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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 30, 2020 2:37:05 GMT -5
On Mei’s end, she had grabbed another pan, and poured sugar to make caramel on the stove, cooking it slowly before she’d add the other things for a sweet sauce. The kitchen was already enveloped in the smells of cooking —a pleasant one, mesmerizing. Added to the cheerful emotions everyone had in mind, it seemed impossible for things to turn sour.
Not while the mood was up so high.
"So, how spicy do we want it to be?” Mei thought a bit as Yuto mentioned him capable of doing extremely spicy, or milder. It was just the guys who were going to eat spicy, wasn’t it? Tori and Mei had already mentioned how they’d eat their meals, and “spicy” wasn’t in the menu for them.
“Shouldn’t you ask Henoke about that?” Tori teased, while she placed the rice in the cooker, “He’s the one who suggested spicy, after all.” “Tori and I will eat it sweet, so it’s your choice” Mei giggled.
The caramel done, Mei added a bit of oil, just enough to cover it, and began to slowly stir. Tori walked towards the stove, smiling. She always enjoyed watching how Mei cooked, given the disparity between their skill levels.
It wasn’t that Tori couldn’t cook, but she didn’t have much expertise with it to begin with.
She glanced over at Henoke, who was preparing the meat, and giggled a bit. Amusing, really, seeing him cooking after… How long was it for him? Seeing him do it with such ease was impressive, given just how recently he’d remembered more of his past.
“Lookin’ good there” she mentioned, “Just remember not all of us are eating spicy!”
The mention of dessert broke through the noises a bit, mentioning a possible issue. Mei hummed a bit, thinking. Maybe she could do her signature dessert… Or rather, snack.
“Well… If you want to…” Mei brought one hand to her chin, “I’m not sure how long it’ll take, though…” “You wanna make muffins, don’t you?” Tori smirked, “Well, if we’re spending the whole day there… We might as well bring something aside lunch.” “Can you start doing the batter?” “I think I remember how to. You’ve showed me a million times.” “Great!”
Tori nodded, picking up flour, sugar, a few eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Putting the sugar and the eggs on a bowl first, she began to make a batter, while the rest handled the savory dish. Even though she hadn’t expected it, she was actually helping out, when most of the time, she would just stand by and watch.
It went to show, really, how much Tori was enjoying it.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 30, 2020 4:05:35 GMT -5
”So, how spicy do we want it to be?” Yuto’s question caused Henoke to turn and look at his friend over his shoulder with a devious grin. ”Hot! If we aren’t sweating afterwards it’s not spicy!” That was his own personal motto. He typically gauged a spicy dish based off of how much it made him feel like a fire-breathing dragon. ”Either way I need you to save me some seeds from those peppers Henoke.” Nodding as he turned from the sizzling meat for a brief moment to hand Yuto the pepper seeds scattered amongst his cutting board. SkkkK! Pop! Hearing the crackle on the skillet, the teen hurried back excitedly as they added some seasonings to the pork, taking care to not crisp the outside too much—just enough to give it a snap. ”Lookin’ good there, just remember not all of us are eating spicy!” The teen couldn’t help but chuckle a bit as he heard Tori’s comment from his back, turning to glance at her with a smirk.
”Don’t worry, I'm refrainin'! Most of the heat should be in the sauce, after all.” With a playful tone in his voice, Henoke glanced over at Yuto as he cooked. ”Heh—you hear that, Yuto?! Don’t let me down!” Of course it was all in good humor, Henoke didn’t really doubt his friends abilities, but instead preferred to poke and tease out of fun. Hearing Yuto’s comment of ‘dessert’ brought another laugh out of Henoke, who shook his head as he rested a hand on his hip, using the other to flick the skillet back and forth over the flame of the stove. ”Well…if you want to…” Shrugging a bit, Henoke continued to focus on the meat, not being too into sweets to begin with. ”You wanna make muffins, don’t you?” Tori’s comment caused one of his eyebrows to raise as he glanced at the two girls from over his shoulder. ”Woah, you bake?!” Was there anything in the kitchen they didn’t do?!
Henoke himself was a terrible baker—not because he lacked passion or enthusiasm of course, but because he lacked precision. Baking was a finicky science, one that threatened the creator at every possible turning point. The smallest detail being missed, such as leveling flour or sugar during measurements with the back of a knife, could really make-or-break whatever would be thrown into the monstrous oven. Tori seemed to be having fun preparing the batter, bringing a carefree and joyful look over Henoke’s face as he finished up with the meat, turning off the flames of the stove as he allowed the cuts to simmer and set before removing them and placing them on a small platter, to sit and rest in their juices.
”Alright! How’s that sauce comin’, you two?” The smells filling the kitchen were enough to make his stomach growl, though his pride at having finished the pork was overshadowing everything else. Beaming, Henoke removed his bandanna for a moment, wiping his forehead from the light sweat that the heat of the flame brought. Glancing over towards Yuto and Mei, Henoke checked to see how their progress was.
[[**Cooking show theme continues** ‘Heated With Henoke’ has a few words from our Sponsors! Tired? Can’t get motivated? Don’t worry! With Henoke’s new 'Hyper Habanero' energy drink, your soul will burn so bright, you won’t be able to sit still! Order now!!!]]
