Better Eight Than Never

Chapter 10: Soda and Bao

"WHY CAN'T I CHOOSE!?!?" Jill demanded as she flung her hands into the air, and Bato couldn't help chuckling as his friend paced back and forth in front of the case containing steamed buns. "Hmmm." She murmured, glancing toward Hachi. "Are there any that look good to you?" She asked, as if asking her would narrow the options she currently had.

Hachi slowly pulled back, beak bared.

Bato sighed inside, she hadn't had any breakfast, she needed to have something... "I would recommend the pork ones, personally." He said gently, hoping his own calm tone would rub off on her.

Hachi just looked even more confused, as seemed to be the norm this afternoon.

"... Well, Jill?" Bato asked, turning his attention back to his squadmate. "What looks good to you?"

"Everythinnngggg..." Jill moaned, putting the back of her hand to her forehead dramatically. "However~ I want one with bean paste!" She spun on her heel and pointed a finger at a steamed bun on the inside of the case that had pink dough of various shades placed on the outside to make it look like a smiling inkling face.

Bato chuckled. "Yeah, you can't go wrong with the adzuki bean ones."

"Yeah... They're a little more expensive though. Oh well~" Jill hummed. "Maybe I should take one of those, one pork, one chicken and a curry, so I can have just about everything! Something I couldn't do at the sundae shop! A tragedy if there ever was one!"

Bato's heart sank slightly as he remembered what had happened to the sundae shop just a few days ago, but regardless he chuckled at Jill's optimism.

"Hm... Bato?" Jill asked.

"Yeah?" He replied.

"Has... Hachi told you anything she likes?" Jill asked.

Bato frowned a little. "... Well, she said she wouldn't turn down meat." He replied, paraphrasing slightly.

Hachi nodded a little, staring at the case. She looked curious and confused? It was hard to tell.

"Well, that narrows it down! No veggie ones, and no bean ones!" Jill concluded, pacing back and forth.

Bato nodded. "I'd say at least one pork one." He recommended. "Maybe two."

"Okay! A start! Maybe she'd like curry! Jill continued. "But that's a little risky, do you like curry? Do you know what curry is?" She asked, leaning toward Hachi.

"It's a kind of sauce, sort of." Bato explained. "It usually has meat or vegetables in it; it's usually fairly spicy though."

Hachi took a breath to speak.

"It's really good though! It's got this aroma to it, and it's all nice and thick usually and full of flavor!" Jill continued. "The flavors are so strong and clash in such a way that they accent each other! An explosion of taste that—"

"I HATE CURRY." Hachi shouted. "AND I HATE YOU TOO! I HATE YOUR CULTURE GIVING ME ALL THESE... DAMN CHOICES!" She gasped, then doubled over, coughing up a storm.

Jill looked guilt-ridden and horrified, shying away from the counter. "I-I'm sorry..." She said quietly, slowly putting her hands over her mouth.

"Hachi... calm down please." Bato said quietly, watching as Hachi slumped to the floor. She was still coughing rather badly, and it was concerning. "Hachi? Are you feeling alright?"

"Do you have any cough drops?" Jill hesitantly asked.

"No..." Bato frowned. "All I have are the root beer barrels, and she doesn't like those." He paused and knelt down next to her. By now she was gasping for air from so much coughing. "Hachi, sucking on a hard candy might help. Would you be willing to try the root beer ones again?"