Chilling With Chilli

[Asterion Khryseos]

The smell that came from the 'well-loved' pot in front of Aster could not have been mistaken as anything but chilli. Even without taking a look into the pot of bubbling brown, the smell was distinctive enough that anyone within a mile of the stove could tell what he was cooking up. However, it wasn't just the scent of onions, garlic, meat, or spices that were wafting up and out of the pot's silvery confines - there was spice. From a distance, one would be forgiven for thinking it a normal amount. Hot, perhaps, but nothing that was of great note to anyone but the chef themselves.

However, the closer one drew to the pot, the clearer it became that Aster wasn't just stirring in some store-bought schlock, grown to accommodate the average Valean's idea of what constituted a 'spicy ' dish. Even at just the kitchen's entrance, the smell that radiated out from in front of Aster was enough to cause sinuses to tingle. No more than a metre away, few would be blamed for recoiling away from it, as no few witnesses had sworn that just sniffing the lingering scent had seared the hairs from out of their noses.

Aster appeared unfazed by it, though. In fact, when he drew a spoon up to a bowl in order to taste it, he frowned and grumbled a little, mumbling something about it not having enough kick. Nevertheless, when he glanced at the bottle of chilli sauce sitting idly on the counter next to him, he evidently thought better of using it. Instead, he began to measure out the last of the ingredients needed for the dish to be complete, carefully separating them into bowls while he glanced occasionally over to make sure the simmering saucepan didn't spill over.

[Roisin Treacy]

Rose was exhausted. What felt like an overly long day of boring lectures had finally crawled to an end. Her mind was frazzled and the one thing she was looking forward to – other than getting out of school uniform – was some decent grub. Maybe she could order something in? It wasn't like Rose couldn't cook but she wasn't exactly a gourmet chef either. As she kicked open the door to the student dorms, the girl considered her options. There's a pretty great noodle stall in town. Maybe I can- what the fuck is that smell?

The Faunus stopped dead in her tracks. A heavenly aroma was lingering in the air. Rich, hot spices blending perfectly with the hearty smell of juicy meat and vegetables. Rose's tail swung excitedly as she spun around to find the source of this delicious scent, bolting into the nearby kitchen. Standing at the nearby stove was a boy. 'Tall and muscular' didn't quite cover it. He was a brick wall of a man. Then again, judging by the horns protruding from his head, there was no wondering why. He was leaning over several bowls of ingredients while a large pot simmered beside him. This wonderful sight was the source of the glorious smell she had detected.

From this distance, the scent only was causing Rose's nose to tingle. She could already tell he was cooking up something unlike anything she'd tried since starting Beacon. Without a moments hesitation, the dog girl stepped up behind the boy and perched herself on the nearby kitchen counter.

“Oh my god dude, that smells amazing," she commented, kicking her feet against the cabinet door. "You must love some serious kick to your food."

[Asterion Khryseos]

As the minutes ticked by, the chilli neared its zenith. The sauces were mixed into their final iteration, combining with the meat's juices, and then absorbed once again into every solid that resided within its depths. He held his nose above it, letting the steam waft around him, carrying with it a scent that threatened to burn the sinuses of lesser men to a crisp, though with it came the aroma of everything else that had been mixed in. The hearty scent of meat, the strong smell of onions and garlics, the subtle hints of seasoning to accentuate every aspect... Despite it not being as hot as he liked, Aster smiled, knowing it would be to his liking.

Then the stranger came in, commenting so boldly on the dish, and propping herself up near him. Aster, being the sort to never turn down the chance to talk at length about something that he was interested in, didn't miss a beat - even though it was a stranger that had come calling, and decided to strike up a conversation with him. Still stirring the nearly-finished dish a little every now and then, he nodded firmly.
"Heck yeah I do!" He said, the enthusiasm in his voice clear to all that cared to listen. "Nothing but Vacuan Dragons in this one, so that's how you know it's gonna be good!"

As if to prove his point, he turned the heat off, and dipped a ladle into the depths - themselves practically glowing red with the selection of pepper he'd used to give his chilli its kick. A small serving was placed into a bowl and passed over to her, before one was served up for himself. "You can have some, if you want. I always make loads, but nobody else ever seems to want any." Given that the chilli looked as though it would cauterise someone's throat shut, it was difficult to tell whether he was being sarcastic or not.

[Roisin Treacy]

“Vacuan Dragons? I haven't had those in years,” Rose commented, as she sniffed the stewing pot again. The scent seemed both familiar and different. Elements of the heat she recalled but the way this guy had extracted and blended them with the rest of the dish was new to her. It was hard not to drool over the counter.

Her eyebrows raised in surprise as the boy served some chilli into a bowl and offered it to her. Rose's eyes went wide as they gleamed with a spark of wonder and kinship. Whether Aster had realised it or not, he had instantly made a friend. There was a muffled tapping of her tail rapidly beat the kitchen counter as it wagged involuntarily with excitement. Damn thing had a mind of its own sometimes.

