Pizza Planet, Friday

[carbsliftthespirit]

Raiden loved a holiday with a food component. First off, because food, family gatherings, all the stuff he loved best in life, but secondly, since he'd been put in charge of an actual restaurant, it made coming up with specials so amazingly easy.

Specials
Pizza Rustica (Italian Easter Pie)
Dessert Peep-za
Matzah Pizza Margherita

...okay, so the matzah pizza was prepared in Pizza Planet's regular, non-kosher kitchen and thus wasn't kosher for Passover, but...details?

Pizza Planet is open!

Comments

[beautiful_boc]

Well, look at Boc, braving the wide world outside of his shop somewhere that wasn't the preserve! But he was a bit hungry, and he recognized Raiden as someone not outwardly hostile, and there was also pizza, so it seemed like a pretty obvious choice.

Even if he walked in and gawked around like he hadn't been there before or than he half-expected to be kicked out just as soon as he passed through the door.

Which would only be fair, really. And understandable.

[carbsliftthespirit]

"Boc!" Raiden exclaimed. Loudly, because that was how he rolled. "Hey! Back for some more pizza?"

[beautiful_boc]

It didn't help that his name, in particular, sounded quite a bit startling when shouted out like that, even for someone not as nervous as Boc was. He winced, cringing back, lowering his head, and thought about just apologizing and scurrying right back out from whence he came. But he was here now, and that tantalizing, delicious aroma had gotten into his nostrils and his stomach would not allow such a hasty retreat.

"Err, well, um, that is..." he managed to stammer at the floor. "Well, you see, master, I was wondering if you might be so kind as to sell me one again? I'd understand if you'd rather not, but I do have the money--"

He dug around in his pouch for some and held it up cradled in the palms of both his hands over his ducked head.

"--if you find it acceptable."

[carbsliftthespirit]

"...why would I not sell you a pizza?" Raiden asked, deeply, deeply confused. "I mean, the only reason I can think of is if you didn't have the money and then I would just give you the pizza? But you have the money, so..." Was this one of those things he wasn't smart enough to understand? Like a riddle or something?

Also, "...did you just call me 'master?' I think you got the wrong idea somehow. I'm not into that kinda thing."

[beautiful_boc]

"Ohhh, the reasons why one would not want to waste the deliciousness of pizza on the likes of me are no doubt boundless and without end, master." He wasn't trying to be weird about it! Boc was merely trying to show the proper respect to such a significantly superior creature than himself! As was only right! "But that's kind of you, to shirk all of that and provide it all the same."

[carbsliftthespirit]

"I...still can't think of any," Raiden said after pondering it for a moment. "Unless you're like allergic to something in it, in which case please tell me so I can make a substitution. We don't want you to get a rash or like, die. Also, please stop calling me master." It was uncomfortable.

[beautiful_boc]

Boc...was starting to notice that it seemed to be a title that had fallen into some sort of disfavor in these lands, which confused him greatly, though he could say the same about a lot of other things about these lands! And he felt a moment of great distress, for the current transgression, all his previous ones, and for not knowing how to even move forward with that.

He lowered his hands, still gripping onto the money, and lifted his head, furry brow furrowed deeply with concern. "But...then...what else should I call you, mast--"

He cut himself off with a pained whimper and a shake of his head. "Do you prefer miss? Sir? Sire? M'lord? M'lady? Whatever it may be, I'll remember it. I promise I will."

[carbsliftthespirit]

"You definitely don't have to call me sir or anything else, either...I mean, unless you want to." Maybe demons were really formal and polite where he was from. "But you could call me Raiden? It's my name. Or Ray. Sometimes people call me Ray."

[beautiful_boc]

"Oh." Boc's eyes went wide as if he'd just found himself in some sort of horrible trap that would not be escaped without some considerable damage, his head wagging back and forth. "Oh, no, mas-- sir-- mister, I couldn't do that, oh no, that would be..."

He didn't finish the thought, instead giving an awkward chuckle, a strained and uncomfortable sound, but he was making the effort.

"Sir is surely just joking," he decided. "Very funny, sir; you clearly have a robust sense of humor, you do, going around suggesting that poor, measly Boc address him by his name. Very good; quite amusing, sir."

[carbsliftthespirit]

People often thought Raiden had said something hilarious when he had no idea what the joke was, and usually he just let it slide because he figured he was too dumb to get it anyway, but this time he dared to admit out loud, "Uh, I don't understand what I said that's funny? Is Raiden a weird name where you're from?" This was his best guess.

[beautiful_boc]

"Oh, no, no!" Boc said hastily, and he would have held up his hands imploringly if he weren't still clutching his money. "Not at all! I didn't mean...I would never wish to imply such a thing, especially when...well, it's quite the opposite, in fact. A name like that sounds as though it would fit right in with the likes of the Carian royal family! It's a very fine name, sir, and therein is the humor. The joke. That you would ever want to soil such a nice, noble name like that by having it uttered by a mouth like mine!"

[carbsliftthespirit]

Raiden squinted, then said, "But it's just like a normal mouth?" If you were used to not everyone looking human, anyway.

[beautiful_boc]

Boc sighed a little, feeling the first threads of frustration and that confirmation of how much better things would be if he just kept to himself and never bothered anyone, because that mouth in question certainly was making a mess of things right now, too, wasn't it?

"But it isn't, though," he said, his tone just a bit begging for Raiden to, if not exactly understand, but to just take his word for it, at this point. "Not really. Not where I'm from, anyways."

[carbsliftthespirit]

"Oh," Raiden said, still somewhat confused but maybe less so. "Well. You're not there any more so what's the problem?"

[beautiful_boc]

"I may not be there," Boc groaned, feeling all the more helpless because he couldn't even bury his face in his hands with the money still clenched in them, "but I am still me! And here, that's almost even worse!"

At least in the Lands Between, there were other demi-humans and hideous creatures to soften the blow of Boc's own appearance, but everyone on this island was... stupidly attractive, it seemed.

[carbsliftthespirit]

"You seem just fine to me," Raiden protested, once again totally lost here.