#just showed up to Antoinette’s house glowing bright green

[gagfadget]

I mean yeah I know people are like “Loool Louis ate a rat in front of Lestat and he still wanted Louis to give him the ushy gushy 5000” but like,..I live in Louisiana. I drive by the Mississippi River often. I know of her. You guys don’t understand how gross and polluted that river is. So yeah Lestat still wanted to play tickle dick with Louis after he saw him eat a rat and then toss it on the floor but he also knew that Louis swam through what is essentially a river of piss and was still like “my love..my fucking skrunkly dunkly..the light of my goddamn life…I don’t care that you breast stroked your way through the same liquid that can turn normal humans into super heroes..I want you and only you 😍😍❤️” and idk man that’s LOVE.

[polar-stars]

Shokugeki no Kimiko à la carte Series - Childhood Fantasies and Teenage Denials

A/N: The tale on how a Chieko’s favorite sweets got revealed to someone who seems to live to flatter her. 

“Come on!” Chieko’s young, light voice tried to yell over the chimes of Notre Dame’s bells in the distance. “Don’t be so slow!”

“We’re on vacation!” Her mother answered with a bubbly laughter. “The Louvre won’t be running away, Chieko sweetie!” Her husband next to her gave a light shrug, an adoring smile on his lips. “I cannot blame her.” “You’re a Nerd.” Was Yuki Marui’s prompt reply.

Before Zenji could come up with a witty response, Yuki’s voice swung into a squeaky tone as she suddenly took an abrupt stop to her walk and exclaimed. “Ohh! Look at that cute bakery!”

Zenji followed her pointed out finger and his eyes landed on a little shop with a few pots of flowers in front of it and a wall in pastel pink. The next thing he did was lifting his hand and calling out. “Chieko, wait a minute.”

The black-haired four year old stopped hopping down the street and turned with curiosity in her bright teal eyes. She began to pout. “I want to get to the Louvre!” But the second impatient woman in Zenji’s life already rushed towards the bakery. “Just a second, sweetie.” Was the last they heard of Yuki.

Zenji gave an apologising smile towards his daughter who had now also crossed her arms to underline how much she hated to wait. He slowly walked towards her then and reached out his hand. “Come on. Maybe you’ll find something yummy in the bakery and as your mother said, the Louvre won’t run away.”

For a few more seconds, Chieko fixated her father with her best attempt on a dark look. But in the end she did take his hand, albeit still pouting.

When father and daughter entered the bakery, they were instantly greeted with a warm, alluring fragrance and an excited squeal from Yuki. “Isn’t this a small, little dream?” The bakery was cozy and decorated most adorably, making Chieko’s insistent pout weakened a little bit just by entering.

Yuki stood by the counter, making enthusiastic gestures. Zenji gave her a slight nod, signalising he acknowledged her joy. He then turned his attention to the young man who presumably reached adulthood not too long ago. “Bonjour.” The male said in voice as sweet and warm as cooked milk with honey.

“Bonjour.” Zenji returned the greeting and came nearer. Chieko kept holding on to her father’s hand while also moving a little closer to him. Around strangers she was immensely shy.

In order to not have eye contact with the stranger she let her gaze sweep to the delicacies lined up behind glass, eyes wandering over golden croissants and fluffy-looking cakes. Her eyes came to a sudden halt however as a collection of round and colourful bits appeared in her vision. She couldn’t quite tell if they were a sort of biscuit or tart but they looked more than interesting and pretty to young Chieko.

“Are you marvelling the macarons, Mademoiselle?” A male voice that wasn’t the familiar one of her father suddenly brought her out of her awe and lead to a slight flinch of her’s. Wide-eyed, like just having been rudely awaken out of slumber, Chieko looked upwards, met the stranger’s hazelnutbrown eyes and immediately looked elsewhere. In a reflex, she also grabbed her father’s legs.

She heard a soft laugh. “Not need to be shy, little Mademoiselle.” It was followed by an exclaim of her mother. “Did you say macarons?” A hand begun running through Chieko’s hair and her father’s voice comfortingly murmured. “Chieko…”

With that small encouragement, Chieko cautiously turned her head upwards again. The man she didn’t knew was still smiling at her, encouragingly and sweetly. “Have you ever tasted a macaron, Mademoiselle?”

Slowly Chieko shook her head.

“Well then…” The man laughed. A laughter that filled the atmosphere with the most pleasant and comforting of merriment. “There’s always a first and I would be honoured to serve such a cute, young lady her first macaron.” His attention went on Zenji, who had just been about to open his mouth. “It’s on the house. If you don’t mind.”

