Douzo Meshiagare, Your Majesty
Lesson .1 Spicy Fried Rice
Emperor Bakugo x Chef Reader
You a modern day chief get thrown into the past during the era of Emperor Bakugo's reign, known as the ruthless barbarian ruler of Sultera.
The museum portion of the library was quiet. A natural stillness that came from respect. Slow movements and quiet voices to no disturb others. You sat patiently at one of the tables as a librarian with a historical degree went in search for the book you were looking for.
It was a diary.. or more like a recipe book. It was from the age of Emperor Bakugo. It was speculated that it had once belonged to his majesty but it was never proven. Emperor Bakugo was known to have refined taste when it came down to food. He had many feasts, traded for different ingredients, went through more Chefs than any Emperor because they couldn't appease his taste. In other words he was a foodie. The contents the diary were old recipes you wanted to study for your upcoming interview at your job. Sous Chef. You needed this break. You could not afford to continue living off the minimum wage your current position made you. You were grateful to Chef Aizawa who saw potential in you to request your promotion. It was incredibly rare and honestly a major confidence boost.
The white gloves you were provided with sat on your hands delicately as you took a deep breath. Hearing footstep you looked up to find Mr.Cementoss placing a white phase box in front of you. He as well wore white gloves as he opened the box for you; asking you to be careful with it. Nodding, your hands touched the cover. It was a very old watoji book, in a creme base color with orange designs on it. The pattern was faded over time, it amazed you how it could've survived for so long. The watoji had was some dirt and red stains on the cover. You tried not to think of what they could be as your fingers grazed the red tassel handing from it. The tassel itself was made with red string, tied together to keep a jade dragon in the middle.
How was this piece of history still intact?
You let out a breath carefully pealing a page open to be meet with many recipe drawings and instructions. It was truly a sight to see. The food nerd in you was so amazed by it all. To bad you could barely read it. The handwriting was messy. You let out a silent giggle at the thought of the Emperor having poor calligraphy. If this was in fact his book. Flipping the pages you find a page that seemed to have been torn off. Damn. Must have been a good recipe. You flip to the very end and notice the last page was different.
It had no drawing. No recipe. Just two simple sentences. As clear as day you read quietly out loud to yourself.
"My dearly beloved if you ever find yourself reading these words please may you return to me. For my heart has only belonged to you since the very beginning."
"How romantic," You say smiling to yourself and close the book. The note was cute but ultimately useless. Disappointed at not having been able to get inspired you place the watoji carefully back in the box with a faint glow. Taking off the gloves and set them on the table beside the box. Pause. A glow? You look back to the box as the designs on the book were beginning to glow and you blink. Working hard for your interview must be making you more exhausted than you thought. You rub your eyes shaking your head a bit before reopening them.
No one around you seemed to notice how the designs on the book covers stared lifting up glowing a bright yellow and ingulfing you. All you could do was stare half in shock and half unsure if this was actually happening right now. Had the the years of torment finally caught up to you? Had you even made it out of the orphanage? What if you had hallucinated everything? You really were a freak.
"What is happening!" You shout but again the other people around you continue on as if it was another Tuesday. A scream rips from your throat as you look down to your hands that being to fade into a yellow smoke like fog that trailed into the book. Almost like genie lamp. As if it was sucking you in. The book fulling engulfs you as you close your eyes being dragged fully inside.
Then it too begins to fade. Both of you disappearing in an instant leaving behind nothing but the gloves and phase box.
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You barely registered our own scream. The feeling of your heart droping and butterflies in your stomach as you free fall from the sky.
After opening your eyes you had come to find out you weren't in the library anymore. Nor were you hallucinating. Were you asleep? Was this a dream? The impact answered your question. You had fallen a good 7 feet off the ground straight on your back on a patch of dirt. Groaning in pain you attempted to sit up but your movement must've triggered something because a net suddenly surrounded you lifting your body off the ground.
"Ughh," You groan at the feeling of soreness spreading.
