When I arrived in the next world, I looked at my gummi radar of my ship which said I was in a place called the French Quarter: New Orleans. Where I had landed, looked like a city, a very modern, and upscale city. There were buildings, cars, on every corner there was a restaurant. This place smelled like nothing but food. And there were so many people walking around on the concrete streets, I could count everyone I laid my eyes on, and still wouldn't be halfway through.
I walked around aimlessly taking in the smell of the delicious aroma and looking at the beautiful sights of what seemed to be such freedom. Next thing I knew I was crashed into from the side and tossed onto my bottom. I had closed my eyes feeling the shock of the impact. What the heck happened?
"Ow..." I said as I rubbed the place of impact and opened my eyes to someone in front of me.
"Oh, darlin' I'm sorry!" It was a young woman who had a smooth southern twang. She leaned down and grabbed the crook of my elbow to help me to my feet. She seemed out of place. She had her hands filled with bags and was in a hurry. She had a dark chocolate complexion with her brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, covered by a hat, wearing a collard yellow dress.
"It's alright," I said. "Thank you."
"You don't look like you're from around here."
"Well...I'm not....I'm traveling."
"Well, you sure picked an interesting place to come. New Orleans is one heck of a place. Well, anyway, I'm Tiana."
"I'm Ayame."
"Ayame? That's an interesting name. Well, nice to meet you."
"Likewise. So Tiana, why are you in such a hurry?"
"Well I'm rushing to work so I'm not late. I work at the diner that's right around the corner from here...you know what...why don't you come with me?"
"What for?"
"I'm gonna treat you to some beignets, as an apology for knocking you over."
"Bei-what?"
"It's a dessert, they're really sweet. You'll like them, I promise."
"Well...ok then."
I followed her to the diner she worked at. This world was far from quiet, there was always something going on. Whether it was children laughing and playing or entertainers playing music on the streets. This world was lively. When we finally reached her diner she was already scorned for being three minutes late by a heavy set chef that was behind the counter. Three minutes? Really?
"Get to it girl! We got orders coming in!" the chef yelled to Tiana.
"Alright! Alright! I hear ya'!" She came over to me and put me at table. "I'm gonna have those beignets out to you in a sec, alright hun?"
"Uh...alright..."
I felt so out of place here. Everyone was so lively...and loud and here I was sticking out like a sore thumb. As I waited I looked around and found myself distracted by something outside. Through the window there was a man dressed in lavish clothing but to him those clothes seemed 'comfortable'. He had tan skin, brown hair, and had a very self-absorbed vibe. He was running around playing a guitar and singing, on his path through the very lively city.
He was being followed by a plump, stout, and round older gentleman who had gray hair on the sides and back of his head, and bald on his crown. He was struggling to keep up with the younger man, dropping bags as he tried to pick them up. The older man was also very well dressed in an off black suit jacket with pants to match. With a white collared shirt underneath and a red tie. There was another man who didn't seem to like the cheery man's cheerful disposition.
The annoyed man who was in the middle of what seemed to be a street performance. His cards were knocked of his hand and he grimaced at the fact he had to bend down and pick them up. This man had an oddly creepy vibe. To the naked eye he may have seemed like a common street performer but there was something more to him, something sinister. This man had a darker complexion, purple eyes and had a mustache.
He was wearing a purple striped suit jacket with a black collar, with a lighter purple shirt underneath with pant to match and a red sash tied around his waist. He also had a brown cane that had a large purple ball at the top of it. He also had a necklace with shark teeth around his neck. He also had on a top hat with a skull and cross bones on it. No wonder he seems creepy. There was also a red sash tied around his hat that was holding a purple feather in place. I wanted to pay attention to see where he was about to go. But then I was distracted by the plate of sweets that was put down in front of me by the charismatic, and charming Tiana.
"Here ya go darliin'" She stood there smiling, looking eager for me to taste one. "What ya waiting on? Go on and try it, I promise you'll love it."
I just sat there looking at her for a second, thinking. They did smell delicious and they were huge. The smell of fried bread and powdered sugar swarmed my nose. I picked one up and took a big bite. What shocked me was how hot they were until my tongue was blessed with the sweet fried dough that was this pastry. I was completely in awe. I looked at her with my eyes wide.
She smiled wide. "They're good aren't they?"
"Mhm," I nodded.
"Enjoy, I'll be back to check on you let me know if you need something to wash all that sweet down with." She then swayed away caring for her customers.
I literally sat there for twenty minutes savoring and enjoying every bite of the beignet I was eating and I still had three more on my plate to eat. Then suddenly this tall heavy set man with pale skin wearing a beige suit, green tie and had red hair along with a petite high strung blonde girl with blue eyes following after him as he sat at a table. She had her hair pulled back and was wearing a hat with a pink hat and a pink feather. She was also a wearing a long pink dress. It looked very well-tailored and expensive. She immediately started screaming for Tiana.
