XIX

[rashness]

[So Sanji went home over a week ago. Honestly, Seventh Heaven’s been struggling to stay open since and he been conspicuously closed in the mornings where it hadn’t been before since then that time. You see, while there is a part time chef (Spock) and four members of the serving staff left, there is only one full time chef and at least one of the serving staff members isn’t coming in.

Oh, and there’s also a robot. Specifically mecha Sanji. It’s been picking up the cooking slack some, but for all of its frankly impressive robotics, it still can’t really think for itself or do much more than copy stuff it’s already seen prepared. ...Well and shoot lasers, but you know, robot. That is, until Pascal came in sometime yesterday and gave him some programming to "help" out at the place.

Or rather, to get more help. Which is way, sometime in the the afternoon today the robot steals Rin’s journal when the boy isn’t paying attention to make the following voice entry-]

[Voice / Action]
[This post begins with a hideous mechanical thing coming onto the picture, and beginning in a mechanical voice-]

My name is Sanji. We need more shitty workers at Seventh Heaven. Would you like to-

[And then there’s a sound of surprise as Rin comes into the room and exclaims-]

What the hell’re you-! [WAIT ISN’T THAT HIS JOURNAL HAS THE ROBOT GONE ROGUE? Pascal warned him about this!!]

Hello Rin. I am recruiting more shitty workers.

Who programmed you to-- no, dumb question. Just stop it already!

But we need more-

Hydrozz-- aalo nii-san! No, Hydra- Oh come on! [And at this point Rin gives up and goes to tackle the robot, because he turned his face back to the journal to continue his speil. And he seems to struggle with the robot for a bit, including an explosion before a shout of of-] Tell me you damn shut down phrase already!

Hydroxylammonium nitrate-- [And then a buzzing sound before, upon hearing the word, the robot shuts down. Rin sighs in relief and goes to pick up the book himself-]

S...sorry ‘bout that, everyone. [A beat] ...But the thing kinda has a point. We’re short handed, and while we don’t have a new boss or nothing, or even a head chef, if anyone’s willing to help us out however you think you can, could you stop by Seventh Heaven? I’m Rin, by the way, so I guess me and whoever else is here’ll be talkin’ to you.

[Because he wouldn’t want to pull a fast one on Miyabi or the others or anything. He’s really got no authority to do this in the first place...

And for the action portion, true to his word, Rin will be at Seventh Heaven all day. For once, he isn’t in the back cooking, so you might not be able to get a meal, but that’s because he’s manning the fort for anyone who might willing to help out here. This post was made in response to this OOC post]

Comments

[16autumnroad]

Oh, sure, I can work during school hours so you've got time to go.

[rashness]

Sweet! And-- actually, there's one more thing, but if the Boss gave you the cookbook, I guess it's sort of a formality... but the other people who wanted to be chefs here I've been givin' the same test the Boss gave me. So do you have time?

[16autumnroad]

Yeah, that seems like the fairest way to do things anyway. I have time.

[rashness]

Good! So, let's just go back to the kitchen, and then I'm gonna ask you to just make anything you're confident about how you make it.

[And he motions for the guy to follow him back - he can set the book off back there anyway.]

[16autumnroad]

Got it. Full meal, or just a main dish?

[Chouji follows, considering what to make. No harm in waiting to see the available ingredients before deciding, he supposes. Inspiration might strike.]

[rashness]

Probably just a main dish unless you're gunna help me eat it. We don't wanna waste it, after all, and I already ate.

[16autumnroad]

I definitely don't mind helping to eat, but that sounds fine. [He gestures around the kitchen.] Do you mind if I start opening doors to see where you keep everything?

[rashness]

No way - if you're gonna be working here, you might as well learn where everything else. Go get a feel for it. [Thumbs up]

[16autumnroad]

[Chouji goes ahead, in that case, briskly opening cabinet doors and leaving them open, finishing at the refrigerator. Once he's there, he works his way back through the kitchen, taking out ingredients and necessary implements as he goes and shutting every door. Based on what he takes, Rin may guess tempura before Chouji actually begins cooking.]

I'll get started, then. [He lays out fish and vegetables on a cutting block and takes up a knife, testing the blade and nodding. Chouji's focus is on what he's doing rather than on Rin's opinion of any of it. Food is important enough that it warrants the attention.]

[rashness]

[He does - but once he's got a guess for what Chouji's doing - he actually stops paying attention. It's not that he's uninterested in the technique - far from it. But... Chouji should be doing his own thing, his own way. Rin'll just review the results, which is how it ought to be. So he nods to confirm that he was paying attention up until he starts, then he just goes to mess with something on the opposite side of the kitchen - some dishes]

[16autumnroad]

[Being given the space to work without being watched comes as a pleasant surprise, and Chouji glances up very briefly when he hears Rin start on the dishes.

Then he returns to what he was doing. He sets oil to heat on the stove before finishing with his chopping and quickly mixing the batter. He dips and fries the sweet potatoes first, a minute or two in the oil, then moves on to other vegetables, then fish, laying them all out. Chouji doesn't bother with anything fancy in the way of presentation, but he arranges them neatly on a plate before calling Rin's attention.]

Time to see if I pass the test.

[rashness]

[Ooooh. Hah. Good, because he was basically out of dishes other than giving himself busywork by the time the other boy was done, and makes his way over with a grin which is probably a little too eager. But all things considered-]

Good! I was smellin' it before now.

[16autumnroad]

[Chouji nods immediately, sympathetic to Rin's plight.]

The smell of food cooking always makes me hungry too.

[And that's his cue to offer the plate to Rin for sampling.]

[rashness]

'M pretty sure everyone gets like that, man. [Rin takes the plate one handed. Which he realizes instantly while he can, that's in bad form, so quickly takes his second hand for it. He sets it down and gets out a utensil to take the first bite.]

[16autumnroad]

[Hey, manners aren't nearly as important to Chouji as proper enjoyment and appreciation of food. As long as Rin doesn't drop the plate or dislike the food, they're good.

He watches expectantly, looking for clues before he grins and asks...] What's the verdict?

[rashness]

[Bad form because you don't want to drop it, of course!

That said, he takes his bites, considers, and then keeps going at it a while. He's grinning as he goes, his tail curling some behind him before finally Chouji asks and-]

This is good.

[16autumnroad]

[The grin does seem a good sign.]

So I've got the job?

[rashness]

Yeah, you got it!

[With a thumbs up.

Even]