[closed] it's not a nutritional dinner

[kokuyoyo]

Who: Chikusa, Ken, and all the people invited to Hakkai's temple
When: October 12
Where: Li Tieugai's temple in the Central District
What: Having recently lost their other god, Ken is sad by yet another loss.... so Chikusa is fixing this with his dog's favorite things: people he likes and copious amounts of meat.

Unless people actually ask, Chikusa.... doesn't exactly tell what time the dinner is actually going to be at. At least he'll probably tell them that Hakkai's temple moved? One would hope.

The temple of Iron Crutch Li doesn't really seem all that impressive upon approaching it, despite being in the Central District. The walled gardens are certainly large and lovely enough, if a little wild, but the building itself is rather plain at its two stories. There's a small sign attached to the front door that simply says 'come in'. Chikusa isn't going to bother answering the door for visitors. It's not like Hakkai locks that thing anyway.

The inside of the temple is about as sparsely decorated as its outside, but, today, the overwhelming smell wafting from the kitchen has overtaken any medicinal smells that might normally be about. It adds a certain warmth to the room.

Until dinner will be served a little later into the night, people are free to do whatever- hang about the gardens, go bother Chikusa in the kitchen, or otherwise find the other residents of the temple. Chikusa won't care to stop anyone, although Hakkai might.

As for dinner? Chikusa is serving so much meat: rabbit stew with olives and rosemary, swordfish, curried chicken, veal marsala, and a more traditional spaghetti served with meatballs. Fortunately, at least there's garlic bread and stuffed mushrooms, so there's something that isn't meat.... And for dessert? Zeppole, cannoli, and an apple ciambella with almond cream.

Comments

plu amore ai

[priforprince]

[ I. During Dinner, scene 1 ]

[ "Iron Crutch Li" is a god of medicine, are they not?

What's more, they're the god whose temporary but extremely inconvenient demise resulted in Hibiki contracting what can only be described as the "plu". She aches. She fevers. Occasionally her royal and priceless nose even leaks. The radiance of her eyes is dimmed by the illness racking her soul.

She also goes through headache medicine on a normal week like nobody's business, so when the necessity increases, her stores deplete alarmingly quickly. She debates sending Wendy, but Amaterasu has Wendy's cell phone. And going to the Near Shore herself is a trial not even a steadfast heart bent on revolution can withstand.

Thus there comes a knock on the door in the middle of dinner. Then, a more insistent one, followed by the door swinging open. ]

What? Why does no one answer --

[ The dinner party will be treated to the sight of Shikyoin Hibiki in her pajamas and bathrobe, carrying a mug of tea, stepping into the room and then dropping the mug.

That ridiculous invitation she'd forgotten all about was for tonight?! ]

[ II. After Dinner ]

[ Hibiki has curled up in a corner, sentence-ender-cancelling cutphones in place, unable to summon the energy to teleport just yet. She's picking at a cannoli as if deciding whether eating it is worth the effort. Or perhaps she's just wondering whether it's edible. But she's pretty subdued, all the same.

To think, atop suffering from illness, she should have stumbled upon a sentence ender party. ]

a

[kokuyoyo]

[Yes, that ridiculous invitation was for tonight.]

[From where he's slumped against Ken, Chikusa doesn't even look up.]

Shut up and shit down...

[priforprince]

My mood isn't festive.

[ Hibiki is starting to take in the details of this dinner party now.

Is it really mostly meat? ]

[kokuyoyo]

[There are mushrooms. And bread. And sweets.]

[....It's mostly meat.]

[Chikusa continues to not look up.]

Then go away.

[priforprince]

When I have what I came for.

[ This is the most dead-eyed conversation ever.

Except now Hibiki's nose is starting to tickle. Her face twitches.

But it does that sometimes anyway. ]

[kokuyoyo]

...Is it food.

You're no sitting at the table.

[He's not having snot all over the food he worked hard to make.]

[priforprince]

Could I require anything but medici--

[ Said in the tone of voice one only uses with idiots.

Until the sneezing starts. Then she isn't taking any kind of tone with anybody. ]

[kokuyoyo]

[Hey, there's hot stew. That's... sort of like medicine... Not that Chikusa particularly cares, considering he hasn't budged a bit from Ken's side.]

....If you're going to die, don't do that at the table either...

[priforprince]

I'll die where I please.

[ So there. She may be patting at her face with a handkerchief but she can still get one up on you.

With splendor and awe-inspiring willfulness. ]

In any case, keep your dog silent and I shouldn't expire.

[ Come to think of it, she has taken a mighty risk. Her body is weak. To be exposed to sentence enders in this condition......

Hibiki gets a chill. ]

I

[reformedsinner]

[That certainly is shattered ceramic and tea all over his floor. And he'd just been standing up to go answer whoever was banging on his door, too -- in the sincere hope it's not someone who's heard about the location of the party and decided it's their chance to deal with a confessed mass murderer....

