Vivi, wrapped in a soaked through shawl, had not meant to get caught out in the rain. The weather had come in faster than she had expected it to and had caught her unawares as a result. She had been surprised when the first few droplets had come down, but by the time the downpour really had begun she found herself rather put off by the change in scenery. For a woman with only one set of clothes to her name, rain usually meant that she would be stuck with soaked clothes for hours after the fact. Left bereft of dryness or the sight to bring herself back to her meager accommodations across town, she had simply let herself wander the streets in search of somewhere to rest while the rain took its toll on the port city. But in the dreadful rain she could see very little save for the dimly lit streetlamps that lit the roads even through the storm.

Keeping her head down, the demi-human simply took solace in the fact that at least she would have a warm bed to return to at some point when the storm abated. Until then, she could tough out a bit of rain for as long as it took her to find the respite she needed. Her eyes occasionally glanced up to see what remained for her in the empty streets, finding most of it quiet and unassuming. Not the places for her. She kept looking, trudging really, in search of somewhere that would suit her. She did not know Hargeon very well and could not claim to be a master of intuition regarding a sense of direction or location. But on the cobbled streets, she would have to find something eventually. That eventuality was enough for her to keep walking without any complaints.

When her eyes did fall on a place with a lamp lit, she took a good long look at what she had found. An establishment of sorts, the lights were on as well. She could not see if there were any signs or indications of what it was, but she did not care. Walking up to the door, she nearly knocked before deciding to try to open it first. And to her surprise it did swing open, letting her step out of the rain for the first time in what had felt like hours. She blinked the wetness out of her eyes and had a look around the room, trying to see where she had ended up in this strange city.

A rainy day in hargeon usually meant good business. At least in the early parts of the day that is. Once the beginnings of night had descended upon the town, not so much. Which was understood, no one wanting to go out in the rain, and in the dark. At least most normal people. But there were some strange ones out there. For those strange ones, his little hole in the wall bar was home.

The smell of ale, and curry could literally send one to a whole other universe if they were desperate enough for such a thing. Which if you were caught out in the rain, odds are you would be. He was hard work in the kitchen preparing the curry for tonight's run of late calls. It was something he did mainly on the rainy nights. He always felt better with a hot bowl of curry.

Suddenly he heard his door fling open, which meant business. Thankfully the dull moments of solitude were over. He did indeed hate the quite. He walked out from the kitchen to stand behind the bar, where he came face to face with someone about as dry as the ocean they bordered.

"Yikes, before I ask you if you'd like a menu, can I offer you a dry change of clothes?"

"I'm fairly certain that any money I do have is as soaked as I am at this moment," Vivi replied. She resisted the urge to shake herself off like a wet dog, knowing such an act would likely be frowned upon in a place like this. Her hair continued to sag over her brow, soaking her vision in cold water and making it rather hard for her to have a good look at her surroundings. Judging from the man speaking to her, she would imagine that she had not walked into someone's home. He had mentioned a menu which likely meant she was in a restaurant or bar. She could work with either. In fact, food did seem like a rather good option to her at that point. Her stomach was rather empty after spending so long wandering in the rain.

"I am sorry to come barging in like this," She said in her usual stoic tone. "I had not expected for the rain to come in so quickly. But if you have the space for me to stay for a time I will be grateful for the kindness." She held up an arm and coughed, feeling all the better now that she was indoors. She simply hoped that she would not end up catching a cold. "Any jewels I have that are dry I will be happy to give you in exchange for a warm meal as well. But clothing is not something I would impose on you for. I doubt you would have anything for a woman my size anyhow."

"Hah, you'd be wrong about that I have women's kimono's damn near any size." He said with a smile as he walked from behind the bar over to a hidden linen closet. He couldn't offer clothes to everyone you see, but for some people he could do something so simple.

"Id try to guess your bust size, but that would be rude, so we will go with a large kimono. I'll show you to the bathroom." He said as he gently took his guest by the hand leading her to where she could dry off.

