Re: Dashing Through Dolerum (119 4A)

by **Kara Winters** Sun Jan 25, 2015 8:49 pm

Miyuki paused and then nodded at Gwen in agreement, "Thank you."

The kitsune murmured softly. Perhaps she had chosen spices too far removed from what people here were use to. If they weren't fond of outsiders maybe these were things people didn't deal with that often? Miyuki decided firmly she was going to make cinnamon buns, curry buns and something that would use star anise. Didn't she still have some pears from some other country sitting around? Perhaps a tart...

That sounded like a lot of baking, but easily solved by some good recipes and a bit of help.

by **Nara-pyon** Sun Jan 25, 2015 8:57 pm

Gwen turned back to the merchant and pulled a velvety-looking pouch from inside her cloak.

"I will pay for her purchase, Nym," she told him with a smile. "How much?"

The man gave her the total, and she paid him in exact change as Connor packed up the butter and yoghurt, each in a separate lidded clay pot whose insides were waxed to keep the products from being soaked up.

"See you tomorrow!" the boy said cheerily, waving at the two as they left the milk stall behind.

by **Kara Winters** Sun Jan 25, 2015 9:41 pm

Miyuki waved back and nodded as she followed Gwen away from the stall. Looking at the clay pots, Miyuki decided as she packed them away, that she was going to rune those clay pots. The pots were already prepared to store diary products, why not use it as preservation jars?

Somehow, the thought pleased her.

"Thanks again for that," she told Gwen as they were out of ear shot.

by **Nara-pyon** Sun Jan 25, 2015 10:11 pm

Gwen merely waved away Miyuki's gratitude. "Don't be silly. There wouldn't be any point to this trip if you can't get the things you need, and it's nice to have someone new for company."

Her eyes gleamed. "Especially someone so different from what I'm used to. I'm actually surprised - happy, but surprised - that Connor is so eager to come and hear your stories tomorrow. I hope his parents allow him to come. It would be a shame if they didn't."

But there was no telling with the people here. Prejudice was prejudice, and it was difficult to change.

by **Kara Winters** Sun Jan 25, 2015 11:02 pm

"Only time will tell," Miyuki replied with a shrug, "It's always hard to predict how things go."

She sort of suspected Conner was willing because he was young and curious.

by **Nara-pyon** Mon Jan 26, 2015 8:36 pm

"True enough," Gwen agreed. "But that's why I suggested it to Connor first. Children do tend to be far more accepting of things that are different."

They wandered down the street, which was still quite crowded. On the left were stalls with baked and prepared goods - breads, buns, cookies and cakes, pies, and many other treats. On the right were stalls with produce, though there were not so many of them and what there was was not of the best quality for the most part, as well as a few stalls with cuts of meat hanging. There were also stalls with raw ingredients - flour and spices and such. Each stall of course was in front of a shop, and most shops had more wares inside than out.

by **Kara Winters** Tue Jan 27, 2015 8:05 pm

Miyuki spent some time looking at the spices, taking note of what they had and what she didn't have (or might be running low on). She didn't get any though, since she didn't need spices right away, but she did invest in some flower. She also took note of the types of meat that was hanging.

When they had past by the baked goods, she asked Gwen about the ones she didn't recognize and even asked which was her favourite. She even attempted to asked the owner which was their favourite with the intention of buying (to be polite). All while keeping a tally since she would owe this all back to Gwen once she got her currency exchanged.

In fact, Miyuki really wasn't afraid to talk to people when it called for it.

by **Nara-pyon** Tue Jan 27, 2015 8:45 pm

Gwen was a chatterbox all on her own, and she kept conversations going even when some of the vendors made it quite obvious that they did not want to talk with the foreigner. She convinced many children into asking if they could listen to Miyuki's stories the following day, and even some adults showed interest. They spent so much time talking with people and checking out various things that the morning simply flew by and soon enough the vendors were taking turns going for their midday meals.

"So, Miyuki," Gwen grinned at her as they reached the end of the market street, "are you still hungry for lunch? Or are you going to eat some of those purchases for your meal?"

There was laughter in her eyes. Clearly, she was teasing.

by **Kara Winters** Tue Jan 27, 2015 10:00 pm

Miyuki winked back, "My mother always told me, meal before desert. So these can wait."

