#Bonnat chocolate

[jhesite]

[danvy]

Where do you want to go today? #chocolate #chocolat #travel #health #bonnat #france (at París, France) https://www.instagram.com/p/CT7YsEPI8QP/?utm_medium=tumblr

[cocoamacaw-blog]

Review: Chocolat Bonnat Porcelana

Company: Chocolat Bonnat Terroir: Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela Blend or Single Origin Economics:  Values: Soy-Free, Vegan Price: Spendy! Sugars: 14 carbs/9g sugars per 33g serving

Summary from the Company: This extremely rare cocoa is grown at an ancestral plantation in Venezuela and has an annual harvest of less than 1000kg. The name of the cocoa originates from the porcelain white colour of its cocoa beans. This cocoa has a very balanced aroma and the complex flavours of the land of Lake Maracaibo, which will delight your palate. With its combination of strong fragrance and delicate flavours, this chocolate will captivate any lover of exception.

Holy roasted beans, Citizens!

I’ve gone off the deep end. Flown the canopy. Cracked like an egg.

Citizens, I spent $20 on this bar. I asked the human at the counter if it could possibly be worth that much. She admitted that she’d never tried it but the bar had been selling well lately. (I suspect this is because a Porcelana bar won an Academy of Chocolate award this year, thought it wasn’t THIS Porcelana bar.)

I thought... at some point you must take the leap.

I think, that while this is a very nice chocolate, it’s not a $20 chocolate. My first impression was that it’s very creamy. It’s 75% dark, but has a rich feel to it. I tried my hardest to pick out interesting flavor notes, but the best I could do was a hint of toast. I feel that if I’m going to pay a lot of money, a chocolate should stand out in some way. 

There were more interesting things going on in the much cheaper Marou line. 

I can appreciate wanting to preserve a rare cacao bean, though.

For comparison, I also picked up Original Beans Piura Porcelana 75%, wondering if perhaps it’s just the beans themselves that lack zing. I can report that Original Beans tastes completely different. But you’ll have to wait until next week for the full details.

Rating: 3/5

[atotaltaitaitale]

.

View from above of Voiron... home of Rossignol ski, Chartreuse liquor and Bonnat Chocolate! We even manage to pinpoint grandma and grandpa home.

The little white mark (it’s a Stone quarry) on the mountain on the horizon marks La Rivi��re and our summer house. It’s also the road to the South of France and La Vallée du Rhône.

[chocolatesnob]

BONNAT BON BON box

Not many French chocolatiers are mailing to the US at the present.I was looking at the Bonnat web site and discovered that they were one of the few With the Euro and dollar at parity it was a rare chance to get some Bon Bons  which are never sold in the US. The cost of the shipping was paid by the difference in price for the bars. They were half the USA price by buying directly from Bonnat. We all know that the Bonnat chocolate bars are among the best in the world and who knew they are kosher too!

So I bought a box of bars and a 500g box of their finest bon bons. Alas the bars are far superior to the individual chocolate. Good but not great. I was glad I tried them once since I would forever wonder what they tasted like. Quality and flavor varied widely since the flavors are all made differntly. The pralines held their own. However the caramels and liquor flavors were basically just filled chocolate nothing more. No blending like JPH or Maison. The dreaded goo! Sacre bleu! I was disappointed I think because the bars are of such high quality that I assumed incorrectly that the bon bons would follow suit.

If you are in Paris and you can pick the box it’ worth tying the pralines. The rest i am sorry to say get elsewhere. OK for a one time sampling but never again. Only the delightful creamy tasty bars. They are still king.

[martvin]

Chocolate and Wine pairing 🍷😉 which would you prefer? Domori & Amontillado , Valrhona & Palo Cortado, Cluizel & Pedro Ximenez, Zotter & Orangewine, Bonnat & Port, Stainer & Strohwein, Schell & Montilla-Moriles… #martvin #chocolates #chocolovers #domori #lustau #sherry #portwine #cluizel #schell #chocolatbonnat #stainer #projectxxx #valrhona #wineporn #chocolateandwine (at Neustadt bei Coburg) https://www.instagram.com/p/CfXI1bgtl0e/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[rugantino7]

Christmas ice cream😜😜😜🌲🌲🌲☃️☃️☃️🌲🌲🌲🧑‍🎄🧑‍🎄🧑‍🎄🧑‍🎄🧑‍🎄 #christmas #christmastime #festedinatale #babbonatale #santaclaus #holiday #holidays #vacanze #vacanzedinatale #natale #merrychristmas #buonnatale #feliznavidad #bonnatal #gelato #gelatoartigianale #gelatosiciliano #gelatomania #messina #icecream #cioccolato #panna #nocciola #chocolate #nuts #whippedcream #gelatocioccolato #gelatonocciola #chocolateicecream (presso Messina, Italy) https://www.instagram.com/rugantino7/p/CYHD35ZNGM6/?utm_medium=tumblr

