Tuesday Pt 2 Trusting the Gut

"Let's take a break."

Trusting to his gut intuition Walt had lead them down side streets and twisting alleys. There were gambling parlors, **** dens and more than a couple back alley tryst.

Walt saw a little Ramen shop. "Excuse us."

"Greetings customers! Sit wherever you like!" Said an Aika Nakamura.

They took seats and looked over the menu before deciding. "Two large Tonkatsu and some extra pork for my four legged friend."

"You got it! Two large Tonkotsu and a side of extra meat!" She yelled into the back.

"Got it!" Yelled a voice back.

"Anything else?" She asked.

Walt nodded after Ilulu pointed out what she wanted. "An oolong tea for the lady, a beer for me and a Sōma Yukihira special."

Everyone looked at him. There was ominous laughter coming from the kitchen and a Sōma poked his head around the corner. "Yo, pops! You sure about that?"

"I'd advise against it, dear customer," said Aika.

Walt nodded. "I'm sure. Lay it on me."

Sōma grinned disappearing into the kitchen muttering about peanut butter.

Aika set their drinks infront of them. "I don't know what your characters did to deserve that punishment but I beg you to reconsider, sir."

Walt smiled. "No, no. I assure you it's not for them, it's for me."

"Is it something bad?" Ilulu asked.

Aika nodded. "Always. Our shop got Sōma cheap because he is a little defective. His normal dishes are actually pretty good but his specials are only the disgusting ones."

"I see," said Ilulu. "Are you sure you want that Walt?"

Walt nodded. "I just got a feeling about it."

"Order up! Peanut butter tentacles! Happy to serve!"

Senko shivers and Kali looks at her. "Everything alright, Senko?"

"I just had a premonition... I think Master Walt will want a light, easily digestible dinner tonight."

The others find that odd and unlikely but keep their thoughts to themselves.

"Do you suppose they've run into bad luck?" Blake asked. "I hope not..."

Penny squeezed her arm. "It's OK. I believe in them!" She gave her a thumbs-up.

Blake smiled. "Thank you, Penny. I will too!"

"Oh, no. Thank you Blake for helping with this next cookie shipment!" They're filling a third extra large package. "We should be just in time before the courier arrives!"

"Well," Says Sōma with an excited grin. "How's that one?"

Walt chews and nods. "This ones great too. So disgusting! Adding the candy makes it sickeningly sweet while also gummy so it doesn't want to go down, which draws out the unpleasant taste and texture longer." Walt finishes the current special. "That one was also great, thanks. I'll take another, please!"

Sōma grins and pumps his fist. "You're welcome! Another special coming up!" He dashes back into the kitchen excited!

"Whooo... boy howdy!" Walt says and finishes his beer. "Aika can I get another beer and... oh and some chicken skewers for my friends. Thanks!"

Aika nods. "Sure. It's on the house. You've helped us draw quite the crowd."

Walt looked and she was right. They had drawn a rather large crowd of onlookers. He saw Ilulu watching him intently with her glasses on and her phone out. "Everything alright?"

She shook her head and Zwei pit a paw on his leg and whined. "Just can't believe you ate that stuff. Neo asked me to record it but It's a little crazy. People have started taking bets on when you'll have had enough."

"Or expire." Says Aika placing the Beer down. "The side of chicken and your special will be right out." She looks at Walt. "You've made him very happy though. Thank you for that."

Walt nodded. "My pleasure. They messed with his "spark", didn't they?"

Aika nods.

"What spark, Walt?" Ilulu asked.

"Believe it or not in his series he's one of the greatest chefs out there. He has a creative "gift" or "talent" for pushing boundaries and creating delicious foods. He'd make the occasional disgusting ones like the ones I've been eating but most of the time his cooking just kept elevating itself, like a true artist."

"Oh, I see..." she said. "You're saying that someone messed with that somehow leaving him the artistic wish to express himself creatively but only left him the bad stuff?"

Walt nodded. "It happens. Character experimentation. In his case I'd imagine some culinary group or something like it tried to distill his sense of good taste. Copy it onto a chip maybe or install into a food replicator, maybe. Once they'd broken their test subjects, rather than pay the exorbitant fee for a reset they just sold them off as used merchandise, probably in a lot to a dealer. Then a used character dealer sold them off individually. His normal dishes seem fine and even "pretty good" but that's not like him. They're usually excellent to phenomenal with the occasional price of the odd disgusting one from experimentation."

"But you keep eating them!" She said looking at the huge stack of plates and bowls. "That can't be good, Walt. I'm a dragon and not a picky eater and I definitely didn't want to try those!"

