( open. )

[epiprocta]

WHO: Gen & OTA TO KENOMA.
WHAT: A Very Special Episode about how good and fun it is to stop smoking.
WHERE: Around the Citadel, Achamoth.
WHEN: Early-to-mid Visoseri, starting early during the Rise to the Challenge event.
WARNINGS: None at the moment!

i. training fields ( closed to LIEM )

[ It's not like he actually enjoys physical activity in any capacity, whether it be fighting or training or labor. The construction work he'd done back home and the training he does here are mostly the same to him -- just a job, a means to an end, and something "productive" he can do to vent his energy and keep himself occupied. Gen can't really imagine what kind of muscleheaded jock actually finds this shit fun or rewarding in its own right.

That said, the taste of a smoke right after a period of strenuous work almost makes it worth it.

Late in the afternoon, after one of the semi-regular group training sessions has wrapped up and the equipment's been mostly put away, with just a few stragglers still hanging behind to chit-chat and do final cool-downs. From where he's walking by, Liem might hear the sound of a soft click, a pause, then a deep sigh of contentment. Sensitive as he is to smells, it won't take him much effort to pinpoint the bitter tang of cigarette smoke; a plume of gray directs the eye to where Gen's leaning against one of the fences surrounding the training field, looking perfectly at home as he takes another deep drag.

And, feeling that glance directed his way, he looks over. Lucky for Liem, he's caught Gen before he could pocket his cigarettes once more, and since he's in a good mood he gives a cant of the head before holding out the pack in his direction. His words come slightly muffled around the cigarette in his mouth: ]

What, you want one?

ii. citadel grounds ( the sickly option )

[ It's a nice sunny afternoon, warm but not too warm, clear skies, etc. And anyone walking through the citadel grounds, might hear the sound of a low groan and a hoarse voice calling to them: ]

-- hey. [ It only takes a glance over to spot where Gen is slumped on a bench under the dappled shade of a tree, looking thoroughly pale and miserable and unwell. But more importantly, he gives a few shallow coughs before mumbling: ] Get this thing off me.

[ 'This thing' being a stray cat that's draped itself over his throat and chest, apparently having the best nap of its life, using him as a bed while it soaks up the sun. In typical cat fashion, of course it's made itself right at home on the place where it's least welcome at the moment. And while Gen really does look like he's having a rough time of it, and would appreciate being freed of that weight on his chest without having to unscrunch himself from the inglorious position he's huddled himself into ...

The cat looks really cute. And comfy. It's even purring a little! Maybe it'd be fine to just let it continue napping there. ]

iii. training fields ( the cranky option )

[ There's sounds of a commotion coming from the training field. Some sort of argument, it sounds like? And while the shouting and the snarling dies down by the time any concerned interlopers show up, one might spot the way several guards hurriedly exit the grounds, looking disgruntled and muttering something begrudging amongst themselves. One is nursing a bleeding nose leaving a trail of red spots on the ground.

And left on the otherwise-empty training circle is one (1) horrible teenager scuffing a hand through his hair, looking thoroughly roughed-up and irate. He's sporting a few scratches and a freshly-welling bruise on his cheek himself, but either hasn't noticed or doesn't care. Instead, the moment anyone even peeks into the training field, he's quick to turn on them with snarl. ]

-- the hell're you looking at.

iv. corridors ( the tired option )

[ Some stupid hour of the night finds the corridors of the Citadel largely quiet and empty. Almost peaceful. But well ... here he is, wide awake and dying for a smoke.

Anyone who glances down the corridor towards the balcony at its very end, illuminated by cold moonlight and framed by the swing of the door left open, might spot Gen where he's practically draped over the railing surrounding that little balcony, staring listlessly out at nothing.

This really would be a nice place to smoke and relax. But instead, here he is with his nerves rubbed raw by withdrawal, practically shivering from the way he can't quite calm down. Even the slightest noise coming from the corridor has him jerking around to glance over like a spooked dog ready to attack. Sorry not sorry if you were just trying to get to your room and instead find yourself being stared down by this incredibly tired but frazzled-looking youth. ]

v. wildcard

[ I'm open to just about anything! Please feel free to hit me with whatever, but otherwise I'm around at databomb, inktrashing#5307 on Discord, or right here on the event plotting post if you'd like to plot things first or want me to shotgun some ideas at you to see if anything piques your fancy! ]

Comments

[epiprocta]

[ It takes Gen a moment to realize what Ciel's getting at -- a moment wherein he holds onto that freshly-extracted too-hot cupcake for a few seconds too long -- and when the pieces finally fall into place, he huffs as he juggles the cupcake to his other hand and shakes out his heated fingertips. ]

How d'you even know this shit, you stalker.