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Aug 30, 2020 13:21:47 GMT -5
"Shouldn’t you ask Henoke about that? He’s the one who suggested spicy, after all.” Yuto started putting his ingredients together in one place for easy access. "Wassa' matter Tori? Afraid to try something new?" He teased back with an impish smirk. He didn't care who ate what, so long as they were enjoying themselves.
”Hot! If we aren’t sweating afterwards it’s not spicy!” The man stifled a laugh and nodded. "Alright, spicy it is." He turned to his section of the kitchen and began crushing up the pepper seeds to a powder. The sounds of the kitchen in motion were full of levity and good times.
"Lookin’ good there, just remember not all of us are eating spicy!””Don’t worry, I'm refrainin'! Most of the heat should be in the sauce, after all. Heh—you hear that, Yuto?! Don’t let me down!" He laughed at Henoke's comment, well aware that it was a joke. "Hey, I do this right, you're not gonna be able to talk tomorrow." He looked over his shoulder and winked.
”You wanna make muffins, don’t you?” The statement caught Yuto's attention. 'Huh, so Mei bakes. Neat.' It looked like they would have enough food for the whole day. He smirked and went back to his sauce. Having finished the base of the spice, it was time to make the sauce itself.
After a few minutes of stirring and adding herbs and spices, he heard Henoke's question. "C'mere and have a taste." Yuto grabbed a spoon and handed it to the teen. "It's based off both red and black curry, so it's got one helluva bite." He smiled at his work. Henoke asked for spicy, he was getting spicy.
[[Yuto's cooking fun fact: While red and black curry are both extremely spicy (red Thai curry being one of, if not the spiciest curry out there), black curry focuses more on pure heat whereas red curry focuses more on the extreme spice and flavor itself.]]
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 30, 2020 15:25:34 GMT -5
”Woah, you bake?!”
Tori stopped stirring while she heard Henoke as his question, a confused look in her face. Was she talking to her, or to Mei? Regardless, the issue seemed to go by, as he resumed to his work in finishing the meat.
In the meantime, Yuto had seemingly finished his sauce, asking for Henoke to try it. Tori wasn’t going to even near the place, already not a big fan of spice to begin with, and Mei, although not really used to it, would at least give it a shot. Neither was by any means a picky eater —but they had their preferences regardless.
Mei had also finished her own, the sweet caramel having been mixed with olive oil, balsamic and soy sauce, all completed into one. Turning the stove off, she quickly put it on a smaller bowl, keeping it near the heat in order to avoid the caramel from hardening —the hardest part of a proper sweet sauce. Tori, on her end, had finished the batter, Mei walking over to check.
“…Mmhm —looks perfect” she said, taking the bowl in her hands. “Well, you’d think that I’d be able to replicate it after seeing you cook it so many times…” Tori teased back. “I didn’t think you’d get it right the first time, though!” Mei pointed out, “Baking takes a lot of practice, after all!” “Guh… So loud…”
Another female voice —a tired one— echoed from the staircase. With the same hair color as Mei, tied into a side-ponytail, a woman with a baggy cyan sweater and a jeans skirt walked down, yawning. Tori chuckled, while Mei shook her head with a bit of embarrassment.
“Mornin’, Mayu” Tori teased “…Hmmm?” the woman perked up after seeing Yuto and Henoke, “Who’re they…?” “They’re Henoke and Yuto” Mei introduced them, “They’re friends.” “Huh… Here I thought you’d ditched Neku for one of them…” “S-Sis?!” “Slept well?” Tori continued her teasing, her arms crossed over her chest, “We’re getting ready for tomorrow, but… Sorry if we woke you up.” “It’s fine —I needed to eat something anyways” Mayu said with a yawn, “So… What are you doing tomorrow?” “We’re going to the beach, so we were prepping tomorrow’s lunch.” “Huh… Good to know…”
Seemingly uninterested, Mayu headed towards the fridge, grabbing a jar with cold water and pouring it into a glass, to then drink it slowly —all while looking pretty groggy. She finished soon after, turning towards Tori who kept a teasing smirk on her face.
“Y’know —I could use some help on those last pieces of research…” she mentioned, “Do you mind?” “Right now?” Tori snickered, “I think I’ve got more calling matters at the moment, Mayu…” “Hrmm… Then… Tomorrow?” “We’ll be at the beach, the whole day.” “Urgh…” Mayu groaned, “Then when? I really wanna finish this part! And it’s ‘cause you brought so much stuff with you, that I got enthused by it all!” “Not my fault you’re so into your research” Tori laughed, but then nodded, “I’ll come by whenever I can. Just don’t make it like last time?” “You know that’s how it’ll go…” Mei sighed, knowing her sister all too much.
Mayu nodded back, rubbing an eye with a sleepy intent. She headed to the living room, plopping onto the sofa before going back to sleep again, silently. Tori and Mei both couldn’t help but look uneasy, yet nothing really surprised them.
“I’ll… Help you carry her back…” Tori mentioned. “Thanks…” Mei said, too unamused.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 30, 2020 17:11:32 GMT -5
Smelling the fragrance from Yuto’s sauce, Henoke grinned as he tested out his friend’s finished product. ”Mmmmm!” His face flushed a bit from the heat as his eyes sparkled, imagining his pork smothered in the flames. ”Awesome, Yuto!” Seeing Mei approve of Tori’s batter, Henoke’s smile grew as he looked around the busy kitchen. They had all worked hard and given it their best, which was sure to show in the food when they ate it! His stomach gave a faint growl just thinking about it. ”Guh…so loud…” The new voice caused Henoke to jolt in surprise, turning in the kitchen to see a new face, seemingly exhausted. ”Mornin’, Mayu.” Tori’s tease told Henoke that the two knew each other pretty well, bringing him at ease. He had felt a little bad, knowing he himself could easily lose track of his own volume indoors. Mayu, huh? So this was the older sister he’d heard about.
