Nabe Night RP log from March 23rd

Nabe Night or Nabemono is a special offered at Sakura Sushi in Cedar Point. It's a Japanese hot pot where the customer gets a tray with a pot of boiling broth on a burner and an assortment of fish, meat and veggies to toss in the pot and create their own custom soup at their table. This is a log from the second time we offered the special; a particular special of Eien's.

Stephanie Yamada walks in from her bank run and heads to the till to dump in some coin rolls "Hi Eien. Did you get my email? I hope it's not too crazy in here tonight...." The sound of dimes hitting plastic accompanies her statement.

Eien Fumetsu watches the pots of broth as they heat up. Beef, fish and vegetable." he turns when Stephanie walks in "Good day to you, I did get your email, Yamada-san. And we will do very well, I am sure." he offers her an encouraging smile.

Stephanie smiles back as she organizes the remaining coin rolls "You look all set to go. I think people are really liking this special."

Eien nods and looks at his prep area. Nothing sliced yet, as he likes to do it as its ordered. "I am glad to be of service, Yamada-san. How have you been. Your son is well?" he finds Westerners like to be asked about their home life.

Stephanie Yamada snorts "Well the school called today. Tristan and his friends decided to cut each other’s hair at recess. He came home half bald. I took him to Luxe and told them to set the clippers on him. Apparently the Chen kids got sheered by Ushi. Shoulda sent her Tristan too..."

Eien nods and grins slightly. "Boys will do things like that. I did not dare mess with my hair. My mother .. it would have been very bad." he chuckles and almost by instinct reaches for the wrap around his locs.

Stephanie shuts the till drawer and clicks the mouse around looking through a few accounts on the computer "Well my boy hangs out with girls so we'll see how they like their brush cuts. Rosalee and Lian Chen are his closest friends. So you had a strict mother Eien?" she says half teasing.

Eien nods and smiles. "Ah, so maybe they wanted to impress pretty girls?" he wonders. "I spent much time slouched terribly in school to be more like the other boys." he nods and sighs. "I did. She ... how do I say it. She wanted me to be Trini, but in Japan it was not easy. My father was half Japanese but worked like a pure Japanese man. My mother would yell at him that Trini men work hard too, maybe harder than Japanese, she would say. And then ... they would argue."

Stephanie drops her teasing approach and says kindly "I'm sorry. That must have been hard to grow up with. I'm not even convinced Tris likes girls but we'll see what evolves." she says with a small shrug.

Eien shakes his head. "No .. it is .. Japanese do not fight. But Trini ... fight ... it is ... the passion in them .. us." he shrugs and then blinks. "He could like boys? Is that alright with you?" he blinks once, unsure.

Stephanie looks pretty balanced about it "Well he's 9 so it's hard to tell but I just have a feeling about it. And I could be wrong. Really I just want him to grow up a happy person so whatever paths he chooses, as long as he finds joy, I'll support it." She smiles and nods "Oh I know my parents tried so hard not to fight because of how they were raised but Sometimes there were those long silences." she laughs "Better to just say it I think."

Eien chuckles. "They would fight over me ... should I be Trini or should I be Japanese. It is not easy to be both. When I feel a passion, the Japanese man wants to .. to not show it." he looks at her and then down at the counter. "To just say it is .. very hard."

Stephanie looks amused "Canada's going to be fun for you Eien. Go to a hockey game. You'll see people expressing their passion." she laughs "Then they rip their jerseys off and punch each other in the face. I'm not even making it up." She pops open the debit printer to check how much of the roll is left and then closes it.

Eien arches a brow. "If I can find time, I will take your advice, Yamada-san." he cants his head. Sounds nothing like Sumo, which he was never a fan of.

Stephanie looks around the restaurant and then out the window "I hate hockey, but it is Canadian. Get Ryan and his friends talking though....they'd take you to a game."

Eien nods. "I hate sumo." he says in an undertone. "So I understand. I will speak to your brother. He is closer to my age, so that would be right, I think." hearing that she hates hockey puts the kibosh on one potential plan of his. Ah well.

 Jun Saigawa walks in smiling an comes up to the counter directly

Stephanie smiles at the familiar customer "Good evening. What can we get for you?"

Eien looks at Jun when he walks in. "Heyro! he greets him. "Welcome. The nabe, sir?" they are good friends, but a, this is business and b, he likes ribbing his friend.

Jun laughs at his friend so formal address and plays along 'no sir.. ' he bows 'I’ll need a take away order

Stephanie looks curiously between the two men and grabs the order pad "Uh...OK....are you guys kidding around?" she asks with a smile.