"OH! Tiana! Tiana!" She screamed happily.
Tiana went over smiling. Did she know that lunatic? "Hello, Charlotte, Big Daddy." What kind of a name was Big Daddy? "And here's your order already ready, Big Daddy."
Big Daddy took a big bite of the sweet pastry and started to speak. "What are you doing later this evening Tiana?"
"Well. I don't know, probably go home. Make some plans for opening my own restaurant maybe make some gumbo here and there. The two jokers I'm dealing with are giving me a hard time."
"Well I---"
But then Big Daddy was soon interrupted by Charlotte. Which she seemed to do a lot and he seemed to dislike it as well. "Well, daddy's throwing a big masquerade ball tomorrow night to welcome Prince Naveen of Maldonia and we were wondering if you could cater it with your fabulous beignets."
"A Prince?!...I don't know...my cooking may not do it for him..."
"Oh come on Tiana! I know its short notice but we'll pay you enough for your restaurant."
"Really?"
"Really. And we want you there."
"Well, alright..." Charlotte was happy and hugged Tiana. "But only if my new friend can come." Then she turned over and looked at me, drawing attention to me. They all made their way to me and I suddenly felt out in the open. Darn that Tiana.
"Well who's this lovely young lady," Big Daddy said.
"This is Ayame."
"Well nice to meet y—"
"Oh my!" Charlotte took my hand and shook it violently. "Any friend of Tiana's is a friend of ours! And I love the whole punk look you got goin' on."
"Um...thanks..."
"I am Eli "Big Daddy" La Bouff and this happy little princess is my daughter, Charlotte."
"Nice to meet you..." I have never felt so out of place and backed into a corner until I met these people.
"We'd love to have you at the ball, Ayame and please call me, Big Daddy." Mr. La Bouff said.
"I'll stick with Mr. La Bouff and Oh no...I don't think I should..."
"Oh come on it'll be fun..."
"And you could help me with the catering and keep me company, and I think ya' owe me for knocking me over." Tiana said as Charlotte nodded her head looking like a nut case. They all looked at me with wide smiles.
I took a deep breath as I cut my eyes out toward the window. If my memory is correct she was the one who ran into me If I had been my old self I would have killed her for doing a move like that, or at least trapped her somewhere...either way she's lucky.
"Oh fine..." I sighed. Tiana hugged me.
After a few more minutes of idle chit chat both Mr. La Bouff and Charlotte left. I sat there nibbling on my last sweet pastry and sipping milk until Tiana was done with work. She offered to let me stay with her since I obviously had no place to go stay. She grabbed her hat from a nearby coat rack as I followed her out the diner and we began our walk to her home. She explained to me how she lived with her mother, Eudora, and her father, James, passed away when she was young. I could only imagine what she thinks and how much pain she could feel not having a father, it's something I could relate too.
She also explained the long lasting relationship between her family and the La Bouffs. It turns out the the La Bouffs were a very wealthy family, the wealthiest in New Orleans. But I never would have thought that, Mr. La Bouff doesn't seem the type to flaunt his wealth...his daughter however seems the type. He also tended to spoil Charlotte and was a bit of a pushover but he loved seeing his daughter happy. Tiana's mom was a sitter here and again for the two girls but mostly a seamstress and always read them the book about a princess kissing a frog, and making dresses for Charlotte. Tiana found the idea of kissing a frog disgusting, still does. Charlotte however, was all for it. That spoiled, money grubbing, nutcase. I don't understand how she and Tiana are best friends, it makes absolutely no sense.
"So, why do you want your own restaurant?" I asked Tiana, to keep the conversation going.
"Well it was dream me, and my daddy always had. To have our own restaurant and I want to make sure we still have that dream come true. And I want to serve my daddy's gumbo to every, and anybody to try. He always put his heart and soul into that gumbo and he showed me how to make it. That's how I learned my love for cooking. And I learned it with my daddy."
When she spoke of her father, sparkles of happiness seeped through her eyes. But it was obvious how much she missed him from the sadness in her voice. But I admired how she still managed to stay positive and keep her father's memory alive through their dream. Tiana also seemed very ambitious for this. She knew she would get her restaurant and not let anyone stop her.
When we reached her home, a few lights were still on, the smell of food came through the window. I could smell the spices all around me, cayenne pepper, paprika, I could also smell peppers, and onions and meat.
"I'm sure you'll feel very at home here," Tiana said as she unlocked her front door and push it open.
