"Ah, that sounds like what I had heard," she agreed having only half remembered second-hand news of it to go on, "It would make things much more stable if things like that were resolved."

She looked at another arch curiously, "It is still a curious sort of construction. Even for all that."

"It's quite ingenious if you think about it. In right combination it can serve to build great halls of stone in height and width. Which they do when they come from. Towers, domes, palaces." They arrived at a small corner door Noriko pushed, revealing warm, slightly stuffy interior lit with lamps. There was some signboard dangling by the door but the inscription had been erased.

"That is fascinating. They must have a lot of stone where they are from," she looked inside, "It is a bit dank though. Oh,well. So poruto?"

Noriko did not correct the pronunciation of the younger woman as she gave a small nod, "Yes, let me find us a place sit and I shall have them bring us some."

Though the architecture certainly had many foreign elements to it, the tables at least were in the Rokugani style. So she found a table near an exit to an open deck with a few cushions around it.

The Kakita took a seat by the table. "This seems like a good place. Unless there is some there is some special way to properly drink this gaijin beverage?"

Sitting as well, the Moshi woman folded her hands in her lap, "I have heard there are various preferences; But there are special cups they use, and certain preparations they have for pouring it. Like the thoughtfulness put into serving a good sake. Then again, others will simply drink it straight it seems, so I do not wish to generalize. I prefer the more artful approach."

She smiles, "Mmm, it seems a lot like sake preparation then. My charge last winter was particular: 'Just hot enough that there is a billow of steam, in shallow dish at least two hand spans wide and dressed with a thin slice of sushi ginger floating near the middle,'" she recited, "It is good to know somethings are still so similar."

Noriko nodded as she listened, a servant walking over as Otsuka was finishing. She ordered two glasses before turning back to the Kakita, "I myself can be fairly particular, but not to that extent I should think. I suppose have not tried enough port o to really be picky in that sense."

"Well, let us see then," she said inspecting the odd gaijin cup, "Why is the cup so high?"

"High?"

She looks at the glass before chuckling, looking back at Otsuka, "This one is not so high really; Some of the glassware they use for different drinks is very tall indeed. I have heard it's to make it more artistic and elegant."

As Noriko spoke the server came back with a tall dark bottle with a cork in it and a strange metal funnel, as well as a fluted glass vase with a wide bottom.

"I suppose it does," she remarks giving the glass a curious look, "It is very strange." She said giving the glass a untrusting look, "Why don't they use pottery?"

The server puts metal funnel into the top of the glass container, uncorking the bottle and starting to pour the liquid through.

"Why? ...I suppose I've never asked. Foreigners drink out of glass, metal, occasionally pottery. But why they are shaped the way they are, what materials..." she gave a wry smile, "Are you curious, Kakita-san?"

The port filtered and decantered, it was poured into the glasses.

"I have not encountered much of the gaijin so far. It is all very strange to me at this stage," she picked up the glass curiously and sniffed it for a moment, "A toast?"

Noriko picked her own glass up, hand cupping it as she looked at Otsuka, "I take it you have one in mind then?"

"To new experiences?" she posed, "This morning was far too familiar an experience. I think it is time to welcome in something new."

Noriko was more than happy to put the morning behind her. She offered a slight smile, "Fair enough, Kakita-san; To new experiences then."

After the toast she took a sip; The slightly cool liquid had notes of anise and cherry along with its smooth burn.

A sip. A blink. "That was different," another sip to confirm some things, "Not bad but definitely well removed from sake in terms of taste." She spent a moment slowly tilting the cup back and forth seeming to meditate on the dark liquid inside. "Hmmmm," a third sip, "I think I like it!"

A small chuckle and almost a... smirk?

"Just watch out about that; This particular drink is closer to shochu than sake, despite the pleasant notes. I've had to find that out myself."

She took another sip after speaking.

"Ah, right," she said giving it a cautious look, "Well... I will be cautious with it." She took another sip.

Her mind returning to her situation she changed the subject. "I wonder who the ship commanders will be?"

"I have heard rumours myself... have you heard many yourself on the subject?"