chippedsoul | The Journal [Inbox]

[Continuing from here]

Like those funnel cakes? [Which looked like neither a funnel or a cake. He'll go ahead and pick one of the fried octo-balls then. It's quite a mouthful to eat it whole, but he manages to stuff it down. There's a familiar flavor profile to a takoyaki and yet, a mystery piece of ingredient to it? It makes it sweeter almost.] Mm. Having all those tentacles make it hard to eat it whole. It's sweeter than I expected.

Yeah, a bit- though some folks turn funnel cakes in to something best sat down with. All sorts of messy toppings like ice cream and the like. Still good, but not something you want to carry around and eat at the same time. [Funnel cakes were still delicious even if loaded down with sweet -or sometimes savory- toppings.

He'd noticed that and had been trying to place it-] Might be something they cooked the tentacles in to help make sure they were tender. Pineapple is sometimes a go to for that. Acid in the fruit and all.

Pineapple is one of the go to fruits for savory cooking for that reason, and it goes along pretty well.

Sounds like a meal that would knock you out the rest of the day. [The kids would go wild.]

Pineapple...? [A tilt of his head.] We don't have any pineapples back home, so that explains why the taste seems foreign. Would something like oranges and lemon work as a substitute?

Very high chances of a sugar rush, and then a sugar crash, yeah. Sorta thing that would make you want to sleep it off. [Kids would go very wild-] I know how to make them, if you ever wanted them at the Harvest.

[A low hum as he spoke-] Not quite- kiwifruit might, along with fruits like papaya, fig, and mango. It's something in them that helps tenderize meat- but orange and lemon don't quite have the exact same thing, but they're still good for flavor and a bit of a lighter tenderizing thing.

[Some fruit just did that, but-]

I can see if I can hunt down any pineapples here, just so you guys can experiment with it a bit? I know I like it on it's own myself, along with a few other sweet and savory dishes.

We could consider a few of them. [Does he want the kids to run rampant? Maybe he'll just watch how much sugar is put into them. Eventhough that's not the point-]

Didn't we have some glowing fruit that looked like mangoes? We could experiment with that for the time being. [Some of the glowing fruit look ready to be used at least. He glances around.]

I could go for some kind of fruit drink to wash all this food down honestly.

Can go from indulgent to more traditional- powdered sugar is the usual go to. From there it just goes to taste. [So hey, could make a few different ones, he wasn't that picky himself after all.

A low noise.] Yeah, and there was one that tasted a little like mango, too. Experimenting there would definitely be a good idea.

[Whether the low stayed with the meat or not, it was tenderness and flavor that mattered.]

Let's see what we can find then.

We'll make a list. Regardless of my preference, I'm sure Susato is more than willing to taste test them. [She's got more of a sweet tooth than him. Forgetting for a moment he was on hooved feet, he stumbles slightly at a turn, reaching for 76 to keep himself standing.]

...There wouldn't happen to be a magic drink to remove this spell, is there? [Probably not. He's just trying to make light of his tumble. Drinks are a little harder to decipher what's actually in them. There were drinks of different colors, toppings and other gimmicks found at various booths. Something simple, that's all he'd like.]

Could show you some of the more savory tweaks, then. [A hand did automatically move out to help Kazuma catch his balance, keeping still for that moment needed.

An amused sort of huff escaped 76.]

If only- and it's tough walking with hooves isn't it? Took me a few weeks back in the Index. [At least whenever he was thrown in to it again here he had some advantage.

Still, there was something that caught his eye. A booth with brightly colored drinks on offer; juice mixes that seemed to have brightly colored balls floating amongst the ice and settled at the cups' bottoms. Refreshing with bursts of various other flavors provided by the edible balls.

He nudge Kazuma with a tip of his head in the direction-] How about that one? Looks like they've been getting a good deal of attention, could be good.

Heh. I remember. You have any tips then?

[He doubts this will last beyond the festival, but it wouldn't hurt trying to avoid falling over as much while he's like this. His ears perk up at the sound of people at the indicated booth. Even at home, usually a crowded booth means it's got good stuff. From what he can hear at least, it sounds mostly positive.]

I can see why it's catching people's interest. [Colorful drinks with a possible surprise of flavors depending on what colorful balls they put into it. Looking around, there doesn't appear to be anything strange happening to the people enjoying the drink.] I'll give it a shot.

