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[whatsamada]

I know this is an odd request considering everything that has been happening. But do you think that anyone can help me cook?

...Just to see if it tastes good or not.

[Because local 13 year old boy needs help.]

Comments

[rebellions]

that is the implication, yeah
reheating frozen shit doesn't exactly count as cooking in my book


... on a very basic level
I'd recommend adding milk, eggs and breadcrumbs to help keep it together and give it better texture
mix ground pork with beef if you're feeling fancy

[whatsamada]

That sounds a lot easier than I thought it would be.

...But I never knew that breadcrumbs were in meatballs before. I wonder what else goes into food that I'm not aware of.

[rebellions]

that's the whole point, ain't it?
wouldn't make sense if I told you to start off with a soufflé or some crap

probably lots of weird shit, especially if you buy it from a store
but generally yeah, there's usually a lot more that goes into food than what you see
the key to keeping it that way is the proper proportions

[whatsamada]

Is there a recipe I can follow?

Otherwise, I think I'm just going to have to guess each amount. This is starting to get harder than it looks.

[rebellions]

hell if I know
there might be some cooking books?
once you've gotten into the swing of things, you'll be able to eyeball it pretty easily
but for now...
guess it can't be helped
hold on a sec

[ Said "sec" actually takes a couple of minutes, but after the wait Ken will receive a message with a detailed recipe typed out (albeit written a lot more casually and with several curses thrown in). ]

okay that should cover it
don't treat it like some fucking scripture though
experiment a little, try it as you go
otherwise might as well let a machine do it for you

[whatsamada]

[Meanwhile, Ken just happened to stare at said recipe and a part of him couldn't help but be reminded of a certain teammate of his who would do these things.]

Thanks, I'll have to try it on my own and see where it'll go. I appreciate the help! Especially now that it doesn't look too hard to make.

...Although, I'm surprised you let some several curses in.

[Granted, he's used to some colorful language but.....!!]

[rebellions]

knock yourself out

[ If Ken spends any time around Ragna, he'll be learning more than just cooking, that's for sure. ]

look kid
no offense, but I ain't got time to babysit children on the internet
so you'll have to suck it up

[whatsamada]

I'm not complaining. Normally people wouldn't say that around me even after I've hear them all the time.

It's...kind of nice in a way?

[rebellions]

[ This has to be the first time ever he's been told his constant swearing is "nice" in any kind of way. It... feels weird? And kind of wrong, coming from a kid. ]

uh
you're welcome...?

[ He's so confused, man. ]

[whatsamada]

It's not a bad thing.

I'm just used to being treated like a kid, that's all.

[Granted, it's not a bad thing but it is also kind of nice to see that there was someone who wasn't afraid to have no filter either.]

[rebellions]

well
you are a kid

but I'm not the type to go easy on kids

[ Which apparently can be a good thing? Once he gives it a little thought, it does start making sense ─ it's not like he enjoyed being treated like a child back when he was one, either. ]

[whatsamada]

Which I don't mind.

But once I get the recipe figured out, I'll be sure to let you have a taste if that's okay. I think I can get this one within an hour or two.

[Because does he know what he's doing? Of course not but it doesn't mean that he isn't going to try!]

[rebellions]

[ Huh... He didn't expect to get anything out of this, but who is he to deny free food? Even if that's his first try, it can't be that bad, so he'll take it. ]

sure
just let me know when you're done and I can swing by to check it out

[whatsamada]

I'll let you know!

[And then, after an hour or two? Ragna might get a ping back. Although, there was a moment of hesitation as he wondered if he really should continue with this...]

Um...are you still there? I think I'm done so let me know whenever you are ready.]

[rebellions]

yeah
where do I find you?

[whatsamada]

Would the tavern be okay? Unless you want to meet somewhere else.

[rebellions]

works for me

[ And with that, he's off to the tavern! Once he arrives there, it only takes him a moment to locate the person he's looking for ─ or at least one that he assumes to be him, but it's not like the place has many children running around. The man approaches Ken, not bothering with any sort of polite greetings or explanations. ]

So, you're the kid?