What is happened? Where the hell am I? Your hands grasped the net as you look around. The trap seemed to be some sort of animal net for hunting and hung from a large tree. Which you just noticed you were surrounded by. It seemed like the outskirts of the forest as the trees grew more separated and were sparced out. It was eerily quiet.
Where on Aldera were you? You lived in the city with the closet forrest to you being 4 hours away and it was a small patch of it. Internally panicking you then suddenly yelp as an arrow passes by you and digs into the tree where you hung from. Another one shots out and you duck as much as you can into the net gasping. But it doesn't hit you instead it shots right through the rope cutting it down letting you drop.
You groan as once again you have fallen to the ground.
"Fuck my life," You grumble to yourself. Standing up to dust your pants you're not even given a moment of respite as you feel a breeze whip past your face. Letting out another scream when you realize the air came from a third arrow almost digging into you.
Picking up the watoji that you just noticed was on the ground beside you, stepping behind the tree clutching it to your chest. Panting you slowly peak your head out.
A man atop a horse stood before you glaring. His attire was very odd. He wore no shirt only some padding on his shoulders and orange arm bands. A heavy red cloak with fur along the top sat on his muscles. Holy shit. His muscles were huge. Bulging veins ran down his arms. A defined six pack that trailed right above his happy trail. Gulp. He wore lose black breeches hung low tucked into some beige fur boots. His blond hair was spiky shooting up in all sorts of directions. Finally a beaded necklace with blue teeth shaped jewels hung from his neck.
"Who the hell are you?" He growled snapping you out of your starring. Whipping out another arrow your eyes widened taking a step back. Once he placed the arrow on the bow adjusting it you took the opportunity to run.
Horse hooves pranced on the grown as the man followed behind you him clearly having the advantage. You were panicking a strange man was following you on his horse with a bow in the woods.
Stumbling to catch your footing as the terrain becomes more wild, filling the path with rocks and fallen branches. You clutch the watoji hard refusing to let go making it harder for you to cross the path. Heavy breaths leave you beginning to sweat, your already sore back hurting refusing to back down you pushed yourself to continue.
Taking a chance to glance behind you to see how far the man was, not that far not that far. You chant in your head as another arrow flies past you and you gasp coming to a halt. Looking down stopping right on time your realize your at the edge of a cliff.
"HATE MY LIFE KILL ME NOW!"
A click of a tongue made you spun around. the strange man and his horse had caught up to you and now he was looking at you as if you were crazy. "Okay no no wait not what I meant! Your panicked voice and raised hands made his look you up and down. "Tch."
"Ooh you think this funny real funny ha ha I'm laughing so hard," Growling through your teeth you call out to the universe sounding a little deranged not realizing the man had dismounted his horse and was now only a few feet away from you. "You really are crazy," His deep voice says more to himself studying you. The strange women who was caught in his hunting trap. You looked out of place with your odd clothing, messy red hair with leaves sticking out of it, clutching a book. His eyes narrow at the familiar cover but eventually look back up at your face not being able to place where he's seen it.
"Are you insane? What is this a movie set? Hey listen I'm sorry i interrupted your scene but that no reason to go chasing me around with that prop!"
He has no idea what your talking about. Movie set? Scene? Prop? What a fucking odd women.
"Who the hells are you huh? Who sent you?"
"Sent me? I don't know where I am! I just want to go home!"
"Do not raise your voice at me women!" He calls out blood pumping now starting to get angry. Your face ticks a wave of anger overtaking you. You were lost and scared and this man who you are starting to believe is insane was not helping your situation. "Women? That no why to speak to people who the hells raised you? Huh?"
The man scoff in disbelief turning his chin and looking back at you. It as if no one had every raised their voice to this brat. Who are his parents? Barbarians? Who the hells does this women think she is?
"OLD HAG? WHO YOU CALLING OLD HAG?"
At first he glared at your interruption but slowly the corners of his lips twitched up into a smirk at your outraged cry. He was delighted to get underneath your skin, your attitude completely changed from your earlier panic. Your fiery nature had reminded him of his mother for a brief moment, calling you old hag on instinct. He was amused. Taking the opportunity to tease you more, his gaze shifted from your face slowly trailing down your body then back up. "How old are you 30?"
