[Fourze/Pagebreak/Etc Mushball Universe, specifically tagging Kazari and Etienne, but open to all]

[sushisamurai]

It's good to be back in Japan. France was nice, but there's something about being home that just feels right.

I fall back into my sushi peddling ways with ease, putting my old cart to good use as I walk the city in search of customers. Daigoyou and my origamis are wonderful company, but I do miss being one of Take-chan's samurai.

Just a bit.

I set my cart in a nicely populated area, there's a school that's just getting out nearby, and lots of people milling about. I rest my hands on my hips and nod with determination.

"Gold Sushi, open for business!"

Comments

[sushisamurai]

I freeze for a moment, debating whether or not I should take my hand away and act like I have no idea what he's talking about. But that might be rude, and he doesn't seem freaked out at the idea of Ika and Ebi being alive, so it's not like he's going to run away screaming.

"Sort of," I admit, looking at the tank now with a soft, fond smile. "As alive as most house pets. Maybe a little more. They're kind of freaked out right now, I can't really tell why."

[catcameback]

I don't really care, but it is kind of interesting that they seem scared of me. I wonder, are they scared because of my former status as a 'villain', or can they smell the Switch resting in my pocket, or perhaps they can simple sense my more feline nature and are off-put by it.

"It's alright." I tilt my head and slurp another piece of fish off my chopsticks. "Animals don't like me much, even if they aren't... entirely animal."

[sushisamurai]

"Ah," I nod. I've heard of people that animals just don't get along with, though it still seems strange to me. Even most fish seem to like me, and I regularly serve up their kind as food dozens of times a day. I reach into the tank and give Ika a little scritch, she seems to settle down a bit, though I can tell she's still stressed out.

"So how to you like it?" I ask once I take my hand out of the tank, gesturing at his plate of sashimi.

[catcameback]

I kind of almost feel bad that I've made his little creatures so distressed. They remind me of the Candroids, which I always thought were kind of adorable, when they weren't being actively applied against me. Which was more often than not, but come on.

I scoot my stool farther away from the tank, dragging my plate of wonderful fish with me.

"It's perfect," I stress around another bite. "Absolutely perfectly plain."

[sushisamurai]

My shoulders fall as a small sound of frustration escapes me. I turn, resting one hand against a pole of my cart and my forehead against my hand. I bite one knuckle of my opposite hand, sniffle, and then out a shuddering sigh.

"That's what everyone always says." Another shuddering sigh as I gently bang my head against the back of my hand.

[catcameback]

I stare at him and his display of negative emotion, my mouth very full of fish still.

I swallow it all, through a tremendous force of will, then clear my throat.

"Well, I hope so. Why would you want it to taste like anything else?"

[sushisamurai]

I gesture vaguely as I remove myself from my moping against my cart. I sigh heavily, shaking my head, hands on my hips.

"Not one wants to serve plain food." I gesture again, this time at his sashimi. "It's not about just throwing raw seafood down on a plate and calling it good. It's about subtle nuances of taste and texture, gently coaxing out the natural flavors of the fish and matching them with complimentary flavors. It's about artistry."

[catcameback]

I stare at him during his rant. I let him finish even, cleaning my plate as I do so. He really did underestimate me if he thought this was all I could eat.

Artistry.

Yeah, okay. Maybe for a human.

I lean forward, and push the very empty plate closer to him as well. "I don't care what anyone else wants. I wanted to eat fish. You provided me with fish. Good fish, that tastes like fish. Which means you did your job well. Right?"

[sushisamurai]

I let one more sigh out, but I can't deny a happy customer their pleasure, even if their pleasure is not the norm.

I take his empty plate with a little bow and offer him a small smile. "Seconds, then?"