did he think was going to happen? That Yusuke would take the bag and beat him with it? Instead he just tilts his head at him a little bemused, before closing the door once Sanji is actually through the door. ]
Through there.
[ He points ahead - through the door just off from the entrance way, there's a medium sized room, and the kitchen is just off from there. He'll have to step around the admittedly haphazard set up in the middle of the first room - there are paints, and sheets across the floor to catch any falling droplets of paint, and propped on the canvas in the centre of everything is what Yusuke was working on before he was interrupted. ]
Just be careful of the paints, I... think there are probably quite a lot of them scattered around.
[Good lord it's like someone bombed the room in linen and color. His amused snort nearly turns into a laugh before he swallows it at the last inning.]
What, you don't like visitors? It's fuckin booby-trapped in here. [You can bet he's carefully picking his way forward, lifting each step with exaggerated movements. He only has two pairs of dress shoes and there's no way Sanji's explaining to Yusuke's landlord why the house was suddenly wiped off the face of the earth.
But about halfway across the room is when Sanji stops as if Goemon froze his feet in place -- except then to move with sudden quickness as a sharp noise of surprise escapes his throat]
-- Did you paint that?
[Whaaaaaat. The food's gonna have to wait a beat, he's busy standing over the artwork, half of him leaned forward for a closer look, a wide grin taking over his expression]
Shit, how long did it take you to get that kind of texture on the petals?
[ Otherwise he probably would've contained the spread of paint somewhat. Probably.
Although he ends up smothering a laugh instead when Sanji picks his way exaggeratedly through the tubes of paint and brushes and then freezes like a statue. What on earth is he doing?
...
Ah. ]
Yes?
[ That would be why it's in the middle of the room surrounded by his paints... ]
A while. But perhaps not as long as you're thinking. [ He leans around Sanji to point at and follow the line of a petal without touching it. ] The texture is mostly at the edges of the leaves and petals - minimal build up, maximum dimension.
[Yes, he sees the technique, and inside his pockets, his fingers pretend to trace the path Yusuke shows him. There's a couple seconds more of open approval before he straightens, rocked back on his heels. His head gives a soft cant of thoughtfulness]
It's nice.
[Not much of a critique, but hey. He likes flowers.
Though with the same quickness that saw him approach the picture, Sanji snaps back into his old ways, glancing in Yusuke's direction with his smile gone and his eyebrows raised.]
[ Sometimes a great critique isn't needed. Acknowledgment, or doing something that people like to look at sometimes feels as much a goal as depicting an artistic vision. The balance between what the artist wants and what the audience wants is a fine line... one that hopefully he'll be able to walk when it comes to producing artwork. After all, paintings are there to be looked at, and if no one wants to look at them, then... ]
... I'm starting to become concerned with what's in that bag, given that you're treating this like it's something dreaded.
[ Is Sanji going to beat him to death with the bag? This isn't how he wants to die. 。゚(゚´Д`゚)゚。 ]
[The true reason Sanji tiptoes all the way to the kitchen -- can't leave behind evidence. (งಠ_ಠ)ง
Though once he finds a table to set his burden on, some of the anticipation thins out. He just leaves it there while turning back to Yusuke, gesturing to a chair in vague impatience.]
Tch, hardly. I just figured the sooner we get this over with, the sooner you can get back to work.
[See? He's being considerate! Give him what he wants and then he'll gladly leave.]
[Eh, well... he supposes it's on him for getting distracted with the painting (and the image flashes in and out of his thoughts, leaving Sanji only half as irritable as he'd normally be).]
I want you to taste something.
[At that explanation, Sanji finally reaches over to the bag, unknotting it with one hand and bunching the plastic down against the table. What's left standing is a bento box of all things, blue in color (pay no attention to that picture), and sectioned into three layers.]
[ ... Oh. Yes, come to think of it he had mentioned something about borrowing tastebuds... which had been pretty ominous, more than anything.
That sure is food. But why does he need to be the one to taste it? ]
... Is there a reason why?
[ He's not? Ungrateful? Food is food and he 100 per cent hasn't eaten in too long, so he will happily accept. But it seems like an odd request, especially when it involves showing up out of the blue at his house in order to fulfil it. ]
[Sanji's answer is... silence, mostly, the man standing stiff and abruptly quiet, one hand frozen on the top of the bento. The pause stretches into awkward territory before:]
I was in the shitty area, alright?