”They’re Henoke and Yuto,” Upon Mei’s introduction, the teen smiled and waved, a slight sheepish look on his face as he thought of how loud he’d been cooking. Mayu’s jab at Mei brought out a chuckle from him as he rested his hands behind his head, watching the dynamic in amusement. So, this is what a sibling’s like, huh? In a way, it wasn’t so different from how he and some of his friends treated each other, though it had taken some time to work up to that point. He was sure with a sibling it just came out naturally. Moving out of Mayu’s way as she made for the fridge, Henoke raised a brow, tilting his head at her as he wondered what made her so tired. She seemed sluggish and kind of ‘out-of-it’—though Mei had mentioned she’d been busier than usual. ”Y’know—I could use some help on that last piece of research…” The mention of ‘research’ made him think of his own investigations, though he had come up with little.
Hearing how Tori apparently aided Mayu in this ‘research’ from time to time, Henoke eyed his friend with curiosity. Didn’t think she was the research type… Maybe it was because of that one time she broke a computer in front of him—but he definitely hadn’t seen it coming. As Mayu headed off into the living room, Henoke couldn’t help but slate his curiosity as he undid his bandanna and retied it around his neck. ”What kinda research they talkin' about, Tori?” He didn’t bother asking Mayu, who seemed to already return to a silent sleep. That was fast! Whatever kind of research the woman was up to, she had definitely been giving it her all, that much was apparent. ”I’ll…help you carry her back…” Tori and Mei’s comments caught him off-guard, visibly staggering as he glanced between them. ”You’re…serious?!” Wouldn’t it be easier to let her stay asleep in the living room?
Scratching at the back of his head, Henoke glanced at Mayu—not really wanting to offer to help in carrying her up the stairs seeing as how she was kind of a stranger to him. The last thing he needed was a stranger waking up and freaking out about being lugged up the stairs like a pack of laundry. Deciding to only help if Tori or Mei asked, Henoke would be on standby until they made their way upstairs. He had already taken care of most of his ‘section’, having divided all of the prepared pork and placed it near each sauce station.
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Aug 31, 2020 13:59:50 GMT -5
Yuto swelled a bit with pride as his friend praised his work. It was nice to be told by someone else that his cooking was good. He turned everything he was using off and moved the sauce safely away while he waited for the rest of the food to be ready.
”Guh…so loud…” The man turned to see the source of the voice. “Mornin’, Mayu” That must've been Mei's sister that the two girls were talking about earlier. “They’re Henoke and Yuto” The man gave a small wave when his name was mentioned, doing his best to be polite. His demeanor quickly changed following Mayu's comment about Mei and Neku. Covering his mouth, Yuto turned away quickly in an attempt to not laugh before taking a deep breath.
Turning back Yuto noticed that Mayu had made her way to the couch, and ultimately back to sleep. “I’ll… Help you carry her back…” He looked on as the two girls carried the third back upstairs. He agreed with Henoke's sentiment of letting her stay on the couch, but they were already in motion. Without much more thought Yuto made sure to put sauce on both his and Henokes plates, waiting till Mei and Tori came back down to do Neku's. "Siblings, right?"
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 31, 2020 16:00:32 GMT -5
Henoke’s reaction caused Tori to sigh, pouting as she turned towards him. Mei, on the other hand, kneeled down near Mayu, who was softly snoring, poking her cheek with some annoyance. She hadn’t expected her sister to come down, complain, and then simply sleep on the couch like no big deal.
They weren’t done just yet.
“We aren’t gonna take her now —that’d be a hassle” Tori replied, “So long as we keep it low, she won’t wake up at all.”
With a sigh, Tori returned to her station, just to notice Yuto serving the places, much for her shock. Mei also noticed, a worried frown in her gaze.
They weren’t supposed to serve them!
“Hey, what are you doing?!” Tori berated him, “We’re not serving them now! We were gonna pack ‘em in box lunches!” she finished with a frown. “Ah… Tori…” Mei tried to calm the situation, “It’s fine… I’ll just… Pack them like that…” “Just cut that out, Yuto!”
Tori didn’t think it twice, ignoring Mei's comment. Stomping her way towards Yuto, her arms crossed and with a pout, Tori put everything she could away from him, much for Mei’s dismay. What was a simple gesture turned out to be disastrous, since the food was supposed to be packed in box lunches, not served in plates —and as such, they had to keep them where they were. Mei knew better than Tori, surely, but it was still annoying to the latter.
Her eyes flashed purple, although faintly, before quickly returning to her usual deep blue —a gesture most likely no one would’ve noticed unless really close. Still pouting, she pointed at Yuto, bitterly.
