voice, un: kokonose

[asymbiotic]

Hello, um, I should probably introduce myself. My family name is Kokonose, my given name is Chuuta, and I just arrived here. [He's a little bit rambling right now but this whole communicator thing is kind of weird and he's still getting used to it.]

I'm a college student, but I work in the restaurant industry and have a lot of other cooking and baking experience. So I'll be cooking here, and if anyone would like me to cook for them please let me know. I don't want anyone else to feel like they have to eat raw potatoes because they don't have any options.

If there's anything important I need to know about kitchen routines and rules please let me know, I don't want to inconvenience anyone. [the last thing he wants to do is cause any problems but it's probably inevitable.]

The only other things I'm any good at are sewing and housekeeping, so please let me know if you need any help with that.

Comments

[lest]

I am afraid not. Is that the name of your home?

[asymbiotic]

It is. We eat a lot of rice, vegetables, and fish. Where are you from?

[lest]

I hail from Lacedaemon, born in Sparta, city shining upon the green banks of the Eurotas.

〈 so far, recognition has been hit or miss. some can recognize if not the region, then at least the city. 〉

[asymbiotic]

I have no idea where that is.

[lest]

Then, we both have something to learn.

I would be honored to join you for your Japanese meal.

[asymbiotic]

[Somehow that feels a little more formal than just Chuuta cooking for people, but he's more than up for it. There's going to be some prep work involved.]

It will take a couple days to get everything for a proper meal prepared, but in the meantime I'll make sure there's things for people to eat.

Normally it wouldn't take so long but I'm not sure if we even have all the ingredients, I still need to really look through the food storage.

[lest]

〈 woman who has never had to cook for herself a day in her life does not understand people do not usually have courses. 〉

I admit I know little about the requirements of a meal preparation. Would you welcome company? In the process, perhaps we will find a point of familiarity.

〈 note what she is not doing: volunteering to help. 〉

[asymbiotic]

[That's okay, he isn't going to ask for help.]

I'd appreciate that. Cooking's always better with someone else to talk to.

[lest]

〈 there is no reply…but she does find her way to the kitchens. 〉

Kokonose.

〈 unable to read, the earpiece read his username out to her with every message. she pronounces the name as it did: perfectly. in her voice, it acquires a soft lilt like a note from a song.

there is no question as to his identity. were there a crowd, she would know the name of each without need to be told. if her speech and her manner over the network did not mark her as belonging to a very different time, her appearance would: a woolen dress richly embroidered, a veil worn over her hair, rows of beaded jewelry gracing the slender column of her neck.

helen regards him placidly. (and it's maybe a little less placid for the guy who has just been confronted without warning by 'the face that launched a thousand ships'.) 〉

[asymbiotic]

[He's caught up in his responses, quietly voicing out the text as he thinks it, completely unaware of his surroundings beyond the writing in his head and the cutting board of vegetables in front of him. It takes a second to realize that the voice is actually in the room with him, but he turns and--]

Uh.

[His heart is unavailable, there's someone else it will always belong to, it's tangled up with one particular girl with cords that are never going to loosen.

But that doesn't stop him from going absolutely dumbfounded at the most beautiful person he's ever seen suddenly appearing behind him and calling him by name.]

Hi?

[lest]

〈 while kokonose_chuuta.exe loads, helen answers an unasked query. 〉 When we spoke, I was promised Japanese delights.

Have I arrived too soon?

[asymbiotic]

Wow. [He says, because he's still rebooting. And then, suddenly extremely flustered, and turning away (and turning red).]

Um-! Right, sorry! There's some, some steamed buns that are almost ready.

[lest]

〈 either oblivious to or ignoring his nervousness around her, helen drifts forward to observe. (thankfully with enough sense to avoid hot spots and sharp objects.) she studies the shapes of the foodstuffs before him with frank curiosity. 〉

What are these made with?

〈 is this helping? probably not. is she aware of this? it's a mystery, scoob. 〉

[asymbiotic]

[There's a lot here, since he's trying to make enough food for today for anyone who wants it, and to have some things prepped for grab and go options in the fridge (he's stress-cooking....)]

Those are some of the steamed buns that I haven't cooked yet. [He explains, and motions to a steamer on the stove, where the first batch is cooking.]

They're bread, filled with pork, onions, and mushrooms.

[The nervousness fades out pretty quickly, since he's talking about something he enjoys.]

[lest]

〈 hestia must smile upon him. for not only is his enthusiasm for the task a small joy to witness, wonderful is the smell wafting off the food. 〉

From whom did you learn this art?

[asymbiotic]

I took some classes in school. [He explains, as he goes back to his prep work.] But I'm mostly self-taught. I lived with my aunt growing up, and she's a great baker but not a very good cook.