Big Meals, Big Dreams [Open: Micah, Sin, Nex, Malon, Ciel, Ariadne]

[El]

Oh~?

The embracing warmth was unexpected, but not unwelcome. It wasn't as if Malon and herself were on intimate terms - on the contrary, she had a vague inkling of a tumultuous meeting... - and yet, he held her hand. Not just briefly. Not even hesitantly. The hold was firm and lingering. Even as his attention drifted to the rest of his company, his touch did not depart. 

Her bemused smirk softened. Ciel was never one to shy away from affection. And so with a purring hum she leaned into the warmth, a content smile upon her lips as she snuggled against his feathered shoulder.

This was pleasant. The Rito down-feather pillows really couldn't compare to the genuine article, could they?

...Maybe she should look into hiring a sleeping companion. An EXTRA fluffy one, obviously.

It was then that the bumbling Goron addressed her, pulling the lady from her thoughts as the bumpy ball of sweetness rolled across her tongue and its idle play. Something about the hooded Zora's voice was strangely familiar... as if she'd interacted with him before: but surely she'd never forget a face like that? While the more rigorously muscled sandfish reminded her of Naydra for some reason.

Odd.

A loud CRACK echoed within the small chambers of her mouth as she crunched down hard on the candy. She'd gotten impatient with the treat. And sure enough, there was a surprise awaiting her within! Hrmn~, was this aniseed? Ciel's eyes crinkled with pleasure. What a delightfully contrasting choice.

"Well this is quite the surprise! We'd better whip up something fit for the nobility, huh?"

The Beaumont's expression froze, struggling to decide between disappointment and pride. But then sweet little Koko chimed in to sing this 'Nex's' praises and once more mention these supposedly super spicy dumplings. How could Ciel ever hold a frown when faced with such an endearing child?

"Those sound great, if you have any left, I'd love one. Gimme the hottest one."

Glancing back she observed another peculiarly familiar stranger join the crowd, elegantly dressed yet smelling of medicinal herbs. This wasn't good. At this rate Ciel would be unable to try ANY of these dumplings! They'd all be gone!

Actually, I DO have a request.

Ciel hastily penned, an illuminated fingertip - from her spare hand - swirling the fancy script before the entire group. She couldn't manage the message somehow facing them all however, so she prioritised the Goron's perspective, writing it in reverse and at his eye-level.

...And then left the message hanging.

Tugging Malon with her she nimbly ducked down and swiped a dumpling. Softly she chewed, a careful contemplation in her expression as she savoured both its refreshing texture and the-... magma. Heh. Ciel let slip a giggle when she caught Koko peering up at her with blatant concern.

I like it.

She assured, projecting her true voice directly into the little girl's mind.

I've always wanted to breathe fire at least once.

Mimicking a yawning Dinraal she breathed a hot, spiced breath upon the stained glove. It came with sparkles, misting and swirling. And yet, quite quickly Ciel's expression drooped with mock disappointment. THAT wasn't fire.

Hmn. Almost!
Still tasty though!
Thank you, sweetie ♥

Tension dissipated, the Sheikah kitten began giggling, and so did the Beaumont. Truly though, those dumplings really were an experience! She was thoroughly glad her digestive system would not have to deal with the-... infamous aftermath.

Oh right. She was in the middle of saying something.

After biting off the spice-soiled glove, (only to continue holding it between her pearly whites, a little at a loss as to where to put it), she raised another glowing fingertip and resumed the written discourse:

Have you ever baked with rupees before?
I have always wondered if
they were a part of Goron cuisine.

[Rex Draco]

Sin

Sin turned his gaze down towards Malon. His fists were tucked against his hips and his tendrils pulled back over his shoulders. "What?!" The Zora barked.

He had hurried here thinking everything had already been prepared. He was used to eating quite early in the day and after spending his last rupee to even make it this far: he had been without for some time! His belly rumbled, but then his earholes caught Malon's words. Sin pursed his lips before parting his jaws wide.

"I don't know what spicy is!" But he knew dumplings usually went in soup!

Even if they were only dumplings to test, he was sure they would find their way into soup soon, but for now: his belly. They looked quite fat and seemed to bounce with freshness. Without hesitation the fish shoved the dumpling into his mouth and rabidly chewed, as if he hadn't seen a meal in months. He swallowed hard, failing to finish his chewing steps.

"Yummy! More!" He went to reach for another, but became still.

It was then that it happened.

It began with the droplets of condensation on the shrimp's face. Nex arched a brow and watched as the russet Zora turned redder. It was hard to see at first because his scales were as dark as sunset, but when the blue came it was more obvious. The warmongering swordsman spat out his tongue, freeing it to the cool air, but all that did was make his mouth tingle. He began to pant before his throat started to burn.

g a c k

Was such a strange sound for a Zora to make before collapsing. Sin clutched his throat and began to flop on the ground like a fish out of water.

Nex

He brushed his thumb and forefinger against his chin. He turned his eyes up towards Ciel, curious about her strange — means of communication. He's seen odder so it wasn't as if he could speak on the matter. The magician slipped his hand into his robes and pulled out a single rupee.