“I know I’ve mentioned this before and you’re probably already tired of listening it, but” she began, “You shouldn’t rush like that! Sure, I might be overreacting, but can’t you at least wait a bit?!” Tori backed off, still frowning, “It’s things like these that become a habit —one that can be really dangerous. So, shouldn’t you know better, given your age?” “Tori…” Mei mumbled, worried. “Haa…” with a sigh, Tori closed her eyes, shaking it, “Really now…”
One thing was pilling over another, yet it was enough to cause a bother for Tori. Still, she seemed to simmer down somewhat quickly, yet still annoyed by it all. Not only that, but Henoke had asked what kind of research Mayu had mentioned. Not willing to talk about it, she moved it for later.
Much like the explanation she’d promised Yuto about the Keyblade War.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 31, 2020 16:32:22 GMT -5
”We aren’t gonna take her now—that’d be a hassle.” Tori’s comment brought a slightly amused look to Henoke’s face, who merely shrugged as he chuckled and shook his head. Guess she’s really that tired… Glancing over at Mayu, he couldn’t help but remain curious about what kind of research the woman did that kept her so busy. ”Siblings, right?” Turning to face Yuto, the teen shrugged, as he didn’t know anything about having siblings. That was when he noticed Yuto setting up two plates. ”Hey, what are you doing?! We’re not serving them now!” The amused look on his face grew as he rested his hands behind his head, watching Tori swoop in to try and undo Yuto’s work. Despite the fact she seemed upset, the teen seemed rather carefree and unconcerned—happy to see her upset over something small compared to the larger catastrophe’s they’d been through.
Some of the stuff Tori said to Yuto was lost on Henoke, who wasn’t really the best at connecting the dots of a bigger picture. Seeing that it had seemed to upset her a bit though, he decided to finally step in. ”I’m sure he was just tryin’ to help—“ Waving a hand nonchalantly, Henoke gave his friends a grin. ”’Sides, we can just scrape ours into boxes. I don’t care if it’s all mixed up.” Sure, the rice would get a little soggy—but truthfully he was the slightly gluttonous type who often times focused on the meat of a meal to the point where he left other sections untouched. On top of that, Henoke was a rather fast eater—so it’s not like he’d have appreciated the presentation anyway. ”C’mon, let’s get this stuff packed up and ready for tomorrow!” Walking back into the kitchen, the teen seemed as energetic as ever as he’d help Mei and the others in finishing the preparations for their beach day.
He was looking forward to it, growing more eager by the minute.
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Aug 31, 2020 17:01:22 GMT -5
Yuto had just finished Henoke's plate as he heard Tori coming over. ”Hey, what are you doing?! We’re not serving them now!” He put the ladle back in the pot. "Sorry, s'just how I'm used to packaging stuff. Make sure it's all together, y'know." He didn't realize that others may not pack things up the same way.
“You shouldn’t rush like that! Sure, I might be overreacting, but can’t you at least wait a bit...shouldn’t you know better, given your age?” The lecture was bad enough, but the last part struck a pretty raw nerve for Yuto. "Oh, so you think what happened to me was MY fault!?" The man snapped at Tori, who had seemed to calm down. "Cause being put in THAT PLACE was totally because I messed up, right!?" The man felt his eye's glow as bright as possible. Deciding not to hide it, Yuto stared Tori in the eye. "You, my dear, know nothing about me."
”C’mon, let’s get this stuff packed up and ready for tomorrow!” He took a deep breath before facing his friend, the glow of his eyes almost completely gone now. "Sorry, man. I'm gonna go, don't think I'd be good company as it were." He opened a Dark Corridor before giving the teen a sad smile and a thumbs up. "I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" With that, he walked through the corridor and into their room at Shacks.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 1, 2020 7:20:35 GMT -5
She hadn’t expected Yuto’s reaction. Not a single second of it —it had caught her off-guard, yet Tori hardly showed weakness. The glow in his eyes was unnatural, the feeling of dread and despair all too well known for her. His memories, raw and painful, were too vivid to simply ignore. And even if Tori tried to avert her “gaze” and focus on the moment, they were too close for her to simply dismiss.
His memories were too overpowering to simply ignore.
Still pouting, yet not as strongly as before, Tori didn’t answer or retort, instead choosing to watch Yuto leave via his own Corridors, the direction unknown to the rest. His expression said it all, as he left, but Tori wasn’t one to bother herself about it. Ironic, really, seeing how worked up she was mere seconds ago.
With a sigh, she sought to focus elsewhere, but before long, Mei was looking at her with a clear upset pout, Tori flinching at the sight. This wasn’t good…
“You went too far” Mei berated her, her tone still calm but with a reproaching tone behind it, “It wasn’t that big a deal, was it?” “S-Sorry…” Tori drew one hand behind her neck, clearly apologetic, “I dunno why I got so worked up…” “It’s not me who you should apologize to!”
Tori didn’t reply, knowing full well she had no means of running away from it. Even though Mei was upset, she wasn’t angry, yet it didn’t change the fact that Tori had indeed gone too far, watching memories Yuto most likely didn’t want anyone knowing about…
She just hoped she could make up for it later.
“In any case… I’ll be doing the boxes tomorrow” Mei said, finishing the rice in the cooker and storing everything else in glass containers, “Since I need to make sure they’re warm to eat, I’ll be heating the boxes and the food early tomorrow —so leave that to me.” “So… We’re all done?” “I can finish baking the muffins, since the batter’s all done.” “Then…” Tori glanced over at Henoke, “Do we get going? Back to the Shacks, I mean.” As she asked, Tori headed for the door, opening it yet waiting for her friend's answer, before inevitably leaving the house and making her way slowly back to the Shacks. She remained outside for a bit after leaving, watching the night sky calmly, trying to relax a bit after all that happened.
