open!

[primadovea]

WHO: Mint Aizawa & OPEN!
WHERE: various places, mostly De Chima
WHEN: all throughout October
WHAT: shopping for groceries, hanging out at the park, bitching about sports stores, & more. ALSO if you want your own starter, shoot me a line @allikateor on plurk and we'll plot stuff
WARNINGS: Mint's utter inability to cook.

one: the sports store, Heropa
[ Since her arrival, Mint had decided to take up ballet lessons. She wasn't going to slack now that she was in a different dimension, after all! That was no excuse for laziness! So, now that she had already signed up for her lessons and Mint was already in Heropa for reasons, why not kill two birds with one stone and buy her ballet shoes and leotard here?

Unfortunately...the closest thing to the public transportation is Johnson's Sporting Goods. Johnson's does not carry anything remotely ballet, something that Mint has found out and something that is annoying the hell out of her. She's got a plain blue leotard so it's not a total bust but the lack of ballet shoes is quite annoying.

So congrats, random person who looks like they know what they're doing. Mint's bugging you. ]

Excuse me. Does this store carry any ballet equipment at all?

two: the grocery store, De Chima
[ She is a strong independent woman who can take care of herself! She is also a strong independent woman who has no idea what some of these foods are. It doesn't help that the problem with American food is that they occasionally do things that Mint just doesn't understand. She knows what sort of rice gets used in onigiri...she just can't find the right kind of rice, or the seaweed, or the umeboshi for the center. And their selection of Kit-Kats is downright abysmal!

So, Mint's got a cart that's mostly produce and cold items. Though there's one item that's just confusing her: the dreaded Jello salad.

The one with fruit in it, she could understand. But carrots? Why on Earth would this one have carrots in it? AND cabbage! When she sees someone else, Mint gestures them over, and conspiratorially whispers, ]

Do people actually eat this?

three: the park, Maurtia Falls
[ Talking to the birds is actually quite nice! Their problems are relatively simple compared to all the imPort nonsense and they're actually quite good conversationalists. Mint's gotten to be grand friends with the birds in the De Chima park, so why not try something new and different? Surely the Maurtia Falls birds would be just as nice!

Spoilers, they are. Though they're a touch more foul-mouthed due to the environment of the city. Of course, being birds, they're probably fowl-mouthed (I am so sorry.)

So yeah. Residents of Maurtia Falls, there's a teenage girl with her hair up in two buns, clothes looking very nice, just chatting away with a disgusting street pigeon who's hanging out on her lap. ]

four: in and around De Chima #3
[ Yeah, something's burning.

She's slowly been getting better at pastries (she worked at a cafe, dammit! Even though she just waitressed, she should be good at this). And she's gotten certain easy to cook foods down-pat. But sometimes? Something goes horribly wrong. This time, said something going horribly wrong is the eggs, which are STRAIGHT UP BURNT and stuck to the bottom of the skillet she was making them in. Thankfully, the windows are open, so the burnt smell doesn't stay in the kitchen too much. Unfortunately, that means all the nearby neighbors get the lovely smell of burnt food and also a little bit of burnt plastic (rip spatula, you served Mint well).

And if you're thankful enough to have a stuffed up nose, it's entirely likely that you'll hear Mint, because she is just downright hollering, ]

PROFESSOR SKEETS! Professor, are you in? A little bit of help, if you don't mind!

five: wildcard!
[ the obligatory wildcard option. c: ]

Comments

De Chima!

[redshoerevenge]

[Mako's got rice, dried seaweed, and enough things to make a variety of rice balls. She's been craving them for weeks, honestly. And yeah, she's staring at that jiggly mess about the same time as she hears the question. She responds with her usual soft spoken Japanese accent.]

I don't think I want to take the chance. [Her chin tilts a little in curiosity.] It doesn't really look edible.

