A Midnight snack..., IC: Ze ISO: Nolan

[iNSaNiTY]

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Season:Winter l Date: 18th l Time:Late night

A smile tugged on Ze’s lips as he watched the gentle snowflakes fall, the white standing out from the dark night sky. It was beautiful. Amazing. Ze, in all of his 21 years, never seen snow before because his upbringing in a rather tropical climate. It excited him! This was the first time he was away from his home island. But at the same time, Ze felt homesick. For his friends, for his brother….for his mother, especially.

Ze rested his head against the window pane, the coldness of it making him shiver. In his lap, Mr. Rico, his little black kitten purred in content and he chuckled as it started to paw his dangling necklace. “Well aren’t you so happy, Rico?” He cooed happily. In response, Rico gave a ‘meow’. That made him laugh; Mr. Rico was the only part of home (excluding his necklace that his brother gave him), that Ze brought with him. And he was glad that he did.

Suddenly his stomach growled, making him laugh, again. Some things never change. Grabbing his red and black blanket off the bed to wrapped around himself; he dumped Mr. Rico onto his bed, who, in turned hissed out of surprise. He gave the kitten an apologetic smile before slipping on his slippers, and shutting the door behind with a flashlight in hand.

It was a short walk, from his room to the front desk, but it was still dark. It must have been midnight or close to it because it was eerily quiet in the halls and lobby. With his flashlight on, he navigated his through the furniture in the lobby making his way to the dining room. If he remembered correctly, on the other side of the dining there was a door to the kitchen. His stomach grumbled again in anticipation for food, as he turned the knob to the kitchen.

Ze switched on the kitchen’s lights and off his flashlight, rushing over to the fridge. His face fell when it was just ingredients, no dishes actually in there. He sighed, pulling out milk and eggs, “Looks like its hotcake time. Now where’s the flour and honey….”

[Eiruna]

Season: Winter l Time: Midnight l Tag: Ze l Notes: Love how you started ~

Midnight cravings... those were the worst. Nolan, no matter how hard he tried, could not resist getting some munchies around that time. He'd visit the market often to buy some snacks, such as bags of cheese puffs, chips, candy, already popped popcorn... you know, those super healthy snacks that parents always encouraged kids to eat late at night? Heck, Nolan was a grown man, he could eat whatever he wanted! Growing up his mother sometimes caught him in the kitchen late at night, digging through the cabinets and sneakily trying to prepare some food. Even as a child Nolan was a rascal and he never out-grew that. A kid at heart, he didn't like the idea of growing up. He was 20 years old now but still acted like a 12 year old as his mother would say, but Nolan was trying to not let the duties of an adult weigh him down. There were many things Nolan refused to forget about, and midnight munchy-time was one of them.

Laying on his bed, Nolan sat with his legs crossed and his hand digging through the bag of bite-size candy while watching TV. There weren't really that many good programs on this late but he couldn't get any sleep and felt hungry. Stuffing a small chocolate bar into his mouth, Nolan watched as on the television a man was running down the street as some people dressed in black suits chased him. "Run, Jimmy! They're catching on to you, run faster!" Nolan shouted at the screen as he finished chewing his chocolate. His eyes widened as they began shooting at poor running Jimmy, placing his hands on his knees and leaning forward, "They have guns too!? What the heck!" Jimmy tried going around the corner of a building, the street lamp lights flickering with no one else around. These action movies always had Nolan cheering at the screen, getting very into watching it and forgetting that none of that was real but acting. He felt scared for Jimmy as he tripped over the sidewalk, falling down. Unfortunately, the movie was almost over, and poor Jimmy ended up getting shot by one of the suited men. "NOOOOO! JIMMY, DON'T DIE!" Nolan shouted at the TV screen as the victim tried standing up but the bullet pelting him knocking him back down. In frustration, Nolan threw some of his candy at the screen, causing each piece to bounce off and fly into random spots of the room. Jimmy, indeed, died and the dramatic narrator began speaking. Grabbing a pillow, Nolan flung himself flat on his stomach on top of the bed while wailing into the pillow, kicking his legs behind him. The ending was not what Nolan wanted-- he hated it when people died in the end like that after making the audience watch their journey!

Now that Nolan was completely heart-broken and angry at the directors, he wasn't in the mood to watch more TV. Holding his bag of candy, he put on his kitty sweatshirt to cover the plain, sleeveless white T-shirt that he slept in. His pajama pants were long enough to go to the floor and he slipped on some fluffy slippers. Nolan didn't have anything else to do in his room at the time and to get his mind off of watching that movie, he decided to go down stairs to maybe sneak something out of the fridge. Candy was yummy and all but he felt thirsty for some milk and wanted to eat something a bit more filling. Of course, that didn't mean Nolan was done chowing on the chocolate bars, so he grabbed the bag of candy and hugged it in one arm before grabbing his flash light and going out of the room. It was very dark in the hallways and Nolan had to turn on his flashlight to see. Those staying at the Inn weren't supposed to go out at this time, or even sneak into the kitchens but... a little secret Nolan had was that he went into the kitchen at this time a lot. No one knew and Nolan had a feeling he'd get fired for it but... but he needed to eat, and drink stuff that wasn't warm from sitting in his room!

