escordvi | Of all the places to not have a Pizza Hut

[Qingcang drifted into the kitchen at an odd hour when the crew at large was not scheduled to eat, but for some reason someone was still cooking. The smell from it was new. Different. ...appealing. He made his way from the door to the counter where the strangely large, baked bread dish was being cut. He stopped and leaned his hip against the counter.

And when Daria had turned to grab a plate or something and was otherwise momentarily distracted, Daqiang reached out and poked a finger at the melted edge of cheese where it met the crust. He pinched a little of it, and brought it to his mouth to taste. The evidence of his theft lingering in the air between the pizza pie, his fingers, and his mouth as he suddenly had to fight with the unexpected strings of melted cheese.]

[My god man. She just turned her back for a second to grab a plate. She turned to just…look at this guy just stealing her pizza. Right from under her nose. She didn’t hear a thing.

With as much deadpan as she could muster-.]

Yes, you may have a slice. Because you asked so kindly.

[Like she could even eat that slice NOW…]

[He meet her eyes with a half-hearted glare because it's difficult to glare and attempt to eat the string of melty cheese that just won't seem to end at the same time. What dignity Daqiang entered the kitchen with flopped around on the floor like a dying fish while he did his best to pretend he had the experiment with strange a new cheesy foods under control.

When he did, finally, manage to get all the stringy bits either into his mouth or off his fingers via a hastily grabbed towel, he gave the mortal an imperious - and not at all guilty - look.]

This food is strange. And combative.

I see that.

[God what a weird one. Of course he was because he tried to steal from her. He received no looks for his glares, just a blank resting bitch face.

Like as if in response, she put her plate down to grab a slice and it was stretched seamlessly. Any stretchy cheese was caught by her finger and placed back on the slice. And then she bit into it.]

Better luck next time, cheese is a bitch.

[Carefully following her example, he picked up the slice he'd previously touched and attempted to pull it away. The cheese stretched and he reached out to attempt to catch it -

Only for the cheese to slide off the top of the slice, leaving him holding a wedge-shaped piece of bread covered in red sauce. The cheese, having defeated him, rested on the tray between the other two slices it was still somewhat connected to.

Daqiang could choose to ask for help or he could choose violence.

He chose violence.

What remained of that slice was slammed onto the counter hard enough to crack one of the wooden trays it managed to clip on the way down before bouncing and landing on the floor.]

[You know. There was a lot that she couldn't expect to see today.

Dinner and a show wasn't one of them, for sure.

She slowly chewed her slice as she watched...that. Blinking slowly at the display.

Again. Wow.]

Oh no, you killed it.

[His head whipped around to look at her, eyes widening in shock and genuine confusion.]

It was alive?

[He was certain that it was just bread and some sort of vegetable sauce and whatever that cheese was made of. Had there been something still living mixed in?

He leaned forward to examine the remaining pizza slices - carefully keeping his hands away from it.]

What part is still living?

Its dignity.

[So sarcastically not alive. She thought about mentioning something else about dignity but someone was able to destroy A Table so she decided on being silent. Continuing to slowly eat her pizza.]

You wanna try that again?

[He frowns for a moment, mouthing her response before he realizes she had been mocking him. Probably. At which point, he straightens his shoulders and turns his head away to stare down his nose at the food. He got the distinct impression she was challenging him with the 'try again'. If he said no... he 'lost'. To a meal. If he said yes... he might 'win'. Against a meal.

Daqiang reached down and - carefully. very, very carefully - started to pull a second piece away from the rest of the pizza pie. This time he kept it level and when the cheese started to pull back, he flicked his fingers to send a quick burst of blue fire to sever it before it could attempt to stymie him again.

This time, he was successful in freeing a slice for himself.

Now to eat it.

With both hands under it, he lifted the slice up for a first, tentative bite.

See? He can totally win a fight against pizza.]

[Daria put her slice on her plate for a moment to clap.]

That's certainly a way to do it, but you did it. Congratulations.

[Magic pizza, huh? There's the little word salad that just appeared in her head. Wild day this is.]

Enjoy it, you earned it.

[Maybe she meant that. Maybe.]

[It was difficult to tell if she was mocking him. Her expression and voice were as dead and calm as his usually were. If she had no emotions, as he had none, then she probably wasn't mocking him. But she was mortal so it was very likely she had them.

