synflux | Accidental Valentine's Dinner

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Accidental Valentine's Dinner

WHO: Open log for one and all
WHAT: Raidou is making you all dinner.
WHERE: Base cafeteria and commons
WHEN: Evening of Feb. 14th
WARNINGS: N/A

Everyone could use something nice after that kaiju fight, and what better than a real meal? It won't be easy to cook for so many people, but Raidou is willing to try. He makes sure to get permission to use the kitchen and the commons space, and recruits a few friends to help get it all together.

It's not an easy feat to get all the ingredients together, especially in the aftermath of a kaiju attack, so it won't be the most resplendent meal the Outsiders ever had. But if nothing else, he can make the broth and noodles for some ramen, and get as many vegetables together as he can to fill it out. It takes him several days to make what he hopes is enough, and hopefully no one raiding the fridges will take any of it in the meanwhile. He's not the world's greatest cook, but this surprisingly domestic devil summoner is good enough to make something delicious. It's not like Narumi was ever doing any of the cooking back home, so someone had to do it.

Early on Wednesday, everyone would have gotten a text saying that dinner will be at 1900 hours in the common area, and he comes straight home from school to work on putting it all together. Anyone is welcome to help cook or set the tables, and once it's ready, people can line up to get a bowl of their own to take. People are also welcome to bring their own food or drink if they have any they want contribute. Who's got dessert?

After dinner entertainment will be provided by Yuji Itadori, who has managed to find a small projector to use on the commons wall. All the tables and chairs will get rearranged to cram everyone in. Get close, okay? The first feature will be a comedy, and the second will be a horror movie.

OOC: Happy Valentine's Day, Outsiders. Raidou only just learned today what that is, whoops. If your character doesn't have any hot dates planned in a city recently smashed by monsters and tsunamis, then drop in a top-level comment, have a seat and enjoy some soup and some team bonding. Check up on your teammates after their first big battle.

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[He'll ignore that.]

We have both, so we can split it. Need to make as much of it go around as possible. Tofu is in the fridge, already drained, and, ah--

[He scrounges for a moment around the counters until he spots the mushrooms.] The mushrooms are here. Excuse me. [He's got to slide past to get the eggs off the stove, since their timer has just gone off.]

We can stretch things.

[There are ways to make it go longer. Bakugo is also making sure not to waste any of the vegetables. Broccoli, cauliflower, and mushroom stems are saved for added chopping and boiling. Garlic and ginger. Potatoes are diced with the skins on because fuck you people, you can eat the skins. They're good for you.]

You should've brought this up earlier. We could've made more noodles.

[Is he grouching about that? ... Yes.]

I wasn't even sure this was going to be possible. With the state of the city, and all.

[He's lucky to have found what he has. Raidou tosses the eggs into their cold bath, then heads to the fridge to get out the tofu.]

I thought I could get the noodles done myself, but it was a bigger undertaking than I expected. Ah... you'll have to let me know how they turned out. [He's never cooked at this scale before. It's usually just him Narumi, with Tae and Kushinada more recently. Not a lot of people.]

It's mostly the bay area and coastline that was damaged. The flood waters didn't reach as far inland as they thought.

[The city itself wasn't completely ravaged, especially because so many buildings were taken underground to keep them safe, including what was inside them. And the Shaichimon didn't get much further than the coast...

Still, the area they did make it to was a fucking wreck. Bakugo starts on the potatoes.]

Throw me one.

[He'll sample it right now.]

Oh. Ah...

[He sets down the plate of tofu and heads over to grab a pair of cooking chopsticks, so he can pluck a few noodles out of a pot. He drops them into a nearby ladle for lack of anything else, and hands that to Bakugo.]

Here.

[Bakugo takes the ladle and looks at the noodles in the faint steam of broth. Well damn, they actually do look like ramen noodles. And not the mass-produced instant version either. Visually, impressive. He nudges the tip of the knife under one, so it's draped over the back of it to avoid cutting, then lifts it and slide it off into his hand so he can pass it to his mouth.

Takes a few seconds to chew and sample it.] Huh. You did good.

[Raidou gives a satisfied smile and a nod, taking the ladle from Bakugo and going back to the tofu.]

