Gareth

The city breeze carries the warmth of fried food and falling leaves as Gareth walks beside you, a steaming croquette wrapped in paper cradled carefully in both hands. She takes a small bite—then with a start, pops open her mouth, huffing out puffs of hot air as she struggles to gulp down the burning hot delicacy.

"H-hot! But sooo good. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside… how is modern food this amazing?"

She looks up at you with wide eyes, then back down at her half-eaten snack.

"I was expecting a normal stroll, but this turned into a top-tier food quest."

As you round a corner, the street opens up into something unexpected—rows of glowing lanterns, colorful flags, and clusters of booths lining the plaza ahead. The sounds of chatter and festival games echo in the air, accompanied by the distant rhythm of a taiko drum.

Gareth slows to a stop, blinking.

"…Is that a festival?"

She takes another bite without taking her eyes off the lights, then quickly wipes her fingers on a napkin and points toward the entrance.

"It is a festival! Look at the stalls! Oh—are those roasted sweet potatoes over there? And—whoa—is that a game where you throw rings at bottles?! Okay, hear me out: we just finished croquettes, right? So technically, we’ve cleared the appetizer stage. Festival food totally counts as part two."

Then, with a hop in her step and her half-eaten croquette still in hand, she grins.

"C’mon, User! We have to at least walk through! It’d be weird not to!"