View source for 2025-11-04: A Rainy Day for a Cafe

*'''Log: ''' A Rainy Day for a Cafe
*'''Cast:''' [[Tsubasa Seki]], [[Jun Kashihara]]
*'''Where:''' Iwatodai
*'''OOC Date:''' 2025-11-04
*'''IC Date:''' Sunday, August 05 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Tsubasa and Jun meet to catch up following their exams, and discuss humanity's greatest invention: meat on a stick. Also some other stuff. But man, meat on a stick!''

----

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

 <Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
<poem>

        Tsubasa got a message from Jun the day after their exams finished, and ended up suggesting they ''meet up'' at a cafe near Iwatodai train station -- more for Jun's convenience than anything, given that he was the one travelling out here. When they show up, they're sans dog; neon blue hair matching their blue-and-black binder, a military-green tanktop slung over it, ripped blue jeans. And... no umbrella, despite the fact that it's suddenly pouring down rain, even though, like, it's an early-August afternoon, that's an ''occupational hazard.''

        "FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK --"

        Oh look there they are! Looking exactly like a drowned rat, as they barrel in under the awning. "Eat a dick, sky," they grumble, as they reach up to make sure that their hair is at least still ''seated'' on their head. When someone gives them a weird look as they pass, a terrible feeling grips their heart, and they duck behind a corner to pull their compact out of the pocket of their jeans.

        "Ah, fuck --"

        Back turned to the street, Tsubasa busies themself with trying to fix their makeup, glad at least that their ''concealer'' is waterproof.


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>

        Jun's been worried about Tsubasa, after all. He's glad at least that they had the opportunity to make up their exams--it would be awful if they failed due to circumstances out of their control. He arrives at the agreed-upon cafe a little bit early, and having looked up the weather forecast, has an umbrella handy--green, his favorite color.
        
        He's dressed more clean-cut: a green-and-white pinstriped button-up shirt, belted in place with black slacks, and clean white tennis shoes. The breast pocket of his shirt sports a spring of lavender, because Jun simply cannot go out in public without wearing a flower of some kind.
        
        The sudden downpour meets his umbrella, and Jun approaches with his usual calm... in time to hear a lot of loud profanities. That's Tsubasa's voice, and though it's probably just over the rain, he hurries around the corner and down the street to see--yes, that's Tsubasa, under an awning and fussing with their make-up with compact in hand.
        
        "Tsubasa-kun," Jun calls, hurrying the rest of the way to join them. He glances at that passer-by, then casually positions himself so he and his umbrella can give them some cover.
        
        "Bad luck," he says sympathetically, looking them over. He looks past them at the store the awning belongs to. Is this the cafe? If it is, maybe the two of them can just go on inside. He won't suggest that until he actually confirms it, though; if not, he'll wait until they're ready.


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
<poem>

        And that's Jun's voice--!! Of course, Tsubasa looks even ''more'' like a demon from the mountains than they deliberately try to be, right now. "Uh, hey," Tsubasa says, awkwardly, back still turned. "One sec --"

        They just kinda smooth the blue and white out and it's absolutely frightful but it'll ''do,'' okay, there's not much they can do about their wig being wet and that means their entire face is going to keep being wet for a while.

        "Fuckin' rain jumped me, man," Tsubasa huffs, as they turn back to him, as if the rain were a rival gang visiting random violence down upon them. "Uh, anyway..."

        There's a cafe!! And, like, who cares if it's the one they said to meet at, it's the one they're meeting at ''now'' because ''the sky has a knife.'' "C'mon, let's get inside," they urge him, as they head in.

        ("Jus', uh, black coffee an' one a them," is the order they make at the counter, electing to point at the croissants rather than trying to pronounce the weird foreign word.)

        Booth secured, Tsubasa looks over, to Jun. "How ya been, Jun-kun?" They ask, because they're not about to ''open'' with how ''they'' did on their exams, that would just be a ''downer.''


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>

        Jun chuckles a little at Tsubasa's huff, but with them still being as soaked as they are, he slips a hand into his pocket and pulls out a handkerchief. "They might have some towels in the bathroom too," he suggests as he follows them inside. It might not be where they agreed to meet, but any port in a storm, so to speak.
        
        "A pain au chocolat and an Earl Grey, please," he orders, after Tsubasa. His French is on point.
        
