9119/A Raw Fish Dish for a Bird, a Bot, and a Beast.

A Raw Fish Dish for a Bird, a Bot, and a Beast.
Date of Scene:	08 September 2019
Location:	Two Bridges (Chinatown), Manhattan
Synopsis:	Garfield teaches a bird and an Android the joys of sushi.
Cast of Characters:	Danger, Kian t'Kaeh, Beast Boy

---

Danger has posed:
It was just past noon and Danger had told others at the tower that she had made a decision. A very important one. She had not properly tasted this popular dish known as sushi. This had to be fixed because so far tasting food has been very enjoyable. With that, she took those who came with her to the place selected by using several internet review sights in conglomeration with...etc. etc. etc. She did computer things. Found good sushi place. Now, Danger has led some Titans over to No 1 Sushi and smiles as she walks inside, her normal form hidden by a black haired girl in a tartan skirt, white top, and sensible sneakers. As they wait to be seated, Danger grins, "This is most exciting."

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    "I don't know about exciting," Kían comments.  "Terran food in my experience is either reminiscent of something from home, or something nothing at all like from home... or scary and wrong.  And I keep worrying I'm going to encounter something that is... incompatible with me.  But so far I haven't, so maybe I shouldn't worry about that."
    He follows along closely, and let's be honest, there's nothing a five foot tall human(oid) with bird wings can do to look perfectly normal, at least not in most parts of town.  He looks around a little nervously -- Chinatown is even more alien to him than the rest of the city, with the human speech that's not English and the ideograms that may as well be pop art to him and the... ooo, something smells *really* good.

Beast Boy has posed:
As the one with the most experience out in the world, Gar ended up playing chaperone for this band of misfits once the destination was worked out. He was dressed casually, mainly a hoodie and baggy jeans, the better to hide his costume underneath just in case, because you just never know when something weird will happen and a change might be needed. Not everything can survive it if he has to 'go large,' after all. "So I'm known as a bit of a sushi expert," he's telling Danger and Kian, whether that's the truth or not. "A lot of the rolls have crab or imitation crab in them, some have shrimp, some are just fish like salmon or tuna. And there's more than just that, too." He gives the interior a once-over, motioning toward a table that allows them a view of the entrance.

"And Dan..ahh, what should we call you when you're out like this? Anyway, we could have gone to a W-I-N-G place but that might give Kian here nightmares," the green guy adds with a little grin.

Danger has posed:
A smiles is given to Kian, "Fear not. If something does not agree with you I have the capacity to act as a medical professional with a knowledge level equivalent to that of a trained MD. I also have the capacity to see you in a way that allows me to analyze your health at any given time." Danger nods, "You will not easily die from a consumption based ailment around me." A thumbs up is given and then she looks to Beast Boy.

She considers his words and then states, "Ah, you are spelling for a reason." What is that reason? She is not entirely sure. She just nods either way, "I assume you do not wish to mention such a word so I will avoid it." She then walks over and sits down, "I wish to try all of the menu." She then considers, "Oh! And as for a name. Hmm, Danger, Dany, Daro, and Dary have been used thus far."

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    Kían gives Gar a funny look, but doesn't pursue it.  "I'm thinking since I haven't had a problem with Earth food, it must be compatible with me, or I'm compatible with it, or something."  He turns a chair around backwards and sits in it that way, so the back doesn't interfere with his wings.  "I think you said sushi is a fish on a bed of grains?  I shouldn't have trouble with that.  It sounds like it falls into the first category, Earth food that's like something from home."
    He picks up a menu from the table and stares at it blankly, then puts it back, shaking his head.  "I'll never learn to read English, if you have advanced characters like that."

Beast Boy has posed:
"Dany works," Gar nods. Aside from Beast Boy, he is most often heard being referred to as 'Gar' unless it's by Raven, in which case it's often the full 'Garfield.' Greenie is not uncommon either, and both Danger and Kian have probably heard all of those in one form or another.

He explains further, "It's more a seafood thing with rice and vegetables like avocado or cucumber. They can make it a bunch of different ways. It's Japanese...and so is that." He points at the symbols Kian is trying and failing to decipher. "It's called kanji. The symbols are their version of words, and they have different names for what we call things too. It's...complicated. At least there are pictures, so point out what you want to try and you're all good." A placard showing different sushi rolls is nabbed and parked on the table in front of Kian. He hasn't even got into the bento boxes or tempura and teriyaki plates.

Hesitation follows, and he makes a sort of cutting motion across his throat while his expression twists around into one of mild discomfort. "Let's..just pick out a few things for now, Dany. If you got one of everything, for starters nobody has that kind of appetite, and we'd be here all day while they made it all."

Danger has posed:
A blink and then looks over at Kian and she is about to explain until Beast Boy does. She looks at him with a smile and then she looks at the symbols a moment. She then shrugs and looks to Gar for a moment with a confused look, "I do." She states simply enough, "I do not truly need food but I can convert it into pure energy and store it. I could likely eat quite a lot of food though much of it would go to some degree of waste as I can only convert so much."

