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

B

[shslliar]

[Kokichi had smelled something good coming from this weird buildinh and figured he may as well check it out. Maybe this is some weird themed resturant or something?

Then he walks in. Nobody is in the resturant. Not even waitstaff. And it still smells like food.]

Uh... Hello? [Ooookay, this is kind of creepy. At least the tables are clean. And there's still food smell coming from the kitchen. No one's in the front, so nothing's stopping him from walking in... On a girl his age cooking.

... What? Is she- No, that's stupid, she can't be a ghost or anything... But then who...?]

.... Psst. Hey. [Yeah, he figured he might as well take his chances with the mystery girl.] You know when this restaurant's supposed to open?

B

[cookingmechanic]

[Fuuka had taken to wandering about her new home, and had stumbled upon a strangely shaped building. She wasn't normally a person to just barge in somewhere, but the delicious aromas coming from within perked her curiosity. She hadn't cooked at all since coming here...or since her friend Minako had passed away...]

[Before she realized it, she had entered and was currently trying to catch a peek of the kitchen and the chef within. Was this...a house? A restaurant? Feeling a bit self conscious, she stayed in the doorway.]

"H...hello? Don't mean to...to barge in...I just...smelled good food...?"

[Oh man, that was lame. And sort of weird. Biting her lip, she waited to see if anyone would respond. If not, she'd leave; she didn't want someone to think she was a creep or a weirdo!]

B

[gobetween]

[That certainly was an interestingly shaped building, wasn't it? Reminded him of some of the cookpots from home, just SUPER-sized. For a moment, he pictured a Gorg using one of those, then with a chuckle to himself he started looking for a way inside.

Whether by happenstance or other, Essence-based influence, there happened to be an open window he could pull himself up into. From there he dropped into the kitchen and immediately took refuge under one of the tables, using that to look around safely and find just what smelled so good.]

B

[sonrises]

[Even over the journals, it was clear that things had changed in the Index. Kotori wasn't deluding herself into thinking it was all a dream anymore, for one thing... But there were also new faces - and some who had gone home to stay.

Maybe that's good, though. The changes, overall - because he's certainly changed. But he'd also kind of hoped that being here would bring some sense of comforting familiarity. It's a lot to go over in his mind, and it could easily lead to some serious introspection. It's easier - safer - to focus on something else. Anything else. Like making cookies.

He'd seen Kotori's pub in the past, but never been inside... It's kind of nice in there, though. Cozy enough. He stands in the doorway, where he spots Kotori cleaning up inside.]

Uh... Is this a good time?

B

[holdthemtogether]

[It's the smell of food that catches Hunk's attention - and sure, it seems like a safe bet that the place is Kotori's, judging by the shape of the building, but when he spots her inside, it's a welcome sight.]

Kotori! Hey!

A

[noimpulsecontrol]

[Della sure hasn't forgotten. Sorry, Kotori, but she's super-excited for this training. The main priority may be making sure the kid can protect herself, but it's also going to be fun, the way she sees it. Kotori doesn't respond to the knock on the door, but getting into the pub is easy enough!

She finds her way to Kotori's room with a small club carried over her shoulder, and her eagerness means her attempt to wake the girl up starts out at a shout:]

Up and at 'em, kiddo! We're losing daylight!

[...The sun isn't even really up yet, though.]

[ricebird]

[The girl in question is busy over a frying pan, watching as it slowly... FILLS with Hamburg steak and tomato sauce? In any case, the meat and tomato flavors are a welcome addition to the smell of freshly cooked rice and pork miso soup, already set aside in separate pots and bowls for one.

But then some voice breaks her concentration and suddenly there's some boy standing in her doorway!]

WAH!

[She actually fumbles a bit with her spatula, but manages to catch it before it drops to the ground or splatters more than a few drops of sauce everywhere!]

I um-- H-hi, um.... how did you get in here?

[ricebird]

[There is indeed food cooking in the kitchen. Rich and sweet beef sukiyaki and fresh, fluffy white rice. ... In the same pot. A donabe rather than a shallow cast-iron pot. And yet somehow perfectly separated on either side of the pot as it.

