When you're used to war...

[perfectdisaster]

Who: perfectdisaster & OPEN
When: IC 6/15
Where: Residential, Shopping, and Entertainment Districts
What: Cutting classes and learning how to be "normal"
Rating/Warning: Nothing really? Maybe language, depending? Will change as needed!

---

I. How hard can it be to procure groceries?
[ He doesn't cook. He's never really had to learn beyond the most basic things that could be made on the field, so having to cook for himself is difficult, and recipes, which should be like following a manual, are more like reading a foreign language because the various cooking terms are not familiar to him. Unfortunately, he can't keep living on take-out and fast food, so this is a necessity.

...Which is why he's absolutely stumped, standing in front of the produce section and not understanding why in the world there are so many types of things. Lettuce is lettuce, why are there a million kinds? Just how many different peppers are there? And does there really need to be an entire section devoted to various types of apples?!

How the hell do people do this shopping thing when there are too many options to pick from? How do they know they're getting the right thing? How do they tell if what they're getting is even any good? ]

Maybe just ordering take-out for the rest of my life isn't such a bad idea after all...


II. Laundry is best left to people who have a clue.
[ Ah, the laundromat. A place where magical things can happen to those who venture inside, from chance meetings that could forever change one's life to just getting one's clothes squeaky clean! It's usually the second one. Except for Heero, it's neither. In fact, he's pretty sure this takes the cake as one of the worst possible things that could have happened here. He's sure that he followed all of the instructions, but for some reason, the washer is spewing soapy water all over the floor.

But it's okay, right? Just turn it off, clean up the mess, and learn for next time, like a normal person. Life lessons, and all that jazz... which is why he's standing there, staring at the slowly growing mess like a deer in headlights and backing away when it gets too close. It's also why, instead of asking for help (really, he's not good at the asking part) he'll look to the nearest person with an 'oh fuck what do I do' expression and hope someone else can assist.

Or at least tell him what to do so that he doesn't accidentally make a bigger mess than he already has. ]



III. Out and about
[ Cutting class is something he probably shouldn't be doing, but the classes are dull and he really doesn't care for being stuck in one school for so long... even though it hasn't really been that long at all. He's used to moving on after a quick layover for a mission, not the constant repetition of same old, same old, so exploring the place seems like a much better idea than sitting in a classroom all day.

The Entertainment District, Shopping District, and Residential Area are his locations of choice, if just because it's a distraction from what he's supposed to be doing, with his roughly knee-height companion in tow. Feel free to stop him somewhere if you like!

...just watch your kneecaps. He took away the gundam's rifle, but it still has its shoulder cannons, even if the shells are no bigger than a bb. ]

Comments

2

[sayonaradumbass]

[this is undoubtedly the worst person he could have run into but you know, life lessons. They're good for you. Except when they're terrible.

And this time? Yeah. That.

Kaneda's spent his visit to the laundromat filching change from the machines and switching peoples clothing around because he's that much of a dick. Also he needs to do something about these sneakers he's got. Basically, he saw the whole thing pan out. And when Heero catches his eye, he points and laughs]

Holy fuck, how'd ya do that? [sure, yes, its mocking, but also he's awed. He's never made a mess this big, not even on purpose!]

Life lessons are just not complete without Kaneda

[perfectdisaster]

[ So much for wanting assistance. It figures that this guy would be hanging around, though, given that there's trouble to be gotten into. The difference this time is that it's not Kaneda who got into it. ]

You mean to tell me that isn't what it's supposed to do? [ There's a dry sarcasm in his tone, but also curiosity, because he... honestly doesn't know the answer to this. He's pretty sure it's a big "no", though.

Yeah, let's just take another step backward, because the mess of bubbles is still spreading and he's half afraid to get close to the machine to shut it off. ]

and dont u forget it!

[sayonaradumbass]

[this is a masterpiece. A true and pure masterpiece. It spreads across the floor at an alarming rate and it just won't stop. Anyone in the building with them is either fascinated as well or....going for the manager.

Kaneda gives Heero one look, smirks, and asks:]

Wanna race?

Best kind.

[perfectdisaster]

[ He should be willing to accept whatever comes his way, having made a mess of things here. He should... but Kaneda's option seems to suit him better. Don't let yourself get caught - it was the creed they all lived by as pilots, and abandoning that now isn't an easy thing to do. So he'll do what his heart tells him instead.

...Which is get the hell out of Dodge. ]

Alright.