        Once they're both at their booth, Jun gives Tsubasa a rueful smile. How's ''he'' been? "Not too bad, comparatively speaking," he replies. "I did well on exams--" got top in class for the third years, but he isn't going to brag, "--and any unpleasantries I've had to deal with have been strictly unpleasantries rather than anything truly awful. Kawase-san and I had a spa day together recently, even, over at Etheria." He gives them a curious look. "Have you ever been? I don't know that it would be your style, but still..."


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
<poem>

        "It's... it's cool, man," Tsubasa tries to play it off, though the handkerchief ''does'' at least get them a little drier.

        They're so tough and cool and ''not'' totally destroyed by the rain, like all those witches who cry I'M MEEEELTING at the end of old Western movies.

        ... though they have no idea how Jun pronounces all that. Also isn't 'pain', like, said like 'pain', like, they thought they knew English at least a little bit?! (It's not English, Tsubasa.)

        "Oh, yeah?" Tsubasa asks, when Jun mentions his ''spa day.'' "Uh, prolly not my scene," which is to say that they have ten times the amount of body shame a Japanese teenager ''ought'' to have and they've never even been ''seen'' in a public bathhouse as Tsubasa, "but that's cool. Y'oughta get somethin' good goin' on in ya life. Uh, 'grats on comin' first, by the way." They did see that, while they were in there.

        "I, uh... I mean, they said they'd let me know," Tsubasa rubs at the back of their neck, "but I gotta have bombed it, y'know? Sorry, man, know you tried to pick me up, jus'... I'unno, head wasn't in the game, I guess." Multiple afternoons there had them looking haggard-exhausted, with a few extra bruises, but they insisted it was 'cool' and 'don't even worry about it'...

        ... which was probably code for gang violence, given their entire rep, so it was entirely reasonable not to push too hard.

        "But it's cool, like? Shit's easier at the new place." Jun was even allowed to come by and hang out during those study sessions!! They never even ''mentioned'' their ''old'' place before this. "An' Ichika an' me are gettin' up to some mad shit," and ''that's'' a change, they've always called her the ''Boss'' before this, now they're addressing her yobisute?! "Like, maybe not the spa, but..."


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>

        Jun doesn't press the matter when Tsubasa passes on the idea of drying off in the bathroom. At least, yes, they do accept the handkerchief. They can return it later; it's fine.
        
        Maybe one day he'll have the opportunity to explain the difference between English and French. Alas, today is not that day.
        
        "I figured not. It was mostly women there," Jun says with an understanding nod. He smiles at their congratulations. "Thank you."
        
        That smile fades into a look somewhere between sympathy and lament as they talk about the probable results of their own exams. Tsubasa ''had'' looked exhausted and beat-up, and Jun did not believe them for a second when they said it was 'cool,' but he didn't press there either. Getting a punk to trust you means not calling them out when they lie to you about their injuries, and Tsubasa is no mere punk but a friend besides.
        
        Besides: "It's all right. We both tried our best," he reassures them. "Sometimes the deck is stacked against us. If you want, we can do more study sessions when school's back in session to get your average up. And if you need any help with your summer homework, just let me know." He smiles warmly. "That's what friends are for."
        
        He does note how they call Ichika by just her first name, rather than Boss. His eyebrows rise, though one is hidden behind the side-cloak of his bangs, because he doesn't want that to pass ''totally'' unremarked on, but he isn't going to force Tsubasa to talk about it either. "Anything fun planned?" he asks instead, and then jokes, "Or should I not ask, just in case the cops come calling?"


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
<poem>

        Tsubasa just... doesn't gel with public bathrooms, ya dig? No matter what door they go in, ''someone's'' gonna be mad at them.

        "Yeah, different vibe," they agree, on the spa. "Cool, tho'." ''Jun'' can hang out with the ladies, he's secure. (And mysteriously, not terribly distracted.)

        Jun offers help, though, and Tsubasa shrugs a shoulder as a corner of their lip tugs upwards in half a smile. "Sure, man," they agree, playing it cool. "Countin' on it. It's stupid, like... that shit's usually pretty fun," though Tsubasa would of course never admit to ''schoolwork'' being ''fun'' on the grounds of Kasugayama, "jus' been hard to focus up right now, y'know? Like, it's too much effort."

        Well, they ''were'' a victim of that arson at Aoba Park, so maybe that's normal. ... even if the media was trying to ''blame'' them for it.

