llv. Pax School. Lunchtime Antics

[dens_extra_pups]

Mike: *wanders up to Toku and offers him a package*

Toku: *looks up from working on a coloring page of an apple made up of a multitude of tiny boxes*

Mike: It's Japanese noodles. I ordered them for you. *grin*

Toku: Oh? *curious, will reach for the offered package*

Mike: *gives package* Do you want me to fix some for you? *knows Toku has trouble being hungry, so he asked for these when Optima was ordering things online*

Toku: *small nod* Would you like some as well?

Mike: *big grin* I'm gonna eat the jok 'n the century eggs. *looks at the package in Toku's hands* Do you want the piggy ones or the fox ones?

Toku: *looks* Piggy.

Mike: Okay! *runs off toward the kitchen and soon returns with a cake mug, chopsticks, and the kettle* *sets the mug down in front of Toku* Here, you put 'em in. *having lost an arm and replaced it, he understands the importance of teaching your limbs to work again*

Toku: *small nod, will work on carefully opening the package so the noodles don't go every which way*

Mike: *carefully pours hot water into the mug and then sets down the kettle and rests his chin on the table to watch in case Toku needs help*

Toku: *absent hum as he gets the noodles and broth situated in the mug, then covers the mug with the plate that the mug was on*

Mike: *big grin as he straightens up* Do you need anything else?

Toku: *headshake* Thank you, Mike.

Mike: Okay! *scoots away with the kettle*

Toku: *chuckles softly* *once the noodles are cooked, he'll carefully remove the plate. He's a little unsteady still, but he's determined*

Mike: *returns with a bowl and a plate and sits across from Toku. In his bowl is very chicken-fragrant congee. On the plate are cut up sections of thousand year old egg* Okay, now... *bows his head and murmurs*

Toku: *bows his head as well for a few moments before looking up* Itadakimasu.

Mike: *grin* Itadakimasu! *dumps the egg pieces into his soup and stirs, releasing a strong odour*

Toku: *looks up, curious* What is that?

Mike: This is jok. And those are pieces of century egg. It's something from China. They bury the eggs in mud.

Toku: Huh. Do they have more?

Mike: Yup. There's enough for everybody. *glances toward a riot breaking out over at the table where his friends are sitting*

Toku: ... Please watch over my food?

Mike: *reaches over and slides the mug close* Sure thing.

Toku: *bows politely* Arigatou. *will move to make his way over toward where the eggs are at the serving area*

Ethan: *perks when he sees Toku coming over* Hi. Want some jok? *yup. He serves at his volunteer job, and he serves here. Super server!*

Toku: I have udon, but I would like an egg, please.

Ethan: *surprised expression as he points to the tray containing the eggs* They're all cut up.

Toku: Oh... *small frown, thinking*

Ethan: *checks on the counter behind him* Oh, here's a box that isn't opened. *turns back with the box in his hand*

Toku: *perks*

Ethan: *sees that, so he opens the box and pulls out the inner packaging* Are you sure you want a whole one? They smell pretty strong.

Toku: *as Scattershot squeals after having some egg and jok stuffed in his mouth* It kind of smells like natto. *small smile* I like natto.

Ethan: Ohhh. *offers egg* Er... Sorry for being a n00b, but what's natto?

Monster Mash: *is little fingers and eyes over the edge of the tray space* For guys like him! *points to Toku*

Toku: *laughs at that*

Ethan: *looks down at the baby* Why is it for guys like him?

Monster Mash: *seriously* Baba said.

Toku: *starting to wheeze a bit from laughing so hard*

Monster Mash: *impulsive hug for the hurt guy, and then a scoot toward his dad*

Ethan: *watches Monster Mash go and then his grin fades to worry as he looks at Toku* Whoa. Stop and breathe.

Toku: *trying to catch his breath now*

Ethan: *offers the egg, his eyes starting to hopefully twinkle again*

Toku: *bows as well as he's able, will accept the offered egg and move to return to where Mike is sitting*

Mike: *gleefully yelling across the cafeteria as the riot spreads from BJ's table to other tables. Has a dribble of jok down his chin*

Toku: *once he's back, he'll work on opening the egg shell*

Mike: *realizes that Toku is back and turns around to sit nicely* You got a whole one. Wow.

Toku: Yeah. *grin*

Mike: *cautiously* Can I sniff it?

Toku: *offers the egg*

Mike: *sniffsniff* *keeps his eyes from widening and his mouth from grimacing* Wow. It's even stronger than Mr. Bates' cheese.

Toku: Cheese? *confused*

Mike: It's called "bree". Like the town in 'The Hobbit'. *has a spoon of his soup*

Toku: Hm... *small nod, will have a bite of egg* *surprised sound*

Mike: *eyes widen* Are you okay?

Toku: *nod* *grinning now* This is good.

Mike: *worry turns to a grin* You like it, huh?

Toku: *nod nod* Hai.

Mike: 'N natto tastes like that?

Toku: Hai. Very similar. Yes.

Mike: What is natto? *more soup slurp*

Toku: Fermented soybeans.

