(open) i'm steppin' out

[expiera]

WHO: Ciel, Pleromas who have to deal with more Kenomas on their turf for a few days, various
WHAT: Foodventures ft. a girl who needs her fix, also general July catch-all
WHERE: Godsblood, Achamoth
WHEN: First half of/early Soviseri
WARNINGS: N/A

I. GODSBLOOD; MAY I OFFER YOU AN EGG BITE IN THESE TRYING TIMES?
[It’s a nice day in Godsblood, and there is loud arguing coming from the central marketplace. Between two joints selling street food, to be exact.]

All your dingy little booth does is slather everything in sauce with no respect to the ingredients, just close shop and save yourself the embarrassment!”

[On one side, a brown-haired middle-aged woman in a worn and greasy apron, manning a stall that seems to specialize in grilled seafood behind her.]

Hah! You're one to talk, old hag! Your prices are highway robbery, and your seasoning is as bland as plain rice! The only way you make a profit is con customers who don’t know any better!

[On the other, a young man of average build on the thin side is starting to go a little red in the face, his stall seemingly specializing in skewers instead.]

Watch your mouth, you little whippersnapper! My husband and I have run this business for generations, inherited from my great-great-great grandmother! Our recipe isn’t just tradition, it’s history, we didn’t establish this by bootlicking our way through the culinary guild and begging for handouts to set up our own shop!

[Oh, this is getting heated… They’re staring to attract a crowd, not a sizable one but people are stopping by. The general sentiment seems to be of… entertainment, for better or worse; some locals are even snacking as they watch on?! They seem used to this, for better or worse…]

That is NOT what happened, I worked my butt off at the guild fair and square! You’re just jealous I was a better student – AND a better cook than your daughter, who doesn’t even WANT to take over your tasteless grilling anyway! You ever think about why she never comes around here when you’re “open”? You should’ve retired a decade ago!

[THAT earns a few gasps among the audience; dragging the daughter in? Oh my.]

Sir! Ma’am! Please, a moment!

[Interrupting them both to the surprise of everyone present, is a young woman with short dark blue hair certain Pleroma Aions may recognize. Especially those from the initial group of awakened, she did do a bad thing™ back inside the Suffer Caves and had a bad thing™ done to her in turn. There’s not the faintest hint of that now, she’s actively stepping in between them with a pacifying smile.]

I didn’t mean to start an argument, I apologize. But both your stalls just smelled so good, I’d honestly love to try out anything you would recommend! I wouldn’t mind everything too, to be completely honest, so would that be okay? Just let me know the price, I’ll be happy to pay and wait while you prepare!

[Oh… Business. Business means jools. That DOES seem to get the vendors’ attention, so they both move on to eyeing the girl with a different flavor of skepticism instead of glaring at each other like before.]

With all due respect, miss, you don’t look like much. I don’t mind making a bigger sale, but I can’t condone wasting food.

Our grilled squid is a Godsblood staple, ask anyone here! [The woman haughtily glances at the gathered spectators, who don’t seem bothered at all by the callout.] I can get you one of everything and prove to you QUALITY is why we’ve lasted so long, girlie, long as you tell this upstart exactly how my food tastes better.

—Huh?! You can’t do that, that’s NOT how it works! Miss, you have to judge by yourself, there’s no way I’d lose to sensible tastebuds! [The man looks to be a mixture of indignant and flustered, gesturing at his client who is somehow still managing to keep her smile through it all.]

Ahaha. I’m no gourmet, but I can tell you if I think it’s tasty or not. If you’d like feedback, I’ll do my best! How much will one of everything be?

[The talk of payment once again appears to effectively deescalate the situation further, and it’s at that moment that the girl turns her gaze towards you, a Pleroma Aion. Were you passing by? Or have you been watching for a while? It makes no difference: she’s addressing YOU in particular, holding out a hand invitingly towards your specific direction as she makes her offer loud and clear.]