Mei looked at the door, a caring smile soon overpowering her previous pout, as she waved them goodbye.
"It was nice to meet you" she said, "Same goes for Yuto. Let him know, okay? And... Do apologize in my stead for Tori's behavior" Mei added with an uneasy smile, "I'm sure she didn't mean to get so worked up, but... Would you do that for me?"
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Post by hoodwink on Sept 1, 2020 13:23:01 GMT -5
”Oh, so you think what happened to me was MY fault!?” Yuto’s sudden lament caught Henoke by surprise—halting him in his footsteps as he saw the glow in his friends eyes. Tch—him, too?! Tori’s eyes did something similar whenever she got emotional—but he hadn’t known Yuto’s did the same. How did shit blow up so quick?! ”Sorry, man. I’m gonna go,” Before he could really retort, the dark corridor was summoned and Henoke’s reached out hand whiffed at the air as his friend exited the home. For a moment, the was silence and he stood stunned, gazing with an open mouth at the empty space Yuto had once taken up. ”F’real…?” Sighing a bit, he scratched at the back of his head while looking down, his brow furrowed a bit as his mood soured. Damn it… In the end, he hadn’t been able to break it up—not the way he’d hoped, anyway.
”You went too far.” Mei’s berating was well-placed, but definitely took the teen off-guard. So far, all he had seen from the girl was her pleasantries. Of course, she was still pleasant, even while scolding Tori, but it was nice to see her stern side—a new side of a new friend. ”S-sorry…” She seemed sincere enough, though even she wasn’t aware of why she’d gotten so upset to begin with. There was a part of him that could relate to that—but he also didn’t know why her words had struck Yuto so heavily. Maybe he’s the type that really hates gettin’ lectured? Henoke himself didn’t enjoy others talking down to him either, so he could relate. ”In any case…I’ll be doing the boxes tomorrow.” Mei was quick to move back on track as Henoke glanced over at Tori in silent contemplation. There wasn’t much needed to be said that Mei hadn’t addressed already. There she goes, shoulderin’ all the hard work again. He was already beginning to see a theme with the orange haired girl—one he had mixed feelings about.
”Then…do we get going?” Tori’s question made Henoke nod as he crossed his arms, his face betraying the conflicting emotions he was feeling. ”Yeah, we can get goin’.” He would need to talk to Yuto—there was no way he could leave his friend feeling so upset all night. He wanted to talk to Tori, too. Though she seemed fine now, he couldn’t help but wonder if there were some underlying stressors that caused some of her outburst before. Grabbing his jacket and putting it back on to catch up with Tori, who had already headed out—the teen paused at the door to bid farewell, surprised to see Mei already there with a smile that made him feel less as a human. (Even he didn’t feel like he shone that brightly—and he had a Keyblade! Then again…he was just a shadow of a true wielder.) ”It was nice to meet you. Same goes for Yuto. Let him know, okay?” A sheepish look came across his face as he scratched at his cheek—already knowing that he should apologize on his own friends behalf for the sudden exit, but was unable to do so. He was too harsh to apologize for people, more prone to make them apologize themselves.
”And…do apologize in my stead for Tori’s behavior. I’m sure she didn’t mean to get so worked up, but…would you do that for me?” Despite his stance, Henoke found himself nodding as red creeped into his ears. Her uneasy smile and the hopeful look in her eyes as she made her request hurt him too much to deny. Sighing as he admitted defeat, Henoke glanced over his shoulder at the door as he thought of Tori. ”Tch—you’re too easy on ‘em.” Looking back at Mei, the teen gave a broad smile as he waved goodbye. ”It was nice to meet you, too! See you tomorrow!” With that, he turned and headed out, meeting Tori out front of Mei’s house under a starry sky as he stepped into the calm night. ”Mei's too nice for her own good.” Henoke glanced over at her as he shoved his hands into his jacket pockets, a faint smirk on his lips as his gaze seemed a mixture of seriousness but also a tenderness.
”Don’t make too much work for her, alright?” Walking up beside her, he nudged Tori with his elbow lightly as he smiled a bit. ”And don’t worry—we all get mad at stuff. I’m sure Yuto’ll come around once you both say sorry.” Frankly speaking, Henoke found both of his friends in the wrong with this one—though that didn’t mean he wouldn’t support both of them through it. ”You doin’ okay, though?” A curious look flashed across his face as he asked—tactless as ever. Since they had time on the walk, he figured he’d just ask while they had time to talk.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 1, 2020 13:57:29 GMT -5
Tori watched the stars, twinkling brightly in the night sky, with a bit of seriousness. The previous interaction with Yuto hadn’t sat well at all with her, but there wasn’t much she could do about it. Just how long did he spend there, amongst the shadows that now made part of him? She could somewhat relate to it, but admitting it would be difficult, especially given how adamant he was in thinking he was alone in that experience.
”Mei's too nice for her own good.” With his usual tone, Henoke managed to make Tori snap back to where she was, noticing his smirk yet also his intentions behind it. Mentioning both not giving Mei too much work, and reassuring that Yuto and she would make pace later on did help, but only a little. There were, obviously, facts that Henoke ignored.