Since really she did end up getting mainly sweets, but she had a sweettooth (probably the from her father).

by **Nara-pyon** Tue Jan 27, 2015 10:12 pm

Gwen giggled softly. "Well, I'm sure the others back at the tent would be happy for a tast of your treats, too, if you feel like sharing. Now, you wanted me to take you to my favourite resaurant and get my favourite food for the both of us, right?"

She turned them around and headed back down the street again, towards the intersection where they'd entered it.

by **Kara Winters** Tue Jan 27, 2015 10:23 pm

Miyuki nodded, "Yes, if you don't mind."

She looked forward to wherever Gwen brought her.

by **Nara-pyon** Wed Jan 28, 2015 9:22 pm

The place Gwen brought Miyuki was clearly what a Gaian would call a 'high-end' restaurant. Even the outside, snow-covered as it was, was pretty, with decorative runes showing its name to those who could read it, flower boxes below each window, though of course there were no flowers growing at this time of year, and flowerbeds along the walls, equally void of life. Gwen opened the door to allow Miyuki to enter first.

A male youth was waiting just inside the door, very smartly dressed, and he smiled and bowed when Miyuki and Gwen entered.

"Welcome to the King's Table," he said warmly. "Your usual seat, Lady Gwen?"

Gwen smiled back at the boy. "Yes, thank you, Gerhart. And you can tell Ellia and Tasmine that we will have my usual, for two."

The inside of the restaurant was even nicer than the outside. Dark hardwood floors, varnished to a shine, had aisles between dining areas with dark red carpets. The dining areas were like individual rooms, almost - crimson drapes hung from the ceiling, separating tables from each other and giving people privacy, both visually and audially. The tables and chairs were a dark cherrywood, the tablecloths also crimson. For light there were bronze braziers hanging from the ceilings, as well as the windows that let sunlight stream in through thin curtains. The air smelled of spices, though not too strong, just enough to make the mouth of even the least hungry person water.

by **Kara Winters** Wed Jan 28, 2015 9:27 pm

"Oooo.. it's been a while since I've seen an actual nice restaurant that wasn't part of an inn," Miyuki murmured.

She had noticed that restaurant culture, like the ones back in Gaia, weren't that common in some countries and non existence in others. Which made sense, food was not to be wasted, and often it took a lot more time to prep food with the current technology, so restaurants were rare and very much a luxury.

"Though it sounds like you come here often."

by **Nara-pyon** Wed Jan 28, 2015 9:37 pm

Gwen smiled at Miyuki. "Monthly. I would come more, but I don't have a paying occupation, so I don't want to waste too much money. I can't stay away for too long, though. There's a reason it's called the King's Table."

The boy led them to a table not too far from the door, and Gwen slid into the seat facing the kitchen without hesitating. She pulled off her cloak and hung it on a hook just behind her chair, in a thick beam that was holding up the curtains around them.

"I hope you don't mind waiting for our food," she murmured to Miyuki as she settled in. "It's going to be a while."

by **Kara Winters** Wed Jan 28, 2015 10:14 pm

"Not at all, that is the part of the dining experience in most cultures," Miyuki assured Gwen.

After all, if they could order off a menu it would take time to prepare.

"So what do you normally do when you come here by yourself?"

by **Nara-pyon** Wed Jan 28, 2015 10:35 pm

Gwen let out a contented sigh and folded her hands in her lap. "Sometimes I just sit and people watch, sometimes I bring a book or some paper to write on. Occasionally I'll write to Lara, my sister, but ... it's so rare that I can actually send a letter that most of the time I don't bother trying that."

She leaned forward slightly, resting her hands on the tabletop. "Sometimes I take people here as a treat - some of the children, sometimes a friend ... but often enough I just take the time to think. I know, you'd think that without a job, I'd have all the time I want, but ... I find I do my best thinking here."

by **Kara Winters** Sun Feb 01, 2015 1:58 am

"Everyone has a place they need to just think," Miyuki replied, "You can't just do it anywhere. Just like you can't just mediate anywhere."

Miyuki was pretty good at mediating in most places, but her own room once she got one back always was her favourite place. Her practice garden though was also quickly becoming a favourite too.

by **Nara-pyon** Sun Feb 01, 2015 2:15 am

They were briefly interrupted when a woman brought Gwen and Miyuki their drinks - a liquid that had the consistency of milk and looked almost like it, except a very pale, creamy brown in colour - and a small bowl with tiny cubes of sugar and a pair of thin silver tongs that were a little more than half as long as Gwen's fingers. Gwen thanked the woman, and the woman left the two alone again.