Can I get that person over there to help me taste-test and eat everything too? I promise we won’t let any food go to waste, it’s fairer to have more than one person judge anyway. How about it? I already said I’d pay, so you don’t have to worry about how much it costs. Will you please help us out?

[That prompts some murmurs of interest and agreement among the audience, it’s indeed a fair and open proposition. Tier 1 Pleromas, don’t think too hard about how you were singled out specifically when it could have been anyone else. As for tier 2, figures that someone on the same level from the Kenoma side would have been able to spot you out, as the reverse is equally true. The woman whose dark energies also reflect the Martyr’s Legacy is still smiling warmly and waiting patiently. Well? It’s free food, and everyone’s attention is already on them both. Come on?]

II. GODSBLOOD; SNACKS DON’T SUBSTITUTE FOR PROPER MEALS
[The food stall vendors didn’t get to find out the hard way, but local restaurants sure will! Over the next few days, a head of blue will be dropping by various restaurants in town during lunch or dinner doing the following:

A. Inquiring about their dish with the biggest kick,
B. Clapping her hands together reverently in front of enough food for two~three people, yet is by herself at the table,
C. Looking various degrees of satisfied depending on how good the food was, with an empty stack of several plates in front of her.

Fattydingdong… Approach? She’s quite open to recommendations, there may or may not be mild rumors brewing of some random girl not from around suddenly showing up and eating her way across Godsblood. It seems funny and harmless, plus it does fuel local businesses, so the citizens are largely fine with writing her off as some eccentric too willing to spend jool on food than most others. This Kenoma definitely isn’t here on official business or trying particularly hard to lay low. After all, she’s here for her own reason:]

III. GODSBLOOD; Y’ALL GOT ANY MORE OF THAT… SPICE?
[And no, NOT the one as defined by Urban Dictionary. To anyone observant who is familiar with a certain spice stand in Godsblood, they may be able to note that a blue-haired woman is often found in the general vicinity of that specific Pleroma funding point. She makes sure to never be in sight of the seller, so it may not be obvious right away, but she doesn’t stray far, occasionally glancing towards the spice stall’s general direction in a not-so-subtle way. These are still all public areas, though. Let her be weird on her own, or confront?

Don’t mind her sometimes making light and quiet conversation difficult to eavesdrop with local children, too. She may also be caught slipping a young boy or girl of elementary age a piece of paper and a small pouch, closer to an alleyway a bit more isolated from the main streets where the bulk of the foot traffic is. Nothing suspicious; move along?]

IV. ACHAMOTH; PRIORITIES
[One day during Soviseri, an unusual smell is wafting from the kitchen. Any Kenomie in its general vicinity may be able to catch the scent of something pungent and savory, those familiar with the dish may also recognize it right away for what it plainly is: curry. Even if they don’t, it’s not something the citadel’s kitchen staff normally makes, and if they do choose to look into it, they will effectively find Ciel by herself in front of a large iron pot at the stove.

Holding in one hand a ladle with a yellow/brown-ish sauce coating over chunks of meat, vegetables, and potatoes, she looks like she’s blissfully floating on cloud nine and completely phased out of touch with reality.

This is understandably at least a little weird, so feel free to 180 right back out into the hallway. Unless…?]

V. WILDCARD
[Godsblood, Achamoth, maybe elsewhere, Pleromies or Kenomies, if you’d like something different or a closed starter, hit me up via PM or in the game Discord! o/]

Comments

ii - a

[wolof]

[ It was one of the places known for spicier dishes, for certain that she was in, for certain. Someone else at the bar overheard her, and with a glass held to her lips, and golden eyes watching, she wondered for just a moment, why someone sporting blue hair was here. It was unusual enough — like a Fantassin, if she were thinking of home — but most didn't seem to give her much mind.

Akua, however, loved spicy food. She was Praesi, after all, and so she leaned forward, to speak up. ]

If you're looking for recommendations, there's a meat and vegetable dish that's... about as spicy as they make here. [ She gestured down at her plate, which was a soupy array of meats and vegetables all mixed into a spicy looking sauce.