        "We're thinkin' campin'," Tsubasa gets the ''rest'' of the way to smiling, talking about Ichika. "I never been, but like, she's into it, gotta be cool? Don't worry, man, pigs ain't gonna book us for a tent. An' like, goin' 'round Iwatodai an' shit... I never checked the place out that much when I lived here, so she's gonna show me all the shit goin' on."

        They scratch as a cheek, as they decide to go on with: "We jus' like, sorted some shit out? She's my best friend, man, we're ride or die shit. Ain't just 'cuz she's me Boss." Though she still ''is,'' evidently.


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>

        Very fair.
        
        "Yes... You've been through a lot lately. If I were in your position, I'd have trouble concentrating, too," Jun says sympathetically, folding his legs. He breathes a faint sigh and looks away for a moment. At least finals had been nearly over when Strega had approached him, and he's informed as many people as might be able to do something about it since. Yes, comparatively speaking, he's been doing ''just fine''.
        
        "Well, we can take our time and enjoy ourselves with the summer homework, at least," he says, smiling back at them. "I'm just about a quarter done, myself." Just like how August is nearly a quarter done.
        
        "Camping? Really?" That ''is'' a classic summer activity, but one Jun is admittedly not that interested in. Too many bugs. When Tsubasa reveals it's Ichika's interest, he nods. "Ahhh... Yes, I can't imagine the police following you two all the way into the mountains," he adds with a smile. "I can imagine you're eager to get away from the city for a while."
        
        What exactly did they sort out, though? Jun's confused for a second until Tsubasa clarifies that it's not a ''bad'' sort of sorting shit out, but that they've acknowledged their relationship isn't just of Boss and subordinate. "I'm glad for both of you, then," he replies. "There's something beautiful about a best friendship--two souls aligned in a perfect harmony, reflecting and reverberating the truths they contain."
        
        If he sounds a bit wistful, don't mind that any. There's something painfully nostalgic about the idea of a ride-or-die best friend.


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
<poem>

        Tsubasa tilts their head, when Jun sighs, but...

        Like, maybe he's just thinking about the attack on Kasugayama or something?

        (You know, the entire reason they haven't told ''him'' who really tried to kill them.)

        "Already a quarter done, huh?" Tsubasa laughs, a grin flashing over their face for a moment. "Man, I can tell you're a teacher's kid."

        Tsubasa waves a hand, when Jun mentions getting out of the city. "Jus' for a bit," they say. "Jus' gotta find a dog-friendly joint." They can't leave Lance!!

        "Haha... ya reckon?" Tsubasa laughs, again, but more softly, this time; apparently, they're not ''all'' grit ''all'' the time. "I jus'... wanna stick by her. No matter what."

        Tea and coffee comes around, plus pastries; Tsubasa still can't pronounce them for shit, but what they ''can'' do is take a big bite of butter croissant. Chomp, chomp, swallow. "Man," they exclaim, "this shit is great."

        Do you know what else is great? Having yen in your wallet to ''pay'' for this shit. Thanks, Mementos!


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>

        As assumptions go, it's not ''wrong''. Everything that's plaguing Jun now stems from that incident--as far as he knows, anyway.
        
        He laughs at Tsubasa's teasing, though, cheered up. "I'll take that as a compliment," he replies, grinning back. "I'm pacing myself, really. It wouldn't do to get through the fun all at once, would it?"
        
        A dog-friendly place... Jun doesn't know that his parents would allow him to take care of someone else's dog, even only temporarily--they've never had pets--but he says, "There must be some good kennels around. Barring that... maybe you could take Lance with you? It might be fun for her to get out of the city and romp around nature, too."
        
        He sees Tsubasa soften, and his own smile softens too. There might be a painful nostalgia there, but he doesn't hold that against them--far from it. He really is happy to see them happy. "I do. Kawase-san's lucky to have a friend as loyal as you at her side."
        
        The conversation is interrupted by the arrival of delicious pastries and drinks. Jun thanks the waiter and takes a long, careful sip of his Earl Grey. The citrusy flavor is a fine, acidic counterpoint to the buttery pain au chocolat, and Jun nods in emphatic agreement.
        
        "This might not have been where we planned to go, but it's turned out very well for us all the same," he remarks. "I always love a good pain au chocolat--chocolate is one of my favorite foods. Do you get to have croissants often?" (Once again, his pronunciation is on point.)