[ It beats sitting around waiting to get thrown out! He can always buy new clothes later, and it's not as if anything he had in there wasn't replaceable. ]

[sayonaradumbass]

[his smirk widening, and as if this is impressive, he waltzes right over to grab a little cart and hop in.]

Well? What are you waiting for? Old age?

I.

[shroudedinsecrecy]

...would you like some help?

[Iris recognized that look. Truthfully, she'd been seeing it a lot in recent times. Not everyone in the city seemed adequately prepared to cook meals for themselves with the raw materials provided by the markets.]

[Which was why, among other reasons, there would be no judgement from her.]

[Her own basket was rather small this time around, filled with only a small variety of vegetables and one large, wrapped package of her protein choice of the day. She'd been on her way to the checkout area when she'd spotted the young man and approached with a kind, if slightly sheepish, smile.]

[perfectdisaster]

[ He knows her voice even before he sees her, the same woman he'd spoken with on occasion before. She's trustworthy, as far as he knows, and judging from the fact that there isn't anything 'instant' in her basket, she's probably much better at cooking than he is.

That sheepish smile is met with an equally sheepish look, and he averts his eyes, lowering his voice somewhat. This is kind of embarrassing. ]

Quatre lives on tea, rabbit food, and crackers so we've kind of had to fend for ourselves, but I'm sick of ordering out and I've never actually had to do this before. I guess I thought I could just find something easy, but... I don't really know how to cook, so [ This is a very difficult admission for him! ] I'm kind of lost.

[shroudedinsecrecy]

[Quatre. She recognized the name, and it showed in her eyes. That glimmer of familiarity. Tainted only by a small level of concern. Tea, rabbit food, and crackers? That...sounded quite similar to the type of meal one might be offered at the Temple if they were in the middle of a purification training regime, not a daily meal meant to sustain oneself long-term.]

[Still...it was not her place right then to judge his friend. He was the one openly admitting to requiring a bit of assistance in the food department, though even she could tell he was having a hard time admitting as much.]

I'll tell you what. How about we shop together? I can give you a few simple recipes for you to try on your own.

[Because she strongly suspected he valued his independence and ability.]

...and, if that doesn't work, you're always welcome to come over when I cook. I usually make more than enough for myself.

[Just in case.]

[perfectdisaster]

[ Normally, he'd decline the assistance, but he knows he needs help with this. Living on take out and fast food can only do so much before it gets to be excruciatingly expensive, so it's in his best interests to learn to cook, and if she can provide some sort of aid, he'll gratefully accept. ]

...Alright.

[ And the offer of coming over isn't such a bad one. Besides, he likes her enough that he'd help her out if she needed it and it was something he could do. ]

Maybe I will sometime. I'm used to field rations and cafeteria food, neither of which is very good, so anything is better than those. Well, except maybe fast food, because if I have to look at another McCERES container, I'm probably going to be sick.

[shroudedinsecrecy]

[She tried not to wince. Really. But the moment he mentioned McCERES, there was a discernible twitch in her facial features.]

I wouldn't blame you. I tried one of their meals once, and I didn't understand why they would call something like that happy.

III

[zerotohiro]

[Now that Yang, Ruby, Weiss and Yu have all returned Hiro's finding it's a little easier to be out in the world again and wander the streets of Cerealia on his way to work or make trades on the black market or any other things he does that he probably shouldn't be doing. Today, however, he also has a much larger companion following him around without his armor. Baymax squeaks as he toddles along behind Hiro and the boy's saying something to the robot before he hears the warning.]

Hiro, watch your step. [And it's a good thing, seeing how the boy would have almost plowed right into Heero's gundam and probably been shot in the knees. He stops moving and stares down at the small machine, eyes immediately widening as he takes a closer look.]

Whoa. [Heero, you get to deal with a super-nerd examining your stuff. Sorry.] They've gotten really good about shrinking these guys down outside of ViViD.

[perfectdisaster]

[ Baymax catches Heero's attention long before Hiro does, because what in the world is that? He doesn't recall having seen Baymax without the armor before, so this is a little strange, but the face is familiar which is why he won't be too terribly confused. But... how does Hiro get it to fit into the armor??? And why is it squeaking like a balloon?

And where's-- oh shit. Luckily, Baymax has Hiro stopping before he can collide with the pint-sized gundam. ]

Be careful where you poke. I took the rifle away, but its weapons system is still active and loaded, and while I doubt the machine cannons on the shoulders could do much damage, it's still in possession of the beam sabers.

