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Sandcastles and Fireworks	By : DarklingWillow & BronxWench Category: +M through R > Neverwinter Nights Views: 1524 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: We do not own Neverwinter Nights, nor the characters from it. We do not make any money from the writing of this story. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

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“What does that mean, when Kansas adds that to my name? The ‘san’ part? Is he making a nickname for me? And why would I want to make you combust? Does that not mean explode? I do not think I want you to explode, after all.” Sand gave Satoshi an engaging smile. “I am sorry. I tend to talk a lot when I meet someone as interesting as you are. I am fascinated by people who can make music. It is a treasured gift among elves.”

Satoshi sighed a little bit and blushed, bowing his head as he patted the chair that Kansas had just vacated. “Please, you can sit closer, Sand-san,” he said, his voice painfully soft. “It’s not a nickname, I’m sorry. It’s just a word, it’s called an honorific in English. It’s sort of the same way you use sir, in English. We use san for both men and women, whom we don’t know, and who are above us in station, such as our boss, or the person at the bank, and such. We have a few different kinds of honorifics, but san is almost always the safe option to use. And he does it without thinking. We all do, even when we speak English.”

Satoshi cleared his throat a little and took a sip of his sake, touching one hand to his cheeks for a moment before he turned back to the blue eyed elf. “Kansas was making a joke. He’s teasing me about how shy I am. Spontaneous combustion means bursting into flames by yourself, without anything to start the fire. So, you just kind of catch fire on your own. Kansas was making a joke about how much I’m blushing, and that you should see if you could make me blush so hard that I’ll catch fire. He thinks it’s funny.” Satoshi stopped again and drew a deep breath, then looked up to meet those beautiful blue eyes again. “This is sushi, and sashimi. I wanted to offer you a taste, if you’re interested.”

It was Sand’s turn to flush a bit, his cheeks darkening to a pale rose color which seemed deeper against the pallor of his skin tone. “I hope I did not offend you by asking. It is simply that I do not wish to assume anything when I am in a new world. It always seems safest to just ask. And I certainly do not wish to make you uncomfortable. But I would very much like to taste these lovely treats. I do not think I can use the hashi, though. Is it very uncouth to use my utensils?”

Satoshi let out a little nervous laugh, his eyes brightened a bit, and he pushed Kansas’ plate of half nibbled things out of the way, so he could place the plate of sushi between himself and Sand. “Ohashi take a while to master, but I can help you learn the grip, if you’d like. But you can’t use the utensils. That’s considered terribly rude in my country, actually. But, you can use your hands. That’s fine. Many Japanese even prefer to use their hands with sushi.”

Satoshi hesitated for a moment, looking over his shoulder at Yuji and Willow, then scooted out of his own seat and on to Kansas’ chair, moving the sushi with him. “See, it’s not so hard, really,” he said and lifted his chopsticks to show the elf. “Just put the forefinger here, and the middle finger like this, then the ring finger and the little finger like this, and the thumb on this side to hold it all still,” he explained as he placed his fingers around the thin sticks, then clicked the tips of the chopsticks together as he continued. “And then you use the forefinger and middle finger to move the top stick. The lower one always stays still. And many Westerners make the mistake of holding them too low. It’s best to try to hold them around here, a quarter of the way from the top.”

Satoshi let out another nervous laugh as he looked up. But then he blinked and looked back down at the sushi. “Now, these pieces here are called nigiri. The little rolls here are called maki, the little ones are called hosomaki, the bigger ones are just maki. These cup shaped ones are called gunkan maki. These, with the rice on the outside are actually American, not Japanese, but we call them uramaki. They’re getting quite popular back home. And then these slices are the sashimi. You should not eat those with your fingers. This pink one is salmon, this is tuna, and the white fish is called suzuki. Oh, and this is a palate cleanser, it’s pickled ginger. This is a spice called wasabi, and finally, this is a side called daikon. It’s a type of radish,” Satoshi stopped and drew a deep breath, grabbing his glass to take a sip of sake, and then smiled at the elf. “Which one would you like to taste first?”

Sand was delighted when Satoshi moved closer. He had not done so, mostly because he feared making the shy man explode, but also because he was feeling unusually shy himself. He had no clear notion why, but he could not stop thinking about the way Satoshi had turned his name into music, each syllable a note of perfect purity.