And with good reason, really, as he wasn’t the one capable of reading another’s memories.
“Well… I’m fine” Tori said, looking away faintly, her arms crossed once more, “It’s just there’s stuff that bothered me about what I saw… Y’know —can’t really help seeing someone’s memories, especially if they bring them up too far.”
One of her hands rested clenched on Tori’s cheek as she pouted, thoughtful. Henoke knew —she’d told him herself. But Yuto didn’t. So, would it be tactless to mention that to Yuto? In her eyes, it was, but it wasn’t fair to keep him in the blind for so long, when she already knew what lurked deeply in his heart.
“Y’know what I mean, right?” Tori asked, somewhat rhethorically, “I can’t say if it’ll help mentioning that after this… If anything, I can see this making things worse for us, which isn’t ideal… Since we’ll go to the beach tomorrow and all…”
“I didn’t mean to get so worked up about it…” Tori scratched the back of her head, “But at the same time, I didn’t expect his reaction at all. Him mentioning that all of the sudden… I can see why he’d be bothered by it, but… It was way too strong for it to be spontaneous… Most likely something I said triggered it...”
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Post by hoodwink on Sept 1, 2020 14:57:36 GMT -5
”It’s just there’s stuff that bothered me about what I saw…” Henoke nodded with a new grimace, remembering Tori’s odd ability that allowed her glimpses into others minds. It must be difficult, having others problems invaded into your own. ”I didn’t mean to get so worked up about it…” He was glad that she was reflecting on her actions, though also understood that none of them had expected Yuto’s reaction. How could they? ”Most likely something I said triggered it…” He had assumed as much, too. Shrugging a bit, Henoke seemed surprisingly carefree as they continued on, being honest with Tori as he thought aloud. ”Don’t beat yourself up over it too much. You already know you got too worked up—and there’s no way you coulda known anythin’ you had said would trigger somethin’ you didn’t know about to begin with.” Sure, she had gotten worked up, but so had Yuto. He shouldn’t have expected them to know about things he wasn’t open with them about. This is why he felt like both of his friends had been in the wrong. He wasn't harsh on people for no reason, after all.
Feeling confident, the teen looked forward to reaching the shacks, hoping the two would make up so they could all enjoy the beach tomorrow.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 1, 2020 15:33:34 GMT -5
Smiling a bit, Tori was relieved to hear Henoke’s words. The night was still, a faint breeze flowing through and some cheers and comments from people still hanging around the town’s nightly events. Not as cheerful as in the afternoon, but had its charm regardless. The lamps lighted the way for anyone who’d lost it, guiding them through town with ease, until arriving at the Shacks. It helped talk about it, while calming down from the events.
Tucking her hands in her short’s back pockets, Tori glanced over at Henoke, a silence taking hold after he’d spoken. Glancing over at the starry night, she couldn’t help but wonder…
“…Hey” she mentioned, “You know how the stars in the sky indicate something, right?” she asked, trying to shift the mood, now much better than before, “Like… People, or worlds. You don’t think there’s some we haven’t been to, right?”
She’d mentioned it nonchalantly, not really looking for much of an answer, but mostly to change the pace a bit. Given how they were nearing the Shacks, however, maybe there wasn’t enough time to answer.
Something for latter, she supposed.
Tori grabbed her keys, going along with Henoke through the same hallways she’d shown them before. She stopped at her door, glancing over at Henoke while he’d open his.
“Well… I’ll see you tomorrow” she said, “Make sure you don’t oversleep, okay?”
With that, she went to her room, preparing to go to sleep, while Henoke would most likely find the person they were talking about before, probably resting to try and avoid the topics of the rushed cooking session.
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Post by hoodwink on Sept 1, 2020 16:17:19 GMT -5
”You know how the stars in the sky indicate something, right?” Glancing up towards said stars, Henoke nodded as he recalled what Chirithy and his master had taught him all that time ago. ”Like…people, or worlds. You don’t think there’s some we haven’t been to, right?” He grinned a bit, looking over at her with a cheerful expression—glad to see her feeling better about everything. ”O’course! There’s prolly tons we haven’t seen yet!” He hoped for more worlds like this one, instead of the steady theme of old castles that had been his life so far. The idea made him excited—though he tried not to get too caught up in his fantasies, as he’d hardly explored everything this world had to offer.
Reaching the Shacks, Henoke followed Tori in, remembering about his own key tucked away in his back pocket. ”Well…I’ll see you tomorrow” Staggering for a moment, the teen gave her a look of disbelief. ”HUH?!” She had seemed like she was prepared to have a heart-to-heart! ”Make sure you don’t oversleep, okay?” Before he could retort much further, the door closed as Tori went into her room. Left standing alone in the hallway with a hand reached out towards the door, Henoke grit his teeth as he fumed for a moment. Argh, what the hell?! Sure, Yuto had seemed in a bad mood…but he had just planned on marching into their shared room with Tori and making them make-up now. It was truly a rushed and impatient plan, fitting for the hotheaded teen who lacked tact. Sighing in frustration as he scratched at the back of his head, he regained his confidence and energy with a second wind.