He swallowed and took a second bite, chewing on it slowly while he considered several ways of torturing her should she prove to be making light of his perfectly reasonable struggle with the unfamiliar food.

Unfamiliar, but satisfying.]

What is it called?

[He asked between bites.]

[Oh yeah, she definitely had them. Emotions. Unfortunately. She also had sarcasm with her resting bitch face, a really really good (or bad) combo.

As neutral as she felt about this whole ordeal, she wasn’t aiming to be particularly friendly either. Funny how it all worked. Neutrality in how she dealt with things was always a mixed bag, but the end goal was the same.

Overall: don’t give a shit.]

Pizza. My staple back home.

[So it was not a special occasion food the way Orchid's flower cakes were. That meant this mortal would certainly make more of it in the future. He would have to keep watch for such occasions.]

There is nothing like this in the Three Realms. It would have certainly made it's way to Silent Moon Palace if there were.

[Then again, cheese wasn't used much at all, even in Cangyanhai where that taboos against certain foods were as likely to be ignored as they were to be indulged. Still, basing an entire dish around the copious amounts of cheese that had been used would have had the realm gossiping if it had ever been done.]

This venerable one is not displeased with it.

[….So that meant he liked it? Making ways to a palace seemed a bit far fetched of a concept for pizza. But if they never had such good, well. Certain cultures and foods based on time eras certainly never left Daria’s mind. She tried to always be mindful of time periods where others came from. After all, not everyone would understand a Spice Girls reference.]

You’re free to take another slice since you’re now the master of cheese. Thankfully I’m not completely immune to flattery.

[He hadn't actually been meaning to flatter her. As far as he was concerned, it was a simple statement of fact. But he also wasn't going to correct her especially if it meant she wouldn't protest him having another slice. His unfortunate need to eat - rather than choice - meant he was either cooking for himself (bad idea) or finding other means of having a meal every now and then. One he didn't have to pay for was certainly preferable to one he did. Especially when it was so very tasty. Even if it was a bit combative.

Actually, now that he knew how to combat it, he could see it being very popular in Cangyanhai for that trait. People of the Moon Tribe would enjoy the minor challenge along with the reward for successfully cutting their own slice away.

Though his tone doesn't change, there is an almost-smile softening his expression as he declares:]

When this venerable one succeeds in finding a way out of the Ruins of Ten Thousand Heavens back across the River of Stars to the Three Realms, this venerable one will bring knowledge of this dish with him.

[Because he is definitely going to succeed and be able to remember everything he experienced here. Definitely.]

[...What a weird guy. She made some guesses as to what his deal was. Some hardened warrior? Or just a weirdo with magic who just knows how to make an impression because of nonsocial graces. Hard to tell. Because what he said was a lot, it was a lot of something and also a lot of nothing.]

That's a lot of heavens and stars to tell all about pizza. I hope they will all listen.

[He frowned at her reply and then shook his head.]

The Ruins of Ten Thousand Heavens is where this world exists. Which is across the River of Stars that separate the Ruins of Ten Thousand Heavens from the Three Realms. The Three Realms is where this venerable one is from. His 'world'. This venerable one only intends to bring knowledge of this dish to his world.

[It's his cosmology and how he interprets the fact that he can't return to his world at will. Whether it's factual or not matters little because the details of how he got here and how he was affected by the experience amount to about the same as what he understands to have happened.]

The other worlds scattered through the Ruins of Ten Thousand Heavens will have to find their own messenger to bring knowledge of 'pizza' to them.

Never heard the multiverse being called that.

[...Sigh, alright. This was interesting now. She grabbed another slice herself. He was talking and not being awful so she was involved in this meta-philosophical discussion.]

I always viewed these different worlds like a spiderweb. We're all linking through it somehow, against our will. But it's connecting us all regardless.

[He mouthed a series of words that the translation magic had offered for 'multiverse' after finishing his current slice of pizza and going for a well-earned second. Describing it as 'all possible Ruins of Ten Thousand Heavens' followed by 'connected like a spider's web' was an interesting way of viewing the chaos of creation. Not accurate to his understanding of it. But interesting.

