deercountry | catch-all.

[ There's a kid on the beach, dark hair whipping in the wind off the ocean. He's warmly dressed enough it's clear he didn't just arrive, but it's only been a day or so since he "woke up" right near here. He heard that it's worth scavenging the beach for items, and perhaps hasn't quite got his head around the dangers the world poses, still focusing on how difficult life is going to be without his parents. At thirteen, independence isn't impossible, but it's daunting, even if Shigeo promises people are kind.

Ritsu has taken off his shoes to walk in the soft sand, and they're tied by the laces and hung around his neck. He's got a stick to help pick through the detritus, hoping to find some clothes, even if they aren't his own, and maybe some items for school. The less he has to worry about buying that stuff, the better. Under one arm he has what he's already found: a couple of hoodies with a pattern of bent spoons on the front, which is kind of a weird fashion choice but he thinks Shigeo might find it funny considering how many spoons they've both bent.

Possibilities:

• He spots something interesting and picks it up... but hey, that definitely doesn't belong with him, and it seems someone is willing to fight for their stuff back.

• He spots something interesting and picks it up... and the strange mechanical device starts to tick.

• The beach isn't the safest place in Trench, and Ritsu is about to find that out the hard way.

• He's going through the newbie bag and minding his own business when he's approached by someone and turns, a polite greeting ready on his lips. ]

[ Ritsu has many skills, but cooking isn't one of them. His mother had always ushered him out of the kitchen when he tried to help. So far that hasn't been a problem, what with people on the boardwalk serving stew and Shigeo making him stir fry, the leftovers of other people's meals. But right now there's nothing ready for him to eat and he's at a bit of a loss.

So Sunny can find him in the kitchen of Makima's house, the new roommate, putting some dry rice in a ceramic bowl and starting up the stove. ]

[Sunny'd been making more of an effort to eat lately, so it was for this reason that he'd thought he'd make himself something small to snack on. At least until dinner later on.

He enters the kitchen, pausing for a moment or two to see what Ritsu was doing.

Oh.]

No. [Just no. He approaches, pointing at the bowl of dried rice.] This will start a fire. [Despite the apparent danger Sunny doesn't sound or look that concerned.]

A-ah? I'm sorry.

[ A reflexive, polite apology, as to a stranger, though now that he thinks about it Shigeo did mention there was another kid living here.

He looks at his rice, a little wrinkle of worry between his brows. ]

Should I use a pan? And a lower heat?

[ He knows, he knows rice gets cooked on the stove, so he's trying to use his natural logic skills to work out how this could be wrong. ]

It's okay, you didn't know. [At least Sunny looks far from upset about the situation.

He moves towards one of the cupboards and takes out a pot and a lid to go with it. Increasingly he was coming to realize from some of the discussions he'd had here that he actually was not the worst at cooking, despite what he had thought prior.]

We should use a pot, since the rice is going to fluff up. And we need to have water, too. It's a two to one ratio of water to rice.

[ Yeah, Ritsu is impressed. Sunny might as well have a Michelin star. ]

Two to one. Got it.

[ He pours the rice into the pot Sunny brought down, and then fills that same bowl with water, since that makes for an easy way to measure out the exact same amount as the rice. Once he's added the water twice, he puts the pot on the stove and then awaits further instructions, not willing to take any chances. ]

[Truly Sunny was an expert chef over here. It was a strange feeling for him, actually. He'd only ever been a little brother who relied on his older sister, but lately he'd had to take on more responsibility.

At least he wasn't the oldest one in the house. He could always count on Makima.]

Good. Now we can put a lid over it and start the stove up. [He glances up thoughtfully for a moment.] We can come check on it in about 20 minutes. I think it will be done by then.

Yeah!

[ Enthused, Ritsu finishes setting up the rice. Once that's done he looks to Sunny. ]

So you live here too? Nice to meet you, I'm Ritsu Kageyama.

[Sunny's expression shifts ever so slightly upon hearing Ritsu's name. His eyebrows go up a little, and there is the tiniest curve pulling up at the edges of his mouth.]

You're Mob's brother. I'm glad. He must be so happy you're here.

[But oh, right, his own name.]

I'm Sunny. It's nice to meet you, too.

Oh yeah! Nii-san mentioned you too, that you live here with us.

[ Well. Obviously, Ritsu. Otherwise it would be weird having him come into the kitchen and help out with the rice, right?

It does increase his scrutiny a little, always initially wary of Shigeo's friends just because sometimes people try and take advantage of his brother. But his expression remained friendly. ]

Thanks for keeping him company all this time.