To cover his confusion, Sand picked up a pair of the sticks. “You called these something different than Kansas did. He called them hashi, but you called them ohashi. Is there a difference?” He did his best to imitate the way Satoshi held the sticks, but his fingers were not as deft, and the tips slipped past each other. He shook his head slightly, the beads in his braids clicking almost inaudibly, and he tried again, managing to make the tips meet properly. “This one looks so tempting.” He used the chopsticks to indicate a piece of nigiri, the tuna plump with fat.

Sand hesitated, not sure if he should use the sticks or his fingers. “Do you put the spice on the top? What is it like?” He stopped, and shook his head. “I am so full of questions. Perhaps I should just let you choose, and I will simply enjoy.” He took a sip of his chilled white wine, letting its flavor fill his senses for a moment. “I must confess, the opportunity to learn new things is something I cannot resist. It will be my downfall, I am sure, but it is not such a bad thing, I think, to always seek to learn.”

“You remind me of Kansas,” Satoshi said with a sweet laugh and looked up to meet those blue eyes again. “All the questions, I mean. He does that too, when he’s nervous. And he’s curious. Like crazy curious.” Satoshi reached out with his chopsticks and smeared a tiny bit of wasabi on top of four of the nigiri pieces, then poured a few drops of soy sauce into the provided bowl and finally took a small sliver of the pickled ginger and put it in his mouth.

“Try to pick up a little bit of ginger with the chopsticks. If you can’t, you can use your fork for that. Then I’ll show you how to eat the sushi,” Satoshi said, bowing his head a little bit, but then he blushed. “Oh, sorry, you asked… Hashi and ohashi mean the same thing, it’s just something we do in Japan. It’s respectful language, to add an o before some words. It’s kind of difficult to explain, unless you know a little bit of Japanese. But please, try?” Satoshi indicated the ginger again.

Sand looked at the ginger, his expression somewhat dubious, but he managed to pinch a tiny piece of ginger between the tips of his lacquered chopsticks. He lifted it very carefully, his eyes widening a little as he conveyed the morsel to his lips before he realized he was not sure if he should allow the sticks to touch his mouth at all. It would be horribly rude to let the tines of his fork touch his lips or tongue, and he decided to follow his own guidelines. He caught the very edge of the ginger between his teeth and closed his lips around the morsel once it was free of the chopsticks. The flavor was unusual, but very refreshing, and he smiled in delight.

“Oh, that is very tasty. You use it as a palate cleanser? It is delicious enough to enjoy for its own sake, I think.” Sand gave Satoshi an expectant look. “And now we are able to try the sushi? You put the spice on some you called nigiri, yes?”

Satoshi could not stop himself from sniggering softly at the elf’s technique, but he smothered it quickly and nodded as he pointed at the nigiri. “Yes, this is nigiri. This is tuna, and this is engawa. And this is salmon. I put the wasabi on one tuna and one salmon piece, so you can try one with the wasabi and one without,” he said with a small smile. “Now, we can put our chopsticks down, and let me show you how to do it. You just take the piece like this in your fingers, and carefully let it roll over like this,” Satoshi said as he took one tuna nigiri with a bit of wasabi on the top. “Then very gently, you can dip the fish part into this, this is soy sauce. It’s made from fermented soybeans and salt. And then you just put it in your mouth like this, with the fish part down.” Satoshi’s cheeks flushed a little again as he demonstrated. He looked away from Sand’s eyes as he put the sushi in his mouth and began to chew. He then indicated with his hand for the elf to try.

Sand put his chopsticks down carefully, after watching Satoshi, and then he reached out to pick up the piece of sushi between thin fingers. He turned the sushi over as Satoshi had done, and carefully dipped it into the soy sauce, not letting any get onto the rice, since Satoshi had not wet the rice. He placed the entire piece into his mouth, fish and spice down, and bit. He could not help the purr of pure delight which escaped him as he chewed, the sharp bite of the wasabi and the tang of the seasoned rice complemented by the exquisitely fresh fish, which was, he realized, quite raw.

After chewing and swallowing, Sand gave Satoshi a smile. “That is delicious, Satoshi. But should I say Satoshi-san? It is a bit confusing, because in my home, I would call someone I did not know lord, which is much like your title of san, but not in the sense of addressing nobility, if that makes any sense at all. I do not even know if you have nobility in your land. Bronwen tells me some realms here have kings and queens, while others do not. If you are noble, of course, then I have put my foot in it quite handily, but then I would address you as My Lord, and not lord Satoshi. Or would it be lord Mori?”

