Author's Note: I just beat Vesperia last week and couldn't resist writing something silly. This is based on the skit about Yuri's "love-filled croquettes" which is one of my favourites. XD Lastly, this was written as a little birthday present for Earth Star. Happy Birthday!
Cooking With Love
Yuri's secret ingredient wasn't going to be a secret for much longer.
That was what drove Karol to walk out of his friends' sight under the pretense of gathering firewood while the others set up camp in the forest clearing. Once he was sure they couldn't spot him, he circled around and back to the campsite, quietly creeping close again. He settled himself behind some scrub and carefully parted a few branches to give himself a clear view of the cooking fire.
That evening's designated cook was already preparing. A pot was situated over the fire, in which half a dozen potatoes were being boiled.
"We'll see about this whole 'love' thing," Karol muttered to himself.
Several minutes passed, with the cook frequently checking the potatoes and the boy growing more impatient. Just when he felt like he'd had enough of waiting, the pot was finally removed from the heat. Soon, he would find out what really went into those croquettes.
After a brief time to cool, Yuri set about mashing up the potatoes and forming them into balls, whistling cheerfully as he did so.
Karol, for his part, simply frowned. He hadn't yet seen anything else go into the dish. Where was the secret ingredient?
It was then that it happened. Yuri raised one of the balls for inspection, then brought it towards his face. For merely a brief moment, the potato ball was brushed with his lips. The cook nodded in satisfaction and repeated the action with the remaining rounds.
To put it mildly, Karol was in shock. He had just witnessed Yuri kissing their food.
L-love...?
Unfortunately for the boy, the surprises were not yet finished.
A sharp bark nearly scared Karol out of his hiding spot as Repede trotted up to his partner, a basket clutched in his jaws.
"Got enough, Repede?" Yuri questioned the beast and received another bark in response.
Karol swallowed the lump in his throat and wiped some sweat from his forehead. It seemed there was an actual secret ingredient to it after all, something gathered by the dog.
Yuri took the basket, glanced at the contents, then said, "thanks, pal. This is perfect. Karol needs his protein, after all."
"...Protein?" The boy mumbled in confusion. He was starting to get a feeling that he might regret this. Then, to his horror, Yuri plucked something from the basket and gave it a look over. Something palm-sized. Something with wings.
It was something with six legs.
A sickening feeling rose in Karol's stomach, but he couldn't look away. He was therefore treated to the sight of his friend crushing the bug into a pulp and working it into one of the potato rounds, forming a new ball.
Yuri had just added his worst fear into the food.
"Looks like this'll be another delicious meal," the cook chuckled.
"YAH!"
Karol didn't think he would ever stop screaming, would ever forget the horror of this moment.
"Shut up, already!"
"WAH--huh?" He shot up, his heart pounding, greeted by a glaring Rita. The boy gasped a few times, then his eyes darted to his immediate surroundings.
There was a grassy clearing surrounded by forest, lit by evening rays of sun. Several mats were laid out on the ground and someone nearby was whistling contentedly.
Karol shakily breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he had fallen asleep as soon as they were done setting up camp and the entire ordeal had been a figment of his overactive imagination.
Judith approached to his right, looking mildly curious. "A fun dream?"
"More like a terrible nightmare," he groaned, also realizing that supper had not yet been served.
"...think that Karol needs some protein?"
The boy's blood ran cold as he focused on Estelle's voice. She was in the centre of the camp with the cooking fire, lending her company to their chef for the evening.
That night, Yuri was cooking. A frying pan had been placed over the fire, into which he was starting to drop balls of mashed potatoes.
"Looks like this'll be another delicious meal!" Raven gave his approval from the edge of the camp.
Karol's heart sank and his head felt dizzy even as his stomach growled. "I wish they weren't so good..."