[whatsamada]

[The moment that Ken heard a voice, he immediately went to look down at the plate of meatballs on the table. Awkwardly, he wondered if this was a good idea or not but...]

Yes, that's correct. Um...my name is Ken Amada and thank you for helping me out with this.

[He wasn't going to regret this, was he?]

[rebellions]

Mhm.

[ What, does the kid actually expect him to have any investment in social etiquette to acknowledge that or introduce himself in return? Heck no, he's got better things to do. Like joining Ken in staring down at the result of his hard work. At least it looks like meatballs, more or less? They might not be a work of art, but he's seen worse... much worse. ]

Let's get this over with.

[ He says, like he's being forced to do something unpleasant, not being offered a free meal. Though in all fairness, whether it counts as one or not depends on Ken's cooking skills (or lack thereof). The man grabs one of the meatballs from the plate and pops it into his mouth rather unceremoniously.

Munch... munch... munch... ]

It's shit.

[ He announces his verdict with a frown. Thanks, Gordon Ragnasay! ]

[whatsamada]

[Somehow, Ken was fully prepared to say that. Here he was, hoping that his cooking wouldn't be that bad but it turns out? It seems like it was. Taking a deep breath in, all he could do was shake his head.

Somewhere, he had hoped Shinjiro couldn't be screaming somewhere about how he needed to do better or how he would be reminded of Fuuka's own cooking. But alas, he simply wasn't meant to be.]

...C-Can you tell me where you think it went wrong? Perhaps I could try and redo it?

[Although, he was worried about what he was going to say next. As he braced himself, he hoped it wouldn't be too bad.]

[rebellions]

[ He might have criticized it rather harshly, but truth to be told? It's nowhere near as bad as his little sister's cooking. Hell, it's not even in the same galaxy; after all, Ragna is still alive after trying it, so while there's definitely room for improvement, there's also hope for the kid. ]

You didn't mix it well enough. Also, you probably mixed up the temperature to begin with.

[ There might be some other, less significant details, but he couldn't tell where else things went wrong without actually watching him at work... which means... ]

... Guess it can't be helped. Grab your stuff, we're going to the kitchen.

[ That's right; Ken is getting a private lesson on cooking. ]

[whatsamada]

[As Ken was ready to hear him berate how terrible his cooking was, that was when he heard something he didn't expect to hear. It had been quite sometime since he cooked anything and he wasn't prepared to get any help. However, he just stared at him for a moment or two.]

Ah, are you sure? You don't have to! I don't want to impose on you anymore than I already have!

[That and his politeness was getting in the way! While he already asked people to help him cook, it was another that someone else was saying it!]

[rebellions]

Did I fucking stutter?

[ In a typical Ragna fashion, he doesn't have the patience to deal with people questioning his decisions, even if it's done purely out of politeness. Actually, that might make it even worse ─ does the kid seriously think he'd bother offering his time if he didn't mean it? Sheesh. ]

You can come along, or you can stay behind and eat the rest of that crap. The choice is yours.

[ He doesn't particularly care either way; whatever Ken chooses to do, Ragna will be turning around and heading towards the kitchen to explain to the staff (read: intimidate them into obedience) that they need to use the place. ]

[whatsamada]

[Well! Now he definitely reminded him of a certain teammate! Except that Shinjiro would probably be slightly more polite at his across. Which was why he blinked before shaking his head.]

N-No but I just didn't expect you to offer...

[He said before walking behind him to said kitchen. Scratching the side of his face, he could tell he was going to be here for quite sometime.]

...Thank you, I appreciate the help.

[rebellions]

[ Ragna lets out a snort, shaking his head. Looks like he needs to address a very important misunderstanding before they begin: ]

I'm not "helping" you. If anything, I'm just making sure you don't poison me anytime soon.

[ Which is a lame excuse, given he's pretty much immune to poison, but Ken doesn't need to know this. Regardless, he doesn't need anyone thinking he's doing something for silly reasons like trying to "help". How lame would that be? ]

Well? What are you waiting for? Get to it.

[ The man crosses his arms on his chest, staring down at the boy. Consciously or not, he seems to adapt his own master's teaching methods, which boil down to watching what he does and pointing out what goes wrong. ]