”Tch—you’re not off the hook yet, though!” Spitting out the comment to a literal door, which wouldn’t respond, Henoke grumbled a bit as he unlocked the door to his and Yuto’s room. He'd make sure to make the two talk tomorrow! He hoped Yuto would be inside and not somewhere else—but his friend had mentioned seeing him later tonight. Okay Henoke, round two! You got this! Giving himself a silent pep-talk as he opened the door, the teen would walk in and look for Yuto. He wanted to talk with him about what happened—to see what had triggered such a response out of him. The conversation he had with Tori made him aware it wasn’t just anger over being lectured about something. She had seen something in his memories that Henoke had no clue about—unsure if he wanted to know. He wasn’t often one to pry into people’s personal business.
His and Tori’s dynamic was a unique one, in that sense. They had practically been forced into each other’s histories. ”Hey, Yuto—you up?” Finding his friend awake and on the futon brought a relief to him as he gave a faint grin. "You're quick with those portals, that's for sure." Both he and Tori had been quick to flee, leaving the teen with little opportunity to use his forceful tactics. Tch. He quickly glared at the wall, still somewhat irritated that she had managed to evade him so fast. Shaking it off, the teen tossed the keys on the small desk in their shared room, sitting on the edge of the bed as he raised an eyebrow and looked over at Yuto. "So what was up with that, back at Mei's? Tori was leanin' into you pretty hard, but I didn't expect that..." Recalling what Tori had mentioned, thinking of how murky his own past was, the teen waved a hand and shook his head. "Don't get me wrong—she shouldn't'a blown up so much over the food, but it seemed like somethin' pissed you off for some other reason." Thinking back to the favor Mei had asked for, Henoke grit his teeth for a moment, wanting to make Tori apologize herself. There was no reason for Mei to apologize for her friends behavior. That was just too blatantly shirking off responsibilities. Instead, the teen chose a different approach, but still remained honest.
"She does feel bad about it, y'know?" It was a little exhausting, playing a mediator role. It wasn't something he was used to, typically not having enough friends to mediate for. "But no one's a mind reader, man." He frowned a bit, realizing the contradiction in that given Tori's odd powers. Then again, it seemed she wasn't aware until after their dispute. Giving Yuto an expression that seemed conflicted between sternness and concern, the teen decided to finish before getting tripped up by himself. "Mei was really sad that you stormed out, too. Both of you're makin' her worry." It wasn't that he wanted to guilt Yuto or anything, but he did want to be honest with his friend about what happened after he had left. It was a part of his idea about 'accountability'.
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Sept 1, 2020 19:28:12 GMT -5
Yuto heard the clicking of the lock and rolled over to see his friend entering the room. ”Hey, Yuto—you up?” The man put himself in a seated position, resting an arm on his knee. You're quick with those portals, that's for sure." A smile formed across his face. 'Glad I got something useful going for me.'
Yuto looked up and sighed at Henoke's line of questioning. The whole reason he was still awake was because he was thinking of how to respond to this situation. With a deep and lengthy sigh, he motioned for the teen to join him on the futon. Noting that both girls were sorry, he made sure to apologize properly to both in the morning. "I'm sorry, really. I definitely over-reacted there, and none of you deserved that. But I'm gonna tell you something, so you know where I was coming from."
He'd make room for Henoke on the futon in case the teen took his invitation to join him. He took a deep breath. This was so much easier in his head. with a sigh of resignation, he looked at Henoke. "Now, I know you don't wanna hear an old man like me drone on and on about what the world used to be like, and how much better it was before the young'ins came 'round." He did his best old man voice at the end of the statement in hopes of injecting some humor into the situation. "Look, short version is that I was stuck somewhere for so long that when I came back, everything I knew was gone." He stood up and stretched. "So being reminded of how old I am made me think of that, and those memories hurt. A lot." He shrugged and leaned on the nightstand. "But you guys didn't need to see that, and I'm sorry that you did. Oh, and I'll apologize to the other two tomorrow."
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Post by hoodwink on Sept 1, 2020 20:07:20 GMT -5
”I’m sorry, really. I definitely over-reacted there,” A faint look of relief came over Henoke’s face as he listened, glad to see Yuto had also calmed down. ”But I’m gonna tell you something, so you know where I was coming from.” Sitting up on the bed, Henoke waved a hand dismissively, intrigued but comfortable in his spot. ”Now, I know you don’t wanna hear an old man like me drone on and on…” For a moment, Yuto’s words confused him. Sure, he was a little older than Henoke—but it didn’t look like it was by much. He was sure their age difference was something he could count on one hand—though he was never strong at counting. The ‘old man’ voice caused him to smirk, laughing a bit as he shook his head. Yuto was definitely a goofball sometimes. It was a trait of his the teen enjoyed—hating taking things too seriously. ”Look, short version is that I was stuck somewhere for so long that when I came back, everything I knew was gone.”
The sudden confession definitely shocked him, his eyes widening as he leaned forward more, nearly hanging off of the bed in surprise. ”R-really?!” He hadn’t expected his friend’s history to be so similar to his. Henoke hadn’t been ‘stuck’ somewhere, but he had come back to a different era—one his original friends and family were no longer in. ”So being reminded of how old I am made me think of that,” Henoke’s face fell a bit—being able to sympathize only due to having gone through it himself. Typically bad at understanding things outside of his own experience, it felt bittersweet that Yuto’s own memories seemed similar to his. In one way, it helped him understand easier—but in another, it wasn’t a hardship he’d hope to have in common with someone else. Kosuke, too… Why were so many of them dealing with the same bullshit hand?
