towerofanimus | (no subject)

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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I know. [Ion's face flushes slightly, he can't help it, and he forces himself to keep his eyes forward and not let them sweep the ground humbly.] I don't want to be coddled.

[He'd had more than enough of that. And even if he was a child in actuality, he couldn't afford to be one. The opportunity for childhood had come and gone. Ion had no illusions of that.

And the truth was...the truth was...]

I want to learn. I can't stand knowing that I can't take proper care of myself. Especially not-- [His voice breaks slightly, and goes more quiet] --after learning firsthand what this Tower can do to a person.

[It's a position Asch can respect, if nothing else, especially with Ion holding his ground that way. He glances away himself at those last words; so, Ion too. Even if they had run into each other, Asch wouldn't have known.

It doesn't really matter that much, in the end.

Instead, he steps aside just enough that the shorter boy can look over his shoulder at the chicken in the pan.]

Make sure it changes color all the way through. Sections like this -

[And he points to a translucent section with his spoon.]

Are still raw. There are some cuts of beef you can leave partially raw in the middle, but poultry and pork need to be cooked all the way through.

[No time like the present for starting, eh Ion?]

[No time like the present, indeed! Ion can't help it when his expression brightens. He wasn't really expecting Asch to be so eager in helping him--but he wasn't going to complain. Not when it was what he had wanted and what he had asked for.

He gets closer, again, this time enough to really observe (without getting in Asch's way) the process. Ion nods in consideration where appropriate.]

I see. That makes sense. I wouldn't want to get anyone sick. [It's about now he starts to wonder if he should invest in a notepad.]

[It might be worth it, really, at least for the less hands-on lessons, but Asch has always been in favor of putting people in with their hands and feet.]

Any ground meats need to be cooked all the way through as well - anything that isn't solid muscle that hasn't been exposed to the air.

[He pushes the chunks of chicken around the pan a bit.]

Don't let any particular piece stay in the bottom of the pan too long. It'll stick and eventually burn.

[And speaking of practical lessons - he flips the utensil in his hand, offering the handle end to Ion.]

[It'll be a long time before Ion's able to know all of these things, but he does his best to listen attentively and absorb all that is being said to him. In the meantime...hand's on learning, it is.]

Oh--!

[Ion's surprised, though clearly excited as his wide eyes betray, when Asch offers him the utensil. After a very brief hesitation, he takes the tool and begins to mimic the redhead's earlier actions.

And after a few gentle jabs at the cooking meat, Ion's movements begin to ease. He starts to look...somewhat like a child having fun playing than a chef-in-training, but at least he's smiling. And, of course, he isn't goofing off.]

Like this? [He asks as he somewhat-clumsily works at flipping a few of the pieces over as not to burn them.]

Edited (haha spelling) 2013-05-16 23:33 (UTC)

[It's not the best job, but there's no attempt to back out of it and that's more of what Asch is looking for. If Ion keeps up that level of enthusiasm, the kid'll definitely pick up something useful.]

Unpracticed, but good enough.

[Trusting the replica to not burn himself, Asch steps off to the side to pick up the container of sauce he was planning to swirl the meat in.]

Adding the sauce now means that it won't cook all the way through the meat, just glaze it a bit. Watch yourself, the oil might splash.

[And hot oil burns are the last thing you want to end up with. Once he's sure that Ion's hands are clear, he drizzles some of the sauce over the meat.]

[At least Asch can be comforted with the fact that Ion's a pretty quick learner. I mean, he became a more-than-convincing Fon Master in record time, after all. Though...that could also be accredited to a high pressure environment. Not that Animus wasn't a high pressure environment.]

Glaze... [Ion repeats it in a murmur, as if trying to remember the word and the cooking conditions that surround it. As he's told, he cradles his hand (and the spoon he continues to clutch) to his chest until it's safe.]

Is it better to use sauce as a glaze than to have it cook all the way through? Or is that just something that depends on what you're trying to make?

It depends on how much you want the flavor of the meat to come through.

[He shakes the pan around a bit, since Ion is still holding into the spoon.]

If it's lower quality meat, it's sometimes better to overwhelm it with the flavor of the sauce or spices.

[Smiling, Ion takes the cue to go back to stirring.]

That makes a lot of sense. I can see why you like cooking, Asch.

[It was a straightforward, no-nonsense, this-is-just-how-things-are sort of thing. Or so it seemed, so far. That seemed right up the God General's alley.

And yes, Ion's still going to treat it like it's something Asch actively enjoys doing in his spare time as opposed to just some skill he utilizes to survive. After all...he's so knowledgeable and good at it! That's got to suggest some level of dedication beyond the necessary.]