37/New Food, New Friends

New Food, New Friends
Date of Scene:	06 July 2023
Location:	Radiant Heart Academy
Synopsis:	Molly and Rashmi meet; Molly learns a little etiquette, Rashmi treats her to some new food on the way home, and the two discuss food, culture, and Kit Kat Flavors.
Cast of Characters:	Molly Skyline, Rashmi Terios

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Molly Skyline has posed:
Sometimes in your life, you just have to accept that you stick out like a sore thumb.

Molly Skyline, fresh exchange student from Great Britain, is having one of those moments. She looks totally different from everyone else; aside from everything else, she's wearing a British school uniform right at the precise moment. White shirt, black tie, black jacket, and a black knee-length skirt with white socks that come almost up to her knees, and black shoes, polished to a shine as per required spcifications.

The British sure are boring about their school uniforms.

Right now she's standing in more or less the middle of the shops area, with a backpack slung over one shoulder, heedless to the one untied shoe (gotta rebel somehow), and looking generally a little bit bewildered. A bit like a zebra that has somehow found itself in an alternate universe entirely populated by lions.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
When you're a newbie magical girl...

Making friends is not just a skill, it's a survival strategy. Especially when you're not an offensively-oriented Mage of little actual experience, having someone to help and to help you in a scrape, is critical.

But if you're not really *good* at making friends... maybe best to get some practice in, first. Like on one of the current crop of foreign students, looking lost and confused. At least being new to this actual palace of a school is something they have in common?

"Eh... excuse me?" Says the dark-skinned redhead from a few paces behind Molly, eyes wide behind her glasses. "Are you lost, miss?"

While Molly hasn't been around long enough to catch the nuances of the Japanese language beyond how her mother might speak it, the redhead has an *extremely* distinct accent. Some of the lilt of India, and something a native speaker would clock as from Kansai, to the south.

Molly Skyline has posed:
While Molly isn't that familiar with the Indian accent to know which part of the country someone might hail from by listening to them speak, she at least is able to identify the accet. She's been to enough Indian-owned businesses (especially curry houses!) in London for that much.

Still, it takes a moment before she clocks taht the voice is in fact directed at her.

"Oh!" The British student spins around, and ahems, blushing softly. "I'm sorry," she answers, speaking with the obvious slowness of someone who is A) not speaking their first language and B) not speaking a language they're quite comfortable with just yet. "Uhm, hi," she states, awkwardly. "Uhh, yes, I am lost. And I frankly have no idea where I'm going. But I'm hungry and I... actually have no idea what's good to eat here." She blushes more deeply.

"And that probably makes me sound stupid. Sorry." She pauses, and ahems softly. Change tactics maybe? "Uhm, I'm Molly. What's your name?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"This place is just *so big,* isn't it?" Rashmi says, bobbing her head in understanding. "Are you living in the dorms, though? Or d'you have a place outside of the school? I could walk with you, if you're worried about getting more lost?"

To any schoolkid, the state of Absolute Bookworm Energy radiating off the redhead is unmistakable. Glasses, longer-than-regulation skirt, some probably nerd charm holding her neckerchief knot in place... But while clearly somewhat shy, her smile is one of gentle reassurance. "I'm Rashmi Terios, ehm... Molly-san?" Her head tilts to one side, as if to silently ask if Molly has more names than the one, but she *does* manage the 'l' sounds better than most.

Molly Skyline has posed:
"Err. Molly Skyline," she answers. "And I've been taking Japanese classes for a while, and my Mom has been teaching me -- well, one of my Moms -- but today is my first day actually speaking it, all day, uhh, Rashmi... san?" She pauses afterwards, biting her bottom lip as she waits for a moment to see if that gets corrected.

"Yeah, if you'd like to help me escape, that'd be wonderful. I live about a twenty minute walk away, and if I tell my Moms you rescued me, I can guarantee you they'll reward you with some food. ...Probably sushi." She holds her arms up in the air to either side of her. "One of my Moms is Japanese, even though I'm like, so British it hurts."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Terios-san, please," Rashmi says, her smile not falling away. "I know it's probably strange, but first names are for people who're *super* close friends. Or dating. Or, I mean, probably both! But I'd be happy to show you home, sure! Just, uh... Where is it?" she says, as she gestures toward the exit to the school proper. "Here, we'll go this way, and figure it out from there."