Getting down to the lobby, Nolan snuck another chocolate bar into his mouth and his cheeks puffed out from shoving the entire thing in, quietly chewing as he kept the flashlight lowered. His slippers quietly stepped over the floor, only a single creak coming from a weak plank nailed beneath the rug, and as he drew close to the swing doors he paused. A light radiated from one of the tiny windows and it looked like someone was in there... since when did anyone but Nolan go into the kitchen at this time? Uh oh... were they getting robbed!? Slowly and cautiously Nolan crept up to the doors and peeped his head through the window but didn't really see anything. Huh. Maybe the cook accidentally left it on? Shrugging, Nolan smiled in relief to himself as he waltzed on through the doors and went around the table. "Alright, let's see if there any leftovers of the--" He began speaking to himself before his eyes rested on a man, digging in the fridge, and Nolan let out a surprised yelp. His arm let go of the bag of candy, accidentally tossing it and candy bars flying across the room. A second ago, Nolan didn't see ANYONE, but-- but, there's a guy, in the fridge, a-and... WHAT THE...!

[iNSaNiTY]

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Season:Winter l Date: 18th l Time:Late night

Ze ran his hand through his dark hair, his frustration and hunger growing. It didn’t take him that long to find the honey, the frying pan, and the other things needed in the recipe. He found all of it easily, but the blasted flour! While there was buckwheat flour, it wasn't the same as normal flour. Ze was going by the recipe that his mother used, and if anything, buckwheat pancakes were disgusting. It was the same, and buckwheat wasn’t as appetizing as normal hotcakes. If anything, he was all about presentation of food, even if it’s just him eating it.

He opened yet another cabinet, only to find it full of spice and seasoning. Ze narrowed his eyes; he could feel himself losing his cool any- what was that? He paused his rummaging of the shelves. He swore he heard the stairs squeak or something. Was someone up? Literary frozen to spot, Ze held his breath, and strain to hear something……

Silence.

He sighed in relief, muttering quietly, “This hunger is really getting to me.” Ze opened another shelf, nearly yelling out a “finally”. Finally, he found the NORMAL flour. He grabbed it, feeling a surge of excitement and vigor pulse through him, and waking his half sleep/hunger deprived mind. It felt good to be cooking after through almost a week without.

Ze hummed a little tune, a light and happy one, as he reaching across for the packet of eggs…only to find it empty. Of course. He shook his head and tossed the empty packet into the trash. He opened the fridge again….

And slamming his head against the top of it in surprise. He quickly stood straight up, staring wide eye at the man in a kitty sweatshirt. Ze silently cursed to himself, both to fact that he bumped his head and the fact he was caught making a midnight snack.

“What the-!” escaped Ze’s lips as the bag’s content spilled out at his feet. Candy bars? Did the guy tossed candy at him? Thoughts of his head pain and hunger were soon forgotten, as a laugh erupted from his lips. Even if it was obvious that he was caught now, and possible get in trouble but it was too funny, and it didn't help that the guy looked so darn cute in the kitty sweatshirt. Clutching his side, he managed out, “W-what were y-you trying to do with t-those, hehe, candy b-bars? Hurt me?”
Ze’s laughter died down into a giggle, and he sent the guy that stood across of a sheepish smile, “Uh, sorry for laughing…”He rubbed the back of his head, now slightly blushing from embarrassment, “I’m Zephyr Alderson, Ze for short. Uh….also I’m not a thief, just in case you’re thinking of that, too…”

[Eiruna]

Season: Winter l Time: Midnight l Tag: Ze l Notes: --

Not only was Nolan frightened from seeing someone in the kitchen, but the very person who startled him also reacted in a shock manner, bonking his head against the top of the fridge upon Nolan's surprised yelp. Whomever this other guy was didn't notice Nolan there either, leading to the both of them getting caught by one another for sneaking their way into the kitchen. Was this a food thief? Oh gosh, he hoped not! What if they tried gagging him and holding him hostage!? Nolan pulled his hood over his head to hide himself, almost an instant movement right after practically flinging his candy about. If this guy didn't see his face, then he wouldn't be able to see who he was and track him down!

