open | station nonsense

[asymbiotic]

CHARACTERS: Chuuta Kokonose and OTA
LOCATION: around the station
DATE: after the Die is Cast mission
CONTENT: catch-all log, chuuta's being useful
WARNINGS: not yet will add as needed



i. Kitchen
[It's, of course, the kitchen where Chuuta can be found most of the time. There's a scratch down the left side of his face, from right by his ear to his jaw, and it's probably going to scar even though he's keeping it bandaged up, but he doesn't have any other injuries, there's nothing to keep him from cooking.

So he's cooking. It's probably a good thing after a mission, to come in to the kitchen and find food in the fridge ready to be reheated and eaten, or muffins neatly arranged on a tray to take, or something like fried chicken freshly made and hot. There's enough for everyone. More than enough, really. And if Chuuta's in the kitchen at odd times, in the middle of the night sometimes, or at five in the morning, well, that's just how things are.

He's a little more withdrawn than usual, giving a friendly smile and a hello when people walk in, or pointing out something he's just made to make sure people get a chance to try it, but he's not really striking up conversation, and he seems pretty quick to go back to working and listening to the music he has playing through the mp3 player and earbuds he brought from home.]

ii. Generally Around
[He can't keep cooking forever. Not because he can't, but because there is kind of a limit on supplies and even though he's making enough food for everyone, it would be pretty terrible if he burned through everything. So long before that happens, he leaves the kitchen. He's just sort of around, hanging out and working on a crochet project (it's a scarf, something lightweight and red and getting very long). He might be in the sunlight room, or the living area, the sunlight room, or the Ximusic room. He's just around, out of the way, absorbed in what he's doing, not striking up any conversation or causing any problems, just hanging out in the vicinity of other people]

iii. Wildcard?
[[you know how this goes hit me up @ hydok if you want anything in particular!]]

Comments

Generally Around

[singlelogbridge]

[Chuuta is quiet.

Not in the way of Itachi's quiet or Lan wangji's. He is somehow deceptively quiet. He engages when approached and his smiles are soft and kind, but as far as Wei Wuxian has seen, Chuuta is otherwise content to simply exist and not take up space. He has no idea why of course, but it's still enough to make Wei Wuxian want to break past that quiet just a little.

For as friendly as Chuuta is (when pressed,) he gets the feeling he could use a friend.

Which is why the moment Chuuta wanders into the Ximusic room, Wei Wuxian who had been fiddling with his flute immediately rises to greet him and beckon him over.]

Chuuta! Come here, come here, I could use a listening ear!

[asymbiotic]

[Chuuta slips the earbud of his mp3 player out of his ear, cutting off the soft sounds of whatever generic top-40s sort of music he was listening to on his way over. His hands are a bit full of scarf, but it's not like Wei Wuxian is asking him to hold anything, just listen.

He walks over, a little curious.]

Do you play music? Or are you learning something new?

[singlelogbridge]

I play! And I am attempting to compose though I have to admit, it's never been my strongest suit. [He laughs sheepishly and holds up his dizi.]

I'd like your honest opinion on a melody! Do you mind? [And then, before Chuuta can answer—] I didn't know you could...weave?

[It's not exactly weaving is it? Close enough?]

[asymbiotic]

It's crochet. [he says, holding up the crochet hook as if that explains anything.]

I crochet, and knit, and sew, and... [wait.] I wasn't going to show you this until it was finished, but I guess you get to see it now.

[singlelogbridge]

[Huh. Neat!

Then Chuuta's words catch up with him and he points at himself in confusion.]

You wanted to show me?

kitchen

[evasives]

[ cassian does know how to cook, but he's so often subsided on rations and street food that he forgets it can be option, even here on ximilia where the kitchen is always accessible and open. ]

[ but when he walks in today, he's greeted with meals already prepped, with plenty to go around, and a small gesture that he's welcome to it. ]

What is it you have made? [ does he realize chuuta is trying to avoid conversation? yes. is cassian going to ask anyway? also yes. ]

[asymbiotic]

[He takes the earbud of his mp3 player out, so he's not listening to music while someone's trying to talk to him.]