[palavradigital-blog]

Missão em Portugal e França visou ampliação do comércio de chocolate baiano e das relações comerciais com paises europeus

Missão em Portugal e França visou ampliação do comércio de chocolate baiano e das relações comerciais com paises europeus

Após reunião com Emmanuel Legrand, diretor Comercial do grupo francês Egis, líder mundial na área de concessão e operação de rodovias com pedágio, que emprega 15,8 mil colaboradores no mundo, a comitiva do Governo do Estado liderada pelo vice-governador João Leão, secretário do Planejamento, voltou ao ‘Salon Du Chocolat’, em Paris,onde se reuniu com Messieur Bonnat, reconhecido como um dos…

[hoanq2802]

'Bữa tối Trump-Kim' sẽ được phục vụ tại Hà Nội

New Post has been published on https://khachsanthanhdong.com/bua-toi-trump-kim-se-duoc-phuc-vu-tai-ha-noi.html

'Bữa tối Trump-Kim' sẽ được phục vụ tại Hà Nội

nhì đầu bếp từng sẵn sàng bữa tối dịp hội nghị thượng đỉnh tại Hà Nội sẽ có màn tái xuất cùng thực đơn phục vụ nhì nguyên thủ.

Đó là một phần trong Tuần lễ ẩm thực Metropole Culinary Stars, diễn ra từ ngày 6 tới 13/10 tại KS Metropole Hà Nội. Các bữa tiệc do 18 đầu bếp hàng đầu trái đất chế biến với nhiều chủ đề khác nhau.

Trong đó, bữa tối nguyên thủ diễn ra ngày 10/10. nhì đầu bếp trực tiếp chế biến món ăn là Paul Smart và Aurélien Houguet, người từng sẵn sàng thực đơn trong bữa tối của Tổng thống Mỹ Donald Trump và lãnh đạo Triều Tiên Kim Jong-un. Thực đơn bao gồm khai vị cocktail tôm, bít tết thăn bò cùng kim chi, bánh nhân chocolate chảy và hồng sấy khô cùng mật ong. tiêu pha tham gia là 3,3 triệu đồng một người.

Bếp trưởng Paul Smart (thứ ba từ trái sang) tự sướng cùng đầu bếp Triều Tiên, thông ngôn và người giám sát của nhì phía khi phục vụ hội nghị tại Hà Nội hồi tháng 2.

6 đầu bếp được phong sao Michelin tham gia tuần lễ ẩm thực gồm Jacques Pourcel (3 sao), Herve Rodriguez, David Rathgeber, Jean-Baptiste Natali, Michael Dyllong, Raoul Meuwese (đồng một sao).

Ngoài ra, sự kiện còn có sự góp mặt của nghệ nhân phô mai Patrice Marchand, giám khảo Master Chef Hà Lan Alain Caron, một trong chín nữ đầu bếp hàng đầu châu Á Vanessa Huang, Stéphane Bonnat – nhà sinh sản chocolate lâu đời nhất trái đất, bậc thầy nướng bánh Bruno Dinel, đầu bếp riêng hoàng tộc Hà Lan René van Empelen, Master chef Pháp Didier Corlou…

Tại các bữa tiệc, thực khách sẽ trò chuyện cùng các đầu bếp và xem họ chế biến những món ăn, song song thưởng thức rượu vang và sâm-panh. Ngày 11/10, 13 đầu bếp sẽ tranh tài trong vòng 60 phút với thực đơn bữa tối 4 món. Sau khi cuộc thi kết thúc, các chuyên gia và khách sẽ chấm điểm món ăn và chọn ra người thắng cuộc.

Các bữa tiệc có giá từ 1,5 tới 9 triệu đồng một người, giới hạn 60 khách. Bữa tối ngày 9, 10 và 12/10 đã hết vé.

Metropole Culinary Stars 2019 là một trong những sự kiện ẩm thực lớn nhất Đông Nam Á. Sự kiện tổ chức lần đầu tại Hà Nội năm 2018 đã nhận được nhiều tiến công giá tích cực từ các chuyên gia, giới sành ẩm thực và khách hàng.

