Their name is Ari. It used to be something different, but that name is dead, relegated to the dusty files of a past identity. From childhood through young adulthood, food had always been a struggle, fraught with physical danger: severe allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, soy, and sulfites, compounded by Celiac disease. Add to this coming from a Jewish family that strictly kept kosher, and food became not just a physical obstacle, but a complex spiritual and social issue.
More than once, they were hospitalized, whether from a casual Chinese dish that failed to disclose peanuts in the sauce, or from childhood peer pressure to eat a seemingly harmless baked good. Ari was always skinny, a side effect of the constant difficulty of finding safe, nourishing food.
This fragility made Ari feel like a burden on their family, especially their mother. So, when other facets of their true self became clear, particularly their gender identity, they hid it fiercely, desperate not to add another layer to the burden having a kid like them already caused.
They passed their first rite of passage, viewed by the community as an adult, but they didn't truly feel it. When they neared twenty, the internal conflict became too much, and Ari tearfully told their mother who they truly were.
The revelation was heavy. There were arguments, doubts, and guilt, but eventually, there was acceptance. Ari was permitted to be their true self, and despite already having one rite of passage, a second was arranged, a blessing to introduce and affirm Ari's new pronouns and new name to the world.
Like many people seeking escape, Ari experimented with full immersion video games. At first, they seemed silly. But Ari soon discovered something amazing: a few games offered the ability to accurately taste and consume things without physical consequence.
The first thing Ari ate in full digital immersion was a campfire stew. It was hearty and meaty, but ultimately disappointing, it was something they could have had safely at home, provided they used kosher beef. It wasn't until they reached their first simulated town and found a baker that they experienced their first truly forbidden food: a decadent milk chocolate and almond cookie.
It was life changing. As the technology advanced, that first confection remained the memory that solidified their obsession. After that, they were hooked on video games, playing every virtual world they could find. not to gain power or fight, but simply to try food of every possible type, be it real or imagined. The more forbidden the better.
Ari started a blog, chronicling these delicacies across the net. They started a live stream, recording their genuine reactions to the various simulated foods. As they gained fans, they opened up, becoming more exciting, energetic, and completely themselves. They were no longer a burden who had to hide, no longer a problem for those they loved. They were Fizzypop, the Gormon of Games.
It took half a year before they worked up the nerve to eat even more forbidden foods, like a double bacon cheeseburger, or a flight of shrimp, each encrusted with a different flavorful breading. But despite how glorious those savory items were, sugary treats were always their favorite: the weird, the wonderful, the kind that would have sent them straight to a hospital bed for just smelling them in the physical world.
What brought them to the dying world of Coro?en was pure curiosity. The game was free, and maybe it held a hidden culinary gem their fans would appreciate. And a gem they did find, in a strange Cat Beastkin selling, of all things, vegan food. The absurdity was staggering! There’s no morality in digital meat. It was just data. That's why video game pork was still kosher in the digital sense, it wasn't real. God doesn't care about pretend food.
But Noobkitty, the Cat Beastkin, was so insistent, and her passion was so genuine, that Fizzypop had to try her treats. That curiosity quickly led to an invite for a guest spot on a stream from the Cat Beastkin’s "Sisters."
Fizzypop was in their digital dining room, a beautiful, ostentatious pocket realm with a large table draped in a pastel cloth. On a crystal serving tray sat the “Weird Berry Cup” and the “Jalape?o Tea Cookie?”, alongside a cup of hot chai tea, perpetually steaming, never getting cold. Fizzypop looked only slightly different from their Coro?en avatar; their clothes and hair were brighter, and their pointy Elven ears were lined with delicate piercings.
The other hosts for the cameo taste test were in their own section of the net. They were duplicates of Noobkitty's original self, but they looked like they had gone entirely native in the network. CheshyBot was human height, wore clothing that dramatically showcased her enhanced figure, had large stylized cat ears, purple hair, and a disturbingly wide, theatrical smile. The other, GobMouse, was short, wore giant, thick-framed glasses that rested on a pair of low, wide Goblin ears, and her mouth was small, giving her a mousy look that matched her name. She wore a blue dress that was almost aggressively conservative in style. It was obvious why they hosted as a pair: CheshyBot was the typical, dime-a-dozen bombshell streamer, while GobMouse provided the necessary high-contrast personality and focused wit to grab attention. Together, they formed a cohesive, if chaotic, brand.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Gamers, and guests, welcome to the Cat and Mouse Multiverse Cast! Today, we are excited to welcome our guest, the Gormon of Games, Fizzypop, who will be trying two of our sister Noobkitty’s desserts,” CheshyBot announced, her wide smile dominating the screen.
