Captain-Commander's Free Time
"What shall we do today, Sasakibe?" Yamamoto asked his lieutenant.
The thin man brushed his pencil-thin mustache with his fingers. He ran his hand through his short white hair. Then he folded his hands behind his back.
"What would you like to do today?" he returned.
The old Captain-Commander folded his hands precariously on his wooden staff. His beard twitched.
"I don't know. What do you want to do?"
"I'm not sure. What do you want to do?"
The old man squinted. "You cannot answer my question with another question"
"Why not?"
"Because it accomplishes nothing. You don't see my captains answering my questions with questions."
"That's because you rarely ask them questions. Don't you just tell them what they need to know, sir?"
Yamamoto stroked his beard. Did he really? He liked to think that he was a good commander. Oh well. He replaced his hand on his staff. "I get more accomplished that way."
"If that is so, sir, then why not tell me what we're going to do today instead of asking pointless questions?"
"I never ask pointless questions," he stated.
"What do you want to do then?"
"I don't know. What do you want to do?"
Sasakibe threw his hands into the air. Any more of this and he'd resign.
"Why don't you test out the gift Shunsui and Ukitake brought you from the real world?" he suggested.
"Sasakibe, we're going to test out the gift Shunsui and Ukitake brought me from the real world."
The lieutenant rolled his eyes. "Brilliant idea, sir."
"Of course. That is why I am the Captain-Commander," he said as he pulled out a video game console. "How do you feel about rock bands, Sasakibe?"
The lieutenant's eyes lit up as he picked up the plastic guitar. "Another pointless question, sir."