2020-06-14 Koi Dilemma
Koi Dilemma
Location: a park near a bus station in Little Tokyo
Date and Time: June 14, 2020 5 am
Summary: A stray dog watches at Kois
Riko doesn't quite live in Little Tokyo, but it's a place she feels at home in still. Not that she grew up here, but Little Tokyo is where the japanese people settled if not in Sawtelle. Which in turn influenced the architecture - though it's more Japanese architecture through an american view. Not like a piece cut out of a japanese village. At best... A slice of Tokyo, but less dense.
Riko herself wears a pretty plain jeans and pullover as she walks down the road of vaguely familiar houses, her eyes glancing around as she inhales. The early morning has the smell of dew, the dark sky above showing little stars with the constant light pollution from the city. And no sign of the sunrise in the east so far. So as she spots the figure next to the pond, she stops, her eyes raising a little, but so far only watching.
And Artaud, with his hobo-chic look, definetly doesn't fit in. Not at all. The man quietly scratchs at his beard as he remains kneeling down on the ground, his hands moving to clench and unclench into fists as he just stares at the water with those big wide eyes. Following the movements of the fish. He'll give sort of a furitive glance around, trying to see if he is being watched.. and considers himself mostly in the clear.. and then..
Well he makes a quick jab into the water to grab a fish.. and comes up with nothing except water! Water everywhere which has the man's face scrunch up as he rubs at it and looks himself over then. Then the ground. No fish. And so without even missing a beat, or pretending to be embarassed, he'll just get back to watching the water.
If he knew these fish might cost hundreds of dollars he might reconsider. If he knew the value of a dollar. It wouldn't be unheard of for someone to steal a Koi carp, but like that, with a bare hand and no bag to abduct it in? Riko raises an eyebrow, steping closer a little before clearing her throat. "You know, that's someone's fish. And a rather pricy one to replace if I had to guess." Artaud blinks then as he looks up. He doesn't jump or look startled. But instead has this sort of suspicious stare as he looks aside and up to Riko at this point, his gaze studying her then for an overly long time before he finally speaks. "Uh... Why.. out in air then? Does not see.. price?" Artaud murmurs then as his hands remain poised and ready to try and snatch another. But there is a faltering, hesitation in his general posture as he seems to reconsider his options.
"Fish that tasty?" He'll muse then, even as he looks at one of his hands then. "Had one? What like? Very Tasty? Much meat? Good Raw? Good Cooked?" The guilt has washed away, forgotten in a split second as now Artaud is nothing but excited and curious.
"They are out here because people generally know not to take them. Or eat them." Riko scowls a little as the guy seems to want to take another swing at it, but then aborts.
"Koi isn't a fish that's eaten at all. That thick one over there might cost you a four digit number..." A moment she ponders, then shakes her head, reconsiddering her lecture. "Those fish are all just for looking."
"Have tried Koi then? Very taste bad?" He'll inquire then as Artaud slowly raises. He doesn't take his eyes off the water of course for long. Always seemingly ready to disbelieve the things RIko is saying to try and go back for another swipe. But he'll at least keep his instincts in check long enough to triple check. "Sure? Are very sure? They just.. they swimming there? LIke.. maybe.. maybe they live naturally in pond yes? Yes.."
Looking fish? Why these fish looking fish?" Artaud glances aside then, "And not other fish then? What makes special?" The follow up questions keep flowing as he seems to be perplexed by the very nature of these fishes existence.
"No, nobody eats Koi. They are kept for looking at them. Because they have pretty scales, and people put them in ponds because they want to look at them." Riko sighs a short moment, then gesturing to the shoreline. "Even the pond was dug just for that."
Artaud's eyes just shift to look over the water's edge then with that curious expression as he looks at the pond then, and then back to Riko. The skepticism on his face is just very obvious at this point as he lifts a hand to tap at his brow cheek then in thought. "SO.. just.. protect fish? These fish then? Why not other things? Why not forests? OR deer? Or Wolves? Or Bears? Or Lizards? Fish.. just.." He'll look at the water then again, as he kneels back down to stare hard, clearly in intense thought.
"If had pretty scales?" He'll mutter then before glancing up and aside, foot tapping slightly. "No wild Koi then? Only these kinds?"
"Maybe because you can keep a fish in a pond the size of a bedroom and it will never leave that area? Fish are not exactly known to just wander off. And no, Koi only exist like those. There are other carp without pretty scales, those are wild at times."
"Really? Really? Really?" Artaud murmurs then even as he moves to stand slowly then, rubbing at his chin then with a sort of perplexed expression then, as he glances aside then towards RIko. His brow furrows, worry plays at his face. Pity even, as he continues to stare quietly at the pond in solemn contemplation. "To die, never seeing freedom? To go on great journeys? Cannot think of greater sorrow."
"Mrm. Well... Hello?" He'll finally turn to face Riko fully, "What doing here? Now? Wandering? Enjoying.. green space in place? Live near here maybe? What name?"
Riko shrugs in return, sorting her hair a short moment. "I am not sure they can miss what they never knew they have. They don't even know that there is a world beyond the pond." She contemplates a little about the other part of the barrage. "I guess I am on my way home, though I do live quite some away from here. Just taking a walk before taking the bus home. You'd call this a park though."