Hearing Yuto’s apology, Henoke’s face lit back up with a wide grin as he leaned back on the bed, propping himself up with his hands. ”Heh—damn right! I wasn’t gonna let either of you go to the beach without sayin’ sorry to each other!” Snickering at his own plan, the teen seemed in a much better mood now that everything had been cleared up. ”I get why it made you mad now—that makes sense.” It was easy sometimes to get tripped up by the painful memories. Building new ones were hard work, after all. ”I don’t think Mei minded much…I think she’s more worried about keepin’ the two o’ you on good terms.” It was almost annoying, how much care and work the girl had put in, expecting no thanks or anything. ”S’far’s the other stuff goes…” For a moment he looked away in thought, stumbling over words in his head.
”That definitely sounds rough…sorry.” He couldn’t manage to admit his own history—not yet. It was too fresh and raw—as was the case for Yuto. ”But thanks for telling’ me. The next time you get really mad like that, though—“ A devious grin came across his face as he gave his friends a ‘thumbs up’. ”—just ask for a fight! I’ll spar with you to help you clear your mind up, that way you don’t gotta end up yellin’ at people and sayin’ sorry later, ‘kay?” He and Yuto hadn’t known each other long, but they had fought together before. Henoke had always used training and sparring as a means of clearing his head—figuring it was the best thing to do for a cloudy heart. It was a somewhat immature and childish method, but one the teen had decided was the best course of action. It was just his way of doing things.
[[**Yuto feels his bond with Henoke growing stronger. You've now reached rank 2 with the Chariot Confidant!**]]
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Sept 1, 2020 21:34:08 GMT -5
Henoke's understanding made Yuto feel worlds better. It was hard having to deal with what happened on his own, but telling others even a little of what happened was even harder. The next time you get really mad like that, though just ask for a fight!" The man blinked for a second, registering what his friend just said, before laughing. "Leave it to you to come up with something like that."
He laid back down on the futon, more tired than he originally thought. "Lets get some sleep. We got a long day of fun waiting for us." With that he closed his eyes and slept till morning.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 2, 2020 2:38:22 GMT -5
[The next morning…]
“Oi, wake up you two!”
Knocks on the door were clear and loud, but not to the point they’d be annoying. Neku had gone pick Henoke and Yuto up before heading to the beach, only to find that the other person in the Shacks, Tori, had already left —the keys in the board back at the first floor being the only evidence he needed. Not knowing what had happened between them, he thought she’d gone ahead to pick them a spot.
Not that he was completely wrong, either.
Neku had been going easy-clothed, with his shirt and swimwear on. He held a sack in one shoulder, in which he carried his towel, 2 pairs of extra swimwear, a few bottles of sparkling water, plastic glasses and a beach ball. He waited for either of the two to open, since he had something in mind after recalled that neither had swimwear to use. Yet given how fast he’d left, he couldn’t help them pick that up.
Hence, the reason why he’d brought 2 pairs with him —to borrow them over.
“C’mon…” Neku stopped knocking, knowing he’d been loud enough to wake the two up, “If we don’t hurry, we ain’t gonna be able to enjoy the day to its fullest!”
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Post by hoodwink on Sept 2, 2020 10:05:10 GMT -5
Sprawled out on his back and snoring was Henoke, the covers half off of the bed and barely covering him from his messy sleeping. ”Oi, wake up you two!” Neku’s voice didn’t reach the slumbering teen, though the succession of knocks would slowly cause his eyes to flutter open—dazed and hazy. ”Huh?” Seemingly still half asleep, the teen sat up in the bed while scratching his head with a yawn. ”If we don’t hurry, we ain’t gonna be able to enjoy the day to its fullest!” Henoke’s eyes widened as they suddenly broke off the chains of sleep—remembering that they were going to the beach! ”Aw, yeah!” Hopping out of the bed, the teen scrambled to get back into his clothes, stumbling all over the room as he attempted to do everything at once. ”C’mon, Yuto!” Laughing and in high spirits, the teen finally finished getting dressed, deciding to leave his jacket, bandana and ring in the room’s wardrobe. He wouldn’t need them at the beach.
Rushing to the door of their shared room (obviously once Yuto was up and ready), Henoke yanked it open to greet Neku with a broad grin—his spiky hair more messy than usual from bedhead. ”Yo! Thanks for the wake-up call.” He had figured Tori would wake them up if Yuto hadn’t woken up early enough. Remembering the events of last night though, Neku’s presence was slightly worrying to the teen. Not having been at Mei’s with them, he had no idea what had gone on between Tori and Yuto. Henoke had wanted to the two to make up first thing, being impatient as always, but he couldn’t force that with an uninvolved third party around. Even he wasn’t that tactless. For now, they'd have to simply wait until the moment was right. ”Should we grab Tori?” For a moment, the teen wondered if she had slept in—given the fact it had seemed like she also hadn’t rested in a real bed for a while. Otherwise, he was all set, not having much to bring other than the clothes on his back. "Oh! Should we help Mei carry over everythin'?" Glancing between Yuto and Neku, Henoke remembered how many dishes they were bringing, figuring it'd be hard for one person.
He also just wanted to see her. To make sure she was in better spirits than when they'd last left her. She seemed too caring for her own good, and though that fact annoyed Henoke, it also brought out a protective side. He wondered about where he'd felt that before...
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