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    Kían exhales.  "You mean every language has its own set of characters?  I know I've said it before, but this planet is weird."
    He studies the card.  "Some of this looks familiar.  I suppose the fish and grain aren't going to be quite the same as I'm used to, but I've been pleasantly surprised before."
    He shrugs.  "Well, you know what you're doing here, not me.  If it's unpalatable, I don't need to eat it."

Beast Boy has posed:
Beast Boy clears his throat, for now he sees the need to add to Dany, "If that's the case, here's the other part. Sushi can get expensive fast, so.." He lowers his voice to at least try not to sound too obvious to others who may be overhearing, "..if you don't /really/ need to eat food for your energy, but you want to, let's not drain the Titans funds in the process." He gives her a grin as he finishes the point, then he suggests to both of them, "Want to try the green tea? Sake? That's a rice wine. Don't worry. You're not going to get drunk on a little glass of it."

He opens up his menu and notes a few things to order, and when the time comes he selects three different rolls that mix up a variety of fish in and on top of them, plus a few nigiri choices. As he makes them, he explains, "These? Just strips of fish or whatever on a little bit of rice. Nothing fancy."

To Kian, he has another grin. "There are thousands of different languages in the world. You only really have to know English to be able to get by in most places, but there are a few others it can help to know."

Danger has posed:
A nod to Kian and she states, "It is due to the seperation of a great deal of people on different land masses over a large area with the planet having a massive and vast variety of landscapes. The result is that some words don't even have translations due to being not needed in lother areas." She nods her head with a smile before looking over at Beast Boy, "I will allow you to make the selections then. I will return with other funds later." She nods her head.

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    He taps his temple.  "And you're not all connected mentally," Kían adds.  "My people were always just one, and impossible to cut off from each other no matter how we spread.  Well, I mean, there's formal Imperial /Akiár'shak/, but that's not a different language, that's just the purest form."  He adds, after a second's thought, "And of course I have a Kyshán accent rather than a homeworld accent.  But any Akiár can understand any other."
    He pauses to consider Gar's question.  "Whichever is right to have with sushi?  I really don't know.  I like tea, and at home I was making my own wine and brandy."

Beast Boy has posed:
Beast Boy remarks, "I don't think I'd be comfortable having someone else in my head all the time. It's crowded enough in there when it's just me." Looking back up from the menu, he shrugs. "But that's what makes everyone different and unique, right? When we meet up with people from different countries..and, I guess, planets, we can learn new things from each other."

He makes a few selections, pointing out California rolls with crab, Philly rolls with smoked salmon and cream cheese, others with eel and different types of fish. Nigiri, too. "Let's just get a big plate we can all pick and choose from, and see who likes what. And there's no reason you can't have both, Kian." Tea and sake for all!

Danger has posed:
A grin as she looks to Kian, "I think I understand. I am connected to a great many things right now." She smiles and nods her head, "It is called the internet." She then looks over at Beast boy with a nod, "Oh I do like that idea. I shall learn a great many new flavors today. That is one thing that is difficult to quantify without doing it."

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    "I have learned that Earth people are used to being alone inside their heads.  I could hardly believe that could be true, but it is.  I've even gotten used to it myself.  I *really* never believed that could happen, but...."  Kían shrugs with a gentle rustling of feathers.
    He tilts his head inquisitively at Danger.  "With your permission, I would like to see that some time, assuming I can make mental contact with you in the first place.  If I can, I should be able to see it through you."

Beast Boy has posed:
Beast Boy grows quiet once the order's been placed, giving Kian and Dany a chance to talk a little more for the time being after saying, "I would never have believed a whole race just did, like, the mindspeak thing either." He glances outside, people watching for now, but more than that he's keeping a attentive eye on things just in case.

Danger has posed:
A smile and she nods to Kian, "I would like that htough I believe you can enjoy the internet without me as well." She looks to Beast Boy, "I am sure Garfield can show you at some point." She nods, "If I cannot." She turns to smile back at Kian before she nods, "I have heard of those with psychic ability here on this world but nothing like was mentioned."

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    "Without a mindport, I can't really use your inter-net," Kían says.  "Not until I learn the written form of your language."  He holds up his hand -- three fingers and a thumb.  "And the entry pad is not designed for hands like mine.  But I'm sure we can figure something out."
    He grins at Gar.  "You saw for yourself why telepathy is important for my people.  You remember how hard it was to converse while flying.  But there's no reason to give up the spoken word when we have telepathy.  That means giving up singing, and poetry, and wordplay."

Beast Boy has posed:
While the sushi chef works on preparing their plate, the Titans have more of a chance to talk about one thing or another. "If he can't read yet, there's only so far pictures and videos will get him. I'd suggest one of those 'learn English' apps but you kind of need to be able to read in the first place," Gar explains, turning thoughtful as his lips pinch together as part of it, the snaggletooth showing.

