CHAPTER 2
“Good morning you two! I made breakfast, come eat!” said Juli, waving Lunatya and Zephyrard over. Then she leaned on the counter and smiled. “And good morning to you, Luffy!”
Luffy scurried over, hopping up onto a stool, placing his paws up on the counter.
“Mew!” said Luffy, greeting Juli and Lissette.
Lissette waved to Lunatya and Zephyrard quietly, then gave Luffy a scratch on the head.
“Oh, good morning! Thank you, that’s very nice of you,” said Lunatya with a clap of her hands. “What’s for breakfast?”
“Mornin’,” Zephyrard said, giving a quiet nod to Juli and Lissette. Then he closed his eyes and smelled the air. “It smells good.”
“Rice porridge with salted pork, just a little something simple,” replied Juli, scooping a few bowls at the stove. She placed them on the counter for everyone. “I thought having something warm would be nice on a cold day like today!”
Everyone took their seat at the counter. Steam wafted through the air, the mild scent of rice blossoming. Everyone licked their lips, even Luffy, stretching forward to take in all the smells.
“Sorry it’s something so simple, I had always baked more than cooked,” said Juli, bowing her head. “This is something we often eat in Chihana though.”
“No no, this is perfect,” replied Zephyrard, waving a hand at her. “I’m quite chilly, so something warm and easy to eat is perfect right now.”
“That’s right! Simple and familiar foods are often the most comforting—thank you for sharing with us,” said Lunatya next, already giving the porridge a stir, taking in the smell. “It looks really good! It’s so creamy and smooth!”
With a clap of their hands, Lunatya and Zephyrard bowed their heads for a moment, giving thanks—thanks to the cook, thanks for those that share the meal, and thanks to the ingredients that nourish them. Juli and Lissette smiled and followed suit soon after. Then Lunatya took a spoonful of the porridge and blew on it, sending steam wafting through the air. Then with a tilt of her spoon, she was met with a mild and wholesome flavor, each of the ingredients a note to be tasted. The simple starchiness of the rice, each grain blossomed and tender. The salted pork tender and savory, with a texture so delicate it melted in her mouth. The porridge itself blended these flavors together into a smooth, creamy soup. It was warm and comforting, easy to eat. Perfect to start the day off with.
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Everyone was quiet as they took their first spoonfuls of the porridge. A peaceful and still morning, the dawn not yet risen. The winter air was cold, but they were sheltered inside, gathered around the table to enjoy breakfast.
Though not everyone had their breakfast yet. When Lunatya opened her eyes after savoring her food, she found Luffy sitting in front of her. He was eyeing her food, sniffing it, about to put a sneaky paw into her bowl.
“Pfft!” blurted Lunatya. She waved the sneaky paw away. “No no no!”
The sneaky paw returned soon after.
“Looks like someone’s hungry, hehe…” said Juli, giggling to herself.
“The porridge is really good…” Lissette said, softly smiling as she held up a spoonful, looking at it. “Luffy wants good food too!”
“Haha! The porridge is very good, Juli—thank you again,” Lunatya said, still laughing, playing with Luffy’s paw. Then she held up a piece of pork with her spoon. “Alright you little rascal… you can have some pork.”
With great eagerness, Luffy took his bite of pork and gobbled it down. After swallowing he had a satisfied look on his face and was smacking his lips. Then with his sneaky little paw, he poked Lunatya on the arm again. He wanted more!
“Alright Luffy, I understand, hehe…” replied Lunatya, giving him a scratch on the head. “I’ll give you a bit of porridge to top your normal food.”
“Seems like everyone is enjoying your food, Juli. This is the first time you’ve cooked for us isn’t it? You should make this again for us sometime,” Zephyrard said, giving a thumbs up to Juli. “Thank you, this has been a very nice breakfast.”
“I really like it too…!” added Lissette, a soft smile on her face. “It’s really comforting to eat, especially when it’s cold.”
“Aw… you guys. I’m glad you like it so much,” replied Juli, holding her hands over her heart. It was a nice feeling… taking care of those you cared about and sharing a meal with them. “I can see why you like to cook Lunatya… I’ll definitely make this again sometime. We can take turns cooking on our adventures!”
“It’s the best, isn’t it?” Lunatya said with a big grin. “We can take turns cooking, and we can all cook together too! I think that’d be a nice activity on our travels.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. It did sound nice to do that. But there was a certain someone who had other ideas. Luffy was once again peering at Lunatya’s bowl of porridge and was attempting to place a sneaky paw into it.
“Hey! Where’s that sneaky little paw going?” said Lunatya, laughing as she shooed the paw away. “I think someone is hungry… I’ll get your food in a minute Luffy.”
Everyone laughed and Luffy got plenty of pats.
“Is this the new dynamic? I get extra food to give to you and you get extra food to give to Luffy?” Zephyrard said, starting to chuckle. He rubbed Lunatya on the shoulder and smiled.
“Hehe… I think it is,” replied Lunatya, resting a hand on his. Then she started to get up and gestured towards Luffy. “Come on Luffy, let’s go get your breakfast!”
With excitement, Luffy hopped down from the table and followed Lunatya. Together they went over to the other counter and Lunatya started to put together a bowl of food for him.
Zephyrard got up as well following Lunatya. He smiled to himself, wrapping his fingers around his necklace. A golden rising sun, with a brilliant gem in the center, like a window looking out into an unending forest filled with light, glimmering with infinite resplendence. They all had their worries and the world could be frightening… but being together like this, eating with the others—the world still had many beautiful things in it.