#the yellow one are hard boiled quail egg yolks

[dokpetra]

can you believe these marbs my dearie friend found in a dumpster?? I sortened and countened them & then we (the fellas) each took 1/3 of the stash. Now we can play marbz! My favorite way of playing marbz is examining them one by one. As you would ponder any other orb

[thetrueweaveroffate]

Subscorp Week - Day 3 - Childhood

He remembered a time when his favorite food was nothing more than a simple hard-boiled egg from a chicken, eaten between dips into a small amount of soy sauce. Despite the simple nature, it did not taste bland compared to simple white rice, thanks to him practically drowning it in soy sauce, and it was one of the few sources of protein he was skilled enough to earn on his own, without Bi-Han's aid. Not only that though, but it was also perhaps the only dish (if it can even be called that) where he could afford to be comfortable eating it slowly.

That didn't mean he always ate it slowly though, just that he felt comfortable doing so. He could savor it when he was alone or sharing it with his brother, but since the chicken eggs were frequently smaller in the icy north, if the need ever came he could simply shove whatever was remaining in his mouth entirely. And that need came up often.

"Kimiko-chan, why aren't you eating your egg slices?"

Kuai Liang peered up from his ramen and across the table.

The girl, Kimiko, barely over eight years of age and unable to sit still in a chair for more than five minutes, seemed eager to eat anything in her bowl but the eggs. Even drinking the broth before taking another bite out of the remaining slice of hard-boiled egg. Hanzo stared, not unfriendly, but definitely disapprovingly.

"I don't wanna," she mumbled. "I don't like it when the yellow part is dry."

"The yolk?"

The girl nodded.

"The yolk is the best part, Kimiko-chan. You will need protein if you want muscles to become a strong Shirai-Ryu."

She merely grumbled, and it was clear that argument wasn't going to work.

Hanzo merely sighed, electing to just pick up the remaining egg slice with his chopsticks and eat it himself. Kimiko, for her part, seemed satisfied and swallowed whatever was remaining in her bowl and hurriedly left to wash her bowl before going outside to play with the rest of the Shirai Ryu children.

Hanzo huffed, shaking his head, before turning to Kuai Liang, "I hope you can excuse her behavior. Children can be awfully picky eaters. I know I was when I was her age."

Kuai Liang only shrugged. "I suppose it is understandable."

It wasn't. But he wasn't going to question why anyone, even a child, would turn something as prized and golden as an egg. A  chicken egg,  nonetheless. Perhaps it was the simple fact she had grown up eating eggs on a regular, while he has only ever had quail eggs. Tasty, for sure, but small. They were easy to steal and even easier to be stolen.

"That being said, you did overcook the eggs before slicing them," Hanzo mentions casually, "The yolk is definitely dry. You could even see it, Kuai Liang."

"Really? I thought you needed to cook eggs all the way through. To prevent disease, and all that."

"Mm. Yes," He waves dismissively, "There is no need to worry about this, but normally when we make eggs we like them raw, even partially. Our eggs are safe enough to eat like that. It is no matter though."

"I am learning though, the proper ways to cook your dishes," Kuai Liang commented.

Hanzo merely gave a confirming hum.

He and his brother used to horde food in the room they shared from the very beginning.

Jujubes, any random assortment of snacks and candy, and, as they grew older and bolder, leftovers. The Lin Kuei had no fridges back then because getting one would have been more trouble than it was worth. They were cryomancers. They could make their own fridge. The issue then was in heating things up. In cooking.

Kuai Liang knew the basics of cooking. But that was about it. Every Lin Kuei was expected to know how to sustain themselves. But Lin Kuei had better things to do than perfect the culinary arts. Wasting time, and precious resources of charcoal, to cook more food than what was considered necessary.

He once threw up after hungrily eating a bowl of leftover tofu soup. Bi-Han blamed it on him eating it cold.