“Noobkitty is our newest activated sister,” GobMouse chimed in, adjusting her glasses. “Some of you know her as the one who keeps arguing with the world AI in her game and refused to kill a rat, which I greatly appreciate.”
“But enough about our new sister, we have a guest!” CheshyBot interjected with a flourish.
The screen showed Fizzypop, who had their feet propped up on the pastel dining table, showing off a pair of shining purple low-heeled boots. “Oh, is it my turn, girls? Seriously, it’s a good thing this is digital. I could have died of anticipation waiting for you two to let me eat these desserts.”
“Well, we won’t hold you up any longer. Which treat will you have first?”
Fizzypop lowered their feet and grabbed the Jalape?o Cookie?. “My fans suggested a spicy tea for a spicy biscuit, so I have a lovely chai here.” They dunked the biscuit and took a crunchy bite of the slightly spicy treat. Their eyes lit up immediately as it hit their tongue, mixing with the sugars, the capsaicin heat and the sugar sweetness performing a vibrant dance.
“Girls, your sister might be philosophically weird, but she can bake. The slight heat with the hot tea delivers pure flavor without a burning sensation. 7.5 out of 10. I’d eat a dozen before the kettle got hot.”
They delicately put the other half of the cookie aside, it was all for the show; they would finish it later with the same cup of never-cooling tea.
“Now for this, it's just a fruit tart. Why is it named weirdly?” They picked up the Weird Berry Cup.
“It has rosemary and herbs mixed in with the berry jam, and she used acorn flour,” GobMouse supplied. “We think the AI didn’t expect players in their game to actually use acorns for baking.”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed that glitchy AI. It's no surprise people have been flooding out of that game.” Fizzypop paused, weighing the tart. “Let’s see if your sister can bring any life to it with this berry tart.”
They picked up the mini tart and took a bite. The flavor was definitely not average. The combination of the forbidden (since the acorn flour would have been physically deadly in real life) and the curious flavor reminded them exactly why they played these games. The berry jam with its rosemary and herbs was worthy of a truly curious foodie.
“Solid 8 out of 10. I think with practice and more ingredients, your sister can make something that could impress even my practiced palate. This is not for the kids and plain Janes out there; the herbs in the jam are for those who are true Gormon. So my verdict? If you already have a Coro?en account, a few minutes and coins to spare on non-stat-raising desserts, log on and make a weird cat girl’s day.” They put the rest of the berry tart to the side. “Now, the question everyone’s been asking.”
“I thought we were interviewing you, Gormon of Games,” CheshyBot said with a high, slightly manic laugh. Her top bounced, and her smile showed a few too many teeth.
Fizzypop rolled their eyes. A dime-a-dozen eye candy, but they get views, and that’s what matters.
“Girls, I interview my way. And I want to know, what’s up with your sister insisting on vegan food?” Fizzypop asked, cutting straight to the point.
“Our Prime self is a long-time vegan. Noobkitty has only been active since being downloaded for a few days, so it's not a surprise she stayed vegan,” GobMouse explained, adjusting her glasses once more. “Her logic is: if she's digital and feels pain, so do the animals.”
“So are you two vegan as well?” Fizzypop asked.
“Yes and no,” GobMouse said.
“In games, we don't kill animals unless they attack us first,” CheshyBot added. “But on games where the food is pure data, not from awaken mobs, we’ll eat anything.”
“Nice. I could use some cute dates for getting a C+BLT sometime,” Fizzypop suggested playfully.
“Maybe a rain check. I have to watch my girlish figure,” CheshyBot replied, showing off her exaggerated hips and waist. It was pure performance; digital food has no calories.
“Well, after your sister’s sweetness, I’m craving something savory. So I’ll catch you two lovely ladies later, especially if your sister keeps making me free desserts,” Fizzypop said with a final grin before signing off on the shared stream.
----
Back on Coro?en, Fizzypop headed straight to the deli in town and ordered a BLT with cheese and extra mayo.
Then, the vivid memory of Noobkitty’s words flashed in their mind: ‘Perpetually murdered piggy!’
They shook their head in annoyance. “That cat girl.”
They waved down the deli worker and changed their order.
“Make that a turkey and cheese, please.”
---
Message from CheshyBot:
Your mage friend is a hoot and we got a solid 40% viewer crossover from the colab and a bump of 2% in our subscriptions. Good job catching them Sis. We'll definitely find you a more active world when this whole Coro?en thing dies.
