Food for Thought

Lumi tried to suppress a yawn as he compared today's earnings with what he had recorded. It had been a busy day, but he hadn't earned the number of sides he felt he deserved for the amount of work he had done. "Cheep skates," Lumi muttered to himself as he thought about the groups of Animalian he had recited the Foristeri legend to today. They didn't realize how much work he had to do to make sure he told the story right and how tiring it was standing out in the snow for hours on end, constantly having to talk and look excited.

When he first became a Windwall historian, he had returned home every day with a sore throat from all the legend recitations, but it had been years now since he had his last sore throat. He was a much more experienced storyteller than he had been back then and knew how to take care of his most prized tool. Marking down the last of the sides on his clipboard Lumi put the colorful currency back into its pouch with the earnings from the rest of the week before tieing the bag around his waist.  Placing his hat on his head Lumi opened his front door, "I sware at this rate they want me to starve." he mumbled to himself, his mind still on the day's customers and his earnings. 

Snow fell gently onto his gray vest as he made his way through Windwall. His pockets were full of money now so he would need to stay on guard in case anyone tried to jump him and take his sides. There was no way he could allow that to happen as he would surely lose his job as a historian if he lost this much money. He could relax once he got to the Historians hub and dropped off the week's earnings till then, he couldn't allow anything to distract him.

As he followed one of Windwalls many black stone roads to his destination, a warm breeze wafted past his beak, it carried an almost hypnotizing smell with it. As soon as the smell entered his nostrils, Lumi's feet instantly stopped moving.  He grasped the money bag on his waist tightly as he allowed himself another deep sniff. The smell was unlike anything he had ever smelt before. The smell must have come from some kind of food dish, he was sure of that, but what combination of ingredients could possibly come together to make such a delightfully mesmerizing smell?

He stood silently on the path, debating with himself long enough for snow piles to form on the brim of his hat. He needed to drop off his earnings as soon as possible, but he couldn't just ignore this smell. He NEEDED to know where it was coming from, no, more than that. He needed to taste whatever dish was making this lovely scent. For him food was life, and the ability to taste this dish could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If he were to drop off the sides first, then the smell may no longer be here when he came back, but if he deviated from his plan, then the chances of some desperate thief snatching his money would dramatically increase. He closed his eyes tightly in an attempt to focus, weighing both options. Should he play it safe and possibly miss the meal of a lifetime or risk losing a week's earnings and his job for a smell?

Lumi cursed loudly as he quickly brushed the snow off the rim of his hat before firmly placing it on top of his head. He had made up his mind. The historian's hub would be there later, and he wasn't sure this smell and meal would. He tucked his money bag deep into his pocket before lifting his beak high in the air and following his nose to wherever this gorgeous smell took him.

He let the smell pull him down streets and around bends, even causing him to bump into a few Animalian on accident, but eventually, the smell showed its hand and brought him to a small restaurant on a less traveled road near the edge of the city. In front of the restaurant's main entrance, a small fire had been made, and a somewhat haphazard rig had been set up above it allowing a large pot of water to boil over the open flames.  Lumi could see the smell he had been following drifting out of the pot, the scent changing the air it touched white with its heat and its lovely aroma. There was a large crowd around, all of them with bowls in their hands seemingly waiting expectantly for a chance to taste the pot's contents. Behind the pot stood a snow-white Lagopus with a tall white cooks hat on and a large ladle in their hand that they were using to gently stir the liquid in the pot.

Lumi pushed his way through the crowd, his eyes locked on the source of the smell as he moved forward. He wasn't sure what was going on here, but nothing would stop him from getting a taste of whatever they were cooking. Finally making his way to the front, he straightened out his vest and, resting his hands behind his back looked at the Logopus and said with a wide smile, "My good sir! I have been wandering around town this fine evening and seem to have run myself rugged." As Lumi spoke, he attempted to put as much charm as possible into his words, something his job as a Historian had well prepared him for. "Could I perhaps bother you for a taste of whatever it is you and your fine friends here are cooking to help me regain my energy so that I may return home?" Lumi adjusted his monocle in an attempt to see into the pot better so he could decipher what was being cooked.

The Lagopus looked Lumi up and down, his dark brown eyes taking in every detail. "Well, I am not one to turn down a tired, hungry soul, but I am afraid you will have to wait your turn. If there is enough left over, then you may have your taste."