"That is quite a dangerous sentiment." He mused. "Did you know rupee are reservoirs of power? Incorporating them into heat, or any kind of strange environment can alter a rupee's condition." He held the rupee between his fingers.

The webs between his fingers began to darken as his fingertips warmed the edge of the rupee. For those with magical aptitude could sense something akin to fire, but nothing about the Zora or his actions said anything to indicate flames. It was something else entirely. But before any could think deeply on the matter, for just a moment, the color seemed to change, but that was probably a trick of the light. He tucked it away.

"Eating rupees can be quite dangerous, especially if you are the kind to handle magic or," In the case of Goron's, "explosives."

Now if Gorons of today were so reckless, there was nothing he could say on the matter. 

[Chaosome]

Now, Malon was a highly observant person. He had to be after all, he was basically a spy. Sure it wasn't as useful in this day and age as it may have been long ago, but he was proud none the less. That being said, that was when he was on the job. Off the job, or on a job that didn't require him being vigilant, he missed things now and again. It happened when you felt relaxed around people, and nowhere did he feel more relax than at home in Kakariko. And so that was his excuse as to why, until the young woman leaned against him and purred, that he completely forgot he was holding CiCi's hand.

The blush returned in full force and a quick mental battle went off in his head as to the appropriate action here. Was continuing to hold her hand rude? Would taking it away be rude? She clearly wasn't bothered by it at all or he was certain his cheek would be stinging. So he supposed that for the time being this was his life now! Which let's be honest, there were many many fates far worse than keeping a lovely person some company for a time, so he kept that firm but gentle grasp, allowing himself to be tugged as CiCi stepped over to test out the dumplings.

When Ariadne arrived, Malon looked up over to the woman and smiled, waving his free wing, having sat down the sack of ingredients he had been carrying by his side for the time being. "Hello Ariadne! There's a few left from this batch yeah!" he glanced back over at CiCi while she entertained Koko with a little 'fire' breathing trick, a small chuckle escaping him as he looked back over to the village's guest. "Do be careful though, Goron Spice is pretty-"

g a c k

Malon's head quickly shot over to the flailing Zora, the Rito letting out a little laughing sigh and a shake of his head. "Intense..." If it weren't for the fact he was both used to seeing folks try spicy food that he found rather tame AND trained in administering aid and could recognize the difference, the bird would be worried. Instead he remained calm and looked over to Koko. "Koko sweetie, if you've got some milk left would you mind sharing with our friend here?" this was hardly the first time Malon had seen someone... we'll politely say 'falter', when it came to spice.

Regardless, Malon held out his free hand to Ciel. "Here, I can hold that for you if you'd like." He wasn't sure exactly how long was the appropriate time to keep holding her hand. Likely until she herself was ready to let go? So if he was 'stuck' for the time being, the least he could do was be useful about it!

[LuckyBlackCat]

And now various people showed interest in the pastry-wrapped fireballs. The red-haired Hylian Micah had seen around a few times while the two of them ran errands, a medical apprentice from what he'd heard, immediately asked for the hottest one. "Are... Are you sure?" he asked, wincing as Lady Ciel seemingly forgot about the "request" she'd been about to trace in a trail of sparkles to sample a dumpling herself. Koko's startled stare as if bracing for disaster probably mirrored his own.

The breath left his chest in a rush of relief at Ciel's giggle, and her subsequent impression of a Fire-Breath Lizalfos, complete with sparkles. Her penchant for dramatic effects, the glimmers bringing to mind fireworks but giving off no heat or crackles, still fascinated Micah. Some kind of illusion magic? In any case, it was a type he had little experience of encountering. Most Gorons with an affinity for the arcane specialised in fire, stone, defense, or infusing magical properties into crafted items.

If only he had any talent for spellwork, he may be able to make food taste better.

Ciel, as she wrote her request, displayed curiosity about magic-infused food herself... of a rather unconventional variety. "Rupees? I get why you'd wonder that, they're technically rocks, but they're not exactly the... edible kind," Micah replied, remembering the time little Dugby had sneakily tried one. Not only had the kid hated the taste, he'd been coughing sparkles for days, in a manner not unlike Ciel's imitation fire breath. "Besides, most gemstones don't taste good to us..."

The next words sent him back into a low-key panic.

"I don't know what spicy is!"

"Uh, if you're not used to spices, I wouldn't recommend..." Micah warned. Too late. In a flash, the Zora reached a clawed hand into the heap and crammed an entire dumpling into his mouth.

It was as if time slowed down. All Micah could do was watch in horror as the Zora's scales grew even redder. With a strangled sound, the swordsman crumpled and writhed around on the platform, clasping his throat. Not even Koko had reacted that way. Was... Was he sick? Dear gods, were spices or any other of the ingredients toxic to Zora?

"Oh nooo! Hang in there!" Micah turned a desperate stare towards the Hylian, Ariadne as Malon had called her. "Y-You're a medic, right? Please, do something!"

