[closed] quest to find a dang hobby

[strongroots]

Who: Robby, Shigeo (centile), Ritsu (centi), Ritsuka (in_loveless_memory), Sunny (good_mourning), Frisk (stilljustyou), and some others
What: Trying ~new things~, for fun. As a treat
When: Early February, over a few days
Where: Daniel LaRusso's house/Miyagi-do dojo, elsewhere
Content Warnings: N/A.

There's a lot that comes with arriving - and living - in Trench. Adapting to its culture, bartering system, way of getting a job or education. And yeah, everyone knows about the beasts and blood, but there's figuring out being your own person as often to struggle with.

Sometimes, you need help finding things to do and that make you fulfilled.

Robby gets it. And as someone who gets it deeply, he's also kind of throwing this whole thing together haphazardly of inviting a bunch of younger teens in the effort of let's try new things. Maybe they can be useful day-to-day, maybe they're just something that can be a fun hobby; as long as they possibly interest you, that's about the goal. And hanging out--'cause it's easier to try new things when you're not doing them alone. Probably. Right?

Regardless, he's invited some younger pals for a few different days to come over to have a go, hang out, keep adjusting to their new life. With some planned activities, and they're free to recommend what they can do.

And so, on these different days...

THE ACTIVITIES

→ skateboarding: skateboarding, Robby's speciality. The road outside Mister LaRusso's is surprisingly clear of snow, and there's a maximum of three skateboards, designs simple and for use. There won't be any grinding or kicking up half-pipes, but Robby can help familiarise the gang with the basics of riding a skateboard, as well as include some very simple tricks once they get the hang of that.

→ sewing a stuffed animal: Not much of a doll person? Nor Robby, but it's about following the instructions and learning some sewing. Hopefully those instructions don't suck, but there's a couple of patterns to choose from: a cat, a mouse, and a fox.

Wow. At least learning to stitch might be useful, right?

→ weaving: Who thinks about cane weaving ever? ...probably resourceful people, but Robby's managed to snag two types for trying: a small holder and a fruit bowl. Which is just a larger holder.

Or there's macrames. Another kind of weaving, this time with cords, one project is a coaster, while another is for making a keychain...or probably a bookmark, or bracelet. Whichever strikes your fancy.

→ cooking: For cooking, Mister LaRusso is only happy to help teach some useful meal foods that everyone can do back home. Come early enough on one day, and he can show how to make pancakes and crêpes. Want to learn how to even fry an egg, or make an omelette? That's a good lunchtime meal. And as for dinner? You know he's got to teach you how to make a lasagna.

Of course, requests and suggestions can be made. Sunny's got a recipe for cookies, which require the special ingredient of love. ...and flour. Making pastry can also be touched on, if anyone wants to know the secret of making pies.

→ gardening: It's a visit to Ezra Bridger's for this task. One that isn't immediately rewarding, but will take time--months, even, to see the rewards of your time and patience. They're taken into his garden where the land has been left to fallow, but he has a greenhouse where young seedlings are left to sprout, kept warm and covered despite the chill outside its walls.

The process is simple, and the instructions easy. A mix of compost and rice husks is used for the mix--rice husks for allowing air into the mix, and compost to help give nutrients to the seeds--and the trays are basic, coming with lids, and small mats infused with coldstones turned towards a soft heat will assure the seeds stay warm and have help to germinate.

But what are the seeds? There's a choice to choose from. For flowers, there's cosmos, dahlia, busy lizzies, dahlias; as for vegetables, you have choices from sweet peppers, small lamb lettuces, onions, and, for an always safe beginner food? Rainbow radishes.

This will be an activity to come back to over time. But hey, at least the radishes might only take five weeks to grow.

( OOC: tl;dr, not everything is done at the same time, you can pick and choose what your character does or swipe the ideas for later! if your character would have any ideas, put them up. B) i know photography was brought up, so going around and taking photos?? can be a thing!! )

Comments

[miyagimagic]

It does start hurting less with time. [ At least Daniel is glad he can provide the boy with that comfort. Sure - it's not like it ever fully goes away. There certainly are times where Daniel imagines what his life would have been like if his dad never died. What sort of bond he would've had with him.

But it's gotten easier. It's been decades, sure, but-- still. ]

.. it's just that sometimes that 'time' is a pretty long time. [ Especially if it's only been a few years for Sunny. Daniel is not over mister Miyagi's death either, after all, though there's no way he's just suddenly going to admit to that here. ] And if you're still hurting now, that's completely normal.

[ This topic may be a little heavy over making cookies, Daniel realises, but..

Well, it's not like he can let this poor kid go without reassurance, right? ]

It's hard, yes, but.. you should never be hard on yourself either for the feelings you feel. Sometimes it helps to talk about it with other people.

[good_mourning]

I guess I also... didn't start dealing with it until recently, either. [A sad sort of admittance.]

So maybe time only just started moving for me. [As far as the grief clock went.]

Talking about it is hard, too. [Slowly rolling his dough, absentmindedly.] Was it hard for you to talk about it... after your dad died?