[ Ugh, whatever. She probably overheard him talking to Liem that time.

And while the earlier bit about Ciel's refusal to back off did grate at his nerves ... she's pretty much declared a ceasefire for the moment, so he'll play along. Just for now. While there's food to eat. Gen shifts to lean more comfortably against the countertop as he breaks the cupcake in half. ]

Yeah, everything tastes weird. [ And that broken-off half vanishes in one bite. Teenage boys really do have terrifying appetites, huh. Sorry-not-sorry to whoever these cupcakes were meant for, but he's going to demolish at least half the pan by himself if Ciel doesn't stop him. ] But all the food here tastes weird compared to what I'm used to anyway, so. Not like it matters much. Nothing's familiar in the first place, everything might as well taste weird.

[ There's a pause as he licks a crumb off his lips before muttering, ]

... god, I'd kill for an instant yakisoba.

[ Just something familiar. He's not homesick per se, but he sure does miss the taste of something he's more accustomed to, once in a while. ]

[expiera]

I can smell it off you. Or rather, that you don't smell of it as strongly as usual is plenty telling enough.

[She casually states as she withdraws a drinking glass from the cupboard, putting it down onto the table before wandering off to get the kettle. He said it himself: "freak', right? Maybe having been stalked WOULD have been the less freaky option...

That he's talking about his preferences is a surprise, albeit a nice one. Truly normal teenager things, hah.]

The dishes here do seem to be western-leaning in style, but do you really think the fruits and vegetables on their own taste different from their equivalent of what you remember?

[There's the sound of water pouring, and by the time she's finally turned to face him again, it's to simply put down both the glass of water and the half-full kettle with room temperature water next to the pan he's diligently focused on emptying. Looks like she'll have to make a new batch... But oh well, so be it. She has no plans for the rest of this evening, this current one is going to a "good" cause anyhow. Without commenting or drawing attention to the glass of water Gen can totally drink (and refill, by himself too!) if he feels thirsty, she turns away again to continue working on the icing.]

What about traditional yakisoba? Mixing the sauce from scratch or finding a substitute will probably be the hardest part, but the rest of the ingredients are common enough.

[Now she misses instant curry too... Sigh, first world Aion problems indeed. 😔]

[epiprocta]

What do I look like, a rabbit? You think I'm sitting around eating raw cabbage to see if it tastes the same as raw cabbage back home?

[ True to form as a horrible delinquent teen, even when discussing this relatively innocuous topic Gen retains that shitty tone of voice. But at least Ciel can rest easy (easier?) noting that there's no actual hostility in his words -- that combative demeanor is just habit to him, in line with the sort of derisive, mean-spirited tone that so many 'macho' young men choose to employ.

And while he ignores the offered water for now in favor of handily demolishing his second cupcake, Gen does brush the crumbs off his fingers over the nearby sink ... before grabbing a third cupcake from the pan. By this point it's cooled enough that he doesn't even need to rely on the spatula, which only ups the speed at which he can destroy the pan. ]

I guess regular yakisoba would be fine, but ...

[ Gen takes a large bite from the cupcake, chewing slowly as he thinks the matter over with a low hum in thought. ]

... it's that junk food taste. [ MSG. He misses MSG and preservatives. Surely, Ciel can relate. ] Convenience store food has that flavor and texture. 'm not used to eating so much stuff that's, like, carefully prepared. I ate out a lot back home, but nothing like the stuff here -- sometimes you just want the sort of junk you buy from a convenience store at 2AM.

[ It only occurs to him as he's saying this stuff that he doesn't actually know what time period Ciel hails from, and Gen throws her a sideways glance to gauge her reaction. ]

[expiera]

Cabbage barely tastes like anything on its own anyway. What about fruits? Apples, oranges, the like?

[Or does he... Not eat those. As a teenager with self-admitted bad diet though, maybe it actually wouldn't be surprising if he doesn't? Either way, she pauses to reexamine the shade of the icing's gray coloring, and once deeming it and the thinness satisfactory, puts a lid on the bowl and sets it aside. Since she won't get to ice the current batch (that is likely to vanish entirely very shortly), might as well... Start a new one, that's the logical and not at all extreme conclusion to reach. A new bowl it is! She distractedly fetches a new one from a different cupboard, distractedly because the conversation does have her stalling briefly.]

