pawnstorm | [Open] The Mapo Tofu affair

Who: Everyone! If you can smell it, you can find it!
When: 6/8-610
Where: Hall of Glory Parlour in Caissa
What: Caren found out she can make mapo tofu and is sharing with everyone. Heaven help us all.
Rating: So far none but will change when things happen.

THe Halls of Glory smell a little different today. Instead of the usual fare that the others might know from the weekly menu, there's a different scent. Something that may remind heroes of Airy, Ma Jiang dishes, or maybe, more simply, of home.

This was the result of Caren's cooking and some hunting on her part. And the results may be quite appealing. There are pots of rice, still steaming, and various bowls filled with the result known as mapo tofu. Some of them are spicer then others, and she hasn't seen fit to label which are very spicy, and which are quite mild. The only thing she has labelled, with a rim of green around the bowls, are the vegan variations, for those who can't, or do not, eat meat or meat by products.

Consider it a game of spice roulette. Because there are other bowls as well, with crushed cucumber-hot pepper salad, spicy tofu, and something that has spewed spinach and garlicy noodles within. But hey! You may be able to cool off with one of the pots of tea around the place-or with one of the rare tubs of ice cream of various flavors, kept chilled with an icy spell.

The cutlery and bowls are disposable, and there are trashbags to clean up after yourself. She's not going to do it for you!

But hey. Who can say no to free food?

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I've never... tasted anything like it in this world.

[ And the bowl in front of her seemed to take a hellish appearance. It wavered as if under a heat mirage, bubbling a fearsome red.

She wasn't sure she could eat anymore. ]

Caren-san, do you like this kind of food?

[ asks Irisviel, avoiding looking her directly in the eye for how watery her own eyes were. ]

They seem to have an area known as Ma Jiang, with dishes similar to this. That was how I was able to create this at all.

[She considers the woman in front of her for a few moments. Then she comes closer and...

moves to wipe Irisviel's eyes free of tears.]

I enjoy the intensity. Not only am I able to handle this, but it feels almost...nostalgic.

The Von Einsbern's never served you spicy food, did they? I apologize. I wasn't aware you had not built up an immunity.

[No she's not. But she can pretend.]

[ She's surprised by Caren's gentleness, in all honesty. Those fingers were surprisingly soft as they wiped the tears from her face.

But Irisviel shakes her head and with a hesitant eyes, looks up at Caren. ]

No. It was my husband Kiritsugu who had taught me about food in the first place. As a homunculus, I have no need to eat, drink nor sleep to function if there is an adequate mana source.

[ Which has changed completely since she's been brought here. Sure she still doesn't really need to do the above, but doing all of them helps replenish her mana a lot quicker.

Irisviel looks at the plate again, grateful for the small portion she took. She wasn't going to finish the rest of it but she holds up her yet to be used fork and holds it up. ]

I wish to see you eat it.

[ purely to satisfy her own curiosity. ]

[Caren has always fond that there is a cruelty in kindness and gentleness. Not to mention, it's only a good thing that Caren likes to keep her hands rather clean, or else she would have stung the poor homunculus' eyes. Shewas more vulnerable here then before.]

Unfortunately, I do not think you will be able to do such a thing here. Not while you're in the starter rank at least.

[She takes up the plate, the fork. And without taking her eyes away from Irisviel, she scoops the curry onto her fork, and calmly eats it. She might have broken out into a sweat, but her eyes did not tear.]

You did not think that I was attempting to prank you, did you?

[ Irisviel's eyes never leave Caren as she takes up the plate and the fork, following her every move as she eats the curry without any hesitation. No nothing. She seemed to be relatively unaffected by the spice, she didn't reach for a glass of water or something else to cool down the spice. ]

Oh...!

[ Another gentle shake of her head. ]

I wanted to see someone enjoying it.

[ Caren did enjoy it, right?? ]

[Not at all. And since it looks like Irisviel isn't able to handle it, Caren is going to eat this plate for her. It's really the least wasteful thing to do at this point, really.]

Mm. I wouldn't make something I could not enjoy myself. I assume your husband did not teach you about cooking?

[She shakes her head a little, and raises her fork.]

You can not make something that would appeal to others if you do not enjoy it yourself. I'll give you a plate that's more tolerable for you.

[See? She's really enjoying herself.]

[ She shakes her head in response. ]

We lived in Einzbern Castle and the servants did all the cooking for us. He told me about food rather than how to... make it.

[ But at Caren's suggestion, she perks up a little. Would she be able to eat something that wasn't terribly searing to her mouth? That would be pretty good. ]

Are these more tolerable ones?

[ asks Irisviel cautiously. ]

Maybe he wasn't certain how to, or the servants wouldn't allow such activity from their master or mistress.

[That sounds about right. And with a gesture of her spoon, she gestured to a few.]

But yes. There are milder ones, as well as some smaller snacks that I made. Some have less spice, others have more vegetables, so on and so forth.

If you're trying unused to it...

[She points to a dish at one of the far tables, still gently steaming.]

That would be the mildest.

[ She wasn't sure, but she wasn't in a position to question it. Kiritsugu barely ate himself, but he seemed to enjoy himself while they were in Einzbern Castle - at Iri's insistence, of course. ]

It looks less... violent.

[ Because unlike the fiery red of the one she just ate, the one that Caren pointed out seemed cheery, almost fresh in comparison. ]

If you'll excuse me, I'd like to try it.

[ She stands up, and gives a bow to Caren before going to the table she indicated. ]

[Kiritsugu seemed to her, from what little she had read from the reports, to be a man who was always suffering. She had read a few things about him and...honestly, she wasn't sure what to think of him. Until the end.

He was not like her father at all.]

Ah, yes. Of course. Enjoy.

[She bows her head, her gaze lingering on the construction. Really...given the right nudges here and there, this person....even with her taint...

She could be useful. Somehow. She's a possible chess piece. A good piece, if she plays her cards right in this long game.]

[Open] The Mapo Tofu affair

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