As they walk, Rashmi keeps up a constant, if uncertain, stream of chatter. "I'm half-Japanese too, on my father's side. He met Mami when he was a vagrant chef, in Kolkata, and they came back here to open up their curry shop. It's out that way, in Pikarigaoka, but I do love sushi! What's your favorite kind?"

Molly Skyline has posed:
Molly has not yet found a reason to stop blushing. "It's not strange, just different," she replies. "In Britain, anyone under eighteen is always automatically on a first name basis with anyone else who is also under eighteen. You only ever use last names for adults. Nobody ever uses them for kids or teenagers. I didn't mean to be rude."

The British teen falls into step alongside Rashmi, holding the one strap of her backpack that's slung over her shoulder as she walks. "I'm not Japanese by any percentage, my Moms adopted me three years ago," she explains. "I've been in Japan like, three days. So this is all pretty new to me, I--" she pauses, "Wait, curry? I love curry. And, sushi? Oh, uhm. Rainbow rolls and Dragon rolls. Which I know are totally made for Western diners but Mom always made them back home in England, so I love them."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"I mean, *I* love garlic naan and spinach curry," Rashmi laughs, shrugging her shoulders. "But those aren't *real* Indian dishes! It's okay, though. Papi always says that food is love, so as long as it makes you happy it's good, right?"

As they reach the entrance, Rashmi looks left, then right. "So... which way was it, to your place? ...Oh! One of your moms makes candy, right? Have you ever had taiyaki before?"

Molly Skyline has posed:
"Sushi," Molly replies, "Not candy. At least, not regularly, she makes treats for dessert all the time and sometimes that's cake and sometimes it's... not cake."

What a masterful dichotomy.

"My other Mom makes motorcyles and fast cars. ...Yes, I live in a second-floor apartment above a sushi bar and a tuner shop. I know that's probably weird, but it works for my Moms." She shrugs her shoulders lightly, and tilts her head over to the left. "This way! It's not super far, like I said. I *really* appreciate you coming with me."

Molly hefts her backpack, and undoes the buttons of her jacket, a garment that was clearly designed for a... colder climate. "So... what's Taiyaki?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Aheh... I live in a second-floor apartment above a curry shop, with a spice garden on the roof?" Rashmi says. "I *hope* that's not weird... Also, em... one second."

And the redhead turns and dashes toward a nearby wheeled card, and after some talk buys two... fish-shaped... pancakes? wrapped in plastic, her red hair tugged by a mild breeze that doesn't do much to beat the July heat.

Trotting back, she offers one out to Molly. Indeed, it seems to be a cartoony fish-shaped pancake, bulging with filling in the middle, and covered with some kind of dull purple glaze. "I got the ones stuffed with ube-- um. That's, like, a purple sweet potato? I like the red-bean ones best myself, but they're almost always sold out."

Molly Skyline has posed:
"Maybe it's weird? But who cares?" Molly shrugs her shoulders emphatically. "I spent two years in school being called weird. You know what living in an apartment above a curry house with a spice garden on the roof really is, though? It's *awesome*. And I'm really glad to hear that you live somewhere that cool and not just like in a bungalow or something."

Molly might've been about to say something else, but instead Rashmi's off to a cart; so MOlly just stands there awkwardly for a moment. She uses the time to loosen her tie and undo the top couple buttons of her shirt, because it's hot out here. And then she takes off her jacket and stuffs it unceremoniously into her backpack.

"Oh, thank you!" She smiles as she accepts the gift of fish-shaped pancake. "I-- uhm, any etiquette I need to know about accepting gifts in Japan? In England you just say thinks and stuff your face with it."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Go ahead," the redhead chuckles. "There probably is, but not for people your own age I wouldn't think."

And she lifts the flap on her plastic package, tugs her fish out a bit, and just bites down on the fish's face.

When Molly follows suit, she discovers it's... not *quite* a pancake. Crispy and fluffy, like a pancake and waffle in one, and the filling is a starchy-sweet paste that is just *violently* purple with a hint of gray.

"C'mon, let's get you home then," Rashmi says, stepping around behind Molly -- probably so that the British girl doesn't get whacked in the face with a plait the size of a large paintbrush -- and gesturing for her companion to join her as she starts walking down the road.