Yuki hugged her husbands’s arm and grinned at the baker. “I think that’s a wonderful idea!” She gave an energetic nod. “Pistachio or Lemon would be perfect.“

“Understood.” The Baker responded, with a sparkle in his eyes. Chieko then watched how his plastic-gloved hands reached out for a green macaron presented behind the glass. Just a few minutes later, it was held out to her accompanied with what was the most charming smile Chieko believed to have seen in her life at that point. She whole-heartedly thought it was capable of melting ice.

“There you go, Mademoiselle. Your first macaron.”

Chieko continued on to fumble around with her skirt at first, then she turned to her parents a last time who both gave her a nod. One subtle, the other energetic, but both supportive.

And so, Chieko ended up slowly reaching out her hand for the green jewel that was held out to her. Once she had took it, the baker hummed. “You know they said that Marie Antoinette was crazy about macarons.”

Images of a cartoon woman in a very puffy, overloaded dress flashed in Chieko’s mind. She had seen it in the children’s book about France her father had bought her before the travel.

“Marie Antoinette?” She therefore exclaimed with those certain eager stars in her teal eyes that always started to shine when she learned something new.

The baker chuckled at that, his heart touched by the sight of an excited child. “Yes, Marie Antoinette.”

With her curiosity finally being brought beyond the roofs, Chieko lifted the sweet, green gem in her hands to her lips to take a bite.

The familiar, beloved flavour of Pistachio streamed through her paired with an exquisite sweetness that made her heart jump a little in instant joy. Her eyes radiated with surprise and happiness while the ends of her mouth lifted them self upwards in satisfaction.

She wanted to compare it to a magical spark out of the wand of the fairy godmother. Taking a bite of those so-called macarons and letting their fresh, elegant sweetness melt in her mouth felt like being transformed from a normal girl to a beautiful princess if only for one night. A glowing crown resting on her head. A wide, silky dress with a skirt that flowed in the wind and sparkled in light green.

“That tastes absolutely amazing!” She gushed with reddened cheeks.

A jolly laughter escaped the baker at that. “That makes me very happy to hear.” He set his focus on the parents again. “Enchanting people is part of the reason I do this job. And it’s especially delightful if it’s such a small person.” His smile grew a little once again. “A lovely daughter, you got there.”

A few minutes later, the small family left the bakery with a box of multiple macarons which Chieko proudly held in her little hands.

“Can I also have one?” Yuki leaned forward. Chieko clutched the box a little closer to her chest with another playful pout. “Later!”

Yuki behind her laughed. “Looks like this was a truly life-changing day.” Teasingly she eyed Zenji. “And it wasn’t because of the Louvre. Go figure.” “Just you wait.” Zenji adjusted his glasses, before scratching his chin. “But you’re right. This might become a real obsession….”

Another giggle escaped Yuki. “It better be something her future love will keep track of.”

Chieko only looked at the neatly packed treasure chest in her hands. Afterwards she turned her head upwards to meet her parent’s eyes. “He was like a modern prince, wasn’t he?”

“He’s much too old, don’t you think.” Zenji pretty much talked before he thought. It was another thing that Yuki considered hilarious. Once the next hearty laugh was over, she turned to her daughter. “Your father is correct. He’s a little too old for you my dear. But I am sure someday, when you’re in the right age, you will find the perfect prince for you. And he will gift you macarons.”

Zenji grimaced slightly, while his bubbly wife immediately assured him in humoured manner that it will still take a little while. Chieko only put her focus back on her box, while her very young, dreamy heart already constructed it’s rosy fantasies.

—

Ten years later, Chieko had grown from a timid, little girl that would hide behind her father’s legs into a still not all too tall but ultimately more grown girl that had gained a bit more bite for herself through repeated battles over the rights to her dorm-room in one of the most battle-hearted and merciless academies imaginable. Her undying love for macarons however was something that had stayed ever since that visit in the bakery.

But right now, our third year in Totsuki’s middle school division had greater worries than sweets.

“What are you doing here?” One step out of her favourite place, Totsuki’s library, and Chieko’s brows sunk downwards. The person she eyed so darkly and so suspiciously only chuckled. “Good Day to you as well, Marui.”

Chieko let out an indignant huff before setting in motion again and putting a lot of speed into it so she could walk past the highschool first year in front of her as quick as possible.

Shigeo Eizan however didn’t took the dark hair flowing past him as the end of the conversation that it was supposed to be. His everlasting smirk growing he merely began walking as well, quickly lining up next to her with just a couple of steps.

Chieko looked into the opposite direction, not intending to acknowledge his existence. But no matter how hard she tried to focus on the faculty buildings, she felt his sharp eyes burning on her.

