[closed] it's not a nutritional dinner

[kokuyoyo]

Who: Chikusa, Ken, and all the people invited to Hakkai's temple
When: October 12
Where: Li Tieugai's temple in the Central District
What: Having recently lost their other god, Ken is sad by yet another loss.... so Chikusa is fixing this with his dog's favorite things: people he likes and copious amounts of meat.

Unless people actually ask, Chikusa.... doesn't exactly tell what time the dinner is actually going to be at. At least he'll probably tell them that Hakkai's temple moved? One would hope.

The temple of Iron Crutch Li doesn't really seem all that impressive upon approaching it, despite being in the Central District. The walled gardens are certainly large and lovely enough, if a little wild, but the building itself is rather plain at its two stories. There's a small sign attached to the front door that simply says 'come in'. Chikusa isn't going to bother answering the door for visitors. It's not like Hakkai locks that thing anyway.

The inside of the temple is about as sparsely decorated as its outside, but, today, the overwhelming smell wafting from the kitchen has overtaken any medicinal smells that might normally be about. It adds a certain warmth to the room.

Until dinner will be served a little later into the night, people are free to do whatever- hang about the gardens, go bother Chikusa in the kitchen, or otherwise find the other residents of the temple. Chikusa won't care to stop anyone, although Hakkai might.

As for dinner? Chikusa is serving so much meat: rabbit stew with olives and rosemary, swordfish, curried chicken, veal marsala, and a more traditional spaghetti served with meatballs. Fortunately, at least there's garlic bread and stuffed mushrooms, so there's something that isn't meat.... And for dessert? Zeppole, cannoli, and an apple ciambella with almond cream.

Comments

[reformedsinner]

No... not really. Ha ha, I'd never have gotten away with pickiness when I was little-- I'll like most things that are well made.

[His smile goes a little softer, almost shy for a moment as he takes back the cutting board and looks down at it.]

I do enjoy cooking, though.

[kokuyoyo]

[....Oh. That's a strange look he hasn't seen before, and Chikusa pauses in his mixing to stare at it for a few seconds.]

....Why?

[With that single word, he goes to stuff the mushrooms properly.]

[reformedsinner]

Because ... it's part of having a home, I suppose.

[Kanan had been hopeless in the kitchen, though they'd loved shopping together. Gojyo was nearly as bad, Goku had little more interest in cooking than Ken, and Sanzo, despite his hunting prowess, would live on beer, coffee and cigarettes if he were allowed.

Being with people he loves, being with family, means cooking for them.

He breathes out on a soft laugh, and shrugs, glancing at Chikusa with an expression that's amused, but back under control.]

So is unclogging a drain or doing laundry, I suppose, but cooking is more creative.

[kokuyoyo]

[A home... Chikusa's gaze wanders, a little distant, even as his hands work on autopilot. It's something he's used to, that he's had to become used to ever since he was a child and his mind went away to leave his bod to its own.]

...What's good about it? Having... that kind of thing.

[None of his memories tell him what kind of value is there... Only that it seemed to be something he and Ken were constantly looking in on, outsiders.]

[reformedsinner]

Having people you can trust and rely on, or even--

[He shakes his head, smile twisting at one corner.] Even just be comfortable around.

When I was young I thought families should be that way, but now, I think there's no guarantees with family. Home is who you make it.

[kokuyoyo]

....So it doesn't have to be a place. Or a kitchen.

[Well. Finishing with the mushrooms, Chikusa scrounges up a baking tray from the various cooking tools he's got around. When it comes to that kind of thing, at least he knows it.]

[reformedsinner]

No, certainly not. It can be anywhere.

[He leans back against the counter to ensure that Chikusa has enough room to get around him for anything else he needs.]

The people matter more than the place.

[kokuyoyo]

[Chikusa looks back over his shoulder, to where Ken is waiting patiently out of the way. It hasn't escaped him how his partner has been particularly restless today, only lingering in one room now that Chikusa and Hakkai are together in it.]

...This place... makes it impossible.

[reformedsinner]

Difficult.

[Not impossible... but it gets harder and harder to have faith that anyone might stay. Hakkai follows Chikusa's gaze, and the corners of his eyes crinkle, lines springing into view there. It's not -- quite -- a wince.]

But I know what you mean.

[kokuyoyo]

...What are you going to do? [His eyes drift back to Hakkai, hazy stare gaining a bit more focus.] ...You... have a purpose you're aiming for... right?

[reformedsinner]

Yes. [He sighs. It's hard to say something like this, especially to a boy who he does feel a responsibility for. Now, more than ever, as Chikusa's only god.