Molly Skyline has posed:
"...Oh. Ohmigod. This is delicious." Molly needs a moment to process the flavors in her mouth after taking the first bite, and has to jog a few steps to catch up with Rashmi. "This thing is amazing." She ahems, "Contrary to popular beliefe, British food is actually not awful, but coming here is gonna be an acventure for sure. And I love adventures."

Molly slows her pace once more as she properly catches up, and for the next several moments is busy just... eating the fish shaped pancake. "So, uhm," she asks, between bites. "If you don't mind my asking, what grade are you in? I'm a grade ten... not entirely sure if it corresponds directly to grades in England but it's still high school here, right?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Tenth, same as you!" Rashmi chirps. "And it is, but um... Oh, what was it... oh! But the year is different. Like, eh... School starts in, um... September, right? In the West? Here it starts in April, but we get August and a bit of July off, and the year ends in March."

The reaction to the snack *does* please Rashmi a great deal. "Oh yeah, you're gonna have a *huge* adventure just from the food alone. What flavors of KitKat do you have in England?"

Molly Skyline has posed:
"Yeah, in England we start in September, and it's the same in the Northern parts of America. Souther US states though, I've heard they do it differently, to accomodate students getting their summer break when there isn't hurricanes." Molly grins, pleased to see Rashmi being, well, pleased that she's enjoying the snack.

"I'll definitely have to try the bean ones you were talking about. I *love* trying new things." She tilts her head, and furrows her brow. Flavors of Kit Kat? "Uhm... Kit Kats? We have... Kit Kat flavor." She shrugs. "Occasionally they do like mint or vanilla ones or something but they're only ever temporary. Why?"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Well I mean, to give you an idea of what kind of adventure you'll be going on..." Rashmi pauses, looking down at her hands and muttering as she counts off on her fingers. "...I think by now there's two hundred flavors or so? *Lots* of stuff, like cherry-blossom and tea, wine grapes, peach, ginger ale, there was a soy sauce one I'm not sure is still around..."

Molly Skyline has posed:
Molly has to swallow in a hurry, as she just about explodes in surprise. "Wait, what?! How many flavors? TWO HUNDRED?!" She finishes the fish pancake that isn't actually fish and throws her hands up in the air. "There's two hundred flavors, but in England all we get is literally just KitKat flavor and mint once a year?"

Once the teen is done picking her jaw up off the floor, she plants her hands on her hips. "Alright, Mom's got some explaining to do about how she never told me about that. Peach, you say? And Wine Grape? I dunno about soy sauce but I'll try it if I ever find any." She flashes a grin, "Since you're helping me get my adventure started, it'd only be fair if I ask... ever tried Yorkshire Pudding? or Toad in the Hole? ...The latter being if you eat meat, I mean, I don't wanna assume."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"I've heard of them," Rashmi answers, "And yes I do eat meat, but um... Aren't toads poisonous? I mean, they sell scrambled-egg-flavored dried shrimp heads in snack bags in konbenis here... But toads?" Pausing, she blinks at the middle distance for a moment. "...Oh, that's just a name, isn't it. Like mother-daughter donburi."

Molly Skyline has posed:
Molly laughs, and shakes her head, "No, just like how I'm sure you don't dice up a girl and her mum for that one, Toad in the Hole doesn't have actual toads in it." She grins, "It's pork sausages and onion, baked into yorkshire pudding, and then served with gravy and whatever veggies yu see fit to have. Also, it's amazing, and I'll get my British Mom to make it for you sometime."

"Mind you." Molly shrugs. "They eat frogs legs in France. And it's literally legs, from frogs. ...Also Escargot, which is snails, but that's actually pretty good. I thought it had to be the grossest thing ever until I tried it."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Okay good, so you're probably not gonna lose it when you see some of the things we got used to eating a long way back, if you can handle snails," Rashmi says, grinning. "See... there's *lots* of people in Tokyo alone, right? And when there's so many people, you gotta do some weird things to stand out and get business, right? So let me tell you about teddy-bear hotpot..."

Molly Skyline has posed:
Molly shakes her head, "There's... almost no food that'll put me off at least trying it," she replies. "I thought squid was gonna be pretty gross when I was a kid, but then I tried it, and it's amazing. So now I just try stuff. ...Though I heard in Korea they do this thing where you eat a live octopus, and I think I draw the line there, I can't... eat something that's still alive."

