Spagonia Annual Super Food Festival

((A little note before we kick this off: I haven't used this character in aaaages, so I'll probably be a bit rusty. This is a chill RP with no real set plot yet, so it can go any direction! If you wanna join, please do~! I'm starting this with the intent of not too much ruckus taking place and it just being a chill character interaction RP, but if you have suggestions or ideas on which direction to take this in, you can DM me or message me in Discord! (I'll probably reply quicker on Discord than forum DMs though))


The Annual Super Food Festival! A lovely cosy winter celebration where cooks, bakers, dieticians, food experts and food lovers from all over the world gather to celebrate their native delicacies and to try out other people's specialties. Some stands offered advice on proper diets, other stands would offer recipies or free samples of dishes. There were even some workshops people could attend to learn a certain skill or how to make a certain dish! 

One of the attenders of said festival was a short red panda. His temper made up for his height, as could be told every now and again when he had a short outburst at either himself or one of the people he had taken with him. The man had a Japanese accent, and was dressed in a traditional chef's outfit. His long, black tipped hair was neatly tied up into a tight ponytail, and he overall seemed very professional in his appearance.

Some people might have already heard of this man: Takeshi Yoshida. He ran a few really high-ranking restaurants, and rumour had it that he was working on his own cook book as well. He specialised in Eastern delicacies as well as cocktails. The panda always managed to give his own twist to recipies and dishes, leaving his signature on everything he made that way. 

At this moment, he could be found taking a small break between running a workshop and a small 'panel' of sorts at his own stand. The workshop had just finished and he was waiting for his talk to begin, but he also seemed open for casual conversation as he strolled through the narrow paths filled with people, checking out some stands left and right to try some foods, look at some recipies and chat with his coworkers.

Spagonia! A beautiful city, admittedly not the most exotic place on the planet but today... my god today was an exception. It was the Annual Super Food Festival, and you could believe that on a winter like this, people from all over the world brought their exotic, their delectible, their rare and unheard of. Their Food of course! The culture of the mouth, the societies of the tastebuds, the traditions of the tongue! There was so much to learn, the best part, it wasn't just a market. There were Workshops, Tutors, Advisors, Recipes, the lot. You could learn the history of a certain meal, where its resources traditionally came from, it's significance, why it came about, you could learn the techniques on how to properly prepare an ingredient, most often cheaper than storebought to boot.

Getting laid off halfway through a business trip didn't seem so bad, at least Apotos was on the same continent, so the trip here was not as expensive as it could have been, and frankly the Ibis likely wouldn't have been able to make it anyway had he been elsewhere. Now that he was here, it was an absoltue blast. Free samples where not his favourite part, no, what he had so far spent a great amount of his time doing was discussing the appropriate handling of certain ingredients for certain dishes. While things could be cooked the same way, they needed to be treated differently for depending on how they were to be presented. Which was truthfully fascinating and had captivated the bird's attention for quite some time.

Despite his inability to purchase any new clothes, Reginald had at least been able to get his best suit washed and cleaned before arriving, and was currently sitting at a workshop on boiling carrots, comparing two rather exotic dishes that called for the cooked roots. It was, after all, an annual worldwide event, and so while it was no surprise for famous individuals to be attending, it was no less pleasant to see none other than Takeshi Yoshida attending. 

Reginald had, while still employed, been able to enjoy a visit to one of his high-end restaurants... once. And while the prices were likely a little higher than they might have been worth, it wasn't going to be a meal he would forget any time soon. If he could he'd hopefully get an autograph, perhaps on a handkercheif? Reginald didn't really have much else on him, and the idea of having the autograph taken in to get embroidered for a more permanent design amused the Ibis. He apologised to the man currently running the workshop and to the woman he had been sitting next to as he stepped away.

Reggie wasn't in any hurry, but rather enjoying his time, getting nostrils full of the scents and spices from each stand as he walked past but carefully ensuring that the person he wished most to meet would not be dissapearing as Yoshida himself was walking amongst the shops.

Takeshi had stopped a few times at a couple of stands, taking in what was going on there before moving along. Some things he already knew, some things were the sort of stuff he wasn't entirely interested in such as pastries and coffee art. He wasn't specifically looking for anything, but whatever he could find about fast food, he would take a minute to listen in to what the chefs were talking about. It might have come across as a strange interest for a fine-dining chef, but he had been working on an experiment of sorts, hoping to be able to integrate Western fast food culture into his own dishes. It was... a challenge to say the least, so anything he could learn here, would be of tremendous help to him!

