=== Kagetsu & Bunet ===
--- C ---



[Kagetsu]
Ah...hunger has struck. Perfect time for onigiri.
[Bunet]
Kagetsu.
[Kagetsu]
Oh! Bunet! How did you appear so suddenly?
[Bunet]
Those little food triangles. Onigiri, you
called them.
[Bunet]
I've never seen one before. What are they
made of?
[Kagetsu]
Try one for yourself. Have mine.
[Bunet]
Are you sure? Well, all right, then.
[Bunet]
Mmm... It's delicious!
[Bunet]
A ball of rice, lightly salted and wrapped in
seaweed. And, and...um...grilled fish, yes?
[Kagetsu]
Yes! Salted salmon!
[Bunet]
I see. By all appearances, the simplest of foods,
yet it contains hidden depths of flavor.
[Bunet]
Please, teach me how to make this.
[Kagetsu]
It would be my pleasure. However, I have
obligations to Princess Ivy as her retainer.
[Kagetsu]
If I set aside my duty to teach you onigiri, she
will be displeased.
[Bunet]
Ah. Disappointing, but I understand.
[Bunet]
In that case, I will master the art of making
onigiri on my own.
[Kagetsu]
I admire your passion! Tell me when you are
done, and I will provide your taste test.
[Bunet]
Naturally. I will rely on you to judge whether
I am capturing the food's essence.
--- B ---



[Bunet]
Kagetsu! It is time.
[Kagetsu]
What for?
[Bunet]
Did you forget?
[Bunet]
Since we last spoke, I have been absorbed in
the art of making onigiri.
[Bunet]
I experimented with ingredients, rice-density
levels... For days, I thought of nothing else.
[Bunet]
Finally, after all that toil, I made this.
[Kagetsu]
Oooh... It looks very good.
[Kagetsu]
But more important than how it looks is what it
contains. Tell me the ingredients inside!
[Bunet]
I used dates, harvested fresh from a date palm.
Something of a Solmic specialty.
[Kagetsu]
Date palm? That is eccentric. I do not know
this ingredient.
[Bunet]
Give it a try.
[Kagetsu]
I will indeed!
[Kagetsu]
Hm. Hm. Hmm...
[Kagetsu]
Sweetness is unexpected for onigiri... But not
unwelcome! The rice takes well to it.
[Bunet]
Doesn't it? I went through much trial and error
before landing on dates.
[Kagetsu]
Yes, it is delicious! Very good. However...
[Kagetsu]
It is flavored more like ohagi.
[Bunet]
Like what?!
[Bunet]
Are you saying that something like this
already exists?
[Kagetsu]
Yes! Ohagi is when sweet rice is rolled up and
covered with red bean paste.
[Bunet]
Oh...
[Bunet]
So, in short...this is not an onigiri.
[Kagetsu]
No, no! The shape is very accurate to onigiri!
[Bunet]
But it tastes like an ohagi.
[Bunet]
I appreciate your kind words, but I will not
settle for missing the mark.
[Bunet]
My culinary knowledge is lacking. Who knows
how many dishes have escaped my notice?
[Bunet]
Excuse me. I must go study.
[Kagetsu]
Your onigiri was delicious, and yet you remain
so eager to learn more...
--- A ---



[Kagetsu]
I am curious, Bunet. What motivates you to
learn so many new foods?
[Bunet]
I wish to become a poet of the plate.
[Bunet]
To me, that means expressing my vision with
the broadest possible vocabulary of flavors.
[Bunet]
I thought I was well on my way to fluency in all
existing culinary languages, but alas...
[Bunet]
I didn't even know...about ohagi.
[Kagetsu]
...
[Kagetsu]
We are very much alike, it seems.
[Bunet]
What? How do you mean?
[Kagetsu]
I left my home in search of knowledge about
the world at large.
[Kagetsu]
Seeking out strong opponents to fight has
been my way to experience new horizons.
[Kagetsu]
At Elusia Castle, I had my first encounter with
true defeat. And that is when I realized...
[Kagetsu]
The ones I fought there were very strong. But
so many other strong ones await me still.
[Bunet]
Hm. Our situations do seem similar.
[Bunet]
You wish to become the world's best fighter,
just as I wish to become the world's best chef.
[Kagetsu]
I have been fortunate to become retainer to
Princess Ivy. This position is teaching me much.
[Kagetsu]
I am now able to see that it is not necessary
for me to meet every strong opponent there is.
[Kagetsu]
I cannot hope to know everything. What I can do
is focus on mastering my own skill.
[Bunet]
How wise. I wonder if I will ever be able to
adopt your accepting attitude.
[Kagetsu]
...
[Kagetsu]
Bunet, I have decided. I will contribute to
your path toward mastery.
[Kagetsu]
If you wish it, I will tell you all that I know
of cuisine in my culture.
[Kagetsu]
Pale Sands lives in isolation, so there may be
no other way for you to study it.
[Bunet]
That sounds wonderful, but...you said you were
busy with your retainer duties.
[Kagetsu]
But you and I are friends. And I can always
make time for friendship!
[Bunet]
Thank you, Kagetsu.
[Bunet]
I will pay you back in onigiri.
[Bunet]
The proper kind this time. Made with salted fish
and seaweed.
[Kagetsu]
Yes, but be sure to include ones with dates
as well. They were delicious too!
[Bunet]
Hahaha, as you wish. Prepare to have your
mouth water.
[Bunet]
I am looking forward to learning more about
your culture.
--- S ---