orphne | expiation inbox

[Good, a meter, then he can make an easy escape in case he embarrasses himself further. It feels impossible at this point, but apparently, the sky's the limit when he's involved!!

But as Kotone lays out the last of the equipment, Scott focuses back on the bowl in front of him. There's no escaping or running away now, because the true battle is about to begin. Somehow, fighting infected almost seems easier-- okay not at all, but still!

Scott listens to her instructions and maybe surprisingly or not, he follows them quite well, adding the appropriate amount of each ingredient before grabbing the whisk and mixing it finely with his hand. Of course, this is just simple following directions, and he's honestly probably taking this a little too seriously, if by judging the serious look of concentration on his face, but he's certainly doing it.]

Alright, what's next, Chef Kotone?

[At least she thinks he's cute and not embarrassing, that's... something... surely...

While he's whisking, she leaves him to it, slicing four thick slices of bread for their respective sandwiches and pulling out an assortment of softer fruits from the fridge to start slicing up as well for their sandwiches. With trade restored, there's a lot more to choose from! Strawberries, oranges, and kiwis seem like the best fit, and she hums a quiet little tune to herself as she works. Every now and then, she glances over at him to make sure that he's doing okay -- the concentration on his face is kind of endearing, honestly, and makes her smile again as she sets her finished fruit beside the bowl.]

It's easy! If you wanted to make it look like the ones at the conbini, you could arrange them really carefully, but since it's just us, pick out which fruit slices you want on your sandwich, put whipped cream on both sides of the bread, and then-

[She smushes her hands together. Ta-da! Without losing her smile.]

The whipped cream looks really good. I always get tired when I'm whisking.

[It's not hard to give small glances over at Kotone as she slices the fruits because really, he's just mixing a bowl and that's not hard. Honestly, he barely feels himself whisking when much of his focus is on her, with thoughts of the conversation he had with Dazai ~~unfortunately~~ making themselves known. He said he needed time and maybe Kotone does too, especially if she just lost a friend. Seems kind of a bad moment to bring up 'hey would you want to date??' if she just lost someone important to her.

But they're definitely still present and shit--]

I could be your new whisk master.

[Wow, that was super lame, and even Scott knows it, but it's the first response that popped in his distracted mind not related to dating. Right, focus on the task at hand, which is making fruit sandwiches. That's simple and easy and he can do that. Scott stares intently at the fruit now, as if they can be his saving grace.]

Okay, strawberries and oranges are definitely good, can't really say I've had kiwis a lot... [Look, he has to try a sample, especially if he's thinking about putting them on his sandwich. Even if all the other ingredients are good, it can be ruined by one rogue item-- fruit.

So, he snatches a one of the thin slices and tosses it in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully.] Hey, this is pretty good.

[She snorts, then laughs in spite of herself, covering her mouth with her hand to stifle the giggles. It's not even that funny, but it just sounds so silly when he says it that she can't help but laugh.]

Sure, I'll call you next time I want to make a sponge cake!

[She bumps his shoulder companionably with her own, grinning all the while as she starts arranging her own sandwich into what she hopes will be a cute pattern. Let's see, if she lines it up along a diagonal... wait-]

Huh, really? [Without waiting for an answer, she snatches another kiwi slice and just swipes it through the whipped cream in the bowl, holding it up for him to take.] Here, try it like this!

[Laughter is truly infectious, isn't it? Scott finds himself chuckling alongside Kotone, thoughts of looking stupid and uncool far from his mind now. It's just... easy being himself around her. And hey, he likes a good sponge cake, they're like Twinkies, but even better. Not to mention spending more time with her--

His smile back is wide, and as she offers the kiwi lopped with whipped cream, he grabs it and plops it in his mouth.]

Oh yeah, this is really good. You guys might be onto something with putting fruit on sandwiches. [Just need to do the final test!!] Although, whipped cream makes anything good. Back home, I'd just spray the whole can in my mouth.

I told you!

[She goes back to arranging her fruit, snorting another surprised laugh at the mental image of him just eating whipped cream out of the can. It's not that she can't relate, but-]

I did that once and it just got all over my face. [Because what mischievous little kid hasn't tried eating whipped cream out of the can?? Maybe it's not the most girlish thing she can say, but who cares about crap like that. She tosses him another smile, expression brightening with the sudden thought.] Hey-hey, why don't we eat these on the roof? You can grab something to drink out of the fridge and we can have a picnic!

[There's milk, mason jars of water with different kinds of fruit, some iced tea, and wine for cooking and/or Dazai in case he decides to stop by whenever.]

[He starts arranging the fruits on his own sandwich as well, mostly copying her, because he likes all the ingredients and might as well have the full Japanese fruit sandwich experience or whatever. Looking at it now, it looks pretty good, or maybe that's the pile of whipped cream that's soaking through the sandwich. This is more of a dessert than lunch, that's for sure.]

Sure, that sounds fun.

[Just chilling at the roof... eating sandwiches. Yeah, that really sounds great. But before they do that, Scott takes hold of the whisk one more time and gathers more of the cream from the bowl.]