Instead of an angry yelling or the stranger tackling him to the floor, threatening Nolan to keep his mouth shut about this whole thing, the guy was laughing. Laughing, like this was super funny. Nolan loosened his grasp on keeping the hood over his head to hide his face, a pair of gleaming eyes gazing at the man as he laughed. Seconds later, a smile spread over Nolan's lips and he let out a few laughs. Okay, so he admit to admit, this was pretty funny. Two guys being scared by each other in the middle of the night at a kitchen out of all places. Though, he wondered why a thief was laughing about getting caught in the act...

After laughing, the man looked rather sheepish as he introduced himself and tried assuring Nolan that he wasn't a thief. Since Nolan was rather quick to trust and a tad gullible, he instantly believed the man and gave a cheerful grin. "Oh, that's a relief! I thought I might have waltzed in on a food robbery!" He laughed again, this time in a less nervous way and quickly adjusting himself to the situation. Now that he got a better look at Zephyr, he looked harmless. "I'm Nolan, one of the waiters here." Nolan introduced himself with a warm expression before glancing around, seeing that some ingredients had been set out on the counters. "You like midnight eating too, huh? And here I thought it was just me!" He chirped and turned his head to look back at the man, his hood remaining loosely over his head and not hiding any of his face as it were before, "Are you making something?" Maybe as someone who was staff, letting Zephyr go through the ingredients here was a bad idea but Nolan broke the rules just by sneaking in so he wasn't a good position. Then again, Nolan wasn't a snitch and actually found it kind of cool that someone else came down here at night.

[iNSaNiTY]

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Season:Winter l Date: 18th l Time:Late night

Huh, Nolan? That was a nice name- at least nicer sounding than Zephyr- and he sort of like how it rolled of his tongue. Chuckling, Ze gave him the peace sign, “Well then, hey Nolan.” He seemed friendly enough, especially since the blond admitted to also midnight snacking like himself, despite the fact Ze was sure they breaking a rule- or two- for being here.

Ze nodded, now an easy smile played on his lips. “Yeah, I am. Making some hotcakes.” His hazel eyes lit up a little as an idea flashed in his mind, “I cook you some, too, if you want. It would be kinda lonely eating by myself.” Not really waiting for a reply, Ze went back to fridge to resume his search for the eggs. After a few moments, he pulled out a packet of dozen eggs in triumph, checking if it actually had eggs first, and immediately going back to the mixing bowl.

His soften smiled. When he and his brother were little, he remember how they use to wake up in middle, and how little Joey use to ask- well, demanded really- for him to make something as a midnight snack. Most, if not always, was hotcake because it was basically was only dish that Ze knew that didn’t take too long to make, and since it was his little brother’s favorite. Sometimes their mama would join them, but the most of the time it was just the two of them; Ze used to name nickname it as their ‘Midnight bonding time’, for it was the only time the two were really themselves without their father interrupting.

As he cracked the eggs, Ze decided to make some small talk with his new midnight snacking buddy. “So, how long have you been working at the inn?” He inquired, his eyes drifting from the bowl,the bowl he was stirring, to the blond with the kitty sweatshirt.

[Eiruna]

Season: Winter l Time: Midnight l Tag: Ze l Notes: --

When Ze told Nolan what he planned on cooking, Nolan's face brightened even more, his smile wide and sincerely happy as the young man looked slightly more excited. "Ohhh, that sounds yummy!" He cheered with enthusiasm. Hotcakes this late, oddly, sounded very good. Much more delightful than a bunch of candy bars that would give him a huge sugar rush then knock him out, leading him to having weird dreams. It happened a lot... and yet, he never learned. "Haven't eaten hotcakes in forever!" He sighed with the same smile as he bent down to the kitchen's tiled floor. Candy bars were scattered all over the place-- nearby him, under the fridge, beneath the tables, and some even managing to land on top of the counters. It looked like a sweet-tooth monster came in and farted candy everywhere! Nolan needed to pick all of it up to prevent anyone coming into the kitchen at morning and seeing that obviously, some 'kid' snuck in and left a mess.

While Nolan plucked each bar up and stuck them back in the plastic bag, Ze worked on getting out the eggs for his meal before going to the mixing bowl. "Ahhhh, these candy bars went everywhere! I wonder if these should be kept in handy in case there really is a burglar!" He teased, keeping himself at the floor as he ended up getting on his hands and knees to crawl about so he could grab them all easier. All smiles, Nolan thought that the idea of someone attacking a robber with candy was cool and unique-- maybe he should actually try that sometime! The wrappers could be rolled up into tiny balls that he could aim at their eyes. It was perfect! Not every piece of candy was found but all the ones from on the floor were scavenged and stored back to their little safe haven. Standing up, Nolan gave a victorious grin.