Koko, apologising profusely, rummaged through a bag for another bottle of milk. "Do... Do you like milk, sir? Or..." She grabbed a handful of pito-pito as Nex, calm throughout the chaos, simply deadpanned on the risks of consuming rupees. "Eating something sweet can also help!"

Some relaxing community event this was turning out to be.

[Emily]

Ariadne had only been part of the Kakariko Village community for a handful of months, maybe half a year at most, but she already felt like she was part of several different families. The Sheikah had been so excited to have someone studying with them, valuing their traditions and pitching in here and there to help with things. She had been working with the various farmers in the village during planting season, helping them to sew what they would all reap in the autumn. She had carried all manner of things up the hill to houses. It was amazing how much of the population was made up of old people- or maybe they weren't old, but everyone having white hair was just messing with her perception.

The exercise assisted tremendously with her lessons as well. She had not only learned a significant amount about different medicinal plants she helped put in the ground, but also learned where everyone lived and how to best get there. It also helped a lot to exercise; she was able to hike quite a lot with Claria back in the Domain, but the actual lessons and day-to-day living of the Zora was pretty laid-back, at least on land. It was mostly in the water where they did their exercising. Ariadne had, of course, never learned to swim, and while she had tried a couple times while at the Domain, quickly found it wasn't something that was "for her".

Anyway, all this was a roundabout way of coming to the conclusion that she was happy to see Koko happy today. She hadn't been around for the great tragedies of Kakariko, but she could see their effects scarring those who lived here. With a younger sister figure like Koko seeming to enjoy the boisterous group that had gathered around her, Ariadne found herself feeling even better about things.

She couldn't help but smile at Lady CiCi taking the opportunity to snatch one. She would be extremely agile, wouldn't she? After that spectacle at the ball. But even in the aftermath of it, with his date breathing sparkles, Malon made sure Ariadne was taken care of. "Hello Ariadne! There's a few left from this batch yeah! Do be careful though, Goron Spice is pretty-"

In this moment, the Zora- that weird sandy-looking Zora from Hateno- seemed to have a moment of catastrophe. He had stated he didn't know what spice was, and if this was made with Goron Spice, that was big time. Not for her, of course, peppers and spices grew wild around the snowfields. Malon grimaced as she took a bite, and finished his sentence. "-Intense."

Mhm, mhm. Ooh yeah, there was the kick. She felt her eyes start watering. She exhaled heavily. And then she laughed, a bit louder than she expected to. "Hoo hoo, this is great! Koko," she coughed, face beginning to match her hair in shade, but she laughed again. "Oh wow, you and our Goron friend here made this? Top notch, truly."

The Zora seemed to be having a particularly rough time. He was doubled over and seemed to be retching, his scales as red as she felt, though he didn't have the tolerance to enjoy the ride he was on. The Goron was fussing about him- as he always seemed to be fussing around people whenever Ariadne saw him.  "Oh nooo! Hang in there! Y-You're a medic, right? Please, do something!" He looked directly at her. Oh well, duty calls.

Ariadne looked over the poor fish, determining that his airway was fully clear and he wasn't suffering from a negative reaction to the spice outside of what could be considered normal. Once she determined that he was, indeed, okay, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "It'll pass, mate. For now, you can pass as a salmon." She didn't know much about him other than what Claria had said, but- oh, Sinnie, that was the name she had heard- but it was a little good and a little weird, what with the strange tensions between him and Sidon. Then again, she had her own tensions with the Domain Zora, so maybe he was alright. "Milk or bread will help soak up some of the spice. Otherwise, it's just an experience that goes down with time."

She slipped behind the Zora, and gave a surreptitious gesture of approval to Koko and the Goron. She had just seen someone she didn't want to leave hanging.

From one of the houses in the square emerged a young Sheikah woman, about the same age as Ariadne, though she didn't know precisely. They had talked quite a lot about things and had a more or less similar memory of the Calamity era. The Sheikah woman had a blindfold around her eyes, and thick white hair hanging loose and wild around her shoulders and down her back. She wore very plain, traditional clothes- her mom was extremely traditional like that.

Ariadne felt her heart beating faster as she walked up. She was, shamefully, a bit glad for the Sheikah's blindness, given how red and sweaty she had gotten. "Hi Serana," she said, though the slight smile that had appeared on the Sheikah's face implied she already knew Ariadne was near.

"Hello, Ariadne." A slight bit of colour came into her cheeks as Serana reached out and Ariadne grabbed her hand, helping her down the stairs. "I take it you've already been up to some trouble."

"Me? Never," Ariadne chuckled, but helped to guide Serana over to a bench in the cooking area. "There are all sorts of strange characters here, though. You'll never believe who Malon's dating."

Serana stifled a giggle. "Oh I can't wait to hear more about this."

[El]

Ciel had been seriously considering dropping dead.

Well, in a sense. It'd be just a spot of a swooning faint - a perceived 'slip of the consciousness' - but she was confident she could pull off some convincing dramatics at no great injury to her person. She was well-practiced in the art. Besides, Malon would catch her.