Mmhm, I know what you mean. It's the MSG. [She calls it straight out for what it is, because she DOES relate, she sounds suitably wistful too as they somehow end up bemoaning the same thing. See, common ground...!] It's not very healthy, but it's quick and tasty. [Having a high metabolism on top of a body that cheats the very laws of the world are two layers of "protection" against gaining weight and losing form too, so ahem.] I miss instant curry, too...

[...]

Maybe we can make our own MSG? If we can gather the basic ingredients and figure out the process, or do it through magic somehow, like alchemy?

[How does one ration AC tokens to redeem for MSG making powers? It's totally not like drugs, but couldn't it potentially be sold on the markets for more jools on top of helping them get a taste of home? HMM...

With her back still to him half trying to start a new batch of cupcakes and half thinking about how much she misses instant curry+seriously considering producing their own MSG, she does not notice him staring. She definitely sounds like she knows exactly what he's talking about, at least...]

[epiprocta]

[ The mention of fruits is answered with silence; Gen just gives Ciel a flat stare as he shoves the remaining half-cupcake into his mouth. Does he really look like the type to favor healthy snacks like that? (The only fruit he's eating is if he has an excuse to steal it from Eustace's personal stash.)

And while he does give a small huff when Ciel mentions MSG -- because yeah, sure, it sounds like that's the thing he's missing, and he's glad to know he hasn't just been spouting inexplicable bullshit to someone from a different time period who might not even know what a conveniece store is -- the rest loses him fast. Gen pulls a fourth cupcake from the pan but doesn't bite into it just yet; even with his prodigious appetite, his pace ends up slowing a little after scarfing down three cupcakes in like five minutes. ]

Yeah, well. Good luck with that.

[ Ciel might look over just in time to see Gen leaning over the counter so he can remove the lid on the bowl of icing and dunk his cupcake in. At least he replaces the lid as he withdraws his snack. ]

I had a hard enough time learning to use combat magic in this place -- I ain't messing with alchemy, or whatever, just for the sake of cooking.

[ He takes a bite of his crudely-iced cupcake, then ends up frowning to himself. Yeah, no. Too sweet with the icing. He's never been much of a sweet person in the first place, and especially while he's trying to quit smoking, anything too sweet ends up making his tongue feel weird. ... though he's still going to finish this cupcake, thank you very much, just taking smaller bites. ]

'Sides, aren't there better uses of time than trying to recreate MSG? Training and such. Or are you above that commoner shit, senpai.

[ Yes, he's still annoyed she can so easily best him in combat. ]

[expiera]

[The silence... is loud enough. Fruits are still convenient though? Apples, pears, bananas, and etc. are quick and easy to eat? But seeing that she WOULD skip all of those in favor of curry buns all day every day, she probably has no room to talk. (Time to slap up "steal Eustace's fruit" for the next team training exercise... That is NOT some sort of euphemism,)]

...

[Oh, he's quicker than she expected. That must be improvement from his training too, good for him! She simply blinks at Gen swiping some of the icing for himself, and blinks again at his frown. Ah, so the verdict is "too sweet"... Putting the bowl aside, she reaches for the salt shaker placed next to the pepper one, and grabs a lemon from the fruit bowl too while she's at it. Starting the second batch can wait, maybe she should go back to the icing and make it less sweet first. 🤔 Nice of them to have this entire "exchange" without saying a word out loud about it, though!]

Well, who knows how this place really works. What if you wake up one day, and suddenly you can produce MSG from just thinking about it? It would be weird, but it's also possible, no training or any more complicated process required.

[...

Okay this does sound kind of ridiculous now that she's said it and heard herself out loud, so she's just idly rolling the lemon under one palm atop the counter as that fact sinks it. ...Ahem, motoring on with a small clearing of her throat.]

We could relegate it to the kitchen staff anyway, if we do it the traditional way. And of course I train, [just mostly sparring/coaching the Achamite soldiers admittedly,] what does it have to do with being a commoner? My parents were small town shopkeepers, that's hardly any status.