Think like you're walking on your toes- because technically you are. [Just remember it was just toe rather than toe-heel or heel-toe and maybe the stumbling might stop.

He nodded, watching a few people leave the booth with their drinks in hand. Seemed pretty happy and- well, no odd side effects to be seen. Good enough for him, and reason for the both of them to move in to line]

Same, hopefully it's as refreshing as it looks. [And any extra the popping juice bubbles within added were along that, too.]

[On his toes. That makes sense in a way. As they come up to the front, they had an opportunity to look over their drink options. He's choosing not to go too wild with his drink, going for some kind of clear drink with a few fruit balls that turn it into a pastel bluish white. Once 76 has chosen his rainbow drink of choice, he raises his glass to him before taking a sip.

Whatever flavor he was expecting, it wasn't this. It's not bad, just taken aback by the surprise taste.] It's...like a melon cake?

[For his part? He went for something that managed to be blue with fruit balls that ranged from red to white. Looked interesting to him and he did look it over before taking a slow sip—

Melon cake, huh?]

This tastes like something called a Bomb Pop- christ, that's a nostalgic kick I wasn't expecting. [Really, he was not expecting the sudden burst of cherry, lime and blue raspberry all mixed together like that. Even with the colors.]

A Bomb pop? [~~The true American drink~~. He takes another sip of his own drink, pondering how they determined what the drink would taste. All the drinks seem to have a random assortment of colors and balls without a system to it.]

Somehow, these drinks manage to suit our preferences. Or something close to it.

Yeah, it's the name of a popcicle with three flavors; cherry, lime, and blue raspberry. It's a classic staple, and in some places is known as a firecracker with the company that makes those. [Other flavors, but this was a hell of a classic. When was the last time he'd even had one?

Still, he hummed a little in thought.]

Either by coincidence, or it's like that by design due to dreamotion- or something else.

[He tilts his head, looking at his drink. He imagines the taste must be intense and not so much the appearance.] Must be bursting with flavor to have a title like that.

We should come back later and try another combination. See what we get then. [Heck, what if they get a different flavor after ordering the same one?]

[A nod, taking another sip of his drink before speaking-] Yeah- they're divided in to three colors, too. Can eat it a flavor at a time, or just get them all at once depending. Real classic.

[Red, white, and blue. Called patriotic for it at times for some, and others it honestly just tasted good. Other flavors came in other colors, so on and so fourth. The middles and fruit bombs weren't bad, either-]

I'm up for it- these are petty refreshing after all.

After a few games then. [That'll probably work up an appetite again after dealing with the kind of games at this festival.]

I believe you told me you knew a few tricks.

Works for me. [How most spent a day at these sorts of things after all-

A lot hum, a slow sip of his drink as he looked towards the gaming booths closer to the river-]

For a few of them, yes. Bottle toss, bubble darts- a few of them are similar to ones I've played. They've even got something here that's more or less skee ball.

Skee ball...? [Is the ball skiing? There's nothing here that looks like anything he imagined.]

Well, you just pick the game and I'll follow your lead.

It's one of my personal favorite games, honestly. [He gestured towards the gathering of a line-up of the skee ball machines that they would be passing. All under a tent of course.] It's a fun way to pass the time, of course.

What do you find yourself stronger at- throwing at specific targets or something with more chance to it?

[Oh. That's what they were. He stops to observe the game, sort of getting an idea why it's called skee ball now.]

At specific targets.

[76 could spend hours and hours with skee ball, was something relaxing to him and there was enough skill to it he could do it when he wasn't sober- when he was younger, of course. Hard to get drunk these days.

He hummed a little in thought-] Stationary or moving targets?

Both. [Technically, as long as he's not on something moving, like a horse. Otherwise, stationary. He gives the old man a curious look after the question. Should he be divulging such information to a soldier? Maybe if circumstances where different...]

You have a game in mind?

There are a few games that fit those; Smash!, the bubble darts, a ball-and-basket toss, the pebble one and- well, that's just a few of them.

[Let's not talk about the one with the geese and hoops. He would rather not mess with any sort of geese, thank you very much.]

[He tilts his head at the list of the suggestions. Some he recognized, some he didn't. Should he go with something familiar or try his luck with something unfamiliar...?]

All right, bubble darts and the pebble game...? I'm not sure what that last one is, but we can start with those two.

Flower Festival: 76

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