i feel the love, and i feel it burn, down this river every turn

[oyashiromama]

[The trial, as usual, was taxing. It's for different reasons every week, but what it all comes down to is there are fewer of them than there were, and that keeps on happening. The note comes, as it always does, earlier than last week, but still with some delay. There's a note slipped under everyone's door. ...One under Gold's door because of course Silver will be staying there, she knows.]

Please come to the dining room, if you would like not to be alone. There will be food, and there will be some cards and board games if you need a distraction.

- Hanyuu & Elda

[True to that, there are a variety of foods. It's nothing too fancy. Rice, grilled fish, eggs in various styles. ...No creampuffs this time, it seems Hanyuu thought that would be a little in poor taste. Also a bunch of fries? ...Really spicy fries, like incredibly so.

On a far table, board games brought from the games room have been left out, along with many decks of cards.]

Comments

FRIES DUH

[matchbreaker]

Oh, do you like them?! Those are mine, you know!

[ It's... silly, in a way, how excited Elda looks given the circumstances and all. But she's still got her hands together, leaning in towards Jasper. She knows that it's not the perfect response, but in the absence of certainty it'll do. ]

[iaspis]

[...Elda, oh my gosh. That... actually helps a little? Jasper laughs a little at Elda's excitement.]

They're delicious.

[But she's also an Earth Quartz, which means she'll probably never eat something she doesn't think is delicious. Including utterly inedible things like clocks.]

[matchbreaker]

Are they? Excellent!

[ She's going to do her arrogant Old Lady Laugh as she slides into a seat across from Jasper, hr eyes all but sparkling ]

Truth told, the recipe was Silver's, but the spice mix was my own.

[iaspis]

The spices are amazing!

[SHE THINKS ALL FOOD IS AMAZING]

What is this food called?

[matchbreaker]

Fries, apparently! You work from chopped up potatoes to fry and bake them in oil, tossing them with salts and other such things.

[ It's wild, man. ]

[iaspis]

That's amazing. It sounds like such a simple recipe. I've seen the others make much more complicated dishes before, too.

[matchbreaker]

They truly do! It's strange, that there's so much effort put into sustaining themselves. There must be a world of flavor.

[ One she'll never touch. ]

[iaspis]

[It's kind of a shame Elda can't taste the food...]

Are there many different spices?

[matchbreaker]

This kitchen has well over a dozen I could pick from.

The ones you have there have... [ She considers one, as she picks it up, sniffing it ] ... Four of them, I believe?

[iaspis]

I see.

[She looks so pleased.]

I might have to try cooking so I can see how the other spices taste.

[matchbreaker]

Hahah! As long as you can taste, you're already getting more out of it than me!

[ And yet, here she is, proud of her creation ]

[iaspis]

It's a shame you can't taste anything.

It sounds like a disadvantage, even with the advantages in strength.

[matchbreaker]

I can so! There's a world of taste that exists in human blood, even if I've been denied it here!

[ Huff. ]

[iaspis]

[................]

What does it taste like?

[matchbreaker]

Oh, it depends on the person and your blood affinity, but the right combination can be truly wonder</>ful...!

[iaspis]

I... see. What's a blood affinity?

[matchbreaker]

It's a vampire's taste. Everyone has an individual sort of human that they're attracted to the blood of.

[iaspis]

Oh.

[She doesn't really get it.]

Like how some of the humans don't like sweet things?

[matchbreaker]

I suppose it's similar...?

... Well, no, for example: My darling grandson Ren is attracted to human stress. Those who are dealing with difficult times in their lives poorly will have their blood sing to him, and his body can't help but react to how delicious that smells. My Henry is attracted to human pride: the boastful, those who hold themselves erect, perhaps even beyond their station make him react. And then for myself, I've always been attracted to that weariness that middle aged humans exert.

[iaspis]

I... see. Strange.

[She doesn't really get it, but.]

I haven't heard of anything like that before.

[matchbreaker]

Well, you also aren't a vampire.

[ Not like the whole blood affinity thing is super common knowledge. ]

[iaspis]

Yes. That's true enough, I guess.

[matchbreaker]

So it's not that surprising!

[ A beat... ]

... However. I suppose it's also good to ask, and not assume.

[iaspis]

It's not like I know much at all about organic beings. I know the most about humans, but even that is very little.

[matchbreaker]

Well then, are you curious about anything else.

[ She said, well... asked, really. Gesturing for her to have more fries ]