[closed] we are made of the smallest stars, we are breathing and letting go

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🧙 WHO: Momo Yaoyorozu et al
⚔️️ WHAT: a catch all for closed threads throughout the month
🕒 WHEN: throughout June
🗺️ WHERE: around Avalon
⚠️ WARNINGS: n/a, will warn in subject lines or edit as necessary

[ I will put closed starters in comments as ideas come to me. To plot a closed thread, hmu @ millennialfalcon / ©hris#1234. ]

Comments

FOR OCHAKO - cooking lessons

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[ Momo's first foray into the kitchen had been... hit or miss. She sort of got in over her head at the store shopping for tools and ingredients, but with help she'd found her way around and eventually successfully baked a chocolate cake for her friends! And Ochako, who had been so helpful as always, had volunteered to help Momo with further attempts at cooking!

And so it is that one afternoon, when they're both at home, Momo comes up to Ochako with a serious look on her face and something held behind her back. She's a girl on a mission. ]

Alright. I've been doing some research... [ thanks to Izuku's suggestion of looking up recipe books in the library! ] ...and I think I've found something I want to learn how to make.

[ With something of a flourish, she produces from behind her back one of the recipe books she had checked out, opened to a particular page. ]

Do you know how to make curry rice?

[floatsaway]

[Ochako, who'd been reading in the living room of their shared home, blinked and looked up when she saw her friend approach with such a look on her face. Fearing something may be wrong, the young girl set her book down and moved to sit up a bit more, just in case Momo really needed her help with something urgently. And--...oh.

Oh!! Ochako actually giggles a little bit, her own serious expression shifting into a far more gentle one.]

Ehehe, Momo-chan, you had such a serious face!! You almost scared me a little bit! [But she's giggling now, actually getting up with a little stretch, leaning in to look at the book. Or, more accurately, the recipe. Oho, a good first choice!] Mmhm, I do! It's a pretty simple enough dish, I think you'll do wonderfully, Momo-chan! Best of all, we can adjust it to fit your tastes - do you like it spicy or a little more mild?

[Spicy as in like...a gentle kick. Ochako's tolerance isn't crazy or anything. She's not Bakugou. :|]

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[ Momo looks relieved when Ochako agrees that the curry rice is a good dish to try cooking, though she gets a little stymied by the subsequent question. ]

Oh, hm... I hadn't considered that... Is there a level in between mild and spicy? Maybe more... medium?

[ That's a thing, right? It's not just for clothing sizes, it applies to food as well? ]

[floatsaway]

Mm, there is!! And don't worry, Momo-chan, it's really not at all difficult, it just means we adjust various spice levels to our taste, ehehe. You know I like things sweet...but I do enjoy a touch of spice sometimes, too. I just don't know if you do or not, so that's why I asked.

[Ochako actually doesn't know Momo's flavor preference? When it comes to food, anyway... Obvious the girl loves her tea, that can be seen from a mile away, but actual food for Momo is harder to nail down.]

I think we have all the ingredients, too, so let's get started!! I'll prep the rice cooker right now, so it's nice and fresh when the curry is all done. Do you want to see how I do it?

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[ Momo's eyebrows raise. She hadn't even factored sweetness into the equation! Can you combine something spicy and something sweet? Would that combination be tasty, or disgusting?

There are so many nuances to cooking that she is ignorant of... She gets the feeling this will be a long and arduous journey until she feels comfortable navigating her way around a kitchen.

But she nods and dutifully follows Ochako to the kitchen. ] Oh, yes please! Rice is a central ingredient for so many dishes, so I definitely want to learn how to prepare it on my own.

[floatsaway]

[Depending on the dish, sweet and spicy can be a rather tasty combination indeed! Ochako has seen recipes that mix chocolate and chili peppers together, and various stirfry dishes have a deliciously sweet and spicy sauce that can be mixed in to add a nice punch of flavor. Definitely something Ochako will teach Momo about as she continues to learn.

It will be long, and the knowledge and experience won't come overnight, but Ochako is going to start with those easy basic steps. Everyone has to start somewhere.]

