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Philosophy of Food, 3rd period

Class today met in the Danger Shop, which had been made to look like a very nice dining room, with a gourmet kitchen at one end in case anybody needed to make any last-minute adjustments to their offerings.

"Welcome to our final class," Hannibal greeted them with a smile. "I hope you've all brought your signature items. Today we'll be eating them. There will be no judging, only sharing these things and our stories about why these things are important to us and what meaning they may have."

He waved at his own offering. "I have made croque monsieur. My parents passed away when I was young, and I lived in an orphanage for some time. When my uncle adopted me and moved me to Paris, one of the first things I was given to eat was this. It's a kind of comfort food - a sandwich with ham and gruyère cheese, on good bread, with a béchamel sauce poured over it. Not terribly glamorous, but it held great significance to me."

He sat and nodded at them to do the same, then waited for their dishes and explanations.

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Ready to eat!

Ignis Scientia

Liliana Vess

Gladiolus Amicitia

Nell Ingram

Feel free to ask questions about the food or the story.

Present your food and why it is important and/or significant to you! Eat each other's food and discuss it!

"For my dosh," said Ignis, as he set the pot down and uncovered it, "I have made a seafood paella. And this is a dish that I have had had the pleasure," a small twitch of a grin there, "of enjoying on not just one, but two nights after which my life had been irrevocably altered in an unimaginable fashion. Needless to say, then, it stands so prominently from the countless other recipehs in the repertoire of my memory."

This, however, was not actually his usual fisherman's favorite paella from those evenings, but, instead, a much more simple and direct variation of it, a detail he suspected only one of his fellow gourmands in the classroom would notice.

Which was precisely the point of the difference.

Edited 2025-06-26 20:18 (UTC)

Liliana was smiling, smug (as per usual), as she got her bowlful of paella. And if, perhaps, one of her hands fell below the table to brush against his, well, who was to say why?

Well, Ignis would like to think, as his fingers not quite fully tangled in Liliana's as they brushed against his hand, but seemed to be toy with the thought, that he had an idea, but the narrative spoke true enough. He certainly wasn't one to say it.

Edited 2025-06-27 02:34 (UTC)

"I enjoy a good paella," Hannibal said. "Was your life altered for the better, and this stands as a good reminder, or altered for the worse, and this stands in contrast?"

"Both, actually," Ignis stated, with a soft huff that didn't seem to be able to figure out if it was sardonic or amused. "Well..."

A small grin seemed to tilt it toward the later. "I suppose one could still be considered quite To Be Determined, and some," a small clear of his throat, "may find it a bit up for debate, but so far..."

He trailed off a little, smile softening, then fading slightly as he added, "The other, however, was undoubtedly for the worst. Nothing even tasted quite the same, after that. It marked, unequivocally, the darkest period of my life..." This huff was undeniably wry, "in more ways than one. But now I truly feel as though I'm entered one of the brightest.

"Perfectly balanced. Just as ai should very much hope the dish will be, as well!"

Edited 2025-06-27 02:34 (UTC)

Grinning broadly, Gladio set down a container of Cup Noodle^TM and gestured broadly to it.

Everyone, please contain your shock and surprise.

"When it comes to the kind of food that really sticks with you and tells a story," he declared, "there's nothing more reliable, more dependable, more convenient than good old Cup Noodle^TM! Not only is it packed with unbeatable flavor and deliciousness, but that deliciousness also comes in a wide variety of incredible flavors," he was now setting out several more containers, from who even knew where, "to satisfy and delight every palate. Me, personally? I like the big, meaty flavors, but they have great vegetable and saucy kinds, too! They pack a satisfying punch, and you can't beat how easy they are to make.just add water and whatever other fresh ingredients you have a hand, and you're ready for a mouthful of magnificent, in an easy to go package that makes Cup Noodle^TM the right snack or meal for any time!