Xem thêm: Bếp trưởng Metropole tiết lộ về bữa ăn bỏ qua của Trump – Kim

Lan Hương

Info: https://khachsanthanhdong.com/

[lazuliblade]

Chocolate #23

Inspired by the Yuri on Museum clearfile of young Vitya eating chocolate at the post-competition press conference. His chocolate is the classic Russian brand Alyonka (history). I’m guessing it’s the Cup of Russia (not called “Rostelecom” until later) going by the Cyrillic letters on the complementary water bottles.

Chocolate #: 23 Competition: Cup of Russia Medal: Gold (So frustrating, though! I have to work more on the 3Lz in the Free after the halfway point...) Today’s chocolate: Alyonka (a nice fan threw these on the ice with a giant teddy bear! I’m feeling nostalgic today) Form: box of individually wrapped small pieces (they’re fun size!) Precious things to remember: Personal best in the SP and I saw the cutest dog while exploring on the first night here! It was so fluffy and its little yips[...]

------------------- It’s not like he’s particularly addicted to chocolate, it’s just that he doesn’t have the chance to eat it during the lead up to competitions. And as common knowledge dictates, when denied something you enjoy, it only makes you crave it more. So here he sits, post-win at the Cup of Russia, eating chocolate guilt free (Yakov even gave permission!) and contemplating the smooth blend melting on his tongue. It’s harder than he thought trying to recall the ghost flavors of chocolate from other countries. They’re faded snatches of memory that slip too easily and leave behind only a vague impression of what should be. It’s been too long, and yet not long-enough to warrant complaining.

“At least Lilia would be happy that I’m not corroding my teeth...” It doesn’t help much to make him feel better about completely cutting out sweets, but he made his choice. For the sake of refining his body into as fine a blade as the ones he glides on.

“One can’t cut through competition with a dull blade or a dull resolve!” (“You don’t have to declare everything, Vitya.”) He only knows how to go all-or-nothing, and if he eats sweets on occasion, then there’s no point to his initial adamant decision. But he does love chocolate...

So he formed this little ritual -- just something silly he does, really-- one box or bar of local chocolate when he medals. A small taste to keep him going, to entertain him outside of skating, and to get through endless press questions. “It makes competing in different countries interesting on a smaller personal level, Yakov! The flavors of the region I compete at - the flavors of the world, all within a chocolate bar! How amazing is that?”

Which is true. That is one way he views this project, but… it’s not actually some groundbreaking gastronomy research he’s conducting in the name of enlightening the world to the intricacies of cultural taste preferences (although he’s considered making a detailed log. His “All-or-nothing” intense nature making its appearance here as well). It’s just ordinary chocolate, and just a series of points scattered within the competition timeframe at that. Hardly the makings of a well-respected gastronomy article.

To the public it’s viewed as “Victor tries local food from every country he visits so he can experience the world’s cultures.” To his rinkmates it’s known that “Vitya is a master of his body and appetite and only allows himself one chocolate bar after a win.” To himself he says “it’s a small, insignificant project that brings me amusement.”

But honestly it’s “a way to taste joy. To physically imprint and take within himself those precious moments in a career that can end at any time.”

The method simple and honest in contrast to the eloquent, sparkling articles which the press spins in their never-ending effort to immortalize “Victor’s most precious experiences.”

This stupid sappy reasoning is kept close, and while he doesn’t mind sharing details about his life, sometimes it’s nice to have others believe the eccentricity as just a superficial whim and endearing quirk --  instead of a manifestation of his unexpectedly sentimental (read: tender) side. Among all the other carefully managed and carefully thought-out portions of his life, being able to do something solely for himself that is outwardly insignificant feels like holding a precious gem;

like winning platinum instead of gold;

like having some privacy.

Even though it’s “just chocolate,” eating it feels like winning.

...He genuinely does love chocolate, though. Alenka, Bovetti, Chocolat Bonnat, Hershey’s, Lindt, Meiji, Lotte, Soma...  So if he can get away with leaving the post-competition press managing to Yakov, and enjoy some chocolate while he’s at it, then in his opinion that’s just as good as standing on the podium with the gold medal around his neck. Gold is shiny, but chocolate is sweeter. (And in 10 years, he’ll find himself drowning in a different pool of chocolate and reassess that chocolate isn���t “just” chocolate, and “maybe I need to rethink that gastronomy pathway after all” and explore which chocolate in all the countries he’s visited since he started this meaningless pastime could match the heart-melting feeling and loss of higher mental processes caused by the rum-hued not-local delight he encounters in his own country. He doesn’t really eat chocolate anymore -- too many years limiting himself to a bar per win left him with a sense of wrong when he tries to eat chocolate outside of competition-- and he’s had many sweet triumphs to go with his mountain of gold, but locking eyes confirms that his initial opinion hasn’t changed: Chocolate is definitely better than gold.)