"Tiana, is that you honey?" I heard a more mature sounding voice coming from the kitchen into the living room. She stuck her head in the room with big smile as wide and bright as Tiana's. Her other had brown eye, and her curly hair that was slightly grayed stopped at her neck. She was wearing a simple green dress with a green sweater jacket.
As she talked to Tiana, I looked around and focused on a picture on the wall. It was a man. He had short curly brown hair, brown eyes, and bronze skin. And that same bright smile that clearly runs in the family. It was definitely the deeply missed father Tiana spoke so much about. My attention then focused back to Tiana and her mother's conversation.
"So is this the friend you mentioned earlier? Hi there Ayame, I'm Eudora." As she came forward I stuck my hand out for a hand shake but gave me a hug instead, which I did not expect. I returned the hug in a bit of an awkward fashion.
I shifted my eyes to Tiana after her mother let me go. "How did you find the time to tell your mother?"
"Don't worry about it. I made time to." Tiana smiled.
"Dinner's almost ready ladies, I'm sure you're hungry." Eudora said.
"Well, Ayame may not be, I stuffed her belly with beignets."
"I'll take a small helping. I at least want to taste it."
"You'll love it," Tiana smiled. "Smells like mama made daddy's gumbo. You're in for a treat."
We all sat down at the circular wooden kitchen table while we ate. Their home was small and simple, but it was still a home. And it felt safe. We were exchanging small talk when the focus of conversation drifted to me.
"So, Ayame," Eudora started. "It's obvious you're not from around here. What are you here for?"
I knew I had to be careful with what I said. They couldn't know that there were other worlds. "Well...I'm traveling...to find my mother and my friends...we were separated and I'm trying to find them."
"I see...how about your father?"
"My father died when I was young...and I also wanted ask my mother more about him."
"Did you not know him?"
"I did. I have good memories of him, but I just wanted to know more about him and who he was before I came along. So I can feel as close to him as I can." I lied. I of course wanted to find my mother but to also know why I lost that memory of my father's death. I already knew everything I wanted to know about him and that was that he was a great dad.
"How sweet." She smiled. "But I can tell you, your mother isn't here. This place is small, and I would have seen someone that looks like you. The hair, the eyes, that flawless bronze skin. You stick out like a sore thumb and I'm sure you look like your mother. Most girls do."
"Yeah, well that's what people told me." With the exception of the keyblades, the black and red hair, green eyes and tattoos, and the dangerous reputation of the darkness, yeah then we are alike in a few ways.
"Oh, mama!" Tiana said. "Big daddy and Charlotte are having a masquerade ball tomorrow evening and they wanted me to cater with my beignets. And I was wondering if you could -?"
"Make a fabulous costume for you?" Eudora finished her sentence."
"Well sure if you'd like but I was gonna ask if you could come? It's been awhile since we've done something together and I know you like doing new things..."
"Oh honey, you are so sweet. There's nothing more that I'd rather do than to be with my baby. But I have to work tomorrow sweetie."
"Oh well, that's alright. I understand, mama."
"Plus this your big project you don't want your mama there crampin' your style."
"Mama!" Tiana laughed.
"And I'll probably eat all of your beignets and you won't be able to serve any to the guests. But I will make a nice costume for you."
"Alright, "Tiana said. "But nothing too crazy alright, Charlotte and I are friends but she'd have a fit if she wasn't the center of attention."
"You go that right honey, Charlotte would lose her mind. But honey you are you're very own star. And you don't even have to try to shine the brightest."
"Thank you, mama."
It was nice to see another mother daughter relationship that was different compared to my own. It was different how they acted with each other. They were so close, like sisters. It was refreshing and made miss my mother a little. I had been so focused on my path and driven with finding her and my friends I had forgotten how much I missed her. Her voice, the feeling of her hugs, everything. Why did she lie to me all those years? Take away that memory of my father? I didn't understand.
"Ayame?" I heard Tiana say.
"Ayame?! Honey, are you alright?! What's wrong?" Eudora followed after.
I looked at them confused as I took another spoonful of gumbo. "What are you talking about?" Could they read my thoughts?
"You're crying honey..." Eudora took a finger and wiped a tear off my cheek. I was crying? I couldn't even tell...I couldn't...I couldn't even feel it. How was that possible?
"I guess I just miss my mom, and seeing you two made me miss her. I missed her more than I realized..." I told them
"Oh sweetie its ok." Eudora said as her and Tiana came over to hug me. They were real huggers. "I know your heart is breaking darlin', but don't let that sadden you, know why? Cause' you'll find her and your friends. I know you will."
I smiled to myself in disbelief as the though came to me. My heart....I see...it makes sense why I couldn't feel myself crying. Another consequence with the darkness I guess. Maybe there's a silver lining to it somehow.
"Thank you, Ms. Eudora."
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