"I'm only 27 bastard!" You shout at his audacity.
He was honestly quite surprised, although he did not show it because he thought you younger than him. Based on your appearance his eyes followed your every movement assessing if you were telling the truth. But why would a women lie about her age? You were so strange. Your clothes didn't match any region in Sultera.
Could you be from overseas? Or maybe just crazy?
He thought that was likely the case. Maybe you had gone mad like Queen Rei and were locked up before you escaped. If that was the case it might have been better to just kill you now. It would be a mercy considering the preferred methods he's heard preformed by mad doctors.
His hand comes up behind his neck to silently retrieve another arrow from his quiver only to find empty air. Turning his head he sees he ran out of arrows. "Tch what a bother." Dropping the bow he instead unsheathes his sword. He'll have to get messy. "Okay okay lets not act rash," You voice become high pitched in worry hand coming up in a stop motion creating as much distance as you can without falling.
He scoffs pointing the tip of his sword to your throat. "That's rich a stranger who doesn't know where she is and has broken at least a dozen rules starting with the way you speak to me," He growls eyeing you up and down taking a step closer. "Listen here outsider your going to tell me exactly who you are or-"
Your eyes widen in horror at the interruption. An arrow hits his left back shoulder blade the arrow digging deep as his own eyes widen looking down at you. "Fuckin traitor," The strange man bites thinking it was all a set up as he stumbles losing his footing falling into you. Your hands start to tremble at the situation. Mouth hung open in a silent gasp unsure of what to do when he stumbles into you. His head rest on your shoulder, sword falling out of his limp hand as his weight pushes you backwards. Both your feet shuffle back in an attempt to carry his weight but are meet with nothing. A scream rips from your throat in terror as the both you stumble falling backwards off of the cliff.
A raging river is what catches you. Falling into the water you push off the rocks on the bottom to elevate yourself up gasping for air once you reach the surface. Your arms and feet kick keeping you afloat.
A couple feet away from you the man floats past head down and you almost gag at the arrow sticking out of the water from his back. "Okay okay," You encourage yourself to swim to him not having the heart to leave him there despite this whole situation behind his fault. He was heavier than you thought the budging muscles hard as stone as you push your aching body to the shore.
Once the water came up to your waist you were able to touch the sand below hand tightening to better grasp the man arm dragging onto dry land. Placing him on his stomach you observe his wound. In fear of his bleeding out you know you shouldn't take out the arrow. So instead you break it to not hurt him more to be able to flip him onto his back. Ripping some of your shirt you carefully tie it tightly around the wound so it could keep pressure on it.
Your knowledge of wounds and treatment was low but you had received some training from Chef Aizawa. He was always prepared like that. Partially you thought it had something to do with your hands. His partner insisted on therapeutic hand massages on your weekly dinners at their place. They were kind to you. Your boss and his partner were the closest thing you had to parents. Hopefully you'll be out of this situation soon.
Letting out a heavy sigh you check his pulse. It was there but faint.
Tilting his head up you intertwine your fingers together and begin to push on his chest just like your cpr training. You liked being prepared. Pushing up and down on for about 13 times before you tilt his chin open and bending down. Before you could even place your lips against his he twisted his head choking out water. A breath of relief and your body slumps. The man spits the water out and breaths properly sitting up.
"Don't move the wound on your shoulder looks bad."
"What hell did you do outsider? Was this your plan all along?" He growls wincing his hand come to rest on his left shoulder.
"Don't give me that attitude i just saved your life. Plus if i wanted to kill you i would've just let you drown," Usually you were a lot calmer than this but something about this man was making you lose your patience. To be fair he was being an ass. A crazy insane ass who thought you wanted to kill him. Which reminded you.. why did he think that? Who wanted to kill him? Best not stay to find out.