He took a couple bites - enough to ensure he could hold his slice one handed and not risk any dripage of the tomato sauce or the cheese sliding off. Then he waved his free hand in front of him and a translucent image of space in all it's colorful, galaxy splattered glory (edged in an odd blue glow) took shape over the top of the counter.]

The Ruins of Ten Thousand Heavens.

[He spun his fingers and what looked like the Milky Way as seen from Earth replaced the 'Ruins'.]

The River of Stars.

[He dismissed the image after he had deemed she'd gotten enough time to see both, shaking out his sleeve before tucking his hand behind his back.]

The River of Stars separates the Three Realms from the Ruins of Ten Thousand Heavens. The Ruins of Ten Thousand Heavens is where the remains of the chaos of creation lay and exists outside of time as the Three Realms know it. No one who crosses the River of Stars into the Ruins of Ten Thousand Heavens can find their way back without a guide of some sort and guides are exceedingly rare to the point of nonexistence.

[Given the imagery, the 'Three Realms' was probably equivalent to his 'Earth'. Although, given the scale of the Milky Way to Earth, and the use of 'Three Realms' his world might be better interpreted as a collection of more than just one planet/plane of existence/realm.]

This world [He gestured carefully with the hand holding his pizza slice to indicate the strange ocean world with leviathans that they were on.] exists somewhere in the Ruins of Ten Thousand Heavens. If it did not, this venerable one would be able to return to the Three Realms at will. As far as this venerable one knows, there are no Heavenly Spiders weaving webs between the worlds that exist in the vastness of the Ruins of Ten Thousand Heavens. But as this venerable one has never crossed the River of Stars before now, it is possible that one came into being long after the ancient gods created the Three Realms, bringing order to a part of the chaos of creation and guarding it behind the River of Stars.

Edited (grammer: what is it) 2023-11-22 20:51 (UTC)

[…This was unexpected. Daria actually put her slice down to look at the display in front of her. Her eyes studied it thoroughly. Daria’s studious nature seemed to take over any awkward feelings she had that this all transpired like this.

She was curious. Maybe a little interested. This was a spiritual moment perhaps, to some. But this was a learning moment. A scientific moment. It was a lot of things. Mainly, it could explain her various trips across time and space. This happened to her a few times, it made her think.

And well, thinking was her speciality.]

I’ve crossed these stars a few times. It happened on random and each of the worlds all followed completely different rules from my own.

You've crossed the Ruins of Ten Thousand Heavens before?

[It was a question, but also a statement because he wasn't really questioning her. Just genuinely surprised.]

For a mortal to be pulled into so many worlds and granted so many insights into the vastness of chaos within the Ruins of Ten Thousand Heavens, you must have a very important fate. Perhaps you will become one of the Heavenly Spiders that weave the webs to connect them.

Uh, yeah, I don’t know about that. I’d like to have just have two legs…

[…But that comment didn’t go nowhere. She wondered how true that really was. Daria didn’t believe in fate, not before anyway. But the fact that this happened three times now wasn’t nothing.

She looked at the Galaxy display again, her mind going places. Thinking out loud at this point.]

But…that’s why I felt like there’s just too much beyond what either of us know. There’s too many worlds and too many eyes to pin point what the answer really is. Hence the web theory.

If your rules function like you say, and mine do as well…why can’t both things be true?

This venerable one is not discounting your 'web theory'. It is merely not something that this venerable one has had any reason, or the means, to gain more knowledge of.

The ancient gods that forced chaos into order to form the Three Realms have long disappeared from the world. If they have died, or hidden themselves away, or taken to traveling the chaos of creation that is the vastness of the Ruins of Ten Thousand Heavens... it is unknown and unknowable. And regardless, all are equally as impossible to find. So they cannot be asked.

You are, to this venerable one's knowledge, uniquely positioned to explore how these worlds have found connections to each other within the Ruins of Ten Thousand Heavens. Perhaps a common element of some sort? This venerable one has noticed that this world can see the River of Stars when the night skies are clear. The positioning is of the brightest stars within the river are not the same, and this venerable is not surprised they are not... but it is still the same river. Across it, beyond sight, lies the Three Realms.

Has one of the worlds you've been to been so far from the River of Stars that is not visible?

Of all the places to not have a Pizza Hut

Margherita Pizza

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