Eien arches his brow in mock surprise. "You and May will have a food fight tonight?" he smiles. "What can I get for you?" he glances at Stephanie. "Forgive me, Yamada-san. Jun-kun is the first Japanese I met here .. we are friends. It was inappropriate of me to be so unbusinesslike." and the Japanese trumps Trini 1-0.

Jun chuckles softly 'food fight or food love making .. you never know what you get around the Saigawa Castle ' he states . he looks at Stephanie 'Eien is a devoted Nihonjin 'he chuckles

Oshi Shikigami: Oh! yum! Whale tonight! Sound good! Oshi mumbles mockly under breath. Now I KNOW I am with Japanese pepole, the real ones! A she approaches the counter, and smiles to the attendant. "I would like to of your delicious specials, she says with her most polite and formal Japanese and pays for the orders.

Stephanie answers back in Japanese as well and a smile "The Nabe for you then? Take any seat you like and we'll set you up with a pot."

Tatsu Yume: Heya CUS, got it set up yet???

Eien smiles and puts his hands together. "I thin yo humble, or honored customer." and grumbles "Baka" and then smiles brightly at Oshi. "One moment, preeze." and he picks up a knife and freeses when .. SHE .. enters behind her cousin. But recovers and begins to prepare the tray.

Jun chucles as he watches Tatsu arrive and his eyebrow raises 'ill have two orders of Sakura rolls and do you have anything without fish ..Mays still breastfeeding

Oshi Shikigami: Tatsu, I am tired of having to scrape you up from the cemetery every time it is time to eat! What give girl?

Tatsu Yume: What? I was just painting, and you supposedly like when I do that? she says with a mock tone.

Stephanie pours a pot of green tea and grabs two cups heading towards the table with the women. She smiles between Eien and Jun "I'll let you guys sort out the order. Just let me know when it's time to ring in." She steps up to the table "Tea for you ladies?"

Eien prepares the Nabe tray, the broth now boiling furiously. He sets everything on the tray and nods. "I can make you something with no fish. It is no problem. Does she like White Rock?" he wonders, not knowing she moved. He finishes up the tray and delivers it while un decides what he wants with no fish. Carefully he sets the tray down. "Here you are." he smiles at Oshi and the, straightening, to Tatsu.

Oshi Shikigami: Well don't take "tone" with me! I am just hoping your art would include something other than tombstone and blood?

Tatsu Yume: What else has any meaning? Really?

Jun chuckles 'she hates White Rock so she move to Alexandra .. she loves that place except for her nosey sea witch of a neighbour.

Oshi bows to Stephanie when she presents the order and smiles weakly.

Stephanie looks ruefully between the women and quietly pours the tea with a small smile.

Oshi Shikigami: So dear, did you see, that the Americans just did another space launch? Cygnus the swan, it was And no, I don’t know why they call a rocket a swan...

Tatsu Yume: 'its cus it is just as likely to do a swan dive into the ocian, I guess?

Stephanie leaves the teapot "We'll have a tray for you shortly." she says warmly and heads back to the cash desk. She looks between Eien and Jun "So what can I ring your formal friend in for?"

((I think a bunch of us screwed that up and the order was actually already put down by Eien but play along like that never happened dear readers:))

Oshi Shikigami: Well I for one, think it is important to keep stuff getting to 'International Space Station!, The have a Japanese astronaut there, you know?

Tatsu Yume: Yeah? And like what does he do, make sure they have rice every day? Sarcasm evident in her voice...

Eien comes back behind the counter. "Alexandra. That sounds familiar to me. Who is the sea hag? Someone who does not like hafa?" he looks over at the conversation with Oshi and her cousin and maybe Stephanie. He blinks at the cousin’s reply and again looks at Jun. "Vegetarian roll?" he suggests, then sneaks a look past Jun towards Oshi and Stephanie. he arches his brows at Stephanie, as he’d placed the nabe tray on the table a moment after she set the tea there.

((Yep we did….shh just keep reading:))

Oshi Shikigami: Young lay, Oshi says in formal Japanese, That is no way to talk about a national hero, and a very well educated man!

Tatsu Yume: Yeah, so important big man... I suppose. But we only have one there. Just one.... She sounds genuinely sad.

Stephanie glances over to see what Eien is rolling for his friend and then says "Thanks for getting that tray Eien. You are too quick."

Eien watches Jun on his phone and begins to prepare the vegetarian roll. he knows nothing of nursing mothers so he just does it. Looking over to Stephanie, he smiles and bows his head. "I work hard for Yamada family." he isn’t being a smart ass, he really is working hard. "The faster orders get out the happier the customer, the happy customer tells their friends ... more business for the Yamadas."