“You bet I do. Thanks!”

Rose grabbed the bowl and dug in straight away. Lifting a spoonful up filled her nose with a strong scent of spices. The heat tingled her nostrils much like an intense fire would singe your eyebrows. But the hot scent did nothing to stop her as she happily chewed on a mouthful. Her entire mouth was immediately hit with a burning sensation unlike any she had felt in months. Her tongue flared as the layers of flavour made their way across her taste buds. There was no denying this was up there with some of the hottest meals she'd had. Any lesser person might have crumbled to ash in the presence of such a volcanic dish. Rose groaned in deep satisfaction as she helped herself to another spoonful.

“Oh muh gush. Ish sooo gud!” Rose couldn't even wait to finish as she gave a big thumbs up to Aster, before finally swallowing. “If being a huntsman doesn't work out for ya, you'd be one hell of a chef. Where'd you learn to do this?”

[Asterion Khryseos]

To say that Aster was happy with her reaction would have been a vast understatement. Even were he so inclined, there was no way that he could hide the broad, beaming, grin that all but split his face in two. It was reflected in his eyes as well, with each gleaming with a joy so bright that the lights could be switched off and the curtains draw, and none would have been able to tell the difference in the room. Even without saying a word, it was clear for all to see that he was beyond ecstatic at knowing someone liked his chilli as much as he did.

"Old village recipe!" He eventually said, the words almost spilling out of his mouth as he hurried to speak them. His brain was working a mile a minute, working through a mass of different thoughts he wanted to share. Thoughts on different peppers and their applications for different dishes, which ones he could grow at home and which required farmers well-versed in the crop and each breed's intricacies, the best way to store them for later use... But, as he couldn't speak in several different voices at once, and telepathy was a little out of his wheelhouse, he instead just settled for continuing the train of thought he'd started on.

As he spooned out a helping for himself, he continued on, letting himself savour the scent of it a little more while it threatened to singe his eyebrows clean off. "Menagerie weather's perfect for growing them - hot enough to dry them out, but not so hot they end up dying before you have a chance to water them again. When the peppers are just ripe enough..." Aster motioned towards the pot, the results being self-evident. "It's just a shame that nobody else wants to eat it. I mean, it's not that hot!"

[Roisin Treacy]

Rose smiled as the boy expressed a very clear excitement over her enjoyment of his dish. With chili this good, she was surprised there wasn't a queue around the whole of Beacon waiting to try it. Then again, the bull guy had a point, even if he was joking. Vale wasnt exactly the home of spice. One taste of this would probably be enough heat to last them the year.

"Oh well. Just leaves more for us." The dog girl cheerfully devoured another bite, savouring the swirling warmth and flavours that dominated her mouth. It reminded her of some of the dishes her uncle had made, but better!

Rose took another good look at the chef. She'd seen him around school - how could she not? He was a big guy - but she was glad she had a great excuse to chat with him now. Between all her extra lessons it was difficult to socialize sometimes.

"Menagerie eh? I couldn't tell," she joked, tapping her head in the same place that the boy's horns protruded from. Her tail curled around noticeable, the fluffy brown-red appendage easily catching anyone's eye. "That's my home turf too. Well, kinda. I moved around a lot as a kid."

[Asterion Khryseos]

Aster couldn't deny that hogging an entire pot of chilli was a prospect he looked forward to. He knew how good it tasted - he'd made the thing, after all. Even reheated, each serving was one that he looked forward to, and the wayward glances he stole at both the pot and his serving between mouthfuls said enough about his opinion on the subject. It was a simple meal, no doubt - little more than the ingredients chopped up and thrown in to simmer until ready - but that didn't stop it from being as hearty as it was tasty.

His disappointment at not being able to share it with others didn't show through though. Partly because of his aforementioned desire to hoard it, and partly because he'd found somebody else to share it with now. His expression turned from satisfied to slightly surprised when she revealed her home turf too, however. It wasn't much more than a cocked brow and his eyes focusing solely on her, instead of her and the chilli, but he didn't think that speaking with a mouthful half-chewed would reflect particularly well on himself. It didn't take him more than a few seconds to swallow and respond though, not least because the conversation had taken quite an interesting turn.

He didn't make any attempt at hiding his looking down at her tail, presuming that she had meant for him to see it in response to his horns, but the bulk of his attention lay on her while he spoke.
"Heh, I wish I could've travelled more. You ever been to a little village called Chamomile Hill? It's out of the way, even with how close everything's packed on Menagerie, so it's no surprise if you haven't. I'm from out there, but the wildlife makes it hard enough getting out of there without guards or huntsmen, so you can imagine how much of Menagerie I saw for a while." He chuckled, before taking another bite. The way he was shovelling it in, few would be blamed for thinking he was eating porridge. It was like the heat didn't even register, let alone affect him.