"Here, let me show you," Hanzo offered once lunch was over and all the dishes were put away. "First, a pot of water put on high heat. A small pot, with enough water to submerge chicken eggs, was placed over the stove on high heat. He placed the lid, to trap the heat.

"How many eggs are you planning to boil?" Kuai Liang asked.

"Enough to make one layer of eggs without packing them tightly," Hanzo answered.

Gods. That was what? Eleven? Possibly a dozen eggs? If this was the old Lin Kuei, he would have to be careful, Kuai Liang thought, or else the older students would steal them. Tall students, much taller and meaner, or so they seemed at the time when he himself was so short that he could barely pass their waist. And those were BI-Han's prizes, a reward for a successful mission before he started earning much more of the lion's share. It was his responsibility to protect both of them, and he was failing.

"And now, a timer for six minutes." Hanzo stated, bringing him out of his thoughts, and lowering the heat to a medium. Kuai Liang watched as the bubbles of the water simmered and disappeared before Hanzo put the lid back on again.

They would hold his snacks triumphantly in the air, far past where he could reach, jeering at him for being too pathetic to retrieve his own food. Much to his shame, he had to rely on Bi-Han to scare them off, and for the first few years within the Lin Kuei, when they were just budding assassins, he was far from successful. As he grew up, he realized they were just hungry as he was, having to steal from one another for the chance to receive the same delicacy he was lucky to have.

Kuai Liang kept his face neutral, but he clenched his fists.

It’s not like you are competing with rats, the masters will tell him.  Though if you yourself cannot at the age of a young man fight to secure his own food, then perhaps you should compete with the rats and steal their food instead.

Damn them. He was only a child.

"Kuai Liang, if you can make the water colder for me, please?"

Hanzo handed him a bowl of water. Kuai Liang blinked and immediately unclenched his fists.

"Er, what for?"

"We need to peel the eggshell off," Hanzo merely said, "Or how else can you try out a tamago I had lovingly made for you?"

Kuai Liang was flustered by the response but cooled the water to an acceptable degree. Hanzo had merely chuckled, applied a chaste kiss on his cheek, but continued to ladle the boiled eggs in the cooled water. They peeled the shells off once they were an agreeable temperature, and Hanzo had, with great anticipation, cut one in half.

The center of the egg truly looked divine. It was boiled to the perfect amount, where the yolk looked positively golden. Neither completely solid, nor completely runny.

When was the last time someone had made food for him? Probably Bi-Han, back when they were children. His mother, before then. but he was a man now, he didn’t need anyone cooking now him. But the experience brings back memories he long thought were forgotten. A mother, in the kitchen, chopping green onions, and the smell of dinner.

"Here," Hanzo offered in a small porcelain bowl with both hands, "For you."

I love this man, Kuai Liang thought. He had known for some time now, but here, where the compassion of his companion outshone his wrath, it was impossible to deny.

Hanzo procured a small bowl with a bit of soy sauce at the end, "Bi-Han told me you like your eggs with soy sauce."

Kuai Liang smiled. Since when did they talk about him behind his back? And for something as something like this, no less.

Using chopsticks, he dipped it into the sauce and took a bite. Divine.

"What are we going to do with the rest?" Kuai Liang pointed to them with his chin, "Even if we could eat all of them, I doubt that would be a good idea."

He barked a laugh, "No, but I am sure Kimiko-chan would appreciate these new eggs, especially now that these can be refrigerated in marinated sauce."

Kuai Liang hummed. And once he was done with the tamago, Hanzo stored the remaining ones in a dark and flavorful sauce before placing it in a small fridge that only he owned. But Hanzo was right, and sure enough, the little girl did enjoy those eggs. And the next day, and the next day after that. Hungry as ever, with a craving for ramen as usual.

"Slow down, Kimiko-chan, no one is going to steal your food," Hanzo gently chided. Little Kimiko slowed, abashed, but clearly went on consuming her ramen with visible gusto despite the restraint.

Hanzo said it so plainly, like he telling the truth, which obviously he was, but that was it - he told the truth.

No one is going to steal your food.