But no. It seems it's Hibiki. He smiles thinly.]

May I help you?

[priforprince]

[ The teacher has led quite the life, it does seem. But it's the circumstances following his death that have made things difficult for Hibiki.

She summons a narrow-eyed and judgmental look, which, frankly, is pretty close to her resting expression anyway. ]

It was your followers who fell ill, correct? I--

[ oh no ]

I---ah--

[ did you know they make THREE PLY "JUST LIKE SILK" luxury tissue boxes??

Hibiki turns around for the sneezing fit into her tissue. ]

[reformedsinner]

Why, yes.

[He didn't know they made three-ply tissue. He's not convinced Hibiki didn't custom commission it. That sneezing fit is exceptionally familiar, though, regardless of the unfamiliarity of the tissues she's stifling it in, and he raises his eyebrows.]

Oh dear, were you helping them out? I'm certainly obliged for your assistance.

[priforprince]

[ Hibiki waits to reply until she can breathe again, daubing lightly at both her eyes and nose. Right, okay, she can turn around now. ]

You're a god of medicine. Do you--

[ NOW WHAT?! COUGHING?!

The plu is hereby banned from the Far Shore! And yet, Hibiki coughs. ]

[reformedsinner]

... have any medicine that might help? I'm afraid my stock is quite depleted after helping out my followers, but I may be able to dig something up. Why don't you sit...

[He considers her cough, and the table covered with food.]

... in the front room while I check?

[priforprince]

Please do.

[ What an utterly wretched sensation this plu is. She just wants to flop around until there are two Hibiki dolls.

And, worse than all that, now her throat is raspy. ]

Liquids are preferred.

[ Beggars apparently can be choosers. Except...she's imagining things like herbal teas. Not, say, anything that might actually taste like medicine. ]

[reformedsinner]

I'm afraid it's a pill.

[He'll relent enough to pick up a glass from the sideboard, and pour some ice water, before inclining his head to the other guests.]

Excuse me, I'll be right back...

[And off to the workroom he goes. There does turn out to be a small bottle, half-empty, of the greenish herbal pills he'd concocted against flu symptoms; they're magically effective, thanks to his powers, but they taste exactly like their musty, herbal, mushroomy odor threatens.

Carrying the bottle and the glass, he heads for the front room.]

Luckily, I do have a few extras. One of these every four hours should carry you through.

[priforprince]

This, hm?

[ Hibiki assesses the pills. ] Well, they certainly look the part.

[ And that is really her prime consideration about many things.

The tissues have vanished wherever things Hibiki doesn't need right now go. This opens her hands for accepting these items. ]

After Dinner

[purr_ince]

[Even if he's going to go sit by Marinette, he's pausing to peer at Hibiki. He remembers her and the haunted tea cup. A story he'd happily regaled Marinette with on their first night in their new temple. It seems rude to bother her but at the same time it seems rude to see her and just pass her by also.

So, Adrien is moving closer reaching to lightly touch her shoulder seeing the headphones over her ears. He taps a couple times in a effort to get her to look up from the treat that she seems to be tearing apart? Maybe she doesn't like the pastry itself but the filling? Either way, when she looks up she's going to see Adrien giving her a faint smile and little wave.]

[priforprince]

[ Who -

The boy from the training meeting. Hibiki glares. She doesn't feel well. Not at all. ]

What?

[ The headphones stay in place. Illness has stranded her in dangerous territory, here. Precautions must be made. ]

[purr_ince]

[Someone seems a little snippy but it's okay.]

I just wanted to be polite. Say hello.

[He's not even sure if she can hear him through those earphones. In fact, it makes a confused look cross his face as he gestures to them. Then again she looks like she doesn't feel well. Maybe he should leave well enough alone?]

[priforprince]

[ What is he....Oh. Hibiki sighs, definitely grumpy. ] I can hear you.

[ Which is really all that needs to be said. But Hibiki never saw her own foot without shooting it, so: ] You aren't using sentence enders.

[purr_ince]

Oh good. I think?

[He's not sure how that works but okay whatever it. Then he's blinking at her, a blond brow arching.]

I'm not sure what a sentence ender is. But I suppose not?

[priforprince]

Explaining would worsen my illness.

[ Of that, she has no doubt. She's fortunate to have escaped dog slobber thus far.

Ah! When will she feel well enough to leave? ]

[purr_ince]

[Strange. But most of his interactions with her are. Perhaps it's best to just let things be? Yeah, let's go with that.]

Ah, well we don't want that.

[He smiles warmly.]

I wish you a speedy recovery then.

[priforprince]

Hm.

[ She doesn't sound too interested. But she doesn't look like much is of interest right now, anyway.

She looks down at her plate, then sets it aside, giving up on that too. ] Take that with you.