The catalyst of this peculiar nosedive of theatric logic had been the ruddy Zora's own abrupt collapse. Not long upon ingesting a fresh dumpling he shrivelled up like a boiling lobster and succumbed to gasping at the grass which promptly met his face. This brought back memories. Stormy, delicious but tiring memories. That night at the dragon's bar had been entertaining, but it had also left just enough of a bitter tang in Ciel's mouth that she cared NOT to repeat that same sequence of events.

The solution to being framed for another possible poisoning incident? Don't be OK.

However... it soon became apparent that such a reaction would be entirely unnecessary. Completely contradictory to her growing anxiety, almost everyone was extremely blasé about the poor creature's condition. Hilariously so, actually. The fact that this Ariadne lady - who had been nominated as medical support even - went as far as to call him a 'passable salmon' while he continued to writhe in agony at her feet almost choked Ciel on her own laughter. Yet the scoff was scuffed by the muffle of her still half-bitten glove. So she flushed instead and tried not to cry.

Even Malon - sweet, pure Malon! - didn't seem the least bit concerned. No sooner had he directed Koko to assist the dying Zora did he then instead turn his attention back to her: and offer to hold her soiled glove no less!

How cute.

Ciel's eyes crinkled with growing affection: what an endearing bird. But, alas, she shook her head with rejection, promptly removing the glove from between her teeth to smile at the gesture. Sadly the glove was - or rather had been - white. A STARK white.

I should probably wash it, in all honesty.

She 'penned' with the hand she now unravelled from the warmth of Malon's wing. The lady sighed, wistful and drained - bored at the mere thought. Though...she figured it'd be a good excuse to remove herself from being dragged into any unforeseen physical labour or menial work, given that much of the feast was still being prepared. It was rarely a good idea to linger in one place in the midst of such a scenario.

Besides, Nex's sourpuss lecture on the dangers of making rupees more palatable had promptly curbed and trodden upon Ciel's initial excitement. All the more so considering the irony of his mannerisms as he yapped on: playing with the very same object he was warning NOT to play with! HA! CiCi's nose twitched, a warp of her pouting lips holding back a second, but far more derisive scoff. Even the huggable rock doubled down on it being an unwise idea, though he did share an interesting tidbit to entertain her fancies.

So rupees don't even taste good to others, huh.

That explained quite a lot of things actually. Mortals had a remarkable tenacity for always finding a way to eat whatever they wanted, so it made sense that it wasn't just a matter of danger and a very tough exterior, but also a lack of taste too on top of all that. Figures.

...Still sad though.

Hrmn.

Perhaps she should then give up on the idea entirely-...

-IS WHAT A BORE WOULD SAY.

Psshhht! There was a way. Ciel bet there was a way. Besides, had anyone even tried? Or had sensible coots like this fossilising Zora scared every ambitious soul into cowardice? Not she! Besides, so what if a few explosions occurred? What was life without a few sparks anyway!

A dangerous glitter of excitement illuminated Ciel's golden eyes. All of a sudden her expression had shifted from tired disappointment to an oh-so-devious delight of a smile. While Ariadne excused herself to go flirt with some blindfolded girl who had emerged in her periphery, the Beaumont crouched down besides the suffering Zora as Koko encouraged him to partake in his prescribed medication of milk - and candy!

Fancy lending a hand, handsome? <3

Her spare hand swirled in cursive but larger than usual script, to ensure his probably still half-delirious state could read it. (She had no idea he wouldn't be able to anyway.)

I promise you'll be rewarded with BOUNTIFUL amounts of food in return!
Straight away.

The bold claim was punctuated not just by a flirtatious wink, but also by cute yet clear sketches of various fresh produce: bulging pumpkins, massive carrots and melting butter all outlined with illuminated sparkles of magic. She pointed towards the grocer's (signposted as 'High Spirits Produce') directly behind him: the doors to the establishment wide open and bustling with frantic commerce. If she wanted to grab some ingredients, she'd need to be quick!

...But also she really didn't want to carry any of it all the way to her own cooking spot.

This Zora looked strong. He also didn't seem likely to be hauled off by any responsibilities anytime soon. AND he was potentially very easy to bribe...? Plus, drying-scales and sharp bits aside, his unique traits and firm physique were visually appealing. Conclusion: the perfect combination!

[Rex Draco]

Nex watched as the other Zora collapsed and seems to have taken damage from eating the spicy bao. He eyed the one he had taken and was about to bite into, feeling a measure of concern. Had the two perhaps over did it with their practice buns? He pulled the spicy snack to his nose and sniffed. Not a lot of good that did. He had a weak sense of smell as an ocean bound beluga. Opening his mouth wide one would be able to see that not only had he a pair of razor sharp fangs in the front, but he also had a much smaller, secondary set of cuspids just behind his primary teeth. These teeth were difficult to see, but with his head back and mouth open it may be a bit easier for taller sorts to spot the extra set of fangs.

