"To future happiness, what eveh shape that takes." Ishiyo offered, raising her own glass.

Spiders are cynics by nature usually. He couldn't help but recall happiness as something that comes from crushing one's enemies, or pleasing one's lord with a severed head, or what have you.

Especially in any form that might take.

But he smiled and nodded, answering Ishiyo's toast. He didn't feel like ruining the moment.

"Kampai", he said with a little enthusiasm, then drank. "That his the spot, a fine choice. Do you have booze choosing classes in Crane lands? I saw it on a show, some drama about the 26th century expansion, you know. Ah, think it's called Voyage of the Flowers, about that ill fated Imperial lead colony fleet? The actors who play the Crane are pretty good, but every scene involves drinking and making metaphors about alcohol that relate to a discussion only they understand. Is that really a thing?"

"Ah...well some of the Kakita Artisans are trained brewehs," Ishiyo blinked at the strange question, then looked off to the side with a slight frown, "The rest sounds like some artistic exaggeration on the writeh's part. I mean some people do take theih drinks very seriously and build up a large amount of knowledge foh that purpose...."

"I suppose they could have been mimicking some of my Doji cousin's secretive language. I am not familiah with the habit myself."

His smile widened. "Are you sure it's only the Doji courtiers who have a secret language?"

Ishiyo closed her eyes and took an exaggeratedly haughty sip, and drew out her accent, "Daigotsu-sama, wahateveh doo you meean?" She opened one eye halfway to peer at the man like a pampered cat irritated at its human.

He sipped his drink again and appreciatively pushed his lips together over the taste, then brought his dark eyes up to meet her blues.

"A lot of things, actually", he said more seriously. "I think our interactions have been pretty good, despite them being a little rocky here and there." he puffed his cigarette and put his ashtray on the table, opened so he wouldn't make a mess. "I know if I go far back enough I can probably get you turn your nose up at me, but...that night in the bar, our first conversation, it was a lot of fun. And dancing with you too, despite what happened. I think I'd like to make that up to you still somehow, even though I've tried a lot of different ways already."

He smiled a bit again. "I think having a little bit of debt is a good thing, I think having something to remind you of what can go wrong, and what the consequence is, can be a very strong foundation of a relationship if both parties really care about each other. I think having that little bit of debt proves it, in a way."

Ishiyo put down her glass and opened both her eyes, surprised by his serious response. "You have this strange habit of going from smarmy to serious." She smiled a little, "I believe I have said so before...but the night at the bar, while irritating, has been more a source of my own personal amusement. And some confusion, I really did not expect a Spider and a Crab to have what seemed to be an....attraction. And a continuing one if the rumohs are to be believed." She held up a hand, "No its not jealousy, its purely just confusion from two people from the most...forceful clans, who also happen to be the bitterest of enemies, having any sort of relationship that does not involve violence." The Crane waves it off, "But ultimately irrelevant to tonight."

She sighs, "And I must admit before you tossed me into the hands of that lovely Osprey, I was enjoying myself."

"And not debts...but foundations of trust." Ishiyo took another sip, "Understanding each party has theih faults and working past them."

Shokomaru nodded, seeming to accept her answer for what it was. There seemed to be some deliberation in him as his eyes searched hers, then the rest of her face, then her kimono, at her wrists at the end of her sleeves, then her hands and fingers. He looked back up to her eyes by the time she finished and seemed satisfied.

"I don't begrudge you putting it in your terms, I did the same. What I see as debts that cause the other party to obey, you see as trust that should be given when earned. I think it's simply a cultural pick at particulars, because we're both talking about being invested in another person and having a reason to believe in them based on experiences, am I wrong?"

"Yes...we speak of the same thing with different words," Ishiyo blushed again and nodded, "I suppose you see it in terms of Control, where as I see it in terms of Sincerity."

He looked down at his glass.

"Yeah."

He let out a breath, it seemed to have a lot in it, like it stole something and ran off with it, leaving him a little less.

"I guess neither of us had much choice in that, growing up."

