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

time for that fondue lesson like a million years later???

[rokubro]

[After coordinating when it would be a good time to drop by, Rokurou makes his way to Kotori's place. It's his first time, so he can't help but stand and stare up at it with some curiosity. A giant...cauldron. That used to be a pub? Seems a bit of an odd mix, but it's not operation yet if he remembers right.

Anyway, time to head on in!]

Hey, Kotori? It's Rokurou!

[ricebird]

[Congrats, Rokurou: you get the "I Scheduled a Visit Ahead of Time" star! Not only is Kotori NOT alarmed by Rokurou walking through the door at all, but she's been waiting patiently by the bar counter, and turns in her seat to stand up and give him a smile!]

Ah, Rokurou-san! Hi, come on in! How's your day been so far?

[rokubro]

[TO THINK THE DAEMON IS THE ONE WHO HAS MANNERS IN THIS PLACE--]

Not too bad. Got a pretty good hunt in this morning, so brought you these as thanks.

[In a nicely wrapped satchel he'll go to the counter and set down some pre-sliced meat he's prepared for her.]

[ricebird]

Aaaah~!

[Yup, cue Food Squeeing Mode.]

That's so nice of you, Rokurou-san, thank you! You didn't need to do this!

[But she's sure glad he did! Then again, she always is; she'd be a dummy not to appreciate high-quality, perfectly butchered wild meat like this, especially in a world like hers where organic meat is considered a luxury.]

[rokubro]

I had plenty of extra, so it's no problem. Plus I know about your circumstances, so. [A casual shrug.]

[ricebird]

[... Ah. Normally she's a little more relaxed about Rokurou acknowledging her knife issues but... a little bit of light leaves her eyes, those words from Della still stinging.]

Aha, well... still, I appreciate the trouble.

[She beckons him to follow her as she heads into the kitchen to place the parcel in the ice box for now.]

What sort of meat is it? Maybe we can have it for lunch, since we're mostly focusing on the dessert fondue for the lesson.

[rokubro]

[...Hm? He thought he noticed something, but he's not sure so he doesn't comment.]

I got a variety here. Some boar, chicken, pheasant, duck, and deer.

[ricebird]

Ah, nice!

[A little bit of her cheer comes back. (And she's glad that Della is on the chill side when it comes to eating non-sentient duck; duck meat's WAY too delicious to feel guilty about. Fish, too, especially fish.)]

Maybe we can try some of the gamier meats, to see how the game will pair with the chocolate. Have you decided what you and Velvet-san what you're going to hunt on your date? [A slight hint of teasing in her voice since she knows Rokurou will probably deny it's a date... even though it totally is, even Kotori can see it.] Or are you just going to see what you can catch?

[rokubro]

[Big roll of his eyes.]

Not a date.

But I think I've found a target. Took Dojima's suggestion and looked into these moose creatures. Turns out there are some huge ones out there to the point they're called "legendary," and the materials can fetch for a pretty high price.

[ricebird]

[The eye roll and denial get an honest to god SMUG look out of her, if Rokurou doesn't blink and miss it.]

Right, of course~

[Sorry, dude, she's never been a little sister before so she's getting ALL the mileage she can out of this. (Within reason; after all, this is still Kotori.) But then Rokurou describes the quarry and... daaang.]

Oh wow! We have moose in my world too. Not in my country, so I've never seen one, but you're right; I've heard they're really big and aggressive!

[rokubro]

[Wow, Kotori. He saw that, and he just continues to give her a pointed look.]

As far as I know this thing is massive, so it should be a fun hunt for the both of us. Don't suppose you know any moose meat recipes?

[ricebird]

[Okay, okay, she'll stop. At least for now.]

Pfft, definitely not off the top of my head. I did check out some books on camping and game hunting, though, so there might be some recipes in there. I'm guessing they'll probably be similar to venison or beef, since they're like deer and with how big they are.

[rokubro]

That's what I heard since I have no idea myself. A bit gamier and tougher since they're wild, but also lean because of it. I'm sure we can cook up some good steaks at least.

Assuming Velvet doesn't eat it whole first.

[ricebird]

[Dang. That's an appetite that puts Kotori's to shame, and she can't help but laugh a bit. With that she'll pull out her journal and start making a list of things Rokurou will need, getting more excited the longer she thinks out loud.]

In that case... you'll want to bring a good cast iron pan or a grill, so you can cook some of the meat quickly. I think one of the books I checked out shows recommendations for which butcher cuts work for which cooking methods. Definitely some fat or oil, maybe butter, especially if you go with a pan sear so you can butter baste... and you can probably either bring fresh herbs and spices with you, or mix them into the butter ahead of time. Salt, pepper, and of course the fondue pot and the ingredients there. Oh! And side dishes too, need to think about those!

[rokubro]

[He listens with rapt attention and thinks about her suggestions, imagining the taste.

...Heh.]

Wonder if there's a dish that has taste it good as raw. Obviously I can always cook the meat rare, but this is Velvet. She can eat normal food fine, but with her Essence, she has a thing for really rare meat.

[ricebird]

Ah... that makes sense. There are, like sashimi and tataki, maybe carpaccio, but I'm not sure how safe it'd be with a wild mammal.

[Seriously, no one wants a trichinosis digestif for their date.]

[rokubro]

That shouldn't be a problem. Not only are we daemons, but this is Velvet as the Big Bad Wolf. She eats raw meat like it's candy.

[ricebird]

[... Good point.]

Okay, as long as you're sure you won't get sick.

[In that case, she'll pull out one of her cookbooks and flip to the section about beef and butchering.]

Okay, so it looks like we have a lot of good options already, mostly steaks. Cuts like flank and skirt steaks should be good for a very hot, very quick grill or pan sear, especially if you season it well and cut against the grain. Ribeye would be amazing as well; it's tender and fatty but apparently more flavorful than tenderloin, so I'd recommend pan searing and butter basting it. Technically you could sear a tenderloin or filet mignon too, but those cuts are usually finished with a gentler heat since the meat's so tender and lean. Maybe if you have a rotisserie set up and don't mind cooking it slowly?

[rokubro]

Hm...

[Just going to be taking notes in his journal, don't mind him.]

Shouldn't be too much of a problem, it's not like we're in a real rush to do anything by then.

[ricebird]

That's true. Not to mention you can probably make a few appetizers beforehand so you and Velvet-san can spend more time cooking. I can definitely lend you these and a few other cookbooks.

[rokubro]

This is really turning out into some big picnic, huh? [Just an idle chuckle as he sits back.] But sure, would appreciate it.

[ricebird]

[A soft chuckle.]

I mean, you are right that sometimes less is more. I just want to make sure to give you as many options as possible so you can pick what'd be best for you and Velvet-san, you don't have to go with everything I'm listing off.

[rokubro]

You're talking to a guy who likes challenges and trying to push the limit.

[Half kidding. Half.]

It's too bad I don't really know Velvet's preferences... Would be better if I did.

[ricebird]

[Eh?]

Oh right... you said that she lost her sense of taste before, right? How long have you two known each other?

[rokubro]

Hm... I only traveled with her for a few months, so not really all that long. Feels a lot longer given what all we've been through.