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Jade
Jade
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Would you please teach me how you spend Halloween in your home town?
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Riddle
Riddle
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...Halloween, hm.
I believe the children in my hometown would usually gather in the town plaza and have a "funfest."
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Jamil
Jamil
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You make it sound as if you're talking about someone else's experiences.
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Riddle
Riddle
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I have only ever taken part once, never before or since. That's why I can't give detailed information but...
I think what was most memorable for me was that we all went "apple bobbing."
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Floyd
Floyd
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Kingyo-chan, what's apple...whatever-its-called? It's got a tasty sounding name.
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Riddle
Riddle
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It's a traditional Halloween game that is played in the Queendom of Roses.
You use your mouth to grab apples that are floating in a large basin of water. Of course, you cannot use your hands.
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Jade
Jade
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That is...certainly a game unique to land.
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Azul
Azul
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Indeed. If you were to let go of an apple while on the sea floor, it would quickly rise to the water's surface.
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Jade
Jade
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Though, were it a game where we chase after rapidly ascending apples, we could most likely play it in the ocean.
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Floyd
Floyd
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That could be surprisingly funー
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Silver
Silver
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However, are apples...something you can grab with your mouth?
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Riddle
Riddle
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It seems they use smaller-than-average apples, but...even then, it's definitely difficult.
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Jade
Jade
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It sounds like a game that favors the kids in good shape who are more capable of taking a bite out of the apple.
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Riddle
Riddle
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That's true. It becomes necessary to have a strong jaw in addition to a large mouth.
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Ruggie
Ruggie
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So in this school, doesn't that mean Jade-kun and Floyd-kun would have a big advantage?
Cause they've got big bodies. And their teeth are sharp.
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Jade
Jade
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Fufufu, I wonder. I would be embarrassed to open my mouth so wide while everyone watches...
Contrary to everyone's expectations, I may dawdle too long and be unable to grab an apple.
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Floyd
Floyd
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How do you even decide who wins the game, anyway?
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Riddle
Riddle
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If I recall correctly, the rule is that whoever is able to grab an apple in the least amount of time wins.
There seems to be regions in Shaftlands that also play this game too.
Cater once told me that in his hometown, they competed to see how many they could grab.
I wasn't able to really get the hang of it at all, and both my face and clothes became soaked, but...
now that I think back on it, the result most likely wasn't the important aspect of it.
Everyone laughing and clamoring over those struggling to grab the apples... That's the number one goal, most likely.
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Jade
Jade
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Indeed. The appearance of Riddle-san desperately chasing after apples with his mouth open would be extremely amus...
Or rather, would be an impressive feat.
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Riddle
Riddle
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What do you mean by that?
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Kalim
Kalim
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I get what you mean, Riddle. Rather than winning or losing, the important thing is having fun!
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Riddle
Riddle
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Yes... That's true.
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Kalim
Kalim
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Well, if we're talking Halloween in the Scalding Sands, that means feasts!
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Jade
Jade
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Oh, the Scalding Sands also has distinctive entertainment?
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Kalim
Kalim
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Well, if we're speaking of Halloween in the Scalding Sands, that means "feasts"!
In my hometown, it's thought that talking together around a feast is more fun than anything else.
That's why when Halloween-time comes, we prepare so much food that it practically overflows the tables.
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Jamil
Jamil
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It's so the ghosts that have returned home can eat until they're full with us...is basically the gist of it.
Sweet dishes, salty dishes, spicy dishes... We prepare a wide range of dishes, from finger foods to meals served on large platters.
As Halloween nears, the kitchen is at full operations, starting from the preparation of the ingredients.
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Jade
Jade
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I hope I am able to bear witness to such a luxurious table setting one day. What kind of staple recipes are served?
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Kalim
Kalim
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When it comes to Halloween feasts...that one dish was my favorite.
What was it again? The one that's fried with layers of vegetables and sauce.
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Jamil
Jamil
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Who knows?
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Kalim
Kalim
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Ah, that face means you absolutely know. C'mon, the one with potatoes and eggplants and tomatoes!
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Jade
Jade
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...Is it similar to something like lasagna, but vegetables are layered in-between instead of pasta?
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Kalim
Kalim
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Yeah, that might be close. It's super delicious when you get it piping hot right as it's freshly made.
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Azul
Azul
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I see. It seems like something health-conscious people would enjoy.
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Jade
Jade
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Jamil-san, may I ask the name of the dish?
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Jamil
Jamil
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Sigh... It's a local dish called "moussaka."
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Kalim
Kalim
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Yeah, yeah, that's it!
Once when I was younger, I really wanted to eat it on a regular day when there wasn't a banquet, so I asked Jamil to make it for me.
