Have Vespa, will travel - Takumi (tag Lia)

[fryn]

(Darn that Lana! She's just after Taki's mochi!)

"I would love to see it, Lia-chan!" Takumi replied. "Shall we move on a little? The road looks as if it drops back down to the level of the water and it will be a lot less windy for our picnic."

Lia nodded and they climbed back on to the scooter with Takumi steering it slowly along the coast road and down to the small beach he'd spotted from the cliff. As he'd hoped, the air was still down there and the temperatures felt several degrees higher. It was perfect, in fact, for their outdoor lunch and he pulled the blanket he'd brought from home out of the second pack and spread it over the grassy area that bordered the sand.

He dropped down to sit, drawing his legs up to cross them. Lia started to unpack her pack and he peered in interest at the food she'd made.

"It all looks very nice," he declared with a slight dip of his head. "But I think you went to far too much trouble." Taki grinned. "Not that I am going to complain as I have to admit I am hungry!" He reached over to help her arrange the packages of food. "Are you doing anything else today, Lia-chan?" he asked. "Or will you be able to come to Dare's house this afternoon for the... ah... jam." He frowned. "I think that is what he and Evan called it. Jam. Play music. Guitars and drums. Is that jam?" He shook his head and laughed. "It's a most odd word as I can't think how jam and music are connected."

He took a plate from Lia. "Itadakimasu." The response was automatic as no Japanese person would accept a meal without saying 'I gatefully receive'... It just wouldn't happen.

[Lia Juarez]

"It's called a jam because it is a bunch of people that have never played together before and like fruit and sugar that are mashed together, the sound can be very sweet," Lia said with a laugh, explaining it to Taki the way Saint had told her when she was little. "I would love to go with you, I haven't been at one since Saint decided he liked painting better than guitar."

She smiled as she finished arranging and began pointing things out. "This is the tortilla, or omelet and the container next to it has green salad and olives if you want to try that together. This container is gaspacho, a cold vegetable soup, a bit like V-8 if you have ever had that, but chunkier. This one is Indonesia Chicken salad which is curried and this is the rye bread. In Sweden they cut the bread very thin and dry it to make Rusks which is like large crackers. Nana said it was because bread was precious and hard to store so Rusks were easier.The rye flour was more available than wheat which was harder to mill or something. "I have Sangria, but if you do not drink wine then there is some juice and iced tea." She began to assemble some food for herself, doing them the traditional way so Taki could see it done.she layered the greens and olives on the thin omelet and rolled it like a wrap so she could nibble on it.

Then she handed him a cup with the gazpacho in it and made him a sandwich. "Only eat what you like. I know this is all likely to be very different from what you are used to. What would you like to drink, Taki?" she asked as she hesitated between thermoses.

"

[fryn]

Takumi listened in astonishment when Lia told him the music session did indeed contain the sort of jam he knew. It sounded... well, beyond bizarre! He felt sure he'd find out exactly how the sticky substance played its part later... and when he reached Dare's house. Not wanting toi displayt even more of his ignorance Takumi simply nodded... and laughed along with Lia. When Lia told him she'd like to come to Dare's lace later that afternoon Taki smiled even more. "Sugoi!" he replied with a gentle clap of his hands. "Do you know Lace? She will also be there." He went on to tell Lia how he and Lace had met and of the new addition to the Yoshino household. "Hashi... that's my dog... already loves Ginger," he fionished in reference to the friendship between the dachshund and the orange-hued kitten he was now looking after.

"Tortirah," he repeated, struggling with the word. Japanese tongues could never master the pronounciation of the letter 'l'. 'V's, too, were an issue and so he would have called the juice 'B-8' - or something close to that. He committed the unknown names to his memory, pretty sure as he did so that he'd just as quickly forget them. Takumi made a mental note to start carrying a notebook around with him so that he could scribble down these new words.

"It all sounds nice," he eclaimed as he reached for a slice of rye bread. He dipped his head in thanks when Lia passed him a bowl of the soup. "Arigatou gozaimusu," he said. "Iced tea would be good," he added. He was in charge of their safety on the scooter and while its top speed was something like 70 or so Takumi never went that quickly. That made alcohol out of the question... That said, he didn't really drink anyway.

"What time shall we meet later?" he asked. "I'm not sure what time we are going to Dare's house... I will text Evan later and find out."