[danvy]

Where do you want to go today? #chocolate #chocolat #travel #health #bonnat #france https://instagr.am/p/CT7YsEPI8QP/

[cocoamacaw-blog]

Review: Original Beans Porcelana 75%

Company: Original Beans  Terroir: Piura Valley, Peru Blend or Single Origin Economics: Charitable donations per purchase Values: Gluten-Free, Vegan Price: Spendy! Sugars: 9.7 carbs/5.5g sugars per 23g serving

Summary from the Company: Flavours of lime, raspberry and pecan divulge the secrets of an Ultra Rare white cacao–nature’s delicious mistake–we found along Peru’s coastal desert and habitat of hundreds of captivating butterflies.

The rare find of a nearly extinct white cacao variety in 2007, which we named Piura Porcelana, allows us to pay substantial incentives for sustainable cacao farming with high pay-back per hectare. Due to our ongoing reforestation efforts, the Piura Porcelana has grown back from near extinction to become a sustainable and profitable production.

Well, Citizens, I’ve decided to dive into this Porcelana bean business. Soma’s Porcelana bar won a 2017 Academy of Chocolate award, so this variety is buzzing a bit. 

After last week’s let down, I decided to find out if it was the bean or the bar. So I went to my 2beans and checked out some other Porcelana bars they had in stock. There were two: Amedei and Original Beans.

Original Beans is still spendy at $10, but literally half the Chocolat Bonnat price. So... what does it taste like?

Well, like a lot more than the Bonnat! It’s got a bright fruitiness to it. And a bit of that citrus bite that hits on the side of the tongue. I’m comparing to the (new!) Lindt 78%, which is strongly cocoa powder flavored. It’s definitely lighter in color than the Lindt and lighter in flavor, too. 

I can’t say that I taste the lime, raspberry, and pecan that the packaging claims. I can tell you it’s definitely not floral and not earthy. So their description is on the right track.

This feels so much more worthwhile than the Bonnat. I can appreciate the Bonnat’s creaminess. And it really was remarkably smooth. But that doesn’t feel like enough for the price. 

$10 for this, especially given that you are supporting a rare bean, especially given that proceeds are being used to replant trees, that seems like a fair deal. 

You can even see where the tree your purchase has planted! Given the good works the company is doing, I feel they deserve a step up. I was going to give them a 3/5 for flavor, because it’s nice but doesn’t rock my world. But saving rare flora! That deserves a gold star!

Rating: 4/5

[thechocolategarage]

How to find more Happy Chocolate going forwards...