He couldn't stand idly by while she was at risk for catching her death of cold. Though he being a nature mage, he could heal her, But not having to do that would save them both time, and discomfort in the long run.

"We can talk about payment later, right now it's more important to me that you get comfortable. You're in my home after all." He said with a laugh, as he went back behind the bar to fetch a cigarette for himself. He was in need of stimulation on such a boring night after all.

"Your home? This seems more like a bar than a residence." Vivi reached up and brushed the hair from her face. Blinking a few times, she had a look around the interior. It certainly did not look like a home to her. Did people in Hargeon simply live differently from everyone else in Fiore? Was every home also an establishment of some kind? It seemed ridiculous, but she wasn't aware of how everyone behaved in this usually odd country. Even having been born within its borders, it was not as if she understood everyone from every corner of her country. She, of course, allowed herself to be led by the hand and took the offered change of clothes with a nod of thanks. She stepped into the bathroom, thankful that she had a bit of privacy to change. She did not want to embarrass herself further after everything that had already taken place that day.

It took her only a moment to change. Her sopping wet clothes were in a bundle in her arms as she came back out again wearing the large kimono. It did fit her quite well, about as well as her regular clothing. So tight in certain places. She didn't complain, she never did. "Thank you," She said to the stranger as she walked back towards the bar. "It is not often that I find myself in the need of a display of kindness like this. I am grateful to find a compassionate stranger when I do, however." She bowed her head slightly in thanks.

"Well, to be fair, my home is upstairs. I bought the whole building. So technically this whole establishment is my home." He said with a laugh as he took the wet clothes from her hands. Going to the kitchen, and placing them in front of an open oven to dry.

As he walked back in to the dining hall of the bar, he would light a cigarette, taking a long slow drag off of it before he would exhale. He would turn his attention back to the statuesque demi human before him. Not every day you get to see one, or one of her height.

"I'm a Joyan, hospitality is what we do. Despite the blood soaked history of our country. Some of us haven't lost it. He said with a warm smile as he posted up behind the bar. Ashing his cigarette into an ash tray, he would grab a menu.

Placing it before her, he would grab a bottle of wine, and pour two glasses, one for her, and one for her. "So tell me, you've got a name right?" He said as he placed a wine glass in front of her. Hoping she would continue to accept his kindness.

"I am half-Sinese," She said in response. "I know well the pains of a bloody history, at least as far as my father would explain it. Though I have never felt much kinship with his homeland. So far away, so fabled, and much too contained with its own conflicts. My home is here and that is where my attention lies." She took the offered menu and had a glance over it. She had never tried any of the dishes that were listed, most of them she had never heard of either. She could gather there were some similarities between Sinese and Joyan cooking, but the difference was still rather staggering. She scratched her head while she thought about what to order, only registering that he was still there when he set her glass of wine down in front of her. Looking up, she glanced into his eyes for a brief moment before nodding her head.

"I do. It is Vivi." She raised an eyebrow. "It is a very Fiorian name, I know. But my mother was a much stronger personality than my father. He could not say no to her." She took the glass of wine and brought it to her lips. Normally she was not the type to drink wine, but she would not begrudge a drink after such a long day. She enjoyed a sip before she set it down again. If there was any hope she would pontificate on the intricacies of wine after tasting it then they would be dashed, to her a drink was simply like any other save for a slight change in flavor.

"And does this stranger from Joya have a name himself?" She asked. "I would hate to be able to put a name to the face of the man who offered me such creature comforts in a time of need."

"How rude of me, I apologize. I am Mattori Manzo. Most people just call me Manzo. I'm the Ace of Blue Pegasus." He said with a smile in her direction. He did indeed understand strange family circumstances. Though he doubted she'd be overly interested in hearing his own story. But then again, she offered her own.

"From what I've been told by my mother's there wasn't a lot of debate on my name. " He wondered often what it would have been like growing up with a "father" though his mothers were far more than enough for him. Though it would be years before they could embrace one another after his birth.

"Would you like a suggestion, on what to order?" He said kindly as he saw that she was having a bit of a struggle with the menu. It wasn't uncommon for foreigners to have an issue with something as complex as Joyan food. Though other cultures did have similarities, Joyan food was a bit different.