Walt nodded. "They're for sure nasty and gross... I've had to learn to survive on some nauseating stuff on my adventures and this is right up there with the worst... but look at how happy it makes him. He's still an artist but they reduced him to a gag fail Character. But he still wants to create and he's always loved and been proud of his "disgusting dishes" too."

Ilulu looked at him smiling. "You're a really nice guy, Walt. You like helping people or helping them to help themselves."

"Bark," Zwei agreed.

Walt shakes his head. "I try. It doesn't always work out but that's no reason not to try. Even if you fail ninty nine times, if you succeed on the hundredth try you can change a person's life. Maybe make it something better. You can't put too much stock in failures when it's the successes that actually matter. That's what keeps us going. That's what makes everyone so great! I believe in that, knowing even now people are trying their best. Just like he is. Like you all are. I always want to support people like that. Maybe because I was the underdog once. A wise man once said "success isn't the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success." I want to support others that way. Try to build their happiness like Penny does." He looked at Aika. "Aika are you all owned by the owner or the shop?"

"The owner," she said. "Why?"

Walt took out three of his cards and scribbled on the back of them. "These two are for you and Soma. Call me if your situation doesn't change. I'd like to try to help you out more. This ones for your owner. Tell him that's my offer."

"3S? What would we do there?"

"Well if we can get him a reset you all could teach classes. If that doesn't appeal to you we got bunches of bases with large cafeterias that are always busy with tons of hungry people. I guarantee either way you'll be treated well... and if that doesn't appeal for whatever reason maybe selling disgusting food can become a thing for yall."

"Thank you... we'll give it some thought," she said.

Walt nodded. "Can you tell me a bit about the place that sold you?"

Sōma comes out. "Order up! Grilled Squid Legs and Peanuts Soaked in Coffee, Habanero Sweet-and-Sour Pork Style, Stewed in Mint Sauce! Dig in! And you got it pops. "Donners New and Used Characters", but there ain't nothing "new" there. They're not far from here. Down a little ways make a right then a left onto the next street. Can't really miss them."

Walt grinned picking up his knife and fork. "Thanks Sōma."

Soma grinned too. "You're welcome!"

[What do you think?]

Manami nodded at Neo. "Yeah, great potential here too. Bigger than hot pepper challenge! Still though... we need to put a disclaimer. I can't believe Walt could eat all those! I think one alone would send a normal person into fits. He not only ate every single one but then gave detailed and thoughtful analysis of each dish. And that nuts guy ate it all up like it was a five star review! Blech! I... kind of wish I'd skipped lunch just watching! Either way, we'll break it up into a series of videos."

Neo nodded. It was hard to imagine... but somehow fun to watch. [So now we've got a variety of different things.]

Manami nodded smiling. "Yes! With the footage from before with the meme dancing and the buzz still going, we can now add disgusting food challenges, Penny baking cookies tutorials as well as dogs chasing catgirls. We need a bit more Penny content but your plan could work... and it could help keep her safe. I doubt it'll stop whoever is after her but if she gets more famous it might discourage their attempts."

Neo nodded. That was the master plan.

Manami looks thoughtful. "Let's try adding interviews with her as a person... she's very sweet and charming and even her "fuzzy logic" has a certain appeal. They do say Cute is Justice and we've literally got tons of it here as well as everything else including sex appeal across a wide variety of types. I think if we push the memes but also the "real" moments a variety of different people will fall in love with her. It could be good for Walter too! People love outdoorsy cowboys who can cook and if we can get a few of his unscripted, no filter "Cowboy speechs" they'll eat that stuff up. Stuff like him with the ponies the other day or that one just now, they'll eat up too."

Neo grinned and nodded. The likes and fame were probably going to be annoying but fine if this works, but they weren't the point. The point was to use it as a shield or at least an insulating barrier.

[I think she's just about to go ship her ridiculous boxes of cookies now. Might make some good footage] Neo grabbed Manami's hand and they were off to film more content!

[Walter Stark Penny Polendina F.R.I.D.A.Y Neopolitan Pyrrha Nikos Blake Belladonna Kali Belladonna Sienna Khan Willow Schnee Glynda Goodwitch Zwei Ahnassi Lifts-Her-Tail Senko Sayoko Shinozaki Roberta Cisneros Haruna Sasha Blouse Ilulu Raven Manami Aiba also with Tsuyu Asui Haruhime Sanjouno The Baroness Demona Mystique Pirotess Lydia Aela the Huntress and Serana

Will Return In

Tuesday Pt 3

Coming Soon]