The "chef" is busy ladling some of each into a bowl for herself, but startles a bit at the soft voice, but only enough to make the bowl and utensils shale JUST enough in her hands before she recovers instead of an outright fumble.]

Aha... hi there. Um... I'm glad you like it, but... this isn't really a pub, I just... live here?

[Shy awkward cutie, meet shy awkward cutie. (Also maybe she should get a sign or something for the door.)]

[shslliar]

[Whelp. Good catch, miss rando.

Kokichi's still more than a little confused, but he's got a cocky grin on his face.]

What, I wasn't supposed to be here? Well, sorry, I thought an unlocked door to a restaurant with the lights on ususally meant "Hello, we're open?"

Gobo, you hobo

[ricebird]

[Said very nice smells happen to be coming from a decently sized clay pot on the stove, having just been commanded to make and stop making some rice porridge, topped with sliced apples and cranberries and pecans. (Kotori was in the mood for something sweet for breakfast.) A Silly Creature happens to be softly to herself as she scoops the porridge into a bowl for her first helping. (Yes. Yes, this is her first helping. There well be at least one more after this, probably.)

However... Gobo's nose might also detect something interesting, if he's not distracted by the sweet porridge. Something... distinctly vegetal. And coming from a small (for a human) door set in the floor of one corner of the kitchen.]

[ricebird]

[Very thankfully, since Varian had actually set up an appointment (ish), Kotori's not surprised at all to see him coming through the door, easily setting down the cloth she was using to dust the wooden bar counter.]

Hi, Varian-kun! Yeah, come on in! Have you had lunch yet?

[ricebird]

[Well, Hunk's nose has some pretty good timing! Kotori's sitting down for a quick snack as a break from cleaning, which today is a bowl of freshly-generated-by-Nabe-chan bread porridge. The sweet kind, with black soybeans, roasted soybean flour, and- probably to Winnie-the-Pooh's delight- a good drizzle of honey.

But Kotori did NOT expect Hunk to come walking in like this, especially while her mouth is full of porridge, sooooo don't mind her if she blushes a bit before giving a VERY muffled "Hunk--!" and then swallowing.]

H-hunk-san! Ah... hi! Welcome! How are you today?

[Hunk, you sure your Essence isn't Goldilocks instead?]

[ricebird]

GAH!

[BLURRY SHAPE STANDING OVER HER BED IN THE DARK! Her first instinct is to try and roll away, which only serves to tangle her into the sheets before she falls like a startled caterpillar at Della's feet!

....... This is Kotori's starting level, Della. You have your work cut out for you.]

[ricebird]

Aha, well... Normally that's true, but... this isn't a restaurant? I mean, it used to be a long time ago, but now it's just my house? While I'm in the Index...?

[Yup. She just forgot that the door was unlocked.]

[cookingmechanic]

[She was glad to actually see someone in there, though she was sorry she had startled her. Taking another tiny step in, she instantly regretted it after the girl responded.]

"O-oh! I-I'm so sorry...! I guess I...um"

[She fidgeted, her words becoming jumbled in her mouth, wondering if all the confidence she had gained only stuck around if she was with her friends.]

"I-I used to cook, and, um...well, since coming here...I guess I got overwhelmed by the smell...and memories..."

[Another pause. More fidgeting. She should go. Poor girl just wanted to eat lunch. Twisting her fingers together she smiled awkwardly, beginning to walk backwards out of the house.]

"A-anyways! I'm F-Fuuka Yamagishi, aaand...um, sorry to barge in...! P-please enjoy your lunch...!"

[gobetween]

[He does watch her for a few moments, swallowing a little at the sight of the food. When was the last time he ate anything? Must've only been early this morning before he started out-...

Then a more tantalizing, closer odor tickled across his nose. He sniffed quietly and turned his head, spying the hatch. Aha, down there~ A hesitating glance at the Silly Creature to make sure she was completely occupied, and then he stole out from underneath the table. Silent hustle across the floor, pause at the hatch to open it, ease himself down inside and let it shut behind him. Simpler than taking radishes from under the Gorgs' noses!

'Course, the door did briefly shut on the end of his tail because he didn't pull it after him fast enough, and THAT hurt. He pushed the door back up, pulled the tail in, and then let it shut again. From there it was a simple slide descent, and he was in the cellar proper. Now, let's find that delicious scent...]

