Best Eaten Raw

The twang of a shamisen rang through the room as the three women took their seats. It was busy, but not crowded, which was a relief to Cress since they were seated at a table near the center of the room. The place was small, though not as small as Histoire D'Amour and smelled like a mixture of fish and rich soup. They had chosen the table out of practicality rather than preference: Illia's legs were just too long to sit in a booth comfortably.

"I wonder why they always play this kind of music in these restaurants," Cress asked. "It feels a bit stereotypical."

"I think it's so they can make the restaurant feel more 'authentic'. I agree though, it does feel a bit racy sometimes. At least it's not as bad as the old Chinese buffets my parents used to take me to with the wall sized, lit up pictures of Chinese landscapes."

Illia shifted in her seat at the mention of Chinese food and Cress fought the instinct to laugh when she remembered Illia's face when she'd tried the chicken. She locked the next memory in her mental vault.

"So what made you want sushi?" Vianna asked.

"Illia has never had it before and I thought she might like the sashimi."

"Sashimi?"

"You'll see. But don't feel pressured to eat it if you don't like it."

"If she's never had sushi before, wouldn't it be safer to get her a roll?"

"Trust me, Vianna. She wouldn't like a roll."

Vianna shrugged and slid her blue frock coat off and hung it on the back of her chair, revealing a white v neck ruffled blouse. She accessorized the shirt with a pair of silver necklaces, one that was just a chain and a longer one that had an old fashioned key.

"Your attire is quite unique," Illia commented seeing Vianna's top. "It reminds me of my homeland."

"Thank you. I like to think it's a modern take on a vintage style, though our friend Kirian jokes I just look like an old lady."

"I was actually introduced to Miss Kirian yesterday. She is quite… charming."

"That's one way to put it," Cress grumbled, staring at the menu. She marked several items on the order card before handing it to Vianna.

"Did you two get in a fight?"

"No. She was just being a little too Kirian when she came over. Did she not text you?"

"She did, but she didn't say much beyond that you had an exceptionally tall, beautiful new roommate."

"Sounds right. Did she leave out the part where she was practically drooling over her?"

"…Cress. Should you really be saying that with Illia right here?"

"Please, do not tailor your conversation at my expense. While I did not take offense to her behavior, Miss Kirian did leave an impression."

"You're being too considerate," Cress grumbled. "You live with me, so she shouldn't have been flirting with you at all. She's just trying to stirrup trouble."

"It almost sounds like you're jealous," Vianna mumbled under her breath. Cress chose to ignore it, but she didn't miss Illia's head tilt. Thankfully, the waitress came to interrupt.

"Ladies," the waitress said, setting down glasses of water for everyone. "Can I get you anything to drink besides water?"

"I'm good," Cress said.

"I'll have some barley tea if that's alright."

"Of course. And for you?"

Illia looked at Cress unsure of how to answer and Cress realized she had no idea what Illia could or would drink. Water was safe, but maybe it would be better if…

"She'll have some tea as well," Vianna answered for them.

"Fantastic. Have you had a chance to look over the menu? Feel free to ask if you have any questions."

"I'm done, what about you?" Cress asked Vianna.

"I'm good, too," she replied, handing the card to the waitress. "Thank you."

"Alright then!" the waitress said with a beaming smile that said "please tip well". "I'll take this and your food will be out shortly."

"Sorry for deciding your drink for you, Illia."

"No, I should be thanking you, Miss Vianna."

Cress frowned internally. Why was everyone trying to get on Illia's good side? Was she just being jealous like Vianna said? Why?

It didn't take long for the waitress to serve the tea and Cress couldn't help but stare anxiously to see Illia's reaction. Vianna seemed less interested, but was considerably less invested.

"This is quite an interesting taste," Illia finally said after taking her first sip and letting it linger in her mouth. "I've never had anything quite like it. It is quite refreshing."

"I know, right? I love it, but the last time I tried to get Cress to try it, she said it tasted like dirty grass."

"I did not!" Cress protested. Was Vianna trying to make her look bad?

"Sure, sure," Vianna said, waving her hand dismissively. "But I want to talk about you, Illia. Where are you from?"

"That's…" Illia's green eyes looked to Cress for a hint of an answer, but Cress could only give her a wide eyed stare back. They should have discussed it before coming.

"You're from a rural desert town in Libya, right Illia?"

"Yes," Illia replied without hesitation. "I come from a small town called Dansgrian."