Satoshi burst into delighted laughter, shaking his head hard enough for his hair to move, and his eyes sparkled brightly. “Oh, gods, no, no, I’m not noble. Far from it. I’m very firmly in the lower middle class level,” he said, his voice rising just a fraction with his embarrassed glee. He laughed for a moment longer, then forced himself to stop. “I’m sorry. But I promise, I’m not noble. I guess with my father’s position now, he’d fall into the slightly upper parts of the middle class, but me, I’m still just a lower middle class nobody. We do have nobility in my country, and an Emperor, but we’re a sovereign nation.” Satoshi stopped and looked a little confused for a moment, but then he held out his right hand, offering a handshake. “My name is Mori Satoshi. Mori is my family name, and Satoshi is my given name. How do you do?”

Sand listened to Satoshi, thoroughly befuddled by all the distinctions, but he found the introduction at the ending irresistibly charming. He placed his right hand in Satoshi’s hand, his smile radiant. “I am very pleased to meet you, Mori Satoshi. My name is Sand Iradil. Sand is my given name, and Iradil is my family name. At home, I would be known as Sand of House Iradil. And while my father was not noble, my mother is actually Lady Iradil, and head of our House, which includes a vast number of distant cousins and barely related law-kin who I would not recognize were they to walk over to me and greet me.”

“Sand Iradi...l,” Satoshi hesitated for a moment before he found the final L in Sand’s name, but then he smiled and gave the elf’s hand a firm shake. “I am very pleased to meet you, Sand-san. There, now we’re not strangers anymore, and you can call me Satoshi, or Mori, whichever you find more appropriate. I am going to be so presumptuous to call you Sand-san, because it is easier for me. We do not have the sound L in my language, so I often trip over it, and I would hate to trip over your name and call you Iradiru-san, by accident.”

Sand nodded, his smile not wavering. “And I shall call you Satoshi-san, since I do not think you would want me to call you lord. Bronwen tells me some of our words can sound rather confusing to speakers of this language, English. It is close enough to the common tongue of my world for me to be able to muddle along in it, although I find myself stumbling over some things.” He waited for Satoshi to select another piece of sushi, wondering if he had been meant to have more of the ginger after his nigiri. “Iradiru-san, is it? I would hate for you to have to try Vale’s family name, then. It is Anorongil, which might be enough to tangle the tongue.”

Then Satoshi’s drink caught Sand’s eye. “May I ask what you are drinking? It is too pale to be a wine, or at least any wine I might know. Is it a drink particular to eating sushi?”

Satoshi laughed again, and waved his hand a little. He grabbed another sake cup and poured sake from the bottle that he and Kansas had been sharing between themselves, offering it to the elf as he spoke. “No, it’s just an alcohol that is native to my land. It’s made with fermented rice. We use rice a lot in our food and wine and such. The Japanese name for it is nihonshu, but for some reason it’s called sake in English. Sake is actually the Japanese word for alcohol in general. I guess that’s where it comes from. So, now, if anyone asks, you can say you know seven words in Japanese. Nihonshu, ohashi, sushi, nigiri, sashimi and -san. And one more, when making a toast in Japan, you say, kampai,” Satoshi said and lifted his cup with a grin, offering a toast.

He flinched a little when Kansas flopped down on the chair beside him, and reached across the sushi plate to retrieve his plate of half nibbled food. “I’m drunk, kampai,” Kansas grumbled and took a long swallow of the alcopop in his hand.

Yuji reached over and wrapped an arm around the little imp, giving Satoshi an encouraging smile.

“We have a wine made from rice as well. It can be very potent.” Sand raised the cup. “Kampai, Satoshi-san.” He watched to see if Satoshi tossed it back or sipped it.

Sand smiled, looking young and playful. “I will not pretend to understand all the classes you have in your society. In my home, we have noble families and then the rest of the people. There is no real distinction other than the noble families having the obligation to take care of defense, and make sure the people have food, shelter, and all they need for happy lives. In Vale’s home, there are noble families, respectable families who are the traders, artisans, and scholars, and then the common people, who farm, fish, and labor. His home has a king or queen, while mine has a council to lead it. My home is simpler, I think, and I prefer it to the formality of Vale’s home. But he will say I am simply being stubborn.”

