(D2, ME, RoP) A truly awful dinner

[Yasuki Taraka]

Restaurants often had distinctive aromas about them. Sweet smells hovering around bakeries, the tang of grease at friend food vendors.

And then there was Rainbow of Pain. There was a word to describe the smell around RoP: SPICY. Not just spicy, but SPICY.

The signage said it all.

"CAN YOU ENDURE THE RAINBOW OF PAIN? JOIN THE WALL OF HEROES IF YOU COMPLETE THE CHALLENGE!" Below the challenge there were pictures of the heroes, all quite stout looking Crab who all looked about as red as if they'd been boiled.

Taraka had invited the Asako earlier, and given him the directions. She placed the order with the kitchen so the wait for food should be minimal, assuming the timely arrival of her guest. She waited at a table dressed in island casual.

[Asako Hikari]

Snip

Having received the communicator message from Taraka to meet up at the address, Hikari had decided to clear the time for the evening. Once he put the address into the local directory and checked into the place, he paused for a moment. "Oh, I see. She wants to try and kill me."

First, a small sigh and then a chuckle that grew into a laugh. "Well, alright then. Let's see how this plays out." Calling for the car, Hikari would get ready in something a more casual than their previous meeting. If he was going to have to suffer, at least he was going to be comfortable. Koi orange, maple leaf crimson, and a simple black belt.

Once he arrived and the wall of spice hit him, he took in a deep breath, the scent stinging his nostrils. Well, this certainly reminded of some Unicorn fare that he thought was going to turn his insides to mush, but if he could survive that, he could (probably) live through this. Shaking his head slightly, he wandered in, taking note of the photos on the wall before he spotted his dinner companion and he smiled. "It appears I dressed to match the winners on the wall."

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka returned the bow.

"Well, much paler though, at least for now. But I'm glad Asako-san is ready to become a hero." she says playfully.

The server brought a pitcher of beer, and two plates, one for Taraka and one for Hikari.

The plate before Hikari was simple enough. It was just seven wings, arranged left to right. The coloring was certainly....on-brand if not particularly appetizing. From a deep red on the left that spoke of angry angry peppers, to a bright violet one on the right that surely had to signal chemical waste it was...truly a rainbow of pain.

"I heard that spicy food is popular among the Unicorn, so I hope this reminds you of your time with them, Asako-san. I would caution you to start with Repulsive there on the left. Occasionally someone decides that they need to show just really strong they are and start with Vitriolic on the right instead and....it does not go well for them. Your body really is better served ramping up than down." she warned.

[Asako Hikari]

"Truly, the Seven Thunders would have been broken if they faced this test," he says offering a playful smile. "The choice on whether or not my mouth is consumed by a wildfire or an inferno is but an illusion, I think. All of these roads lead to the same pain, though putting something the color of a bruise in my mouth was not something I expected today to be honest."

He takes a pair of chopsticks, knowing from experience that touching the spicy food and the inevitable inadvertent eyewipe of death and suffering was going to be worse than the food itself. "Oh, I'm sure it be such a pleasant reminder, Yasuki-san. I swear, some Moto will chew on a lava rock and call it a delicacy." He chuckled and looked down at the plate, picking up 'Repulsive'. "I suppose we will have to see if this lives up to his name."

And then...he bites.

[Yasuki Taraka]

Repulsive was really only repulsive if you didn't like sweet things. Some would describe it as sickeningly sweet, and when combined with the heat of the mix, some liked that,some did not.

Taraka took from her own plate.

"I've heard that about the Moto, Asako-san. But I suppose you must have gotten to try a wide variety of food in your travels. Anything particularly interesting that's hard to come by?" she asked.

[Asako Hikari]

Repulsive was really only repulsive if you didn't like sweet things. Some would describe it as sickeningly sweet, and when combined with the heat of the mix, some liked that,some did not.

Taraka took from her own plate.

"I've heard that about the Moto, Asako-san. But I suppose you must have gotten to try a wide variety of food in your travels. Anything particularly interesting that's hard to come by?" she asked.

At least there was mercy at the beginning. The sweetness of the sauce didn't bother him overmuch. It was almost like it was candied...a unique flavor, but not necessarily an unwelcome one. He finished tearing the meat off of the wing and nodded, wiping his mouth politely. "Not too bad. Could cut it with something a bit sour for contrast, but still fine."

