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[Dirk could have fought him. He's working on something. He wants to get it done. He's not hungry. It's fine, he's fine. But Hinata holds his hand out. Dirk has been doing that a lot lately himself and been left with no response.

He doesn't have the heart not to take what's offered.]

Can you do an orange marinade?

[But don't think you're getting out of letting this child have his oranges one way or another. He may have let Hinata pull him to his feet but he is still getting his oranges.]

[Hajime's lips curve into a small, relieved smile when Dirk takes his hand, tugging lightly to pull him to his feet before letting go and starting to head toward the kitchen.]

...Yeah, I actually think I can. I've been trying to read up on cooking techniques, so... I can't promise it'll be the best meal you've ever had, but I do know how to cook fish.

[That's one skill he actually had before arriving here, since, well, Japanese.]

Not like we have too many options, but what do you like? And don't say oranges and Doritos, I know that one already.

[He readily follows Hinata along. His hands are comfortably in his pocket, and his shades firmly in place, but he's definitely not failing to take up Hinata's offer.]

Sand Shark meat is fine.

[It's also probably the freshest things they have. It is always easy to go out and get more Sand Sharks for dinner.]

Okay. Sand Shark with an orange marmalade, and I'll try to grill some vegetables, too.

[Sounds like a tall order for a normal kid. Don't think he's forgotten about those shades and Dirk's ability to work on projects with them, but he's not commenting on them for now. One step at a time.]

I think there should be enough rice on the farm that it'll be okay if we use some from the kitchen... do you know how to cook it?

Edited 2016-08-19 23:45 (UTC)

No idea.

[Houston was not the best place for rice even before it drowned.]

[...It almost feels like a victory, knowing how to do something that Dirk doesn't. And then he feels a little bad about that.]

I can teach you, if you want. I'm used to using a rice cooker, but it's not too hard to cook it in a pot.

[It's a project, and yet, different from what he's done before, if Hajime's reading the situation right. Maybe it'll help, maybe not. But it's something different, something new for the other teen. Hopefully that helps him relax a little.]

Sure. It seems cool. Is it the right strain of rice here for how you like it?

[HE REMEMBERS READiNG ABOUT DIFFERENT KINDS OF RICE? He read a weird comic once about people arguing about what rice should be like. It made no sense to him. Teach him everything, Hinata.]

Mm, it's alright. Short-grain rice is what we usually eat back home... it's sticky, so it's easy to eat with chopsticks. And you use short-grain rice to make mochi, which... you've probably never had either, right?

[By now, he's in the kitchen, moving through the fridge with practiced ease to find the Sand Shark fillets and some of the carrots and broccoli from the farm.]

If we're still here for New Year's... I wonder if it'd be possible to pound mochi.

[Dirk gives Hinata about a foot of space, so he can observe without getting in his way.]

'No' to having had mochi before. I don't know what it is.

[At the very least, Hinata has grabbed all of Dirk's attention and focused it on these interesting lessons in Stuff He Doesn't Know.]

Edited (clARITY) 2016-08-20 00:58 (UTC)

It's a dessert. It's basically rice flour, sugar, and water I think, with different fillings or flavorings.

[Talking about home is nice, but so is keeping Dirk's attention. He passes him the vegetables.]

Could you chop those up for me? --Not with your sword, with a knife.

[Trying... to head that off before the other can flashstep.]

But rice is easy. It's usually around two cups of water to one cup of rice. Put them both in the pot at the same time, set it to boil, then cover it and let it steam for... a couple minutes. If you can set the rice going, it makes it easier to focus on your other food at the same time. Make sense?

[A beat. He was definitely going to use his sword. Good save, Hinata. Dirk instead selects a knife and starts properly chopping the vegetables up, even though it takes 500 years. Weirdo.]

Like testing a section of your program in the background while you work on other areas.

[He thinks?]

[Dirk why are you like this.]

Uh... yeah, like that. It's something you don't have to watch closely, and even if it starts to burn, you'll be able to smell it before anything gets totally ruined. Let's not get to that point, though.

[Since getting more rice isn't as easy as just walking to the convenience store.

But even if he knows he's mostly doing all this to try to help Dirk out, he has to admit, it's calming for him, too. Making something simple with ingredients that are similar enough to those he could find at home makes him a little homesick. Or, well, more homesick than usual.]

...You're not working on a program right now, are you?

[Dude. The shades. While he's finishing up the rice, he can't help but glance toward him and raise an eyebrow.]