"Why did they shoot you?" You ask curiously not able to stop yourself from asking. "A lot of people want me dead," He shrugs it off. You don't like that. He's angry you can tell that much but weary of you to play it off as indifference. He seemed to come to the conclusion that maybe you really were just an outsider. Someone not from Sultera with odd clothing, a weird way of speaking and with no manners whatsoever.
"That's not normal you should go to the police. We should report it and probably stop at a hospital."
Your brows furrow as he repeats words. "Okay we should also get you checked for a concussion as well." Standing up you shiver the air hitting your body as your wet clothes cling to you.
The sun was starting to set. "Great."
He continues sitting one leg stretched out and the other bent hand on top of that knee. He doesn't move. You huff rolling your eyes letting out a sigh as you begin searching for the watoji needing to return it.
"Great just great," Grumbling at its disappearance your shoulder drop head rolling to the side, feeling a crimp in your neck. Head spinning in all directions you take note how you don't recognize anything. Not that you did since you dropped into the net but you were hoping to start recognizing anything soon. Over to the left you notice how the path become narrow and eventually is swallowed by water, looking to your right the path stretches beyond meeting an more ground as it spreads into a field. Nodding to yourself you set out in that direction.
"Where the hells are you going?"
"I'm not sitting on my ass all night. I'm going to look for help."
"Tch don't be annoying outsider my guards are probably out looking for me." Scoffing you couldn't believe the amount of ego this man was inflated with. "Is this some type of method acting?"
A deep breath ingulfs your lungs to not blow up on the man he was starting to become a nuisance. You admit he was a great actor. Phenomenal even but you were getting sick of it. "Listen do what you want yeah? I'm going to find a way home. It'll be dark soon we're wet and the cold might make us sick and who knows what type of animals are out here. Let alone how far away we are from the nearest town."
Seeming to take your words into consideration he sighed standing up motioning for you to guide the way. He stumbled a bit hand coming to his shoulder. It hurt but he'd be damned if he let it show in front of you. The both of you walked silently, exhausted and cold. You thought of what you would tell the librarian. Mr.Cementoss would surely have you arrested for accidentally stealing the watoji. Still unsure how you even got into this position in the first place, you bite back the panic years at the orphanage instilling survivor skills into you.
Hours later you and the man almost collapse at the sight of a small cottage in the distance. Just a little further. Your feet drag on the floor once you make it to the wooden gate. "Hello-" Getting cut off by the rude man who barges in with no care in the world, your eye twitches. "You cant just do that this is somebody's home." Reprimanding him but he doesn't care as he knocks loudly on the front door before pushing it open.
Groaning you throw your head back as you enter the gate after him ready to scold him but he walks out of the house. "Nobody lives here."
"How do you know?" You question him before getting smacked in the face by fabric. The man had thrown at you some worn down clothing he found. A simple white chemise and light blue kirtle. They were both worn down, a bit dirty with some patched up holes but dry clothes were better than what you had on. It was Sultera clothing from long before it was Aldera. This must be part of his set. "We must be near the Hadera forest nobody lives on the outskirts of that forsaken place anymore. Not anymore since the League took base in it," The man explains to you nonchalantly entering the house to change his own wet clothes. The clothes he changed into had a lot of layers and somehow appeared more humble than his original attire. It suited him. Both attires did. He was handsome you noted. Having a rough muscular exterior than made him look like he belonged in this set. Damn. Where did they find this actor?
Not needing to be told twice you walked into the home trading places with him so you change into the dress. Ready to peel off the layers sticking to your body. Both pieces fit you perfectly and your grateful to have some dry clothes to change into. Walking back out you sit beside the strange man as he changes the makeshift bandage you wrapped him in. He observes you. The outsider. Where the hell did you come from? "Tch you really have no idea who I am? I've killed people for far less then daring to sit next to me."
"I'll take a raincheck to my beheading thank you," You joke playing into his crazy method acting. Might as well your bored and he was a little amusing albeit terrifying at times. Laying down on the sitting table you both sat at closing your eyes. The man stares down at you unused to someone speaking so freely with him. Even his best mate and advisor Kirishima never dared to push to far. But you? Here you are a crazy woman from Gods know where defying him. "Tch." He looks away stomach growling.