"I'm probably stroking my own ego by saying it's all good. But i have yet to have a complaint so far." He didn't want to brag or anything of that nature, it was just his experience after all.

Vivi remained, as ever, rather plain. She didn't show much emotion on her face at all, her eyes told more of her story than any smile or frown she could put on. When he spoke she paid attention solely to him, never wavering. Her attention was focused and honed without any issue. One might almost mistake her for a statue without looking too closely. She was interested in what he said, each detail being etched into her memory without fault. What had he meant by mothers? Had he been adopted? What was his story? She could ask a dozen questions simply off of what he had just said, but she kept herself restrained. Questions, she knew, had an appropriate time to be asked rather than a desire to be blurted out whenever they pleased. Tact was her specialty.

"It is a pleasure, Manzo," She said. "Any advice you could give me on your menu would be appreciated. I am afraid I am not much of an epicurean myself. Rice and a bit of meat has always done me just fine even when I find myself with the jewels to pay for something more refined." She glanced at the menu again. "I am certain it all has a good taste, but when everything is meant to taste delicious it makes it hard to choose just what will suit my tastes. I have always been partial to hotpot myself, but I am not sure how well that translates across cultures."

"Well on rainy days like this, a curry is what people usually order. It will warm you up to the bone for sure." He said as he took a large gulp of his wine. Then placing his cigarette back to his full lips. She had a point though, he didn't put anything on there was plain.

The key to joyan cooking was strong flavor with simple ingredients. Most dishes were no more than a handful of them. Even the most complicated ones were like that. But now was not the time to be giving a cooking lesson, or maybe it was.

"I've got an idea actually, why don't you come into the kitchen, and pick out things based on your own tastes?" It was not an offer he would usually extend, but she was seeming to be having more trouble than most. Hopefully she would think this was a fun little idea. He did, obviously.

"Of course, if that's too much trouble for you I understand." He put out his finished cigarette in the ash tray before taking a spray bottle from behind the counter and walked over to his plants, waiting for her response of course.

Vivi knew very little regarding any sort of cooking. She knew that Sinese cooking could vary wildly based on the region from which it came, but given that her father was very traditional and unassuming she never had much of a culinary background while growing up. That hadn't changed much now that she was her own woman, and she had never really delved into the depths of cooking from anywhere. To her, food was either good or bad and did not have much of a quality outside of that. Usually what she cooked sat in the middle, which was not too bad given that it was typically just charred meat roasted over a fire.

Then she stood up and took her glass of wine with her. She walked around to the end of the counter and pointed to the kitchen with her glass. "I may not be much of a cook myself, but I know what it is that I like. I am sure I will be able to have some understand of what it is I am looking for if you are there to lend me a hand." She knocked back half of her glass of wine and nodded her head. "An expert will know far more than I, I am not ashamed to admit that to myself or to anyone else."

Manzo couldn't help but chuckle to himself at her words. It seemed as though she wanted his guiding hand. Not something he would deny such a lovely creature like herself. So of course he would oblige her request. "I'd love nothing more miss Vivi!" He said with a smile as he got up from where he was seated watering his plants.

Onward to the kitchen, it was a realm of stainless steel accompanied by the greenery of tomato vines and lily like plants. A little touch he thought made it prettier to look at, and more peaceful to be in. "This is where the magic happens as they would say. Even though I'm the magic of this place." He said with a coy smile.

He did wonder what it was she would decide to create with him at the reins. Maybe she would turn him on to something he'd not had himself. It was very very exciting to say the least. Almost as exciting as being with a statuesque woman like her. Maybe she had some of her own magic she'd cook up for the both of them to enjoy. That being the case he'd have to reward her in some way shape or form.

