First Bowl

[ricebird]

Sender: Little Girl (Sweet Porridge) | Kotori Iida
Recipient: Everyone

Hi, there! I hope that everyone’s okay after the Story Eater attack. That was… really intense.

Anyway… I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately, and I think I’m going to go home for a little while. I want to get stronger at cooking, and that’ll take some time and practice. [And she wants to strengthen her relationships with her friends and family there…] I don’t know how long I’ll be in my world, or how much I’ll be able to remember this time, but I’ll ask to Storyteller to bring me back in a few days by Index time.

Before I go, though… what are some of your favorite foods? Are there any recipes from your homes that you miss here? What about birthdays, or holidays that aren’t celebrated in the Index?


[For almost everyone, that’s the whole message. But then Kotori adds another, more private question to a certain someone.]


Sender: Little Girl (Sweet Porridge) | Kotori Iida
Recipient: Roxas

Hey, Roxas-kun? Are you free today? Can we talk in-person for a bit?

Comments

Sender: Dojima

[detectiveforhierophant]

I'm glad to see you're okay, Kotori-chan.

You have a safe trip back, alright?

As for your question... I haven't had gyoza for a while now.

[Honestly, he'd prefer if Kotori stayed home and safe, but it wasn't his place to insist that, was it?]

[ricebird]

[Sorry, Dojima. If Kotori wanted to get on that ship, she probably would have the second she came to the Index, and that was back before she'd found as much strength as she has now.]

Thank you, Dojima-san. And ooh, you're right! It's been a while since I've had them too!

[Japanese food is a LITTLE more accessible since they restored the Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, but there are still some dishes or ingredients she misses.]

Are you okay too, sir?

Sender: Victor Frankenstein | Varian

[sonrises]

Yeah. It was... Really intense.

Have a good trip home. Do you need anyone to keep an eye on the pub when you're gone?

[Today's headline, teen feels alone in creepy Victorian home.]

It's nice, you know - how you're always looking to learn recipes from our homes. Oh, and my birthday is in a couple months.

[ricebird]

[Oh honey... the whole thing is a Mood for her, from feeling alone in an abandoned building that's supposed to be your house, to missing foods from your home world.]

Really? You don't have to, but having someone come check on my fish tank would be helpful. That's really nice of you, Varian-kun, thank you!

[House sitting gig acquired!]

So when is your birthday? And is there anything else you'd like besides the Linzer cookies and Gefülte noodles?

[sonrises]

Sure, yeah! I can do that.

[That and making Mr. McDuck's "replacement" eye should keep him busy.]

My birthday is on the last day of March. It's, uh... You don't have to do anything about it, but if you do, more noodles would be really nice.

Sender: Magica

[lifesa_witch]

I suppose you could make yourself useful if you came back with some decent pasta recipes.

[ricebird]

[Oh no.... the second she sees the header she expects the most snooty, expensive, time-intensive dishes known to cooking-- oh. Just pasta? Huh.]

Sure. Pasta sounds really nice, actually.

[What's the catch...?]

[lifesa_witch]

[Thankfully, there's none. This time.]

Do you have an Italy in your world? Focusing there would be best for those kinds of dishes.

Sender: Kazuma

[chippedsoul]

Beef curry. [Or any beef dish to be honest.]

[ricebird]

[Somehow she's not surpri-- wait... She saw the Essence and the food request (Disciple really loves his beef), so she BARELY catches the change to his name.]

Disciple-san? Is that you?

[... Oh no. Don't tell me he has a THIRD personality now.]

[chippedsoul]

[...? Oh, he never got around to mentioning he actually has something of a name now.]

Yes, it's me. This is a name I gave myself.

Kokichi Oma | Lampwick

[shslliar]

I guess home recipes for grape soda are out of the question? I'd love to drink some, but they just don't make that in fantasy land. :P

Anyway! I just got here a few months back and haven't gotten to fix a story yet, but what's going home for a few days like? Do you have to catch up to what your clone did while you were out or what?

[ Not that he actually can go home... Sigh. ]

[ricebird]

Really? Huh, there's an ice cream parlor on the other end of the commercial district with a soda fountain; I could have sworn I saw grape on the flavor menu.

But... no, not quite like that. At least for me, I came back to the second I left, so I didn't miss anything and nobody was worried about me. The weirdest part for me was... trying to hold onto memories of this place.

[shslliar]

Oh, that? I go by there all the time!

[ As of RIGHT THIS SECOND after he's done writing at her. ]

Oh! That's a huge relief. For a second, I was worried about that doppleganger the storyteller made screwing things up for me back home.

Sender: Roxas

[twilightskey]

Yeah, I'm free.

Where would you want to meet?

[ricebird]

[... GOOD QUESTION.]

Anywhere is fine. Maybe... We can meet by the river?

[twilightskey]

Okay.

I'll meet you by the river, the part just outside town.

Sender: Hermes | Gobo Fraggle

[gobetween]

I think we covered my favorite foods pretty well already...

[Pretty infamously so between the two of them.]

But, my birthday's coming up soon? I'm still getting used to the names of the months and days you Silly Creatures have, but I do know it's about three weeks after the Bell Ceremony, the winter solstice.

[ricebird]

[Yup. ONE DAY those Doozer sticks will be conquered!]

The winter solstice? Let's see... by the Index's calendar, three weeks after that would be around the 10th or 11th of January.

Sender: Rokurou | Huntsman

[rokubro]

Recipes, huh?

I think your country is similar to my ancestral home's culture, so I'd be interested in anything special from your place. Haven't had takoyaki in a while, too.

And my birthday isn't until the summer—July.

[ricebird]

Ooh, you're right! I'm kind of surprised I haven't seen any yet. I wonder how hard it'd be to find a takoyaki pan...

And ooh, good to know! My birthday's in the summer too.

Sender: Shizuo Heiwajima | Frankenstein's Monster

[hatesviolence]

Food from home, huh... Ramen, maybe? We're missing a few of the festivals, too... Makes me think of taiyaki and karage.

But whatever's fine.

Birthday is January 28th.

[ricebird]

Oh wow, that's really soon! In that case, I'll do my best to master a ramen recipe in time.

[Hopefully she remembered it going home. Speaking of remembering things, though...]

Have you been okay since the attack, Shizuo-san?

[tempredmental]

Hey... good luck.

[ricebird]

Thanks, Keith-san. I already know when your birthday is, at least, but any other foods you'd like me to research?