"That's amazing! Your English is really good for growing up in a small town. You don't even have an accent."

Green and hazel eyes exchanged panicked looks, neither sure how to answer. Vianna was smart. Too smart. She was halfway done with her ecology doctorate and loved asking questions. Even if Cress could make up a convincing answer now she doubted she could continue for long and Illia was a dead fish in the water.

"You studied a lot, didn't you Illia? Actually, Vianna is working on her doctorate right now. How is your research going, Vi?"

Vianna's milk chocolate eyes sparkled at the mention of the research and it didn't take long for her to start monologuing about her work, earning Cress an approving nudge under the table. While Vianna wasn't vain, she came from a family of researchers; her mother was an entomologist and her father was a mycologist. Cress didn't consider herself dumb, but she never knew what Cress was saying when she entered research mode. On the other hand, Illia listened intently, her eyes fixated on Vianna's every word.

"Now Illia probably thinks I'm an idiot (though I guess compared to Vi, I am). Now that I think about it, I'm the lamest of our friend group! Kir is the pretty one, Vi is the smart one, and I'm the one with a crippling phobia that forced her to drop out of college. I'm the loser of the group!"

"Sorry to interrupt," the waitress said after what seemed like an eternity to Cress. She set the plates down in the center of the table, her smile never leaving her face. "Can I get you anything else?"

"I think we're good," Cress replied, glancing at the others at the table for someone to disagree. They didn't.

"Alright then, enjoy."

"Someone's a bit testy this afternoon."

"I'm just tired."

"You seemed fine at work."

"And work tires me out."

An awkward tension hung over the table and Cress cursed herself for being so agitated. It was supposed to be a fun lunch, but she was ruining it by acting like a moody child.

"That's understandable," Illia chimed in, tapping Cress's foot with hers. "We conversed into the wee hours, so neither of us slept much."

"Oh, you should have told me," Vianna said, her eyes softening. "If I had known I wouldn't have suggested lunch."

"No, I'm happy we met up," Cress said, her mood brightening slightly. "If anything I should be apologizing for being so moody. I'm just a bit stressed. You know how I am."

"Right. You should have seen her when she first moved to the city, Illia. Girl from the suburbs lost in the city not knowing a soul. She's lucky she applied at Histoire D'Amour so I could take her under my wing."

"So you are Cress's mentor?"

Vianna rolled her eyes, waving her hand dismissively. "Nothing so serious. I just took a liking to her and helped her out. She's a sweetie, sincere in everything she does."

"So I've noticed," Illia beamed.

"I'm right here. Now let's eat before the food gets cold… or I guess warm in this case."

Cress set the sushi rolls between her and Vianna and set several small plates of toro, unagi, and hamachi in front of Illia.

"It's all raw. I thought since you weren't a fan of rice just meat this would suit you."

"I appreciate your consideration. While I cannot yet attest to its taste, I must confess I'm drawn in by the unique presentation and color."

All eyes at the table were trained on Illia as she picked a piece of pink tuna up with her fingers and sniffed it. Though it was subtle, slight twitches showed her interest and she put the fish in her mouth without hesitation.

Illia's green eyes shined brightly as she chewed and she covered her mouth with her hands when she realized Cress and Vianna were watching.

"How is it?"

"Delectable. The texture is a bit soft, but the rich flavor dances on my tongue. It reminds me of the Sandstone Shark they used to serve at-"

Illia caught herself before finishing her sentence and ate another piece of tuna.

"Did you have fish where you lived?" Vianna asked, prying once again.

"No. On occasion we would venture to the coast and partake. It was quite the treat."

It was odd to Cress how easily lying came to Illia and a tiny voice in the back of her head chattered with questions with the most prominent being: how much had Illia lied to her?

"Let's dig in," Cress finally said, deciding not to dwell on what ifs. "I've never had a Forger Roll before. Is that peanut butter?"

Vianna grinned, framing her chin and cheek with her thumb and index finger. "It's limited edition. I don't imagine it'll taste that great, but I couldn't resist!"

Cress rolled her eyes and sniffed the piece cradled in her chopsticks. The pungent scent of peanut butter overwhelmed the crab and avocado making her want to gag. Regardless, she was curious, too, so she popped the piece in her mouth. It only took a single bite before it was in her napkin.

"That bad?"

"Find out yourself."

Vianna followed after Cress and sure enough she did the same. "That was a waste of money."

"Being adventurous often is. That's why I stick to the staples."