[zerotohiro]

Beam sabers. Right. [He sounds positively delighted about that and it does nothing to curb his enthusiasm even with Baymax hovering over him like some mother hen. Either the boy doesn't notice what Baymax is doing or he's so used to the behavior he's completed unbothered since he's more interested in studying the gundam up close.

(Though he does make sure not to poke too much. He's been injured enough times inside his garage and other experiments to be too terribly careless.)]

I didn't think you were the type to need a bodyguard out here. [It's a joke, of course, but also a way of asking Heero what he's doing out with the gundam in the first place.]

[perfectdisaster]

I'd provide proof, but they're not terribly impressive on their own.

[ He's not terribly worried about the gundam, his attention instead more focused on Baymax. Why does it look like a balloon with a head? Is this its real form or is this another armor Hiro designed for it? ]

ZERO isn't much of a bodyguard. It's more like a warning shot. The most it could really do is shoot out someone's knees unless it gets close enough to use the sabers... which, now that I think about it, I may have to take away after all because I don't need to get myself in trouble because someone's limb was severed.

[zerotohiro]

You say that like I wouldn't be interested either way. [Come on, Heero. He can appreciate something that can defend itself at least a little and he snorts under his breath in response.]

That might not be a bad idea though. We've got a pretty decent hospital but we already have enough problems here.

It is important to exercise caution around weaponry. Always keep the safety on.

[He catches the other boy looking over Baymax, giving him another few moments before chiming in again.] You've never seen him like this before, have you?

II.

[protectthecastle]

[Veronica knows enough about laundry (having done it back in Holly Heights) to know that there shouldn't be a slow flood of soapy water coming out of Heero's washer. Thankfully, she's more than happy to help (especially when he looks so troubled about it). She sets her own laundry bag to the side to reach out and pull him away from the mess for now so he doesn't slip.]

You may have added too much of the soap. Come, we will borrow a mop. I will help you.

[perfectdisaster]

[ He's a little flustered when she pulls him away, but he knows better than to argue with someone whose intent is assistance. Especially because he could really use that help right about now... and he did sort of try to seek out aid. He's grateful for whatever help she can provide! ]

But... I did what the directions said..!

[ Except for the part that he doesn't know the difference between what constitutes a large load and what is a smaller load, so he went with the larger amount figuring that meant it'd work better. The ability to calculate precision for repairing and constructing weapons and mobile suits does not translate into every day life very well when those aren't skills he understands. ]

[protectthecastle]

May I see them?

[She's not doubting him, of course. As far as she knows maybe the instructions are to blame here.

Meanwhile, she'll start carefully nudging the suds to one side.]

[perfectdisaster]

[ Give him a moment to locate what he used, and he'll hold it out for her inspection. ]

I followed the steps. [ Except for one small part. ] Though, I think there might be a typo, because it didn't look like enough.

[ The 'so I added more' is left unsaid here. ]

[protectthecastle]

[Veronica takes the package carefully before she reads the instructions once, and then a second time.]

I have always found... [How is she supposed to say this....? She looks back to him.]

...that it is best to follow the instructions. You may have added too much, I think.

i.

[pickoffs]

[ He was going to let the guy standing stock still in the produce section be, he doesn't know his life, maybe he's having an epiphany or something, but Kazuya's got everything on his list except the tomatoes, and he can't get to them without pushing his cart in front of him.

Which puts him at a prime spot to hear one of the more ridiculous things he's ever heard, and he turns his head with his brows lifted. ]

Picking your own vegetables is not that intimidating.

[perfectdisaster]

If it's not meant to be, then why are there so many varieties of things to choose from?

[ They make equipment parts in a wide variety, but this is like having a bunch of random pieces that all look alike with no clue what they do. It's just not practical! ]

Why can't there just be one thing to make it easier?

[pickoffs]

Dude, it's about what you want to cook, some stuff reacts differently or tastes weird in combination...

[ He looks for a grocery list, or something-- ]

What are you good at making?

[perfectdisaster]

[ Oh. Well, that makes a little more sense now. ]

I've never really had to make anything beyond field rations and basic things like cereal.

[ He can make pizza appear at the door, though! ]

[pickoffs]

...seriously?

[ His brow's a little furrowed. That explains the lack of a grocery list. Amateur mistake, but if you don't cook then you probably don't shop, so he's not surprised. ]

All right, uh, easy stuff for beginners is like... meat and potatoes, or pasta, or... what do you like, I guess?