Satoshi took a sip of his sake, then put the cup down again, and smiled as he picked up another piece of sushi, dipping the fish side into the soy sauce while he answered. “That’s very much the way it was back in the old days, and today, the classes are divided vaguely along the same lines. Funny thing is though, back home, in the old days, we had nobility, and then regional lords and their retainers, and then we had the farmers, then came the artisans, and at the bottom were the merchants. It was because the farmers created resources and food from nothing, literally drew them out of the earth, the artisans created things from the resources created by the farmers, but the merchants, they made nothing. They just made a profit off the hard work of others, so the higher ups considered them to be the lowest on the social ladder. But, let’s not get lost in the social hierarchy of my country, or any country. Tell me, how do you like the sake and the sushi? Would you like to try some of the sashimi?”

Satoshi put the nigiri in his mouth and his cheeks flushed yet again as his eyes fluttered away from Sand, unable to maintain eye contact.

Sand took another sip of sake, glad he had not swallowed it all as he had seen others doing with small drinks. “I agree. We can leave serious discussions for another time. Tonight is for enjoyment. Tell me, how is the sashimi eaten? With the chopsticks? It looks wonderful.” He looked at Satoshi expectantly, waiting for instructions or perhaps a demonstration. “Will you laugh at me for being surprised the fish is raw? I had not expected that. We do eat shellfish like the voratae raw, but most fish is cooked even if just lightly. It is very good, though. I like it a great deal.”

There was a sudden laugh from the elf, and Sand blushed as he waved a hand in front of his face. “I am so sorry. I just had a mental picture of the face of my mother’s housekeeper, if I asked her to prepare me something like this. I am quite sure she would check to see if I had inadvertently poisoned myself, or had a large bump on my head.”

Satoshi gasped in shock and looked crestfallen at the sushi. “Oh, gods, I’m sorry,” he said, a tremble in his voice. “I didn’t even think of that. I just heard you ask about sushi, and thought it would be a good ice breaker to offer you a taste. I am so used to eating raw fish back home, that I didn’t even think that you might find it unusual. The waiter assured me that the fish was fresh and absolutely safe. They have a certified sushi chef here, at the hotel, so it should be utterly safe. But we do eat cooked fish too. Grilled fish is very popular too.” Satoshi blushed heavily and hung his head a little. “I’m sorry. I should have asked first.”

Sand reached out, placing a thin hand on Satoshi’s arm, his expression one of concern. “Please, Satoshi, I was not saying that as any sort of complaint or criticism. It is new, and different, and I am enjoying it very much. I cherish new experiences, and it is all the more enjoyable for the very charming company. So, please, do not feel as though you should apologize for offering me such a rare treat.”

The raven-haired elf sighed. “Of course you would not know this, but among my people, it is unusual to leave one’s realm to study among other races. I was eager to leave, eager to experience the rest of our world so I am a bit of a rebel, I suppose.”

Satoshi looked up again, and he gave the elf a small, slightly forced, smile. “Really?” he asked, then reached up to touch one finger to the piercings in his lip. “I guess you could call me a rebel too. This is considered highly unusual and almost strange in my country. If I did not work in music, I might not have had many options for a job, because of these. That’s also why I get away with the strange coloured hair.”

Satoshi cleared his throat and took a quick sip off his sake, then nodded at the sushi before them. “I do apologize for not telling you that the fish was raw. It’s just that I am used to it, and Westerners know sushi very well, because it’s been quite fashionable in the West for a while. And for a moment, I forgot that you are not from the West, but from a different world. But, you said you like it, so that makes me happy. Now, let me help you with the sashimi. Do you want to try to use the chopsticks yourself first, or do you want me to just feed it to you?” Satoshi asked, a faint nervous giggle in his voice.

Sand tucked his hair behind one pointed ear, the beads of his slender braids making the softest of clicks. “I have eaten raw things before, but not fish. I like it much better than raw lizard, I assure you. I would like to try the chopsticks, I think. Do I dip this fish into the soy sauce, too, and is it all right to add some of the wasabi to the fish first? I do like wasabi. It makes my tongue tingle.”

Feeling daring, Sand reached for a small sliver of ginger, lifting it on the first try this time. He ate it as he had the last time, careful not to let the sticks touch his lips or mouth. “There, I have had some ginger to cleanse my palate. Which sashimi should I try?” Then he laughed. “And I am full of more questions.”

Satoshi laughed again, and picked up his own chopsticks. “You can put wasabi on the sashimi, and dip it in the soy sauce, or eat it plain, just whichever way you want to. Just one thing… Don’t stab the food with the chopsticks. We find that terribly rude, back home.” Satoshi looked at how Sand was holding the chopsticks, and he reached out a hand, stopping just shy of touching the marble white hand. “Please, can I?”