[primadovea]

[ Mint has a more pronounced Japanese accent, apparent when she talks. ]

I certainly don't trust that, [ Mint remarked, with a little frown. As she talks, however, her eyes drift over to Mako's basket. She's not nosy! She's just curious ] It looks more...rubbery, than anything else. Really, I think it's—hold on a moment, what aisle did you find that dried seaweed on?

[ Conversation: changed. ]

[redshoerevenge]

It's back this way. [Mako gestures and switches to Japanese because it's easier.] There's not much of a selection and they call it international food, but at least there's something there. Ah, that's right. I was going to see if they had any red bean for my onigiri.

[primadovea]

[ Mint swaps to Japanese as well because yup. ] Do you know how to make onigiri? Could you teach me?

[ She is just looking at Mako with an expression of 'oh my gosh, this woman is so cool.' Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes. ]

2

[dendarii]

[ Miles is having much the same thought. Sure, there's some things he recognizes, and he has warmed up to the concept of cereal as a multipurpose meal very well, but for the most part this world is a bit confusing. It doesn't help that he had never cooked for himself before coming here, and that all his attempts since then have been disastrous.

When Mint gestures him over, Miles stares at the monstrosity before him with equal disbelief. It's so ... wiggly. And filled with things that absolutely shouldn't be there. He's extremely short, likely shorter than Mint at his height of 4'9", despite very clearly being an adult. His face is rather gaunt even though his expression is warm. ]

Is that gelatin? With fruit in it?

[primadovea]

[ Mint's only 5'2" so hey there buddy, have someone close to your height. And someone who's equally disturbed by the jello salad. She's still looking at it, though one hand reaches out slightly like she wants to touch it or wiggle it. Does it wiggle even in the container? What happens when you shook it? Would the carrots shake out of the gelatin? ]

And vegetables, [ Mint can't help but remark, still gobsmacked. ] Really, this is entirely too strange, even for American food.

[dendarii]

[ It is nice not having to crane his neck up, even if he is talking to a teenage girl. Small victories. Anyway, back to the gelatin abomination. ]

Are you certain it's American and not merely some sort of culinary hellspawn?

4 !!

[snarkbot]

[ Skeets was grading papers. Electronically, of course, hovering in the middle of his room questioning how any of these people graduated high school.

He hears Mint, and if you could roll his eyes he would. As it is, he gently pushes the door open (it's rarely fully closed) and flies through the house to her location.

In the most world-weary voice a robot can muster: ] Yes, Ms. Aizawa?

[primadovea]

[ To her credit, she's not crying. Nope, not in the slightest, she is not going to cry. However, she is definitely very distressed about the whole situation. ]

I can't get the eggs off the bottom of the skillet!

[ just....don't ask about the burnt plastic smell. ]

[snarkbot]

[ Skeets inspects the scene, quickly assessing what happened. With one of his little claws he gingerly picks up at the melting spatula and casually disposes of it. He also turns down the heat. ]

I believe these eggs may not be in any condition to eat even if you were to remove them, Miss. Would you like me to teach you how to make eggs?

[ Please say yes. ]

Grocery store!

[asoothingvoice]

[Bianca's trying a different grocery store in one of the other cities this time, largely because she was already here due to work, and it saved another trip she would have to make for only a few things. It lets her put off thinking about other things, besides.

So, when she's passing by the young girl, she can't help but smile a bit at the question, and whispers only a bit louder:]

It's a white people thing.

[At least when it comes to putting vegetables into them.]

[primadovea]

[ said tiny little Japanese girl can't help but siiiiiigh when Bianca mentions it being a white people thing. ]

I should have known. They seem to think that 'ramen' means 'all instant noodles', after all.

[ She sighs, a bit of an aggravated sigh, but there's a tiny little smile on Mint's face afterwards. Thanks for navigating the weirdness of American culture with her, Bianca. ]

[asoothingvoice]

[Bianca smiles, shrugging a bit. She didn't really know that about the Ramen instant noodles, but she isn't really surprised.]

