(D6; EA) Centering herself

[Otomo Nobuko]

She tilted her head in thought. She had simply grown up with it all and absorbed it as a fact of life. To have it defined in such a way was strange.

"I suppose it's much like any other thing one has to know or learn," she answered slowly. "It's often not even thought about. You pick up information here and there and then remember it later when something reminds you of it. Perhaps it's an important thing... Hmmm. I have never cooked, but I understand that meals are often prepared in specific ways so that they can be the same - or close to the same - no matter where one goes. It is a guess, but it is much like that. You need to remember all the ingredients, the ways of preparing the dishes, the manner of cutting or cooking, be it boiling or fried. The exact amount to mix together so that it is not too spicy or sweet. Or the length of the cooking that it is not undercooked or over cooked. Where to find the ingredients and what flavors they add. That is a lot to know. Life in a city, and the courts, is much like that. You train yourself to learn the information you need specifically, and along the way you pick up tricks and information that are also useful but not really spoken of."

[Kaito Haruki]

"Like the horseraddish-wasabi trick. Few people actually had wasabi, yet many claim they have."

[Otomo Nobuko]

She tilted her head, "What are you talking about?"

[Kaito Haruki]

"Well, the difference would be more pronounced with fresh ingredients, but most people won't be able to access that. So they take it in a less optimal form, a paste. Now if you compare horseradish paste to wasabi paste, they are very similar in every aspect except one, the color. Something that could be remedied with a flavorless food dye, so out of duty to their lord, they make the substitute whenever they can."

[Otomo Nobuko]

"Are you saying these people lie about what food they are serving to others? As a common practice?" she looked a bit alarmed at that.

[Kaito Haruki]

"They don't necessarily lie, just don't say anything and have it on the table already. Much like how one doesn't question salt and pepper in the center, they don't question the green paste. Then most restaurants are lead by a merchant and not the artisan itself, there's a lot of costs involved and if you don't have a good head on it, you will fail to make a profit. Now most places just include it in the cost of the meal."

[Otomo Nobuko]

"When one asks someone to bring 'more wasabi' and they bring the false paste instead, then they are openly lying about what they are serving," she said, clearly upset by this. Even knowing that many people did not have the same luxuries she grew up with, she had assumed that at least no one lied about what they did have. Particularly when it came to food. "Such conduct is unacceptable."

[Kaito Haruki]

"Ah, but they never said they were serving wasabi and they never charge as much as it would actually cost. What would the server do, correct them in front of their face and show that a heinen is better than a samurai at something? They also put out larger servings than most would use for this very reason. There is a reason you dip it into the paste and not scoop it out. I just found out that reason recently when I had actual fresh wasabi for the first time in Otosan Uchi when I was with an imperial nakado for winter."

(Ooc, I probably need to word this better but I as a player am not a social butterfly)

[Otomo Nobuko]

((OOC:

So the problem is less in the wording and more in the focus your character is putting on how much it costs, and assuming that it being cost prohibitive makes it okay to call something wasabi that is not, technically, wasabi.

Samurai are not supposed to care about money or what things cost. As a chef, your character is more aware of how stupid that is than most and is definitely not ooc to focus on it. This is something he deals with.

However, the character he's speaking to is a member of the Imperial Families who spent half her life behind the walls of the Forbidden City, where the Emperor lives and holds court, and this was mentioned IC within this conversation. It is a place where the cost of things literally do not matter. If someone wants something, they can get it and it will be real deal every time without question. Money is nothing to her.

So at the moment, Haruki is, at best, presenting himself as someone who values money more than honesty. And at worst, as someone who has no problem putting food in front of a person and lying about what it is, possibly to the point of tricking someone into eating something unclean. This is alarming to her ICly because she has eaten food he's made before and is now questioning if anything he served was what he said it was.

About the only thing he can do to clear this up is say something along the lines of "Of course, this is only among heimin establishments, meant to be served to heimin primarily, where costs are unfortunately important to them. Samurai who dine there could be offended if corrected about what they believe they are eating without having asked what it was beforehand. Meals served where Samurai are expected to eat would never be treated in such a manner." with a Fluff Sincerity roll to seal it.