OCTOBER 2018                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Greetings Sweet Garagistas, It has been a while since I wrote. I hope the chocolate bars you bought up before we closed have been lasting you, as I have been taking some time to breathe, enjoy quiet and bring my full presence to time with my kids. Who knew even homework, baking and cooking can be so much fun, if you are free and satisfied in the other areas of your life! I was waiting to hear about a new source for Momotombo before sending you an email on how to get your favorite Happy Chocolate bars that we used to bring you at The Chocolate Garage, but I think that may take some time, to work out a new importer, we were the only ones bringing it in... but I can still point you at the places I recommend and where you might end up seeing Momotombo, and you can keep an eye out yourselves. I will say that I may not do justice to my peers who sell craft chocolate, since I don't buy retail bars from my colleagues, so you can look that up yourself to see if they are willing to ship, but here is a short list of the close by shops I know and admire, who sell mostly Happy Chocolate (and some I wouldn't consider Happy) that you can frequent. Locations closest to home, I won't go into the whole country: Chocolate Covered and Fog City News in San Francisco. Dandelion Chocolate where you can visit their factory, buy their bars and all kinds of other pastries and cookies that are using their chocolate. Chocolat Maya in Santa Barbara. Chocolopolis (Seattle), Cacao Portland, Monsieur Marcel, Farm Shop LA. As for specific makers... Patric Chocolate, our all time favorite maker of both plain single origin and fanciful inclusion bars, you can sign up for his notice to hear when he makes his http://patric-chocolate.com/store/ known, and you can also find his online shop at this same link. I recommend signing up for his newsletter, because he doesn't have a traditional online store. Also, if you want to learn more about Alan McClure and how he sees the world of food and chocolate, you can listen to our latest episode of Unwrapped, my podcast co-hosted with Brian Beyke of Abandon Coffee. I know of no other nearly two hour interview that leaves you feeling like you now have an inside look at the perfectionist that is Alan McClure of Patric Chocolate. in addition to being a great chocolate maker, one of the greatest I would venture to say, he is also a dear friend. CRAFT MAKERS Charm School Chocolate, Fruition Chocolate, Ritual Chocolate, Sirene Chocolate, Arete Fine Chocolate, Letterpress Chocolate, Maverick Chocolate, Rogue Chocolatier, Askanya Chocolaterie, Bar au Chocolat, Castronovo, Dandelion, Dick Taylor, Lillie Belle, Lonohana Estate Chocolate, Manoa Chocolate, Marou Chocolate, Michael Mischer, Potomac, Pump Street, SOMA Chocolate, The Smooth Chocolator.... ALL OF THE ABOVE are bars best purchased direct from the maker. You can look up their websites and select away. Buying direct from the maker, especially if you can consolidate a larger order and make it worth their time to send you package of many bars, is the best way to support small makers. Many offer reduced prices on shipping if you buy above a certain amount of chocolate. I would go into a longer conversation on how this works business wise, and the channel conflict it creates, and the importance of small makers being loyal to their stores who ideally (good stores who do the work, like The Chocolate Garage) do a lot to educate and build up their brand, but guess what? That would probably take half an hour... maybe I will discuss this in a podcast episode. And wait for the right timing, most of us are still more concerned with saving money, short sighted behaviour and convenience rather than thoughtful empowered behaviour, so I will wait until the time is more ripe... CHOCOSPHERE The only US distributor that I will whole heartedly embrace and stand behind is Chocosphere. I have worked with them since I started in 2004, and it's rather astonishing to say this, but NEVER, in all my years working with them, has Jerry and team *ever* let me down. It is perhaps sad to say that it is refreshing and remarkable these days to have a 14 year track record with a business who always moves with the most integrity, highest customer service, and diligence that Chocosphere embodies and lives. Here is what you can find on Chocosphere, be not fooled by their old fashioned website. The substance is there and that is what matters. Some of the Garage favorites that we have always bought from Chocosphere include: Chocolat Bonnat, Francois Pralus, Grenada Chocolate Company, Ritual Chocolate, Belvie, Domori Chocolate, FELCHLIN chips, Original Beans, SIBU Chocolate, and hopefully, soon, MOMOTOMBO! MOMOTOMBO UPDATE Carlos was here a couple of weeks ago, and he brought some new bars he has been experimenting with, to taste in a small group in my home. It was so lovely to see him, and he and his dad then headed up to Seattle, stopping in on Jerry at Chocosphere to solidify their relationship, learn more about each other and hopefully begin a relationship. Carlos also went to Chocolopolis where Lauren has taken on some of his bars. Nicaragua remains in a very difficult place, but Carlos assured me that the reason Momotombo was still open was thanks to our Chocolate Garage community efforts. So thank you to all who came in and snapped up plenty of Momotombo on the day we said we would send all the proceeds to Nicaragua, it ended up being $9,000 in sales, and we sent all $9,000. I will admit that right about now, I may fantasize momentarily about how nice it would be to have an additional few thousand in my pocket, as my travel business is paused for personal reasons, and there is no revenue in the near term, but I also know that this was exactly the spirit of why The Chocolate Garage existed, and let's be real, even as a single mom in Palo Alto, life here is nothing if not safe, beauty filled and bubble like-- nothing like what it is to live in Nicaragua in this moment. These days I am loving wandering the market to get my favorite escarole, kabocha squash, collards, walnuts and apricots from Ginger and Gilbert, and hanging with Oscar of High Note Coffee, while he serves up coffee to market goers. It is glorious to not be pouring so much into The Chocolate Garage after so many years, and getting to enjoy the market with all of you. ORIGIN TRIPS & DOCUMENTARIES I am holding off on the Brazil trip I had pre-announced for later this year, but I am hoping that we can still manage a trip to Costa Rica in May 2019. If you are interested in more information about Costa Rica as it comes together, please email me. I will add you to the list and send out more information as it starts to come together. SWITZERLAND I am very excited to be getting back to putting the finishing touches on our documentary on the surprisingly inspiring chocolate scene in one of my homelands: Switzerland. No, Nestlé and Lindt did not exactly inspire me, but there are some beautiful new efforts and a fantastic much older company (Felchlin!) that really impressed me with their visions for cacao and chocolate. I love breaking rules, in fact if you tell me I can't do something, I will probably go out and prove you wrong, not always the greatest trait, but I do admire others who don't let our current limited world view keep them from dreaming up something better. And that is exactly what Choba Choba, Garcoa and Felchlin are doing... full movie soon! Alright y'all, I will sign off now. I have many ideas bubbling up about what comes next, I will use this newsletter to keep you posted and share new amazing makers that I discover and want to share with you... Also, I found this article, if true, extremely uplifting and powerful, the idea that a mistreated worker in China who is working under appalling conditions has hope that if we (the buyers) knew what we were buying, we could make different choices... I suppose most folks might find this paralyzing and depressing, but I see this as a sign of the new awareness we will slowly get tuned into, and hopefully we will start to live our lives more consciously, be it Happy Chocolate, or how we buy purses. I think we are one step closer to the day that we will be able to look more honestly at our own domestic prison labor system and bring change there too. On that hopeful and optimistic note, I bid you adieu, I am off to go see a dear friend who I originally met through The Chocolate Garage, carrying a bottle of Prosecco that was gifted to me by another dear friend who I met through The Chocolate Garage, for an afternoon of sharing, eating, laughing and maybe some tears too! All signs of a rewarding life, fully embraced. So much happy chocolate-ey-ness to you all! Sunita                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

