Osaka, Japan - Sunday Afternoon - Evening

[my_own_advocate]

Osaka might not have been a tropical paradise, but temperatures hovered around a tolerable 60 degrees Fahrenheit and the skies were clear. The city was bustling, and would remain so well into the evening; as for Team Fandom, they were guided through the streets of the city to the traditional temple lodgings of Waqoo Shitaderamachi.

Your vacation begins, folks. Enjoy.

Comments

Re: Dotonbori

[sharp_man]

"Ah, so she is an AI, then?" Hannibal asked. Because yes, that was more interesting, at least at the moment. "I knew very little about her, but I'm pleased she's considered a person now."

He sipped his tea and tried to parse the rest of it. "Who was on their way to shoot this Lord - you or her?"

Re: Dotonbori

[1000yearstoolate]

"The Lord of the Radch," Seivarden said. "Anaander Mianaai. And it was Breq. Anaander had forced her to kill someone she loved very much, and then destroyed most of her. Of course, shooting one of Anaander Mianaai's bodies wouldn't make a difference in the long run, she has hundreds of them, but Breq can be quite stubborn."

Unaware, Seivarden smiled as she sipped her tea. "It's a long story, as I said, but she ended up in command of a ship, and she let me come along as one of her lieutenants. Things have been calmer for a while now, so she sent me to Fandom for a while, but obviously it's not permanent.

Seivarden was easy enough to read for someone like Hannibal, so it was obvious that she loved Breq deeply and that she was nervous about when that return was going to be.

Re: Dotonbori

[sharp_man]

Hannibal considered that as he sipped his tea. That kind of love spoke more of a change than Seivarden's apology did. As did her being in Fandom and not causing further trauma. It remained to be seen if she wasn't still rude, but he could perhaps give her a chance. Fandom was making him soft.

"Are you familiar with the food around here?" he asked. "Can you use chopsticks?" He nodded toward someone at a neighboring table that was eating with them.

Re: Dotonbori

[1000yearstoolate]

"I've ordered a lot of Japanese food during the time I've spent in Fandom," Seivarden said. "It's similar to some types of Radchaai cuisines, so I've enjoyed it so far."

She added with a smile: "Which is hard to do without using chopsticks. Why?"

She assumed this was some kind of 'adapt to the local culture' thing.

Re: Dotonbori

[sharp_man]

Partly that, yes. Also partly Hannibal was a little shit.

"There's a restaurant a few blocks away; I understand their fugu is delightful, if the atmosphere leaves something to be desired. Would you care to join me? After the tea, of course."

Re: Dotonbori

[1000yearstoolate]

Forgive Seivarden for being suspicious. She did her best not to let it show, instead responding with a polite smile, slipping into the role of an aristocratic Radchaai that she had become used to again during the past year, despite not being aware of it.

"I haven't heard about fugu, but I would be very pleased to, of course."

She couldn't think of an excuse.

Re: Dotonbori

[sharp_man]

Hannibal was quite aware of that suspicion, but he forewent a smirk and simply smiled politely instead and took a piece of the mochi, careful not to touch any others.

"You do eat sushi, I hope?" he asked. "Some Westerners are taken aback at the idea of raw fish, but if it's similar to a cuisine you're used to, perhaps you aren't." Which would be one point in her favor.

Re: Dotonbori

[1000yearstoolate]

"I'm used to eating both raw and cooked fish," Seivarden said, "And as I said, I'm used to Japanese food."

She noticed the effort Hannibal put into picking up the mochi, and offered a small smile in response. It didn't lessen her suspicion, but at least she could play along.

"So is fugu a type of sushi?"

Re: Dotonbori

[sharp_man]

"Fugu is a type of fish," Hannibal corrected. "There are several ways to prepare it, but sushi is one. And it allows you to taste the fish more than the preparation itself."

He finished his tea and set it down, waiting politely for Seivarden to finish. "I don't recall you having any specific religious, cultural, or allergic objections to foods, is that correct?" He did attempt not to kill anybody by accident.

Re: Dotonbori

[1000yearstoolate]

"It is," Seivarden said. "I only have issues with the manner in which some people eat."

In case Hannibal had forgot about how eating with bare hands was unacceptable.

Re: Dotonbori

[sharp_man]

Well, Seivarden hadn't given him a problem about the mochi, and had even eaten one herself, so that was improvement. Hannibal could accommodate the rest.

He nodded. "I will refrain from ordering finger foods," he promised. "Although I can of course not promise for the rest of the restaurant."

Re: Dotonbori

[1000yearstoolate]

"I survived in Fandom for a few years without starving," Seivarden said in response to that. "But I appreciate no finger food in front of me."

Re: Dotonbori

[sharp_man]

Hannibal nodded. "Would you prefer to eat this evening or tomorrow?"