Alice’s Appetite - Advice from a Caterpillar (Patreon)

“Hey, do you think this makes me look fat?”

The blood froze in Ryo’s veins..

Like so many men before him all over the world, he now found himself staring down the barrel of a most dangerous question. It was a literal minefield no matter what he answered and he was entirely aware of the consequences for getting it wrong. 

“Heeeeyyy, I'm asking you a question.”

Indecision was probably among the worst answers he could have given but he was committed to his answer. Amidst the sights and sounds of the parade in front of them, he could only pray his words were drowned out by the colored explosions of fireworks and the clamor of the crowd.

“Few dishes ever rise to the point of having their own national holiday,” Ryo began slowly. His stern visage locked eyes with Alice’s, making her wince slightly. 

“Y-yeah, that’s the whole point we’re here,” Alice continued slowly, still quite unaware of where he was going with this. “What about it?”

They called it fårikål, a national dish which essentially consisted of mutton, potatoes and cabbage. Each one was a part of a whole and a representation of the cycle of the country. From winter sheep, earthy autumn potatoes and the cabbages which grew all summer long, there was a wholesomeness to it which was incomprehensible to anyone who wasn’t eating it right then and there. It was a simple enough dish to make garnished with some black pepper, but it was in that clean elegance where they found the most difficulty standing out.

“You are very much like it,” Ryo sighed as he lifted his wooden spoon from his bowl. “A dish for all seasons no matter what you dress it with looking to challenge those who know it best.”

She leaned in close, almost making him drop his bowl as she gave him and his meal a quizzical look. And then she smiled.

“I made that, you know.”

Ryo paused. 

“I had hidden my dish amongst all of the vendors here as a means of seeing which one you would be drawn to. I knew that I could count on your exquisite pallet to determine which one had the finest flavor and the most intoxicating aroma.”

He looked down at his dish as he scooped a hunk of potato and mutton up from the oily surface. Its rich sheen glistened beneath the lamp light as though gilded in gold. Indeed it was the most perfect incarnation of the dish he had ever tasted but it was so homey and full of feeling, unlike Alice’s cold and clinical deconstructions he had come to know. 

“And you wanna know a secret?” Alice smiled as she leaned in close, the hem of her extremely tight bunad grazing against Ryo’s arm. “All it took to make it so delicious was to stew it all in just a little bit more fat than usual.”

His eyes widened as he felt her breathy voice right up against his ear. 

“I’m glad you like it, but you still didn’t answer my question…”