"Tch no." He lies but his stomach growls again.
You stand stretching before walking around the cottage wondering what you could find. Was this set was usable? The set was designed like ancient Sultera with a lean-to roof extending from the cottage and supported by wooden pillars. It reminded you of the cabins in the mountains that used a similar space for storing wood except this one was built into a kitchen.
A large stone oven sat against the cottage wall the space underneath was open in arches made of brick with fire wood inside. On top two iron pots with lids sat into spaces created for them embezzled into the stone. Kamdo style. Different pans and utensils could be found hanging above the stove. Infront of the stove a wooden table sat as an island to chop vegetables. At the back end of the kitchen a large shelf made with stick and twine. Rice and bean bags sat at the bottom shelf, herbs lined the top shelf hanging with twine, in the middle flat baskets filled with vegetables. The set was a beautiful rendition of a traditional Sultera kitchen.
Picking up a carrot from the set you take a bite. Chewing for a few seconds before spitting it out. "Well i be damned your set must have a huge budget if they're using real vegetables as props." If it was plastic you wouldn't have been able to bite into it. maybe you should put random things in your mouth but as a chef you liked to actually try what you were cooking with. Walking to the stove you open some pots and notice how one of them is full of day old rice. "Mmmh?" You him in question to yourself grabbing a spoon from the wall and taste testing it.
"Mmh your crew must be really dedicated to accuracy!" You say happily as the man ignores you. Picking up an empty basket you begin to gather ingredients around the pantry.
You begin to sort out which vegetables were still good to use and what you could make with them. Racking your brain for an easy recipe with rice. With the exception of egg you could make fried rice. Mmmh yes. You set the basket on the table and grab a cleaver knife from the wall.
The blonde man observed you from afar as you bustled around the kitchen. Curiously he began to walk closer to you, observing, as you started mincing some garlic.
"What are you making?" He asks unable to keep the curiosity out of his voice. He picked uo a carrot from the basket of ingredients you had. "Have just enough ingredients for fried rice unfortunately there were no eggs so I'll have to improvise." Smiling you show him some of the packets of spicy paste, soy sauce and chilli powder you had in your pockets. It was a habit of yours after eating out adding the leftover packets in your pocket; which is what you did right before going to the library.
He picks it up cautiously never in his life having seen something like this. Setting it down he watches you over your shoulder his hands behind his back. His eyes observe how skilled your hands are with a knife. Hands he just realized are trembling and bruised.
Did you get hurt in the fall?
He lets out a scoff at his thoughts. Why does he care? Why should he care? But even as he thinks this he moves to stand beside you grabbing some carrots.
The man picks up a spare knife and begins helping you chop vegetables. Your left in awe at his knife skills. He was fast but cut them into precise measurements something you had trouble with was quickness. The ability to cut fast with a knife was useful for meal prepping and did good as a profession when working in a kitchen. Him though? He was just a show off.
"What school did you go to?" You couldn't help but ask. As an orphan with no one to support your dreams you could only go to a smaller culinary school. Still you learned everything you needed and your food tasted rather good if you say so yourself. Him though? He must've gone to the best with those quick reflexes.
"Hah," His voice was rough and low. You blinked. "School." You repeated gesturing to his hands. "For your cooking."
His brows furrowed looking down at where you now gathered his vegetables into the frying pan looking around to try to find a way to turn on the fire underneath it. "You don't go to school for that dumbass, my mom taught me." Now it was your turn to be confused before rolling your eyes at his insult. The man took the opportunity to turn on the fire creating a rather loud spark making you flinch. You did not even realize he had anything on him to create the fire but were to exhausted to ask. Adding the rice and packets into the vegetables you stirred everything together.
"Its cool your mom taught you. The matron in charge at the orphanage taught me when I was younger before I went to school to get my masters."
He repeats the odd word 'masters' under his breath nodding figuring you must be an apprentice to a high Itamae.