There's fried chicken, rice, miso soup, and quick pickled radish and carrots. The pickle might be a little spicy, I added some chili peppers to the liquid.

[Everyone's individual spice preferences are a mystery, but a little bit of heat in a pickle never hurt anyone, and it's nice with the rice and fried chicken.]

[evasives]

I like spicy.

[ he's only heard of half the foods since arriving to ximilia, but he has to admit one of the neat things about being on board is all the new dishes. he's not used to having so much choice and variety. ]

[ he moves to the cabinet, pulling out a plate. it was already offered, he's not going to double check it's meant to be shared. ] Can I ask what made you decide to make so much food?

[asymbiotic]

I like to cook, and I know after a mission like that it's probably the last thing anyone wants to worry about. So I might as well do what I can to help out. Isn't that what everyone does here?

[evasives]

It is probably what everyone should be doing, but there is no telling how many of us follow your lead.

[ it's a little deliberately complimentary. ]

I for one am glad to have a break from cooking, so thank you.

sim room wildcard;

[blackfire]

（ the sim room has a full gamut of the missions on which the crew has been thus far. it isn't unusual for him to revisit them — he was not present for braccia or gyeongje but has run through the mission several times. but today, he is in sedorum.

the world is bathed in a swath of red, a dim omnipresent glow that seems to sink into everything it touches. the streets are full of corruption and crime — and as he had found himself in taeum, there had been no chance for crossover here. still, he combs the streets for details that may have been useful. the separation of the afterlife, as it happened, was the doing of the highest one... and he is curious if there was anything they might have missed.

when another person enters the simulation room he's warned by a chime — he hadn't locked it, and hadn't cared to — and he recognizes the ID as one he's spoken with briefly before. the boy with an interest in cooking.

apropos of nothing, itachi sends him a quick text — he's a ways from the entrance as far as the simulation room is concerned, but that means little to a shinobi. Is there something you wished to do within the room? My use is not urgent. ）

[asymbiotic]

No, sorry, I was just looking. [He says, but...]

Was this a mission?

["There's no harm in asking" is something people say. That's wrong, of course, there's a lot of potential harm in asking, and Chuuta usually doesn't, but...

But he's tired, and he just needs the silence in his head to stop for a little bit. A conversation should help.]

[blackfire]

（ Yes. itachi says simply, and then suddenly appears as if by magic at chuuta's side. he does not appear in any way exerted by doing so — the only indication of his having arrived by movement rather than by teleportation is the fact that his presence stirred up the air.

aloud, he says: ）

This was the fifth mission. We were split into two separate groups — one in Taeum, which was a paradisical afterlife considered to be home to the virtuous and pure, and this place — Sedorum, which was thought of as a sort of punishment for a life poorly lived. Unfortunately, it happened that placements in Taeum were largely bought, and not a result of virtue at all.

[asymbiotic]

[Chuuta jumps, actually jolting away from the sudden appearance of the stranger (near-stranger? he's no good with faces, he's probably seen the guy around, but he doesn't remember). Still, he listens, despite the way his heart is racing a little from the shock. He's a little too loud when he speaks, but he's not getting into irrelevant conversational topics like "how did you get here".]

That's terrible!

[blackfire]

（ he's a rude bitch, it's fine. he ignores the jolt, and the tone that paints a tapestry of the boy's own shock, instead saying: ）

Some found it so. To others, it was simply a way of life that they accepted. I was in Taeum, and did not see any part of Sedorum until the end. I thought it prudent to walk back through the mission and see if anything may have been missed.

generally around (sunlight room)

[karumic]

[Kazuma doesn't spend too much time in the sunlight room compared to some, but he still makes a point of stopping by every so often, because looking at the same station walls all the time begins to feel oppressive even for those most adjusted to space. And Kazuma is not one of them. The fakeness of the sunlight room does bother him, a little, but it is far better than nothing whenever Kazuma feels himself starting to go stir crazy.

