The First Cut is the Deepest (Backdated to early February)

[ricebird]

Who: Kotori and anyone on the Seventh Heaven
Status: Closed to shipmates and close CR
Where: The Seventh Heaven's galley
What: Kotori tries to make Valentine's chocolates and cheat her way through her knife phobia. Results vary...
Warnings: Past knife trauma, past domestic arguments and divorce


[Okay... milk, white, and dark chocolates, cream, sugar, sea salt, butter, dried fruit, a bottle of decent wine from the ship's stores (she's not planning on drinking any, just rehydrating some of the fruit), matcha... saucepan, bowls, molds, the wooden kitchen knife she purchased, and the Turkey Totem.]

Okay...

[Kotori takes a slow, deep breath. The totem should block her feelings of fear for an hour once it's activated. No fear, no phobia to get in the way of her making these chocolates, right? And the wooden knife shouldn't even leave a scratch if her hand slips. And at least she's totally alone with no one about to walk in to see her struggling with this, right?]

Comments

[pinksidekicking]

[ Totally! There's not a pink cat slinking into the kitchen and jumping up onto the counter near the food, watching Kotori with deep interest. This pink cat doesn't also happen to be a certain pink-haired friend who brought the teen on board. ]

Don't mind me.

[ She looks at the dried fruit and reaches to pluck one with a claw. ]

[ricebird]

Eek!

[Yup, Kotori startles, because sudden kitty.]

Slo--er... Nimona-san, don't scare me like that!

[Sorry, she's too used to telling a certain warrior tortie to get off the counters.]

[starshower]

[Right...

That is, until someone does walk to the kitchen to find her newest crew member and looking a little... worn out? It's hard to tell, and Tifa doesn't want to make any assumptions, so she'll quietly poke her head through the door first. The last thing that she wants to do is startle anyone with a knife in their hands, wooden or otherwise.]

Knock knock.

[ricebird]

[Less worn out, more anxious and trying to psych herself up. Unfortunately, she's SO focused that even that soft noise startles her.]

EEP! [She turns around hastily, bracing herself against the counter before--oh, it's just Tifa.] O-oh... H-hi, Tifa-sempai...

[Such beauty, such grace.]

[starshower]

[Kotori is the very image of beauty and grace right now, and Tifa steps inside with an apologetic smile.]

Sorry, didn't mean to startle you.

[Her eyes scan both Kotori and the counter with a curious cant of her head...]

What are you up to?

[ricebird]

Ah, just... getting things together to make Valentine's Day chocolates. I-I don't know how many people even celebrate it, but... I thought it'd be nice to thank people, at least.

[And, you know, preparing to confront her single biggest phobia, one Tifa most likely knows about already, given their time on the Royal Fortune and in its galley before the Seventh Heaven was acquired.]

[starshower]

I think it's sweet.

[She'd heard about this "Valentine's Day" from others around, and honestly, they could use something like that around here. Even if it wasn't anything to do with "love", there are different kinds to celebrate.

She had also heard about this phobia of Kotori's as well, which is why her gaze flits to the wooden knife in her hand.]

You're trying, I see.

[An encouraging smile.]

Is there anything I can help with?

[ricebird]

[A shy, very slightly calmer smile.]

Ah, well... do you know how to make caramel? [She points to the sugar, cream, and sea salt.] I'm hoping to make some sea salt caramel filling for Roxas-kun's chocolates.

[There are other fillings too, but a. Kotori wants to avoid Tifa having to work on her own present, and b. aside from the caramel and rehydrating fruit, the other fillings should be pretty straightforward and just need to wait for the chocolate.]

[starshower]

Hmm. Been a while but think I can manage. The moms in the village taught me how to make all kinds of things.

[Tifa steps closer to the supplies on the counter, looking them over.]

... You know Roxas too?

[ricebird]

[Nod.]

We've worked together on a few things. [And she first met him properly giving him some ginger lemon tea for his seasickness, but she won't embarrass him like that.] He's really nice. And he really likes sweets, especially with sea salt in them.

[starshower]

He is. Met him a couple times myself.

[Tifa pauses to glance around the kitchen.]

So... let's see. Sugar, butter, and... what else was it for caramel?

1/2

[ricebird]

Cream, salt, and molasses since I couldn't find corn syrup.

[She slides a piece of paper with the copied-down recipe to Tifa.]

And now I just... need to start chopping this chocolate...

[Okay, she feels nervous already, so... Turkey Totem activated, that should get rid of the anxiety for an hour at least--]

2/2

[ricebird]

[Oh. Oh, tears start to well up in her eyes. That's not the happy enthusiasm she thought would be left, it's... grief. She hastily turns away from Tifa.]

A-ah, s-sorry, just um... just... give me a minute...

[starshower]

[As soon as she sees Kotori hesitate, and then the tears—]

Hang on now.

[She presses pause on gathering the ingredients and sets a comforting hand on Kotori's back, her eyes moving to the knife before resting on her.]

You can do this. Just deep breaths, okay?