[breakstudiodesign]

Design of the new Bonnat chocolate packaging, located in Voiron, France. It’s an upscale chocolate, which the queen of England orders every year. Following this invitation to tender, I was asked to create a new packaging of the 3 biggest bestseller Bonnat chocolates, putting the prestigious side in values, while keeping decorations from the 1900s, date to create the brand.

[chocolatesnob]

BONNAT the best single origin bars

I have seen this brand several times in the past but never tried it before. It always seemed expensive for what it was. But with the Covid crisis and the disruption of supply lines i was not always able to get my favorite brands. On a whim I decided to try this brand since i could get it. It is very pricey for a candy bar but it is so so worth it. As you know chocolate snob has had many chocolates from around the world but I can tell you definitively that this is the best purveyor of single origin bars. Without a doubt. The bars are so smooth and flavorful. The chocolate literally melts in your mouth and you can feel your endorphins rise. Perhaps the best analogy is that you feel as if you are in a chocolate fountain every time you eat this chocolate. it takes all my will power to not consume the entire bar once I open it. I do not think that I have ever had a bar this rich and robust.

 I cannot say this is the best chocolate made because the bon bons with flavor are my chocolate of choice and those require far more skill. Those are also more delicate and perishable. The bars are far more durable and easier to store and travel with. These will be my goto brand to  the future. Alas it is also from France the land of great chocolate. It is the oldest manufacturer of chocolate in France. Stephan Bonnat is the third generation chocolatier

[hopeymchope]

Naegiri One-Shot - A Serious Talk - Danganronpa Fanfic

This one ran a bit longer than usual. Sorry in advance; I will, of course, put most of it behind a “read more” cut.

A cold wind was blowing outside the new Hope’s Peak Academy, but things were considerably warmer inside the quarters of headmaster Makoto Naegi. There, Makoto sat on a quilt in front of a gas fireplace, where he was soon joined by his girlfriend - Kyoko Kirigiri.

Makoto was seated with his legs crossed and his hands in his lap. Kyoko sat down with her knees up and her feet on the floor. She looked over and smiled coyly at Makoto as she noted, “Quite the romantic setup.”

Makoto laughed a little. “I’m glad you think so,” he said, feeling a bit awkward. “I uh… I got you something.”

He reached into the center of his lap and withdrew a small, rectangular box with a ribbon on it. “It’s nothing big,” he prefaced, “But I thought it’d be a nice treat.”

Kyoko took the box from him with a curious expression on her face. “What’s the occasion?” she asked. “You’re a little early for my birthday.”

He looked sideways and shrugged before joking, “I guess the occasion is dessert?”

The flickering lights of the fireplace danced across the top of the box, revealing a brand label that Kyoko recognized. Her eyes went wide as she said, “…Chocolat Bonnat?”

“I remembered you said that Fuhito always made it a point to get some whenever he was in France,” Makoto said, rubbing the back of his head nervously with one hand. “I heard that Future Foundation’s eleventh branch was going to be passing through eastern France, so I made contact and asked them send me a small box. You, ah… you still like it, right?”

Kyoko looked over at him with a sincere, wide grin. “Of course,” she assured him quietly. “When we lived in Grenoble for a year, I sneaked far too many of these chocolates into my room and my mouth.”

“I’m glad,” Makoto said with a grin. “And this time, you won’t have to ‘sneak’ them.”

Kyoko leaned over and put one gloved hand on his shoulder as she kissed his mouth gently. “Thank you,” she told him. “You’re incredibly thoughtful.”