[epiprocta]

[ Shopkeepers. Her parents are shopkeepers. And here Ciel is, a freak of nature, able to knock someone out with an uppercut faster than the eye can follow her movements. Gen ends up just nailing her with a dubious stare for a long moment as he considers asking for clarification. Then he decides that his withdrawal symptoms are giving him more than enough migraines for now; he's not about to saddle himself with the knowledge of whatever bullshit resulted in Ciel becoming what she is now.

... what she is now, telling highschool students that the two of them are going to do their best to kill each other, or whatever it was.

Recalling that memory at all is enough to sour his mood -- in large part because it reminds him of what memory of his that she'd ended up seeing -- and Gen frowns as he tries to drive his thoughts elsewhere by taking another bite of his (slightly-too-sweet) cupcake. ]

Not sure how you're gonna explain to the people working here what MSG tastes like, but knock yourself out, I guess.

[ Her question about commoners, too, goes ignored. Clearly, Gen subscribes to the theory of simply pretending not to hear things he doesn't feel like addressing. ]

I don't know enough about cooking to tell the kitchen staff here anything in particular. But if you know enough to boss'em around, tell'em to make some Japanese-style dishes sometimes. Everything tastes fine as is, but some rice now and again would be nice.

[ Wow, here he is, just casually foisting a task on Ciel when they aren't even on good terms. Rude little shit. He pauses not because he feels bad about dumping that task on Ciel, but only to clarify: ]

... what are you, anyway. A half? Or someone who studied abroad? You call me '-kun' but your name's not Japanese. [ Like, she does know enough about Japanese food to relay that request to the kitchen staff in a comprehensible way, right. ]

[expiera]

[There was indeed quite a lot of bullshit involved, and she's about just as eager to revisit those memories as he is. While Gen stares with intense judgment, something fully in his rights to do so, Ciel will be focused on adding a pinch of salt and minute drops of lemon juice from the fruit she's cut open to the icing in an effort to make it less sweet. Which means whipping the bowl some more, keeping her hands busy and her attention fixed to the task at hand.

Is it a silver lining or ignoring a ticking time bomb, that they are both carrying on almost as if their encounter in Venera never happened? One way to find out.]

More rice should be an easy request to make, we'll just have to make sure they boil it properly. [Western rice is... Actually, a very good thing that Gen probably doesn't know how badly it can be made in Europe,] What about noodle dishes? We could try looking into if dishes like ramen or udon could be done here, too.

[Too bad she hardly cooked herself because of work back in Japan, but with enough trial and error, maybe they could imitate something similar? It doesn't have to be perfect, neither of them seem to be particularly picky eaters anyway. Ciel just has very strong personal preferences, that's all.

There's a small pause at his question, but ultimately, she answers plainly without making a notable deal out of it.]

Yes. My mother was Japanese, I was born abroad. I came to study in Japan due to... circumstances.

[The last word is said in way that heavily implies "there is bullshit involved". She normally doesn't like to go into much details about herself, but given... whatever the HECK that ended up forming being between them, might as well. (He still hates her and she knows it, but he's here stuffing his face with cupcakes she made while they have what passably resembles a 'normal' conversation, mmhm.) What's the point in being dodgy, anyway? It's not going to change things, he already knows she's a monster too. One doesn't end up being what she is for no reason. Besides, it doesn't matter anyway: the only thing that does is contribute to the cause that called out to her, that certainty had grown within the last few days. 'Better attuned', was it...?]

[epiprocta]

[ Gen gives that word -- circumstances -- exactly 0.8 seconds' worth of consideration before deciding that no, he's not interested in the mountain of bullshit that's probably tangled up there. If she knows about Japanese food, then that's all the context he wants for this conversation anyway, and it's not like he actually wants to be friends with her or anything. ]

Noodles'd be fine.

[ Gen finishes off his cupcake, then idly licks a few flecks of icing off his fingers and the side of his hand. ]

Just miss the ... the flavors of stuff that's more familiar, sometime. Not like I'm expecting anyone here to match the menu or taste of convenience store food or stuff from family restaurants exactly. Just something close enough.

[ He makes no mention of any finer dining options, Ciel might note. Which seems appropriate enough for his age? But he doesn't speak about any home cooking, either. He actually can't remember the last time he'd stuck around home for dinnertime and happened to have his stepmother cook a proper meal for him, so the familiar taste of junk food eaten away from home is what he ends up missing the most in comparison to the regular meals they eat here.