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
<poem>

        Tsubasa tilts their head, when Jun sighs, but...

        Like, maybe he's just thinking about the attack on Kasugayama or something?

        (You know, the entire reason they haven't told ''him'' who really tried to kill them.)

        "Already a quarter done, huh?" Tsubasa laughs, a grin flashing over their face for a moment. "Man, I can tell you're a teacher's kid."

        Tsubasa waves a hand, when Jun mentions getting out of the city. "Jus' for a bit," they say. "Jus' gotta find a dog-friendly joint." They can't leave Lance!!

        "Haha... ya reckon?" Tsubasa laughs, again, but more softly, this time; apparently, they're not ''all'' grit ''all'' the time. "I jus'... wanna stick by her. No matter what."

        Tea and coffee comes around, plus pastries; Tsubasa still can't pronounce them for shit, but what they ''can'' do is take a big bite of butter croissant. Chomp, chomp, swallow. "Man," they exclaim, "this shit is great."

        Do you know what else is great? Having yen in your wallet to ''pay'' for this shit. Thanks, Mementos!


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>

        As assumptions go, it's not ''wrong''. Everything that's plaguing Jun now stems from that incident--as far as he knows, anyway.
        
        He laughs at Tsubasa's teasing, though, cheered up. "I'll take that as a compliment," he replies, grinning back. "I'm pacing myself, really. It wouldn't do to get through the fun all at once, would it?"
        
        A dog-friendly place... Jun doesn't know that his parents would allow him to take care of someone else's dog, even only temporarily--they've never had pets--but he says, "There must be some good kennels around. Barring that... maybe you could take Lance with you? It might be fun for her to get out of the city and romp around nature, too."
        
        He sees Tsubasa soften, and his own smile softens too. There might be a painful nostalgia there, but he doesn't hold that against them--far from it. He really is happy to see them happy. "I do. Kawase-san's lucky to have a friend as loyal as you at her side."
        
        The conversation is interrupted by the arrival of delicious pastries and drinks. Jun thanks the waiter and takes a long, careful sip of his Earl Grey. The citrusy flavor is a fine, acidic counterpoint to the buttery pain au chocolat, and Jun nods in emphatic agreement.
        
        "This might not have been where we planned to go, but it's turned out very well for us all the same," he remarks. "I always love a good pain au chocolat--chocolate is one of my favorite foods. Do you get to have croissants often?" (Once again, his pronunciation is on point.)


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
<poem>

        "Guess not," Tsubasa agrees, easily enough. "'Sides, goin' through it all at once makes it feel like work... done enough bein' perfect fer one lifetime already."

        (Tsubasa has never been able to be described as a perfect anything at Kasugayama -- except, perhaps, a perfect ''disaster'' -- so who knows what they're talking about ''there.'')

        "Yeah, that's what I'm thinkin'," Tsubasa nods, firmly, when Jun suggests taking Lance. "'Pparently, there's some nature trails an' shit which don't let dogs come in, I guess 'cuz they reckon they'll chase the deer or whatever..." Tsubasa has never seen a deer and has no idea how big THOSE things are, either.

        Tsubasa doesn't entirely get that the nostalgia is painful, though -- because the way ''Tatsuya'' spoke about Jun when they spoke to him was, like, the way you talk about your ''boyfriend.'' They might be more considerate if they'd thought of it!

        "I ain't had many, uh, ku...rowa...ssan?" Tsubasa kind of tries to sound out how they might pronounce ''croissant'' and geting nowhere near the original French. "It's cool, tho'. Like, flakey as shit, but in a good way?" Crunch. CRUNCH.


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>

        Most people don't sign up at Kasugayama because they're 'perfect' in the present tense--Jun is a rare exception--so while he doesn't know what they mean in the specific, Jun can guess that Tsubasa's had a fall from grace, so to speak. That's another thing he's going to leave alone. If Tsubasa wants him to know the details, they'll tell him.
        
        "Oh, is that so? Hmm, that does make sense. Dogs do love to chase things, I hear," Jun muses. "Have you ever been to the trails on Mt. Katatsumuri? I haven't been since I was a child, but I don't remember seeing any no-dogs-allowed signs there. Hopefully that hasn't changed. Where do you two plan on going for your camping trip, on that note?"
        