About 30 metres away from where he had last stopped, the red panda noticed another stand, this time discussing burgers and the basic steps behind creating one. Which were the key ingredients, which ingredients worked best together, what flavours to avoid mixing and whatnot. This would.. possibly be useful to him? Takeshi was already quite well adversed in the world of flavour, but this was mainly focused around fish, spices, vegetables and other things one would find in a traditional Eastern kitchen. This information might be worthwhile listening to. 

The man took a notepad out of one of the pockets of his chef's jacket, as well as a small pen and started scribbling along to what the man presenting the theories was saying. Takeshi seemed quite absorbed by the workshop, completely immersing himself in the other man's words, trying to imagine the combinations he was talking about, what he could change about the core ingredients and how to make it work with his own dishes. He was starting to get some ideas. Tiny sushi burgers, with thin buns made of rice and several layers of very thinly sliced sashimi, a soft pepper mayonaise and perhaps some cucumber? Possibly some soy sauce on the side, and the usual offering of wasabi and pickled ginger. Or maybe something a bit more daring, by trying to fry several vegetables into chips and serving them with something else? 

He took a small break from scribbling in his notepad to check the time and stretch his back. He still had a little while before he himself had to start his own stuff back up again, so he decided he'd stay and listen for just a little longer to this man who almost seemed to be a wizard of fast food.

Indeed, even while keeping a careful watch on Yoshida, the ibis found it very hard to resist stopping at a few stalls on the way, even to just catch the aroma or the odd word of a tutorial or demonstration. There was just so much to learn here, so much culture. Being a long-beaked mobian meant that some items just simply weren't suited for him, including the pastries, but there were certain things that he found extremely interesting, and even took some time to properly converse about their preparation. Beans, were a favourite, and there were a few workshops Reginald stopped at on his way to meet the renowned chef.

Reginald didn't have anything to take notes on, but if he had there'd be loose pages everywhere, a clever detective would likely have been able to follow the trail and track down the Ibis based solely on the pages that would have inevitabely fallen out of his book. Even any autographs he obtained would be rushed, hence the suggestion of a Handkerchief. 

After his not-so-short detour through the market in persuit of Takeshi, Reginald found himself only a few stalls away from the red panda. A surprsie to be sure, as he turned to see him barely a few metres away. Even more surprising was the stall at which the master chef stood. A... fastfood guide? Perhaps taken a little aback by the unexpected behaviour of certainly the best chef Reginald had had the honour of dining under, he tried and failed to make his way over as discreetly as possible.

"Hello, uh... Mr... Takeshi... Sir?"
The ibis's feathered hand reached for the panda's shoulder but hesitated and drew back to Reginald's side awkwardly.

As the ibis approached the stall Takeshi was standing at, the red panda continued his scribbling again. When he got addressed, the man raised his index finger. "One second please." he would say as he continued to write down one last note before turning around to see who had spoke to him. He took a small second to look at the stranger before putting away his notepad and his pen and crossing his arms. He seemed to look a little impatient, but in all fairness, it wasn't quite the case. Fair enough, he was a little taken aback by being pulled away from the workshop, but what did he expect? He was at a festival about what he was known for: food. Of course he was going to be recognised. 

Totally not cocky at aaaaaaalll.

"Can I help you?" His accent strongly indicated his foreign heritage, but he was easy to understand, albeit a bit brash. Despite this, he didn't sound like he had a bad disposition towards being talked to in public, and he even flashed a small smile before letting his face relax back into his "grumpy old man" face.

The ibis nodded and stood patiently, his long slender beak bobbing as he did so. As he stood and patiently awaited a moment of the short red panda's time, Reggie tried to think of the implications of the fast-food stall. After all, Takeshi had to be here for a reason, things were surely very busy for the famous chef, so for him to take the time to come here must mean something. Well, if it meant there was going to be any cheaper menu options in the future, the Ibis was happy.

The Ibis gave Takeshi a big, and perhaps even stupid, grin once the man turned to face him, "It's an honor to have a moment of your time Takeshi, sir. Sorry for you time, could I trouble you for an autograph?" He tried to say as articularly as possible, but it only came out as "Oh, uh... Hi... Takeshi Sir... Could I have an Autograph?", which was embarrassing to say the least.