His movements are definitely growing more languid as he fetches one last cupcake for himself, looking it over instead of immediately starting to demolish it. Too bad Ciel wasn't making something savory, instead; he probably could have eaten a lot more, and with way more quickly. But at least all this sugar should be enough to sate his cravings for now. ]

Not like I actually miss home, but ... [ He shrugs as he takes a modest bite. ] Y'know how it is.

[ It's telling though, isn't it? The fact that Gen feels the need to clarify that he doesn't miss anything of his home. And while it's not like he's lying -- the deepening hold the Kenoma has on his psyche ensures he means it when he says that -- some part of him still feels the need to confirm it out loud. Like he needs to reaffirm it for himself. ]

[expiera]

[Gen is wiser beyond his own understanding with that, tbqh. Having a higher bullshit powerlevel ceiling just means you also have crazier ways of getting traumatized, Ciel wouldn't recommend it 0/5. But hey, if unfair freaky bullshit powerlevels is a side effect that comes with life-scarring trauma, then what else can you do but roll with it? C'est la vie, as it goes.

She mixes the lemon juice and the faintest pinch of salt together, and after whipping it some more, does use the other end of one of her makeshift chopsticks to scoop out a bit of the icing to have a taste herself. Mm, it's less sweet now, but figures she couldn't tell it was too much earlier; she had grown up in a French bakery and was used to the sweetness level of things from back then, and practically everything is sweeter in Europe compared to Asia. That done, she sets the bowl aside once more, this time closer towards Gen in the dubious case that he wants to try going for another icing dip again. Food is a luxury she can understand despite her questionable personal taste at least, that Gen doesn't speak of more homely food doesn't strike her as anything out of the ordinary either. He wouldn't want to talk about anything that may come across as personal around her if he can help it anyway, right? Home cooking is sappy, it doesn't help cultivate the tough and punkish delinquent imagery either. Preferring convenience store food seems fitting, he also does seem like the sort who may be overly picky.

So indeed, his need to clarify he doesn't miss home is what ends up sticking out, that he feels compelled to voice it out loud is much more notable than if he's said nothing at all.]

Mm.

[But then what? It's not like they can 'go home'. Their present is Achamoth, Horos, to not even get into how they both had to deal with... things before ending up here. It's been many years since she last had anything to call 'home' anyway, how can she approach this even if she makes an effort to?]

What about red bean, black sesame paste, and stuff like that? Eastern snacks are less sweet than western ones, too.

[Food remains the easier topic, in the end.]

[epiprocta]

[ The offered bowl of icing 2.0 is noted, and it's not like Gen doesn't get what Ciel's subtly trying to do. And while he's not particularly interested in cooperating with Ciel's oh-so-noble cooking endeavors ... Unlike her assumption about him, he's fabulously unpicky about food. One of the perks of being a teenage boy, that basically anything edible is good enough. So who is he to turn down an indirect offer of more calories?

Gen shrugs to himself before dunking his cupcake in the renewed icing. ]

Not really that much into sweets. [ He says, as he looks at his newly-decorated cupcake. ] Ate'em when girls wanted to get them and then whined about too many calories, or there being too much, or whatever. But they're not really my thing. Eastern or Western.

[ But enough of 'his thing' to demolish half a pan of cupcakes by himself, evidently.

A pause as he finally takes the glass of water Ciel had put down a while ago. It seems enough time's finally passed that he's willing to accept it and pretend Ciel isn't the one who'd given it to him. Also, five cupcakes is the limit of what he can eat (practically non-stop) before needing hydration. And after a long sip, he takes a bite of the frosted cupcake.

Gen chews slowly. And makes absolutely no comment about its taste, predictably. But this time, his expression doesn't scrunch up at all; it seems this revised version of the frosting is more to his tastes. ]

Not like I know anything about cooking, though. So I'll eat anything familiar while -- ... [ Another small pause. 'While we're here,' he'd started saying. But that doesn't feel like Something deep in the recesses of his chest whispers a reminder in his ear that there is no 'while,' because his home is gone. This is his new home. ] ... since I'm here.

[ Then he shoves the remaining half of the cupcake in his mouth in one go. Disgusting. ]

[expiera]

It's interesting you say that. Misa won't touch sweets at all, she says she can't as a model even here. Gray also prefers things that aren't too sweet.

[No idea about the other girls, but Ciel does muse that much out loud once Gen's elaborated about the normal ones he's used to back from his world. Which does track, she's heard chitchat on that line during her brief stint as high school 'senpai' too.