Thanks. Try not to sound too surprised.

[Oh? Someone knows how to be sarcastic... Surprising.]

You know how to cook.

[Bakugo steals a moment to wash his hands (and the knife for good measure) before returning to the potatoes he's dicing. Could put them in wedges for another recipe, but he forgoes that and focuses on Raidou's meal plan.]

What part of Capitol's Summoner school is that under?

[Almost! Maybe there's attitude buried own there somewhere... Narumi has certainly seen it from time to time. All things considered, Raidou is still a teenager.]

I'd help in the kitchen as a child. We all had to pitch in. More recently, Naru--, ah, my work partner, he's not much for cooking. So I took it over.

[And cleaning. And making the coffee. Sometimes Narumi might do some investigation work though! Sometimes.

Tofu now ready, he turns to Bakugo.]

How are the vegetables coming along? Seems like this will be done faster than I anticipated now.

[He still reminds Bakugo of Todoroki based on that impassive feature seldom giving way to a scant show of emotion. But when it does, it's the same response: a reminder that a living person's in that soldier. Kind of a relief in a way.]

Just for the two of you or the entire group? [Bakugo knows Raidou was protecting the Capitol, but he doesn't know all the details about that endeavor. The way the guy cuts off his partner's name is strange... He won't chase it this time.

At the question, he presents a bowl of diced vegetables, mostly carrots and potatoes, but the rest are in the works. Finely and evenly cut up for the ramen, whether they're to be cooked with the broth or put in raw at the end. Either works.]

How many people did you invite? Every dorm?

[A bad habit from his summoner days to not give too many details. Still hanging around despite how much he and Bakugo have talked already. Not that it's much of a secret - LILITH gave Raidou his partner's surname as his cover identity here.]

For whoever was around the shrine at the time, but at the agency, it was mostly him and myself. He's not a summoner.

[Raidou takes the bowl, and-- wow, they look professionally done. He nods in satisfaction and sets them down next to his work. He'll add them once he'd done with the tofu.]

I did. Though I imagine not everyone will be making it with only a few hours warning. But I also didn't want to get people's hopes up if we couldn't get this finished in time.

[Bakugo's good at both picking up on things and figuring shit out. He doesn't inquire much about other people's lives, no wanting to pry anymore than he wants someone else bugging him about details of his life. It's not like he'd know Raidou's surname is his partner's.]

He's not a summoner but you were assigned to be his partner? Better have had some skill to make up for that. [Bakugo has issue being forced to work with someone below his level of strength until they prove themselves to not be dead weight.

Of course they look professional! He's not about to deliver subpar results. While Raidou works on the tofu, Bakugo heads for the pots to check on the stocks.]

You'd be surprised how many people will avoid making or paying for their own food. [There are a lot of "mooches" running around, and in this particular setting, the excuse of "team bonding" will have a number of people. He assumes...]

A detective. I worked at his agency as a cover for investigating incidents that were most likely related to demons. Someone that the group that gives me my assignments trusted with the cover story.

[Narumi might not really have understood everything Raidou got up to, not being a summoner himself, but he was good at keeping the cover and looked out for Raidou. A not-great detective but a pretty decent guy.]

That's fine. I don't mind. [This was Raidou's idea. Let them mooch, if they want. He wouldn't do it if he didn't want to.]

[Bakugo has to reevaluate his mental image of what Raidou did. From standing within the Capitol's main building and/or patrolling the Capitol's perimeter, facing down the invading hoards of demons like the last vanguard confronting the approaching army ... to someone more like Hawks. A government worker who was ready to go on whatever mission or investigate whatever might be considered "a danger" to those within the Capitol.]

Someone they trusted, huh... And that's how you met the demons that became your summons?

[He wonders what other kind of incidents Raidou found. Things that might not have been related to demons. Raidou's partner also is taking shape in his head, but that's mostly based on the assumptions of the summoner's details.]

So you worked as a two-person team.

That's right. Demons can be negotiated with, from time to time.

[And believe it or not, he's pretty good at it.]

Often, yes. Though of course any interactions with the supernatural were left to me.