[ricebird]

[Said trap door leads down a short-enough flight of stairs cut into the earth, down into a cellar about as big as the first floor above. Years ago it used to hold huge barrels and casks and dozens of bottle of ales and wines and meads, along with just an numerous shelves of preserves and pickles and hard-to-perish fruits and vegetables. Most of the alcohol is gone now (not that Kotori NEEDS much beyond cooking spirits like sake, mirin, and the occasional wine), but there are still quite a few of the latter things. Especially vegetables. And one of the middle-high shelf has some root vegetables on it. Round starchy potatoes and taro, short but thick carrots paired with longer and thinner ones, turnips, sweet potatoes, onions. But there are two very large specimens sharing the shelf with them. Longer than the shelf is wide. Nearly as long as Gobo himself. Almost as WIDE too. And the scent... smells almost like a cleaner, sweeter version... of a radish.

But perhaps Gobo should have taken the time to shut that door more gently. Kotori hears a thud and starts a bit towards the sound. Did... something come up...? Or go down...? Hm... She commands Nabe-chan to stop (and thanks it, of course) before grabbing a frying pan and slowly, caaaarefully approaching the cellar door. She looks around... it doesn't look like anything came OUT... so... giiingerly she opens it. QUiet as she is, Gobo might notice more light coming into the room. ... You know, if he's not too distracted.]

[gobetween]

[If there's one thing living underground gave him, even a place littered with bioluminescence like Fraggle Rock, is good eyesight in dimly lit places. He explores the first part of the room curiously, but his nose led him deeper and more upward, so off he went. It was an easy climb up to one of the shelves, and THERE. There's where the scent is coming from! A veritable smorgasbord of all the best root vegetables, but one certainly caught his attention more than anything else. It was a radish, or it smelled like one, but he'd never seen one quite like that-!

His head turned quickly when the light flooded into the room, and he saw someone start to descend. Oh no, it must be the Silly Creature! Thinking rapidly, he hauled up the giant weird-radish, lost his balance a moment, then recovered and hopped down, unfortunately landing harder than he otherwise might've because he's carrying double his weight.

By the time Kotori gets all the way down, the cellar seems like it's all quiet on the western front. There was definitely the movement of the door though, not to mention the dull thump only moments ago. And further investigation will reveal one of her biggest daikon was now missing. But there seemed to be no sign of the culprit now, so where was he...?]

[ricebird]

[Even as Kotori opened the door, her hand touched something... fuzzy. Is that... fuchsia fur...?]

What the heck...?

[Veeery slowly she creeps down the stairs. Did... some kind of creature come down here? She doesn't SEE anything right away... and frankly, she's almost scared to look.]

I-I know you're down here... Whoever or... whatever you are... I-I won't hurt you... Well, as long as you don't hurt me... So... come out, please...?

[#nailed-it]

[gobetween]

[Where Gobo was was behind one of the remaining barrels in the cellar. He'd crouched down out of sight, holding the daikon to himself, trying to keep his breathing under control.

Hearing her speak wasn't quite what he had expected, though. He hesitated, then turned his head a bit, though not yet enough to see behind the barrel.]

I-I won't hurt you either... Deal..? I only came down here because I was hungry.

[sonrises]

Lunch?

[He pauses for a moment, then shakes his head - he's got new powers to figure out, so he hasn't exactly been keeping up with regular meals.]

I guess I forgot.

[noimpulsecontrol]

[Boy, does she ever. Della stammers half-finished apologies and reassurances as Kotori gets herself all wrapped up, before wincing as the kiddo falls to the floor.]

Ooh, you forgot about training, didn't you?

[holdthemtogether]

[Hunk, being Hunk, startles in response to Kotori's own surprise, stumbling back a bit. Maybe he shouldn't have just strolled in, huh?]

Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you!

[ricebird]

A-ah [she hops off the stool and goes over to greet him], no no no, you're fine, really! I just wasn't expecting you, that's all! It's good to see you!

[And despite being flustered, she really means it. She gives him a light bow at the waist.]

Come in, please!

[holdthemtogether]

Yeah, that's my bad...

[He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly.]

Thanks, though. It's good to see you, too.