[Day 2, Early Morning- Common Room/Kitchen] The Breakfast of Champions (Open)

[Bayushi Choudai]

Somehow, somehow, he had slept like a baby.

Despite everything- the competition, his continuing devotion to a married woman whose husband was a sensei of shinobi, weird monks looking and acting all freaky and hostile, the fact that he'd gotten a letter indicating that the negotiations for his own marriage had been finalized, he had slept restfully, and had awoken with a smile on his face.

Hatsuki in the twilight. The feel of her hand, of her lips.

There had always been a physical component of their relationship, of course, but...

But just being around her, I feel alive, feel better. I am better.

He hadn't even thought of Naishou the whole night.

I hope it's a girl. I hope we have a daughter. I hope she takes after Hatsuki as much as she can, and that she gets none of my weaknesses.

He bopped down to the common room, frowned, made a decision, and headed for the kitchen.

Today, today I am cooking my own damn breakfast.

[Heiribeiri]

Somehow, somehow, he had slept like a baby.

Despite everything- the competition, his continuing devotion to a married woman whose husband was a sensei of shinobi, weird monks looking and acting all freaky and hostile, the fact that he'd gotten a letter indicating that the negotiations for his own marriage had been finalized, he had slept restfully, and had awoken with a smile on his face.

Hatsuki in the twilight. The feel of her hand, of her lips.

There had always been a physical component of their relationship, of course, but...

But just being around her, I feel alive, feel better. I am better.

He hadn't even thought of Naishou the whole night.

I hope it's a girl. I hope we have a daughter. I hope she takes after Hatsuki as much as she can, and that she gets none of my weaknesses.

He bopped down to the common room, frowned, made a decision, and headed for the kitchen.

Today, today I am cooking my own damn breakfast.

"Yes, I know Shirako is out of season, but that's what they want......Well, come up with something will you?" said the urgent voice of the innkeeper from behind the kitchen door.

The door opened swiftly, and the hurried form started to barrel towards the oncoming Scorpion, before the innkeeper hit the brakes so hard you'd have thought the tatami would have shot forward in a wave.

He bowed deeply.

"Ah, Bayushi-sama. Is there something you need?" he asked politely, if urgently.

[Bayushi Choudai]

"Yes, I know Shirako is out of season, but that's what they want......Well, come up with something will you?" said the urgent voice of the innkeeper from behind the kitchen door.

The door opened swiftly, and the hurried form started to barrel towards the oncoming Scorpion, before the innkeeper hit the brakes so hard you'd have thought the tatami would have shot forward in a way.

He bowed deeply.

"Ah, Bayushi-sama. Is there something you need?" he asked politely, if urgently.

"I need to cook." He tilted his head to the side, just slightly. "I do not require much space."

And of course, neither brief statement was a question.

[Heiribeiri]

"Yes, I know Shirako is out of season, but that's what they want......Well, come up with something will you?" said the urgent voice of the innkeeper from behind the kitchen door.

The door opened swiftly, and the hurried form started to barrel towards the oncoming Scorpion, before the innkeeper hit the brakes so hard you'd have thought the tatami would have shot forward in a way.

He bowed deeply.

"Ah, Bayushi-sama. Is there something you need?" he asked politely, if urgently.

"I need to cook." He tilted his head to the side, just slightly. "I do not require much space."

And of course, neither brief statement was a question.

"Ah...um...of course, Bayushi-sama....although in truth, we have little enough space to offer what with an inn full of hungry samurai for the competition. It might be unpleasant for you to work in such conditions, and we'd have many angry samurai if we were to clear the kitchen for you." he explained.

It wasn't an argument against Choudai going in and cooking, merely some preventive covering of peasant butt if Choudai got bumped into by a busy peasant cook.

[Bayushi Choudai]

"Ah...um...of course, Bayushi-sama....although in truth, we have little enough space to offer what with an inn full of hungry samurai for the competition. It might be unpleasant for you to work in such conditions, and we'd have many angry samurai if we were to clear the kitchen for you." he explained.

It wasn't an argument against Choudai going in and cooking, merely some preventive covering of peasant butt if Choudai got bumped into by a busy peasant cook.

"Naturally. Some accommodations to the situation are only sensible."

A pause.

"Perhaps I can assist."

[Heiribeiri]

"Naturally. Some accommodations to the situation are only sensible."

A pause.

"Perhaps I can assist."

Heriberi made a mental note to send word to the magistrate's office in case people in his Inn starting dropping from poison.

"Ah..well, I don't see how I could possibly refuse such a generous offer, if that pleases you to endeavor as such, Bayushi-sama." he admitted.

[Bayushi Choudai]

Heriberi made a mental note to send word to the magistrate's office in case people in his Inn starting dropping from poison.

"Ah..well, I don't see how I could possibly refuse such a generous offer, if that pleases you to endeavor as such, Bayushi-sama." he admitted.

"Oh, it's nothing. Who is running the kitchen at present?"

Since it plainly wasn't this harried specimen.

[Heiribeiri]

"Oh, it's nothing. Who is running the kitchen at present?"

Since it plainly wasn't this harried specimen.

"Hm? Oh! That'd be Sunenokaiyo. Despite being new and quite young, she is incredibly adept in the kitchen....err, not as good as Bayushi-sama of course, but uh...exceptional for her station." he admitted.

[Bayushi Choudai]

"Hm? Oh! That'd be Sunenokaiyo. Despite being new and quite young, she is incredibly adept in the kitchen....err, not as good as Bayushi-sama of course, but uh...exceptional for her station." he admitted.