[ Akua, of course, had not been here long enough, and has no clue that the person two seats down is one of their enemies. She only smiled, encouraging. ] But I would only get it if you actually like spicy food.

[expiera]

[In hindsight, coming to Godsblood and acting like a tourist was similar to something she's already done before. Pose as someone she can't be, the opposite of what she has to be, and no matter how inane and frivolous the things she does while under cover, it won't matter anyway once everything is over. (So she tells herself.) It makes the act more convincing.

The love of spicy food, however, is genuine. A bit of truth in every lie to make it more convincing overall, or something like that? Scoping out the Pleroma Aions is a bonus side objective this time, she really did come here for no other reason because several of her peers told her about good spice being available in Godsblood. Thus she doesn't bat an eyelash as she turns to beam at the Sovereign Pleroma--or to be more precise, the woman with remarkably sharp golden eyes, and her plate with even more remarkably fragrant spice.]

I am, thank you! [With all the bright-eyed excitement of a child at a candy store as she happily claps her hands together, this has to be a tourist, right? Or well... Someone who's not from Godsblood, that seems evident.] Ooh... I can smell it~! Would you say it goes better with rice, flatbread, or on its own, ma'am?

[Water is for the weak and a beginner's trap, obviously! Grains, on the other hand...]

[wolof]

[ Akua, who is far too new to Horos to notice the same details -- but her smile was guarded all the same -- more a habit of being Praesi than it is from any suspicion. She's just the type that smiles enough to look welcoming -- but it never reached her eyes. She nudged it forward, to offer it to Ciel. ]

Of course you can.

Personally, I like it without, but... if one wanted the extra energy, I would say flatbread. Or there's always those soft breads, to eat with it.

[ See, Akua washes it all down with wine -- something she has a second glass of with her, in fact. Not as effective, but when one spends several years dead... the bite is welcome. ]

I take it you're a fan of food with proper flavor?

[expiera]

[Blue eyes practically turn alight with sparkles. Ciel would have been happy with just the name of the dish to order for herself, and maybe she WOULD have had the polite restraint to turn down the temptation of a bite with a plate of her own coming... But all that goes out the window when it comes to spicy food, especially when what's available in Achamoth leaves quite a lot to be desired. It was frankly off-putting that spices were treated as some artificial mark of status rather than be appreciated for the vast flavor profiles they provide, so truly, everything here is practically a dream in contrast.

So sharing a meal with the enemy? A negligible detail, really. It would do not good to build genuine rapport with their foes regardless, so these surface level pleasantries are more than fine, preferable even. None of it stops her from radiating real anticipation and excitement as she gingerly scoops up a modest spoonful, then pops it into her mouth without missing a beat.

...~~~!

It hits quick; the woman wasn't kidding! A numbing tang that turns prickly as you chew, the chunky texture spreading the heat from the front of the palette to the back of one's throat. She swallows in one gulp, and the verdict is clear:]

Excuse me! Another plate of this, with flatbread please~!

[An order is quickly made with a passing waiter, and once that's done, she's back to glowing at the very nice lady who finally introduced her to food befitting of being called 'spicy'.]

Yes, I've been a fan since the first time I tried it! I've heard rumors that Godsblood has spice with actual kick, I'm very happy that this turned out to be truly the case!

[That confirms out loud she's not from around here, but Godsblood IS a busy city that sees travelers and refugees come and go on the daily. Nothing too unusual there, even if this girl is sounding like a food tourist, right?]

[wolof]

It's not the same everywhere else?

[ She asked, with a blink of those golden eyes. Curious, really. Mind, she hadn't really sampled much out of Greentruth -- and she'd been there only a few times -- not enough to be the expert. She lived in Godsblood -- as much as they could anyway -- and so she knew this place better.

As such, even though Akua was remarkably astute, she had no reason to question it. ]

I can imagine tasting spicy food for the first time is quite the... eye opening experience.

[ She nudged her food back to herself, and took another bite, small, courtly. She smiled around the spoonful, and savored it for just a moment. ]

You must tell me, what's your favorite dish, if you've been sampling so much so far?