[Mmmmmmmmmmmmhm. That sure is the truth. He shrugs, ducks his head by an inch, returns to his fussing over the bento sections]
But perhaps it just hasn't been a topic that she'd deemed worth discussing. There were other things happening in his mother's life right now - like her projects and upcoming exhibition works. Maybe it hadn't been what she wanted to discuss with him at the time. ]
That is a lot of extra.
[ More than just a doggy bag to take away... hang on, he's just going to go and grab a couple of essentials from the drawer. Chopsticks, and a dish for soy sauce at the very least. ]
Were they looking for word-of-mouth custom? [ He's just gonna. Grab one of those tamagoyaki, hold up - eatin' time. ]
[A vague, muttered hum is all the answer Yusuke gets at the moment, what with Sanji watching the other's movements like a hawk. And while he doesn't go as far as to hover right over the artist's shoulder, he fidgets and stares and otherwise stews in his own impatience while he waits for the verdict]
Longer than he's going to admit out loud, honestly. ]
...
[ Hm. ]
It's good. [ There's a pause, while he glances over at Sanji. ] I'm not exactly a food critic, so I'm not going to pick out nuances if that's what they're looking for. But it tastes like what I would expect from Japanese food, yes.
The tamagoyaki isn't as sweet as I'd usually expect, but that's not necessarily a critique.
[ He's grabbing another one as he's talking, so obviously he doesn't have any problem with them. ]
[With a hum, he knocks his knuckles against his chin, then eyes the tamagoyaki with a narrowed stare. FIne, he'll do better next ti-- goddamn THE CAFE WILL DO BETTER NEXT TIME]
[An exaggerated pause, and honestly, Sanji doesn't know why he's so attached to his dumb lie, Yusuke's not gonna take the plastic bag and choke him to death if Sanji reveals the truth, but knowing that fact doesn't stop him from grinning weakly in the other guy's direction, rubbing sheepishly at the nape of his neck.]
Kinda... vanished, y'know? Like how some of the other buildings did last month.
[Just poof. Gone. Forever. Like it never existed in the first place. +_+]
[ Yusuke just kinda... stop what he was doing - breaking apart a bit of that salmon with his chopsticks, fyi - and just kinda stares at Sanji for a moment. Something about that sounds off, somehow?
But he's fairly sure that Haru had had an incident with shops vanishing and merging - something like the florists she'd worked at had merged with another? He can't say it's not true. ]
It completely vanished? That's a shame. I don't think there's such a thing as too many Japanese restaurants.
[ Maybe he should be saving some of this, if the place had just up and vanished...? ]
[ He's literally not stopped eating for more than ten seconds, Sanji?? Fishing for compliments makes you look desperate. But the... oddly intense stare hasn't gone under the radar, so he's answering truthfully: ]
You asked my opinion. If it was bad, I would have said so.
[ C'mon. Yusuke doesn't sugar coat what he thinks, this has been very well established by now. ]
[Yusuke he knows you haven't eaten since this morning, you might be starving and would eat dog treats if someone put a garnish on it--]
Mmm, true, you're not that lying sort of bastard.
[-- but Yusuke's firm reaction seems to have settled Sanji's reservations, even if he offers the crudest sort of agreement. Ah well, he wouldn't be Sanji otherwise.]
[ You'd be heckin' right m'dude. But he can be probably stop himself eating literally everything in sight if Sanji wanted to eat something as well? Except the chicken. That's his. ]
I'm not so hungry that I'd stab you with a chopstick if you were planning to eat as well.
[A snort. Sanji really hadn't planned on eating anything (though he hadn't been lying about accidentally making way too much; his hands are accustomed to making food for nine).
He also figures he might catch some flak if he turns down the invitation, so.]
Alright. How about...
[The spicy pork, if there's any left of that. He'll steal a fork from somewhere before scooping a modest amount, rolling the flavor over his tongue]
... Tch. Overdid it with the garlic. [A little. It's passable.]
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did he think was going to happen? That Yusuke would take the bag and beat him with it? Instead he just tilts his head at him a little bemused, before closing the door once Sanji is actually through the door. ]
Through there.
[ He points ahead - through the door just off from the entrance way, there's a medium sized room, and the kitchen is just off from there. He'll have to step around the admittedly haphazard set up in the middle of the first room - there are paints, and sheets across the floor to catch any falling droplets of paint, and propped on the canvas in the centre of everything is what Yusuke was working on before he was interrupted. ]
Just be careful of the paints, I... think there are probably quite a lot of them scattered around.
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What, you don't like visitors? It's fuckin booby-trapped in here. [You can bet he's carefully picking his way forward, lifting each step with exaggerated movements. He only has two pairs of dress shoes and there's no way Sanji's explaining to Yusuke's landlord why the house was suddenly wiped off the face of the earth.
