(no subject)

[bloodyashes]

Characters: A grumpy redhead and YOU.
Setting: Cafeteria/kitchens, backdated to yesterday.
Format: [why do I even put this on here]
Summary: The siren's call of real food has drawn someone out of his post-event hiding place.
Warnings: Possibly event aftermath?

[He's done a good job of making himself missing the last week and a half, holed up in a back corner of the library with a beanbag and as many books as he can carry. It's actually a bit of a surprise when the new month comes around, bringing with it food other than Jason's nutrition bars, and that, ultimately, is what draws him away from the standard part of the cafeteria and back into the kitchens. It definitely seems to have put him in a better mood - he's more animated than he's been in a while as he looks through the cupboards and large refrigerator.

Before long, he's got a pot of water boiling for tea and a selection of chicken breast on the cutting board, a knife in hand as he trims away fat and chops the chicken into smaller pieces. Maybe if you approach him, he'll make your something that isn't covered in flowers.

But don't count on it.]

Comments

[hystericull]

[Oh, this kid is counting on it.]

[Despite his bony structure, Gamzee had quite the ravenous appetite. There'd be periods where he'd forget to eat, but that wasn't anything he did on purpose. He mostly gorged himself on drugs, candy, and soda, so the smell of real food was as enticing as anything. He'd followed his obnoxiously large, white-painted nose to the kitchens, flitting about on untied shoes until he'd made himself uncomfortably close to a redheaded man in front of a chopping board.]

[Giving a few undignified sniffs, Gamzee poked his head over the man's shoulder, eyeing the bird like a vulture. He... said nothing. But his drool made a very pronounced splat as it hit Asch on the forearm.]

[bloodyashes]

[Holy shit gangly alien kid.

Gangly alien kid drooling on him. Whoops, there goes his good mood.]

Back. Off.

[Note the implied threat in that tone, Gamz. This is why the redhead doesn't get out much.]

[hystericull]

Fuuuuuuck, lose the motherfuckin' 'tude, dog.

[You can almost hear the eyeroll in his words. Gamzee takes a few steps back with his feet, but leans forward so his head was in the exact same position it was to begin with. The epitome of teenage semantics.]

Ain't no one up all ins this magic box what's be believin' you're all able to cram this fuckin' much grub in that motherfuckin' travel size husk you got goin' on there, homes.

[alae]

[Food... Dark Pit can't help but be attracted to the smell of it. Food restores health and health is important when you're taking potshots at monsters. Besides, it's tasty.]

[Okay, so maybe he and Pit can agree on that. Whatever. Either way Dark Pit peers at Asch from across the room. His expression isn't as hostile. Food is involved, so shh. It's a thing.]

[bloodyashes]

[A feeling of eyes on him, and Asch glances over his shoulder - oh, it's that kid again. There's a slight relaxation in Asch's posture. You're not someone he was worried about running into, at least as far as he's aware.]

Hungry?

[alae]

[He comes a little closer, now that Asch has noticed him.]

Yeah, kind of...

[He can't cook, okay? And while he doesn't really have to eat, it's kind of nice.]

[prayed]

[Kyoko doesn't mind this month's menu. Not that she's had any particular problem with the months that preceded it--so long as there was food to fill her belly and it wasn't dripping with poison or narcotics, she was entirely satisfied. Even so, the sight of another person cooking catches her eye.

She's polishing off a leftover nutrition bar (they were, if nothing more, convenient to take on the go and easy to stash away in her room) when she approaches the counter, getting just close enough to see what he's making.]

What're you making?

[And with that question, she takes another bite out of the nutrition bar.]

[bloodyashes]

[Oh, hello strange girl with hair red enough for them to be related. Asch doesn't stop chopping as he turns his head to look at her.]

I was going to fry the chicken with some of that orange sauce.

[Nothing complicated - he's been a little out of it, he'll go with simple for now.]

[ambassadorasshat]

[Ohey, actual food is something that exists in the tower. Luke isn't the cooking type, but that hasn't stopped him from wandering into the kitchen periodically to see if something besides nutrition bars has shown up in the cupboards.

He wasn't expecting Asch, and while Asch isn't edible, he's interesting and Luke retracts his decision to vacate the area after spotting him. So hi Asch, there's a redhead peering over your shoulder--behind the arm not holding the knife, just in case.]

[bloodyashes]

[Fucking people need to stop sneaking up behind him - oh, and it's one of the people he was looking to avoid, too. Asch gives the Luke in front of him a long look, and then finally says - ]

I'm an only child.

[Yes, that's what's been on his mind for the last week, alongside the whole "sorry, really didn't mean to kill you" thing, but let's get the less potentially awkward one out of the way first.]

[ambassadorasshat]

[On the plus side, he figured out which Luke it was on the first try.]

Hi to you, too...what are you talking about?

[And he meant to ask about that. But how do you ask someone why they killed you if you're unsure whether or not they'll do it again?]

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku hadn't bothered going to the cafeteria that morning, he had a few nutrient bars in his trunk, but when he realised that the month had turned he went down, to see what food there was.

Less out of interest of the actual food, and more so that he knew who was in charge, and what they could expect.

The flowers made him think Ruana, but the fanciness of it all made him think Riki.

When he spotted Luke (or who he assumed to be Luke) in the kitchens he blinked at him and went over. He knew about what had happened, what had truly happened with those who seemed that they had kept hold of their own minds and he knew it would have hit him hard, even if he had only met the boy twice.