Oshi Shikigami: Well young lady, if you ever think they are going to stop calling us whale killer, and find some dignity to what we do, it will not be by writing comic books and making hello kitty city mascots...

Tatsu Yume: Oh so now anime and manga make us look S T U P I D to the rest of the world? Tatsu's voice starts to rise.

Stephanie laughs at Eien and then watches the table with the two women with a slight brow raise.

Eien looks at the tale with the women and arches his brow, curiously. He isn’t sure if the girl means us as in Canadians, Japanese or .. what.

Upon receipt of the hot pot, Oshi bowed politely and said thanks to her server with a whimsical smile that says, so sorry, I am talking to a teenager, look in her face.

Tatsu Yume: Tats pokes her pot contents absent mindedly for a moment, and then says I HATE boys! There is this P  I  G at school, that has no manors and tries to get my attrition all the time! arg!

Jun hangs up the call 'yeah she said a vegetarian was fine .. extra avocados ' he chuckles ' he smiles 'dunno about the sea hag... he say .. she’s old fashion ..Probably doesn’t like May with some oriental . ' he sighs ' on maybe she need to get laid dunno '

Stephanie chuckles a little at the young girl's words and then observes Jun's conversation with Eien "So what can I ring you in for then?"

Eien looks up sharply at the comment about may and getting laid, then looks pointedly down at his prep area, adding the extra avocado and rolling the vegetables int he rice and seaweed carefully but quickly. "Yea ... vegetarian roll. Should freeze it some for you .. How far is this Alexandra?"

Oshi Shikigami: Now boys IN GENERAL, are OK. They clean up well, in any case. But some are 'Pigs' as you say. But soon, and I think real soon, you might have a few other ideas. Mumbling to herself, she says, if you ever go somewhere other than the cemetery anyway...

 “Well, if it takes that, I am not holding my breath.” Tatsu says with mock indignation.

Jun Saigawa: nods 'a bit away .. so yeah "

Stephanie keys on vegetarian roll into the till, ready to adjust numbers if there are more. She patiently watches Eien to see what to ring in while eavesdropping on the table of women.

Eien packages up the vegetarian roll and sets it int he freezer for a moment. Then he takes a fresh pot of tea to the Oshi table and switches them out, bowing. "This most humble pig is at your service." and he winks at Oshi and backs off, winking at Stephanie as well to show he is not being an ass hole.

Oshi Shikigami: "Alexandria" catches Oshi's ear and she pauses for a moment. "I think Alexandria would be a nice place for the two of us to visit. We could find new places to paint....

Tatsu Yume: Anyplace but here? Tatsu said with a perk in her voice. "Uh yeah" and tries to not look excited, when she knows it shows.

 Oshi smiles tiredly at Eien.

Stephanie puts a hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh at Eien and just shakes her head slightly at Jun.

Jun nods 'its very picturesque .. my wife loves it there ..lovely backdrop for an artistic endeavor….oh my.” 

Oshi Shikigami: We need to make, how they say, A ROAD TRIP! with some level of real enthusiasm in her voice.

Tatsu Yume: A road trip Tatsu repeats, and she starts to smile, yeah It would be somewhere else than here? I am as they say, "all in"! And she cracks a smile.

Eien nods and smiles at Jun, preparing and delivering a tray to the new NPC customers who ordered.

Oshi Shikigami: So, can you please, take down that fishing rod,and the sign pasted on it that says, "Best whale cater, this side of the pacific" on it? It's embarrassing! Oshi says with a weak smile.

Tatsu Yume: OK, I was not getting any bites anyway...Tatsu seems a bit less then genuine.

Stephanie snickers and quietly mutters "Whale cater." before addressing Jun "My friend's sister just went to Alexandra. I haven't been in years. We used to play them in volleyball back in high school. Sweet little town." The phone rings on the wall and she leans sideways to grab it. She had noticed Eien making up a new tray and was glad he was just on top of his game with one chef sick "Sakura Sushi?" she chimes into the phone. She grabs the order pad and poises to write.

Eien  moves slightly closer to Stephanie and looks confused. Leaning in, he murmurs softly in her ear. "Is legal to hunt whales in Canada?" he wonders, completely at a loss.

Oshi Shikigami: If you do, I will show you one of my kendo moves that you won’t see in any of those "kun fu" movies you wath here! She tries to sound enthusiastic and it sounds mostly genuine.

Tatsu Yume: Oh, oh, yes! please do! If I have a big stick, I can beat those boys when they get stupid!