It's a thing over here. Everything gets Americanized. You'll have to find the right ethnic grocery store for certain foods.

[Which is a difference from home for her, where all the major grocery stores carried nearly everything for Mexican food. In Heropa, the 'Hispanic' section seems to be dominated by Cuban focused goods.]

The bakery sections out here don't really have much in the way of pan, either. Just a couple different types of loaves, and same with the cakes and cookies.

[Three] Maurtia Falls

[renamaer]

[Estelle usually prefers the parks in Nonah or De Chima, but she's on her way to visit someone, so she decided to try to cut across the park as a shortcut. She's carrying a bag of food wafting the smell of freshly baked bread.

Oh hey, wasn't that...?]

Mint! Is that you? How has school been for you, since the term started?

[primadovea]

Estelle! [ Mint gives the other girl a grin, scooting over slightly so she can sit down if she wishes. And oh man, that pigeon is just STARING AT THE BREAD, trying to be a cute little pigeon in the hopes that he gets food. ]

School's actually gone quite well! Thankfully, math and science are the same no matter what country you're from.

[ no comment on history.... ]

[renamaer]

[Ooooh...how can she resist... well she's focused on Mint now, so if the pigeon decides to just steal some...]

Oh, that's wonderful Mint! I was sure you'd get along just fine. I would have been a little intimidated by all the scientific terminology...

Are you doing any clubs? Maybe pick up your dancing again?

four;

[sasaeru]

[Ulvida isn't Skeets. But she does live here, and she's just coming inside the house after her first shift at her new job when...]

... Aizawa?

[Something's burning. Is the house burning? Is someone in danger of burning? Is Aizawa about to burn down the house and die in the process?? She drops everything she's holding, from the bag on her shoulder to the mail she got from the postbox, and dashes, skidding into the kitchen with her eyes wide.]

Aizawa?!

[primadovea]

Ulvida!

[ When Mint spots Ulvida, she gives her a polite smile...and then remembers she's holding a pan with some eggs burnt to the bottom of it. Thankfully, aside from the melted spatula, that's the only carnage of Mint's attempted cookng. ]

I'm afraid I had a bit of a mishap in the kitchen—nothing to worry about, though!

[sasaeru]

It was smoking.

[Are those eggs? They smell like eggs. And Mint said she knows egg recipes... but does that mean it isn't eggs, because she can cook eggs? She has no idea. But she sighs, pushing back her earlier alarm, and steps inside.]

What were you doing?

2

[monster_san]

[De Chima is somewhere Fuu hasn't explored a whole lot, and being Fuu, she decides to try the grocery store to see how regional--or ubiquitous--some things are.

She sees Mint staring at the display and joins her, just as incredulous.]

I've heard of carrot cake. Perhaps they thought it was a logical extension.

[primadovea]

Yes, but cake's entirely different from gelatin! It's a pastry.

[ Mint still looks towards the gelatin absolutely confused. ]

[monster_san]

[Fuu cups her cheek in one hand as she considers the matter.]

Geletin is made from animal bone, though... that could be why they put it with vegetables. On my Earth, it's always been a sweet dessert. But just as America didn't make peace with Russia, they must have developed their food in a different way as well.

[cause those two things are totally equivalent]

two!

[performance]

[ Dick winces exaggeratedly at the Jello salad display. He's hardly a chef — as evidenced by the fact that his own grocery basket mostly has pop-tarts, cereal, granola bars, and other ready-to-eat foods — but even a teenager who never learned to cook has to draw the line somewhere.

This is that somewhere. ]

I've never actually seen anyone do it, so there's still a chance it might be a conspiracy.

[primadovea]

It seems like it'd be a waste of resources if you're going to make something for nobody to eat. You can use the carrots for something else.

[performance]

Maybe it's a decorative thing. Like, you know, parsley?

[ That doesn't sound right but neither does eating that stuff. ]