"So how did you figure out how to understand English and speak it, Bird?" he wonders, resorting to one of the nicknames that's been bestowed upon Kian. "I haven't figured out that part. Your hands won't be a big deal when it comes to typing, though. Besides.." A grin forms that would rival Vorpal's Cheshire version. "You'd probably just be hunting and pecking with the keys to start out with."

Danger has posed:
A look to Kian and she nods, "We will work on that." She then blinks and looks over at Beast Boy before shaking her head, "There are learning programs that allow one ot learn through pictures and the like. It would be a wise work." She then looks to Kian, "I can set you up with such a thing. It will help."

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    "Learning the language was easy, since I was fortunate that some of the first people I met here would allow me to communicate mentally with them, and I could pick up the translations easily.  From there it wasn't hard to be able to speak it.  But that was not a good way to learn the written forms.  I can of course write what I hear in our written language, but that's nothing anyone here can make use of.  I could teach it, if anyone wanted to learn it, I guess."
    Kían gives Gar a flat look.  "Peck," he repeats, and rolls his eyes.

Beast Boy has posed:
"What? It's a real phrase!" Gar grins, feigning innocence, spreading his arms out wide. "How do we know one of our ancestors didn't meet one of yours in the past and end up teaching them how to type?"

Pause.

"Aside from keyboards not existing back then, but the point remains." Drinks are brought out, the finishing touches in the process of being put together on the plate of food. Gar prepares his chopsticks. "You guys ever use these?"

Danger has posed:
A look to Kian, she smiles at him, "It uses pictures to teach however and those pictures are attached to words for you to learn that as well." She nods her haed, "It will provide help." She then looks over to Beast Boy a moment and then hmms, "Peck." She laughs though it is a bit forced. She then clears her throat, "I have not used those." SHe looks to the chopsticks and then looks into the distance, "However, I do have a complete knowledge of how to use them." She then takes up her own set and opens it up, "It was programmed in for a particular scene possibility."

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    Kían holds them a little differently, involving more fingers than a traditional Asian grip, but it's clear chopsticks are nothing new to him.  "/Dotí/," he says.  "Ours have a little serration at the tip to improve the grip.  But these aren't bad."
    He nods at Dani.  "thank you, yes.  I would like to begin soon.  I'm sure there are a lot of things I'm missing, not being able to read the language."
He looks over the selection quizzically.  "I don't know where to begin," he says, half under his breath, and deftly nabs a tuna nigiri -- not that he knows that what he's got, it was just a pretty pinkish red.  He holds it by the chopsticks and just stares at it.  "What is it?  And do I eat it as is or what?"

Beast Boy has posed:
"Like this," Gar demonstrates as he picks up a piece of a Philly roll with his chopsticks after mixing up some soy sauce and wasabi in a small dish. He dips it lightly, then pops the whole thing in his mouth, chews, and once it's down the hatch he plucks a small bit of ginger to chew on. "The green stuff adds a little spice," he says, waggling his eyebrows as he turns it into a joke, "and the ginger is what they call..hang on." Picking up the cup of tea, he extends the pinky and affects a very good British accent. "A palate cleanser."

Next he selects a piece of salmon nigiri, dunks that in his own bowl of the sauce mix, and gobbles that down in a couple bites. "Mmmmyymmy!" he declares, mouth still mostly full of it. Seems talk of further language learning can wait. It's chow time! Then he remembers. "What scene did you have to know chopsticks for?" he asks Dany, then he tells Kian, "That's tuna."

Danger has posed:
A look over at Kian and she nods with a smile, "I am glad that I can help." She then looks over at Beast Boy and grins, "There was a scene where Damian wished to fight the Yakuza." She nods her head, "Many were located within asian establishments like this one." She gestures around before following suit and taking a piece of nigiri with salmon and taking a bite after dipping. She considers it a long moment before nodding, "That is most certainly a different experience than expected." She smiles, "Very good though."

Kian t'Kaeh has posed:
    Kían nods, and repeats Gar's actions, at least as far as the dip and chew goes.  That's where he stops and his eyes go wide.  Too bad there are no telepaths around, they would be 'hearing' a loud {!!} right about now.
    Chew.  Chew again.
    Swallow.
    He starts speaking in his own language, then shakes his head clear and tries again.  "Sorry.  That's a *lot* like /qirák/.  The sauce is a little different, but the fish, the grain..."  He deftly nabs another one -- salmon, this time.
    Cue dreamy expression.

Beast Boy has posed:
Beast Boy gestures with the sticks. "Don't overdo it on the wasabi. It'll pass quickly, but it'll hit ya first." His head tilts as he observes the reactions of both people tasting sushi for the first time, though he's taking note of Kian a bit more closely when the words he doesn't understand follow, then the explanation they can understand. "Sounds like we've got a couple of new fans," he says, amusedly.

"Now try one of those," he says, picking out one that has spicy tuna and avocado, the full roll itself topped with a few different types of fish. More of this leads to a tasty, filling meal for the three, and a successful venture out to expose two of them to something new.