“It’s not even a very big box,” Makoto said dismissively with a chuckle.

Kyoko leaned back into her seat, letting her arm rub against his as she explained, “It’s about the gesture, not the expense.” She shook her head at him and continued, “Dinner was great, and then you had a fire ready for us, and now this?” One side of her mouth curved into a lopsided smile. "I half-suspect you’re either leading up to something or buttering me up for something.“

Makoto tilted his head to the side a bit, and let out another nervous giggle. “Heh, kind of both,” he admitted.

She pretended to look scandalized by the admission even though she couldn’t hold back a playful smile. “Why, Headmaster Naegi,” she asked jokingly, “Are you trying to seduce me?”

A bit of pink appearing in his cheeks as he answered, “N-no! That is, not right now anyway?” Makoto paused and looked into Kyoko’s eyes, adding, “I just wanted us to… talk. About some stuff.”

Instantly, Kyoko’s face fell from a playful smile to its more natural resting state. “I sense that this is the serious kind of ‘stuff,’” she ventured.

“Kind of, yeah,” Makoto confirmed, his own face having fallen to match. “But the good kind of serious, I hope?”

It was evident how nervous he was about this discussion. Kyoko responded by turning to face him fully, folding her legs beneath her and putting a hand on top of his. “If you have something important you need to tell me or ask me,” she said, “then I’m up for anything. Just say what’s on your mind.”

Makoto appeared to be sweating even before he launched into his questions. “Is this serious for you?” he asked. “I mean, I know you take our relationship seriously, I just mean: Is this relationship as serious for you as it is for me?”

Kyoko was so touched by his concern that she had to bite her lip to keep from grinning at him. “Of course it’s serious for me,” she said.

“I-I think I asked that wrong,” Makoto stammered, talking half to himself.

Kyoko let herself crack a new smile at his shyness. “I love you,” she said sincerely. “You know that already.”

Somehow, that didn’t seem to calm him. He stared into her eyes and said, “And you know I love you. I just mean… I know neither of us has really had a serious relationship before this, and I just worry… ”

Kyoko closed her eyes and nodded once as she began to understand. She gave his hand a squeeze as she suggested, “You’re afraid that we might start wondering what else is out there?”

“Not for me,” Makoto said firmly. “I know that you’re amazing, Kyoko, and I don’t want anything that isn’t you.”

Kyoko felt herself blushing, and she was also suddenly a bit queasy. “I don’t wish to go seeking additional experience, Makoto,” she said with a confidence that masked just how touched she was. “I’ve dated. I’ve never bothered with a serious relationship before now because I’ve never found anything worth exploring until you came along. I’m committed to what we have for as long as I’m able to have it.”

Makoto swallowed a lump in his throat. “So, I mean… we’re both in this for the long haul, then?” he asked. “As in, maybe even the longest possible haul, later on?”

She caught what he was inferring immediately, and her pulse quickened. Her voice sounded like a whisper when she said, “Absolutely.” So she cleared her throat and tried again: “Absolutely. Like I said, I’m committed to this. In fact, I’m deeply hoping to… ”

Her voice had trailed off, leaving Makoto uncomfortably in suspense. The redness in her cheeks was clear even from the firelight, so he pressed her: “Hoping to what?”

Kyoko kept her eyes away from his as she finally stated, “I just meant to agree with you. Strongly. That I’m very much… I’m interested in making it to 'the longest possible haul,’ as you put it.” She glanced over at him. “With you.”

With that, Makoto’s expression drained of tension, growing red instead. “Th-thank you,” he said quietly, feeling tears in his eyes. “I feel the same way, obviously.”

Kyoko blinked a few times to suppress her own tears as she stared at him and smiled quietly.

“So um… I guess that brings up the next topic pretty naturally,” Makoto said.

She took a deep breath as she braced herself for whatever was next. “The next topic?” she asked carefully.

“There’s another thing I want us to be on the same page about,” he said. “When you think of your future, do you picture it involving… children?”

“Ut-!” Kyoko grunted involuntarily. She hugged her knees to her chest in surprise and looked away from him again. “Th-that’s-”

“Sorry, I’m sorry!” Makoto said quickly. “It’s just, you know-”

“No, I understand,” she said, feeling a bit embarrassed by her own embarrassment. Her back straightened as she reached up with her left hand, pushing her braid behind her ear. “We need to know these things about one another, and I… well, I’m kind of honor-bound to say 'yes,’ aren’t I?”

Makoto understood immediately. “Because of the Kirigiri legacy,” he stated simply, sounding displeased.