[miyagimagic]

[ He nods. ]

Yeah. I didn't talk about it much. Not even with my mother.

[ For a variety of reasons, really. Not wanting to make things harder for her was pretty high up on the list - though Daniel also felt like he completely lacked the adequate words to express what he felt.

He still kind of feels like that. ]

The first time I really talked about it was ten years later, when my teacher's father died. Mostly because I wanted him to know there was someone around who understood his pain. [ It's the same reason he's bringing it up now, right? Even though the table has somehow turned, and now he's the older one, the teacher, talking to a younger student. Rather than the student trying to console his teacher. ]

[good_mourning]

I didn't talk about it with my mother, either.

[Which likely made things harder for her, in retrospect. Her daughter dying and then her son becoming so closed off.]

That... still must have been hard. To talk about it then. But, I'm sure he must have appreciated it. [A pause.] I appreciate you talking about it now. [It did help.]

[miyagimagic]

[ There's zero judgement from Daniel when Sunny admits to not talking about it with his mom. Daniel knows exactly what that's like, after all, given what he just said.

Instead he smiles. It's gentle and warm. ]

I appreciate you talking about it too.

[ Daniel's glad he has a way of saying this sort of stuff that makes the fact he truly means it easily slip into his tone. It's a little easier for it to be reassuring that way - or he sure hopes it is, anyway. ]

It's not easy to ever talk about it, you know? And yet here you're doing it. I know I've only been your sensei for a little while now, but I really appreciate you opening up to me like this.

[good_mourning]

[Daniel's sincerity makes it easy for Sunny to relax around him. The conversation was difficult to have still but... his kindness certainly eases the process.

He nods.]

You're a great sensei. I've never had one before this, but you feel like how I'd imagine they should. Like it's safe to open up with you. [Frankly in a way he didn't think he could with his parents. Particularly his dad.]

[miyagimagic]

.. yeah. That's definitely what it's supposed to be like.

[ Daniel sure has some ideas on what a good sensei is like, after all. It's something he's often thought about, especially in the light of everything that's happened to him back home - decades ago, but also over the past few years.

And while it's a little flustering to think of himself as a good sensei, he tries to not linger on the thought (though he will definitely think back on this compliment later and feel flustered all over again) in favour of telling Sunny this. ]

Mister Miyagi always made me feel that way too when I was younger. That I was safe with him.

[ Daniel smiles fondly as he says it, the look in his eyes almost far away, like he's thinking of a different time entirely. ]

If someone wants to train you, or help guide you, you always have to make sure they're a good person first, alright? There's always types who try to deceive you when it comes to that sort of thing. [ And Daniel would hate for that to happen to a good kid like Sunny. ]

[good_mourning]

[Sunny also thinks that Mister Miyagi must have been a good man, too. He was the one that taught Daniel, and the man thought of him so fondly.

Sunny's expression has softened to something that was almost like a smile without actually being one. This conversation was definitely making him feel better. Though, he tilts his head slightly at the mention of deception.]

How do you make sure of that? [He wouldn't say he was naive, exactly, but he'd never really met people with poor intentions in real life. They were misguided at worst.] Some people could hide that really well, couldn't they?

[miyagimagic]

[ It's a good question. Especially when Daniel knows sometimes you just truly can't tell.

(He thinks about Terry Silver, of course. Always Terry Silver. With his lies and manipulations, getting Daniel right where he wanted to get him, and Daniel being too stupid to see through it until it was already far too late.

He pushes the thought all the way to the back of his mind before it threatens to make him feel sick.) ]

It can be hard to make sure. There isn't really one specific way. [ Daniel looks quite apologetic for conveying that bad news, even if it's just a fact..

But he refuses to leave it at that either. No kid should suffer through what he himself had. ]

But if you ever get a strange feeling about someone, even if it's just an inkling.. Please make sure to tell someone, alright? [ Daniel's voice is so earnest as he says it. Like this is a request he feels so passionately about. ] Tell Shigeo, or one of your other friends, or any adult you trust. If you don't know who to tell, you can always talk with the others here at the dojo. With Robby, if you feel comfortable with him.

[ Look, Daniel has just been seeing Mob and Robby a lot together, and he's kind of convinced Robby is slowly growing to become the dojo's designated Big Bro figure at this point, even if he doesn't know if he's close with Sunny too. ]

.. and of course you can always tell me too. I'll always listen. Even if you aren't sure about your doubts, it's always better to talk about them than to keep everything to yourself. [ Before it all spirals out of control. ]

[good_mourning]

[Even if there's not a specific way to tell, Sunny takes all of what Daniel's saying to hear, anyway. That if he had any unusual feelings he should talk to someone. He definitely was close enough to Mob and Robby to talk to them.

Or Daniel, for that matter. He was already an adult he trusted.

Not keeping everything to himself was something that Sunny was still working on. He'd been doing much better lately, though. Being open with others.]

Alright, I'll be sure to. If something feels suspicious... I'll talk to someone. [That was a promise. He hoped when the time came he'd be able to notice something was wrong.]

Thank you, sensei.