Ze cracked the eggs and Nolan, being easily amused like a five year old, watched as the yolk gooed from the shells and plopped into the bowl. Something about that seemed fun to do... Nolan didn't cook often and only really did the last time he went to a friend's house, so he wasn't the most experienced when it came to the kitchen unless if it involved digging through pantries or fridges. His mother never let Nolan near the stove since she feared he'd catch it on fire. "You want me to eat with you...? Are you sure?" Nolan asked, surprised that this man offered so kindly, though he looked rather puzzled by the offer. His smile vanished for a second before slowly forming again and he gave a small nod while playfully saying, "Thank you, kind sir~" Pulling up a stool that was at a nearby counter, Nolan set his bag of candy on the corner of it and looked over at Ze. "Been working here for about a year. My mom wanted me to get a job, so... here I am!" He explained, shrugging his shoulders slightly. This wasn't his dream job nor did he really like it that much, but it got him by. "I haven't seen you around town before. Are you new here?" Nolan asked curiously.

[iNSaNiTY]

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Season:Winter l Date: 18th l Time:Late night

Ze wasn't lieing when he found this cheerful man a little cute. His attitude was really upbeat, and find kind of adorable. It would be cool they could be friends or something, since he could really see himself becoming friends with the blond. Ze decided the eggs were beaten enough, and he placed the ladle down. He grab the packet of flour and poured it in; the powdery substance cascaded out of the package, sort of like how the snow fell outside. “Yeah, I’m new here. Actually, I just here arrived yesterday.” He paused to grab the honey, and squeeze a good amount of the golden liquid into the mixing bowl. “I moved from another Island that’s sort of a long way from here.” Ze moved on to the oven, in one hand he had a small pot that held the butter in it, and the other had the frying pan. "Are you native here?" Ze asked, as he placed each on a burner and switched both on.

Ze glanced at Nolan, before looking out the kitchen window above the oven. It was still snowing but now harder than before, coating everything Ze could see with white. “The place is really pretty, you know that, right?" He grinned, "Where I come from, there’s really isn’t snow, and it’s really beautiful.” He said quiet, his voice was cheerful yet there was undertone of sadness, too. Ze felt a slight déjà vu, now that he thought of the situation. Usually, his little Joseph would watch Ze cook and the two would often had small talks about lwork, life, etc. etc. The smile on Ze’s lips faltered for moment before he grinned again. This really wasn't the time to think about, was it?

“Hm, would you like any topping on your hot cakes?” He said, as skillfully pour the butter into the batter and started to stir it until the pale yellow batter was smooth. He then carefully poured it into the frying pan, making three small, almost perfect circles. It sizzled and the smell of it made his mouth water. Boy, it been a while since he had some hotcakes. Ze blushed when his stomach growled rather loudly, and looked at Nolan sheepishly. "Sorry. Heh, I didn't really have dinner earlier." Or decent lunch. Most of day was spent in his room, reading, playing Mr. Rico or watching the snowfall, eating a couple of bags of chips now and again, and sleeping through dinner the Inn was serving today. He blushed deeper when his stomach growled loudly again, demanding food to fed to it.

[Eiruna]

Season: Winter l Time: Midnight l Tag: Ze l Notes: --

Watching Ze prepare the hotcakes reminded Nolan of watching a cooking show in a live audience. His eyes followed the cooking man as he grabbed his ingredients and started to combine them, add more in, or grab another. With how quick and easily Ze worked, Nolan wondered silently to himself if this guy might have been a baker, chef, or had some kind of cooking experience. Nolan could never crack the eggs like that without accidentally getting pieces of shells in or somehow making it spill onto the counter! Honestly... Nolan was a messy klutz in the kitchen without supervision. Hence why his mother tried keeping him away from that area of the house unless if it were for dinner. Poor Ze, if Nolan was helping out, he might have somehow made the hotcake batter bubble into exploding all over the walls.

"Welcome to the island, then!" Nolan beamed with an innocent smile. There were so many people who came here and left... who could say if Ze planned on actually staying, but either way, Nolan loved meeting new people and befriending them. Hearing their different stories always fascinated him since he never traveled outside of Saffron or Pepper town. "My parents raised me here until I was a teenager, then my mom shipped me off to live with my grandparents in Pepper town. Came back here a year ago, though." Nolan explained, his smile becoming a little smaller as he rested a hand against his cheek with one elbow propped up on the counter. Pepper town didn't miss him, he was sure of that. Good thing he hadn't ran into anyone from that area since coming to Saffron-- his teen years weren't that enjoyable.

Perking up, Nolan gave a nod to the man as he complimented the island. "Yeah, a lot of travelers say that! Saffron has a lot of beautiful scenery. If you go to the Koseret Mountains, there's a really cool view of the stars at night and the best sunrise!" Those mountains were one of his favorite things about Saffron. One could easily get lost, laying on the very top of the highest mountain while watching the sky slowly change, becoming one with the universe. Nolan was an energetic person but whenever he came there, it was his quiet time. "You should check it out sometime! Definitely don't want to miss out on that." Nolan added with a grin.

