[x] Go to a food stall.
Faint pangs of hunger assault your stomach, only growing stronger from the delicious smells coming from the various food stalls. All you've had to eat the last week are rations meant for traveling, dried fruits and vegetables along with salted fish. It is nutritious and sustaining, to be sure, but you cannot say it was particularly flavorful.
This being the case, the answer as to what to do first seems obvious.
"I think we could all do with a snack," you say. "It's almost noon, after all."
"An excellent idea, Sosuke-san!" Hanabi says, beaming at you. "Let's get something to eat!"
"I agree," Himawari says, ignoring the glare Hanabi sends her way. "Some refreshment would be welcome.
"I'll just have something light," Shirou chimes in. "The world is to be experienced and enjoyed, but there's no reason to overindulge."
All of you stare at him, your incredulity plain on your faces as you recall the truly massive amount of food the monk consumed during your last day at Shiro Kitsuki. Your friend, however, seems oblivious the looks he is receiving. He just smiles at all of you, motioning toward the food stalls invitingly.
He has to realize, you think. He just has to… No, Sosuke. Don't pay this any attention. It's not worth it.
You make your way to the ikayaki stand, your friends trailing behind. The woman, an older peasant with some gray hair at her temples, grins at you all as you approach. She rises from where she is fanning the flames of her grill and bows.
"Greetings, Samurai-samas!" she says, good cheer radiating clearly in her words. She's not shouting, but her voice carries strongly even in the bustle of the marketplace. "Might I offer you something to fill your bellies on this fine day?"
"That would be lovely, food seller," you say, nodding your head in acknowledgement. "One for each of us, I think."
"Of course!" she says, her grin widening. "I'll have them ready in no time at all."
With deft hands the peasant cook takes four of the grilled squid off of the fire and places them on a plate. Afterward, she takes out a small clay bottle of soy sauce and sprinkles it liberally atop the food. The mouthwatering smell of squid takes on a salty aspect as the seasoning soaks into the meat, and after a minute she presents the plate of ikayaki to you.
"Here you are!"
You take one of the skewered squid with another nod, this time in thanks, and drop some zeni on her stall as you turn to leave. Neither you nor the stall owner give any special attention to this transaction, for it is not something worth giving voice. You merely felt the need to relieve yourself of some unneeded weight at your belt, and if the peasant woman finds some use from what you discard then that is her own business.
Which is all the thought you give to such matters, as is right and proper. For now, there are rather more important things to give focus to. You take a bite of the ikayaki, reveling in the salty flavor as it dances across your tongue. This is not the fine food you have enjoyed in the castle cities of the Great Clans, but rather something a fair deal rougher and almost certainly less healthy. But it reminds you of the fried food of home, easy to make a savory, and a powerful nostalgia washes over you.
Fond remembrances of childhood, those times when you were not training under the watchful eye of your Sensei, come flooding to the forefront of your thoughts. Memories of eating fried fish with your mother after she completes a day at the forge… Your father treating you all to breaded vegetables cooked in grease after a long scouting expedition… All of this and more comes to mind as you revel in the salty taste of your snack, and it strikes you that you've not thought about your parents in some time.
I hope they are all right.
You shake off those thoughts, and instead take another bite of your ikayaki. Your mother and father are fine. There can be no doubt of such things, and soon enough you will be home again with enough Jade to ensure your Clan overcomes this latest war with minimal issues. And then you will have many more days enjoying good food with your parents, hearing their laughter and enjoying their stories.
To avoid becoming maudlin you turn your attention elsewhere. Not to the Little Merchant's district, for everything was so crowded and cramped you can hardly see more than twenty feet in any direction. Instead, you look to the northwest toward the towering spire of the Imperial Palace behind the strong walls which guard its premises.
The castle reaches so high as to almost touch the clouds themselves, easily viewable no matter where one was in the city. You get the feeling that was by design, to remind everyone of the importance of the Emperor as much as it is to show proper respect to the august Son of Heaven. For it is by his will Rokugan is kept on the path of righteousness, and this is something that must never be forgotten.
"It is a magnificent sight, isn't it?" Himawari whispers softly, her voice filled with awe as she follows your gaze. "The Imperial Palace, and all of Toshi Ranbo, is surely the sign of Heaven's favor upon the world."
"But not the first one," Hanabi says, and odd tone creeping into her voice. She scowls, but you don't get the impression her ire is directed at the palace or anything that can be seen. "Otosan-Uchi came before, and it fell in fire and blood." She waves a hand at the Imperial Palace. "Toshi Ranbo is a grand city, but can it truly compare to what was lost?"
[] Write in.