"Then I will see what she requires to compensate for my interfering with her duties."

[Heiribeiri]

"Hm? Oh! That'd be Sunenokaiyo. Despite being new and quite young, she is incredibly adept in the kitchen....err, not as good as Bayushi-sama of course, but uh...exceptional for her station." he admitted.

"Then I will see what she requires to compensate for my interfering with her duties."

"Ah...yes, of course. I'll let you get to it then, Bayushi-sama. If there was nothing else you needed of me?" he said, certain the inn was disintegrating as he stood here in idle conversation.

[Bayushi Choudai]

"Ah...yes, of course. I'll let you get to it then, Bayushi-sama. If there was nothing else you needed of me?" he said, certain the inn was disintegrating as he stood here in idle conversation.

"Nothing further." He smiled blandly. "And I'm certain I'll find you easily enough if something comes up."

[Heiribeiri]

"Ah...yes, of course. I'll let you get to it then, Bayushi-sama. If there was nothing else you needed of me?" he said, certain the inn was disintegrating as he stood here in idle conversation.

"Nothing further." He smiled blandly. "And I'm certain I'll find you easily enough if something comes up."

Bowing deeply, the innkeeper made his escape, leaving the kitchen door free for Choudai to advance upon.

[Bayushi Choudai]

Choudai stepped through, sidestepped a server, and found a corner to occupy while he looked for the general commanding this particular army.

He also tried to see what was being prepared.

[Saibankan]

Choudai stepped through, sidestepped a server, and found a corner to occupy while he looked for the general commanding this particular army.

He also tried to see what was being prepared.

The food being prepared was easy to spot. Overall, it was one what would expect catering to a variety of samurai from across the Empire with Crane sensibilities. Rice, miso, some eggs for those who took them, some fruit, a little fish for those who liked starting their day that way.

It took him a wee bit longeer to pick out the cook in charge. Mostly because he was looking too far up, before the innkeeper's words inspired him to look a bit lower.

There was a young girl....perhaps 16, working with four pans occasionally offering encouragement and direction to those working about her. However, the Scorpion in her kitchen was noticed once everything was sizzling along.

"Oh, good morning, Bayushi-sama. I hope you slept well last night." she offered with a warm and gentle smile. "Please forgive the lack of bow, people get unreasonably cross when their rice isn't just right."

Choudai has seen a lot of smiles in his time, but he couldn't quite place the one he was getting from her. It wasn't fake, or beguiling, or the grin of a fool. It was just simply warm and welcoming.

[Bayushi Choudai]

How utterly unnatural.

Choudai simply chuckled at her apology.

"I quite understand. And a busy kitchen is a bad place to swing one's head about. I intend to cook my own meal- just a personal quirk. Before I do that, it seems to me that there's a great deal in the way. I wish to assist in clearing it."

Hopefully the offer of help with the breakfast rush wasn't too oblique.

[Saibankan]

How utterly unnatural.

Choudai simply chuckled at her apology.

"I quite understand. And a busy kitchen is a bad place to swing one's head about. I intend to cook my own meal- just a personal quirk. Before I do that, it seems to me that there's a great deal in the way. I wish to assist in clearing it."

Hopefully the offer of help with the breakfast rush wasn't too oblique.

She flipped the pans, and offered him another warm smile.

"Of course, Bayushi-sama, that would be wonderfully helpful. Would you like to help with the fruits? Fruit is always best when it's cut right before being served, don't you think?"

[Bayushi Choudai]

"Absolutely- attention to detail distinguishes the great from the acceptable. "

Choudai took up his station, and for a time, the world went away as he focused on his task. It was like being back in his grandmother's kitchen, right down to the fact the was learning.

Sunenokaiyo was a very different sort of chef from Obachan, but neither her youth nor her humble origins could obscure the fact that she was excellent at her job, and Choudai tried to soak up every detail.

[Saibankan]

"Absolutely- attention to detail distinguishes the great from the acceptable. "

Choudai took up his station, and for a time, the world went away as he focused on his task. It was like being back in his grandmother's kitchen, right down to the fact the was learning.

Sunenokaiyo was a very different sort of chef from Obachan, but neither her youth nor her humble origins could obscure the fact that she was excellent at her job, and Choudai tried to soak up every detail.

Sunenokaiyo worked hard, but without compliant. She looked the picture of contentment as order after order was filled. And if she saw something that Choudai could improve upon, she wasn't afraid to just tell him so without hesitation, though it was always with kindness.

While Choudai was her superior, the kitchen was her domain, and she ran a tight ship...though she was not the sort to yell or berate.

[Bayushi Choudai]

Sunenokaiyo worked hard, but without compliant. She looked the picture of contentment as order after order was filled. And if she saw something that Choudai could improve upon, she wasn't afraid to just tell him so without hesitation, though it was always with kindness.

While Choudai was her superior, the kitchen was her domain, and she ran a tight ship...though she was not the sort to yell or berate.

And between his dedication to his craft and the simple pleasure he took in being in a well-run kitchen, it never even occurred to him to mind.

He worked in silence for the most part, generally only speaking to acknowledge instructions or corrections.

I dearly hope no one ever tries to promote her to some estate cook or lure her away to another establishment.

This place needs her.

[Saibankan]

Time sped by as often is the case when one is busy with work, and before long the breakfast rush was complete.

The cook gave Choudai another one of her warm smiles, and a bow to make up for the lack of one early.

"You were very helpful today, Bayushi-sama." she offered as genuine praise.