🎠 anon here!
Hear me out, let’s make an event together for funsies! *waves hands mystically* A Ratatouille themed event in the Shaftlands with a Trey or Jamil SSR, following a restaurant based on the Tale of the Little Chef (this is sounding too much like C&D Diner but it’s all I got at 1AM). Conflict? I don’t know! 😭
Now who do u think would be the best Sr & R cards? 🤔 If you could fix up my restaurant origin plot with something better that would be very welcome lol
Before I share my thoughts, I’d like to ask that everyone treat this as only a creative exercise. This is NOT an invitation to use my specific ideas to create a fanmade event or other related works. (You can still create those things, of course—just use your own ideas to do so!)
If we were to have a Ratatouille-themed or inspired event… I actually envision Azul as the SSR because he has an association with food + restaurants, as well as a connection with business + law (ie the rights to the Gusto inheritance). He would also fit well if we wanted of explore the nostalgic and humble homecoming versus fancy high class dining. In this case, Azul wouldn’t be Linguini or Remy (the actual protagonists of the film), but rather blend of Chef Skinner’s attorney and Anton Ego (the food critic).
Trey and Jamil could be the SRs, since they’re two other characters deeply associated with food. They could make up a theoretical chef or restaurant staff team! Maybe someone who’s more of an eater like Ruggie? His impoverished background + hardworking nature and ability to adapt also makes Ruggie a decent stand-in for the rats in the film. They start off taking stuff but eventually pitch in to help cook!
In this hypothetical event, I see one of Azul’s business connections (or it could be a client of his lawyer stepfather) asking for assistance settling an issue of inheritance. Maybe his stepfather thinks this would interest Azul or would be a valuable learning opportunity for him, seeing as Azul runs the Mostro Lounge, or maybe Azul feels a little out of his depth and connects with his stepfather for help. Either way, this set-up is an excuse for us to see his stepfather
So Azul heads for a city in the Shaftlands known for its cuisine. (The 3 boys + Grim and Yuu tag along because they’re curious about the food scene there and Azul concedes it would be helpful having “additional palates” on hand.)
Azul excuses himself from the group and meets up with his stepfather + the client. They’d be a nameless faceless NPC (similar to the couple in Eternity Float), but is meant to represent Linguini and Remy in spirit. The NPC would communicate that he has had his DNA tested and learned that he is the true heir to the twisted!Gusto name, but the best friend of the late chef, his boss, currently holds all the assets and isn’t willing to part with it. After reviewing the will, the Ashengrottos locate a clause in which “the one who can create a dish that restores the past” will be named the rightful successor to his food empire. This leads to—what else?—a cooking competition. Only one problem: twisted!Linguini can’t cook at all!! He begs Azul to help, which he agrees to take on (for an additional fee and shares in his company when they win this case).
We join Azul in his culinary escapades all over the city, seeking out ingredients and testing cooking techniques + recipes. This would be the time to throw in film lore, like saying how this city’s motto is “anyone can cook” or how rats are treated like companions or whatever. However, no matter how much Azul tries, he’s not satisfied with the dishes.
Here’s the part where I jumpscare you with the fact that yes, this hypothetical event would be character development for Azul (in a similar vein as White Rabbit Fest was for Deuce, Wish Lantern was for Riddle, etc.). See, Azul is a character with deep shame associated with his past self and he has to learn how to accept and embrace that part of him. So with the theme of the food he has to make being something so nostalgic, he has sort of a mental block due to his own struggles with self acceptance. He has built up this “cook” persona and entered the world of fine dining, done everything in his power to not appear pathetic or common. And yet… that’s what this recipe is asking for. It NEEDS humility, the comfort of childhood, etc. It needs Azul to love himself.
The resolution of this conflict would involve making that ratatouille and giving the judge (idk some other attorney) have that “blast from the past” moment. Their client is able to secure all the assets for himself and he thanks Azul for finding an appropriate recipe + teaching him tearfully, saying that he must have been raised with so much love to have made something so good it made a grown man cry + relive his childhood. Azul tries to be cool an shrug it off with an “Anyone can cook,” but deep down he’s proud 😭
THAT’S IT, THAT’S MY PitCH