Vivi wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation, or the man, thus far. He seemed pleasant to her, and certainly a charming individual. The latter did make sense as owning a bar did usually mean one had to be charismatic to both attract and keep customers. But his suave attitude had her at a loss. She could not quite tell what exactly his motives were, if he had any. Was he attempting to impress her? Was he looking for her to impress him? She really couldn't say at that point, and that was something that bothered her. She was far more used to being in control of herself and the situations she was in. But he seemed to defy that idea. Manzo...what exactly was he?

She followed him into the kitchen and had a look around the space. Yet again, she found herself surprised by how picturesque it was. It was like a kitchen pulled from a magazine, and it seemed like all that it was missing was its master chef. She watched Manzo move in and make the space his own immediately, comfortable and confident as before. She would be impressed by it were it not so unexpected.

"Do you have anything spicy to start with?" She couldn't spot anything she recognized. "I could do with some heat after the day I have had. Spicy food seemed like it would be the perfect remedy for that in my mind. Something that really warms the stomach."

"Something that warms the stomach? I think we have something along those lines!" He said cheerfully as he began to take stock of his inventory. If she wanted something spicy he could certainly do something with that request. But should it be rich? Absolutely it should.

"We are gonna go a little off book and theme with this one." He said with stars in his eyes. He enjoyed his job, and getting the opportunity to do something like this on such an intimate level, with a total stranger no less. Even more of a blood rush!

"Let's see, we are going to need fire roasted red peppers, milk, red chilles, and a sauce pan!" He began running around his kitchen like a mad man gathering everything they needed for this collaborative dish. This was truly an exciting moment to be sure.

He had hoped she felt the same way about it, though he did detect a bit of unease from her. It was true he was an acquired taste for most people. But hopefully she would warm up to him before long. Because this was truly the most fun he had, had in quite a long time.

Perhaps if this goes well, more fun could ensure, the night was young after all.

Vivi almost jumped back in surprise as Manzo starts to work. He was like a lightning bolt of activity. Every time she looked to see him in one spot he was already dashing off to another all in a bid to gather the ingredients he needed. She gave up trying to track him after only a few seconds, it felt more like an exercise in futility than an actual chance to observe him. So she walked over to the counter where he was gathering the ingredients and waited for him to slow down. She'd catch up after the fact, that seemed to be the best idea. If she kept trying to keep up with him she'd give herself a headache. After all, trying to match a master chef in his own kitchen seemed like trying to beat a card shark at, well, cards.

"Have you been a professional chef for much of your life?" She asked. "It must take a great deal of time and effort to master all the skills needed to be both an ace of Blue Pegasus and a chef of your caliber. Almost akin to living two different lifetimes at once." She considered that for a moment. "I feel a bit of envy just thinking about it."

"Two lives, try three? I was a hit man long before this career and position." He said with caution to the wind about exposing his past to a total stranger the way that he was. But he cared very little about the opinion of others in this regard. He did what he did, to protect this city, and those he loved within the walls.

Truth be told if he was called to take it up again he'd do it with no hesitation at all. Everything he did came as simple to him as breathing. He had done prison time for taking care of what he considered his family outside of his mothers.

"Surprisingly i learned how to cook from my time inside of prison years ago. There food is all you have to keep your spirits high." He said as he began to chop the fire roasted peppers, as well as the chilles with a sharp chefs knife that he had retrieved from his magnetic knife strip.

Though he did find it a bit odd at how willing he was to expose himself to this woman. Maybe it was her own sense of calm rubbing off on him. Or maybe he hoped to have her company for tonight into the morning, and wanted to seem even more interesting than he was.

"A hitman and a prisoner. Did you go to prison because of your work as a hitman? Or did you leave prison with the talents to become a hitman?" Her tone was less shocked and more intrigued. She had been around murderers, cutthroats, and thieves before. A hitman was likely the cleanest of the criminal work, she didn't consider it something to express much shock over. Instead, she found it almost more comforting that he was less than a sterling example of a man. Everyone had their secrets, that she knew, but too few people kept the most dull secrets. His shined like a brilliant emerald. She appreciated the fact that he had a seedier past than his owning such a proper bar would express.