Soon, the sizzling smell of warm food filled the kitchen like a sweet welcoming aroma. Man, that smelled really good! Nolan's stomach quietly rumbled and he gazed longingly over at the food. "Is there any maple syrup? Oooo or powdered sugar!" He gasped excitedly, the man already looking like he was going through a slight sugar rush. Was giving him more sugar a good idea? Who knew. "Gosh, it smells so sweet in here~" He chirped, loosely curling a hand into a fist and giving a very small pump with it as he cheered, "Yay for Hotcakes! I bet they're gonna turn out great!" Judging by how they smelled and how Ze looked like he knew what he was doing, Nolan knew they'd be a lot better than the usual. Suddenly, Ze's stomach let out a roar and Nolan couldn't help but to laugh a but, raising his loose fist to his mouth. "Don't worry about it! Your stomach is just trying to tell you its ready to eat." He answered before lowering his hand, "Need any help with something?" It looked like Ze already had the food ready to cook and eat, but Nolan wanted to make sure he offered to at least do something.

[iNSaNiTY]

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Season:Winter l Date: 18th l Time: Late nightl Notes: Sorry its so short. This writing block made this take an hour and half to write >3<

With his head down and his cheeks still little rosy, Ze managed to stutter out, “U-uh, yeah. Could p-pull out the syrup f-from the fridge? I-it would b-be great if you get the powder sugar and some strawberries o-out too.” Even though Nolan reassured him that his stomach’s growling was fine, he help feel embarrassed still. He wasn’t the most well-manner guy still, but wasn’t it kinda rude for your stomach to growl in front of a complete stranger? Plus, that little 'cover-the-mouth-with-hand' was really cute and had an urge to hug the kitty wearing blond. Ze blushed at the thought of hugging Nolan, making him mentally and phsycially, hitting himself on the forehead. Sometimes he thought of the most akward thing ever.

Ze let out a small sigh, and decided to turn his attention back to the hotcakes. Glanced down to the hotcakes, the tops of it now golden brown; he reached up into the cabinets beside the oven, pulling out a large serving plate, and nearly effortlessly, flipped the hotcakes in the air, catching them in the plate he balanced on his other hand in an almost comical way. He wasn't being a showoff or anything; it was just a habit he picked up from his mother, who always liked to make a spectacle of everything she did in the kitchen. He set the plate down the plate on the counter. He asked Nolan in off-handed way, “Umm, do you want me to put the powder sugar and syrup on your hotcakes or do you prefer to o it yourself?” Usually back at home, he put the syrup on the hotcakes for Joseph and himself, despite the fact his little brother use to protest to no avail. He almost let a giggle out when he realized that Nolan actually remind him a little of his brother when they were young.

[Eiruna]

Season: Winter l Time: Midnight l Tag: Ze l Notes: It's okay! I don't want to stress you out to post =]

Upon hearing Ze's request for assistance on helping bring out the syrup, powdered sugar, and strawberries, Nolan immediately stood up from the stool he had been sitting on. "Right away, sir!" He did a slight salute, though not in the way of a soldier saluting his captain since Nolan could never come off as that serious. Something about being in the Inn's kitchen like this so late and with another person made staying up a lot more fun... it was different than wandering to the fridge taking out leftover buckwheat noodles or sandwiches, and slowly sneaking back up the creaking stairs. Opening the fridge, Nolan hummed to himself as he brought out the strawberries and syrup by hugging them in his arms. Closing the door with the back of his elbow, Nolan safely delivered the ingredients to the counter. "Mission accomplished!" He informed Ze as he turned back to face him, smiling brightly.

Seconds later Ze had done a trick-- he flipped the Hotcakes up! And they didn't splat up on the ceiling or tumble down onto the floor! "Woahhh, that's really cool! How'd you do that?" He asked in awe, one hundred percent fascinated by how swiftly Ze did it. The guy didn't even blink an eye or look nervous about catching them on time. "You're a total pro!" Nolan wanted to try doing that... but sadly, if he did, a pancake might accidentally smack Ze in the face. It was safer for the both of them if Nolan just kept to the eating stage. Ze's offer to help decorate Nolan's hotcakes made the boy smile even more, pretty much being all-smiles ever since the two young men confirmed that neither were dangerous ninja thieves. Taking the syrup, Nolan flipped the cap open and tilted the bottle above one of the hotcakes. "Thanks, but I can do it." He said and tried to squirt some of the maple syrup out but it didn't come out fast enough. He squeezed the bottle more, only to end up accidentally drenching one of the hotcakes, "Ack, oops! I guess that hotcake drowned in a maple syrup flood..." Here he was, not even putting syrup on right when he was standing next to a hotcake-flipping, plate-balancing chef.