“How are you, Marui?” The older teen beside her asked. “You looked very happy when you exited. Did you read something interesting?”

Chieko tried to intensify her glare on her surroundings as she gruffly replied. “I was happy until you showed up, senpai.”

“Such hostility.” He gave another chuckle. “I assure you, my approach to you has good intentions.”

Chieko took an abrupt halt and swirled into his direction, lightning flashing in her eyes as she sharply accused. “You don’t do ‘good intentions’! Ever! You’re Shigeo/senpai! It’s not a part of your persona! It’s not in your DNA!”

Shigeo remained absolute tranquility as he also stopped and made a slow, smooth half-turn to face Chieko completely. “You make it sound like I am the lord of Hell himself.”

Chieko’s eyes narrowed. “Am I wrong?” Shigeo leaned forward a little, his voice lowering a tad bit in volume. “Why don’t you find out?”

Chieko felt the heat rushing into her head and hated herself for it, which is why her voice got quite loud as she gave her answer. “Why should I?!”

Shigeo kept quiet for a few more heartbeats, more and more quicker heartbeats on Chieko’s side. Then he brought out a black box with a white silk-ribbon bound around it and pushed it into her hands. “Here’s an offer.”

Utter confusion spread on Chieko’s round face. Then a sense of suspicion mixed into it. “What is this?”

Shigeo leaned backwards again while keeping his self-confident eyes on her. “It’s theatre-tickets, Marui. They were given to me and I’d like to enjoy the play with someone intelligent, so I thought it would be best to invite you. Maybe I will finally be able to convince you to work for me on that occasion.”

Chieko gave a quick and hardy “No”, but what she couldn’t deny was her awakened interest on what play the upperclassmen has received tickets for. And also why he needed such a box in that size just for two tickets.

While still giving his way too content with himself face an occasional glare, she unwrapped the box in her hands. However the moment that she opened it, all wariness evaporated from her face and a gasp escaped her.

The first thing that fell into one’s eyes was the ticket reading “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with one of Tokyo’s most finest theatres listed as location. But what truly had sucked the air out of Chieko’s lungs was the unmistakeable assortment of vibrant colours underneath the tickets, neatly separated by thin paper walls.

“Macarons!” Chieko exclaimed and was not able to hide a swing of joy in her voice and a light sparkle gleaming up in her eyes.

For a moment surprise hushed over Shigeo’s face, but it was gone very quickly. “Just a small little additional gift. I hope they’re to your liking.” He hummed and then lifted a finger to point at Chieko’s most beloved sweets. “They’re of absolute exquisiteness. Saito Momo made them for me and I think that’s all I have to say to give you an idea of their quality. Most of the girls I know like macarons. I’d say that their appeal comes from a sense of nobility in them. You know, Marie Antoinette was supposedly crazy about them.”

At that moment Chieko treated herself away from the enchanting sight by lifting her head. “That’s unfair.” She mumbled. “How the hell did you know this?” A second time surprise found its way on Shigeo’s face and this time it remained. “Hm?”

“How did you know this?” Chieko repeated herself. “That I am absolutely crazy about macarons?! That’s not fair!” She began shaking her head, her blushing increasing in the mean time. “You weren’t supposed to gift them to me! No! Not…You!”

Shigeo’s forehead wrinkled as he tried to follow Chieko’s ramble about how much she loved macarons but how she was somehow mad about him gifting them to her. Finally he tried explaining “I didn’t know about you being crazy about macarons, but…” The smirk at last retuned. “…I’ll keep it in mind.”

“No!” Chieko squeaked and began making some hectic gestures with her right hand. “You won’t keep that in mind! I don’t allow it!”

Shigeo only responded with an amused chuckle, while slightly shaking his head. Chieko stared at him for a couple more seconds, face burning and lips trembling as her brain refused to provide her with a logical and beneficial thing to say or do. “Just…Go and be evil somewhere or something! I…” She let out a sigh, to calm herself at least a little from the inner turmoil that had been rumouring in her. After a little bit of hesitation, she reluctantly said. “….I mean…all of my opinions on you aside, I should still say ‘thank you’. So thank you, Shigeo-senpai. For both the tickets and the….macarons.”

“No problem.” Shigeo purred. “I hope you will come along to the theatre.”

“We…We’ll see!” Chieko stammered. Then she stomped on the ground, tried to regain her posture and announced. “But now I will go! We’ve talked too much already.”

“Have a nice walk home, Marui.” Shigeo responded smoothly. “Always a pleasure talking to you.”

Another huff was what he received back, before she twirled around and began marching away, the box clutched to her chest where a more than conflicted heart was beating.