Of course that's what he focused on. Ass.
"Here." Is all you reply with taking the lid off the pot. Your intention were to grab plates but you didn't see any. The aroma of the fried rice floated in the air as the man breathed it in. He had never smelt anything like it. How? It was simple fried rice. Nothing special.
"Mmh we'll have to eat it like this." Grabbing the pot you take it to the small table you had originally had been sitting on; placing the pot in the middle and grabbing two spoons.
The man turns on a lanternbhe found lighting it up with what you assumed was a lighter. He followed you to the sittkng table as sat crisscross on the table as the blonde copying your movements. Now full situated you mixed everything together well with both spoons ailing in the aroma of the blend.
The paste and hot spices actually originated from the era of Emperor Bakugo who was known to love spicy food. His people discovered how to blend the ingredients to make this delicious paste you enjoyed on meals.
The man in front of you had snapped out of whatever trance he was in and began to glare at you. Clearly he was bi-polar. He seemed to have come to the realization that he had let his guard down and allowed you to add some unknow red sauce to the food. Were you trying to poison him? He had only helped you in the kitchen to keep a close eye on what you added. Not because he felt bad.
"I never take the first bite."
Was gis response to your outstretched hand ready with the spoon full for him to try. "Your joking," You scoff. Who the hell did he think he was. "Ahh you really are a nuisance," Shaking your head you turn the spoon placing it into your mouth. "Mmmmh." Maybe you were just hungry but the ingredients and spicy blend was so good.
He watched you making sure you didn't poison yourself to prove a point or something. His dark eyes zeroed in on you before grabbing the other spoon. Only now with the light of the lantern he set between you did you noticed the unusual color.
Almost choking on the spoonful of fried rice you asked with a mouthful.
He turned his nose up at you telling you to eat what your mouth closed. "Disgusting you and that shitty scaled lizard are just the same." Did he just? Did he really just compare you to a lizard?
"Of course my eyes are red its a common color dumbass."
"Where the hell do you live?" The question comes out louder and in a tone of disbelief. "I cant go anywhere with this hair without people calling me a liar for saying its natural."
The blonde stares at you spoon close to his mouth before dropping it. His red eyes scan your hair then your face. Where had he seen that face? You looked familiar. He just couldn't place his finger where. His stomach interrupts his thoughts. Shaking his head he brings the spoonful back up before finally tasting your food.
Gods it was delicious. It was sharp and hot?? The flavor hitting the back of his throat in a tangy strange feeling. His lips almost felt numb like an illusion that his mouth was of fire. Whatever it was he enjoyed it. A lot. He couldn't get enough of it with every bite he took he wanted more.
You watched him contently loving when someone enjoyed your food. It was a simple meal but it reminded you of the feeling you had when you had cold soba with the matron. Even the simplest of meals can emanate strong emotions.
The both of you finished the pot feeling tired and full. Feeling stuffed you lied back on the table rubbing your belly. "Ahh I'm so full."
The man's stomach was full with a good meal but he could figure you out. You were genuinely scared when he first meet you hours prier. You didn't know who he was or where you were. You spoke strangely, your clothes were odd and you could cook. Most importantly he did not think you wanted him dead. Maybe you really were just a foreigner.
Could it be possible you stumbled into Sultera without realizing it? It wasn't totally weird for many foreigner to travel to Sultera. maybe your ship sank and washed up on shore. It didn't seem like you had many memories of what happened right before you landed in his trap. He wasn't sure on most of these thoughts. It was all just speculation on his part. One thing he knew for certain. He enjoyed your cooking. Something not one of his 28 Itamae had been capable of. The thing about the strange man sat in front of you.. when he enjoyed something he wouldn't let it go.
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Douzo Meshiagare - Eat well/Bon Appetit
Watoji - Traditional Japanese book binding
Itamae - Highly skilled head chef
Taglist: @veryscarycherry @faemagic88 @xxdiaqiaoxx @primefactor12 @my-melo-gf @anitnaomi