[iNSaNiTY]

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Season:Winter l Date: 18th l Time: Late nightl Notes: I mention a character that Olive gonna be posting soon (Just in case you get confused who's Carly is). Plus, I notice that Nolan is shorter than >3< Lol

Ze nodded as he went back to flipping the hotcakes but he kept an eye on the blond. For some reason, Ze got the vibe that Nolan wasn’t really that familiar in the kitchen. He watched as Nolan open the syrup, and before Ze could have stopped him, squeezed it too hard, drenching the hotcakes in the syrup; Ze let out a small laugh, “Guess it did. Man, you must be a sweet tooth or something. Then again, that would explain all those candy bars.” He teased, giving a small grin. Ze grabbing another serving plate, he flipped more hotcakes onto that one, “Here’s another one. I’ll just eat the one you did.” He took the plate of drowned hotcakes, “I usually drown my hotcakes in syrup anyways.” That was a little white lie, but heck, who cares? He wasn’t really jerkish person to just leave Nolan with the slightly ruined hotcakes, and since the batter pretty much was finish, there was nothing he could really do about.

Ze grabbed a handful of strawberries, and rinsed them under the tap; he placed them in a small bowl, and placed them on the counter. “So…you said you use to live in Pepper Town? Hmm, I know someone who lives there…” Ze said with a slight grimace. There was only one person that could bring that face- Carly Nixon. Though he haven’t really seen the woman in a while, he occasionally gotten letters every few days or so, and prefers if she didn’t. It wasn’t like he hated her, no, but he was that fond of her either. Although he doubted it, Ze was kinda of curious if Nolan knew of her or not.

Ze started cutting the strawberries, “I never really saw Pepper Town or any other place really, before. Saffron is the first…” He popped a strawberry in his mouth and chuckled a little, “Kind of sad, isn’t it?” Ze took a couple of the cut strawberries and placed them on top of the hotcakes, “You want any strawberries?”

[Eiruna]

Season: Winter l Time: Midnight l Tag: Ze l Notes: Oh, awesome! I have a plot to propose to Olive, then =D And yes, Ze is huge compared to Nolan! lol

Ze was right-- Nolan had himself a sweet tooth. He couldn't help it, candy and cakes and other sweet stuff were just so tempting! Of course, if Nolan fell weak to his cravings too much, then he got a horrible stomach ache afterwards... luckily, he hadn't eaten too much candy before coming down here. If anything, he still felt like a bottomless pit since candy never filled him up. These hotcakes couldn't have looked any more welcoming. Well, most of them did... except for the one Nolan accidentally drowned in syrup. Poor hotcake, got killed by even eaten! Ze laughed, finding it rather humorous, which made Nolan smile up at the man. Whenever he did something a little on the silly side and someone found laughed and didn't mock him, Nolan felt happy that he managed to make them smile. "Heh heh, yeah, sweets make my world shine brightly! Growing up, my mom used to scold me for stashing candy under my bed, but now that I'm an adult I can do whatever I want with them!" He proudly explained, puffing his chest up a bit and looking like a young child happy to finally be 'grown up'.

Kindly, Ze took the one Nolan had totally drowned to death with the syrup. "Awww, really? You're sweet! Thanks, Ze!" He had the temptation to hug the man, and probably would have if it weren't for Ze busily rinsing the strawberries. With his plate of yummy food, Nolan sat down and his hood loosely hung about his shoulders, the kitty ears leaning flat backwards. Nolan was too afraid that he might torture his hotcakes with the maple syrup again and just sprinkled some powdered sugar-- well, not just some, but a lot. It looked like snow was spread all over them. Grabbing his utensils, Nolan thought of eating but then decided to wait for Ze. Wasn't that the polite thing to do?

Pepper town. Oh gosh, Pepper town. The name was enough to make Nolan flinch and smile uncomfortably. His grandparents lived there and he loved them very much but... oh gosh, Pepper town. How much he... missed, yet feared that place. "O-oh, yeah? Pepper town is an interesting place! I went to high school there." Nolan still responded with a friendly tone of voice, though hoping that whoever Ze knew there didn't know Nolan. Through all his years, Nolan was always a happy person but... to put it lightly, he did some crazy things in Pepper town that he wasn't sure to find funny, admirable, stupid, or reckless. "Are you friends with that person?" Nolan asked curiously. Being a social butterfly, there was a high chance that he may have met them before or that they knew him-- which wasn't that hard, since Nolan got around a lot in that town.

