soniaroadsqueen | Tokyo, Japan, Monday

Portalocity was weird. Ringo hadn't really traveled with them much, so this was something of a revelation for her. Somehow booking a reasonable late-morning departure from Fandom resulted in a just-after-dawn arrival in a small park a couple of miles from the apartment she shared with her sisters. Of course, despite that, all three of them were waiting.

Rika, with her knowing, motherly smile, managing to look like a carefully-styled model even this early. Mikan, tomboyish hair cropped short and sticking out every which way, smirking mischievously and tapping her foot with nervous energy. Ume, seated on a bench playing with her dolls, but glancing up and meeting Ringo's eyes when she arrived.

With a grin, Ringo dropped her bags and rushed forward into a big group hug, melting into the group for a moment. All worry and stress disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"Now then," Rika said as they eventually disentangled themselves, "why don't you introduce everyone, and then we can go get some breakfast?"

[ooc: For those along for the ride. NFB for distance.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

spin_kick_snap

"It's a Korean snack," Kathy said, deliberately misinterpreting his question. "Look, they're really good!" She tossed a handful into her mouth then held the container out to him. Look, her mouth was full, she couldn't answer!

From:

rebelseekspizza

Dante eyed her suspiciously. He took the container and glanced inside, and... "Bugs? You're eating bugs?"

Even he had limits, Kathy.

From:

spin_kick_snap

Pointing out that they were larvae prooobably wouldn't help her case.

"Silkworms," she admitted, looking not at all apologetic. "They're really good! Taste kinda nutty." She gave him an encouraging smile. "C'mon, Dante! When have I ever led you wrong?"

From:

rebelseekspizza

He shoved the container back at her immediately. "Don't get me started," Dante added. "You enjoy your worm food."

From:

spin_kick_snap

"You just say that because you can't think of any," Kathy declared, happily reclaiming her snack. She knew how good they were. "Your loss!"

From:

rebelseekspizza

"No, I'm sayin' that because I was trying not to bring up the time you dragged us into a burning building," Dante said, rolling his eyes. "Don't they have real food around here?"

From:

spin_kick_snap

"Such an American," Kathy sniffed. "Refusing to acknowledge anything you don't recognize as real food." She glanced around at the tents that were available. "What are we considering real food. Does sushi count?" She pointed at one tent. "Or how about--ooh! Tempura!" Laughing, she tried to tug him over towards the tempura tent. "C'mon, white boy. I won't even make you try to eat with chopsticks."

From:

rebelseekspizza

"Sushi's fish, right?" Dante asked. "Never been big on fish."

But at least he wasn't poised to have a weird relationship with it, like edible bugs!

From:

spin_kick_snap

Edible! That was the important point!

"So what do you like?" Kathy asked. "Besides pizza and enough sugar to give an elephant diabetes. We're in a whole other country! Trying new things is the point!"

But she was going to be nice and get him a bottle of beer from another stand. Kirin Ichiban seemed popular enough.

And one for herself, of course!

From:

rebelseekspizza

"I dunno," Dante said, shrugging. "Have they got burgers? Steak? Something wrapped in bacon, maybe?"

He was going to take that beer, though.

From:

spin_kick_snap

"Are you not even going to try the local cuisine?" Kathy asked, looking for something that might count. "And are you really expecting a festival to have steak? They's not gonna serve anything you need to eat with a knife and a fork."

From:

rebelseekspizza

"I dunno," Dante said, "Maybe it's local to slice up the steak. Or put it on a bun. It's possible."

From:

spin_kick_snap

"Not the kind of buns you're thinking of," Kathy snorted. "Will steamed pork buns be an acceptable compromise?"

From:

rebelseekspizza

"Still sounds kinda weird," Dante said, "But sure, I guess, if you're not planning to sneak in a spider or whatever."

From:

spin_kick_snap

"Fried tarantula is Cambodian, not Korean," Kathy said with an exaggerated eyeroll. "You're safe from spiders. And even I'm not brave enough to try natto. Which isn't bug-related but incredibly gross-sounding."

From:

rebelseekspizza

"People actually eat spiders?" Dante said, squinting at her. "...What's natto? Do I even wanna know?"

From:

spin_kick_snap

"They're high in protein, I guess?" Kathy said with a helpless shrug. "Same with natto. It's slimy fermented soybeans. I hear it reeks. Honestly, what's a little beondegi compared to that? At least it's not rotten!"

Okay, now she might just be trying to see whether or not she could make Dante lose his appetite.

From:

rebelseekspizza

"Do people over here like food that isn't disgusting?" Dante asked. "... I mean, y'know. To some of us."

From:

spin_kick_snap

She was going to roll her eyes so hard she got a headache if she kept this up. "You'll like pork buns," she declared. "And I'm sure there are other things here that you'll enjoy if you just keep an open mind."

Not even weird things! But, like, vegetables and fish and things that weren't hamburger. "Tiny island, remember? Not the vast rolling grasslands of America. They had to make due with different diets. Although..." She slowed her pace and her eyes got large. "Wagyu." A long, slow inhale. "Dante! We're in the country of kobe. We've got to find some to try!"

From:

rebelseekspizza

Hey, Dante was an inner city East Coast kid who needed a ton of protein in his diet. Vegetables? Ehhh. Fish? Ehhhhhhh.

(Or as the Dutch would say: what the farmer doesn't know, he won't eat.)

"Kobe?" he echoed. "...Wait, that's steak, right? I'm up for that."

From:

spin_kick_snap

FARMERS KNOW VEGETABLES, DANTE!

"The best of steaks," Kathy corrected, reaching for his hand so she could drag him around the festival if she had to. "Delicious, amazing expensive steaks. And we're gonna find some an eat them and go home and brag."

From:

rebelseekspizza

Was she seriously dragging him around by the hand?

Dante shot her a mildly confused-slash-disturbed look.

"Hey, as long as you're paying."

From:

spin_kick_snap

Was he seriously confused about Kathy dragging him along in the wake of her enthusiasm?

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But if I'm paying, you have to eat everything, right? Not just the stuff that looks like something you'd find in America. You have to live a little, Dante! Experiment! Appreciate a new culture!"

From:

rebelseekspizza

Yeah, but by the hand.

"Nope," Dante said, shaking his head. "Nice try, I still don't have to eat shit."

From:

spin_kick_snap

Would he have preferred by the front of his pants?

"Oh come on, Dante," Kathy said, giving him a look that asked seriously?! across all languages and cultures. "I'm not going to pay for an amazing meal in Japan if you refuse to at least try the stuff on your plate."