log - too tired for title whee - closed to B1 and A4, open to those likely to wander by

[conning]

Who: B1: Closed to Neal and residents; A4: open to B1 and those who wish to poke their heads in because socializing and open doors
When: Early September--on a Sunday and then the following Wednesday. Why the following Wednesday? Idk man I just picked something.
Where: B1 on Sunday, and A4 on Wednesday IG???
Summary: Meredith invited Neal to visit, and Neal suggested making it a mingle for both apartments. Then Malcolm invited Neal over and Neal decided to do a solo trial run or something like that.
Warnings: Not at the moment. except possibly meredith giving neal a shovel talk


B1 - SUNDAY

Okay, well, he meant to make it simple. But then he got carried away, because that's who he is as a person. So here is Neal managing two coolers, one slightly smaller than the other. He has to set one down in order to knock on the door.

The coolers themselves contain tiny servings of about a dozen different dishes, from tiny seasoned steak slices of varying doneness to little onigiri stuffed with lightly salted salmon. If it's stupidly elaborate, feel free to assume there is some dressed-down (read: locally available) version available in miniature.

The other cooler has small bottles of cheap wine and those little paper cups that barely hold a mouthful. He sets the wines with the foods that pair best.

Look this is who he is as a person, okay? At least he's dressed normally--turquoise sweater, close-cut jeans.

[ SUPPLY ACTIVITIES AS YOU WISH, both with Neal and each other. ]


B1/A4/Passerby - FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY

Okay, so the tiny food was a bit much. Only God can judge him.

At least this time it's a plain old cook-out with a grill on the patio of A4. Yes, the grill items include salmon, chicken, and... tofu in several marinades including citrus-chipotle.

Only God can judge him.

There's also a spread of perfectly ordinary salad-shaped objects and tiny pickles et cetera inside on the kitchen counter.

[ SUPPLY ACTIVITIES AS YOU WISH, both with Neal and each other. ]

Comments

[forethinking]

Ren doesn't really mean to intrude, but he's being beckoned over and he perks up a little at the invitation.

"Are you sure? Just the recipe is fine."

[conning]

"I would be derelict in my duties to a fellow chef if I didn't let them taste what they were going to end up with first."

Another little invitational jerk of his head, since his hands are now busy dividing things onto plates. "Please. I'm Neal--I've seen you around, but I don't think we've actually met."

[forethinking]

Ren gets that, it makes sense. Quite frankly, if he just tastes it, he doesn't really need the recipe -- but he'll still ask for it for bonding reasons. Calmly, he enters the apartment, bowing to the people and to Neal himself. Sure that he's rather Americanized by now, but it's still a habit.

"I'm Ren. Pleasure to meet you."

[conning]

Neal bows politely in response, speaking in simple Japanese, the slight accent of American English at its edges.

"I was starting to think it was only Americans and British here."

[forethinking]

Oh! Color Ren surprised, there's a smile on his lips that is nothing short of beaming as he too switches languages to his mother tongue.

"There's a handful of Japanese people, too."

[conning]

"It does make you wonder why they defaulted to English for whatever their magical language trick was, but we are in America. There is both practicality and ego to go with it."

He's not as fluent with Japanese as he is with other languages--the occasional pauses as he speaks give away the moments he's left searching for a word--but he's not bad. "Beef, pork, chicken, tofu? In my defense, I get bored easily."

[forethinking]

It just feels nice. With them becoming more and more familiar with America, it's good to remember where Ren comes from. He tries often -- with his culinary, with the cigarettes he smokes every now and then to feel closer to Sojiro, and now this.

"Pork would be nice. I'll teach you Japanese food if you'd like."

[conning]

"I would love that. I try to pick up recipes wherever I go, and I have not made it to Japan as often as I would like."

He gestures to the plate he's about to prepare. "Tell me when to stop."

Neal measures out a reasonable portion as he says, "This one is simple. Just lemon juice, lemon..." He briefly switches to English "...zest? I'm not sure what the Japanese word would be. Also thyme."

He switches back to the other language. "Poked the pork full of holes before grilling."

[forethinking]

"Stop."

Before it gets too big! But he takes a good look at the dish, and at the little communication mishap. Ren's not switching, it's been a good while.

"Thyme and zest."

While he says it, he points to the elements on the plate to give a figure to the words.

"So it'd cook evenly, correct?"

[conning]

"That and to let the marinade penetrate the meat more easily."

He smiles a little, tilting his head to take in this kid--this very deep-voiced kid. "Where'd the interest in cooking come from?"

[forethinking]

"My guardian owns a cafe."

In which Ren worked at more often than not. Can these two become culinary buddies, he wonders? That would be great. He can introduce Neal to Wanda!

[conning]

"What kind? Does it specialize?"

Neal is very much thinking along the same lines, at least as far as culinary buddyship is concerned.

[forethinking]

"Coffee and Curry. I can show you at Bonnie's."

Keeping the tradition alive is important to Ren, after all. A family recipe that he holds in his hands.

[conning]

"At Bonnie's? Do you not live here?" He'd thought Ren was in ADI housing, but maybe he's just visiting and smelled the food.

[forethinking]

"I stay here often, but I live there."

Debatable. Ren spends half his week here, half at Bonnie's.

[conning]

He nods. Fair enough. He's glad that Ren has connections here, though, as loathe as he is to give ADI any credit for anything at all. He knows he was on his own at eighteen. That doesn't mean any kid should be on their own at that age if there's another option.

"What made you choose Bonnie's?"

[forethinking]

Ren is not on his own, as much as it might look like it. Ren's particularly good at making a home out of anywhere, creating a family in the more sire situations, and this place is not an exception at all.

"Curfew is not for me."

Which is a lie. Akechi living here, Ren living there, both get the most information that way.

"Do the rules bother you at all?"