He bit down on the bun and crunched into its interior. As he chewed the food rolled around in his mouth from cheek to cheek, but no matter how much his fat, slime covered tongue rolled around he couldn't find a point of pain. It was spiced and quite flavourful, but it was far from the point of losing one's dignity over. Once he swallowed the Zora moved to wipe his hand off on his own sleeve, just in case the residue would end up causing the same effect when in contact with others.

Though this he doubted.

He curled his lip over his fang and thought about the sharp words needling the edges of his tongue as he watched Sin barely pull himself off the ground, using the edge of the table as support. He reached for the bottle of milk and dots of candy. He shoved the candy in his mouth as his claws tore open the milk's cork. He quickly pressed the mouth of the bottle to his lips and threw his head back, chugging down the white, creamy substance. Sin gasped out, milk splattering from his mouth as he struggled to fill his lungs full again. Though his lips still tingled quite a bit, his throat was no longer seizing up in silent screams. He proceeded to shove his tongue down the neck of the bottle as he desperately lapped up the soothing sustenance.

While Sin recovered from his indignity Ariadne seemed to reach out to the young Zora's culinary folly making sure he didn't die and gave passing advice to ensure he could at least participate in the remainder of the event. Ciel seemed to endear herself to the floundering fish. This drew Nex's attention back towards Malon. The thought still feathered on the sides of his earholes. A most obnoxious wriggling of thoughts and doubt as he could not remove himself from trying to compare the bird to the scant few avian inhabitants of the realm that he has seen in his short time here. The Zora would reach out his arm and, if he could, he would pinch his thumb and forefinger on either side of his beak.

"Come here, girl." He rasped before staring down his beak and brow long and hard.

Finally able to feel his tongue again Sin would turn his gaze towards Ciel. He crooked an unpainted brow towards the scribbles she drew across the air.

"Huh?" Sin leaned in and attempted to chomp on her words, which looked suspiciously like noodles.

[Chaosome]

This was hardly the first time Malon had seen someone partake in a level of spice they weren't prepared for. Some of the younger Sheikah, and some of the older ones too who were gungho on proving themselves more prepared and that youths, would end up dunking their head under spigots after some particularly spicy meat kabobs. So the signs were pretty common place for him. Had the Zora been in any real danger, the Rito would have rushed in immediately to assist.

Smiling softly as Ciel politely declined, Malon nodded in understanding. "Of course, laundry's hardly the most entertaining of tasks but an important one! If you'd like to hang more later, feel free to come by and find me any time! I'll be around the village, I don't make myself hard to find at home." he offered with a giggle and a playful wink. He was, after all, a ninja.

When the sandy-zora finally recovered, Malon was just about to go and check on him, after all he considered the lumbering lunker a friend at this point... even if he still hadn't the chance to actually catch his name... But before he could a hand firmly but not forcibly gripped his cheeks on either side of his beak. "Bwuh-huh?" Malon blinked in confusion at Nex as his face was turned one way then the other, smooshed and squished. Wait, girl? How blind was this guy? Ah well. It wasn't like Malon was the pinnacle of Rito masculinity by any means.

"What's up, there something on my face?"

[LuckyBlackCat]

Everyone else, to Micah's immense relief, remained calm as to the Zora's physical state. Ariadne's response in particular put him at ease as the swordsman recovered enough to pull himself up and cram Koko's offered food into his mouth, although the scales on his face remained crimson. As panic ebbed away, however, a new feeling washed over Micah - shame. That had been no way to welcome a newcomer.

"I'm sorry!" He crouched next to the ruddy Zora. "A-Are you alright now? I'm really, really sorry..." The guy was fixated on Ciel's written request for assistance instead, his brow furrowed as he gnashed his fangs, trying to eat the sparkling letters suspended in midair. Were his eyes still watering too much to read the text? Was he in too much shock to focus? Or was he simply unfamiliar with fancy cursive?

"Your Grace... I can help out, if you'd like," Micah offered to Ciel. "Transporting produce is something I've been doing a lot here lately." He glanced at the hungry swordsman. "You up for that? There's food in it." Straightening his back and knees, he could only hope the guy wasn't mad at him... or at Koko. Oh by Vah Rudania, what if he yelled at Koko and damaged what little confidence she had?

Koko, however, simply smiled as she stood, grey eyes flicking towards the blue Zora, then towards Ariadne who'd briefly left to greet someone, both of whom had sampled the dumplings with no adverse effects. "It seems they're to some people's taste after all... How about we make lots of different ones, with different levels of spice?" She pulled a quill and inkwell from the bag, along with a notebook, from which she tore an empty page. In the unembellished yet neat handwriting that seemed typical for Kakariko's residents, she wrote "Cheese and vegetable dumplings - EXTRA HOT", accompanied by a sketch of four peppers, and propped up the note against the plate.

Another grimace flashed across Micah's features at the thought of experimenting with the Goron Spice again, but he reminded himself some people here would be more than happy to try them out. After all, wasn't catering to various palates a skill every chef needed to know? "That... sounds like an idea," he replied, glad the creations wouldn't go to waste no matter how they turned out. Harvests in Kakariko Village were often bountiful, he'd heard, between the Sheikah's ancestral farming techniques and the blessings of a Great Fairy who'd once resided nearby, but the thought of throwing away results of the farmers' hard work still sat poorly with him.