And when you mentioned getting the whipped cream on your face... was it a little like this? [With the whisk all prepared, he flicks some of the cream towards her face.]

[It is absolutely a dessert, and she doesn't see a single problem with that! Shinji would get mad that she isn't eating her veggies right now, but she'll just have some later. It's fine.]

Huh?

[She turns toward him when he asks about the whipped cream, a little confused as to what he could possibly need to ask-- only to get smacked in the face! Her yelp of surprise quickly turns into laughter, though, her eyes lighting up.]

Oh, you've done it now-! [and without even hesitating, she flicks the spoon she'd used to spread the whipped cream on her sandwich right back at him. Take that!]

Hey!

[He half-heartedly complains, any sense of indignation entirely erased by his laughter. He doesn't really care that it's gotten on his shades either, and just flicks the whisk again in retaliation. Is this a waste of perfectly good whipped cream? Probably, but that's far from Scott's mind, especially since Kotone didn't hesitate to get him back.]

Should a member of cooking club be wasting their food?

You started it!!

[Through laughter. He has a point, though, it's kind of a waste... so she dives in and tries to get close enough to just bap him right in the nose with the spoon. It's not a waste as long as she doesn't miss, right?]

[Scott doesn't try hard, or at all, to avoid her, letting out a small lighthearted protest as she boops him with the spoon. He's stopped trying to sling more of that cream on her, just letting the whisk drop by his side as he looks at her with a more than fond expression.

Course, it may be a bit hard to see with his shades on, but he still looks a lot less serious with the whipped cream splattered across them.]

T-think you got a little something on your face. [Scott manages with one last chuckle, his hand lifting up to wipe some of the remnants off her.]

[She grins up at him, flushed with victory. Giving up and not hitting her back means she won, right? And for her prize- she opens her mouth to tease him, but her breath catches for a moment at that fond look on his face. If her cheeks flush a little darker, well, maybe he can't tell through his ruby-tinted shades as she goes still and closes her eyes to let him get the whipped cream off her face. It's a good thing his superpower isn't super-hearing or anything, because it's kind of embarrassing how much faster her heart starts beating at such a simple gesture.]

Thanks, [she manages after a moment, unable to keep herself from breaking into another, slightly sillier smile.] When you're done, I'll get your glasses for you. If you want.

[It's maybe a big ask for him to trust her with that -- bigger than if she were to hand him her Evoker, probably -- but it seems only fair when she's the one who made the mess in the first place!]

[He doesn't seem to notice the slight reddening of her cheeks, even when he's this close to her face. If he knew, he would be pretty pleased, but Scott already looks rather content as he grabs a nearby towel and almost gently wipes off the rest. Hopefully she doesn't feel too sticky.]

Yeah, sure, that sounds good.

[Easier for someone else to do that anyway. Scott reaches to his glasses, only stopping for a second, before he slowly pulls them off his face and holds it out for her, with his eyes obviously shut. He probably doesn't need to say how much he trusts Kotone with the only thing that allows him to be even somewhat normal nowadays.]

[At least if his eyes are closed, that gives her time to try to get her flush under control. Jeez...!

At least she recognizes how big a gesture of trust it is, and she takes his glasses gently in both hands like the precious thing they are, pausing only a moment to give herself some time to study his face without his ever-present glasses. It's a little odd to see him without them, honestly, but not in a bad way!

But she's careful about cleaning them, making sure not to press the cloth too hard just in case it might scratch the lenses. Presumably something that can contain his optic blasts wouldn't be that fragile, but still! And she's equally as careful as she orders him to,] Keep your eyes closed! [and presses her fingertips gently against his temples to guide the glasses back into place on his face. With her thumb, she wipes off a bit of the extra cream that had splattered across his cheekbone, and then boops his nose with the towel.]

There! Better?

[He startles slightly when Kotone gives him that particular command, but he diligently keeps his eyes closed. IT WOULD SORT OF RUIN THINGS if he opened his eyes now, so Scott almost tightens his face, his eyes clenched even more as he stays put in his spot. He doesn't really know what she's planning, but he's still not worried. If he can't trust Kotone, then he's pretty much fucked.]

Yes, ma'am.

[Scott adds, almost sardonically, but his posture relaxes as he feels her fingers press against him as she slides his glasses back on, their familiar weight resting on his face. With that, he slowly reopens his eyes, snorting lightly when she gives one last bop to his nose. As he looks at her, his world covered in red once more, a pang of regret and frustration goes through him, because he doesn't know what she looks like, not in full color.

Like, is her hair as red as his glasses make it out to be? He wonders what her eyes are like-- whoa okay, he's uh, getting distracted. What did she want to do again? Right, eat sandwiches on the roof. He quirks a smile up at her, before finally nodding, realizing that he really hasn't answered her question until now.]

Ready for some sandwich eating at the rooftop now?

[She giggles a little bit at being called "ma'am," nose crinkling a little with the force of her smile, and clasps her hands behind her back when her job is done. There's a part of her that almost wishes she could see what things look like through his eyes, but -- well, maybe another time, she can ask to try them out. They're close enough that if she just leaned up, she could press her forehead against his and try to see his eyes through them, but that isn't really the same thing, is it? Besides, it was already a big thing for him to hand them over to her in the first place.