He's been keeping me company, too. Your brother is a very good person. I'm glad I was able to meet him.

[Despite the praise his neutral expression doesn't change much. There's perhaps a hint of warmth to his face.]

How are you adjusting to being here? Mob talked about your parents, so you must miss them, too.

Ah, yeah...

[ Really, it hasn't been very long, so it's actually hard to say if he misses them a lot. It's no different from when he sent them off to a spa for their own safety, right? At least, that's how he's processing it. A little strange not to have his mother's cooking and his dad's help with homework, but it doesn't feel like he'll never see them again. ]

It's like I told Nii-san, they might show up too. Though I don't know if they'd fit in here...

[ And it's funny to imagine his parents with powers. They've always been bemusedly supportive of their children's esper abilities, sure, but not all that involved with them. ]

It's okay. I can take care of Nii-san in the meantime.

[They could show up, but Sunny hadn't seen many people with their parents here. He supposed there was Robby's dad, at least.]

I don't think my mom would, either. She's kind of spacey. She's probably get hurt.

[He loved her just, you know, not the right environment for a person like her.]

That's good. It's important to take care of each other. [A beat.] There's supposed to be a lot of bad things that happen here, but I haven't seen that many yet.

[ Ritsu's eyes widen and he leans in like a kid at camp hearing the promise of a spooky story. ]

Yeah? Like what?

[ What have you heard, Sunny, what have you seen? ]

When I got here I was attacked by ice zombies. [Said shockingly casually.] Your brother saved me from them.

[Really good thing, too, because Sunny would have probably actually died.] Then I've heard of evil Santa Claus, but I didn't get the chance to see him myself. There's also corruption and beasts, of course.

Evil Santa?

[ Evil Santa... Ritsu shifts from foot to foot, interested but also worried in a way he couldn't put words to, at the idea of not just a monster but something innocent and beloved being warped by this place. For the first time since waking on the beach, he finds himself wondering why he's here, why any of them are here. At the very least wouldn't it be safer to just stay squids in the ocean, between new lives?

Existential angst aside, the rice is boiling. It smells good. ]

Do you know how to make an egg?

[ Probably some egg and rice will make that other stuff matter less. ]

Evil Santa.

[Sorry, Sunny doesn't have any more to offer than that. Said Santa was only one of the horrors he'd heard about, not seen. He's definitely not upset that he missed out on it.]

I do. I can boil or scramble them. [Everything else is a little too difficult.]

Let's have boiled eggs with rice.

[ This one he is a little more comfortable with - he actually gets a saucepan this time because the bowl apparently wasn't safe, and fills it with water to be put on the other hot plate, next to where the rice is merrily boiling. Then he gets out the eggs. That's where his knowledge stops. Does he add them now? ]

[The egg process is already going much better than the rice had. Sunny nods, gives Ritsu a thumbs up.]

You can put them in now and then bring the water to a boil.

[ Ritsu drops the eggs in - luckily they don't crack, but he's kind of skeptical that he's meant to leave them in the shells? And keeps glancing at Sunny to make sure he's doing it right. Then they join the rice. Cooking success! ]

At least I know how to do dishes.

[ Since he knows so little about cooking. ]

[Sunny nods again at Ritsu's glance. Everything was going okay, you were doing it right friend.]

Oh, that's good, because I hate doing them.

[This task may now be foisted off onto Ritsu.]

Oh! I would be happy to. Dishes and cleaning are no problem for me, I helped my mom a lot. If everyone else is more confident cooking, maybe that can be my job instead.

[ Since even Mob had been excited to show him stir fry when he'd arrived. ]

Alright, that sounds like a good way to distribute chores. [A nod.]

You're free to help whenever I cook anything, though. I'm sure Miss Makima would be happy to teach you, too. She's a very talented cook.

Yeah, she makes really nice food.

[ When he first got here she had cooked for him especially! ]

But I don't want to rely too much on that; she's not my mom.

She does. [Sunny himself was treated to some desserts when he first arrived!]

But that's understandable. There are also always recipes you can pull up on the omni, too, if you're worried about being too reliant.

Oh, is it really that much like the internet?

[ Ritsu hasn't looked at it much, thought it would be more like ... walkie talkies, or a really old brick mobile. He isn't really the sort to spend a lot of time online but it's useful for studying and learning. ]

[Sunny nods.]

I think you can find videos and information from different universes, too. Of the people that came here.

catch-all.

OPEN TO ALL - beachcombing.

CLOSED to good_mourning - cooking

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