[D8, MM] A stroll and a game (expecting)

[Agasha Yuna]

Oh! How fun!

And what an excuse to look at him for a long lingering moment as if she was looking for some sign of which hand had each stone, and not just enjoying how handsome he was.

She at last pointed to his left arm. Oh, her hand was so close across the small space to the table. She could have touched his arm. But she didn't. But the possibility of it... Oh, the very thought!

[Shiba Ryusei]

He also lingered. Like he was trying to make her second guess her choice, and not just so her could keep looking into her eyes.

It won't always be like this, but Fortunes, right now...

He opened his hand to show that Yuna had selected white.

He was half-tempted to wait, to make her take the stone from his hand.

And then I could close my hand on hers and-

No!

Behave yourself. Even if you were married, carrying on like THAT in public would shame her.

...

Not you?

She's the more important one when it comes to reputation. It's always rougher on women.

He dropped the stone into the housing.

[Agasha Yuna]

"White it is."

She turned her focus to the blank board.

And then her gaze shifted back up to meet his. "And that means you'll have to make the first move."

That was true for the Go game, and surely the only thing on her mind.


(feel free to add more detail about playing or just go ahead and roll at this point and we can see how the first match went)

[Shiba Ryusei]

He arched an eyebrow.

"Challenge accepted."

He played his first stone, dialing in on the game.

It would be a conversation between them, even as they competed for victory, He wouldn't insult her by playing below his best, but nor was he wholly ruthless- it was a game he'd been looking forward to since her first letter, and he was going to savor it.

It also, of course, allowed for the first "accidental" brush of his fingertips on her hands as they played.

[As Ryusei's player has played exactly one game of go in his entire life, we will be handwaving anything approximating detail from Ryusei's end

Playing a first game of Go with Yuna | 5k3 ⇒ 43 Damn! ]

[Agasha Yuna]

She focused on the game and the conversation both. Enjoying every moment.

Especially a certain brush of their fingers!

He was good. Really good.

She could feel how it drew out her best play. She'd never played so well. He still bested her, but it was exciting and enlightening. An opportunity to learn.

She could imagine a lifetime of strategic discussions with him as they built up House Shigi - and his ideas would be sound, and they'd be so well matched, equals, refining their ideas against each other's. Give and take. Better together than they ever were apart.


https://sakkaku.org/r/16441 30 on 4k3

[Shiba Ryusei]

He could feel it- not just the warmth of her hands when "accidents" happened.

He could feel her upping her game. Just as around her, he was more conscious of the Tao and how it applied in everyday life.

Indeed, on most days, playing the way she was, she would stand excellent odds of beating him.

He had known respecting her would be right, that playing down would have been entirely to wrong move, but now he saw something else...

The two of them, older. Possibly even, if the Fortunes were kind, as old as the Empress had been, all youth long gone, except perhaps in the form of their grandchildren.

But still playing together, still sharpening one another.

It thrilled him.

He didn't want the game to end... except, of course, they both had Court, and negotiations for their respective Clans, and a thousand other things, especially if he were to do enough to have more than a wreck of a house to share with this amazing woman.

Still.

It was officially the best breakfast of his life to date.

[Agasha Yuna]

(That feels like a lovely note to close the scene on. Sound good?)

[Shiba Ryusei]

[/Scene and thank you! I truly wish these crazy kids a long and happy life together ]