Nolan's eyes widened at Ze. "You haven't been anywhere else before?" He asked in shock and suddenly, he set down his utensils and threw his arms up in the air enthusiastically, obviously not being at all tired in these late houses. "Man, me either! This place is all I ever see anymore!" He exclaimed, "I mean, there was Pepper town, but that's just an island away. It's nothing compared to what else is out there!" His arms dropped back to his sides as he let out a sigh, watching Ze slice the strawberries. "I really want to see what else is out there, like the city..." Nolan added in a quieter, calmer voice as his eyes narrowed at the knife in a bit more of a thoughtful manner. He'd been saving up money recently that would go towards a trip to the city, but Nolan knew it was expensive. He really just wanted to get out of his island for a season and see if the world outside of this place was better or if he was meant to stay here. Sadly, raising money all on his own was really hard.

Nolan got a little lost in his thoughts before snapping out of it and smiling softly at Ze. "Oh, sure! I wouldn't mind some fruit in my oh-so-healthy diet." He laughed, not being shy at all or hesitant to admit that he needed to eat healthier. Nolan would be surprised if Ze ate half the junk he did.

[iNSaNiTY]

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Season:Winter l Date: 18th l Time: Late nightl Notes: Using my ninja skills, I managed to type this in the middle of the night~ Plus, Cinnamon Island is the Island Ze's from ^{_{(courtesy of the name goes to Olive :>)}} And Animal Parade ref is here ^{_{(loves that game :>)}}

Ze chuckled at Nolan’s sarcasm and slid the strawberries over to him, his cheeks a little warm from Nolan's compliment. But the smile on his lips didn’t stay for long, when his thoughts drifted back to the blonde’s question about his ‘friend’ in Pepper Town. Friend wasn’t really the word to describe it- he, on one hand, did care for Carly like a sister and no more than that but on the other, there was a twinge of sadness when thought of her. Ze pursed his lips, thinking on what to tell Nolan about his ‘friend’. He just met the guy, so he wasn’t going to spill all about his past with Carly…

“Well, she’s sort of a friend,” he gave a frown, trying to word what he trying saying right, “but not exactly my all time favorite one, y'know. Her name is Carly Nixon. Have you ever met her?” He paused to take a bite of his hotcakes, “She's a little shorter than you, long green hair that's always in a ponytail, and crazy amount of piercings on her right ear?” But Ze doubted the chance of Nolan knowing her; Carly had the habit of Island hopping, visiting his home a number of times in the passing years, and other Islands too. She rarely stayed in Pepper Town for long before going to visit her friends on the other islands. Beside, it looked Nolan sort of uncomfortable with the topic of Pepper Town anyways.

“Yeah, I really haven't seen anywhere else beside here.” He gave a shrug. He gave a small grin at the blond and chuckled, “Well, at least I know we have something in common.” He grinned turned into a warmer smile and he looked at his plate, “My mama used to tell me stories of the Islands she use to visit in her younger days. Like the story of when she met a girl named…Molly, I think, who saved her Island by collecting and placing some sacred bells back in their places or something.” There a slight tone of jealousy in his voice when thought of the stories his mother told to him when he was young; traveling to foreign places was something he wanted to do, but he couldn’t really see himself doing that. There was a very high chance that he either return to Cinnamon Island one day or staying on Saffron. Although the latter place wasn't really a terrible place to live, especially if everyone here was as cheerful and friendly as the blonde that sat next to him.

He took another bite of hotcakes, this time savoring the taste a little bit longer. It been way too long since he ate some hotcakes, and he had to admit, that he out did himself, to his surprise. The sweetness of the syrup and the slight tartness of strawberries seem to blend perfectly; the hotcakes were still warm and fluffy. “Hmm, so how do they taste?” He asked nonchalantly manner, but the glanced he to the blond held slight nervousness. He couldn’t help it; he hated his cooking to be judge but as a baker, he had to get use to the prospect of it being judged.

[Eiruna]

Season: Winter l Time: Midnight l Tag: Ze l Notes: THIS IS SO OVERDO I ISH SORRY *sobs everywhere*

Carly Nixon.... Nolan thought about it for a second, bopping his head slowly side to side as he sort through his memory bank. Carly Nixon... Carly Nixon... there were a lot of people Nolan met, so it was sort of hard to put her name on a face. "Ummmmm..." He murmured as he curled a hand against his chin before shaking his head with a smile, "Sorry, isn't ringing a bell!" Honestly, if he truly had a big conversation with the person, he'd remember them since his memory wasn't that horrid. Chances were that if he ever did run into them it was a rather short meeting or just happened a very, very long time ago. "There's sort of a lot of travelers at the islands that come here then leave to see new places." Nolan said with a slight shrug, acting a bit more careless about that fact than how he truly felt. There were so many friends that he made only to see them suddenly leave for the bigger world... it was heart breaking and he tried not to think about it and to get over the fact that they wanted to move on with their life, but... he felt left behind, a bit.