"Hazelnut drink," Gwen smiled at Miyuki, reaching for the tongs and picking up three cubes of sugar with practiced hands. "Sweeter with the sugar. It can be slightly bitter without it."

After gently dropping the three cubes into her drink, she offered the tongs to Miyuki.

"But back to our conversation," she went on as if they had not been interrupted. "I also find that I think about different things when I'm in different places. If I'm home, maybe cleaning the house, I often think about Lara and Kyrie, where they are and what they're doing. Whether they're all right. Here, though, my mind wanders fairly freely."

She leaned back in her chair and nursed her drink in one hand, absently stirring it with a tiny spoon that had been delivered with the drinks. "About the town, the people ..."

by **Kara Winters** Sun Feb 01, 2015 2:21 am

Miyuki nodded at this as she took a small taste first to determine how bitter it was. It was, as Gwen warned bitter, and she too added the same amount of sugar cubes to her drink. Making a note to later as Gwen what made the hazel drink. She had heard of hazel with chocolate (but really never had chocolate because many of her family members couldn't). The kitsune didn't even carry cocoa as a spice at the moment.

"Ah.. yes.. I can see that," Miyuki murmured, "Anything about the town and people in particular?"

by **Nara-pyon** Sun Feb 01, 2015 2:26 am

"To be honest," Gwen replied, wrinkling her nose in a rather unladylike fashion, "I wonder if there is ever anything that would make life here ... less boring. I mean, I do love it here, and I do love the people - this is my home, where I was born and raised, after all - but ... quite often I feel purposeless. I do a lot of baking and bring it to the children and some of the families, and I try to spend time with people, but it's the same hum-drum existence, day after day ..."

She set her spoon on a napkin on the table and picked up her drink. "From time to time, I consider leaving," she admitted quietly. She lifted her drink to her lips and took a slow sip.

by **Kara Winters** Sun Feb 01, 2015 2:29 am

"Never consider a profession, even if it's just to keep you busy?" Miyuki asked.

Not everyone took a job because they needed money after all. If Miyuki bothered to learn and wasn't traveling, she could (like many other people in her family), live off the land. However, that wasn't of interest to Miyuki, she liked dealing with people and liked to travel.

by **Nara-pyon** Sun Feb 01, 2015 2:38 am

"A few times, but nothing ever came of it," Gwen murmured, setting her drink back on the table. "The truth is, I have no need to work because of Father's position, I have no skill to help Mother or Khetal, and it isn't safe for me to travel like Kyrie. The attitudes of people towards Kyrie and Khetal drive me so mad that I can't imagine sharing a life with any of the men here, so marriage is also something I have only briefly considered, and never seriously. And let's face it."

She smiled softly at Miyuki. "I'm over a thousand years old. If I haven't found anything to interest me here, I doubt I ever will. And with Khetal leaving, I'm sure Kyrie won't be visiting as often anymore. I suppose I could join Lara and Cantor in Caras Galadhon, but I can't imagine life there being much different than here."

by **Kara Winters** Sun Feb 01, 2015 2:43 am

"I wouldn't really use age to determine whether or not you'll find someone, unexpected things can always happen," Miyuki replied with a bit of amusement.

Though she was trying to think if a thousand was the oldest she heard of anyone remaining single before marrying.

"Life in Caras Galadhon, while having many similarities to other cities does have some differences," Miyuki admitted, "Because of their technology, and diverse population they have a few occupations that aren't really found in other places."

by **Nara-pyon** Sun Feb 01, 2015 2:46 am

"Like gears, yes," Gwen chuckled softly, her dark eyes dancing. "My nephew, Corazin, has been obsessed with them his whole life." She shrugged one shoulder. "I don't know. Perhaps I'll see if Kyrie would take me to visit them sometime. I understand that my niece, Lily, is married now ... and I haven't even met her. Corazin was only a few months old when I last saw him."

It would be a long trip for her, but one she would be willing to make.

by **Kara Winters** Sun Feb 01, 2015 2:48 am

Ah yes, Miyuki had forgotten that Corazin was also part of the family. She didn't know why she forgot that at all.

"You should ask Andarien about Corazin, he apprenticed under your nephew for a year," Miyuki told her, "And if nothing else, taking a visit would allow you to see a few different things. Gain a bit of perspective, I also noticed that outside of Gaia, Caras Galadhon is one of the very few places that has a city with a public library."

Not even the Southland had a public library, though the royal library at the castle was amazing.

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