22 ♪

[celebrity_commentator]

[Video, backdated to earlier in the week]

[Something like this is sent individually to everyone at Union Divine Theater and everyone she's had more than two threads with at some point or another.]

Hey! I've been thinking about it and I wanted to cook dinner for some of my friends this week, maybe show off some of the family cooking skills and try making some Calderan and Refuge food. Wanna come?

[Action, Wednesday dinner time, open to invitees]

((If in doubt assume you were invited.))

[It has been decided. Rise is going for it. She's going. To cook.]

[More specifically, after an encouraging discussion about Calderan spices back during the Day of Fire, Rise's blown most of her spare cash on accumulating a wide variety of interesting spices and foodstuffs from around Union and Union's new friends, and she's set about making a big dinner for all her friends, singing cheerfully as she prepares a variety of egg, vegetable, rice, and (of course) tofu dishes.]

[Normally, Toyo would be rallying her Pokémon in a valiant attempt to prevent her from ruining perfectly good food, but before she could gather the troops, Rise had already begun the process of dumping huge amounts of cayenne, paprika, Spelon berry, chili, curry spices, Cheri berry, horseradish, and whatever Sichuan peppers are called in this universe onto everything she's cooking, and the smell alone keeps her spice-hating team away. Defeated, Toyo falls back to order food to arrive later, when the place will be filled with starving and possibly injured guests.]

[At dinner time, guests and fellow theater employees would find a large spread of rather nice-looking dishes laid out for them by a cheerful Rise and also very quickly cease to have any sinus problems whatsoever.]

Hey hey, welcome guys! Have a seat and dig in! I don't know about you, but I'm starving.

Comments

[ video ] -> [ action ]

[child_of_luv]

[Minako nodded.]

Yeah, sure! That sounds like fun. If you need anything, let me know. I can grab it on the way over.

=====

[Once there, Minako was admiring the spread.]

It smells good, at least. Have you ever cooked before?

[ action ]

[celebrity_commentator]

My family started teaching me two things before I became an idol. Business, and cooking!

[Her grin slips just slightly.]

Well, how to make tofu, anyway. Preparation after that is kind of up to each person, you know?

Re: [ action ]

[child_of_luv]

[She nodded.]

Well, everyone has different tastes, so nothing is going to be exact, right? So, yeah. I'd imagine there's a lot of individuality in what we decide to do with our food while making it.

[Not that Minako was very good at cooking at all.]

You're probably loads better than me.

action

[actsmagnificent]

[ Between curiosity at what she'd found with the Seekers in the Ruins and returning to the theater to discover everyone expects her to already know her solo song (she does not), Haruka has been kind of out of it since she returned. She therefore misses that Rise had been planning on attempting Calderan dishes.

Until a familiar smell seeps through the theater, and she laughs at herself and turns a page in a script she only thinks she's reading. That's funny. Did the Day of Fire sear itself into her taste buds that badly....?

It's only when the smell doesn't go away that she drops the script on what she thinks is the floor and gets up to investigate. Her tone is upbeat and intrigued, belying no apprehension at all. But hey! Here she is in the dining room, ready to eat! ] That smells...pervasive.

[ Her script follows her into the room atop a fuzzy yellow head. Trainer gave Gold a hat. ] Jolt?

action

[celebrity_commentator]

Thanks!

[That's what Haruka thinks a compliment is, right?]

The best flavors are usually the sharpest smells too, you know.

action

[actsmagnificent]

Jolteon! [ Sorry, Trainer. The spices made Gold sneeze, so there goes Trainer's script onto the floor. Gold will try to push it off to the side with his nose so nobody steps on it.

Ignoring her Jolteon, Haruka helps herself to a seat at the table. ] Did you make everything yourself?

[ This smells familiar. But it's Union, not the Day of Fire. So it can't be. Absolutely can't! ]

Action

[frozenflame]

[Well how could she turn this down? Yukiko comes along, with Ganesha the Foodie Phanpy in tow. She's barred from bringing food, though, as the Pokemon has deliberately knocked over every single attempt at cooking she's made so far. What a jerk!]

Hey, Rise. What's that smell?

[The pervasive, permeating aroma of spice...and sugar?]

Action

[celebrity_commentator]

Haha, which one? I've got a tapestry of stuff from around the other settlments going on here.

[Rise's grinning like a maniac, so at least she's having fun, even if she stopped actually being able to smell anything an hour ago.]

Action

[frozenflame]

Um. I think I smell sage and syrup? Is that really a thing?

[Oh goooood]

Action

[taudriver]

Wow, looks good!

Action

[celebrity_commentator]

Glad you think so! Thanks again for giving me the idea.

1/3

[taudriver]

No problem! Let's eat!

2/3

[taudriver]

[bite]

3/4 I lied

[taudriver]

4/4

[taudriver]

It's... good...

Action

[punchesyu]

[He's excited. There's no doubt that he is completely and utterly excited for this. Getting a taste of Rise's cooking? Gotta be great.

He arrives, and enthusiastically takes his seat.]

Allllllllllright! Time to get a taste of that sweet cooking! I've been waiting for this all week! Thanks, Rise!

[He grabs a plate with some of the food on it.]

Action

[celebrity_commentator]

That's always a good reaction! Help yourself, there's plenty!

[The food looks...nice. If complicated. The nearest dishes to Yosuke were a pot of vegetables soaked in a dark red sauce and piping hot, with an apparently-plain bowl of rice next to it, probably for mixing with the curry.]

1/2

[punchesyu]

Oh man, you don't have to tell me twice!

[The rice and vegetables are poured onto a plate, and he mixes it all together to make a nice mix of the two.

A fork goes in, and the food is lifted up to his mouth.

He takes a bite of it.]

2/? i lied i'm not sure how long this will take

[punchesyu]

GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Video]

[allergictoloveletters]

Forgive me, Rise-san, but I must decline the invitation. I am moving into my new home and will not be able to attend. Still, thank you very much for the invitation, it was incredibly kind of you to do so! Perhaps another time once I'm all settled? Or I would be happy to cook for you instead.

[Video]

[celebrity_commentator]

Hey, no problem! Congratulations on the new place.

[Don't be nosy don't be nosy]

Moving in with anyone special?

[Dammit.]

Action

[second_destiny]

[And, naturally, boyfriendo is there. He takes a seat next to Rise, wherever she might be.]

Should we wait for more guests to show up?

Action

[celebrity_commentator]

[Rise happily puts her hand on his.]

I'm not totally sure who's going to come, actually, but I think we can get started without offending anyone. This is more like a mini-party than a formal dinner.

Action

[lunchleader]

((OOC: Sorry for being so late!))

[Right's been busy that day. Between the Patrat that tried to eat his uniform and the Buneary that thought his hair looks like a delicacy, he's rather worn out. So, the smells of cooking calls him to the dining room.]

Whoah! It's like a Calderan buffet in here!

Action

[celebrity_commentator]

[Rise giggles]

That's a big part of the inspiration! Caldera's probably got my favorite food, and this idea came up during the Day of Fire stuff.