As Akako pushed through the kitchen doors, he had slammed it open with such force that it almost seemed to rattle on its hinges, the hanging meats and herbs even swaying from the momentum as Akako all but collided into Hanako with a surprised yelp.

“Hanako!” Akako gasped, skidding on the tiled floor.

Hanako, who had been standing quietly at the sink, polishing the porcelain with the steady precision of a calligrapher’s hand, barely caught onto the plate before it could have slipped entirely from his fingers. Then, he turned, raising an eyebrow in his usual calm, almost bored manner, as if he hadn’t nearly lost a perfectly good dish to Akako’s theatrics. “What is it, now?”

Akako was doubled over, catching his breath, before he straightened back up, his voice about an octave higher as he beams with excitement.

“There’s a visitor! Like, a real visitor! Actually here, and he’d just walked in through the door!” His eyes were wide and gleaming, cheeks flushed with a mixture of cold air and glee. “You wouldn’t believe it if you saw him!”

Hanako’s raised eyebrow lifted just a bit higher. A full two millimeters- By Hanako standards, that was practically shock. Hanako’s lips appeared to part slightly, but before he could voice any sort of doubt, Akako had grabbed him by the wrist and yanked him towards the kitchen door, “Come on- Come on! Look! Right there- There!”

Peeking around the edge of the door frame, the two huddled near the frosted glass panels of the tavern’s inner doors. And sure enough- There he was. The stranger. Still seated at the counter like a statue, his massive form wrapped in thick furs and glinting metal, the chill from the snowstorm outside still clinging to his boots and shoulders. His posture was rigid, and the air around him seemed to pulse with cold and quiet tension.

Akako and Hanako stepped back into the kitchen.

Turning back to Akako, Hanako folded his arms, frowning. “What should we do, then?”

Akako made a face and gave Hanako a light punch on the arm. “This is a tavern! We serve him food, of course!”

He made for the menu pile, flipping through them with nimble fingers. But before he stepped back out, a strange spark of inspiration struck him, and Akako spun back on his heels as he looked towards Hanako with a mischievous grin. “Wanna take a bet on what he’ll order?”

Not understanding Akako’s sudden playfulness, Hanako only gave Akako a deadpan look at first. But then, as he glanced out the window and looked towards the lingering storm, a trace of understanding crossed his expression. It had been quite some time since Mystorica had seen its last visitor, after all, and Akako must be wondering if their knowledge of the greater Eternless region surrounding them still held true. At this, Hanako frowned with contemplation, and spoke, “Judging by his attire and build, I’d wager he’s from the northern reaches- Accustomed to root vegetables, stews, and broths thick enough to chew. My bet’s on the spiced venison hotpot.”

Akako wrinkled his nose and pursed his lips. “Too predictable! I’m going with the East. Trade routes, remember?” Akako flashed a quick smirk, “Sophisticated tastes; He’ll want something bold. Something with fish sauce or rice vinegar. Mm… Garlic-glazed pork belly.”

As the two rattled on about their predictions, they grew more and more invested with each menu item chosen. Then, with their beg and wager finalized, Akako grabbed the cleanest menu he could find and skipped out the kitchen door, brimming with barely suppressed eagerness and anticipation.