[Day 7 – Early Evening, Baths] Bath before Bloodshed (Open)

[Bayushi Hoshi]

...Now is there where I start worrying? "Does Cook even have all of the necessary ingredients?"

[Usagi Zenko]

"Certainly enough of them. I even brought some spices from home that have survived the trip so far." He adjusts his seating slightly, enjoying the heat soaking into his body.

"Will have to survive tonight though, I suppose, to see it occur." He shrugs a little.

[Bayushi Hoshi]

"You're almost thinking pessimistically Usagi-san, just because the Captain wishes to call for a meeting at night. Perhaps he change his mind with sudden developments and require no action from his crew." I hope not though. "We can look forward to it as a treat."

[Usagi Zenko]

"Hai, true." He nods, "Any requests?"

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Hoshi gave him a peculiar glance as she soaked her bare shoulder with a cloth. "-Ah? I thought were only in charge of making your local cuisine in the kitchen...you're also taking of requests too? I'd say you were trying to get a favour out of me Usagi-san..."

[Usagi Zenko]

Zenko nods. "Well, Ryoko Owari does boast a close proximity to Hare lands after all. We likely share some meals between the two."

He puts a finger to his chin, tapping it in thought. "Although a favor now...there is an idea to think upon."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

She showed a faint smirk and shrugged. "I think cook would have given you the idea eventually...You're right to say that there might be some similarities between the cuisine in both lands. But, I could be requesting something very local."

[Usagi Zenko]

Both hands come up from the water, fingers splayed outwards but pointed upwards as the Hare leans his head to one side in a kind of shrug,

"I never said I'd guarantee the request." he grinned a little.

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Her smirk grew. "That's a pity then Usagi-san. If you're going to make a habit of offering favours, many would rather you honour your end with a guarantee. Your budding reputation as a cook is on the line isn't it?"

[Usagi Zenko]

He nods at that. "Hai, true, true. But!" He smiles, "The permission I was given as assistant to the cook, was for a meal native to Hare lands. If your request does not fall within that.." he draws a square in the water with a finger tip, "window, so to speak, then my hands are tied. Or if, for example, you were to request mochi, why then I would need a partner to assist in the making of such a treat, for to make it by oneself would be to spoil it."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

“You’re saying that it takes...” Hoshi placed a hand to her face, acting much like a mask as she spoke through her hand and the other held a 'two' for show. “...two to make mochi or it’ll spoil? Because that’s one I haven’t heard before really, Usagi-san.”

She lowered her hand again back under the water. “Now I have to ask, do you know how to make mochi? That’s not an exclusive treat to the Hare lands either.”

[Usagi Zenko]

He nods. "Hai, my family and I helped make moichi for every festival at Shiro Usagi. And hai, you do need at least two people, in order to make it correctly." He crosses his arms, leaning back and opening one eye wider as he turns his head to the side.

"And the spices that I put in my favorite kind of moichi does quite possibly make it unique to Hare lands." he grins a bit. "Fire's Kiss, its called."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

Hoshi kept an even look on him when he gave her that particular glance, she was still in doubt but was going to humour him for now. "You fortunately will never be in a situation where you'll find yourself in a shortage for helpers then. There's always bound to be somebody with a sweet-tooth. But I'm guessing that this spice...is anything but sweet. Spicy?"

[Usagi Zenko]

He nods slightly. "Just a smidgen." he suggests, straight faced. "Like one would describe a fire as hot, perhaps."

It seems a well practiced phrase.

[Bayushi Hoshi]

"...Strange to put something spicy in mochi, it seems conflicting. Perhaps it could be taken as a prank or insult, depending on the recipient. Do you ever get an unhappy guest in your lands?"

[Usagi Zenko]

He nods at that. "Hai, I suppose it is. But salt helps bring out the flavor of a sweet fruit, so it is not all that strange. And hai, unhappy people can find unhappiness in Hare lands as well as elsewhere. There is a reason we call it 'Fire's Kiss,' and unfortunately we don't make many of that particular kind of mochi. Not many truly enjoy it." He smiles at the memories cascading through his mind.

[Bayushi Hoshi]

"You assume that names can be telling enough to people Usagi-san, they need more warning. Perhaps they might have assumed that it was some sort of recipe named after some famous pillow book, and therefore must be a very gentle treat." Hoshi frowned slightly. "-Ah...I digress, gomen. Everyone here should have thick enough skin to survive the seas, you at least won't get duelled if you should choose this to be one of your creations."

[Usagi Zenko]

He nods at that. "Hai, solid enough advice. And really, at times it comes in quite handy. How a person deals with the unexpected can say a lot of the person behind their On."

[Bayushi Hoshi]

"By surprising them with spicy food? It's an unsubtle way to provoke such a test Usagi-san. A still On or not, they could be unnerved in the inside."

[Usagi Zenko]

"Hai true." He pats his head a little, then dunking himself again.

When he rises, "You prefer subtle ways then?"