A Thousand Sugar Stars, Oh Put Them in a Jar (October Catch-All)

[ricebird]

Characters: Kotori Iida [Sweet Porridge Girl], Della Duck [Icarus], Master Crane [Crane (Tsuru no Ongaeshi)], Disciple [Jekyll and Hyde], and YOU!
Campaign: Break
Format: Starting with brackets, but will match
One Open, Two Closed
Summary: Kotori comes back from a brief trip home, makes lots of tasty food with people, and wakes up at an ungodly early hour to train. (Oh, also, Hyde happens.)


A. I Looked at the World Through Apple Eyes (Closed to Della Duck and Master Crane)

[Wild and unpredictable as restoring The Little Mermaid had been, Kotori is very, VERY glad the ending turned out happy, with not a speck of mermaid-derived seafoam in sight. Coming back to the Index and seeing the city dressed in autumn colors, though… is it already close to a year since the Storyteller first brought them here? Close to a year since she last saw home… She should fix that.

So after telling a few of her closer friends and asking them to watch her place and let any other Aspects who ask know so no one panics ROXAS, she asks the Storyteller to send her home, just for a little while. By Index time, she’s only gone a few days; in Japan, it’d only been a few weeks. It was… weird being back in a completely normal world after spending a year here. Going through school, cooking more with Inuzuka-sensei and Tsumugi-chan, her mom working hard again. Shinobu had even been visiting her during lunch break lately, even if it felt a bit awkward not telling her about cooking with the Inuzukas… or this place, for that matter. The remembered it vividly for a few days, but… then started writing it off as a dream. Huh. The whole business is weird, really, like the time differences, and her feelings for…

But she can think about all that later. The Storyteller brought her back in late at night it seems, and she’s already really tired. One good thing about all her schooling being left at home is that she can sleep in as late as she wants tomorrow. …… Which, if her memories of the Index had been a little fresher, she’d remember as having scheduled a certain meeting with a certain duck. This should be interesting.]


B. And Cut Myself a Slice of Sunshine Pie (Open)

[Between this new routine of cooking sessions with the Inuzukas, her pot’s new shapeshifting ability, the pub’s brand new kitchen, and actually having a recipe collection to work with, and creating the massive feast during the ball, Kotori’s not only started getting used to cooking with other people, she’s actually starting to crave it even more than she had been. So whether she asks you herself, or you ask to come over to practice a recipe (especially for a date coming up~), from late morning to a little bit into the evening, Kotori’s available to make just about anything.

Or maybe you smelled good food inside and decided to invite yourself into this strangely cauldron-shaped pub. (Especially if it involves daikon GOBO.) Those in this category might be confused to see that the space is clean and well-kept, if rustic, there doesn't seem to be much of a crowd. In fact, the only person here is a teenage girl, in the middle of cleaning the kitchen in the back, sweeping and polishing the floors and counters up front, or sitting down at the bar for a meal for one, depending on what time of day you catch her.

Still, yes, Kotori’s door is open, so come on in, cook, and eat!]


C. I Danced with the Peanut Butterflies (Closed to Disciple)

[Of course, even with how fun these cooking lessons are, a little quite time in between is always nice. (Not to mention kitchens don’t clean themselves…) So after doing some sweeping and mopping for the day, Kotori’s sitting at the bar counter with a nice, simple dinner with a steaming bowl of nyuumen and a cup of hot green tea. Perfect for a cool, peaceful autumn day like this… ……. Okay but maybe a miniature apple charlotte after this would be nice. After seconds, of course.]


D. Till Time Went and Told Me to Say Hello but Wave Goodbye (Wildcard)

[[Got something in find other than the prompts listed here? Feel free to hit me up on Plurk or Discord so we can plot!]]

Comments

[ricebird]

What the--?!

[Halfway through her descent Kotori grabs the banister and starts running downstairs, very easy to hear. That "other wall" is the pub's bar, so the battered door is draped haphazardly between the counter and the (thankfully mostly empty) shelves behind it. Kotoro is about to go inspect it when she feels something lukewarm and wet soak through her sock. Is... is that...?]