But about halfway across the room is when Sanji stops as if Goemon froze his feet in place -- except then to move with sudden quickness as a sharp noise of surprise escapes his throat]
-- Did you paint that?
[Whaaaaaat. The food's gonna have to wait a beat, he's busy standing over the artwork, half of him leaned forward for a closer look, a wide grin taking over his expression]
Shit, how long did it take you to get that kind of texture on the petals?
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[ Otherwise he probably would've contained the spread of paint somewhat. Probably.
Although he ends up smothering a laugh instead when Sanji picks his way exaggeratedly through the tubes of paint and brushes and then freezes like a statue. What on earth is he doing?
...
Ah. ]
Yes?
[ That would be why it's in the middle of the room surrounded by his paints... ]
A while. But perhaps not as long as you're thinking. [ He leans around Sanji to point at and follow the line of a petal without touching it. ] The texture is mostly at the edges of the leaves and petals - minimal build up, maximum dimension.
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[Yes, he sees the technique, and inside his pockets, his fingers pretend to trace the path Yusuke shows him. There's a couple seconds more of open approval before he straightens, rocked back on his heels. His head gives a soft cant of thoughtfulness]
It's nice.
[Not much of a critique, but hey. He likes flowers.
Though with the same quickness that saw him approach the picture, Sanji snaps back into his old ways, glancing in Yusuke's direction with his smile gone and his eyebrows raised.]
Anyway, kitchen -- let's get this over with.
[BACK ON THE MISSION.]
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[ Sometimes a great critique isn't needed. Acknowledgment, or doing something that people like to look at sometimes feels as much a goal as depicting an artistic vision. The balance between what the artist wants and what the audience wants is a fine line... one that hopefully he'll be able to walk when it comes to producing artwork. After all, paintings are there to be looked at, and if no one wants to look at them, then... ]
... I'm starting to become concerned with what's in that bag, given that you're treating this like it's something dreaded.
[ Is Sanji going to beat him to death with the bag? This isn't how he wants to die. 。゚(゚´Д`゚)゚。 ]
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Though once he finds a table to set his burden on, some of the anticipation thins out. He just leaves it there while turning back to Yusuke, gesturing to a chair in vague impatience.]
Tch, hardly. I just figured the sooner we get this over with, the sooner you can get back to work.
[See? He's being considerate! Give him what he wants and then he'll gladly leave.]
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...
Yusuke looks over at the bag on the table... and then back up at Sanji, clearly a little confused. But he does... sit down. As wordlessly suggested. ]
I'm no clearer on what it is I'm supposed to be doing.
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[Eh, well... he supposes it's on him for getting distracted with the painting (and the image flashes in and out of his thoughts, leaving Sanji only half as irritable as he'd normally be).]
I want you to taste something.
[At that explanation, Sanji finally reaches over to the bag, unknotting it with one hand and bunching the plastic down against the table. What's left standing is a bento box of all things, blue in color (pay no attention to that picture), and sectioned into three layers.]
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That sure is food. But why does he need to be the one to taste it? ]
... Is there a reason why?
[ He's not? Ungrateful? Food is food and he 100 per cent hasn't eaten in too long, so he will happily accept. But it seems like an odd request, especially when it involves showing up out of the blue at his house in order to fulfil it. ]
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I was in the shitty area, alright?
[Mmmmmmmmmmmmhm. That sure is the truth. He shrugs, ducks his head by an inch, returns to his fussing over the bento sections]
Got it from nearby café, newly opened... and you're Japanese, right? Thought maybe you'd know how it's supposed to taste.
[Because there sure weren't any other Japanese men who know swordsmanship that Sanji could've asked for help. Regardless, by the time he's finished setting the individual sections out in front of Yusuke, a warm scent is slowly encasing the kitchen. Everything is obviously freshly made, from the salmon that's been baked with a layer of miso mayo, the pumpkin slices marinated in a spicy honey sauce, the mustard soy sauce-flavored pork paired with scrambled egg, and finally a more traditional helping of tamagoyaki wrapped with spinach, furikake-flavored rice, and chicken bites that had been fried in ginger oil.
...]
Café made a lot, they gave me extra.
[INDEED]
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Yes... I have an idea of how Japanese food would traditionally taste.
[ He watches as all the food is set out - the smells are familiar; the ginger, the scent of soy so if this "café" is looking for a positive review, it's off to a good start. Although, come to think of it, he hasn't heard of a new café opening up. There is something of an expat community in the area, so surely he would've heard about a Japanese restaurant opening up from his mother.