Kyoko looked back into his eyes. “I’ve always known it was expected of me,” she confirmed. “To continue the lineage.”

Makoto frowned slightly. “But is that what you want?”

She smiled a little. “For most of my life, it hasn’t really been something I’ve been looking forward to.”

He scratched at his cheek once. Makoto was unsure of where she was going. “So then you don’t want to-”

“I’m not finished,” she interrupted gently.

“Sorry,” Makoto said again.

“As I said, for most of my life, I haven’t wanted to do it. The idea of being obligated into motherhood, and that child in turn being forced into a specific career path from birth? It’s not only archaic, it’s also cruel. I’m lucky to take such pleasure in using my detective skills. If I’d been like my father and rejected the path, I would’ve never known my grandfather.” She removed her arms from around her legs, putting a finger to her chin as she considered, “Maybe I would’ve known my father better, however?”

“Can you picture having kids without all of those obligations, though?” Makoto asked. “Would you even want to, without that feeling that you have to? What if you didn’t have to pass on anything? Would you still feel like it’s better to avoid it?”

Kyoko looked straight ahead, staring into the fire for a moment. Slowly, she used her right hand to tug at the glove on her left, removing it while keeping her eyes forward. When finished she turned her head towards him and reached over, grabbing his hand in hers.

She’d touched him many times with her exposed hands by now, but every single touch from those hands thrilled him. He smiled as he looked down at her burn scars and caressed the back of her hand with his thumb. “They’re beautiful, you know,” he told her, looking up once more.

When his eyes met hers, she was smiling affectionately at him. “The truth is,” she began, “You changed a lot of things for me. You helped me see a brighter future. And the kind of hope you gave me… I want to see it continued. I want to build on it and nurture it. I never prioritized that before, but you flipped a switch within me, and I somehow… ” She smiled even wider, her cheeks glowing pink as she half-whispered, “Yes. My answer is yes. He or she can make their own decisions for their future one day. That’s fine. I still feel a need to know what we’d create together. To see it and care for it. And yet, if you said you didn’t see that in our future? I wouldn’t mind that too much, either. Because the important thing is that I see us in my future, regardless of anything else. So, with that in mind, tell me what you want, too.”

Makoto beamed at her. “Being with you definitely got me thinking about it,” he told her. “Honestly, I never really put any thought into it before you and I got together. I knew you might feel obligated because of your family, and maybe you’d be worried about bringing someone into this world when it’s still kind of messed up, but things are improving all the time, and there’s no rush. So I’m not in a hurry to do it… I mean, I want us to enjoy our lives together for a bit first. But I… really, deeply love you. And I want to share everything with you. So I’m trying to say… um… I-I really want to see what kind of person we’d make together, too.”

Kyoko swiftly pushed herself off the ground with her right hand, shoving herself over and on top of Makoto. He yelped “Whoa!” as her body landed on top of him and her lips pressed down upon his.

They kissed on the floor in front of the fire with her left hand intertwined with his right. She tilted her head to an angle so as to slip her tongue into his mouth, he wrapped his left around her, holding her back tightly.

When she pulled back, she had to catch her breath for a moment. “That was a very good answer,” she said at last.

Makoto couldn’t stop himself from smiling. “Full disclosure? I, um, practiced it. Aaaand also a bunch of other reactions depending on what you’d say to me? I had to write, like, four different versions.”

Kyoko laughed heartily, nuzzling her nose against his cheek as she did so. “You are such a dork,” she murmured into his ear.

“Didn’t do much good,” he admitted. “I got kinda ruffled and went off-script… ” They both chuckled at that.

Kyoko pushed herself up and straddled his waist. “Well, Mr. Headmaster,” she said, “Are you up for some more practice?”

Makoto’s eyes darted back and forth. “Practice for what, exactly?” he asked, befuddled.

She gave him her most seductive look as she clarified, “The means of procreation, of course. We’ve got plenty of time to make certain we’ve perfected it.”

Makoto let go of her hand and put both of his hands on her back, pulling her closer. With an uncertain smile, he inquired, “Do I, uh, need more practice?”

She shook her head very slightly. “Not in the least,” she assured him. “Still, a dry run couldn’t hurt.” She looked sideways as she mumbled, “Well, maybe not a dry run.”

“K-Kyoko!” Makoto blurted in shock as his face turned deep red.

“You’re so easy!” she said with delight, giggling as she stared into his eyes. She leaned her head over and began to kiss his neck. After a few, she paused in-between kisses to whisper, “I can’t wait to fluster you for years to come.”