Jun just patiently waits as he texts his May .. ' he laughs  softly as he listens and waits

Stephanie Yamada hears Eien in her other ear as she writes down an order. She looks like she's trying not to laugh at him and holds up one finger as she keeps writing "Clam miso....shoot you know our delivery guy....you know what, never mind, I have it covered....I'll call you back if it's going to be awhile." she hangs up and hands the order to Eien, darting a sideways look at the women's table and dropping her voice "I think you have to be Aboriginal for it to be legal...like the Inuit...way of life as opposed to for commercial fishing."

Eien waits for the reply and when he gets it, he nods, still at a complete loss as he takes the order and looks at it. Setting IT down, he moves into he cooler, bringing back some clans and the vegetarian sushi. The sushi he wraps very quickly in foil .. three times .... and packages it. "That should stay cold a good time." he tells Jun. Then he gets working on the clam miso.

Jun looks at Eien 'that sounds good can you add clam miso to my order ' he says in response to Steph. '

Oshi Shikigami: Kendo - it is serious stuff! Oshi tries to sound stiff and important. Sounding a lot like a school phys-ed teacher. AND it can get you hurt if you do not learn with respect! She says with mock and real appreciation...

Tatsu Yume: Yeah, I had her for a teacher too! What a witch! She "know" everything! Tatsu said with exasperation. Obviously they had had the same instructor in school.

Stephanie  nods at Jun and then looks at Eien for a second before clicking in the clam miso for Jun and then discreetly pulling out her phone and sending a text. She holds the phone to wait for the reply while she glances up at the table of women, drawn in by the word kendo.

Eien glances over at Jun as he silently begins to double the order. He opens his mouth and his eyes glint. "Hush, Eien." he says to himself not making a dirty comment in front of this ... too grown child. Instead he looks at Jun. "What you know about hockey?" he wonders.

Jun Saigawa” umm that May is mad about it but nothing other than that.”

Oshi Shikigami: When you E A R N it, I will give you a sparing kendo stick. But young lady, you will E A R N it, she says spelling out the words.

Tatsu Yume: Oh great, you tell me I get one then you add all those (air quote) rules... Bummer!... Tatsu looks like she was gong to have to work a lot harder than she thought.

Stephanie smiles to herself eavesdropping on the young girl's struggle and then looks down as her phone make a little ding. She self consciously turns the volume off like she's trying not to draw attention to it and then turns slightly to the wall and types back briefly.

Eien considers and puts the sushi back in the freezer then returns to the miso. "The foil will get cold and help more." he explains to Jun. It will be ready soon.

Oshi Shikigami: I was older than you when I made first level. and it took me until my senior year to reach level three. You will go only as fast (she pauses for emphasis) when you *truly* earn it!

Tatsu Yume: Yeah yeah, I will be good, no! I will (air quotes) do my best!  (with mock enthusiasm.)

Jun nods 'did you get my order of sakura rolls ?"  he continues to text but looks up at Eien

Tatsu Yume makes a hand gesture of putting a banner around her head.

Stephanie looks at her list on the till screen and reads it to Jun "Sakura roll, veggie and a clam miso? Is that all?"

Eien nods and hold up a finger turning and takaing them out of the oven. "Hot rolls and soup and cold sushi." he nods in approval. He pours two orders of the soup, bozes the rolls and takes the sushi out of the cooler. Packaging one soup, rolls and the sushi beautifully, he presents it to Jun. "Yamada-san will ring you up."

Jun looks over at the ladies beaming but a bit scared ..'kinda glad i have a while before i have to worry about that with Bethany .. 'he chuckles stating this after turning back to Eien .. 'hai ' he adds ' he receives the sushi before going over to Stephanie

Oshi Shikigami: Look, cousin, I understand, I feel for you. You ger dumped here, anywhere, without any real notice. you are stuck with a cousin, that you don't know all that much. You dont know, that your parents are 'ever" (word said carefully but with emphasis) going back home, or see them again... It is scary. I understand that, as best I can. You are family, and you tink I (air quotes) have to care for you. It is true. But I do, I really do care for you. You as a cousin. You as a talented human... Oshi's voice trails off

Tatsu, is stunned by this admission, she looks weekly for a while and looks like she does not know what to say. And she pokes at her dinner, like it was all that existed in the world.

Stephanie is momentarily distracted by a serious shift in the conversation at the table of two women and then snaps her gaze to Jun "Sorry, what....oh um...after tax it's $13.85 please."

Eien prepares another nabe tray for another customer, laughing and joking and beng entertaining to the audience. Basically he missed the whole exchange between the cousins.

Oshi Shikigami: Look, I am just trying to do what I must. But that does NOT mean I do it only because. I also do because I see a bit, no, a lot of me in you! I was just like you. no really. I was.