But perhaps it just hasn't been a topic that she'd deemed worth discussing. There were other things happening in his mother's life right now - like her projects and upcoming exhibition works. Maybe it hadn't been what she wanted to discuss with him at the time. ]
That is a lot of extra.
[ More than just a doggy bag to take away... hang on, he's just going to go and grab a couple of essentials from the drawer. Chopsticks, and a dish for soy sauce at the very least. ]
Were they looking for word-of-mouth custom? [ He's just gonna. Grab one of those tamagoyaki, hold up - eatin' time. ]
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... So? Is it any good?
[It is just good? Phenomenal? Out of this world? Too much salt in the tamagoyaki? He -- uh, he means, the café tried not to fuck that up, but was too nervous to taste-test, so they don't got a shitty clue what the final product is like--]
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Longer than he's going to admit out loud, honestly. ]
...
[ Hm. ]
It's good. [ There's a pause, while he glances over at Sanji. ] I'm not exactly a food critic, so I'm not going to pick out nuances if that's what they're looking for. But it tastes like what I would expect from Japanese food, yes.
The tamagoyaki isn't as sweet as I'd usually expect, but that's not necessarily a critique.
[ He's grabbing another one as he's talking, so obviously he doesn't have any problem with them. ]
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Hm...
Well, Sanji stirs back to life at the comment, his initial grin having settled into a thoughtful frown. Maybe too much soy sauce then? He's finding himself to be a little heavy handed with that particular ingredient because it goes good with nearly everything, plus this is what he gets for not trying the food himsel-- er, excuse him, this is what the café gets for not trying the food themselves.]
Not sweet enough, gotcha.
[With a hum, he knocks his knuckles against his chin, then eyes the tamagoyaki with a narrowed stare. FIne, he'll do better next ti-- goddamn THE CAFE WILL DO BETTER NEXT TIME]
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Still, he can't help but notice that Sanji seems very ... invested in his thoughts on this café's food. Maybe he knows someone who works there, or someone with a role in how it runs? ]
Where did you say this café was? If the full extent of their menu is like this, I would be interested in having a look myself.
1/2
Ooooooooh.
... He did not think this through.]
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[An exaggerated pause, and honestly, Sanji doesn't know why he's so attached to his dumb lie, Yusuke's not gonna take the plastic bag and choke him to death if Sanji reveals the truth, but knowing that fact doesn't stop him from grinning weakly in the other guy's direction, rubbing sheepishly at the nape of his neck.]
Kinda... vanished, y'know? Like how some of the other buildings did last month.
[Just poof. Gone. Forever. Like it never existed in the first place. +_+]
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But he's fairly sure that Haru had had an incident with shops vanishing and merging - something like the florists she'd worked at had merged with another? He can't say it's not true. ]
It completely vanished? That's a shame. I don't think there's such a thing as too many Japanese restaurants.
[ Maybe he should be saving some of this, if the place had just up and vanished...? ]
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[His gaze bounces between the chopsticks, the food, Yusuke's face, staring at all three like he's sniffing for lies. It's back again, that strange investment in a café Sanji's only just discovered (and apparently lost sight of, if his statements are to be believed).
But he's hanging on Yusuke's word again, and pins the other with a glance that holds weight to it.]
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You asked my opinion. If it was bad, I would have said so.
[ C'mon. Yusuke doesn't sugar coat what he thinks, this has been very well established by now. ]
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Mmm, true, you're not that lying sort of bastard.
[-- but Yusuke's firm reaction seems to have settled Sanji's reservations, even if he offers the crudest sort of agreement. Ah well, he wouldn't be Sanji otherwise.]
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[ Hey, he stopped eating for a second there. The part about him not eating since the morning is, unfortunately, true.
Come to think of it. ]
Have you tried any of this? Or did you eat enough at the cafe when you were there?
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[... It's something that slips out more than anything, but Sanji decides in the moment he might as well commit to some level of honesty here.]
Didn't get a chance to.
[...]
Figured you hadn't eaten, so...
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I'm not so hungry that I'd stab you with a chopstick if you were planning to eat as well.
[ As a ... side note? Point? ]
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He also figures he might catch some flak if he turns down the invitation, so.]
Alright. How about...
[The spicy pork, if there's any left of that. He'll steal a fork from somewhere before scooping a modest amount, rolling the flavor over his tongue]
... Tch. Overdid it with the garlic. [A little. It's passable.]
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WHOOPS how did I miss this
the email alert curse!
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