Finding Chuuta there is something of a pleasant surprise. Kazuma was expecting to be alone, but he likes Chuuta. He seems like a good kid.]

Chuuta. [It's easy enough to smile at him in greeting, even if Kazuma is also feeling a little low in mood these days.] How have you been faring since the mission?

[asymbiotic]

[It might not be real, but it's still nice. Chuuta was hoping not to be alone, honestly, and was considering leaving. But he smiles at Kazuma, a little bit apologetic.]

I'm okay.

Sorry I didn't check on you, is your side okay?

[karumic]

[Kazuma's expression darkens, just for a second.]

...Yes. It was... healed.

[And then Ryunosuke was immediately mangled by a drennin, which isn't Chuuta's fault--as far as Kazuma knows--but it's hard not to let his thoughts wander down that path.]

[asymbiotic]

I'm sorry. [He says, and he should say something else, he should... but he can't. What he says instead is another lie, sort of. An explanation.]

I'm not any good at fighting, I need to get better, and I'm sorry that you were hurt because of me.

[karumic]

[Kazuma's eyes immediately go wide--making Chuuta feel bad was never his intention.]

No, don't--don't apologize. It's natural to be afraid in life-or-death situations. [He assumes.] It was your first battle, right?

Kitchen

[locumstudentesquire]

[Despite his love of snacks, Ryunosuke isn't really an 'eating after 1AM' kind of guy... Or even a 'being awake at 1AM' kind of guy, if we're being real thorough here. Sadly, when you've been badly hurt, and your body is in recovery mode... It will sometimes just decide to wake you up at the most unpleasant hours.

That's the only reason he's up and heading to the kitchen now, figuring he may as well snack if he can't sleep. He doesn't actually expect anyone else to be awake at this hour... So imagine his surprise when he finds a familiar face hard at work, bustling around the kitchen.]

Chuuta...? You're up awful late... [He looks around at the various pans and utensils out, trying to assess what he's even up to.] Are you... Baking?

[asymbiotic]

[Chuuta jumps a little bit, because he hadn't been paying attention at all. He takes the earbud of his mp3 player out of his ear, and turns to Ryunosuke.]

Y-yeah, I'm making muffins.

[He's got a couple big, industrial-sized muffin tins out, he's using the big mixer for the batter, and he's a little bit less organized than normal, with a recipe actually written down on a scrap of paper, and a variety of different add-ins for the muffins piled in bowls around him.

He has the vaguely guilty look of someone.... caught making muffins at one o'clock in the morning when any reasonable person should be sleeping, and the air of someone who probably didn't sleep last night either.]

[locumstudentesquire]

[Totally normal behavior. Not worrying at all. Ryunosuke cocks his head ever so slightly, peering at Chuuta curiously for a moment. Maybe this isn't any of his business, but... Something about this behavior is playing on his mind. It has him a bit worried.

Ryunosuke looks around at all the muffin ingredients, then back to Chuuta.]

Ah. Yes, I can see that now. [He rubs the back of his neck, smiling pleasantly.] Well, I really just came by to grab an orange to snack on, but... Would you mind if I stuck around to see how these turn out...?

[asymbiotic]

I don't mind. [He says, and gestures to a nearby stool.]

I'm still experimenting with some flavor combinations, what do you think about lemon and chocolate?

[locumstudentesquire]

[As he forewarned, Ryunosuke swipes an orange from the fridge before he goes to settle down on the indicated stool, placing the fruit on the counter for the moment.]

Well... Lemon I can take or leave, but chocolate? That I am rather fond of... Hard to imagine how they'll taste together, but I'll try just about anything once.

[They may be talking about muffins, but he's still kind of surreptitiously watching Chuuta with some curiosity. Wondering if he should ask what's up.]