1/2

[expiera]

Oh, no. In most other places, you'd be lucky to get anything that could somewhat clear up your nose. [The "revelation" is chagrined, and Ciel mentally reminds herself that she needs to keep her story vague: a traveler not from Godsblood, the less details the better. (Also she may be speaking too informally to someone with notable regal bearing, but they're both playing at "average Horosian civilian" here, not "demigods from a different world".)] I was warned when I was little that it could get dangerous, but honestly, people really exaggerate blow things out of proportions.

[This is still about spicy food, yes.]

2/2

[expiera]

--Curry~! [That... may have come out more enthusiastically than she was aiming for. Thus it's followed by a small and polite clearing of her throat, nothing awkward here.] I'm happy to eat anything spicy, but curry's versatility with proteins, vegetables, and all the variety of spices you can use is unmatched. [Also she dearly misses instant curry.] What about you, miss?

[She smiles back with exuberant cheer, while lowkey wondering if she'll be further questioned. It may be a bit basic of an answer, but it should be fine as long as the dish exists on Horos too, probably?]

[wolof]

A fine choice, I grew up with curries, too. [ She admitted, with a half smile. ] Likely a nice surprise to those from your home so afraid of a few... little spices.

[ Her nose scrunched up. What were they, Callowan? No taste, just meat, potatoes, and slop? Not Akua's favorite kinds of food. Mind, she went to parties pregaming antidotes. What Praesi consider spices, others might consider poisons. ]

We had a dish back home... [ Where? She doesn't specify. ] We called it Suya, and it mostly involved meats, spices, skewered... They serve it here. Spicy, a little bit of extra flavor. It's... rather unique.

[ She used the Horosian name for the dish, not the Praesi. She'd gotten better at blending in, and even her dress had been tailored by now, that she didn't need to constantly tug it up, to hide her shard. ]

[expiera]

I wish I grew up eating spicy everyday, but unfortunately, it was a late discovery for me. [She gives a small and wistful sigh, but perks back up within the next beat.] But better late than never as the saying goes, right?

[Hard to stay brooding, when her newly made lunch acquaintance is clearly a spice connoisseur! She could learn a lot from this, and it wouldn't do to let this opportunity slip away. Kenoma and Pleroma Aion jargon can take the back seat for today, Ciel is equally happy to ignore the finer details concerning their backgrounds in favor of... flavor, as it so happens.]

Suya... [She repeats it for herself, and it takes a bit to fully sink in. Wasn't it African? A bit late to regret having never been to the continent much, not that the destination of her travels were ever much of a choice given her prior occupation.] I think I've heard of it in passing, but never had a chance to try it. Do they really, here here? [Just making sure, if it's Godsblood 'here' or this very restaurant 'here'.] I'll have to order some too then, I can't miss it again! How does the way they make it here compare, to what you remember from home?

[wolof]

[ Dishes are always... in their own ways, universal. ] It's close enough to it, although it's not listed with that name. [ Instead, it's just spicy meat skewers, but it's so close, that Akua can call it nothing but that. Then again, weren't meat skewers universal? ]

In my homeland, we actually used orange with it along with the lime, but we were famous for our oranges.

[ Does it make one yearn for home? Always. It always does, and Akua doesn't know if she wouldn't be feeling that same yearn, had Calernia not been destroyed. She misses it, but she didn't think she would ever see the fields of swaying trees again, or feel the hefty, burning heat of the Praesi sun. ]

It's amazing, that you've heard of it in passing. [ She said, a smile on her face. ] I'll have to go looking, and see if I can find someone who would make it how I remember it.

[expiera]

Sour flavors supposedly help with working up an appetite, lemon juice is used in a lot of things, too. It's the first that I've heard of oranges, though! What are the oranges of your homeland like? How dp they stand out?