[Kaito Haruki]

(OOC) Fair point, my bad. Completely forgot about that angle myself. Too bad I kinda suck at that skill.
D6 EA: Sincerity (Honesty)/Awareness Calm Otomo-sama's worry: 5d10o10k4 17
D6 EA: Ettiquette/Awareness Don't sound like an ass: 7d10o10k4 50

"Now this is done primarily in merchant led establishments and usually only in places where they expect other heimen and not samurai. I never put wasabi out unless asked specifically for this reason. Sorry for worrying you for not clarifying this earlier." He takes a moment to bow and keeps himself there until Otomo-sama says something.

[Otomo Nobuko]

((OOC

Not going to roll against you on this. I get it's more a player thing than a character thing.
She is going to be a little mean, though, cause even if she's generally nice, she's still a spoiled rich girl and that'll come out when she's feeling petty.))


-----
She wasn't too sure she believed him, but it could be as much due to his nervousness in realizing he'd been woefully unclear upon explaining as it could be him trying to lie. However, he did seem to understand how to apologize in an appropriate manner, which both spoke well of him and reminded her of the child she had first come to know in Hirosaka for being so enthusiastic about food that he often snuck away from meals to prepare his own.

The worry his poorly chosen words caused however, was still distressing. So she made him wait several minutes until the tea was finally brought and placed on a table near them. After the servant left, she looked across the room - purposely past him - and said, "Are you not going to pour for me, Haruki-san? Pouring for oneself is bad luck."

It was both an indicator that he could rise and that she was going to tentatively continue to trust him with handling food she would be eating.

[Kaito Haruki]

He took a second to parse the request, trying to make sure he doesn't get it wrong. Then he lifts his head to see who all is around, seeing that there were plenty of servants who could have done it for them. He then tentatively sits up and begins to pour. "My apologies, I got so caught up in the metaphor that I forgot about the implications."

[Otomo Nobuko]

"I understand you are enthusiastic about your craft," she replied, not moving her head in the slightest, "But these are the sort of things one cannot get lost in. Were we not both still children, your words could have been taken far more seriously."

It was an easy out. A peace offering of sorts, as they were only children by technicality of law.

[Kaito Haruki]

"Yes, I still have to get used to this you can never truly relax even in the company of friends thing." Haruki remains silent after saying that, almost hyper-aware of the fact that one false word and he could very well end any chance of getting out of this with his reputation intact.

[Otomo Nobuko]

Her eyes flickered over his way as she took the offered tea. She did not consider him a friend in truth, but a friend in court and life experience could easily be assumed. And had, apparently, on his end. She would not dissuade him of it. Better to be thought a friend than to be thought an enemy. She would simply be more cautious about trusting him.

"I do not wish to discourage you from your passions," she said softly, taking a sip of the tea. "But it would do well to remember that we own every word we speak, Haruki-san. Even among those we trust, we must be careful of the words we use and how we use them. After tomorrow, we will be adults in the eyes of the law. Forgiveness for a slip of the tongue from those we do not have history with and who may not understand such eagerness will be... much harder to gain."

Finally she looked at him properly, "Shall I pour for you?"

[Kaito Haruki]

"Thank you Otomo-sama." Best to watch his tounge for now.

[Otomo Nobuko]

She turned and set her cup down, then lifted the pot and poured for him. It was precise and polite. When done, she took her own cup back and shut her eyes, taking a deep breath in much the way she would before meditating.

"Do you think you will do well in the tournament tomorrow?" she asked, changing the subject so they could begin to move away from the awkwardness.

[Kaito Haruki]

(OOC, I understand this isn't her intent, but still going to play country boy taking careful steps)

Is this another test? She did study in a Kakita school after all. Best to give a humble answer. "Well, you saw my performance against Kazuko-san, wouldn't that be a reflection of what will happen in the iaijutsu portion?"

[Otomo Nobuko]

"Iaijutsu is different. There is a focus to it that doesn't always exist in the heat of battle," she answered. "And if I am correct, your craft requires a great deal of focus."

[Kaito Haruki]

"Yes, but Kakita duelists specialize in iaijutsu, my school does not. It was hard enough in a more even field like a mock skirmish. Unless I truly put everything into beating them, I would lose. It's hard to explain without revealing too much, but just know that I will do whatever I can to win that is honorable. However, I don't expect to be Topaz Champion tomorrow."