#oscarcards

[dream-meister-translations]

OSCAR CHARACTER CARD #2

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A few days later, I was attending a fruit market with Oscar, in order to better observe and understand his work for the guild. OSCAR : Not enough sugar. You've overwatered your fruit, it's obvious. FRUIT FARMER 1 : Yes! Yes! A gourmet is one that sees everything that makes up a dish. With just one bite, Oscar is able to instantly pick apart any meal and tell you what is missing. FRUIT FARMER 2 : Next, try our melons, please!

OSCAR : The texture isn't the best…I believe these were harvested three days early? You should always remember to harvest your fruit at their ripest. FRUIT FARMER 3 : Next look at mine! FRUIT FARMER 4 : No, no! Look at this huge melon from my garden! OSCAR : Now, now. No need to be so hasty. I'll get to everything in due time. The next thirty minutes or so were spent with Oscar eating one fruit after another, vocalizing his thoughts on whether they were tasty or not. And what the farmers could do better. They all listen and eagerly ask for more advice. It must be because everyone trusts Oscar's opinions as a gourmet. OSCAR : Emma, it's your turn. If you're to be the guild keeper of the gastronomy guild, you must be able to do this. Take a bite and tell me what you think. EMMA : You want to know what I think? Biting my bottom lip I hesitantly glance down at the fruit in Oscar's hand, before finally taking a bite of it. As I chew, I try to observe what it tastes like. EMMA : It tastes like a fresh breeze on the mountainside… OSCAR : Poetic expressions have no use in gastronomy. EMMA : (How dare he…!) OSCAR : I appreciate your attempt to express your thoughts on food in a multifaceted way. However, you still have a lot to learn. We have six more places to go before we call it a night. Pay attention to what I do and take notes. EMMA : Yes, sir! After many more taste-testings, we visited a small Western-style restaurant in the middle of the marketplace. So far I have managed to keep up with Oscar, but I can feel my stomach is about to burst. I don't think I can eat much more. EMMA : (Ugh…My stomach is suffering!) OSCAR : Is that the best you can do? EMMA : Yeah… OSCAR : Okay. You should never eat beyond your limits. Because you can't truly appreciate food on a full stomach. Do you think you can take one final bite of this cake? EMMA : Yeah, I think I can... With a smile tugging at his lips, Oscar picks up his fork and takes a bite from the cake, before holding it out to me. OSCAR : Here. Try a bite. EMMA : Eh!? OSCAR : So, you lied to me when you said you still had room for one more bite? EMMA : No…It's not that… He stared at me with so much expectation, I could feel the pressure weighing on me. Even though my stomach was full, I couldn't say no to him. With a glance down at the cake I took a bite of it. EMMA : It's delicious…! OSCAR : Naturally. After all, this is one of my favorite restaurants. EMMA : Still, it was kinda unexpected. OSCAR : What was unexpected about it? EMMA : Well, I thought you were really strict about table manners and decorum… OSCAR : Hm…? Oh, you mean because I fed you the cake? I wouldn't typically do something like that, you're correct. But, it depends on the occasion.

OSCAR : What if, for example, we were eating food from an uncivilized land? In that culture people may eat their food with their hands. It would only be fair to the food to eat it how it was intended to be eaten. The only thing that really matters is that we enjoy the food. Oscar flashed me a smile and took a bite of the cake. After finishing his meal, the two of us left the restaurant and headed down the road. OSCAR : Alright, we've taste-tested their newest cake, let's move on! EMMA : Oh, you're still going!? OSCAR : I've finished all that I planned for the day, but there are still more foods to try! Gastronomy is forever evolving! Oscar walked swiftly down the road. I chased after him, so that I would not be left behind.

[dream-meister-translations]

WONDER TEA PARTY OSCAR CHARACTER CARD #1

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Wondermare is a place shrouded in mystery and oddities. Currently, I am at a table in the middle of the woods. There is a tea party going on. Quirky looking pastries scatter the table. OSCAR : The first sip of tea is a delightful combination of the tartness of royal berries, and the rich sweetness of chocolate. OSCAR : The second sip has the bitterness of coffee and then somehow the delicious flavor of biting into a medium rare steak. EMMA : Tea that tastes like coffee and steak!?