Ariadne promptly returned, guiding a young blindfolded woman with a cascade of messy white hair Micah had spotted around the village a few times, both deep in cheerful chatter already. "Oh hey again, and... hey new person." With a gravelly rumble of a chuckle, he made to bow as he'd grown used to doing here, before remembering the Sheikah girl couldn't see the gesture. "Koko and I have just decided on making more Goron Spice dumplings after all, if either of you want to taste test."

[Emily]

Ariadne kept hold of Serana's hand, firm enough that her presence could be relied upon, but light enough to show that she still wasn't entirely sure of herself in this position. They walked together to the side of the group and sat on a bench, where Serana could smell the food being cooked without being so close as to be jostled by anyone expecting her to instinctively move out of the way.

"Lady CiCi?" the Sheikah gave a small smile. She had a naturally quiet voice, as if unsure how it would carry in the space she occupied. "That's adorable, Malon is such a sweetheart, I could imagine them getting along very well. I remember she would occasionally come to Kakariko when I was younger. My mother would give me candy to share with her, thought it was good luck for me to be friends with someone like her. She was so charming, and would tell us jokes. She has such a cute laugh. I can't hear her though, has she left?"

Ariadne looked over. Lady CiCi was, true to form, entirely silent, instead writing her glowing text on the air. Was it possible she used to speak? No, Ariadne used to read the news: it was written from so near Rito Village, after all. Lady CiCi had always been silent in her charm, according to the papers. Maybe there was a mistake? But she did seem to match the description pretty well. In fact, as she had been watching, Lady CiCi had asked about eating rupees, she'd been hit with a withering comment by the older Zora, and was now flirting with the younger one?!.

"She hasn't left, but I've never heard her speak. I mean, I've only seen her a few times, so I suppose if it's a rarer thing for her I probably wouldn't have. Right now she's done something with her glove and she's flirting with a Zora now. And..."

"And?"

Ariadne had trailed off, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. The older Zora had said come here, girl and grabbed Malon. Far be it from Ariadne of all people to be scandalised by such non-conformity, especially when it came to terms of gender presentation, but she had no context for what was happening in front of her and ultimately wasn't sure how to keep approaching the situation. "I think... okay, I'm not really sure what I'm seeing. So Lady CiCi is trying to entice this Zora named Sinnie into carrying things for her. And there's this other older Zora here, I don't know his name, but he might be flirting with Malon?"

Serana rested her head on Ariadne's shoulder. Her heart started beating significantly faster. "And here I thought we'd be the strangest people in attendance."

"I know, it's disappointing. Instead of a nice picnic dinner party, we walked into an o-"

Serana let out a little half-scoff laugh. "Ariadne!"

"Oh hey again, and... hey new person. Koko and I have just decided on making more Goron Spice dumplings after all, if either of you want to taste test." It was nice to see that the Goron was starting to feel a bit better; he always seemed to be so unsure of himself when she had met him in the past.

Also, Ariadne was a little glad for the interruption- she didn't really know how to continue talking about the situation unfolding in front of them. "That sounds great to me."

"I would also like one, if it's not too much trouble. I'm Serana, it's nice to meet you."

[El]

Oh dear. The simpleton was-... Well, in civil terms, 'performing beyond her expectations'. (Though in her defence, it wasn't common to see handwriting consumed like a snack.)

Eyebrows perked, Ciel watched the Zora with mild disgust and bemusement, her initial alarm distracted by his mighty maws and the manner in which they chomped. My what big teeth he had! And how apt, considering the last perpetrator who committed this exact same crime shared not only his eager appetite but a similar earthy hue.

Hmn~. Resting her chin upon the elegant roost of her ivory knuckles, Ciel idly wondered if he'd also react similarly to a good petting.

However, it did not take long for the gravity of the situation to settle in, and with it a cumbersome weight in the pits of her stomach. Eugh. No. No this really wasn't going to work, not without some real effort on her part - and was that really worth it...? Whether the simpleton had simply taken too many knocks to the head, never learned Hylian, or was just 'politely' rejecting her invitation in a most peculiar manner, it all reeked of tedious difficulty in the very near future. (And as much as Ciel lauded her own artistic abilities, she knew her depiction of the promised treats was far from a realistic rendition - so THAT wasn't the issue.)

Lady Beaumont was of half a mind to teach him a little lesson for his impudence, but instead she quietly clicked her tongue. She'd gotten caught up in the images of belly-rubs and wagging tendrils tails and lost the fizzle of her irritation along with her train of thought.

"Your Grace... I can help out, if you'd like," Piped up that lumbering ball of anxiety from earlier. Still nimbly perched on her haunches, Ciel glanced up at him through her eyelashes, smiling sweetly as he continued. An offer of service in his stead? How could she refuse!

