After watching the deftness which Aiden portrayed around the kitchen, Nov couldn't help but feel excited about the meal that was being made. It looked so good he had to physically hold himself back from sneaking a bite before it was all done, and it seemed their pokemon felt the same. Nier was practically gravitating towards the dishes that Aiden was setting on the table, the smell like a pied piper. If it tasted as good as it looked, Nov wouldn't blame 'em, but of course, he hadn't even tried it yet.
Aiden put down some bowls of food for all their pokemon, and it was at that moment that Nov realized he still hadn't made amends with his new catch. So, Nov took a step away from the group and tossed the pokeball into the air.
"Come on out, Levi!" He called, the red light emerging from the ball and forming the shape of the Drilbur. As soon as it materialized, the mole Pokemon freaked out and scattered dirt at Novis. He wiped it off him with a grin and watched as the Drilbur hid behind some nearby rocks, peering out from behind them with great scepticism. It didn't seem to trust Nov enough to even let him approach, so Nov started his great plan: the fastest way to a Pokemon's heart was through its stomach. Holding the bowl of food Aiden made, Nov was sure that a hungry Pokemon would be able to resist such an appealing meal, and right he was. The Drilbur, though clearly hesitating to do so, rushed out from its hiding place and snatched the food away from Nov. Though it turned away from Nov, it didn't run away again, so Nov just laughed and stood back up.
"Sorry about that whole scuffle back there," Nov said, taking a few steps away.
"We'll see how you feel once you get some grub in ya." After that was momentarily dealt with, Novis returned to the main group, making sure he was able to watch for Levi just in case. Sitting down at the table next to Roxy, Nov looked over the huge array of dishes that Aiden had cooked up, complete with garnishes and jams made from the berries and herbs they'd found a few minute prior.
"Woah, man, you shouldn't have! This is a lot, dude!" Novis crowed,
"I don't even know what half this stuff is." Well, whatever it all was, Aiden certainly made magic in the kitchen. Or, well, at least it appeared so to the uninitiated. Since Aiden insisted they be the first to try it, Novis was more than eager to dig in. Hovering over a plate of almost everything piled on, the aroma... The visuals, the design... It was amazing, truly artisan. Nov took a heaping forkful of it all, and tried it with fervor.
Novis almost choked when he was hit with the terrible realization of the mistake he just made.
It's not that it was inedible, per say. Individually, the flavors were great. Except, it was sour while bitter, tangy, salty, sweet, and bland all at the same time. All of them felt overpowering at once, making a melange of, well, badness. The texture was exactly as it should be, but the flavor didn't match the texture anyway... Did he mix soy and oran berry together? Regardless, Nov was half-way through a single bite and it was a struggle to even stomach that. After a bit of fighting, he swallowed it and started coughing due to the violent aftertaste.
"Sorry, went down the wrong pipe..." Novis muttered. Aiden was looking at them with great anticipation. Novis and Roxy made eye-contact with each other, unverbally expressing the same desperation. Neither wanted to crush Aiden's spirits, and Roxy had already forced out a compliment. If Novis told the truth, it'd just seem like only he hated it... But if they weren't honest, then it would mean they would have to eat more of that cooking abomination. This was a true test of character and moral.
"Look... It's, uh... You tried your best, yeah?" Nov started, but quickly realized that was too vague. He gave Roxy a steeled look before continuing. Hopefully she'd back him up.
"It looked real good, but it's... well, putting it bluntly, it tastes like garbage. What exactly did you put in it?" | Rest Area |
