Open - i smell noodles

Her legs burned as she came to the edge of the town. Heaving and gasping, Veradia let out a soft groan and nearly collapsed against the dirt road. Ugh, why did she ever think that sprinting the entire way was a good idea? Why, oh why? Stifling another groan of pain, the forest elf brushed her long green pony-tail behind her long ear and instead let out a loud sigh. Oh, great Uene, the pain!

However, before she could mentally complain again, a heavenly scent wafted towards her nostrils. Is that.. Is that... ramen?! Or some kind of noodle? Muttering under her breath, Veradia hauled herself to her feet painfully. She desperately needed something to eat, and as if punctuating her thoughts, her stomach let out a ferocious snarl. Wincing, Veradia looked around briefly, inhaling through her nostrils and tilting her head slightly.

Where was that smell coming from? As in such, she began to follow her nose and where her stomach was leading her.

 

There was something about the scent of the city that made the normally anosmic girl happy. Sure, some parts of it smelled bad enough to make her want to barf, but most places had a gentle warmth in them that made her continue to return, even if it was just to enjoy having a sense she normally didn't.

That day, too, she was craving smells. She wanted to find just the right words to describe a snack she was writing about, only to realize she naturally had no idea about it yet. Wandering the streets of Stokbon, she sniffed the air on her way to a noodle shop she knew. "If I recall, they sell what I'm writing about...And so far, the scent is really warm."

Distracted by her thoughts, the faerin found herself bouncing off of an inanimate object and stumbling backward against a person going in a similar direction to her. Anxiety caught her throat as she looked at the green haired stranger, whose figure towered over her own tiny form.

"I'm sorry about that, miss," She mused softly. Noticing the woman had appeared to be keeping her nose sniffing out something by the sound of her breath, the added to her statement with a question. "Are you following the scents? I can't tell which part is the noodle shop I'm seeking...There are just too many smells here, I can't seem to separate them..."

 

Even in such troubling times, it was nice to know that food still tasted good. From the matter of Eldhi’s transformation to the fact that he had never encountered that blonde faerin within the forest again to the troubling resolution of the gold dust incident to the near-death encounter with that giant iron ball, there was much on Cain’s mind as he walked through the outskirts of Stokbon. Neither dilapidated slums nor a proper district, this particular section of Falderen’s capital was rumored to have quite a wide variety of restaurants, carted around by chefs too poor to afford actual property. On one end of the street, a red-haired youth sold baked buns. Within an alleyway, a candy sculptor turned sugary blobs into birds and frogs and fish. Farther off, two elderly woman fired up a small stone oven as they tossed pizza dough in calloused hands. But none of those fragrances could overwhelm the powerful aroma of a constantly boiling vat of chicken and beef bones, melting away to form an incredibly rich stock.

Ah, there it was. The otherworldly ramen stall: Gorin-ya, rumored to be the one place in Stokbon where you could find ‘fantasy-styled’ noodles that the real world couldn’t replicate. Drawn to the smell like moth to flame, Cain made a bee-line for the cart, long strides carrying him swiftly through the dirt path as the beast within him awakened. First, it had been the calm, delicate cuisine of the Silver Willow Pub. Then, it had been the raucous, unhealthy affair of the Whaler’s Lament. Afterwards, it had been the sugary explosions of Rocky Road. And now?

Time to round out and add another checklist to his culinary experiences within Terrasphere!

Humming a cheery little tune and casting aside all his less-than-pleasant experiences with this virtual world in another part of his mind, Cain’s dark eyes lit up at a familiar silhouette crossing the road, nose slightly upturned as if seeking that same shop. Harveste, and…oh, that’s a tall person. Did Solaria get herself an upgrade?

“Oh, Harveste,” the midnight-haired muse called, smiling at the tall stranger as well, “Been awhile! Heading to Gorin-ya as well? Who’s this, a friend of yours?”

 

Veradia inhaled deeply, letting the warm smell wash over her like a heat wave. A brief smile twitched at the corners of her mouth, her pale violet eyes scanning the area curiously. Which restaurant was calling to her? Where would she go? There was a restaurant on her right that was a little older looking, although the smells that wafted outside practically called to her like a moth would to fire.

Her mouth tasted of salt and warm noodles, and immediately the craving for some kind of noodle dish flared up inside her. Her stomach responded in kind, snarling against its hungry restraints. She hadn't had anything to eat yet in game, but she was hungry in the real world as well. Veradia relished in that she could use all five of her senses in this game, as things wouldn't be this awesome in others.