That would be delightful,
Thank you
♥

-Came the prompt and cursive response between them. The implication that the pup Zora would still be strung along too was a troubling one, but Ciel had already long decided she would NOT be exerting that effort. If this Goron cook wanted to bumble across the bridge between them, then so be it. Not her circus, not her monkey.

The Goron's promises did not last long however as all too quickly his erratic mind had jumped ship to another distraction: Ariadne and that blindfolded lady had joined the fray. He quickly began bending his hospitality that way instead, his invitation of dumplings eagerly accepted in turn.

Serana...

That sounded oddly familiar, though her incredibly traditional appearance inspired no memory in particular, and she was SURE she'd remember a blin-

Oh.

The fire.

A sombre shadow passed over Ciel's expression. Serana: the one little Sheikah girl who hadn't been named after a snack, but (assumedly) after the tranquil waters which fed them instead. Her father had met a tragic end in the aftermath of the Upheaval, an event which left more than just grief in its wake. So her sight is still lost.

...Could Ciel fix it?

"What's up, there something on my face?"

Oh for Goddess' sake, what was wrong with the Zora in this place?!! Was the water dodgy?!

Pouncing upright, Ciel strode right to her accosted bedpillow and slapped away the old man's grabby-grubby fingers. She was nowhere near strong enough to break his hold, if he insisted on it, but her intent was as clear as day nonetheless. Lips firm, glare sharp, her disapproval was blatant. Some words did not need to be written.

Is Malon always like this, dearest Koko?

Ciel broadcasted to the busy little lady nearby, intentionally loud enough to reach her ears even over the simmering of boiling pots and popping oil. No wonder he'd taken the initiative to hold her hand if this sort of encounter was his daily bread and butter! What sort of life did this Rito live anyway? Far from being taken aback by the manhandling, he was cracking jokes about it!

Feathered fool.

Well, Ciel had her own methods. Methods she was now weighing up with calculated measures, depending on the old Zora's response to her intrusion.

[Rex Draco]

Nex stared into Malon's eyes. His cerulean orbs were marked with the slit of his narrowed pupil. The organ barely fluttered as it tried to widen, honing in on the details of his face. The shape of their head, the spread of feathers along their cheek and the tops of their head. The colors that shaded the tip of his beak, back along his brows and the faded touch of youth along the tips of yet-to-spout pin feathers. His padded palm squeezed together as his thumb and splayed fingers readjusted the Rito's head, turning it to the side to examine his profile and raising it up to inspect the underside of his beak. Like inspecting a freshly caught lobster. The membrane between the Zora's fingers served as a nest for the Rito's chin, his claws not even registering as his touch was feather soft and his grip negligible. If Malon so wished it he could slip from the fish's hold like a krill through a net.

"Hn," The blue-scaled Zora grunted. "For a moment you appeared vaguely familiar, like someone I know, but I am not overly familiar with Rito." Their entire existence came as a surprise to him.

When the sun-scaled Zora stood and looked to have survived his encounter, only thanks to the thick, room-temperature milk Nex released Malon and sat back. He motioned his clawed fingers to the spice-rejecting sardine. The movement was accompanied by a soft scoff and rolling of his eyes, clear disapproval for his behavior, or perhaps vigor.

After attempting to eat the floating letters Sin noticed something interesting about them. Though they had no flavour there was definitely a substance to them, weight. It was like biting into fresh coconut water: silky and smooth, but on the other hand there was something that touched the back of his throat like the sharp strike of soured candy. He wasn't sure why none of it was tangled up in his teeth, which frustrated him: much like cotton candy. He furrowed his brows and looked to the large Goron who seemed to speak for the small, magic cotton spinning woman.

"Moving things for food?" That was the least backbreaking sounding labour he's heard of. "I didn't know you can give food away as payment." Had that been the case he would have since requested that over monetary gain.

In his experience Rupee were inedible and made one's stomach sing strange songs before turning out to be just as bright and sparkly on the way out. "Yes!" He barked, stamping his foot. When yet another approached the cooking fires he turned his head towards Serana.

He had heard his name whispered among the crowd. At first he thought it was the Goron, but the voices didn't match. Maybe it was the candy spinning woman? He stared at Ciel.

He continued to stare.

It was probably uncomfortable now but he wanted to see if she said his name again.

[Chaosome]

Malon had been content to wait out the face smooshing, it wasn't the first time and probably wouldn't be the last. Though out of the corner of his eye he spotted Ciel's discontent and watched as she smacked at the Zora's hand. Granted the force behind it seemed to be naught more than a stiff breeze's worth, but still, it made the Rito smile fondly that she was so concerned for him. Though had she said something? For a moment he had thought he heard a voice. Maybe just his imagination... "It's alright, when folks can't see as well or at all, touching someone's face is the quickest way to distinguish features. If I felt I was in some danger, I'd not hesitate." he'd give Cici a confident wink and a little nod as if to say 'See?' when Nex released his barely a bother grip from his head. "I've met a few blind folks before, not the first time I've had my beak booped or bopped."