"I believe all I have ever been accused of is vandalism and smuggling before," She said with a shrug of her shoulders. As she leaned against the counter, her gaze focused on his work. She watched how skillfully he managed to cut the peppers and was amazed when she thought about how much time must have gone into perfecting a talent like that. Three lifetimes indeed. "Though that is what I've been caught doing. I don't make any grand claims to fame, I am no criminal mastermind. A fight here, a punch thrown there, it is rather all tame. Compared to being a hitman at least."

"I believe my wrap sheet, is a little darker than that to be honest. Few counts of conspiracy to commit murder, mass murder. The list goes on." He said with an almost eerily cheery voice. The truth of the matter was, he had served his time, and he didn't regret anything that he did.

"My prison time was a slap on the wrist for what I did. Which was erasing scum from the face of the earth." That's how he viewed the people that had met their end by he and his hands. So when it was time to do his time, to protect his co offender, he did it with a smile.

"Everything that has ever been said about me has moniker of truth to it. But I'm comfortable with that." He said as he put the fire roasted peppers, as well as chilles into the sauce pan, beginning to saute them. The smell coming off of them was enough to hypnotize someone.

That was the beauty of cooking, it could take you to a different place mentally and emotionally. It could make sun shine on a rainy day. It was beautiful to the very least.

Vivi took a whiff of the now cooking vegetables and spices. She could practically fill her nostrils with that burning flavor, it gets her rather hungry. Her mouth starts to water at the prospect of having a hot meal in her belly after a cold day in the rain. She actually found herself leaning over Manzo's shoulder just to take in more of the scent. It smelled more extravagant than anything she had ever made, which was surprising given that even she knew it was not something incredibly expensive. She settled in while she watched him work, careful not to place herself in his way.

"I may be guilty of crimes like that someday," She explained. "I do not think I want to be, but I doubt I would let it stop me. My goal lies on a fairly straight and narrow course, and it would be rather foolish of me to deviate simply because of fear." She shook her head slightly. "I do not think I would like to go to prison, however. It sounds like a rather dismal affair and one that wouldn't particularly suit a woman like me. Better to fight until my last breath I think."

She took another sniff. "It really does smell delicious. Warm and savory."

"Remember on your path, that life is sacred, and should not be easily taken. Unless you know without any doubt, there is no place for them in this world. Because all they will do is hurt innocent people." It was a hard line to tip toe, for himself, it was not something he looked forward to having to do again. He lost a piece of himself every time he had to do it.

Life was not as simple as people would like to make it out to be. There are very few black and white things in this world, it's mainly a sea of gray. Which was something that not a lot of people could take. So they run and hide and find things to believe in to alleviate their anxiety.

There was no shame in it, everyone has a crutch at some point in their lives. For himself it was a mixture of booze and nicotine. It helped center him, even if they were both quite nasty habits at the end of the day. It was his creature comfort at the end of the day. He could exist anywhere as long as he had those things. Which was to a lot of people, not really having anything at all. Which to a degree was true.

"I never intend to take an innocent life," Vivi stated plainly. "Stealing away the potential of a life that hasn't been lived is a sign of weakness. The strong know that they must be selective in how they use their power. And if you cannot control your power and it causes the death of others accidentally then that is also a sign of weakness." She turned back and leaned against the counter, looking Manzo in the eye. She jabbed her chest with her thumb. "I am not weak. I will not stain my hands with anyone's blood save for those who have earned it. That isn't my way."

She relaxed her posture and dropped her arm. She didn't seem agitated by his words, but her attitude was resolute. She didn't suffer any question of her commitment to her ideals. Her morals formed the very basis for her being where she was, they were the most important thing in her life. It seemed to her that Manzo was offering her free advice, which she gladly took, but she wanted to reassure him that he had not let some twisted monster into his home without considering it beforehand.

"I'm not sure who you're trying to convince more, me or yourself. In either regard, just be true to who you are, and the rest will follow." He said in a very monotone voice. While it was true that most people who did bark back at him like that had more to prove to themselves as opposed to him. He would give this statuesque beauty the benefit of the doubt.