[chippedsoul]

[While she's distracted by what's beneath her, someone starts breathing down her neck from behind.] Ah~ so the little birdy is awake...

[Turning around will bring her face to face with abs an abnormally tall and well toned man, without a shirt or any shoes on. His hair was pulled back, with yellow eyes that seem to glow in the darkness and sharp teeth showing as he smiles mischievously down at her. In one of his clawed hands, there was a bag that seem have something suspiciously bloody inside it.]

[ricebird]

[Yeah, Kotori's not distracted by the toned build at all, her gaze instead going to the bag- FREEZING save for a shaky step back- and then looking UP and she sees.... Disciple's face... but not his eyes.]

H-hyde...

[chippedsoul]

Ooh, that's right, we never actually met officially, have we? [He slides his free hand around her shoulder to try and keep her from getting away.] Well, it's very nice to finally meet you~! Word is, you're a cook. [That bag is now directly in her face.]

[ricebird]

[A small choked noised leaves her throat- at being this close to HYDE, to having his hand slither around her shoulders, at him shoving that bag in her face. Even that "sweetness" in his voice is more like antifreeze.]

I-I-- what...?

[chippedsoul]

Cook me a steak. I'm starving. [That sweetness falters just a little for more playful urgency as he leans in to whisper into her ear, putting more emphasis on the word starving. He could bite her ear if he felt like it, her neck. It's rather tempting, and she had a pleasant smell to her too.]

1/2

[ricebird]

[Kotori swallows again as she tries to take another half-step back. So much of her brain is screaming that she has NO way of getting away safely, that he'll just overpower her... but if she stays here, who knows WHAT will set him off. And that bag...]

2/2

[ricebird]

[Then that half-step makes her arm brush against the counter... and there's her donabe. It always tends to follow her around unless she specifically tells it to stay, showing up on random surfaces, or when they were underwater in The Little Mermaid, just floating withing arm's reach. A strange calm washes over her...

Kotori reaches for the bag- making VERY sure that her hand doesn't touch Hyde's in the transfer... and then swings it HARD at his head! She knows it likely won't do any damage, but it might buy her enough time to grab Nabe-chan and run, maybe find somewhere to hide and call for help.]

[chippedsoul]

. . . [That meat slap barely made him budge. He's taken harder hits from Shizuo-chan.] Oi. [He tries to grab her by the arm as she tries to flee. He doesn't have to exert too much strength to keep her from from going anywhere once he does.]

[ricebird]

[Yeah, he captures her arm and stops easily, but maybe he should have opted for a harder grip to start. Kotori spins around and braces her pot against her chest as she hastily aims right at him!]

COOK, NABE-CHAN, COOK!!!

[Thick white porridge SPEWS out of the pot and sprays all over Hyde, his torso, his face, and if she's VERY lucky, it might catch his hand and make it easier to slip away!]

[chippedsoul]

Wha- [While he understand the pot can magically make food, he was not expecting for it to be used as a weapon. Although it ends up having the opposite effect. Rather than loosen his grip on her arm, he only squeezes it more tightly and take her with him. That is probably going to leave a serious bruise later.]

[ricebird]

Ngh--!

[Ow, owowowowOW! That hurts, and she can't hold onto the pot anymore, thudding and rolling onto its side even as it keeps gushing porridge onto the floor and even streaming towards the open doorway.]

Let GO--! Dis-DISCIPLE-SAN, LET GO!

[chippedsoul]

The name's HYDE! [He tugs at her arm, his other hand claws into the wall to stop them from moving.] And I'm going to turn you into minced meat! [He lifts her from the overflowing porridge, practically almost off her feet as he licked his lips.] Kekeke, I'm sure you'll go well with all this porridge.

[ricebird]

[SHE WASN'T TALKING TO YOU, HYDE-ME! She thought maybe Disciple could here her, stop Hyde at LEAST long enough to let her get away, but... this isn't a movie...