As Taraka posed her question, Hikari gave a thoughtful 'hmm'. "I think one of the more exotic things I had was this fungus dish. There was an orbital station that we had to stop at and they were running low on food supplies, so it was just the basics...but one of the techs found this weird mushroom growing near some runoff from a heat vent. Something about the humidity was just right and it grew these little purple fungal lichen things. Sort of like a quite strange lace. I had no idea where they came from or what they were...probably wouldn't have tried it if they had told me where the sourced it honestly...but it tasted damn good with fish and rice when they ground it up as seasoning."

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka ginned a bit.

"For a moment there I thought you were telling me a horror story, Asako-san." she teased.

She poured a beer for herself.

"We found this strange purple mushroom....we were so hungry....it tasted fine but then people started to change....."

"But things are different from the homeworld. I've read that citrus fruits were only common to the Mantis back there, and I cannot imagine a summer without lemon ice." she mused.

[Asako Hikari]

Taraka ginned a bit.

"For a moment there I thought you were telling me a horror story, Asako-san." she teased.

She poured a beer for herself.

"We found this strange purple mushroom....we were so hungry....it tasted fine but then people started to change....."

"But things are different from the homeworld. I've read that citrus fruits were only common to the Mantis back there, and I cannot imagine a summer without lemon ice." she mused.

"We changed from starving to a bit less starving, certainly." He grinned and picked up the next garishly colored wing, taking a bite. "Mmm...I haven't had good proper lemon in quite some time. My mother would, when they could be imported at a reasonable price, turn lemons into a fine preserve with a small bit of sugar. Refreshingly sweet with a sharp tartness that always kept you in the moment."

He poured himself some of the alcohol, but did not yet take a drink. "Tell me, Yasuki-san. You are working with your family on the Flying Battle Carps...but if you could do something else, what do you think you would pursue?"

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka considered the question.

"Hmm, while this might sound like flattery, Asako-san, I think doing something like you do would be an interesting challenge. While it might not be appealing to many samurai, I've always found the ebb and flow of money to be quite interesting, so getting to work on different financial projects on different planets sound pretty exciting to me." she offered honestly.

She looked down at the Phoenix's plate, curious if he was going to press on to the more citrusy Offensive.

[Asako Hikari]

Time to go on the offensive against Offensive as Hikari chomped the meat off of the wing, being punched in the mouth by the citrus flavor but otherwise seeming to enjoying it, chewing thoughtfully. "This might be a bit too much citrus, but still enjoyable. I shudder to think what this next one is going to be..." He grins and picks up the next wing in order, examining it cautiously.

"We live in a world of flattery, unspoken words, and double meanings Yasuki-san...but I try to never make assumptions. It can lead to both parties looking foolish. As for the challenge...it can be quite the challenge, at times. My briefings and research can only take me so far, given how volatile any given situation can be. I can safely rely on some traditional information but then you run into the odd duck like me and it throws the whole equation out the window." A smile as he takes a bite out of the next wing, hoping he hasn't turned the corner from Offensive into Nuclear Mouth Melter.

[Yasuki Taraka]

The bright yellow wing had the rather simplistic name of Yucky. It was a name that misled people with it's simplicity. While the previous two had made some attempt at flavor beyond hot, Yucky clearly didn't care about that. Yucky just wanted you to taste hot. And the worst part of Yucky was: it clinged. It coated the mouth and throat and did not want to let go, it just wanted to keep burning.

Taraka chuckled a bit.

"An odd duck, hm? To be fair, I don't know a lot of Phoenix Financiers, but really Asako-san, I think I'd market you more as a "Unique and charming individual." she mused.

[Asako Hikari]

The bright yellow wing had the rather simplistic name of Yucky. It was a name that misled people with it's simplicity. While the previous two had made some attempt at flavor beyond hot, Yucky clearly didn't care about that. Yucky just wanted you to taste hot. And the worst part of Yucky was: it clinged. It coated the mouth and throat and did not want to let go, it just wanted to keep burning.

Taraka chuckled a bit.

"An odd duck, hm? To be fair, I don't know a lot of Phoenix Financiers, but really Asako-san, I think I'd market you more as a "Unique and charming individual." she mused.

And Yucky it was. The cling, napalm like burn of the wing was something that Hikari was not truly prepared for as he tore the meat off of the wing, chewing slowly. He did his best to suppress a cough, forcing his way through it as best as he could, though there was certainly some color starting to rise in his cheeks. "I imagine this is what oni sweat tastes like, heh." He forces a smile and then takes a drink, very unceremoniously swishing it around in his mouth to try and slosh some of the liquid fire free, swallowing the molten sauce. "Remind me to the recipe for this sauce to use in a self-defense spray."