That said, she should really resume working on getting that second batch started. There's one important reason why she doesn't though, and it's to peer over her own shoulder to watch his reaction after he's gone ahead for the second dunk.

...

Oh, he didn't make a face! That's good. Satisfied, Ciel puts herself back to work.]

So... Thank you for the taste test. It may have been too much for her, and knowing her, she would be too polite to say anything.

[Is there an implication in there somewhere? Never mind that, because Ciel's moving on without elaborating further. She needs to measure the sugar and flour to get the second batch started, and she needs her eyes for that.

(That "slip"... No. There's no point making mention of it, even if she wanted to.)]

Right. Speaking of eating, how do you usually get your meals? Delivered to your room, bought in the city, or maybe decided by whim depending on how you feel on the spot?

[Asking for... no reason, she's not looking his way because she can't anyway. Which is probably for the best, as much as she may otherwise be tempted to gauge his reaction by sneaking a glance back again. Is that enough to make him moody and wary...?]

[epiprocta]

[ Yeah, yeah, he gets it. Gray's too polite to have said anything, but he has no such compunctions about complaining when things aren't to his taste, so he makes for a better guinea pig, or whatever. He'd point out that Gray's the weird one for always just letting people walk all over her, but it's not like Ciel's wrong, so ... whatever. He's too tired at the moment to argue about something where she's actually correct.

As for her question about his eating habits ...

It's mostly because he's distractedly staring at the cupcake pan, debating whether to take one more for himself or not, that he doesn't just brush it off. It doesn't hurt, either, that his thoughts are still a foggy mess; it's hard thinking about more than one thing at a time, and with cupcakes on the mind, he can't be bothered to consider why Ciel's asking such a thing. ]

You think I'm the type to plan those things? [ In other words, he makes himself a pain in the ass to the kitchen staff by demanding things without warning. Also, in the end, he does decide to take one more cupcake for himself; he holds onto this one without immediately tearing into it, though. ] I usually eat in my room after training. But otherwise -- just whatever I feel like. Not like I have a schedule to keep.

[ So he says, but it won't take much digging for Ciel to find out that Gen does keep a fairly regular schedule in the mornings and early afternoons: intense bouts of sparring or training in the mornings, under Eustace's guidance or with off-duty guards, then a generous meal of, to quote his words, 'whatever, just pick something good' brought to his room by his retainer. The kitchen staff, at least, appreciate that Gen makes for a fantastically unpicky client as long as they provide enough food.

A pause before Gen directs a weary look her way. ]

What, you about to start bitching at me about my eating habits, too? [ That thought occurs to him only now, after he's already answered it. ] Or are you just nosy about what everyone eats.

[expiera]

[His answer isn't terribly surprising. All his habits and preferences are aggressively typical of punkish Japanese teenagers, or maybe just teenagers in general period. Randomly, she's reminded that this punkish teenager doesn't flunk his class because of grade, but because of attendance. Minegishi...

She hasn't stalked that deeply into his everyday life at the citadel, but she does know that he takes his training very seriously thanks to keeping in touch with Eustace and Emet-Selch. (He picks who to go with depending on his mood, doesn't he?) Persistent training requires discipline, so he probably doesn't live as wildly as he may be implying. Not that anyone can really stop him if he decides to go off the rails, but... Stuff like that is part of why she goes around asking other adults to keep an eye on him, which is not snitching.

Busy with a less sweet batch of cupcakes, Gen's stare lands squarely on her back.]

I did make a meal plan for Emet-Selch, I also had to make sure he abided by it. But he's [a tired old man] someone who needs to be reminded to eat, so what he's served has to taste good, be energizing, and nutritious.

[Smh Ascian/emperor/whatever that Emet is... That said.]

You're still growing, so as long as you eat enough, it should be okay. I was just thinking... I suppose you'll find out sooner or later by yourself, once the kitchen staff starts serving more Eastern-style dishes.

[Or she can also simply hit up his poor retainer and inform him of "Sir Minegishi"'s preferences, and let the rest sort themselves out on their own. Ciel CAN work with Gen by interacting with everyone around him except the guy himself, it's as valid a strategy as any other? Anyway, she still has cupcakes to make, and he's already demolished through the half a dozen she previously had ready. RIP Gray's bday cuppy cakes that were going to have gray cat icing decorating them... But at least the next batch will be less sweet, so everything turned out for the best?]