[Voice]

[thelastb1]

[A robotic, yet expressive voice speaks over the radio.]

If I could just ask everybody following this Convoy, for no particular reason...

What's your favorite food?

[There's a pause, before he adds]

Unless you're Akihiko. If you're Akihiko, stop listening. [He means that last part in a sort of tongue-in-cheek way, except that he has neither of those things.]

Comments

[undyingcrow]

I'm rather curious what Sanada-san did to warrant such a direct comment.

[...]

Was it the pancakes?

[thelastb1]

How did you know? [It's not necessarily surprising, anyone could talk to Akihiko and know about their competition. Still, the implication that he responded with no knowledge of the situation and simply guessed that Akihiko making pancakes was the inciting incident seems impressive.]

[undyingcrow]

I saw the stacks of pancakes, each filled with whatever he could scavenge, even if it meant putting jerky inside.

[But at least Akechi didn't have to eat those ones. No, he had the more mundane chocolate-filled variety.]

[thelastb1]

Well, I challenged him to a competition over it.

[Akechi seems offended by the notion. Roger's not sure why, but he notes that it means Akechi is probably going to be difficult to win over in the coming cook-off. He also reconsiders his own plans to make beef jerky pancakes.]

Rest assured, what I cook up is going to be better. [So Roger declares with a competitive bravado.]

[undyingcrow]

Oh? And what do you intend to create?

[A robot chef... That should be most interesting. If he can concoct something more exciting than pancakes, that would also be a plus, of course.]

[thelastb1]

Well, I want to start pretty close to the pancake/breakfast theme...

Do you know space waffles?

[undyingcrow]

Afraid not, but I am familiar with both Belgian and toaster waffles.

[They aren't Akechi's breakfast of choice, but the latter are especially common in the west.]

In Japan, we also have taiyaki, which are similar to a pancake or a waffle, but with filling, typically molded in the shape of a fish.

[thelastb1]

Space waffles are triangular, with a hexagonal grid pattern instead of square.

Now taiyaki... that sounds interesting. Do you know a recipe?

[undyingcrow]

So it's purely aesthetic? No differences in ingredients?

[That's almost disappointing...]

As for taiyaki, it's my understanding that it uses a batter similar to pancake, with molds to give them the fish shape. You place the batter within the molds with your choice of filling and then cook accordingly.

[thelastb1]

The aesthetic part is the only part I actually get to appreciate. [He sounds judgemental, there.]

But there are usually different ingredients too. You usually use polystarch flour in the batter. Very cheap. Very artificial. [Not unlike himself.]

Although I'm going from an entire galaxy of ingredients to one planet's ecosystem. Who knows what I'm going to be able to find? [As annoying as it may be, it's an interesting challenge. Limitation breeds creativity, after all.]

[undyingcrow]

So not unlike the foods offered in the mess hall.

[The porridge in particular is just so bland. Akechi may not have strong food preferences, but he has a sophisticated enough palate to recognize lackluster offerings.]

Still, that does leave me curious how different planets' and galaxies' ingredients compare. It's a scale far larger than anything an ordinary earthling could dream of, even with art and media exploring it on a conceptual level.

[thelastb1]

You'd be surprised how small the galaxy feels sometimes. [His entire existence has been a string of crazy coincidences. His life entangling with those of people who would become war heroes, stumbling into events of galactic importance, practically being named after the catchphrase of the battle droids only to become the last one. Things that would only seem to make sense if the galaxy was much, much smaller than it actually was. It's almost enough to make one think their life is just a part of one of those pieces of art and media, but perhaps that's why his own autobiography is of so much interest to him.]

[undyingcrow]

Then again, it's rather mundane to you, isn't it?

For someone who has only ever known one planet, such a scale extends far beyond my imagination. At most, I've experienced a parallel world born of cognition, but even it was fairly limited in scope.

[If only he could experience it for himself, rather than some vague facsimile in Okumura's Palace...]

[thelastb1]

I don't know about mundane... [There are mundane aspects of his galaxy, people who live mundane lives, but he knows he isn't one of them.]

Compared to that it is, though. [A reality created by thought is something so far out there even his galaxy would consider it fantastical.

Still, he can hear some of that envy.] You know, I was a starship mechanic back home. I could tell you about how they work. Maybe help you jump your planet's technology forward by a few centuries.

[undyingcrow]

[Oho... Opportunities to revolutionize technology? To change the world?

As a child, he would have excitedly jumped at the chance. As a jaded, older teen...

Well, it's still interesting.]

I admit, the subject does fascinate me. If nothing else, it could make for some fascinating conversation topics.