The teen's eyebrows rise, "Alright, say no more. Any place that has teddy bears, I'm in I guarantee you."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Oh," Rashmi says after a moment. "Then just so it doesn't surprise you, if you're at anyplace that has a lobster sashimi special... you don't want it. I mean it's good? But. THey serve it in the lobster's shell. And it's *definitely* dead, but I guess the salt in soy sauce does weird things to nerves? So it's... kinda still moving."

This produces a full-body shiver from the redhead, and she shakes her head. "Oh but the upside is? At least half the restaurants in Tokyo have a challenge dish. Papi's got one, but mostly because he *hates* when people order the spiciest stuff he can make. So he and Mami plan up revenge challenges. It's different for every challenge, but it *starts* with Mami's pickled ghost peppers."

Molly Skyline has posed:
"Oh I'll be there for the ghost peppers." Molly bobs her head, as the walk is forced to take a halt for a moment for traffic. Always best not to get run over, afterall! "See, I didn't grow up in London, mostly, I grew up in the country where there was exactly one curry house and it was run by this crusty old guy, who I promise you was hilarious." She pauses, "He'd make curry until we couldn't eat it anymore, and keep making it hotter and hotter, and it was always either Sarah, Adam, or I who won." She smirks, "And by 'won' I mean ate so much searing hot curry that we had stomach aches the next day, but hey."

"I'll have to ask my Mom what her challenge is gonna be, in the sushi bar. Since now I know that that's a thing. I'll have to make sure it's a good one."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"For sushi bars, you don't have to," Rashmi says. "Sushi chefs are like *artists* of food, y'know? Most of the time at a sushi place, there's just 'Omakase.' Which is just, like 'you pick what you think I'll like best,' and honestly you'll never see a chef more creative when a customer's challenging them like that, it's amazing."

As she register's Molly's relish toward the Korma's challenge, she seems to wilt a bit. "Well I mean... it's expensive. Like, you have to put down enough that Papi can close the restaurant for a few hours, y'know? Not because of the challenge, but because we need to fumigate the entire place afterward or nobody can eat there. ...Also I do the serving, and I have to wear a gas mask. Papi keeps telling me not to rub my eyes, but I can't help it..."

Molly Skyline has posed:
Molly shakes her head, "Not worry then, it won't be happening any time soon, 'cause I have no money. I came over here with two hundred pounds, and that... after the bank took their fee, converted up to around thirty-five thousand yen, which I am to understand is... I mean basically almost two hundred pounds which isn't all that much. So I most assuredly won't be blowing it all on one evening's worth of food."

Molly points towards a street, "I'm just over there," she adds. "My Mom's tuner shop isn't open yet, but she's already got some work lined up to take someone's Supra and turn it into a beast."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Well there's always part-time jobs," Rashmi points out. "And since you've only got fifteen more days of school before the break, you could probably make some really good pocket change doing summer work. *Especially* with all the stores outside the school, I hear they're *always* taking in students who want some spending money."

As Molly points out her street, the redhead grins. "Okay! I'm glad I could help, Skyline-san, did you want me to walk the rest of the way? If not, um..."

The starburst charm holding her neckerchief in place flashes in the lowering evening light, as she digs in her bookbag. After a moment, she comes up with a slightly crumpled flyer, bearing a forest of Japanese writing and an irresponsibly adorable chameleon mascot. "Here! When the address is on the bottom left, show this to the host and you'll get a first-time customer discount!"

Molly Skyline has posed:
"I'll make it!! But you're welcome to come now or any time. But I get it if you've got homework or something." Molly oohs, and takes the flier, holding it up to look at long enough to gawk at the chameleon. "You can bet I'll be there soon. I was worried I wasn't going to see curry again for a long time, and I love the stuff." She pauses, and ahems softly. "Acknowledging that my people kinda, uhm, stole it. Like we stole basically everything else. Except for the Pyramids, But only 'cause they were too hard to pack up into ships as it turns out."

Molly scratches behind her ear -- the one with the starburst earing -- and bobs her head. "Thank you for walking with me, Terios-san. I hope we get some classes together, 'cause you seem like you're pretty awesome."