Ishiyo took another sip, "I suspect certain aspects of ouh upbringing were similah, even if some were different. But yes birth decides a great deal on who we are going to be, regardless of ouh own feelings or thoughts."

"Of course it does", he agreed. "Do you like that?"

"I do not honestly know," Ishiyo looked away, "How can I know really, I have no experience otherwise."

"I do know that I had a loving family that was barely around me. That times when I should have failed fatheh's intervention or reputation propped me up. It is not that I am ungrateful...but how much is me and how much is him?" She sighed.

"And then there are the parade of sycophants who want to win favoh with me as some sort of in with my father." She frowned, "My squadron hated me foh being forced onto them by fatheh, and as lonely as it was at least I knew they were not going to fawn oveh me foh a chance at fatheh. That when they finally respected me it was because I had earned it. It felt good."

"That is actually one of the refreshing parts here...so few really care about my lineage, maybe I will end up marrying someone who does not just want my money."

She looked away and Shokomaru held his breath a little, it didn't take long for him to also look away.

"You know, when Utaku-san asked me how I'd attained my rank, I could smell her smug satisfaction, could feel it in my blood like the venom of doubt from a beautiful viper, or i guess the sting of a wasp in this case", he said. "I have a gunso in my company, Daigotsu Hiroshi. The man is a walking boar with iron for bones and boulders for muscle, he kills anything and everything that comes his way, but he'll never get promoted because of me, and he might actually try to kill me one day because of it, no matter how many times I manage to save the lives of my troops, including his, with a solid plan." He shrugged. "Did I want any of this? No one has ever cared, and I doubt anyone ever will. It's all expected, and complaining about it is shame, and weakness, and beneath me."

He ashed his cig and took another drag.

"So if you'd asked me that same question, I think you have a solid grasp of what my answer would be", he smirked, it was derisive. "I love it, it's everything. I have no complaints."

The cigarette burned once more and he ashed in his tray again. "If I stop saying that for just a moment, a lot of lives lost and hate focused for my sake is wasted, it's an unthinkable insult to those beneath me. So we have to act this way, even if we aren't the gods of the battlefield with impossible skill and legendary willpower, so that people beneath us can hate us freely, and wish they were us, while having no idea what it's like."

He put the cig out and sat back, straightening his sleeves again. "Though, what's unique here is we're both in the same situation, and I was hoping that understanding could help a little." he waved a hand. "I don't expect anything to be immediate, mind. The money isn't anything to me, but you being who you are is, that includes your father and his connections; it's a part of the kit that is Daidoji Ishiyo. I'm not sure a lot of other people appreciate that the way I can, but I'll stop there. I've taken it for a bit of a ride at this point."

Ishiyo listened intently, her expression was one of sympathy. She closed her eyes, "I am not sure I would make a good Spider."

"I don't think anyone does", he said with a chuckle
"Well, aside my other gunso, maybe. She really has the glare down."

He seemed to say that with a mix of fondness and terror. Truly beguiling. He finished his drink

"The point is though, that having someone to relate to is crucial. In any clan, I would think. At home it's pretty different, anyway. We have a few ji-samurai to look after things, and then there's the peasants, it's a slower, less stressful life." He shrugged. "What i know of fleet though, it seems more of what you're ised to, just without a lot of the extra luxury I'd guess."

Ishiyo nods and looks back to him, "In many ways. I had a comfortable bed at the end of the day instead of a tent, even in combat it was from a vehicle, I had a hot meal the vast majority of the time, and I had recreation facilities even if they were limited."

"There were otheh dangehs. Mostly related to there being no were to withdraw to if the ship took a sufficient hit. And of course having no control oveh my own fate if I was caught inside the carrieh unable to launch."

"I can understand that", he said with a nod. "Tension is likely pretty big when you're on standby, sitting in your cockpit for hours as you move through territory that's hot."

"Oh...in the cockpit and flying it is a different story," Ishiyo shook her head, "I must be aware and prepared but I control my own fate there. And the thrill of being at the controls of a fighter overwhelms what ever worry I may have."

"Flying is... nice", he offered. Then refilled his drink. Then topped hers off.