        It's fine that they don't get it. Jun doesn't entirely get it, either. As far as he knows, he only met Tatsuya for the first time recently, so why does it feel like a hole's been opened in his heart...? ...But he's been trying to avoid questioning that too deeply ever since it was made plain to him that there's more going on around him that he can understand.
        
        Kurowassan is how the Japanese pronounce it, at least! It's fine. Jun laughs, a sparkle in his eye. "You've described the fundamental nature of a croissant perfectly. 'Flakey as shit, but in a good way' is exactly how one should be." He takes another bite of his pain au chocolate and chases it with a sip of tea, then adds, "Do you know how they get those flaky layers? French bakers use a technique called laminating. It's when you layer the dough with butter and roll it out extremely thin, then fold it over and roll it out again. If you do it right, the butter evaporates as it bakes, creating those layers."


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
<poem>

        Maybe one day; it's certainly at least ''tangential'' to schoolwork. But not today!

        "I ain't never been to no trail," Tsubasa shakes their head, jerking a thumb back to their chest. "Like, complete city-slicker, here. Uh, me an' me folks went to this like, botanical garden thing when I were in middle school, that's 'bout all I got."

        Tsubasa can't touch grass because it's all CONCRETE. Checkmate, atheists.

        "As for where, uh... I'unno, ain't struck me there'd be, like, a lotta differences between the spots?" Tsubasa asks, perhaps realising in this moment that perhaps not every wooded glade is created equal. "Guess I better ask Ichika..."

        Luckily, Tsubasa isn't about to tell Jun about all the things beyond his ken, because it's one of those secrets which stops protecting you if you spread it around too much. Hopefully he never runs into a foul-mouthed Phoenix who needs to cover his ass, because, like, he's not supposed to see that shit to ''start'' with.

        Crunch, crunch, nomph. "Huh, it's like that?" Tsubasa asks, as they pick up their coffee to wash it down. (It's black. They're so cool, they drink black coffee.) "That's cool. Sounds real fuckin' complex, tho'. I'm still tryna get me head 'round havin' any kinda kitchen worth a damn, but, uh... I can do, like. Pasta?" That's like, the cooking free space, Tsubasa. Anyone can boil water in a saucepan for a few minutes.


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>

        "Mt. Katatsumuri's very close to Hirasaka Ward, so it's worth paying a visit sometime if you can," Jun says. "It's a lovely place--there's a Buddhist temple on there that you can visit. Though, you'd want to avoid going all the way to the summit, since there's a sanitarium there... I doubt it's open for casual visitors."
        
        A botanical garden does sound nice, but middle school is a long time ago for high school third years. (Three years, in fact.) Jun isn't one for camping--though a nature walk is fine; it's not ''overnight''--but it sounds like it'll do Tsubasa some good.
        
        "Good idea," he says of asking Ichika. He knows a little, but he's no outdoorsman either. Ichika, the one who actually likes camping, would no doubt know best.
        
        Who would ever see a Phoenix? They're mythological.
        
        "It is. Croissants are one of the most difficult baked goods someone can make. My mother taught me about it a few years back--she's an excellent cook, but baking is a very different beast, and she had to learn about it for a role she'd accepted. We practiced together." Jun laughs fondly. "We went through ''many'' failed batches of croissants. It was vexing, but also a lot of fun."
        
        He considers his friend thoughtfully. "Do you not do a lot of cooking, Tsubasa-kun?" There's a difference between 'knowing how to cook' and 'having a kitchen to cook in,' but if the limit of their experience is boiling pasta... "I'm a fairly good cook myself--" he's being modest-- "so if you'd like any tips, I'd be happy to help you out there too. We've got some easy-to-follow cookbooks at home that I could lend you for a start."


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
<poem>

        "Man, you sure a mountain full a nutjobs ain't haunted?" Tsubasa shoots Jun a sceptical expression, wearing as they do a ''tragically'' conservative Japanese view of mental illness.

        (It's one of several things in a pile of unexamined opinions straight from their father watching the local news. Hey, there's the way they keep using 'bastard' as an insult, too!)

        Camping is ''probably'' as mythological as the Phoenix, but it's fine, Ichika's just that powerful, as Tsubasa nods firmly to Jun's support of their idea.

        "Oh, damn, so you like, ''started'' with this shit? That's pre' impressive, dude." Having just seen the flakey pastry they have since devoured with all the force of 'just, like, being seventeen', they're pretty floored by the idea Jun would ''start'' there.