((I'm so sorry for the short post and for taking ages to reply. Real life's been crazy and super stressful, especially with the current ongoings ^^; Thank you for being so patient <3))

This wasn't the first time in his life Takeshi had been asked for a favour in the form of an autograph or a photo, and it certainly wasn't the first time the person who was asking him for said favour was nervous. However, it was still quite amusing to him. After all, he was still just a simple Mobian, just like everybody else. 

The man chuckled slightly before reaching into his pocket with his left hand for his pen. "Of course you can! What would you like me to write it on?" He paused for a second before reaching out his right hand to offer a handshake to the tall ibis across from him. "It's always nice to meet people. What would your name be?"

((No worries, yeah the stress is pretty real atm °Д°))

Indeed, it was difficult for any individual not to be nervous when asking for an autograph from even a semi-famous individual like an online spokesperson, but this was Takeshi and the big bird tried hard not to tremble in the presence of the renowned chef. So taking all of that respect and flipping on its head, it was extremely awkward when the ibis brought out the small hankercheif that had been resting in his pocket. Thankfully it was clean, he didn't really have much use for it, but it was definately an uncomfortable thing to offer forward.

"Name's Reginald, Sir." He said, quietly, accepting the handshake "This is all I have on me at the moment, It's clean, I haven't used it at all." Reginald held the handkerchief in his hand, showing it to Takeshi in case he changed his mind.

"Ahh, Reginald. That is not a very common name, is it? Very unique, I like it." Takeshi would reply as he took the handkerchief from the ibis. The man tried to scribble down his autograph onto the fabric, but it was quite difficult without a solid underground. "Ah, uhm, please give me a minute." he said as he took out his trusty notepad before draping the fabric over it. This way the pen would actually be able to write properly, and enable him to fulfill the man's request. 

With a few swift movements the red panda had written his name and crossed it a few times, putting down his signature. "There we go!" he exclaimed before handing back the handkerchief and smiling brightly at Reginald. "So, mister Reginald, what brings you to a fair like this one?"

The ibis chuckled, ridicule was more often than not the general response to his name, it was 'posh' as his ex co-workers would say. Takeshi didn't seem to mind though, which was more than enough of a relief for him. He felt his long beak curl into a smile, "Why thank you sir, and of course." Reginald put his hands behind and rocked back and forth on his heels his back as the chef signed his handkerchief.

He was at least a little bit excited, and while autograph collecting wasn't his thing, there was no way he was going to turn down the opportunity, so here he was. The ibis took the handkerchief back from Takeshi, his face a little red with fluster at the spectacle of being  this close to a celebrity. And with all this anxiety, Reginald just about exploded when the panda initiated some small talk, "Oh uh- well I uh..." He scratched the back of his somewhat leathery Ibis head, "I got laid off and was in town so I figured why not? Plus, culinary arts is something that very deeply fascinates me." 

The well dressed bird stood there silently for a moment, and then awkwardly asked, "What about yourself?" He cringed at how stupid a question it was, world reknowned chef Takeshi Yoshida at a Super Food Festival? duh. But the hole was dug.

Takeshi chuckled at the question of the ibis. "Haha well I am here to do master classes and demonstrations. I think I am one of the main guests? Is that the right term?" The red panda smiled awkwardly as he struggled to find the right words. Speaking sure wasn't his best quality, and it showed. 

Then suddenly, his phone rang from his pocket. It was the alarm he had set to signal it was time to head back to his stand and prepare for another cooking demonstration. He quickly grabbed it and swiped away the alarm, silencing it. "Ah, I am sorry sir, I'm afraid I need to return. Enjoy the rest of your day here, I hope you try some really nice food and learn some more skills!" he would say to Reginald before speeding off to his own little designated spot again.

((There we go, all finished up. It's a little short of an RP, but that's because life kinda happened and time is scarce these days ^^; ))

Reginald chuckled again, a bit more nervously this time... Of course Master Chef Takeshi was here as a main guest. It was a silly question to ask, forced about by a bout of fluster in meeting the renowned culinary genius. He opened his slender beak several times to say something, but faltered and changed his mind midway through, each time.

Until the phone rang, that was. "No worries sir, I'll uh... I'll let you get back to that, sorry to take your time." He said quietly, but with a certain blushed smile on his beak. It was indeed an honor to meet someone like this, and the panda himself was rather calm and friendly about his manner, rather than many other Chefs the Ibis had imagined would be. He quietly folded the small handkerchief into a square and then slipped it back into the pocket whence it came.

That was a pleasant adventure!