Weirdest Request Ever [closed]

[tiny_tinker_toy]

Characters: Rikku and Angel
Content: Roy asked Rikku for some help. And lunch?
Setting: Kitchen on Serenity
Time: After lunch
Warnings: Strange requests

Comments

[bustybentobabe]

Sure enough, Angel was still in the kitchens, cleaning up after the last mess of a meal. It also made sense for at least one of the cooks to stick around to serve any latecomers and maybe get an early start on dinner.

And, of course, to take an unusual meal request or two.

[tiny_tinker_toy]

Oh, good, she was there.

Rikku popped into the kitchen, smiling. "Hey, Miss Starr, can I ask ya something?"

[bustybentobabe]

Angel turned, smiling back gently. "Just a moment. Did you eat lunch already?"

Because no matter what business Rikku had, food came first. Food always came first.

[tiny_tinker_toy]

...No, but that wasn't the point. "Actually, that's what I wanted to ask you about," Rikku explained. "Uh...do you still make..." Oh, what was it? "Bellcian Specials?"

[bustybentobabe]

Interesting. "You're familiar with the Lunchland specials?" More importantly, Rikku knew that Angel was familiar with them, too. And how had she learned that?

Angel went quiet, as if taking a moment to study Rikku carefully.

And then she returned to the same gentle expression as before. If Rikku knew, then that was that, and she may as well just roll with it. "Of course, dear. No one makes a Bellcian Special like I do. Did you want one?"

[tiny_tinker_toy]

Rikku bit her lip. "Yeah...uhm...but with lamb, not beef, extra spice...and cooked over a low fire, please?"

Roy so owed her.

[bustybentobabe]

"..."

Very briefly, very subtly, Rikku might have seen the flicker of recognition in Angel's eye.

"... you mean smoked, right?"

But it was close enough. More than close enough, actually. It was as if Rikku had said the magic words: there was a swish as Angel flipped her bangs, revealing a much colder, much more serious face. Still smiling, but with all the warmth sucked out of it by that icy white eye.

"You know... it's been quite a while since I've heard an order like that one. But I suppose there's some things you never forget." She looked reminiscent for a moment. "Sort of like how you never forget the smell of freshly baked bread, even if it's been years since you last set foot in a bakery..."

[tiny_tinker_toy]

...Poopie, she messed up. But, if her reaction was anything to go by, Miss Starr got it.

And what a reaction.

"Uh, Miss Starr? Are...you...okay?"

[bustybentobabe]

She gave a light chuckle. "Oh, don't mind me. Once you reach my age, it's hard not to get nostalgic about these things."

Yes, she was very aware Rikku was more likely talking about the change in her expression. And no, she was not going to explain it. Instead, she continued with a knowing smile.

"Now, tell me... did Roy have any other requests for his lunch?"

[tiny_tinker_toy]

"Um...would it be kinda stupid for me to deny knowing him?" Rikku asked, hopping from foot to foot nervously. "But, um, no. He didn't. He just asked me to tell ya that." Her stomach growled. "Oopsie."

[bustybentobabe]

Charming girl, but she didn't have much poise. Angel flipped back to the gentle, darker eye. "Good enough. Have a seat, dear."

She turned back into the kitchen, and started cleaning off one of the frying pans that had been used to cook lunch shortly before. As she scrubbed, she answered Rikku question: "Every one of us has a distinct, individual sense of taste. Oh, sure, there's a few common themes. You'll rarely find someone who likes brussel sprouts more than ice cream, for example. But in the end, our exact likes and dislikes are as unique as our fingerprints, and as defining as our personalities..."

Meaning yes, Roy Mustang was the only one who would ask for such a metaphor-enriched lunch from her.

She held up the frying pan for a moment, inspecting it to ensure there was not a single spot of food still stuck to it. "Now, that being said, what would you like to eat?"

[tiny_tinker_toy]

"So...basically he knew you'd know and totally didn't tell me that I wasn't gonna win at being sneaky," Rikku grumbled as she sat down. "He owes me. Uhm...oh! One of my friends makes this rice thingie with veggies and meat and the rice is fried. If you could do that, that'd be great. If not, salad's good!"

[bustybentobabe]

"Oh, no, he didn't know. That's the idea. He sent you to check if I did. ... but I'm sure he'll pay the favor back double, if you ask him."

"So... you mean fried rice, I take it." Though beyond that, she couldn't have been more vague, could she? "What kind of meat? Any vegetables you don't like?"

[tiny_tinker_toy]

"Oh, I will. And...uh...beef or chicken or chocobo or skyfood or whatever." Rikku shrugged. "I eat just about anything, really, except asparagus and sprouts."

[bustybentobabe]

"How about some sky shrimp, then?" Asparagus wasn't exactly her first choice of ingredients for fried rice, anyway. Bean sprouts, however, she might have considered throwing in if Rikku hadn't requested otherwise.

Still, there was more than enough vegetables kept chilled in the kitchen to use for a portion of fried rice. Peas, carrots, green onion, maybe a little red pepper... they used plain white rice in much of the Convoy's cooking, so there was plenty already prepared, ready and waiting, a little dried out. Soy sauce, sesame oil, beaten egg...

The pan was heating, and soon after, there was the hiss of vegetable oil against the hot metal. First, she'd be sautéing the sky shrimp, frying the little peeled crustaceans about half a minute on each side to cook them most of the way through.

While she cooked, she decided a little small talk was in order. "So, mind if I ask how you know Roy?"

[tiny_tinker_toy]

"Remember those plane races?" Rikku asked. "I was working on Ichigo's plane and tryin' to get a better fuel for it. I'm an alchemist, but not with the clapping like Roy, and he saw the explosions, came over and...yeah." She shrugged. "Whaddabout you, Miss Starr?"