[Dirk looks up because he could answer this but he could also respond to a person who is clearly concerned about him by giving them a hard time.]

Shit. Will you ground me?

[He is in fact not programming at all right now. But he is always being awful.]

...

[See, Dirk is so monotone all the time that even for as sarcastic as Hajime can be on his own, he still can't quite tell when Dirk is doing the same.]

Could you not? [Either not be a little shit, or not program. He's not sure which is more likely, here.] I'm... sure you have a reason for wearing your sunglasses all the time, but come on, Dirk. Take a break.

[There's a pause. Then he tugs the glasses off and tucks them into his sylladex.]

Okay.

[Back to choppin' up those veggies.]

Ah-

[Oh. Hajime's admittedly a little surprised that the other gave in so easily. And also that Dirk does have eyeballs under his glasses. Who knew.]

...Thanks. When you're done with the vegetables, could you get some oranges and squeeze the juice into a bowl for me?

No problem.

[Dirk has apparently switched from little shit to docile, since he finishes up with the veggies and moves directly to the juicing project. This one is extra fun because oranges smell amazing.]

[At least Hajime is from a weirdo vidya/anime so orange eyes doesn't even faze him. Instead, he just focuses on getting the fish ready to grill. He's trying to figure out how to bring up what he really wants to ask, but... Dirk seems to be enjoying himself, and he doesn't want to upset him.

Well. Upset him more than he already is trying to repress, Hajime thinks.]

So... what have you done besides projects, the last couple days?

[Let the boy have his orange juice, Hinata... surely you understand...

Dirk takes a pretty noncommittal attitude to all of it. He is apparently very chill.]

I went hunting for URSULA's servers on Mountain Island with Jake. It was all of his Lara Croft fantasies come true.

What about you?

[He does....]

Did you find them? The servers, I mean.

[That's important enough that he lifts his knife from the fish meat he was slicing, staring back at Dirk for a second before returning his attention to what he's prepping.]

But as for me... I went to the island with Jake, too. Mostly I've just been trying to rest and study... That reminds me, have you met Souda yet?

Half, we think. We were given a clue for the other half.

[His tone is really flat? He thinks it is absolutely stupid that they were sent on a treasure hunt. What the everloving fuck.]

I'm relieved you've actually been resting. [Dirk has no right?]

Super High School Level Mechanic, right? He's making Rapplejack a sweet ride.

[YEAH THEY MET.]

A clue.

[He sounds just as flat. That sounds like some minigame bullshit. Or some motive bullshit. Or the kind of bullshit he had to deal with on Jabberwork Island.

The stare he shoots Dirk is equally as flat, because wow. Pot, kettle. At least he can admit when he is, though?]

Yeah, I overdid it trying to get the hallway to the showers fixed... It's annoying, but at least I was able to get that done, with help.

[Ah, but he brightens at the mention of Kazuichi and nods, lips curving into a fond, if exasperated smile.]

Yeah, that's him. I know he can seem kind of weird, but... he's a really good friend of mine. Just be careful that he doesn't try to take Rapplejack apart for pieces...

[Fish ready to grill, he moves past the other teen to hunt through the cabinets for some kind of fake honey or syrup that anyone's managed to get from plants. Soy sauce seems like too much to ask for.]

Yes.

[It is bullshit. But at least Hinata is resting now, and Dirk will make sure he keeps doing so. Dirk knows about grilling fish, but he watches Hinata curiously to see what he does with it. Dirk's own spices/sauce supply was pretty limited.]

He'd get hit with her stasis rifle if he tried.

[Rapplejack is programmed for self-defence.]

Aah... just be careful not to hurt him too much. He's, uh...

[A whiner. Delicate. Cries easily.]

He dresses like a punk, but he's not as tough as he looks.

[He still sounds incredibly fond of the other boy, even as he sighs. Kazuichi sure is something.]

Anyway, what was the clue?

[This... kind of looks like syrup? What plant did it come from... he pops open the can and sniffs it carefully. If it's in the kitchen, it's probably not harmful?]

Mix this in with the juice you got from the oranges. That should thicken it enough that it'll work as a marinade... I think.

I'll try to be careful.

[Dirk isn't... delicate, exactly. But he wasn't planning on beating up Souda or anything? Disabling if it came to it but not hurting him.

He takes the bottle, sniffs it in curiosity, and then adds a little bit to the juice.]

"Where Atlas Stood." According to Hesoid, that's the westward ends of the world. So I guess it's "Go West, young man" for us.

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