006 [Action/Audio]

[aerialassault]

[Action: Locked to Souji Okita]

[Consciousness crept upon him slowly, like a migraine. It slipped in through the window panels with the sun and stung his eyes, but for once Cliff did not want to awaken. He instead rolled over with a groan, burying his face under his arms and promising himself another ten minutes.

But a nagging sensation in the back of his mind kept sleep at bay. He knew in his gut that it was something important, something that was blue and white...

...Fayt.

His eyes snapped open as he crashed into the memories. The dogs and the cultists were all a blur, but the spear stood out in his mind. It was only when he sat up that he registered the not-entirely familiar surroundings and the warm body lying by his side.]

[Action: Locked to Fayt Leingod]

[He messed up, and there was no way to fix and forget about the mess that he had left for everyone to deal with in the battlefield that was once Zompania. It was afternoon by the time he returned to his apartment in the ground building, wearing a fresh set of denim jeans and a comfortable tee-- both of which fit because of some miracle. The dark shades he wore were new, as was he bag he carried by his side that contained the clothes he borrowed off of Souji and yet another set of loose white pants to add to his small collection.

Entering as quietly as he could manage, Cliff did a once-over of the apartment to make sure that things were still mostly as he left it. The Vac whirred and hummed patiently as it made a pass over the carpet, and Cliff found himself smiling.

At least that was still functioning.

After throwing his belongings into his room, he made for Fayt's. A quiet knock was the only warning he gave before he nudged the door open...]

[Audio: Open to All]

Yo. It's Cliff.

[It was dark by the time he reached for his journal, but he didn't care. There were plenty of other people that he wanted to see, but there was no way he could go visit them all in one day.

This was the next best thing.]

Can I get a headcount of who all's here and a tally on the damage? And, is the bar open?

[He'll be heading there later if he get's confirmation. For once, he plans to drink unil the damage doesn't look so bad.]

Comments

[aerialassault]

[He found the cabinet just fine, but once again he found himself mystified by the contents. There wasn't simply one kind of oil, but several. Although he was no expert, he had to wonder why a chef needed to keep so many different kinds on hand...

One by one he read the labels, finding words that were mostly familiar. Olive, peanut, vegetable...but, there was one that he simply coudn't figure out.]

Uh, Saori? What's a 'canola'? Do you put it in a salad or something?

[windandrain]

I don't know. But I want vegetable oil, if it's there.

[She...has no idea. It's a foreign thing.]

[aerialassault]

[That made for the two of them. Cliff gladly put the question from his mind and reached for the vegetable oil like requested.]

Yeah, that one's here. [He handed it off to her.] Any idea why there's so many kinds?

[windandrain]

[She takes it and starts pouring and getting katsu together.]

Different flavors from different oils. Some are fattier, some have more salt, all sorts of reasons. I just use vegetable oil because it's the most neutral of them.

[aerialassault]

That makes sense...

[scratching his chin thoughtfully, he stood back to give her room to maneuver while he watched her work. It wasn't often that he was even allowed this far into the kitchen by his friends.]

So, what are you doing now?

[windandrain]

I'm heating things.

[Obviously. She's got pots boiling, oil beginning to cook, and she'll even give him something to do.]

Take this bowl of flour and bread, and take two bits of pork and roll them in it. Can you manage that? Try for an even coating.

[aerialassault]

[He took it, and gazed at it curiously while she gave him her instructions.]

...I'll see what I can do, [he replied, and set to work.

...there might be some noise. Depth perception was still whack, but he could at least work with his hands.]

[windandrain]

[She ignores the noise because that's normal, and after a while she looks back.]

Finished?

[aerialassault]

[He glanced over at her....and moved aside to show his work.

The pieces of pork were breaded, but the crumbs were stuck onto the meat in globs of stickiness. The flour was left untouched, as if it were forgotten.

Cliff grinned boyishly at the mess.]

It's not the prettiest thing ever...but ta-dah~

[windandrain]

You forgot the flour.

[She'll wave a hand, and the breading floats away in the wind.]

Try again. Flour then bread.

[aerialassault]

[He watched the breading float away with curious eyes...but didn't see a point in questioning a goddess about how that was happening.

Instead he just nodded.]

Uhm. Right.