OSCAR : It is to be expected from Wondermare… EMMA : I know it's a little late to ask, but are you sure that is safe to drink? OSCAR : It is perfectly safe. There was a sign on it that said, "Feel free to eat and drink." I'm unsure who it was that prepared it, but it is a privilege. EMMA : I'm worried about the "I don't know who prepared it" part. I laugh and watch the steam rise from the teacups and swirl fantastically into the air. It spells out the words, "Bon appetit." EMMA : (This place is so strange…) It all started when I received a request from a certain royal family to produce a tea party. Volks had coordinated the costumes, Rogue was in charge of the entertainment and music, and Oscar was in charge of the menu. EMMA : (It was difficult to get the approval of the client, so we all complained over drinks…Then somehow we found ourselves in this forest…We were with others but got separated…) EMMA : I need to get in touch with Volks and Rouge. I tried to call them already on the Keeper's Board, but there's some sort of delay… Probably don't get service out in the forest. I hope they are safe and sound… OSCAR : I see. I believe this forest itself may be causing this strange phenomena. Speaking of strange phenomena… Oscar's gaze turns to me. OSCAR : Are those ears growing out of your head? EMMA : Seems so. I tried to yank them off, but they wouldn't budge. OSCAR : You're a white rabbit…I can't explain it, but that makes sense to me. I wish my costume was lighter. This is hardly suitable for wandering around the forest at random. EMMA : It suits you perfectly, though. OSCAR : Anyway, this pudding is quite good. You should try it. EMMA : What? OSCAR : The dried fruits and spices add a unique taste and texture. Scooping the spoon into the pudding, he filled it up then held it out to me. With a small, shy nod, I ate from the spoon he offered. EMMA : Wow. It really is delicious! OSCAR : There may be more unknown gastronomic delicacies in Wondermare… He squinted his eyes in thought, not seeming perturbed by the situation in the slightest. In fact, he seemed rather excited about it. And as he smiled I couldn't help but feel the anxiety I had been harboring fade into the distance. With that, I flashed a smile back at him. The sweet taste of the pudding still tantalizing my tastebuds.

[dream-meister-translations]

OSCAR CHARACTER CARD #1

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That day, I visited the Guild Master, Oscar, to say hello before the start of the workday. OSCAR : Hmm? EMMA : Oh, sorry to interrupt you while you're eating! OSCAR : Not to worry. I suppose you didn't know that my breakfast time had to be changed due to scheduling conflicts. Oh well, just wait, I'll be done soon.

I took him at his word and waited in the corner of the room. Oscar's dining attire was so elegant and graceful that it was hard not to be charmed. EMMA : (It's like the meal never ends!) OSCAR : ........... OSCAR : Ahh, it tastes so good. Looks like I was right, cutting the butter down by five grams made it even better...Anyways, sorry to keep you waiting. After finishing his dessert, Oscar finally got up from his seat. He walked up to me standing by the wall and looked at me from top to bottom as if he were trying to gauge my value. OSCAR : Let me ask you a question. What does food mean to you? EMMA : I think it’s beautiful! OSCAR : Oh? Beautiful, huh? EMMA : Yes. I feel that there is a beauty in cooking like an art form, where no two dishes are the same. Not only in color and shape, but also in aroma and taste. OSCAR : You answer as if you are reading out of an official document, however, you are correct. I can relate. Your hunger for food is nearly as insatiable as mine, Guild Keeper Emma. You truly understand the philosophy of our guild, don't you? OSCAR : This guild exists for the sake of food at all costs : production, transportation, preparation, and presentation - food is a necessary part of life, and we thrive to enrich the art of a single dish of food and the lives of those who eat it. OSCAR : That is why you must pursue an understanding of food now that you are a member of this guild! I could only marvel at the strength of his passion for food. EMMA : Yes! I will keep that in mind. OSCAR : Okay! Let us begin with a welcome meal! Oscar rang the handbell on the desk. Soon after, savory dishes were brought in one after another. EMMA : Wow...! Oscar, didn't you already eat just a few minutes ago? OSCAR : If one wishes to be a true gourmand, one must eat whenever they can, and you are no exception. If you work here, you should be capable of eating ten meals a day. EMMA : Ten meals!? Oscar, who had just eaten a few minutes before, ate far more food than I did. His words earlier, "Ten meals a day," were quickly becoming a reality.