidoji-san."

"A horror play seems an odd choice to play at a miai, though," the Bayushi reflected. "Feeling horrified doesn't seem conducive to making people want to get married off, don't you think?"

"Ah, Daidoji-san, then if you are already going, I would appreciate a bento." He gave a bow from his seat. "It is a strange piece, then again, Phoenix are sometimes a strange clan. "He shrugged."Maybe it was what was cheap to show?"

"It could also be one of those things where fear brings people closer. Someone can be consciously aware of the stimulus involved, but their body can't really tell the difference why their heart is pounding and they're breathing fast that well," she suggested. "Okay, I'll be right back!"

With that, she hurries out of the room to grab the food before the movie starts.

"Hmm, an interesting thought," Akagi mused. "But surely nothing in the holo could be terrifying enough to inspire fear in a drop trooper or a Daidoji marine? I suppose we shall just have to see!"

The Scorpion turned to watch the screen, but it seemed to still be playing advertisements for Mama Miya soya-soba before the movie proper started.

"Unless it shows my mother asking about the miai, I think I'll be fine." He joked, and leaned back. "Merchant marine then, Bayushi-san? Anything exciting happen over there?"

Akagi chuckled. "Now that would be terrifying."


"There's occasional...trouble...with pirates," he admitted. "It seems like there's more of that in recent years than before. We've been fortunate so far and not run into anything we couldn't handle."

"What about you, Ujina-san?" Akagi asked. "Drop troopers are the type that jump out of orbiting spaceships instead of taking the perfectly functional but boring shuttle, right? What's that like?"

She's only gone for a little while before she reappears, three boxes of food in hand, which she distributes between the three of them. "Didn't think I should leave Bayushi-san out." She practically fell into a seat facing the holoprojector. "Did I miss anything?"

"No, just an advertisement for Mochi Mochi Mochi, the place where you can buy....bubble tea." That was an odd one.

"Arigatou Daidoji-san, I am in your debt." He forgot to refuse three times, being the uncivilized barbarian he is.

"I don't watch too many similar holos. Do you, Daidoji-san, Bayushi-san?" He chuckled. "Not exactly from orbit, from Drop Ships, but pretty high up, near the stratosphere, to avoid anti-air fire. Instead, we get to weave in between." He smirked, obviously relishing explaining the details of his job.

"Think nothing of it."

"Not as many as I'd like. Upbeat art is popular right now, and it's Crane entertainment. If it's not popular, the genre may as well not exist for a while."

"Thank you, Daidoji-san, that's very kind," Akagi said, looking surprised and a little touched that Shizuku had shown such consideration. He popped the top of the box and readied his chopsticks.

"Ah, true. I see more upbeat holos, I think. Yosh, let's see what's up!"

The holo started...., music was full of suspense!

"Oh, no, don't do that! No, that's not good. Eek!"

Turns out Jin liked to talk while watching films.

"I'm glad to offer," she replied cheerfully to the Bayushi.

"Truly, the real horror is the effects on the opening credits."