Mike: *interested* You mean, like pickled?

Toku: Sort of...

Mike: Is it buried in mud like the eggs? *more soup!* *see how fast the kid goes into learning mode?*

Toku: *headshake* Older recipes use rice straw.

Mike: Rice straw makes neat dollies. *soup* Do lots of people in Japan like natto?

Toku: *nod* Some more than others.

Mike: *thinks* Different tribes?

Toku: It's more popular in different parts of Japan.

Mike: Ohhh. *pause* Duh. Wait. Japanese people don't have tribes. *sheepish expression*

Toku: *patpat, will finish off the egg* *pause* Do your people have tribes?

Mike: My people are a tribe. *grin* I'm Cree.

Toku: Huh. *small nod* *considering* What is a favorite food that is traditional for the Cree?

Mike: *eyes widen slightly and turn to one side in thought, then crinkle in another grin* A lot of us like bannock.

Toku: *blink* Bannock?

Mike: *surprised, but then remembers* Oh, you never got any when they had it here. It's bread made with flour, salt, and water. Sometimes you add baking powder.

Toku: *curious about that now* Huh...

Mike: *grin* It tastes best when you cook it over a fire on a stick.

Toku: *blink* Everything tastes best when cooked over a fire. *grin*

Mike: Almost everything. If you try to make sweet milk pudding over the fire, the smoke messes it up a little bit, and it gets a skin on the bottom.

Toku: Aw. *thinks of his favourite Puddy Puddy pudding*

Mike: But Mr. Bates likes us to make pudding in the kitchen anyway. *chuckles* I just tried it the other way 'cause the guys 'n I were trying to make a surprise for him. He likes that stuff.

Toku: Mr. Bates is the little one, right?

Mike: *nods and points with his head, because his hands are busy* He's the cooking teacher.

Toku: *looks* He looks happy.

Mike: *turns and looks past the now cafeteria-wide riot to study Legacy* *grin* He remembered to turn his blocker thingie on in time.

Toku: Blocker thingie?

Mike: Yeah, so his gift doesn't work. It can mess him up if it does.

Toku: *sympathy for the teacher clear on his face* Oh...

Mike: I wonder if he likes jok and century egg? They're a lot different from milk pudding, or macaroni 'n cheese.

Toku: We could find out.

Mike: Can you see? The other kids're kinda in the way.

Toku: *will try and look* *concerned* I don't think he's eaten yet... He's helping dish up food.

Mike: Oh. *slight frown*

Toku: *still watching* I don't think they're gonna clear out any time soon.

Mike: Ethan's there. He's super food server.

Toku: *small nod* *will look around the cafeteria at the cheerful lunchtime chaos* *and then wince as he watches a bowl of jok go up in flames*

Mike: *glee!* Rin Fei likes the food!

Toku: *blink blink* How can you tell?

Mike: She ate it. She burns things she eats.

Toku: ... Oh. *turns his attention to finishing his lunch*

Mike: *will sit and tell him funny stories and make sure he's doing okay*


teachers' lounge


Magnus: *worriedly looking for Sora. She hasn't been to lunch yet, and he's anxious to find her* *sticks his head into the lounge*

David Biha: *sitting there and frowning deeply at the mancala board as he realizes that this tiny girl with almond eyes has just beaten him by one move*

Sora: *will offer the nice man her snack* *smile* [Come eat supper.]

David: *blinks, his frown turning to surprise* *in Swahili* [You've won the Igisoro game, little girl. That means that I give you the doll that I bet.]

Sora: *small nod* [Yes. Come eat supper though.]

David: *surprise turns into a grin* [Don't you want the doll?]

Sora: *moves to insistently tug the nice man's sleeve* [Want the doll for sister.]

David: *surprise returns to his expression* [For your sister? Not for you?]

Sora: *nods*

David: [You do not like dolls?]

Sora: [I have my Dolly. Estella has no doll.]

David: Ohhh. [Can you tell me where to buy the doll that you want for her?]

Sora: *nods* [Yes. After supper.]

David: *chuckles* [I still must speak to someone who works here. I was asked to wait here for them.]

Magnus: I can talk to you. But we'd better go get something to eat first.

David: *startles and looks toward the voice, then notices Sora looking at him like he's grown another head* *in English* I didn't see him. *to Magnus* Hello, I'm Dr. David Biha. I was hoping to study your school so that I could do something like it in my native country.

Magnus: *moves to pick Sora up* I'm Ultra Magnus, one of the teachers here.

David: *smiles and offers a hand* It's good to meet you, Mr. Magnus. *glances at Sora* I'm looking forward to supper.

Magnus: *will shake your hand, David* C'mon. Let's go get some food, then.

David: *will walk beside Magnus, chatting to him and Sora about the game. But he stops short in amazement as he sees the gleeful but orderly riot that's going on in the cafeteria, with children slurping soup, shoving spoonfuls at friends, and squealing with glee and/or disgust* ...What's happening?

Magnus: It's just a cultural studies lesson. *will lead the way to Optima's table*

((Written with random_xtras))