Sand looked at Satoshi’s hand, and then up into Satoshi’s eyes. His smile was enough to light his eyes, and he nodded. “Yes.” It was a simple answer, even if he was not exactly sure what permission Satoshi sought. “We treat food as an art form back home, so perhaps we have more in common than would appear. Presentation is as important as the colors, and the way the different flavors and textures bring out the very best in each meal. Each meal should be a feast for all the senses. Of course, when one is traveling, or camping in the rough, a meal is whatever can be cooked over a fire, and one must make do with the pleasure of a full belly and a warm bedroll.” He could feel the heat of Satoshi’s hand, so close to his, and for just the barest instant, he was dizzy with anticipation.

“You like camping?” Satoshi exclaimed in delight, his eyes growing bright. He reached out to touch the elf’s hand gently, guiding the fingers delicately. “Try to hold it a little more like this, the middle finger just like this. Then I think it might be easier to move the upper chopstick. That way you’ll have a firmer grip on the sashimi. But if the sashimi won’t cooperate, please allow me?” Satoshi said, allowing the question to remain unfinished between them as he pointed with his hand to the sashimi.

“I have spent a great deal of time exploring old places, and camping. I was in a desert for about twenty years, investigating some ruins.” Sand looked intrigued. “Do you also camp? I find I love to get away, and spend time somewhere with no crowds, or fuss. I can listen to the wind, and watch the stars at night.” The elf laughed, a bit self-conscious. “And now I have let it slip that I am not so young as I might look, and that I like dusty old places and the scent of a fire at night.”

Sand looked at the sashimi, and then back at Satoshi. “Perhaps I should let you feed that sashimi to me. I have a suspicion it will not be as cooperative as the ginger for this novice.”

Satoshi gave a small snigger, but picked up his own chopsticks. “You should not give up before you even try,” he said with a sweet smile, but he still picked up a piece of the tuna sashimi and lifted it up to offer it to the elf. “You can allow the chopsticks touch your lips, that is absolutely normal. And I want you to try this without any extras, just to taste the pure flavour.” Satoshi nodded his head a little bit to offer the bite to the elf. “I used to love camping, actually. My uncle would take me out on his bike, and we’d sleep out in a tent, and fish and barbecue, or cook over an open fire. It was awesome. But I haven’t had many chances after I finished university. It got difficult with Kansas and the ki…” Satoshi stopped for half a breath, then corrected himself. “With Kansas coming along, and with work and the whole being an adult thing. There’s just less time to do everything, really.”

Sand pretended not to have noticed Satoshi’s verbal stumble. He knew this week was meant to be an escape from reality for the writers in attendance, and for their companions. He was certainly not going to bring along his reality to this week, nor would Vale, and he had no desire to be so crass to this intriguing man. He still could not say why Satoshi captured his attention, or why it felt so comfortable to talk with the pierced man, but he was not going to question his luck. “I will try the next piece myself,” he reassured Satoshi, and he nibbled the succulent tuna from Satoshi’s chopsticks carefully, all but purring at the delicate flavour and exquisite texture.

“It is a pity we are meeting in this busy and crowded city. I think I would like very much to spend a night with you by a fire.” And there Sand had done it. He had actually flirted with Satoshi, as easily as if he did this sort of thing all the time. Certainly this would be a week of firsts, but he pushed that thought aside and let himself simply enjoy the food and drinks, and Satoshi’s company.

Satoshi blushed dark crimson and coughed a little. He picked up a piece of sashimi and stuffed it into his own mouth, then poked his chopsticks into the wasabi before grabbing another piece of sashimi for himself. Satoshi chewed on the sashimi, looking flustered and as if he was in a hurry to speak.

His urgency was dampened though when a small head landed on his lap, and when he looked around, Yuji mouthed at him, “Sorry,” and dropped his jacket on top of the little sleeping imp now stretched across Satoshi’s lap, two chairs and his stockinged feet resting on Willow’s lap.

“I’m sorry,” Satoshi said as he turned back to Sand, and smiled a little. “Maybe we can find another night to do that?” he asked, and patted Kansas’ hair as the little imp snorted softly, rubbing his face on Satoshi’s thigh. “He’s passed out, the silly thing. Willow said he would get jet lag, eventually. But please, let’s enjoy a drink or two more, while we finish this sushi? You also promised me some dessert from your world.”
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Sandcastles and Fireworks