D0EE, Happy Hour (Open)

[Shika Nesshin]

"From what I'm told of geography," Nesshin replies, "it's a cold station. I can imagine you'd be happy to rotate out."

He takes a bite of the food he'd been served, chews and swallows. Washing it down with another pull from his drink, he asks "So, what was the most recent post for you?"

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

Hikimasu finished his drink and thought about claiming another, he decided he would. He needed to summon up serious courage for later that night. So he walked forward and tried to catch the attention of a servant, who gave him an extremely fake look of pleasantness, assuring him he'd be helped after some other customer who she wasn't anywhere near.

Accustomed to the treatment, he decided there was another way to get what he was after and approached Shika Nesshin and his new companion.

"Good evening, Shika-san", he said with a small bow, which he also offered across to the other table where Kiyonobu sat. "I hate to intrude, but I figure I can share a bottle with you and your company in exchange for my rudeness."

[Shika Nesshin]

Nesshin blinks once, then smiles and nods. "Shosuro-san!" he says, "please, join me and," gesturing, "Kitsuki Kiyonobu here--and tell me, how has the reading gone?"

[Kitsuki Kiyonobu]

The Dragon gave the Scorpion a wary look as he approached, but offered him a seated bow as introductions were made. "Welcome," he said. "I am Kitsuki Kiyonobu, as Shika-san has said. I'm pleased to meet you."

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

"Shosuro Hikimasu", he replied to the Dragon, then took a seat at the Shika's table. "Thank you both, let me handle the next round of drinks."

After getting settled he gestures openly. "So what is our topic? I'll try to spare you a debate and just enjoy myself."

[Kitsuki Kiyonobu]

After getting settled he gestures openly. "So what is our topic? I'll try to spare you a debate and just enjoy myself."

"Guardsman Shika mentioned that you were reading something," the Dragon offered. "What were you reading about?"

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

"Oh, fiction. It's called That Room Will Go On Without Them.", he said. "Seems to be a love triangle between some artists who made a storage room into their studio so far. The language is very good, the story is simple so far, but I think the author intended that, the dialogue seems the strongest suit and they use it to play with your emotions. Not bad for a pillow book."

[Shika Nesshin]

"I'll have to look into it, then," Nesshin replies. "You didn't happen to note the author, did you?"

[Shosuro Hikimasu]

"Yaritama", he said. "Not familiar with the author name, but I'm sensing some Kakita Yuta influence, though they mostly do poetry and the focus isn't on the kanji. Though its some of the phrasing they use and a character is described much like one of their poems, using a lot of winter imagery."

[Kitsuki Kiyonobu]

"Yaritama, eh?" Kiyonobu mused. "I'm not familiar with this writer. May I ask where you got your copy? Based on your recommendation, I might like to read That Room Will Go On Without Them myself."