        They shake their head, though, taking another sip of coffee. "Not really. Mom always used to try'n teach me, but, like... even when I was goin' 'round as a girl, I weren't ever, like, good at girl shit?" They pause. "Not like, uh, cookins' jus' girl shit," they add, a touch apologetically, "but like, the whole, ya gotta cook for ya husband, whatever. Slid right off me brain, an' she didn't ever want me servin' up the shit I'd fucked up on, so... 'ventually I stopped tryin'. Then I was on me own, but, uh, only really had a kettle 'n a microwave at me old place, so ain't like I had much room to like, cook shit anyhow?"

        Their finger taps the side of the coffee cup, as they look over to Jun. "So... yeah, that'd be great," they get to the point, after struggling past the ''details'' for a second. "S'long's it's no bother or nothin'."


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>

        Jun pauses at Tsubasa's skeptical remark. He's genuinely not sure how to respond to that, so he settles on, "It didn't seem haunted when I was there last."
        
        ...but there might well be rumors on that topic. Jun is not familiar with the supernatural backing of rumors, despite how much he's been through recently, but one doesn't need to know that rumors are coming true to realize they have an insidious power. Either way, it feels like a topic to drop.
        
        Talking about cooking is more fun, anyway. "Ahaha, thank you," he says with a smile. "I certainly dove into the deep end, but at least I wasn't alone--and my mother's taught me the fundamentals of cooking since childhood, even if, again, baking is a different beast. I do like to challenge myself, though."
        
        He waves off the implied apology at calling cooking 'girl shit'--he knows perfectly well that's how it's usually perceived. "That makes sense. Well, rather than cooking for a husband, try thinking of it as cooking for yourself and for any friends you happen to entertain. Maybe it'll click for you better that way."
        
        Though maybe they're already thinking of it that way, given that they accept his offer without any fuss. "No bother at all," he reassures them with a broad smile. "Cooking with others is a lot of fun, and I'd be happy to share some of my favorite recipes with you. Speaking of which--what are some of your favorite foods? I'll make sure whatever I lend you has at least one or two of them."


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
<poem>

        "Well, that's good," Tsubasa nods, and doesn't push too much further into the topic, themself.

        (You'd think they'd have more empathy, given how ''they'' were stuck on a mental ward, but, well -- they're ''not'' crazy. It's astounding how easily curiosity shuts down and old patterns emerge when one puts some distance in.)

        "You're pretty tough," Tsubasa settles in, instead, on the topic of ''cooking,'' which is indeed much nicer. They even pronounce all the mora in 'pretty' for once! You know, for emphasis. It might seem a little strange to call him tough for his ''cooking skills,'' but it's all about the way he ''approaches'' it.

        And he reframes it, too, and Tsubasa hums thoughtfully, in the mlddle of another sip of coffee. "Cookin' for ya buddies, eh? Yeah, that's better. Anyway, I was thinkin'... if ''I'' get a girl, I don't wanna be the kinda guy what makes her do all that shit herself." Which is kind of a sidelong way to approach ''that,'' but, like, it's the kind of detail that's safe with Jun. Peep his lavender, man. He Gets It.

        "Aw, yeah?" They brighten up, a bit, when Jun asks after their ''favourite'' foods. "Anything with a shitload of meat's good with me. Like, uh, what's the word... umami, right? That's the shit I love most in food. Jus' so long as it's not spicy or nothin'..." It isn't terribly TOUGH to be scared of spicy food, but listen, Tsubasa doesn't like their ''mouth'' burning any more than they like the ''rest'' of themself burning. "Like, fuckin'... I go nuts over the yakitori over at Ma'am's?" Meat on a stick! It's hard to get more umami than that.


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>

        Ah, the dubious magic of double-think.
        
        But the conversation takes a turn for the decidedly better when they move on to the topic of cooking. Jun, at least, appreciates the compliment, and expresses that with a broad smile. No need to question it, even; it ''does'' take a lot of mental toughness to immediately take on a challenge with a high technical hurdle and thus a high risk of repeated failure. Even if he was doing it with his mother and thus didn't have to weather those failures alone, there are lots of people who wouldn't even try in the first place. Understanding that's what Tsubasa (probably) means, he replies, "Thank you."
        
        He ''does'' get it--though the lavender is also because a) it has a calming scent b) it's in season. There are still lots of other flowers like that that he could've chosen instead. He nods in understanding. "Yes. Being considerate is important in any relationship, but especially one where it's typical to make one person do everything." His parents' marriage was on the rocks once upon a time; he gets that, too.
        