Tatsu Yume: You just say that because you have to? You say it because of family obligation yes? She begins to look unsure. And then she again pokes her food with deliberation.

Jun pulls out his wallet the picture sleeve falls out like accordion . he shrugs then gets to the cash and hands over the money .. before he stashes his wallet and pulls back the accordion pic sleeve you can see him with a lovely redhead at what looks like in their teens and then a current picture of his family of a small Japanese baby boy , a year old girl, May clutching him . and Jun giving a blonde 6 year old a piggy back ride .. at Tokyo Disney with mickey and daisy

Stephanie takes the cash and counts out change and then smiles as she passes it to Jun "Cute kids."

Eien packages up the second order of Miso and looks at Stephanie. "Order up." he looks at Jun. "A father with a daughter is blessed and cursed." he teases.

Oshi looks to cousin, and has an inscrutable look. and slowly smiles. daring not to breath too hard, least it burst her vision of reality....

Tatsu, seems uncharacteristically quite, and pokes at her food with upheld enthusiasm and ponders.

Jun smiles ‘thanks. he bow 'my whole world ' yeah with this one ' he mutter in osaka slang Japanese 'with my luck.. ; He shakes his head

Jun holds up a finger as his phone rings again.

Oshi Shikigami: You had enough yet? If so, let’s go back upstairs? I can show you a few move with that kendo stick...

Tatsu Yume: Uh, yeah, I think I would actually like that cousin, if your bones don 'creek' to much, that is! (a smile slowly crosses her face.)

Stephanie smiles warmly at Jun and then glances at the table of women briefly before looking at Eien "Oh...thanks.." she says and takes the miso. Oddly, she looks like she watching out the window for someone. A minute later she spots someone and steps out from behind the counter "Scuse me." she says and slips out the door. Her brother Ryan can be seen taking the order from her hands but if you blink you'll miss him. Stephanie walks back in casually like nothing happened at all and scratches at the back of her hair as she walks to the till.

Eien watches with raised eyebrows, but says very little except. "I am not the only fast one, Yamada-san." and he moves to bus one table before seeing if Oshi and her cousin are also done.

Oshi makes sure the bill is taken care of, including a Canadian sized tip. And she smiles weekly at her cousin and says, let's go home...

Tatsu looks at her cousin s if seeing something for the first time, smiles a weak smile, and says SURE! and head to the door.

Stephanie waves at them as the ladies go "Thank you! Goodnight."

Eien bows in the direction of Oshi and her cousin, smiling. "Thank you for coming and please come again." and when they are gone, he busses their table.

Jun laughs after hanging up 'dad said i was japans cure for the lack of baby making 'he laughs 'too bad .. 'he say not sorry at all 'i need to chase my sexy wife back to her homeland ' he laughs

Stephanie smiles at Jun "Good luck with that. And thank you."

Eien chuckles. "You will have another soon, I bet." he predicts.

Jun laughs 'I bet I will 'he winks

Stephanie inventories out 2 clam misos but doesn't put them through the debit machine and chuckles along.

Eien moves to bus another table and takes another order.

Jun Saigawa “Kinda hard not to stay away from May.. 'he say laughing softly

Stephanie looks up and smiles and then the phone rings again and she leans over and grabs it "Sakura Sushi?"

Eien chuckles. "Someday maybe I will know that feeling."

Jun smiles 'well maybe you .. you never know who will cross your pah .. i was just an anime otaku in the anime club at my high school when a redhead of a goddess came to my school as foreign exchange student .. very interested in Japanese culture and had otaku level liking of anime.. who oddly enough she was blessing by the Kami with the name Annie-May

Eien nods. "We will see ... I am more busy than Western women seem to like." he shrugs. "But I have MY anime and my work."

Jun nods

Jun Saigawa “ just try bigger towns or something.. I dunno maybe may has an otakus friend 'he scratches his head

Eien  holds up his hand. "I will look in Vancouver first. If I cannot we will talk about your wife’s sex addicted friends." he laughs

Jun laughs 'how do you know they’re sex addict ' he say teasing him

Eien arches his brow. "Anime is not all that holds you two together."

Jun looks at you mockingly shocked 'yeah love does .. ' he states

Eien snorts. "That and my clam miso." he argues.

Eien buses another table. "It is time or closing, Jun-kun." he sounds a little regretful. "Time for me to go home to my otaku-emotu bed." he winks

Jun nods ‘maybe  ... 'he shrug 'she say thank you .. he say getting his order as he prepares to leaving 'you know I heard clams are aphrodisiac , not that i need them 'he chuckles as he leaves.