D6, Late Afternoon, Streets, closed] Lunch date

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

Walking around the streets of Lanka, carrying his umbrella, Xiao Hua tried to be careful to not to lose his 'date'. While he was almost certain she could take care of herself, he knew she had not been outside the Empire, and that the situation probably made her nervous. For a reason unknown to him, the man felt himself responsible for her.

Keeping eye on the girl he tried to pry at the various vendors, seeing if he could spy someone selling food. Preferably, someone who had something obviously vegetable-based on the view. He was pretty sure she could do without any further shocks.

[elonweis]

It was hard to tell what exactly went into some of the pots simmering on various low fires. The bright, eye-searing sauces often hid the nature of their contents. Bright greens, reds, oranges, yellow, and muddy looking browns littered the way. Although there were obviously vegeterian dishes, they looked a bit... unappetizing to the Rokugani culinary aesthetic sense. One could hardly tell what the vegetable had been prior to being dumped in the pot. Not only that but all of them had baskets of flat bread and it looks as if eating would be a messy affair.

There were, of course, some fried items; dough wrapped around fillings, but who knew what those fillings were? ... and of course, just as every culture eventually learned to fry a thing, they also learned to put something on a stick. Here and there at the better maintained stands were what looked like large pottery kilns... except bits of roasted meat (a virulent red) were being pulled from their interior.

A quiet, unassuming man followed the Unicorn and his date. He kept out of the two samurais way, ready to warn them away from something that would be considered impure. At least he wasn't going to be a weapon minder today, he hoped.

[Shiba Naomi]

Naomi had her daisho with her as she walked beside Xiao Hua, but nothing else to cause ire from the locals.
She walked closer to him than what would've been proper back home in the Emerald Empire, but here... no, she didn't like it here any more now, and his presence brought some comfort.
"We shouldn't stay too long..." she said in hushed tones, her voice betraying that she was nervous and uncomfortable here.

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"A prudent idea yes." he nodded to her, unhappy. "Just wanted to see if I could get time without before we sail off. Despite all that has happened. The men at the embassy told me the streets should be safe... for a little outing." He scanned the crowd nervously, all too aware of what might go wrong. "You don't have to be here... we can return to the ship if you want." The man suggested with a faint smile. It was painfully obvious that he would have preferred to stay, and was offering her the chance to withdraw because she seemed reluctant.

[Shiba Naomi]

She could tell that he wanted to see this foreign place a little more.
A sigh.
"It's alright... we should be fine." I'll be on guard, after all.

"Where do you want to go?"

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Just pick something to eat before we have to get used to the rations again." he told her, smiling. "And then try to enjoy it in a park... if the... locals have any."

Turning to their escort, Iuchi asked the man to briefly explain the nature of the more portable foods. He didn't want to have her eat anything impure. Not now.

[Shiba Naomi]

"They even have such a thing?"
Well, she knew there were places to sit by the temples, but she was uncertain if she wanted to go there now with Xiao Hua. And that black structure there was so... unpleasant. Like a black blob of ink on pristine paper.

"... I won't eat meat." Normally, she didn't feel that it was something that needed to be said, but normally she wasn't walking with a Unicorn in a gaijin town.

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Erm... that is fine. I asked the man if he could fine us... something pure. I think we have had enough excitement for the time being, without having to guess what we are eating." he muttered.

[Rixy]

Their escort, after some thought, directed them toward the docks.

Fish, after all, were safe to eat. And tasty!

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

And towards the docks the duo walked following their guide. The harbour felt like a safe choice. The ships, and this the Ninth was there, in case something happened. Watching the Shiba as they walked, he pondered how their married life would one day be.

[Shiba Naomi]

Naomi didn't think about that that much, well... not right now, anyways.
"Did you get the chance to try unfamiliar dishes the times you've been travelling?" she asked Xiao Hua.

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Many." he nodded to her, smiling. "Most of them... probably something you wouldn't eat." The man added, wincing. "In burning sands, they had this kind of yellowish powder... they eat with vegetable and meat stews.. they call it.. kusukushi I think. It's used bit like we use rice... They use some kind flour I think, and roll small pellets out of it, using water... goes well with the spices they tend to use."

[Shiba Naomi]

"Kusukushi?" at least she seemed interested in the conversation. "It sounds... interesting, actually. Perhaps you would introduce it to me when we return home?"

In her mind, it felt more like she wanted to think "if" rather than "when".

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Erm... not sure I know how to prepare it... my father might have some scrolls, but can't promise anything." While he welcomed the variety of dishes, he wasn't sure if he was comfortable with the idea of his wife cooking for him.

"But if he has something, sure." he flashed her a shy smile. "Tell me, have you been able to draw a lot here? There must have been many things to draw... at least."

[Shiba Naomi]

"I was at the temples here the day we arrived," she said with a nod, and patted the journal in her obi. "I got to draw some of the buildings there and some of their priests..."

"I even got to speak a priestess who could speak to me in our language. She was quite nice, for a foreigner. If only all of them would've been as wise and kind as her."

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Ah... Could you show those to me sometime?" he asked curious. "I haven't been to that area myself..." Soon the harbour appeared before the two, Iuchi turning to ask their guide if he could recommend something.

Returning his attention to Naomi, the priest continued. "Hee, so... what did she tell you?" Curious man was curious.

[elonweis]

Haku pauses and glances around at the docks, "... does Iuchi-sama wish for something fried or stewed...?"

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Naomi-san?" he asked the Phoneix, smiling. "What do you think?"

[Shiba Naomi]

The use of her personal name caused her cheeks to turn the color almost close to a cooked lobster.
"Uhm," a moment's thought, "fried for me please."

"I can show you the drawings later," she returned to their conversation with a small blush, somewhat embarressed over her meager skills.

"She was rather nice, but I can't really give her name justice. We shared some stories, I told her of the story behind the name of the Phoenix clan and how the Shiba serve the Isawa, and there are some similarities here from what I understood."

"Also asked her about this place... what's going on here. I told the Captain what I was told during that meeting in the evening, but..." her voice lowered as she remembered almost being laughed at, and fell into silence.

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Fried it is." he nodded to the Haku. "All you alright?" he asked the Shiba, seeing her blush, not realizing what he had done.

"Ah, I see. Exchanging stories. That is very good. You learn about them, and they learn about us. You can make friends that way." he explained, cheerfully. "That's how we were taught to live, beyond the Empire. You'll make a good Unicorn one day." Words of encouragement, or so he thought.

"Ah... yes. I remember. It's fine... captain is a fine man, but..." he reached to pat her shoulder gently. "Don't take it that seriously."