[Citrusy fruits aren't common in baked goods either, so she can't say she's had much experience working with them, but since they are going on about food, her curiosity gets the better of her. Do they have orchards for those oranges? It must smell amazing if nothing else, the fresh and fruity scent of citrus is easy to pick out and something she's always appreciated.]

Aha, is it? I've done my share of traveling, so it may just be luck mixed with my own interests. The world is still a vast place though, I'd love to find out more about every kind of spicy dish out there! [It'd be a lot of fun, probably, but a hobby isn't quite enough to dissuade a Kenoma from their mission, unfortunately.

Thankfully, at this table right now, it's only two people living on Horos making small talk about food, nothing more and nothing less.]

Ooh, do you know the recipe? [More importantly, is that something that could be shared? Because if so...]

[wolof]

[ She smiled, mysteriously. ] But of course I do. I've had the finest education one can get.

[ Well, when your mother saw you as a progeny solely for becoming the Dread Empress, you have an education to make that happen. ]

I do know how to make it, yes. It does take time, but perhaps I could teach you sometime, particularly if you stick around...

[ Akua didn't have a kitchen, though. She merely rented, with what little funds she could scrape together. She wasn't used to living so lean, and there were so few jobs that were suited to her particular skills.

Akua had, after all, either been rich, a ghost, or the magic-advisor in a war. She had hardly the attention or the want to work mere labor. }

The oranges though... The orchards smelled like fresh citrus, and you could smell it on the wind. It was truly wonderful.

[expiera]

[Without context, it ends up sounding as if the other woman has a fine education in cooking, which is more than respectable in the eyes of a peasant who grew up in a countryside bakery. Never mind the air of refinement she carries that would be noticeable to anyone with a decent sense of observation, some women are just born killin' and that's perfectly fine too!]

How long would it take, to your estimate? I'm travelling and planned to only stay in Godsblood for a few days, but I can be flexible if we could try making it once! I'll cover the cost for all the ingredients and spices needed, of course, are there other ways I can help and compensate you for your time?

[She is... definitely taking this to heart. The obsession adoration for spicy food is overkill strong.]

I knew it... Your homeland sounds like a wonderful place, I don't think I'd ever want to leave if I was born somewhere like that. What led you to Godsblood, miss?

[Innocuous, but a perfect segue into something more personal. What excuse will her fellow Aion make up, she wonders?]

[wolof]

[ Akua considers it. There is, of course, an inn that she stays at regularly, that she could borrow use of the kitchens, as long as it is otherwise not being used. The question, though, stilled her tongue, and she had to think about it. Think about how to describe how she came about here.

Then again, it's no different than leaving home, is it? ]

My mother was...ambitious. When I reached an appropriate age, I left home, so that I could begin moving forward with our shared ambitions. [ A beat. ] Well, my ambitions.

[ For what her mother wanted, did not end up being what Akua wanted, and her mother had paid for her ambitions, as many Sahelians had. ]

If you wish, I could assist you with making it. It's quite simple. Perhaps at the inn I'm staying? I'm sure they wouldn't mind, as long as it wasn't during the dinner hour.

[expiera]

[Ambition. So, that's how the other woman is choosing to frame it... It does answer the question, she'd concede that.]

My, those must be some great ambitions if you had to leave your hometown over them. Was it too small for both you and your mother? Haha.

[She jokes lightly, though this does seem to corroborate how her newly made spice acquaintance could be royalty of some kind. Or a high ranking executive, maybe? Someone confident and decisive either way, that much is probably true.]

I'd love to! Maybe after we're finished here, during the lull between lunch to dinner?

[Never mind the fact that it'll be getting more food right after eating, but shopping for the ingredients and cooking is sure to work up some appetite, right?]

[wolof]

[ Was it too small for her and her mother? In a way, she supposed that Ciel was right. ]

I suppose you could say that, yes. Or rather, both of our ambitions reached outward, but in the end, hers were never achieved.

[ Trying to become empress always came with its pitfalls, after all. ]

I suppose we can work that in. I hope you're in for a bit of a walkabout. We'll need to get a few ingredients, and they aren't all in one place.