"Even when food was scarce, and every meal was filled with uncertainty, I knew that if I had some delicious Cup Noodle^TM on hand, then things were going to be pretty okay. Great for the good times, there for you in the tough times. And I've been pretty blessed to know some great chefs in my time," a nudge of his elbow to Ignis and a wink throw to Nell, "but sometimes? The awesome power of Cup Noodle^TM just can't be beat to fight my massive hunger!"

Hannibal shook his head and chuckled. "I should have expected this. Thank you for sharing, though I generally prefer a little less salt, myself. Still, a comfort food is a comfort food for a reason. And shelf-stable foods have a strong history."

Liliana was there. With a dish. She had actually spent a great deal of time debating between two meals, but of the two, there was only one that a) she actually knew how to make, and b) could be made with ingredients she could find on Earth.

So she came to class today with six individual ramekins, each holding a pretty dessert. She would understand if you all assumed she had made Ignis make it for her.

"This is a lavender honey posset," she said, wearing an amused smile. "It was my brother's favorite dessert. We didn't have much refined sugar and whatnot growing up; our overall country had been left in shambles and my father's...prefecture? county? there doesn't seem to be an exact English equivalent...had been fighting off an invading army since we were children. So, most of our desserts were flavored with honey or beet sugar. I preferred tarter, sweeter flavors, like berries, but my brother preferred florals--and he was the heir. This is one of the very few dishes I ever bothered to learn to make." She laughed, light and airy. "Probably because it was so easy. I made some anytime his battalion was in the area. Lavender is a common healing herb, so my clerical order had it in spades. Hung up in every sickroom." She paused, like she hadn't anticipated saying that, and then shrugged and laughed again. "Made it easy to steal a few stems whenever I needed to."

She passed a ramekin to everyone, leaving the last in front of herself, smile turning wicked. "Now, the real question, do any of you trust what I made enough to try it?"

Edited 2025-06-26 20:39 (UTC)

"I," said Ignis, and it was funny, really. If you didn't know any better, you might almost think he was practically holding Liliana's gaze when he spoke, an amused drawl with the faint smirk to accompany it, as he accepted his ramekin, "have been eager to try this ever since I discovered you were making something for today, my darling, and I have full confidence that, should I perish in the attempt, at least I'll leave this earth having at least made things a bit awkward for the party tomorrow."

And, if in all of that, before taking up a spoon, his other hand dropped to brush against hers, who was to say why?

Well, certainly she wasn't one to say it, either.

"It's with that kind of spite that you won my heart," Liliana said, fluttering her eyelashes at him with very over-the-top coquetry.

Her ramekin sat untouched in front of her.

Hannibal smiled as he took a bite onto a spoon and toasted her with it. "I have undoubtedly eaten worse." And if she were going to kill him, she wouldn't need to do it with poison.

"Did you enjoy this as well, or did you only learn to make it for his sake?" he asked as he ate that bite.

Incredibly true. Why go to all of the trouble when she had much more direct and thorough methods at her disposal?

"Oh, I enjoyed it well enough," Liliana said, though she had not yet picked up her spoon to try it and showed no intentions of doing so. "I have always had an irrepressible sweet tooth, darling."

The dessert was fairly decent. Not particularly inspired, none of the touches that Hannibal would expect from someone with a true love of the kitchen, but it was something easy that had clearly been made many times before. A competent, if not terribly inspired, offering.

Edited 2025-06-27 00:35 (UTC)

Nell also had a large pot with her. "This is my spicy bean stew," she said, with a smile over at Gladio. "It's nothing fancy, but it's hearty with beans and bacon, and it's got quite a kick."

She set a loaf of bread down as well. "I brought some fresh baked bread to go with, because you really need it to sop up the juices at the end. It's one of my favorites. Simple and it can cook on the stove all day so when you get in from whatever work you've been doing the whole house smells wonderful and welcoming."

"It sounds delightful, and it smells even better," Hannibal told her.

He's here!

I wanna nap.

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Philosophy of Food, 3rd period

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