Now that the veggies were properly sauteed he would add a can of whole boiled and peeled tomatoes. Crushing them with a wooden spoon he had to his left to create the base for the soup which was where his eyes were glued. Not that he wanted to take his eyes off of Vivi, he just didn't want anything to burn.

After the tomatoes were thoroughly crushed he would quickly add heavy cream as opposed to milk. It would serve to thicken it, as well as give it a nice silky texture. Which is what they were going for here. He would place a lid on it to simmer. One side of it off to let steam escape so that it didn't drop into the soup and mess with their whole operation here.

While that was going on, he went to the pantry to fetch some very crusty bread to serve along side it, as well as a sharp cheese for garnish and added flavor to balance out the spice.

"I simply know who I am," Vivi said back with a shrug of her broad shoulders. "As long as I know that then I am content with my life. If I was working to change how others think about me then I would just join the church. I would be paid for it there which would be a nice change of pace." She said her joke as passively as she said anything else, but she did crack a smile at it. It quickly faded however and she went back to her stoic expression. She didn't say more on the matter. Were she someone else, she might make some grander gesture and use Manzo's cooking as some kind of metaphor for her life in some attempt to convince him of what she meant. But she'd said her piece. She didn't need to rant and rave about it, she just knew what was on her mind and didn't hesitate to speak it out loud. A flaw maybe, but it was who she was. Proud not by nature but by achievement.

She glanced at the soup before he covered it up. It really did smell delicious. Just being in the kitchen was making her hungrier than before. She really hadn't realized how much she was longing for the meal until she had already reached this point. Now she was practically aching for it.

Their current topic of conversation was not really one that he cared to continue. Mainly because all it would do is end with them talked in circles. Which was fun for no one. He'd rather not hear anything else come out of her mouth, he was much more interested in putting something in her mouth. Which was almost done at this point.

He placed the bread he had retrieved in the over under the broiler to toast. It was important to have something hearty like this to go with a rich soup. It was key in Joyan cooking to balance the flavors and the texture. Even if this wasn't a joyan dish. If he had to guess it was something of a menstrali dish. But he was skilled enough to cook any style if need be.

After a few moments he would quickly remove the bread from the oven and begin the platting process. He took a simple saucer, placing a soup bowl in the middle of it. Taking a ladle and removing the lid he would dish out the soup as cleanly as humanly possible.

Once the bowl was filled to just about the mid way point. He would take a cheese grader and begin to adorn the dish with a layer of sharp white cheddar cheese. This would end up turning into a top layer crust. Placing two slices of thick toast on the edge of the plate. He would turn to Vivi and present her with said meal.

A spoon in one hand, hoping she would enjoy such a thing.

Vivi stood in silence while Manzo worked. She wasn't even thinking, at least not about anything in particular. Comfortable in the silence, she had almost shut her eyes after a time. This was, of course, something that happened to her often. She was so focused on the here and now that often times she would simply be put into a state of doing, well, nothing. She did not consider the future much, and reminiscing on the past was certainly not her strong suit. After trying to watch Manzo again, she really just felt confused. She could see the actions he was taking and she could follow the motions and the general gist, but as soon as he started to combine ingredients it all just fell apart in her mind. She was not very good at seeing the forest through the trees in that moment. Nevertheless, she did like the look of what was placed in front of her. This was like a feast in comparison to what she normally ate. The seasoning, the garnish, even the bread, it was all far better than her usual fare while she was on the road.

She took the offered plate in one hand, not minding the heat, and grabbed the spoon with the other. If she was supposed to wait to have a seat beforehand, that definitely was not going to happen. The excessively tall demi-human dug in almost immediately, slurping down the soup with gusto and by the spoon or mouthful depending. She only slowed down to have a bite from the bread, the delicious meal going down easy and filling her empty stomach with a fiery sensation of delight.

By the time she was done with the first bowl, she actually felt a bit of sorrow that it was gone. She had been too quick with her enjoyment. The taste may have been savory, but she had not been quick to savor it. "That was incredible," She said with a lick of her lips. "So warm...so delicious."