She nearly fell over a tiny person, someone nearly as tiny as the chocolate-haired child she had met in the meadow just outside of Stokbon. Blinking in bewilderment at the purple-haired fae-like person, Veradia shook her head and observed the restaurants and stalls around her with a watering mouth.

"Oh, it's alright!" Veradia answered in an uncharacteristically dreamy voice. "Everything just smells so... delicious." Admittedly, with her growling stomach she wasn't thinking quite clearly. Veradia blinked as she heard another voice, her head twisting around to curiously observe an approaching man with dark purplish hair. "Gorin-ya?" she inquired curiously.

Clearing her throat lightly, Veradia couldn't help but let an embarrassed tinge color her face. She hadn't introduced herself to the duo when she had started speaking. "I'm Veradia Thoreau, by the way. Call me Veradia." she muttered, her violet eyes swiveling to look curiously at the stalls up and down the street.

@Harveste @Cain Darlite

 

Smiling cheerfully as she was greeted by the one she'd injured (even if she was fine), Harveste jumped lightly at the familiar voice and waved, grinning to a fellow purple-haired muse- though he, unlike she, was a tall and handsome devil compared to her small childish face. "Hey there, Cain! It's been a while."

A hand moving to extend towards the now named stranger, the small girl gave a curious grin. "That's quite a name there, miss Thoreau. Are you a fan of the great? Since you used such a name, I can't help wondering." It was natural for one who loved the written word to wonder about Henry David Thoreau at a point like this, wasn't it?

"Gorin-ya is a food joint not far from here. They have lots of tasty things." Looking up at Cain, she added, "I just met her as you did. I kind of, uh...Well, kinda entered ping pong ball mode for a bit." Her words were tainted by a slight, nervous laughter. "I got distracted by scents and trying to figure out what was what, so I crashed into something and bumped backward into her. Clumsiness has it's perks sometimes!"

It was a perk to make new friends, wasn't it? Even if it was because she 'injured' them, in her head. "Are you going to get some food too, Cain? Maybe we should all go out to eat together, since the scents seemed to bring us here."

@Cain Darlite @Veradia Thoreau

 

Veradia Thoreau? So Solaria hadn’t become a bombshell since he had last partied with her after all. A smile easily creased his features as Cain offered a handshake, the devilishly handsome muse shining with cheer that didn’t seem to match with his debonair appearance. “A pleasure, Lady Veradia,” he said, firmly shaking, “I’m Cain Darlite, Flagbearer of Miracles, Conqueror of the Dormant Abyss, and Connoisseur of All Things Curious. And yes, though it doesn’t get as much recognition as it should, the south eastern outskirts of Stokbon have some fairly high-value food items around.”

As Harveste’s own motor-mouth started warming up, however, Cain released his grip and allowed the energetic Faerin to go wild, from inquiring the origins of Veradia’s name to explaining what Gorin-ya was. The florist did like her stories, didn’t she? “Well, it would be quite a wonderful trait if every person you bumped into became a friend, wouldn’t it, Harveste?” Cain said with a chuckle, “And I will accept your generous offer of companionship during a meal. I was headed over to Gorin-ya myself, for their specialty noodles. I heard from a birdie that the cart boasts a seventy year history, but they never established a solid shop themselves, because the owner wanted to continuously update their culinary techniques.”

He crossed his arms, impressed and proud even though he hardly knew that maniac of a noodle master, that misplaced, mismatched glee piercing through Cain’s otherwise cool-dude atmosphere once more. “Though I wish not to impose my own desires upon you two, consider this my recommendation. The thickest broths, the thinnest noodles, and an umami flavor that bursts with the force of spring meltwater through mountain valleys. Purity and density, perfected over decades of effort, utilizing ingredients more natural and organic than any in the Other Side. Doesn’t it just absolutely get you excited?”

Oof, maybe he was pushing a bit hard on this subject after all. Coughing, Cain corrected himself, “But, yes, as the one invited, I will leave the choice up to you two intellectuals.”

 

Veradia blinked down at the little person's cheerful face, offering a shy, hesitant smile. So the man's name was Cain? Reminded her of the stories of Cain and Abel... Taking the smaller person's hand, she quickly shook it before withdrawing slightly and coughing sheepishly. "I do love the classics," she admitted softly. "Not to mention he's very inspirational."