Lumi's eye twitched in frustration. The food was right there in front of him, its rolling bubbles seemingly laughing and taunting him to consume them. Trying to hide his emotion from the Lagopus, Lumi closed his eyes and took off his monocle, pretending to clean it with the hem of his vest. "Of course, of course. I wouldn't want to interrupt your -uh- gathering." He placed his monocle back on his face and attempted to feign exhaustion, "But you see, I would really love to get out of your fur and home as soon as possible. I just need a quiet bite, and I will be right as rain and on my way home, I just need a small pick-me-up to make it back."

The Lagopus gestured around him to the other Animalian. "As do us all. Everyone here is tired and in need of a good meal to fill their bellies. I'm afraid you will have to wait till the others finish if you wish to have any," the white-furred Lagposu scans Lumi once more before continuing with a knowing, almost smug smile, "I'm sure you will survive."

"I- er" Lumi started to say, trying to find the words that would get him what he wanted.  He quickly scanned the crowd and noticed them staring back at him, all of them had torn clothes and worn-out faces, their clothing splattered with mud and snow as if they had been sleeping on the ground of the trodden campgrounds just outside of the city. It was then that he realized what he had walked into. Turning back to the Lagopus Lumi put on a small smile a smoothly said, "I see. I will wait my turn then."

The Lagopus nodded, and Lumi walked off finding somewhere nearby to sit as the food finished cooking. He closed his eyes and tilted his hat forward, causing it to cover most of his face. He couldn't believe he had missed it when he first came upon the group, he was so distracted by the smell that he hadn't noticed all the homeless and poor Animalian around him. This likely was their first real meal in days, and he was surprised that they hadn't attacked him as soon as he had demanded to have their food. They would have had every right to, after all that's likely what he would have done back in the day when- he shuttered stopping mid-thought- he didn't like to think about back then. 

Lumi opened his eyes and looked softly at the crowd who had now formed a line and were being served. Each cradled their bowl lovely as it was filled with the precious liquid before walking off to their own corners to quickly eat it, their faces warming up with each sip.

Eventually the crowd thinned and the white Lagopus waved him over to join the line. The smell of the soup was as tantalizing as before, but Lumi did his best not to let the smell overwhelm him this time. He waited patiently for his turn before receiving a bowl of the fantastical soup. He didn’t dig into it right away, instead taking a moment to fully savor the smell and immerse himself in its strong aroma. After a few moments, he gave into the smells allure and took a sip.

It took a moment for the taste to hit him, but once it had, his taste buds and brain were flooded with flavor. It was unlike anything he had ever tasted, nearly indescribable with its assortment of savory and spicy flavors. “It tastes like the warmth of a burning harth.” Lumi muttered more to himself than anyone nearby.

“I take it you like.” The white Lagopus said hearing Lumi’s comment.

Lumi looked up at the cook, “It is indescribable, what did you put in it?”

“Nothing much, “ The white Vulpes says stirring the remaining soup. “ Just a few common ingredients that anyone could get their hands on. The thing that really brings out the flavor isn’t the ingredients, but the hands that make it. You see most the help in my kitchen comes from the Animalian here.” He gestures to the group around them. “ The hope, dedication and appreciation they have for the food gets poured into the dish as it cooks giving it that special touch.” 

A number of Animalian with empty bowls had started to walk back up to the large pot holding out their dishes for seconds. “Names Alopex.” The Vulpes said starting to hand out more of the soup.

“Lumi.” The Foristeri replies, drinking up his bowl.

“Well Lumi, if you ever find yourself around here again, your welcome to come to the Artic Eatery for a bite. All our dishes are made with the same amount of care and if you liked the soup im sure you will like them as well.”

Lumi looked down at his now empty bowl. “If it all tastes as good at this, then I will defeinantly have to.” He turned his attention to the pot. “Your cooking is quite magnificent, I- I don’t suppose I could have a bite for the road as well?”

Alopex laughed, his chief hat nearly falling off as he did so. “ Since you waited so patiently then its probably alright.” The Lagopus filled up Lumis bowl once more. “Just bring the bowl back within the next few days.”

Tipping his hat to the white Lagopus Lumi said. “Your generosity has no bounds. Thank you.” Turning to go, Lumi added, “ I must be on my way now, I have doddle long enough, I wish you a pleasant night.”

Alopex nodded in reply, “you as well Historian.”

With the bowl cradled safely in his hands Lumi headed down the black cobblestone road back towards the Historians hub. The smell of the soup in his hands tickled his nose with every step making his mind wander back to the group around the pot of food. He would have to visit again, perhaps… well perhaps next time if he wasn’t in such a rush then he could even lend a hand. That would be what his sister would want him to do, although they may not let him. He looked at the liquid sloshing in the bowl. It was still probably worth offering.