        Tsubasa declaring they love MEAT and UMAMI is so on brand for them that he has to laugh. "So lots of meat recipes, but nothing spicy--got it. Yakitori is a simple recipe, too, so I'm sure I can find something for that. All you really need to do is cut up the meat, season or marinade it, skewer it, and cook it. A potentially lengthy prep time, but very easy. Do you have an oven at your new place? I bet you might enjoy doing a roast. If not, nikujaga isn't too difficult--you can cook that on a pot over a burner."


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
<poem>

        Maybe doing it with his mother was a risk ''multiplier'' rather than an easier time! Tsubasa can't assume for sure one way or the other, even if she ''isn't'' a monster, because, like, parents can be difficult in ''normal'' ways too. Either way: it's impressive!!

        "I don't wanna be that kinda guy," Tsubasa nods, firmly. "I ain't... gonna be like my father."

        Tsubasa laughs, too, though a touch disbelievingly. "Hey, c'mon!" They whine, but it's entirely good-natured. "Meat on a stick is God's greatest creation!!" Luckily, it's also an ''easy'' creation. "Yeah, I got an oven," Tsubasa nods. "An' a burner, too! Jus' ain't never roasted nothin' before... don't ya need, like, a thermometer ya stab in there?"

        Like some kind of... thermometer-knife. Wait, no, that's too cool, walk it back.


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>

        True. In another world, where his parents had never salvaged their marriage and his father had suddenly died and been replaced by an evil doppelganger, maybe Jun's mother would have turned into a monster who made cooking with her a risk multiplier. Fortunately, that isn't this world. Not everyone is so fortunate.
        
        See: Tsubasa's revealing remark about their own father. Jun nods slowly in agreement.
        
        "We'll have to agree to disagree there," Jun replies, eyes crinkled at the corners in amusement, of the matter of God's greatest creation. Maybe he means that something else is? Or-- "Meat on a stick is ''humanity's'' greatest ''invention''." --maybe Jun takes (tongue-in-cheek) pride in the triumph of man over nature. (He ''is'' an Aquarius, after all. He's all about invention.)
        
        "A meat thermometer, yes." Jun pauses, humor fading as he considers the implications of their question. "Hmm... You definitely wouldn't have one of those, would you... That's something to invest in if you want to use a lot of meat in your cooking. For beef roasts, you can get away with eyeballing it as long as you've gone by the recipe, but for pork or chicken, you ''really'' need to know for sure it's cooked all the way through."
        
        He rests a hand on his chin for a moment in thought, then lowers it to grab his teacup. "How about this? Text me a list of what you've got in your kitchen, and I'll recommend some tools you should pick up." He smiles. "Or maybe we can go shopping for them together--for groceries, too, if you need it."
        
        An excuse to spend ''more'' time with his friend? Say it ain't so!


</poem>
 <Pose Tracker> Tsubasa Seki has posed.
<poem>

        "Ya wanna fight?" Tsubasa grins, only to get bowled over with -- "Oh wait, no, nah, you're so right, actually."

        Getting out of fights is that easy!! Just ''facts and logic'' the fights away, Jun.

        "Huh, like, it's jus' fer meat?" Tsubasa doesn't know much about thermometers, as it happens. "That's cool. Right, yeah, like... 'cuz a salmonette an' junk, right?" Salmonella, Tsubasa. ''Salmonella.''

        ''Clearly'' Tsubasa needs a lot of help in the kitchen, if only to correctly identify the foes they're trying to beat down.

        "Oh, yeah, good idea," Tsubasa nods, when Jun ''makes his suggestion.'' "Bound to be tonnes a shit I'm forgettin' cuz it ain't in front a me. Yeah, good plan, like -- Smile Hirasaka's gotta have that kinda junk, right? Cool."

        Tsubasa, as it happens, is ''also'' happy to take more excuses to hang out with Jun.

        But first --

        "Ya gotta tell me 'bout that thing ya got," Tsubasa gestures to Jun's lavender. "Forget the name a that one, but like, it looks cool as shit?"

        Tsubasa of course knows that they have opened a portal to the Flower Dimension, and Jun can talk for ''hours'' about this, but of course that's their ''devious plan.''

        Flower time...
</poem>