"For a moment you appeared vaguely familiar, like someone I know, but I am not overly familiar with Rito."

"Fair enough! I guess if you've not met many, you'd have a tough time telling. Only passingly familiar with a good handful myself!" Malon laced his digits behind his head and chuckled. He didn't make his way out to Rito Village terrible often. And really the only reason he did outside of work was to watch a certain Sage fondly from afar.

Hearing his name too, Malon tilted his head and looked over to Ariadne, oh and Serana as well, speak-of-the-visually-impaired. He'd only been partly listening to the whispering. He was a ninja, after all, and a scout at that. Listening in on what people didn't want heard was part of his whole thing. When he pieced back together the bits he heard, he had to cover his beak to not snicker. Mostly succeeding when he turned it into clearing his throat. "Hey there Serana! Glad to see you about for the nice picnic dinner party." he greeted, playfully mimicking Ariadne's voice to a T. "The dumplings are pretty fantastic. Can't wait to see what all everyone else manages to cook up tonight!"

[LuckyBlackCat]

For a brief moment, Micah feared he'd overstepped, addressing Lady Ciel without having been addressed first. The formality he'd witnessed at the estate was practically unknown in Goron City, where even interactions with chiefs and other high-ranking figures tended towards the casual and good-humoured. Yet Ciel responded with a warm smile, accepting his offer in her sparkling script.

"It's no problem," he replied, although as one worry eased, another arose. Now he'd gone and made two promises, one to Ciel, another to the newcomers on the bench. Ariadne, and Serana as the soft-spoken Sheikah had introduced herself. He couldn't very well ask a noblewoman - his former employer, no less - to wait. And the copper-coloured Zora remained ever eager, impatiently so, for the payment of food.

Luckily, Ciel's attention switched to the two new arrivals in question for the time being. Koko, with a giggle and nod towards the elegant Hylian as if they shared a private joke, took charge in all her pre-teen enthusiasm. "Right on it!" she replied to Ariadne and Serana as she began mixing up a fresh batch of filling, adding only a few spoonfuls of Goron Spice. "Just give Koko a few minutes!"

Well, that was that issue resolved - for the most part. It weighed on Micah that he should at least attempt to help with the cooking, even if he'd probably bungle it, but Ciel and the snappish Zora would want to make a start on the errand soon. "Serana. And Ariadne, is it?" He smiled, hoping it would come through in his voice for Serana. "I'm Micah, and good to meet both of you too! Uh, just so you're warned in advance, we're trying out different spice levels." Although Ariadne had already expressed her liking for fiery food, no matter the sweaty sheen it had left on her flushed skin, would Serana share the same taste?

"Hey, Serana... How much of a kick do you like in your food? And what do people here use for it?" He'd heard mention of something called "ginger", which supposedly added warmth to many a Sheikahn dish, but had yet to work with it.

At Malon's perfect imitation of Ariadne's voice, he turned his head in surprise. "Huh, nice trick there!" The Rito had been freed from Nex's close examination, not that he seemed particularly bothered about such. Something about the comment Micah had overheard from Nex stuck in his mind.

"For a moment you appeared vaguely familiar, like someone I know, but I am not overly familiar with Rito."

Thinking about it, he could say exactly the same.

[Emily]

Serana tilted her head slightly, going still as if she had heard something she was trying to analyse. After a couple seconds, she shrugged, seemingly to herself, and settled back. All well and good, as well, since the Goron was responding to what she had just said.

"Serana. And Ariadne, is it? I'm Micah, and good to meet both of you too!" Serana bowed her head slightly, something Ariadne had learned was a sort of Sheikah shorthand for 'likewise'.  "Uh, just so you're warned in advance, we're trying out different spice levels. Hey, Serana... How much of a kick do you like in your food? And what do people here use for it?"

"Oh, I think you'll find I am quite spice-tolerant. Koko and Malon can speak to it, low spice in Sheikah food is apparently considered medium to medium-high spice for Hylians."

"No kidding," Ariadne chimed in with a laugh. "All the bland kelp-based salads and fish at the Domain almost made me lose the tolerance I built up back home. My first couple experiences of authentic Sheikah food knocked me flat on my arse."

It was about this point that they heard Malon's voice coming from the crowd nearby. "I've met a few blind folks before, not the first time I've had my beak booped or bopped."

"I'll do it again."

It seemed that Serana's cheeky interjection caught the Rito's attention. After one more comment to his assembled crowd, the pretty little lyre turned to look at them. "Hey there Serana! Glad to see you about for the nice picnic dinner party."

Ariadne gaped. Why was she being dragged into this? And "How did you do that?" She mentally scratched out her previous mental calculation and realised instead that Malon had seemingly been listening to them the whole time. Oh no, and she had been so at ease chatting with Serana, she normally wasn't so informal with other people, even friends like Malon. But the Rito was already moving on, clearly amused that his tease had landed. "The dumplings are pretty fantastic. Can't wait to see what all everyone else manages to cook up tonight!"

"That reminds me, what did we cook up, Ariadne?"

"We... we were supposed to cook something?"