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Jamil
Jamil
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What a mess all that ended up. I got scolded by my parents and the other servants. They were shouting at me like, "Children shouldn't be cooking with fire alone!"
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Kalim
Kalim
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Ehー? Really!?
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Jamil
Jamil
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It's because it was while we were still in elementary school.
It's not like I was as good at cooking back then as I am now... It would've been trouble if I really ended up staring a fire.
I understand those feelings of my parents and the others much better now.
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Kalim
Kalim
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Oopsー That was my bad.
But the moussaka you made that time really did taste delicious~ I still remember it well.
Remembering it is starting to make me crave it. Hey, Jamil, make it again sometime soon!
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Azul
Azul
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I would like to request that as well. It may also be perfect for the Mostro Lounge's newest dish...
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Jamil
Jamil
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No way.
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Kalim
Kalim
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Ehーdon't say that~
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Jamil
Jamil
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Moussaka is a labor-intensive dish that requires many ingredients and two types of sauces.
I can't imagine that it would be suited for a cafe.
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Jade
Jade
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If I understand what you're saying, it seems to be an oven dish.
And the ovens at the Lounge aren't that large... It does appear we would be hard-pressed to supply it in large amounts.
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Azul
Azul
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Would there not be ways to help increase the turnover rate, such as creating them on large platters?
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Ruggie
Ruggie
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Trust Octavinelle to be thinkin' of the profits.
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Jade
Jade
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Fufu... Let us take our time consulting Jamil-san on the details after we have been treated to his home-made dish
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Jamil
Jamil
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Hey, wait, I haven't said a single thing about making... Ugh.
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Silver
Silver
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Zzz... Zzz...
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Jamil
Jamil
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See, while you Octavinelle guys were getting excited over your get-rich-quick schemes, Silver fell asleep again.
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Jade
Jade
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Oh, my apologies. The conversation did get derailed.
Silver-san, do excuse me. Could you please wake up?
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Silver
Silver
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Ah... Sorry. Halloween in Briar Valley...was it?
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Jade
Jade
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Yes. Please tell us your stories.
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Silver
Silver
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When it comes to Halloween, I only have memories of Fath...Lilia-senpai being very enthusiastic about dressing up.
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Riddle
Riddle
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Come to think of it, the two of you were from the same town.
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Jade
Jade
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So Briar Valley has a custom of wearing costumes, as well... It seems that on land, costumes are a common practice no matter the country.
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Silver
Silver
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Do merfolk not wear costumes?
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Jade
Jade
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Well, it's not customary for us to wear clothes on a daily basis in the first place.
Perhaps it is due to our unfamiliarity that it is fascinating to see people take on different appearances on land.
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Silver
Silver
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In truth, I would struggle to call the memories I have of the costumes happy ones. Remembering them now just makes me shudder.
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Floyd
Floyd
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Ehー wasn't Mendako-chan even smaller back when he was in your hometown compared to now?
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Silver
Silver
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True, there isn't much of a difference between how he looked then compared to now, but...
I had never witnessed a more terrifying sight before or after that Halloween.
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Jade
Jade
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How interesting. Especially since he is, as he prides himself to be, quite a cute person.
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Silver
Silver
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The terror of Lilia-senpai in costume was extremely frightening...
Sebek saw it together with me, and we were both frightened out of our wits.
That night, we were so scared of sleeping that we even promised each other that we would absolutely stay awake until morning.
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Jade
Jade
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If it were something that frightening, I'm sure I would have ended up screaming in terror myself.
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Floyd
Floyd
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Eh~ Really, I wanna see that~ We've been together since we were born and I've never seen you do anything like that before~
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Ruggie
Ruggie
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So, Silver-kun and Sebek-kun were both crying and praying for the morning to come then?
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Silver
Silver
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No... Before I had realized it, I had fallen asleep.
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Riddle
Riddle
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Of course...
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Silver
Silver
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Apparently, Sebek had been enduring his need to go to the bathroom that whole night. When I woke up the next morning, he angrily yelled at me that I was a traitor.
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Ruggie
Ruggie
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Wow, so even Sebek-kun has a cute side to him, too, huh?
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Jamil
Jamil
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So then, how are your Halloweens, Ruggie?
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Ruggie
Ruggie
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Me? I don't think hearing about Halloween in the slums is gonna be that helpful.
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Jade
Jade
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Now, now, don't say such things. Any and all of your surface stories are new and informative to us, so please, teach us.
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Ruggie
Ruggie
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I mean, I don't have a problem talking about it but...don't take what you hear the wrong way.
"Trick or treat"... If you don't give me a treat, I'll play a trick on you is how it usually goes, right?
But, Halloween in my hometown isn't something cute like that.
If they don't give us candy, we absolutely won't leave until they hand some over... It was a 24-Hour-Long Candy Collection Event.
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