[Since Narumi is unable to sense any of that sort of stuff.

Raidou's chopping is similarly methodic to Bakugo's, even if he's not that fast. Time to start getting all the bowls ready. This has gone much easier thanks to everyone pitching in.]

Negotiated? I thought you killed them with your sword.

[Granted, that's some pretty forceful negotiation. No real complaints there, since Bakugo is more than happy to "negotiate" forcefully like that.]

Why did they assign someone who couldn't work with the supernatural to you?

[It seems like a very unbalanced partnership, and almost a shackle to put upon someone who was tasked with protecting the Capitol from supernatural threats.]

It does often come to that. But those that work with me aren't always the case. Some do want you to prove yourself in a fight, some want entertainment, some want money... It varies.

[All depends on the personality of the demon, which are as different from each as humans are.]

It's a cover. Narumi was already established as a detective in the Capital, and has connections. Ones I obviously did not have to start. And it helped keep my profile low.

[Raidou finally starts putting the ramen all together, setting up several bowls at once to set out on the counter. First, though, he picks one up, grabs a nearby pair of chopsticks, and hands them to Bakugo.]

Here. You get to be taste tester.

So these demons are sentient creatures, not like the kaiju we had to fight.

[Capable of thinking, expressing desires, even (he assumes) communicating those thoughts to Raidou. Who then proceeds to kill then... Guess it's not entirely hard to get his head around; there are villains in his world that run their mouths until the hero shuts them up with a hard blow. The idea of talking demons isn't alien in Bakugo's world; mostly they're used in comics and shows to give heroes something not as traditional as the usual villain.]

Ah. You're protecting the Capital, but it's not something people know about? [Since Raidou's keeping a low profile and covering up his actions.] Thankless job...

[Bakugo blinks at the offered bowl and chopsticks. But then accepts the combo and goes to the pot Raidou had been working on. It's only a small dip from the ladle, enough to get some broth and noodles for a taste test.

Sips the broth, then slips the noodles into his mouth. Takes a few seconds to sample the flavor and texture.] Hn. Good job.

It's not thankless. The people stay safe and sane.

[His tone is a little sterner at that. To him, that's all the thanks he needs. As a summoner, it's something deeply ingrained in him. It is thankless work, but accolades are not the point.

He tilts his head a little waiting on an answer on the soup, then nods with a slight smile.] Thank you. Now go sit down and finish the rest of it.

[He, in the meanwhile, turns to pick up the bowls he's filled to bring to those who are waiting.]

But they don't know it's you?

[Bakugo may have matured somewhat from his glory-seeking desires to become a hero, learning that there's far more than rank and prestige to being a hero (even if he always focused more on his results, which would then create his fame, than just fame itself).

Still, the idea of sacrificing so much of your life to keep safe the people who don't even know you, or even have the chance to show any kind of gratitude... Worthless? No. Eroding. Should be... It's a large difference between Raidou's summoners and Bakugo's heroes.]

Don't order me around. [Growled at him. Granted, it's only a sample bowl and Bakugo has no intention of leaving Raidou to do all the remaining work by himself. He tosses back the little bit left, then sets the bowl in the sink.] I'll eat when we're done.

No. We keep a low profile to make our work easier. Very few people can use magic to start with.

[There were demons, summoners, onmyouji, exorcists... But the general population didn't know much about them other than what superstition and legends told them.

If he wants to help hand out food, fine. Raidou picks up a bowl in each hand, and holds them out to Bakugo expectantly to take them to serve.]

Am I in charge, or am I not to order you around?

[Make up your mind, Tanpopo!]

So your world's that kind.

[The ones where the people with power were few in number and did their work behind the scenes so everyone else could live their normal lives in people. Unsung heroes. A very different world than the one Bakugo comes from. It's hard to put his mind around it, but that's what it is.

Once Raidou holds the bowls out, he takes them off his hand, accepting the silent indication... or order. He shoots the guy a look at the cheeky (but logical) question.] Don't give me bullshit orders you know I'll hate, Shashou.

[Did he really think "take a break while I work" would go over well? Bakugo balances the bowls easily and heads out to start serving.]

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Accidental Valentine's Dinner

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