Suite Dreams - Kaeya

[aono]

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Weekend 0, Friday

[aono]

[from here]

-assuming there's still any knives there.

[Because they sure got stolen last game...time to use a sword as a knife again. Except he doesn't have his sword back yet whoops.

But here they are! Kitchen!]

[callalilies]

I'm sure they're long gone at this point, but we can see.

[ kaeya will accompany him to the kitchen, hands behind his back as he peers around. occasionally, he'll peek into a cabinet here and there, though. ]

We can make it all work regardless.

[aono]

I got in trouble the last time I used my sword for a knife.

[Rin is going to have to go for things that don't use knives though! So he gathers up some flour, eggs, sugar, baking powder, butter, and milk.]

[callalilies]

Your sword deserves better than that, though points for utilizing what you have. We do have straight razors. Those are easily cleaned and sharpened...


[ but as rin is gathering ingredients, he tilts his head now at attention. ]

How can I help?

[aono]

I'll use the straight razor before I use Ao-Kurikara, sure.

[He's getting some measuring cups too!]

Ever whisked something before?

[callalilies]

Sure, Adelinde used to grab me for help sometimes in the kitchen. I can manage that for sure.

What are we making?

[aono]

Pancakes! Something easy to make, even without a knife.

[Mostly because the only thing you cut is the butter, and he can do that with a fork. But he'll hand a whisk to Kaeya and then crack a couple eggs into a bowl.]

Mix these up until they're all yellow while I get the other stuff measured out.

[callalilies]

Oooh, [ he grins ] sounds perfect. I love pancakes. There's a young lady at the Knights of Favonius who makes the best pancakes...

[ but yeah, he'll absolutely take that whisk and bowl with no issue and beat like he's a natural. wink. ]

w0, sunday

[callalilies]

[ kaeya's going to be making his way downtown to find rin's room, and in tow he has one (1) polaris who is trotting beside him, tail wagging and tongue lolling out of his mouth. he will give rin's door a shave-and-a-haircut knock and wait patiently. ]

[aono]

Yeah? Well we'll have to see if you can learn to make them just as good as she can.

[Go ahead and mix up those eggs, Rin is melting the butter first. That he'll dump in with the eggs when they're nearly mixed up, and then he's getting the dry ingredients measured out and put into another bowl to sift.]

Once both bowls are mixed up really well, you slowly add the dry stuff to the wet stuff.

[aono]

[It takes a few moments, but Rin will make his way to the door. He opens it carefully and peers out, and for a moment he looks kind of downtrodden but then he sees it's Kaeya and perks right up.]

Oh hey, you found Polaris! I've got Rinkou now too.

[callalilies]

[ oh rin... this is really cute. kaeya nods with the instructions and helps where permitted. ]

Who taught you how to cook, Rin?

[callalilies]

It feels good to be reunited with them, even if we can't quite feel them the same anymore.

[ he does inquire: ] Everything alright? Any trouble?

[aono]

[He hesitates there, like he's not sure if he should say something or not. The discomfort is very visible in both his posture and the way he glances away when Kaeya asks if everything is okay.]

Well the rooms are kinda...it's a small thing though, so it's not that big of a deal. I'm just glad to have Rinkou back.

[callalilies]

I'm glad we have them back as well.

[ he doesn't let it go, however. the look in his eye is both concern, but regarding rin as... well, someone who should have his needs met. so. ]

Mmm, what's the issue? I won't judge, you know.

[aono]

[He lets Kaeya help a lot at this stage, it's the easy part. He'll show Kaeya how to check how runny the batter is and how to know when enough dry stuff has been added.]

My dad did! Well, he taught me the basics. After that I saw videos on how to cook and read cookbooks and learned more complicated stuff that way. Dad was good at the easy stuff, but not so great at the hard stuff.

['Was'. But Rin is talking cheerfully enough that it's obvious he's not sad right now.]

[aono]

Well it's...

[It might be easier for Kaeya to understand if he sees it, so he steps aside to let Kaeya peek in.

The room looks like a pretty standard dorm room. Standard-issue wooden desk and standing closet, bed built into the wall, bookshelf built into the wall. There's plenty of things to give the room a flare of Rin-ness, like the fake shoujo manga shelf and the bedsheets and stuff, but overall it looks like a pretty standard dormitory room.

Including the fact that there is a second set of the standard furniture, but that half of the room is completely devoid of anything that gives it personality. It's like the second occupant of the room just never moved in and it was left as-is.]

I...I've always shared a room with Yukio, so..

[callalilies]

[ when rin steps aside, kaeya takes the hint and peers. at the same time, polaris brushes softly against rin's leg and remains there quietly. as he has a look, he sees it the moment the second set of empty furniture comes into view. that's just.

well, he sees the problem. ]

Feels a little lonely, does it?

[callalilies]

[ it's all very familiar, and there's something rather peaceful about being instructed through the process. he laughs a little when some of the flour inevitably fwoomphs up the first few careful turns of the whisk, though it incorporates smoothly in the end.

it's good that rin isn't sad about this, though, he can tell there's a deep fondness. this is a happy sort of memory for him, isn't it? ]

Then I can't think of anyone better to show me the way.

[ he grins ] Diluc's father was always a bit too busy with the winery to ever really cook... and my own work keeps me too late to ever make anything that takes a long time.

[aono]

...yeah.

[It does make him feel a little better, admitting to it. Feelings are a burden but not one he has to carry by himself.]

Like, in some ways it's a relief? If there's space for him here, then that means I'll see him again. And it'd feel wrong, to not have a shared bedroom after all this time. But seeing it is just a reminder that he's not here right now.

[aono]

[Definitely a happy memory here. Whoever gets the memshare of this is going to have a cute memory to see instead of a sad one.]

That's okay, you're never too old to learn how to cook. Dad didn't even learn until after me 'n Yukio were born. He used to just eat takeout food all the time.

[There is a definite sense of fondness in Rin's words. Even if it's memories of someone long gone, they're happy ones that bring him comfort.]

You know, I was really rough as a little kid. At first I smashed the eggs in my hand just by grabbing them. Anytime I did stuff like that, Dad would say "You're making the eggs cry". You gotta have a gentle hand when cooking, you know? Or else you just mess everything up.

w0, saturday — post-trial

[callalilies]

[ kaeya's just in his room with the door ajar already, enough to poke a head in. he's flopped on the floor by the couch on top of polaris, who is just also flopped down there. they are just. a pile. ]

[aono]

[Rin has Rinkou tucked under one arm like a football and is carrying a plate of food in the other.

He's going to walk right in and plop down next to Kaeya. Rinkou gets set down by Polaris before Rin speaks.]

Hungry?

[callalilies]

[ football........ im crying maple.

polaris takes to rinkou easily, leaning over to sniff her a few times before giving her head a few gentle licks. ]

I could eat. What do we have?

[ he pulls down a couple of pillows to prop themselves up on. ]

[aono]

[Rinkou is smaller but she will try to return the licks. Friendship grooming!

Rin will show off the plate to Kaeya once he's settled on a pillow.]

It's bao! I learned how to make it while I was in the Ghost City.