She still futilely struggles in his grip against the wall, and even tries to get in a few wild, mediocre kicks towards his stomach or lower now that she doesn't have to worry about standing on a porridge-slick floor in socks.]

NO!

[Come on, come on... the doorway's open and she's screaming as loud as she can, PLEASE!

[chippedsoul]

Shut up! [He forces her down into the sea of porridge as if to suffocate her in it.]

All I asked was for you to cook me something~! You have no one to blame, but yourself--And you, shut up! I'm right! [Sounds like he's shouting at someone else too.]

[ricebird]

AH--!

[Kotori manages to turn her head to the side just in time, the porridge only slightly cushioning her cheek smacking against the hard wood floor.]

Nn--!

[She squirms in his grasp, trying to use the floor to slip away but not finding the purchase--

Wait. What did he say?]

Disciple-san?! Disciple-san, can you hear me?! Fight him! PLEASE!

[twilightskey]

[Roxas had just been passing by on his own business, but when he heard the commotion coming from the bar, he’s quick to come running. Seeing the door knocked clear off its hinges, and hearing the yelling inside, his heart fills with dread as he runs inside.]

Kotori!!

[He gasps when he sees Kotori being held by Hyde, and his face hardens.]

Hey! Let go of her!

[chippedsoul]

Tch! [Is this for real?] All I wanted, was something to eat. Was that too much to ask!? [He's pressing Kotori deeper into the sea of porridge. Looks like he's not letting her go anytime soon.]

[ricebird]

[Kotori's eye widens at the voice, and while she can't move her head with Hyde pressing down on it, she can BARELY see Roxas standing in the doorway.]

R-roxas--NN!

[Another press into the floor, her cheek and the bone underneath starting to feel squeezed.]

[twilightskey]

[Roxas's eyes widen at the sight before him; Kotori, pinned down in a pool of porridge and Hyde, pinning her down. He's only stunned for a fraction of a second before he sees red. Moving quickly, he rushes forward.]

I said let her GO!!

[He infuses that last part of his yell with magic, letting out a stunning cry similar to their first encounter. Hopefully it disorients Hyde, because if it does Roxas is going to attempt to push him off, and throw in a punch or two for good measure.]

[chippedsoul]

Agh! [As powerful as Hyde is, there's not much he can do when someone has sound magic. He falters, finally letting go of Kotori. The punches from Roxas don't really cause him harm, but he will manage to push him back.]

Get...off! [Out of pure rage, he regains enough control to try and return a punch back to Roxas.]

[ricebird]

[The thing about sonic attacks... it's a little hard to focus those waves onto a specific target, just by sound's nature, so Kotori ends up a disoriented too as Roxas and Hyde start to exchange blows. But after a second or two she recognizes she's free to move, and struggles between the fading stun and the porridge spill to get back to her feet, finally succeeding after a few stumbles.]

[twilightskey]

[Hyde gets a few hits in, and he grunts as the punch strikes him right in the cheek, but Roxas doesn't relent. No, it was one thing to get into a fight with Hyde on his own, but knowing Kotori was in danger as well? He's not going to stand for it.]

Get away from her!!

[He throws another punch in for good measure, even if they're not causing much damage. But he turns when he hears Kotori stumble to her feet.]

Kotori!

[He glares back at Hyde, and though he wants nothing more than to pummel the guy into the ground, he doesn't want to leave Kotori alone. So while Hyde's still on the ground, he'll try to turn to Kotori, hand outstretched. They need to get out of here!]

[chippedsoul]

[At this point, he doesn't even care about Kotori. His target is now Roxas.]

You damn braaat!! [He sure doesn't sound happy. In a screaming rage, he lunges at them both, aiming for Roxas but he'll take anyone. If they manage to avoid him...well Kotori's restaurant is going to have a new doorway made.]

[ricebird]

[Kotori almost flinches at the hand out of the corner of her eye, but no wait... this doesn't have claws!]

Roxas!

[Her hands clasps TIGHT with his as she rises to stand upright, doing her best to run with him! Now that she's free, her only goal is to get them BOTH as far away from Hyde as possible!]