Of course!! It's pretty simple, actually. Just put in the water and rice here, then set the timer... [And with some gentle tutelage, Ochako shows Momo how to work the rice cooker, and even where it says, on the bag of rice, how to measure out the rice to water ratio.] Now!! While that's cooking, let's prep the veggies and meat!! I have some pork already thawed, so that should do... Ah, right. Always make sure your meat isn't frozen before trying to cook with it, Momo-chan. It has to be completely thawed, otherwise you risk it not cooking all the way through and wasting a lot of time.

[Should go without saying, but Ochako is just going to put it out there. She doesn't sound mean or even condescending, just giving those helpful tips.]

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[ Momo watches carefully, making mental notes. Perhaps, she thinks, if the instructions were any more complicated, she might be better off actually getting a notebook and taking real step by step notes, but... No. She'll leave things like that to Midoriya. ]

Ah, completely thawed! Alright, I'll remember that.

[ She's glad Ochako told her the reason for that, because she was about to ask. Maybe it should go without saying, but honestly it's not something that would have even occurred to Momo to consider. ]

How often do you freeze your meat in the first place?

[floatsaway]

[Momo is a smart cookie, and a really fast learner, Ochako has no doubt that she'll get the hang of cooking in no time. She has the utmost faith in her friend, and will happily work together with her to get her plenty of experience and practice in.]

Depending on the type of meat, it can keep in the freezer for several months!! And certain fruits, vegetables, even cheeses and breads can be frozen to keep them fresher for longer! Ehehe, my mama would actually do this a lot to save money. [Buy a lot when it's on sale for a good price, then use what's needed for the moment, and freeze what's left.] Some things though, like bananas, you shouldn't refrigerate...because they get all brown and mushy. There's no shame in looking it up, too! I have to look up a ton of stuff before I try something new.

[Anyway, off to prep the veggies!! Ochako pulls out some carrots, an onion, and a few small potatoes.]

Certain vegetables you want to wash before using them, but all of these ones don't really need it because we're going to remove their skin before cooking. You can peel the carrots and potatoes with a knife, but that's way harder, so a veggie peeler is the best!! [Doot, doot, give her a moment to rummage through the drawers to fetch two and--] Ta-daaah~!

cw minor injury, blood

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O-oh! Well, I wouldn't want a mushy banana... [ Momo makes a mental note to do some research on the chemical changes that various foods go through when they are frozen and thawed. Cooking is really just chemistry, when you think about it! Combining elements, adding heat, triggering chemical reactions! As an alchemist, this should be easy for her to grasp!

She reaches out and takes one of the vegetable peelers, and a large potato. It takes her a minute to figure out how to work it properly, but she's able to start peeling in no time! She gets... perhaps a little too confident in her peeling abilities, and finds herself accidentally catching the tip of her finger with the peeler blade! ]

Ah--! Um... Oh, my. [ It doesn't hurt, really. She's more surprised than anything. It mostly took a chunk out of her nail, but... ] Ah. That's... It's bleeding? I'm bleeding rather a lot, actually? Um-- Uraraka-san??

[ Do fingertip wounds always bleed this much??? ]

[floatsaway]

[Exactly right! In all honesty, Ochako has faith Momo will get it relatively quickly with practice, it's mostly just about remembering all the steps involved, but that's part of why recipes exist as well. Usually the 'hard' part of cooking is temperature control, and--

Uh. ...That. That right there. Ochako blinks at the tiny yelp from her friend, looking over as she halts in her own duty of peeling her own potato (she's already on her second, being rather practiced at it herself). Placing the item down, she looks over and squeaks. Oh jeez, that looks pretty nasty...]

Ah, M-Momo-chan, are you okay?! [Woof, that sure is bleeding a bit... Ochako gently reaches for her friend and tries to tug her away from the counter, then goes to grab a damp paper tower to clean the wound off.] Keep that there, I'll go find a bandage and some wipes... Eheh, I guess you're fully initiated now! Everyone cuts themselves at some point during cooking.

[She's also going to dump that peeler right in the sink to be scrubbed clean after.]