He doesn't think he'd ask Chikusa to come back to his world with him, though, even were such a thing possible, or either of them still alive. If he isn't dead already and forgetting it, he's walking into a suicide mission, and he's well aware of that.]

I want to discover what's brought us here, what is keeping us here and what's happened to the souls of those who disappear.

[kokuyoyo]

You'll use me for figuring all of that out, then.

[What Chikusa means to say is You'll work together with me, right?]]

[But he's still getting used to such a thing, that kind of partnership. He's only had Ken in his memories, and someone else. What that mysterious second relationship was like.... it's hard for him to say. But even with only the context of speaking to Ken, the only other person on his level.... He knows that it was more like their feelings to Axel than anything.]

[Hakkai isn't Ken. He's certainly not Axel, either. Chikusa isn't entirely sure where to put him.]

[reformedsinner]

[You'll use me to figure that out, Chikusa says, and Hakkai winces more sharply, shaking his head.]

I'd like to work with you on it. I think we all need answers.

[He exhales, and admits:]

If it's possible... I want to find a way to go back to my world once we've found those answers. If it's not, I want to stay here without fearing that anyone could disappear overnight.

[kokuyoyo]

[...Huh.]

[No one has ever reacted to him like that before. Axel had tried to gently encourage him, and he'd never really bothered with Roy who had seemed just as much if not more disinterested in shinki like that. Chikusa stares at Hakkai, blinking slowly, unsure of what to ask or how to ask it.]

[...Work with him. Alright.]

Then.... where do we go now?

[Finally, he moves to get the water and wine.]

[reformedsinner]

[Unlike Ayumu, Chikusa doesn't argue with him at the prospect of "working together." Hakkai hadn't expected him to-- but his relationship with his first god had been different. He hadn't been sure.

The question is much more challenging, and he shakes his head again, but, this time, thoughtfully.]

I'm not sure yet. I have some information, and some leads, but I'd like to talk it all over with you, later. There might be something I'm not seeing, or information we can share with each other.

[kokuyoyo]

...Alright.

[Carefully, making sure not to dislodge the stuffing in any way, Chikusa begins to put the mushrooms onto the tray.]

....Then... who knows if it's relevant.... but I'm seeing a shinki from the old court who knows more magic...

[reformedsinner]

Oh, really? What's his name? [Hakkai blinks, curious. Since Kazuma and Bishamon's schedule grew too crowded for Kazuma's lessons to continue, he hasn't heard of any of the other shinki taking over that role.]

[kokuyoyo]

Sabi, vessel name Jakuki, called Sabimei.

[Chikusa reaches up to adjust his glasses with the heel of his palm, trying to avoid getting anything on it.]

....He was so annoying... about my name...

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai ducks his head, chuckling.] Oh-- did he ask for your three names? Suijin was quite stubborn about that when she met me, too.

My name matched my vessel name at the time, at least.

[It's possible this has something to do with the way he gives names that match his shinki's real name... but then, a lack of imagination has a bit more to do with it.]

I haven't met that shinki, though. Is he one of the ones in white?

[kokuyoyo]

Well... I lied.

[Putting it to the side of the stove, Chikusa checks the oven and does some quick math in his head.]

Get the swordfish out from the marinade... And it was Bishamon's.... I think. He was so annoying that it eclipsed everything else...

[reformedsinner]

Oh, of course. [Hakkai takes down a plate and a pair of chopsticks, and begins plucking the pieces of swordfish from the liquid.]

My, my, giving a teacher a false name... [He chuckles.] If he is Bishamon's, he might be trustworthy. Her exemplar certainly is.

[kokuyoyo]

And if it's Amaterasu's?

....And pat them dry, please.

[reformedsinner]

Mm. [Hakkai's silent for a moment as he pulls off a few paper towels to pat the excess marinade off the surface of the fish.]

I don't think Amaterasu herself is concealing malice towards us. Frankly, I don't think she's cunning enough for that, at least not at her age.

I don't trust her shinki as much. She must have named most of them before her death, and they may be acting on orders or ideals they learned from a version of her we never met.

[kokuyoyo]

He did have a stick up his ass.... [Dryly said, even as he takes a skillet up over to the stove.]

He said there are more basic spells than the ones I know.... so I wanted to ask him about that and other things...

[reformedsinner]

Ahaha, most of them are very... formal.

[So, yes. Stick up the ass. It's a shame.

It's no surprise that there are more spells than the handful that the new shinki have had a chance to learn, though, and Hakkai's expression grows thoughtful.]

I believe Kazuma certainly wasn't showing us everything he could do. If this Sabimei is willing to teach you what he knows, it seems worth seeing what he'll show you.