Then she blinks, realizing he'd answered her question and snorting another little laugh as she finally takes a step back.]

Yeah! There's paper bags in that drawer. [Said in the way that leaves the unspoken request for him to be the one to grab the bag and package up their sandwiches as she heads over to the fridge.] D'you want water, wine, juice, milk, or tea?

[Guess he'll do this arduous task of packing up their sandwiches!! Scott walks over to the designated drawer and pulls out a couple of bags, before returning to their sandwiches to get them ready and placed inside.]

Dude, did you just offer me wine? [He rolls his head over his shoulder to look at her her with a small smirk, one eyebrow visibly raised above his shades. Sure, underage drinking isn't really a big deal here, but it's still kind of weird how easily it is to get said drinks and be offered one. As such, he just finds himself declining.]

I'll just take a water. If I'm gonna try these bad boys for the first time, I want to have the cleanest palate possible. That's going to be the real test and if I'll admit defeat to fruit sandwiches.

It's my job! [she defends herself with a laugh, pulling out one of the mason jars of water she'd stored in there earlier and grabbing some ice tea for herself. Spending enough (too much) time around Dazai and Chuuya had kind of desensitized her to the idea of underage drinking.] I just keep it around in case Dazai-san stops by, to be honest. Or I guess some recipes need it for cooking...?

[Dazai is a critical sort-of member of TWAT, though! And what is Cooking Club if not there to help out TWAT whenever possible. She grins at him as she elbows the fridge shut.]

To the roof so you can eat your words!

[And she'll take care of the dishes later.]

Yeah, that busybody would just stop by and drink all the alcohol.

[Scott finds himself rolling his eyes at the thought of the super annoying, but ultimately, helpful idiot that he's glad is still here. So many adults have gone and disappeared, especially ones that said they'd help him, but Dazai really has been the only person to stick around so far. He knows it's not really their fault for 'disappearing,' but it still means something for Dazai to be here still.

Anyway! With the sandwiches all packed, Scott starts heading to the door.]

Hurry up or I'll eat your sandwich too. [But onward to the roof!]

You'd better not!

[She laughs and elbows him a little on her way out the door so she can wiggle her way in front of him, all but skipping on her way to the stairs so she can lead the way. Not that Scott needs her to lead the way to the roof that she'd basically said he can use whenever he wants, but it just feels better this way. Plus, no way he can eat her sandwich if she gets there first!]

Think anybody from TWAT will be there?

[He protests lightly as she wiggles past him, but offers no real serious complaints as he follows her up the stairs.]

I doubt it.

[Scott honestly hopes that no one else is up there. Maybe he can make a few motions for them to leave if they are, a subtle command from the leader and everything. Like, come on man, can you see that he's enjoying an afternoon with Kotone?! Do a solid for him.

He can also see some of the members just inviting themselves to sit with them and eat part of his sandwich. Hopefully, the universe will be kind to him today.]

I'll tell them to leave if they are. [He's joking. Except not.]

[She snorts with amusement. She'd almost like to see how Scott would try to kick somebody off the roof -- not literally, but verbally at least.]

Want me all to yourself, huh?

[Tossing him a wink, she can't help but laugh at her own joke, then bounds up the stairs in front of him before he can answer to open the door to the roof and head out onto it. Luckily or unluckily, it looks deserted for now, and Scott's on his own to get the door as she moves ahead to take a seat right on the edge of the roof overlooking town.]

[Upon hearing that question, his pace stutters for a moment, nearly stopping as he watches her climb up the stairs and towards the rooftop without waiting for an answer. O-oh, she was just joking, haha. Great. And honestly, it's not like he wants Kotone to himself or anything creepy and weird like that, but guess he really is hoping to just talk with her alone... and everything.

Luckily, he doesn't have to say any of that and he finally resumes his walk to join her on top, opening the door and feeling slightly better now that he's breathing fresh air. He smiles slightly as she sits at the edge of the roof, and Scott follows suit until he plops himself next to her with a small laugh.]

It's a nice view, huh? Sometimes easier to forget all the crappy things when you're just sitting like this. [But he digs into his bag before offering Kotone her sandwich.]

Mmhm.

[She smiles up at him as he sits, taking the offered sandwich and trading the mason jar of water. Her smile fades into something smaller as she returns her gaze back over town itself, idly swinging her feet.]

I used to do this after school sometimes. My school was on an island, so you could look over the water for miles and miles. It made everything feel a lot smaller.

[Unwrapping her sandwich, she takes a bite and hums with delight. Dessert! It's perfect.]

Isn't all of Japan an island?

[Scott teases lightly, but he genuinely looks interested about what she's telling him. Honestly, it sounds kind of cool, to be able to sit on the edge of a roof and look out to see miles of water. Maybe he wouldn't hate his old high school if it had a view like that.

Hmm, nah, he'd probably still hate it.]

That sounds really neat though, having a view like that everyday. [He starts unwrapping his sandwich as well, taking a small bite and goddamn, it's good. Scott makes a small, if delighted noise, before taking another bite.]

Okay okay, I admit defeat this time.

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