In the Garden of Heaven and Hell (Day 4, Afternoon)

[Hida Musasha]

(This thread will likely end at the Black Elephant, being the only obvious place in town with food and drink to be had in abundance.)

Ram, dressed in his armor, steps out of the embassy with his lovely date and their chaperone. With the corsage he had given her, there was a definite feeling of prom in the air. As reality crept in, the corsage was really just a punch on the shoulder between two bushi that felt like eating a whole deep fried buffet. "So, little interpreter, any idea where we can get food, and lots of it?"

[Ichiro Yakusoku]

That was indeed a good question. Yakusoku glances down at the interpreter then out onto the streets of Lanka. She couldn't help but frown some, though she did her best not to actively scowl at the foreigners on the streets. "Preferably something that wasn't livestock before we got here. And nothin' we'd keep as a pet back home," she spoke the words softly and if not for the edge of her tone it may've sounded like a joke. It wasn't. Her clan had seen too many troubles in recent years for her to have any love for the Gaijin.

[elonweis]

"There's the Jade Sun," the boy offers with a cheerful glance between the two. He had never seen a Crab before. Daisuke certainly looks and dresses like one of the heimen from home, but he spoke the mother tongue with a soft accent. "That's where all the guards go when they're off duty and want something from home. Oh! There's also the Black Elephant, but that's sort of ummm... what's the word? It means not good and full of dangerous people?"

He glances between the two, all excitement at being out with real samurai. Not that the Mantis and the Kasuga weren't samurai, but they weren't samurai fresh from Rokugan.

[Hida Musasha]

He shrugs, "Which has more food, and a good bit of drink?" He obviously cared less for who else was there than what he got to eat.

[Ichiro Yakusoku]

The Badger cocks her head toward Musasha in a silent 'what he said' gesture.

[elonweis]

"The Black Elephant!" he replies with a bounce, "They just keep bringing food until you're full as long as you buy something to drink. I promise I'll tell you which dishes aren't good and-"

The boy stops, brow furrowing as he scuttles to keep up.

"Err... do you uhh like spicy food?"

[Ichiro Yakusoku]

"Spicy's fine," the Badger shrugs, "though buyin' drinks... what do they take? Do we need money on hand? And's it gotta be gaijin money?" her nose crinkles somewhat at the mention of having to carry money. She'd spent every koku she had on supplies and intended to charge any other needs, such as a rare, real meal, to her Lord. The idea of having to carry coins around with her was about as foreign as this port itself.

[elonweis]

"Mum gave me some coin. She said that the Mantis and the Kasuga were going to take it out of the taxes. 'Cause you're Imperial Legionnaires," he supplies cheerfully as he looks around, leading them down a few turns. "That must be so much fun! You get to go everywhere and fight bad guys! Like... like... pow! And wham and fwwooosh!"

Daisuke makes broad swinging motions and what he imagined a shugenja casting would be like. It involved flailing and a lot of jumping.

[Ichiro Yakusoku]

"Only time I seen that kinda movin' so far was outta Fulmar on his way to sick bay," Yakusoku murmurs to her Crab companion, cocking her head toward their guide. "Yeah," she speaks up after that, scratching at the back of her neck, "its pretty excitin'."

[Hida Musasha]

Musasha suppresses a chuckle, "Yeah, I 'spose it's a real adventure fer some o' th' other lads. Fer me, it's jus' a good time." He whispers to the boar, "He's wee yet, they's ken have fun at tha' age 'n' it na be an issue. 'Sides, he's takin' us to an endless meal. Sounds like my kinda party."

[Ichiro Yakusoku]

"Oh I certainly ain't complainin'. And kinda sounds like this 'Black Elephant' ain't half bad a place. Makes me wish we weren't supposed to stay outta trouble. Be good practice though. Legionaires are always on their best behavior." Yakusoku puts on her best mock-dignified look, turning her nose up just slightly. Lowering her gaze back to the street she shakes her head, snorting softly in a suppressed chuckle.

[elonweis]

"What's a Fulmar?" he asks, all eyes and curiosity. The boy steers them with the ease of familiarity, taking a final turn to lead them down what once might have been a respectable alley.

[Ichiro Yakusoku]

"Its a bird. Also a nickname for a member of our crew," the Badger replies simply, with a smile. As they begin moving down an alley Yakusoku's hand moves just a bit nearer to her daisho. It felt good to be carrying it again; safe and familiar. Still, despite her love of fighting, she really hoped she wouldn't end up having to use it around here.

[elonweis]

The boy leads to them to a door and points up at the painted sign. "Here we are!"

He seems largely unsuspicious of his surroundings as he pushes the door open and leads them in to the somewhat-well-lighted-den-of-inequity. Daisuke waves cheerfully to the wait staff, who pause to stare at the large, armored foreigners before looking away. The other customers in the dining area gave them side-long glances, but didn't seem inclined to find trouble. The boy leads them straight to a 'booth' against the wall that held a table surrounded by cushions.

[Ichiro Yakusoku]

Yakusoku takes note of the customers looking at them but largely ignores it. They didn't seem ready to pick fights and she felt better off for it. Following Daisuke the Badger makes her way over to the table and plops down onto one of the cushions. "Nice place," she murmurs in a polite, if a bit flat, tone. And really, as far as she was concerned, the place wasn't that bad. It was the people that troubled her.

[Hida Musasha]

Musasha doesn't seem to notice the glances at all. He sits down and smiles for the first time in ages. "Have a seat kid. Yer our translator, so yer one of us while we're here. We wouldn't be here without you. First things first, find out what they got ta drink, an' let 'em know we're hungry." He looks at the boar, "Looks a lot like th' taverns at th' ports th' Crab dock at, only a lot bigger."

[Ichiro Yakusoku]

"Aye. Got its differences, but not that many. We'll see how the food and drink is though," there was a hint of skepticism in her voice, the Badger's hand moving to scratch softly at the back of her neck. "Seems you've been here before," she glances at Daisuke, "what's the drinks like?"

[elonweis]

Daisuke practically squirms with glee as he flops down on one of the cushions. "Yeessir."

He calls one of the women over by name. Kalima hesitates before walking over with a smile for the boy. She was slender and pretty with dusky complexion, the sari she wore was a deep red in color with stacks of bracelets that ran up her arm. Her eyes were rimmed with kohl and glance shyly at the two now and again. She listens to Daisuke before rattling off a list with the boy translating the while,

"They have a few varieties sura. There's a rice one, a wheat one, one with grapes and another with honey. She says to avoid the other ones unless you want to get a headache before the sun sets."

[Ichiro Yakusoku]

"Honey sounds like a good change a pace. 'Aven't had anythin' with it in awhile..."

[Hida Musasha]

He shrugs and then comments to the Boar, "Don' think I ever had anythin' wi' honey. We don' get a lot o' th' fancier sh*t from th' empire back home, so I never really went outta my way to have any of it. I'll give it a go, worse comes ta worse, I get a bit of a belly ache." He looks at the boy, "Get us some hearty bread, fried if they got it. Need somethin' ta make sure I don' get a tummy ache."