Artaud's lips are just tugged into a deeper frown as he looks at the pond in for an overly long time then, once more. One might wonder if he is tearing up there for a momment as he rubs at his face for a second and murrmurs. "Mrm. Understands. Makes.. sense. Yes, Park. Right, knows this, just.. this is park? See's. Alright" Artaud tries to play it off of course, but again, he is back to smiles. "IS a rather big place. Hope is not far. Yes? Hard to walk from one end to other. Bussing.. helps yes? Of course."
"Well, takes some bus time, but I had to switch line anyway, so I take a stroll. Once my bus gets here, it's not that long." Riko eyes the guy over again, brushing through her hair another time. "You're not from around here, are you?"
Artaud blinks then as he looks himself over then back to Riko. "Is uh.. French?" He doesn't even bother to try and believe the lie himself, but instead offers it up with a great big smile. "Sort of. But no. Not.. not first language? Is obvious huh? Sorry. Walked here from far away, so not.. not very familiar with things. Here. Places." He'll murrmur then as he glances down at his feet to study them for a few momments before he coughs softly. "But uh, thank.. thanks for lessons on.. Koi was it? Koi. Yes. THank you. Learned much.
Riko sighs a short moment, then gestures to the nearby bus depot with a smile that hints of her needing a little sleep after all. "Well, I'm glad I could help, but if you're hungry, maybe I can get you something small in the station? Just so you don't need to steal someone's Kois."
Artaud keeps himself from admitting that he has gone from wanting to steal a koi to eat, to now his burning passion and desire to steal ALL the koi. That might be implicate him in a future crime. Artaud instead just nods slowly in response, constantly flipping between a happy expression, to something more dour. The offer of food gets him to light up though for a few seconds. "Food? Food is good. Like food. Could eat. What eating? Cake? Burger? Uh.." A long pause, "S-steak? What food?" Riko gestures a little for the nameless one to follow. "I think the Udon place has still open. That's noodles." She smiles a little at the thought. "Maybe a bowl of those?"
There is still that blank questioning expression. "Noodles...? Sure!" He'll offer aloud then as he moves to clap his hands together then as he makes to follow Riko at this point, stepping forward, trying to smile broadly then. "SO uh.. Bowl.. yes! Bowl is good." Artaud of course glances behind himself then with a longing stare, even as they might move to leave. Riko.. had created a criminal crusade. A terror on the city! Long distance to Chandra: Riko found a stray wolf! "Where do we deposit Lupus?"
Riko guides Artaud to the station, only the noodle shop still open while the flourescent lights cast the shadows down on the cement floor. The old guy at the counter misses a few teeth, but smiles as the two approach. A few words of Japanese are exchanged between Riko and the old man, then she hands him a few bills as he starts to cut up the noodles from a roll of dough, heat them in boiling water a few minutes, then rinse them and dump them into a broth that looks almost pitch black at first, but is more a dark brown - and heavily based on soy sauce, oyster sauce and some other ingredients. A rather rich aroma wafts from them as he puts them in front of the two. "You want an egg?" The old man asks with a thick accent, grabbing for the small fridge. "Egg?" He'll glance aside to Riko then with a curious expression. "Egg." He'll offer then quietly, even as his hands are moving to the pockets of his well, somewhat worn and dirty outfit at this point, moving to quietly pull out various coins and dollar bills. There is no rhyme or reason to what he pulls out either. Ussually it's cents and dollars. But theres a loonie in there too. And.. a roman coin? Wait no that goes back in. But he'll look up then and aside at Riko with a smile. "So eat this? Often then? Or.. what?" His nose would be twitching, given how visibly and deeply he is inhaling at times, even while his attention seems to be focused on her.
Riko covers the guy's hand as he attempts to pay. "It's already covered," she tells him while the old man takes out the egg, breaking it into the bowl of the guy. Raw. Not exactly up to health code, but traditional. Picking up a pair of chopsticks, she stirs the bowl and starts to eat.
Artaud doesn't even bother blinking twice. Raw egg, amusingly enough, is how he has ussually eaten eggs after all. So he just chows down without a second thought. Well he would. He has to stare and watch Riko pick up the chopsticks. And then.. well try and pick up his own if offered. TO be fair, he.. quickly understands he doesn't know how. And then he'll rather worriedly about. Mainly becuase it has become very apparent to him that he doesn't know how to use ANY utensils that well. SO he'll just go with some quiet sipping for now. Trying to play it off like he knows what he is doing. "Have.. uh, other.. fork? Spoon?"
After a few moments, the old guy offers Artaud a spoon and fork, smiling his toothreduced smile. Riko just smiles between her bites of the thick wheat noodles.
This has Artaud now, spoon in hand trying to figure out how to eat noodles. He'll watch Riko, at times, trying tom imic her as best he is able, the Lupus content and happy for now with his food. And clearly enjoys it, though to be fair, he enjoys a lot of things. Except the imprisoment of all the Koi of LA. This grave injustice would nag at the back of his head for the rest of his life.