Seeing Ze's grin turn warmer, Nolan's own smile broadened and almost looked goofy with how big it was. His hand left his chin and he sat down at the counter, swinging his legs above the ground as he held his fork and looked ready to dig in. Midnight snacking never looked or smelled this good before! He couldn't wait to dive into his hotcakes! As Ze spoke, there was a slight tone of jealousy in his voice but Nolan's happiness didn't falter at all. Some said that Nolan was a blazing ball of cheerful sunshine that would only gradually cool off. It took a lot to make him be upset or to feel any kind of negative vibes from someone.... which was sort of a good thing but at times made him a bit hard-headed. "Really? That's pretty interesting! I wonder how big those Sacred Bells could have been? Imagine if they were tiny-- losing them would be so easy, you'd have to be careful!" Nolan rambled with large eyes gleaming at Ze, showing that he was sincerely enjoying his time with the young man. He was just happy to have someone to talk to.

Cutting into his hotcakes, Nolan shoved the fork into his mouth and chewed slightly, his left cheek puffed from how big of a bite he took. Swallowing, he gasped and faced Ze. "They taste SUPER good! The best hotcakes ever, and I'm not kidding!" He beamed and wanted to give Ze a big hug for compliments but decided that he better not flail about and hug someone at the counter. He might accidentally bump their plates onto the ground and that would kill the delicious hotcakes. "You're a really good cook! Mannnn, I wish I could cook this good! Not even my mom makes Hotcakes like this!" He went on, jabbing his fork into another large piece of the food and smiling happily at Ze, "Thank you for sharing with me, Ze! You're really cool~" His moods were so high right now that he swore nothing could bring him down. Here he was, eating fresh food with a new friend. Shoving the forkful into his mouth, he chewed with his mouth closed while humming, his eyes closed and savoring the food. After swallowing once more, he kept his eyes closed but still spoke up. "You shouldn't be nervous about it. You have a real talent... if anyone ever tells you otherwise, don't listen to them." He told Ze, opening an eye as he warmly gazed at the brunette.

[iNSaNiTY]

Season:Winter l Date: 18th l Time: Late nightl Notes: FINALLY SAT DOWN AND FINISH THIS X3

He felt a little relief when Nolan said he didn't know the woman- heck, he was a little jealous. Knowing Carly was something Ze regretted sometimes (but deep down, he knows he doesn't). "Well, knowing that Green-haired woman, its safe to say your not missing much," Ze muttured under his breathe. And it was true, at his case. He remember his childhood bombarded with that woman's surprise visits, how she use to drag him away from his friends and Joseph to God knows where, and him running from her countless years during his teenage years. Her flirty personality was a little too much for him to handle, and he knew her for years. He couldn't imainge if Nolan met her.....Okay he can, but he was going to say it might scar him if he does. Ze truly worried for the innocence of Saffron if that woman ever arrived.

His cheeks flared up from compliments the blond gave but he gave a pleased smile in return. It wasn't like he was egotastic or anything, it was more like that enthusiastic response reminded him a little of his best friend's Melody and to lesser extent, Joseph too. But still...there were tons of people that could make better hotcakes, for example: his mom. It was heavan to taste hers, and never really did make them that much, so that delicacy even more sought out by both her sons and their friends. "I w-wouldn't say that, but thank you. Actually, I really appreciate you saying that." he said in a bashful manner, fiddling with what little remain of his hotcakes. Then the thought struck him- there was going to a point where he was going to end this nice conversation soon. He didn't want that to tell the truth; it was nice and a little endearing chatting with the cheery blond, plus the fact he was extremely cu- uh, nice. He blush grew deeper than it already was, and he glance at Nolan. Okay, he wasn't denying that he was a little attractted to the blond- there was something about him that made Ze wanted to cuddle with him or hug him. If only he knew that Nolan, also wanted to hug him....

"Heh, its funny how much and little you remind of my little brother, Joseph right now. That boy...quiet when it came to most things except when it came to hotcakes. It's sort of like someone flipped a switch or something, because of he gets as talkative as me. Or you, know that I thought about it." Ze chuckled a little now and gave the blond a happy grin. Then he grin faded into a little somber smile, "Hm, I wonder how Jojo is doing. To tell the truth, this longest time I ever been separate from him..." Probably worrying excessively or something. Joseph never was the type to be so independent without his brother, so for all he know, he bet he was aguring with his father about letting Ze come back or something. Ze to a bite of his food, but as cheery as before. Thinking about his brother reminded of his earlier homesickness, thus dampening his mood a little.