I was alone in the apartment. Namako had just gotten a new job, Aunt Jin-yun was apparently busy dealing with a tough customer, and Dad was… Well, I didn’t know where Dad was. Things were getting boring around here, and I was getting hungry, so I invited Aunt Carmen. I heard she was an excellent cook.
I heard a knock on the door. That must’ve been her!
And I was right! Aunt Carmen was on the other side of the door, carrying a plastic bag. I opened the door and let her in.
Ah, hello, Aurita! I see you’re interested in my cooking!
Ah, Aunt Carmen! Just who I wanted to see! Come in, come in!
She came in and looked around. Funnily enough, I don’t recall her being in our apartment all that often.
Alright! Are you ready to have some of Carmen Verdisamant’s signature fried monster?
Fried monster? You can eat those?
Minami has it all the time! I’ve had Hisoka try it a few times too.
If you say so…
Monster meat is quite lean. There actually isn’t enough to go around, but what little meat there is has a unique taste. If I had to describe it… It’s a little gamey. There isn’t much blood in it either, so preparing the meat is a clean process.
I had no idea what Aunt Carmen was saying, but I nodded along.
Ah, sorry! You didn’t invite me to hear me chat away. I’m supposed to be cooking.
Aunt Carmen took the chameleon-like monster out of the plastic bag, as well as a large knife (a cleaver, she called it) and a rectangular board (I think it was called a cutting board?). I wondered what else she had in there.
She started chopping off the monster’s limbs one by one on top of the board. She even chopped the head off, but she put that back in the bag.
Would you like to start with the legs? The thighs?
Whatever you think is tastiest, please.
Alright, then! Watch and learn.
Aunt Carmen walked to our stove and lit a fire from her fingers. She placed a pan—one that we didn’t use very often—on top, and coated it with some kind of oil.
Considering the state of your kitchen, it doesn’t look like Tali cooks often, does he?
No. Aunt Jin-yun fishes for my food, then Dad feeds it to me raw or turns it into chum.
Aunt Carmen placed the leg in the pan and started cooking.
I see. That doesn’t sound very appetizing.
Right? I’ve told Dad that I want something with more flavor, but he’s worried about costs or whatever.
Well, hopefully you enjoy this fried monster, then. There’s plenty more where this came from.
Aunt Carmen moved the food around in the pan with her bare hand.
Don’t try what I’m doing. Only vulcans can handle food like this.
This is what you do to the monsters you exterminate?
Mmm-hmm. Sometimes, at least.
I smelled a strange but welcome smell from Aunt Carmen’s cooking. I resisted the urge to drool, but I waited impatiently to eat.
Other times, Toten will taxidermy them, or Gef will preserve them for who knows what! Other times still, I’ll have to incinerate them on the spot, just because we won’t have any further use for them.
Wow… I’ve worked here for two months, and there’s still quite a bit I don’t know about how this company works.
If it makes you feel any better, The Mongoose Revolution has only been in operation for…three months, I think.
Three months? Could’ve sworn this company was around forever…
Well, you started living here with Tali back in August, right?
Yeah. You’re right. This apartment complex is all I know.
Still haven’t seen much of the outside world, have you?
Not really… But I’m really curious to see what it’s like.
I wish I could take you. Really, I do. But Tali would be livid if he ever found out.
That’s Dad for you. He’s so overprotective. It’s a little annoying, to be honest. Just the other day, I had to beg him to leave for a little while, and he only let me if Namako came with me.
Oh, Tali…
Carmen stayed silent for a while as she continued cooking.
Et voila!
Aunt Carmen sounded like she’d just finished cooking, and she was. She served the monster’s leg on a plate and put it on the table.
Carmen Verdisamant’s fried monster leg!
It smells great!
Dig in, why don’t you?
I started eating… Dang, the flavor was unlike anything I’d ever had before! I didn’t know how to describe it other than…savory? Melt-in-your-mouth? Warm and pleasant? It definitely wasn’t like the cold, salty food Dad would often feed me.
It’s so good!
Why, thank you, Aurita.
You know, you should come here more often. Dad could learn a thing from you.
Really, now?
Aunt Carmen laughed. As I ate, Aunt Carmen and I kept talking… About Dad, about the company, about whatever came to mind…