Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Friendship and Raw Fish

Posted by Civilian Kenzo B’tren-Hyrushi (Governor) in Friendship and Raw Fish

Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Friendship and Raw Fish
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

She accepted it with thanks and made her way to the same bedroom she had slept- no, crashed in the night after they learned about the Vren. She did indeed take a quick sonic shower not wanting to fuss with wet hair, but also hoping for the pulses to soothe away some of the tension. Jal’na complained every time that she wasn’t doing enough to relax. Well, she should try bloody running a colony and see how many knots she formed!

Stepping out, Eela had taken her hair out of its frequent twist, letting it be in its loose natural waves past her shoulders. Her suit and blouse from earlier was gone and she had opted for a long sleeved sweater dress in a light grey with buttons all down the front. It followed her form but didn’t cling and it accommodated her brace, allowing her to access it easily if she needed to change the power cell, though she should be good for the rest of the day. She slipped on her sheru (the soft soled embroidered shoes she often wore inside) and padded back into the main part of the home and her glass of sake.

~Eela

Kenzo was already there, now dressed in a white, loose-fittinng shirt and dark tan linen pants. His hair was obviously damp, but it was still straight and hung down his back. He was leaning against the bar when she entered, and he inclined his head. He slid her cup to her and then tossed back the remainder in his cup. “You are two behind.” and he smiled slightly, grabbed the bottle, and waved her to follow him.

“Oh, so that’s how it is, is it?” Eela said, throwing back the sake in her glass and following. Seeing Kenzo outside of the office was always interesting. He looked more at ease, but she couldn’t say she’d ever seen him relaxed. Unless she counted him in his deck chair about to pass out from their drinks. Did that count?

He led her into the kitchen where a simple set up had been made on the island with the sink. A bamboo mat used to roll the sushi. A large bowl of cooked rice. A very sharp looking knife. A stack of green-almost-black nori, or seaweed paper. A ceramic bottle of soy sauce. Pickled ginger. A small bowl of wasabi. And an assortment of raw fish and vegetables.

Kenzo gestured to a high-backed stool on the opposite side of the island and set the bottle down near a similar bottle, but dark red instead of green. He began to was his hands and looked at Eela. “Now then… what kind of flavors do you like or not like?”

Kenzo

“I’m really open to anything and will try it at least once,” she said, slipping carefully onto the stool, using the counter to give her stability. “I don’t mind spice, but overall I don’t like food that burn my mouth. No hot pepper eating contests for me. I tend to not eat a lot of meat but I really enjoy fish, as you’ve experienced. I quite like zesty bits in things, but I also know that sushi is a lot about balance, of marrying flavours. So… teach me. I’m a willing student and fast learner.”

~Eela

He inclined his head and said “Very well.” He picked up the knife and spun it in his fingers, the lights above causing it to flash. It stopped suddenly in his grip; an exhibition that seemed both long-practiced and unconscious simultaneously. It was also somewhat surprising considering the resetved and logical man with the blade.

The display delighted her, a tiny window into him, perhaps. Or maybe it was just a continuum of the man she was getting to know better. The precision made perfect sense in her mind.

Using the knife to point, he began naming off ingredients and describing their flavors and making recommendations for what went with what. After abfew minutes, he stopped and said “Most people new to sushi start with a roll made of crab salad, avocado, and cucumber. A simple and safe flavor combination.” He set the k if tto the side, took a sheet of nori and laid it on the bamboo rolling mat. He wet his fingers, picked up some of the sticky rice, and spread it across the nori. He then laid crab, avocado, and strips of cucumber on top. Grasping the edge of the bamboo, he rolled it up, compressed it, rolled, and compressed. He opened the mat and it now a long dark green cylinder. He picked up the knife, twirled it again, and cut the roll into eight equal pieces. He plated four, added a small amount of wasabi on the side, and gave her a small shallow bowl of soy sauce. He then gave her chopsticks. He took a small bit of wasabi, put it on top of one piece he had, added a touch of soy sauce, and then ate the bite whole.

Kenzo

Having been taking everything in intently, Eela grinned. “I feel like I should clap, ” she said with a light laugh. Holding the chopsticks by the base, she eyed them. “Though these I am less adept it. Not quite a paintbrush and I think I haven’t had as much practice as they require. Will I be asked to leave if I stab my food with that? Because otherwise I’m eating with my fingers.”

~Eela

Kenzo smiled slightly and said “Stabbing is not allowed. Bad magic. But…” and he held up a finger and left the kitchen. He soon returned with something in his hand. He took the wrapper from one set of chopsticks and folded it over and over till it was about three centimeters thick. He then took a rubber band, placed the paper between her chopsticks, and anchored them with the band. “There. Now when you squeeze, they will open up when you relax your hand. Here, hold them like this.” and he showed her how to balance the one and use the other to move against it. He set his aside, took her hands in his, and set her fingers against the wood. “Like that. Practice, and in a few meals you won’t need the paper anymore.”

Kenzo

She let him manipulate her fingers allowing her mind to feel the way the chopsticks lay in her fingers. As Eela squeezed and opened her hand, the pincer grip worked smoothly. She grinned. “I feel almost certain this is how they teach children to use them but clearly it’s superior to stabbing your food,” she said, tilting her head up towards him to meet his gaze.

“Correct on both counts.” he said with a nod.

Eela snapped the chopsticks together a couple times with more delight than she expected. She carefully closed them around one of the rolls and dipped it briefly into the soy sauce before popping it into her mouth. The mix of textures was delightful and made for an extremely pleasurable bite. Food should induce pleasure though she knew sometimes just eating for sustenance was necessary. But where she could take the time to truly enjoy it she would. “Mmmm, far superior to my replicator,” Eela said matter-of-factly, entirely teasing. Of course it was.

~Eela

“High praise indeed.” he said flatly, but with a glint in his eyes. He ate the rest of his pieces and then opened the red bottle and poured two cups, setting one next to her. “Stronger. Sip. Don’t guzzle.” He took a sip of his and let out a soft but contented sigh. These things… things from his people and his father… the ceremony and sense of history… and the familiar tastes and aromas filled him with a deep sense of being centered. At rest. Whole. And it was a good feeling. From him, Eela would be able to sense a subtle shift to the positive… like a small spring under tension suddenly being relaxed.

He began making another. He picked up the knife a piece of red, meaty fish… almost like beef. He sliced it thin, his fingers expertly cutting the flesh of the fish onto the desired pieces. Into the rice and seaweed he laid it and soon it was a roll; the bright red fish at the center of the white rice wrapped in the nori. “Tuna. My favorite. Try without anything first.” and he set just a piece of the fish in front of her. “Sashimi. Raw fish. Sushi. ‘With rice’. Many people think that sushi is raw fish. Some is. Some is not.”

Kenzo