Firmly shaking Cain's hand, she nodded graciously towards him and tried not to look too amused at his introduction. "A pleasure to meet you, Monsieur Darlite." a slightly mischievous smirk crossed her face. An apologetic, more genuine smile graced her face. "Don't worry about it, Harveste," she waved it off good-naturedly. "I should have been watching where I was going. I could have hurt you." Veradia blinked at the slightly smaller, purple-haired man and considered the current odd group.

Veradia blinked at Cain in mild confusion, before nodding politely. "You must know a lot about the history of the culinary arts here in Terrasphere, yeah?" she inquired of the formal sounding man. The glee that Cain displayed was rather unholy, causing the young woman to shiver slightly. There was something distinctly... weird about it. Was everyone this eccentric?

"Sounds like you've been there before," Veradia murmured thoughtfully, more to herself than anything. "I'm sure it's a great stall, Cain," The green-haired lady's voice grew slightly louder than it's current soft tone. "However, I wouldn't mind if we went together."

When a human, Faerin, and elf walk into a bar... At this thought, she couldn't help but break into helpless laughter.

 

A noodle cart with such a heavy duty history never really seemed like a bad idea, at least not to the smaller girl. In fact, with history came some notable intrigue for many places, giving a unique feeling to the place that would be quite useful to keep in mind on her regular writing research. Adding to that, @Cain Darlite mentioned the noodles were considered high quality. "So...Do high quality noodles smell better, you think?"

A faint rose took her cheeks as she realized she'd let her thoughts leave her lips. To most people, that question would likely seem rather bizarre, if not just downright crazy. While she never claimed sanity, she never claimed to lack it either. Some things just weren't common sense to a girl with unusual senses. Maybe letting out her curiosity into the air wasn't a bad thing?

"What's got you in the giggles?" Smiling, she let go of her anxieties upon having heard the giantess of a woman (in her mind, at least) beginning to laugh. Did she miss another joke? It wouldn't be new. Still, @Veradia Thoreau's entertainment was a nice thing to see, and a bit infectious at that. Her own body caught the fit of laughter, already enjoying the trio's tryst together.

Since it seemed they were unanimously inclined, she relaxed her form. "Shall we get going? The smells are making me hungry."

 

“Well,” Cain replied, faking an elitist pride, “I am a connoisseur, and current advancements in global communications does enable me hear of the repute of these hidden gems without having to experience them myself, so I wouldn’t necessary say that it’s purely my knowledge at work here, Lady Veradia. And if the decision pleases you two, let us be off.”

With a flick of his white coat, the overtly elegant turned on his heels and set off, combining his olfactory faculties alongside his knowledge of the area around him. They really were a clear trio of adventuring players, their differing heights, appearances, and races making it much too clear that they didn’t belong to the ‘ordinary’ life of the residents of Stokbon’s outskirts. Green, blue, and purple, two of them towering over their Faerin companion, one of them an Yladian that should, by all rights, be a slave or a servant or something. Regardless of in-lore prejudices though, the trio went through the streets unbothered by all but the occasional hawker trying to pull their attention towards less-desirable goods.

Overhead, the weather was nice and bright, while before them, the roads were wide and open, construction not having begun on various open lots. Dirty children ran by, playing with a patchwork ball, while thickly built woman washed linen sheets in well water. A stray dog marked its territory in the alleyway, while a cat leaped from one brick and mortar wall to the next. During all that, the aroma of ramen broth grew stronger and stronger, until they found themselves standing before the cart. Rather small, the bamboo frame and the size clearly suggested that it was meant to be carted around by a human rather than a draft animal, while the banner that hung from the canopy served both as curtains and as advertisement. Thick brush strokes painted upon the dark fabric marked out the cart as the fabled Gorin-ya, and already, Cain could feel his stomach boiling in anticipation.

Ah, what an utterly divine fragrance.

Dipping his head down slightly and sweeping the banner to the side, the muse took a seat on the makeshift counter. Just a foot or so away, various pots of steel bubbled with thick broth, darkly marinated meats, while further within that too-small cart, a Faerin gentleman, bald with a scruffy beard, used an oddly-shaped cleaver to cut dough into painstakingly thin noodles. It was incredible just to watch the small chef work, but moments after the seat was taken, the Faerin chef turned, eyeing the trio. His eyes were a curious shade of turquoise, and three individual menus, hand-written, was provided.

Bending down slightly due to how low the canopy was, Cain turned his eyes towards the others, very aware of how sounds from the outside world was utterly silenced within this food cart, before smiling.

“Curious place, isn’t it?”