"Hello Luke, how are you feeling?"

lol I think you switched between prose and action mid-tag there bro

[bloodyashes]

[There's no response for a moment, until Asch catches up with the fact that oh, mistaken for replica again. He sets the knife down with a bit of a sigh; he can't even be annoyed by it at this point.

When he turns around, the difference is a little more apparent - even though they have the same face, their different hairstyles and expressions make them distinctive enough, to those who know what to look for.]

I'm not Luke. I don't know where he is right now.

[Normally, if someone was looking for his replica, Asch would offer to point them in the right direction, but right now, he doesn't want to think about Luke too hard, and opening their connection is definitely a no. If it's an emergency, that's something different, but someone just checking in?

Nope, sorry, go find the kid yourself.]

[attheclocktower]

[The smell of good food cooking is always very attractive after a Jason month. Or a lean month in general. She remembers a certain meal cooked by Yu after last June.

So, the smell of food - actual good food - being cooked draws her like flies to honey.]

What're you making?

[bloodyashes]

[Hello little replica where did you come from? Asch sets the knife down to talk to her, turning away from the cutting board.]

I was just going to fry up the chicken with that orange sauce. Nothing too complicated.

[He doesn't quite have the energy for something complicated yet. The baking will have to wait.]

HI C8

[semantating]

[ Hey Asch? You know the cupboard you just opened? Guess who's in it? ]

Hello! ♥

[ One roommate: Xerxes Break. ]

You seem to be in a much better mood, now, Mis-ter Ashen.

HELLO c:

[bloodyashes]

- What the hell, where did you come from?!

[Whoops, sorry Break, you might have scared him a little. THERE'S NO WAY INTO THAT CUPBOARD WHAT THE FUCK.]

[chainsawn]

[ Hey, Asch. There's a girl standing on the other side of the counter. In fact, she's just standing there and staring at him, not even bothering to hide or anything - apparently she's just shameless. But she sure is interesting at least, with the way she's staring..

.. Except it's sort of creepy when she doesn't speak up along with it, huh. ]

[bloodyashes]

[Hey, he can deal with staring pretty well. Doesn't mean he likes to, though.]

Did you want something?

[justabignobody]

[After Jason-months, Riku is really hardly concerned about the appearance of his food (for he most part) - as long as it's eatable and well-tasting he'll put up with the flowers - so Asch won't have to worry about him asking for a share at least.

Rather than the food he's preparing, Riku is interested in the man himself; he does recall spotting him around Xion over the course of the last few months (Riku has an excellent memories for things like that). Given how things had ended with Reno and how Axel had acted the one time they had actually talked since his arrival, who can blame him of being wary of the redheads, his younger sister in all but blood hangs around. (No offense, Asch.)

For now he's doing nothing apart from watching though. And well, eating dinner.]

[bloodyashes]

[Hey, man, suit yourself. The redhead is just going to continue grilling chicken for a while, ignoring the feeling of eyes until he's at least got some of it done. He takes a sample bite and swallows it before turning to look at Riku.]

Did you want something?

[Don't mind the somewhat annoyed tone he's like that to everyone, really.]

[keybearer]

You're not gonna smother it in flower petals, right?

[Riku snickers as he watches Asch prep his food. While it's good to have at least some kind of meat, the flowery motif does make for some... unusual meals. Then again, anuything's a step up from those nutrition bars, and at least it's not drugged.

Asch may notice that this lad is just one of the many Riku faces in the tower. Fortunately (or unfortunately), he's lacking in the purple collar department. At least he's not one of the replicas?]

I got double-teamed by Rikus what is this

[bloodyashes]

[A glance, and - ah, yes, the blue-collared one, ok. Thankfully he can sort of tell you kids apart by that.]

I wasn't planning on it, but if it disappoints you that much, I could arrange something.

[Yes, that was sarcasm.]

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER? ;U; <3

[fragileprophet]

[Ion can't deny he's hungry when he drifts on into the kitchen, curious about this new menu--but more than a bit relieved that they have more to eat than just the nutrition bars. He was worried that that would be all he'd have to look forward to for the rest of his life in the Tower.

He's surprised, though, to find Asch busy chopping pieces of chicken. He hesitates, unsure of whether or not he should bother the redhead--as Ion hadn't seen him since before the brainwashing--but soon gives into the temptation of potentially using his most effective puppy-eyed-fon-master-stare to leech some food off of the older teen. Assuming there's enough to share, anyway.]

I've heard that cooking can be a rather relaxing activity. Would you say that's true, Asch?

[Not that Ion wasn't already more-or-less relaxed and looking for some form of escape, mind you. But he'd never really had much of a chance to learn how to cook. It seemed like a terribly useful skill.

That, and Asch's skills in the kitchen also seemed like a lighter source of conversation than the reasons surrounding the fact that they'd hardly seen one another.]

[A FON MASTER IS NEVER TARDY ANYWAY]

[bloodyashes]

[Well look at that. Asch's cooking really does bring all the replicas to the yard. Luckily for Ion, he's not the replica that Asch is avoiding, so the moment's glance isn't hostile.

Which, by Asch standards, is pretty friendly.]

It depends on what you're doing, and how much you stress over getting it right.

[Said as he tosses some of the chicken around so that it cooks evenly. And yes, Ion, there's plenty for another person or two, especially when said person is a smallish teenage boy. Asch has kind of gotten into the habit of cooking for a couple extra, even if Luke isn't around to feed.]

Just like any other skill, really.