As she paid him the compliment, Hikari took another swig. "I appreciate the kind words, Yasuki-san. I feel like I may be setting the bar too high for other Phoenix financiers and you'll be disappointed by them in the future. Perhaps if you should find yourself with some spare time in the future and our lords approve it, I can be a guide to some other places I've been and you can scout out some financial opportunities yourself. Maybe open some Flying Battle Carps stores on other planets, eh?"

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka chuckled a bit at that.

"Ah, so I've already met the gold standard of Phoenix financiers then. Good to know, I'll adjust my expectations accordingly." she said.

She had some of her own chicken, thoughtfully considering the Phoenix's words.

"I'd really like that Asako-san. It's be quite helpful to have someone whose already familiar with the realm to act as an expert. I'd offer to do the same for you but..."

She took a sip of beer.

"Well, Yasuki Umiko swung by the store yesterday, and in our conversation I did mention you as someone worth paying attention to, so I've sort of already done that."

[Asako Hikari]

"Now you are flattering me, Yasuki-san." Hikari laughed and took one more drink to make sure the Yucky was finally out of his mouth before snagging the next wing with his chopsticks.

"I do appreciate you putting in a good word with the karo. You have done me a great honor and I hope to not disappoint. I know the Dragon and the Scorpion are quite keen to forge an alliance of economic advantage and the Mantis are of course close cousins of the Crab."

And then...the next bite of whatever hell creation Tanaka had foisted upon him.

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka nods.

"There have been some mummers about 'Scorpion inevitability' with the number of representatives the Scorpion have sent to the island." Taraka admits. "But the government does seem very interested in what the local businesses have to say about potential investments. And I haven't heard of any real consensus between the locals businesses for what direction to take other than, 'Not the Spider.'"

Gross. Which honestly, was not as bad as Yucky in a lot of ways. Oh sure, it was definitely hotter, but the flavor profile was a lot better balanced, nor did it have Yucky's clingy properties. It would make you sweat, but it was a lot more honest about it, in a way.

[Asako Hikari]

"There is definitely some understood animosity against the Spider. They do their best to make themselves fairly unpopular amongst the Crab after all."

Gross was definitely much more pleasant. Hot was doable, hot that wanted to burn a hole in you was significantly less enjoyable. Hikari lifts a napkin to his mouth, wiping off some off the sauce from his burning lips before he takes a drink.

"Well, hopefully I made a good impression with the locals today with the First Market. Little Ichiro-san has a good merchants spirit so I hope he can have good memories of the day." He would lightly shoulder off his haori, feeling the heat climb more into his face and a few small beads of sweat form on his brow.

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka brightened at that.

"Ah, that's good to hear Asako-san. It's a very important tradition among the Yasuki....well at least among those who still practice it. It's fallen out of favor with the really big cities. The logistics of the population once you hit a certain point get very difficult. And I know the karo was out recruiting people for volunteer work. There was some concern that it might just be..'too Yasuki' for some of the guests, but if you're really here for business how can you pass up an opportunity to connect with the locals like that?" she said, pleased to hear Hikari had enjoyed the market.

"Out of curiosity, did you give Ichiro-san one of your business cards? You could have quite the dedicated client a few years down the road." she asked.

[Asako Hikari]

"Preserving traditions is important, I agree. We mustn't be shackled to the past, but remembering where we came from and those that came before is important so that we do not lose our way in the future...and I believe I gave one to his parents in case they wanted to contact me in the future for any assistance."

Another drink before the next wing.

"I'm sure there was also a certain amount of 'when in <insert appropriate IC analogue for Rome>' for parties involved, but people did seem to enjoy themselves. Many smiling faces."

[Yasuki Taraka]

Taraka nods.

"I think the karo and the governor will be very pleased. Given the island's recent struggles, have some solid victories under their belts will really make for a happier populace." she agreed.

She took a sip of her beer.

"So not First Market, but do the Asako have any similar traditions for their children about to enter their formal schooling?" she asked, curious.

[Asako Hikari]

"Keeping morale up is almost as important as everything else. People can work while miserable, but they're not going to be nearly as productive. Just as long as you aren't giving them pizza parties instead of pay." He chuckles and sits back a bit, taking a few breaths to cool down his mouth. As she asked the second question, he pauses for a moment as something flickers over his features but vanishes almost as soon as it appears.

"I'm sure that there are, but I don't know them. Many of the Asako are destined for the libraries and sensei of the Loremasters, but I was sent off to the Ide when I was 9. Sometimes, I feel like I have more in common with the Unicorn than I do my own Clan."