it's beginning to look a lot like Starlight...

[sweetnessandfight]

Who: Sarai and Kumoko, others are welcome!
What: A certain Au Ra is feeling a bit festive...
Where: The kitchen.
When: Catfish 17


Even though it isn't the Purple team's turn for kitchen duty, Sarai has found herself there. Why? Since the appearance of festive pumpkins happened in the recent past, her thoughts turned towards Eorzea's winter holiday. Plus, it might be a decent distraction from the mission that had just passed...

Not that any of them were anywhere near Ishgard, now. Nor did any of the train's denizens look much like the Saint of Nymeia--save for her own husband, if anyone asked her. (Though Dread would make a decent Saint. He certainly had in the past, to others' merriment back on Hydaelyn. It was the white hair and beard, really...)

So Sarai could be found in the kitchen, mixing up a batch of what smelled like spice cookies. Another batch was already cooking in the oven, perfuming the air with the scents of cinnamon, cloves, and pecans.

Maybe she'd even make some maple cookies, since there weren't any acorns to go around...

Comments

[cepicorpus]

"..Certainly. Does he prefer to be addressed as Mr. Thunderstorm or Dread?" It doesn't seem to matter too much to him where that clothing assistance comes from. Another person, Sarai, it really was all the same. They're all strangers! At least now he had a surname to work with. 'Thunderstorm' might be it, if her husband's name was DREAD Thunderstorm.

It's an odd name. Very dramatic.

.... He liked it.

This matter of it being her husband apparently doesn't phase him at all, which is probably a good thing! Though he's a bit nonplussed at having his hand suddenly shaken, he doesn't jerk away. His grip is cold. Room-temperature at best.

"I, Dio, admit I don't know for certain if there is only one God or many," he says eventually, frowning. "It seems to vary from place to place. I have not yet determined exactly which faith is true, and thus which one has destroyed my family, my life and most everything else along the way. I seek the one which controls fate." His expression brightens up a tiny bit. "Everyone will be better off without some unseen force pulling the strings of destiny and forcing horrific events for their own entertainment, don't you think? That I want it dead at my feet is simply a happy side effect!"

Maybe he does need counseling. "Do I smell cookies?"

[sweetnessandfight]

"Oh, please, he'll probably insist on Dread. 'Mr. Thunderstorm' is far too formal for him!" But Sarai couldn't help but giggle at the amusing thought, and the look that would likely cross her husband's face if he were referred to as such!

The chill of Dio's touch puzzles her, and it might even show on her face--but she dismisses it. It isn't important. Something nags at her, briefly, but Sarai pushes that aside as well. She frowns, however, as Dio relays the tale of his life and how his family has been nigh unto destroyed by this god.

"I am sorry you had to undergo that," she said, brows furrowing. But she couldn't help but laugh a little at the 'happy side effect' mention. It didn't seem as outre as perhaps it should. "Well, I will say if we encounter anything like it while on our trip here...you have my bow!"

And his final question has her laughing again, merry this time. "Yes, yes you do smell cookies. And cheesecake. And chocolate. I've made a few things. Would you care for a Fury's snowball? I made enough for the entire train!"

[cepicorpus]

"I'll be sure to remember it." Which is to say, now he's going to call him Mr. Thunderstorm just to see a reaction.

These sorts of things are absolutely vital to experience for oneself, after all. In one way, it does settle the matter of clothing, so perhaps Tony's suggestion works well enough after all, though he's still a little dubious about whether or not she can help with his destruction of predestiny. "I'll likely have to open a path, but I've gotten that very nearly figured out, my calculations didn't really take into account.. mm, all of this." He gestures broadly, meaning the train in general but maybe it's just the kitchen.

Kitchens can be nefarious. Speaking of nefarious kitchens, the offerings are very tempting, but he's not entirely sure which, if any, he can actually handle. Wine was fine, so liquids got a pass. What about things like delicious cookies? He hadn't had any in SO. LONG.

"...Certainly. What's the worst that can happen?" A good taste, and suddenly illness! "It's been quite a long time since the last time I even scented a cookie.."

[sweetnessandfight]

Sarai only hopes that she can be present when Dio calls Dread 'Mr. Thunderstorm', so she can witness the expression on the Roegadyn's face when it happens.

She nodded at Dio as he replayed his calculations and their results. "Well...I've got some experience at calculations, so I could always make an attempt to, ah, expand on that? I've been here for a little bit." Sarai shrugged at that.

"Well, I certainly made enough for the entire train--even given the sweet tooths which seem to live here in abundance!" And the walking stomachs that involved the teenagers on the train, of which there were a few. "I'd hope they weren't offensive to anyone's stomach!"

Sarai laughed a little, though her brows arched in surprise. "if they do settle for you, by all means, help yourself!"

[cepicorpus]

There's something he hadn't thought about. For a moment, he looks rather surprised, as if the idea of someone else being able to break into heaven simply never occurred to him before. "Certainly, if you'd like. Ordinarily I'd suggest against it, as it likely means venturing into another world or reality and that might be harsh on humanity, but I'm.." He pauses, frowning. "Not entirely sure you qualify as human, if you'll pardon me saying so."

What with the horns and tail and all. Sapient, absolutely! But human? Maybe not! Therefore, did the usual mortal restrictions apply?!

Well there's only one way to know for sure.

And, at that matter, he is GOING to help himself, looking thoroughly pleased at the idea. He could stomach wine fine, how much more offensive could a cookie be? Perhaps Jonathan's body was better at handling normal food than his original purely vampiric one would be! "You are very generous. I'm afraid I've naught to offer in return but gratitude, I'm afraid. It seems everything I might have given didn't come with me here!"

[sweetnessandfight]

Sarai stared at Dio for a long moment. He might almost think her offended, before she broke into a grin.

"Really, no, I am not a human at all! I'm an Au Ra. And you are definitely pardoned! But venturing to places where others usually don't go...that's sort of a thing I do, so I'm not certain how much I should worry about it."

They still hadn't gotten to the bottom of what or why she'd been Called before she'd arrived on the train, after all. Maybe it was for a reason like the one Dio had mentioned. Sarai wasn't sure and couldn't be, but she could speculate, couldn't she?

Sarai laughed and waved a clawed hand, then. "These were made with goods found on the train. You're a member of the train. Ostensibly, then, they were made for you as well, so you are, of course, as welcome to them as anyone else here is!"

[cepicorpus]

Aliens apparently exist.

Who knew.

"I admit I don't either. I haven't quite determined if there's even air in heaven yet." Not that he needs it to survive, but if he's going to be yelling at someone, he was going to need air to do it. He read enough sciency things to know sound doesn't travel in a vacuum! "I suppose I'll find out when I get there, I'll report back before the killing begins, so proper preparations can take place." After all if he's going to bring allies he needs to be reasonably certain they won't instantly die simply by crossing from one 'world' to another.

It's practicality! If Dio wants help, he better be prepared to see to his allies' basic survival.

Meanwhile, there's a cookie. It had been OVER A CENTURY since he's had a cookie, and he selects one completely at random and holds it delicately between his own claws for a few moments. "I wonder what else might simply be found lurking about, what with not being able to take anything with me."

The selected cookie is promptly eaten. Vampire fangs do in fact get a little in the way of chewing a crumbly thing, it turns out, but he's going to work at that anyway.

It doesn't taste like home. This tasted like simpler ingredients, no alum or chalk to whiten it. Superior in taste, at the least..