[This time he dropped the meat into the flour and shuffled the bowl around, coating the pieces in the white powder, before he returned them to the bread bowl. Honestly, he had no idea about how this was going to stay...]

[windandrain]

[It does, in the end, all work out. Between the two of them, and her urging, they've soon got plates of relatively spicy curry and fried pork cutlets on plates.]

Now, go sit. I'll get some other things together and then dinner.

[aerialassault]

[Somehow, it did work...and Cliff was glad to have helped a little to make this meal. It was more than he was regularly allowed anymore, after a few incidents involving people disliking his cake...

Grinning, Cliff nodded.]

Heh. Right. [He turned to head out, but stopped briefly and glanced over his shoulder at the slender woman.] And, Saori? Thanks. This was fun.

[windandrain]

Of course. It's a lot of food, so extra hands are always nice.

[A few moments later she comes out of the kitchen with a tray and sets things out. Water and green tea, the food they'd made, and her basket.]

Have a taste, see if it's spicy enough.

[aerialassault]

[...The anticipation he had felt waiting for the meal to be ready was fit to drive a lesser man crazy. He eagerly dug in with a fork, scooping up a bit of the meat and the rice to sample now that he was allowed to--

A satisfied smile slowly spread on his face.]

It's perfect. Couldn't ask for a better curry!

[windandrain]

[She beams at him, full of genuine...and forced...cheer. It's good to see people smile again, because it shows that it's still possible.

She digs in too, taking a much smaller bite.]

I'm glad. It's just something I learned in India, but...I added the pork because that's how it's done where I'm from. And you looked like you could use a little extra meat.

[aerialassault]

[Saori was still a relative stranger to him, and the focusing issue made it tricky for him to focus in on the finer points of body language for the time being. Any hint of her forced cheer was lost on him-- he was currently intent on just enjoying the simple things. A good meal was at the top of the list.]

Ya think so? I thought you just added it because I grabbed the wrong thing...

[windandrain]

No, you clearly need more meat.

[She smiles and lifts up the basket, pushing it over to him.]

And this, of course.

[aerialassault]

[...She was clearly teasing about the meat, but there was some truth there. Protiens were clearly king that day in all of his food choices-- it might have had something to do with being dead, he rationalized, but food was life.

Curious, he pulled the bag closer and started ruffling through it.]

And what's this...?

[windandrain]

[Inside is a small box of candies, mostly hard ones, and a small stuffed toy. A boar filled with dry seeds, obviously handmade, and with a carefully added mouth.]

The gift I said I'd give you.

[aerialassault]

[A grin spread across his face as he pulled the little stuffed boar out of the bag and admired the needlework that went into making it.]

Wow, this? It's pretty cute! I haven't had anyone give me a toy like this in...man, I don't even know how long!

[windandrain]

[It isn't really anything expertly done, but that really isn't the point. She's practicing, and it turned out better than Souji's dinosaur.]

Well, I'd hoped you'd like it. You saw me in a childish moment. I...thought I'd share something appropriate for that.

[aerialassault]

[It was far better than anything Cliff could have come up with on his own. Unless he was working with electronics or hammering a sword into shape, he was hopelessly inept at any and all handicrafts-- he just left them to the people who were more skilled and didn't bother messing with most of them anymore.]

Hey, I already told ya not to worry about it. We were all a mess back there-- some more than others, but it hit us all the same.

Still...if you ever need a regular guy to talk to about crazy stuff like this, I can offer an ear. No charge, even.

[windandrain]

And I told you that gods pay their debts. It's important to due so. And if it's appropriate, then all the more reason. What are you going to name it?

[Meaning she must always, always do so.]

But honestly...I think I may take you up on that. [She takes a bite of her food, letting that sink in.]

[aerialassault]

[Cliff took a bite of the food as well, savoring the spice of it while he mulled over her words.]

The talking? It can be whenever you want and about whatever you want...and, heck. It'll be nice to talk to some of the other adults who are in town, especially if there's more food like this in the deal.

[He appreciatively scooped up another bite, hoping that Saori understood that point. While he didn't like taking payment, this wasn't a bad deal at all if she was going to be so insistent in the future.]

As for my new little friend...hm. [He tilted his head to fully look at the little stuffed toy, as if to search its eyes for an appropriate name...]

I think I'm gonna call him Saizou. After another friend of mine.