[ That smile? That smile alone is worth it entirely. It makes her chest expand with warmth and she feels a rejuvenated effort to impress him and see if she can help him smile like that again.
When he mentions wishes, though, she covers her mouth. ]
Shh, that will spoil the surprise!
[ Yes, there are most definitely wishes going to be involved. That's a big tradition. And when he suggests that they could give them a proper send off? She lights up. ]
Could we? That would be great! That's the only way to do it.
[ Well, since he already knows part of it, she motions for Ichigo to follow her to the back door. She pulls back the curtain and boy the light of the afternoon beams in and burns her retinas, but she pushes it back just a little so she can open the door and beckons him outside.
Outside there is a potted bamboo plant about three feet tall. There are already a few little tanzaku hanging off. ]
I also got some colorful paper so we can decorate the tree too! And...well, the cabbage is because I wanted to try and make something close to okonomiyaki to go along with our noodles.
[Now that he is easing in to the idea of being in a better mood for the first time in a while, it's easy to smile a little wider at the way Orihime gasps and tells him not to spoil the secret.
Nailed it, effortlessly. Oops.
Ichigo follows her as he replies, stepping out of the apartment to check out the bamboo plant she's acquired.] We can definitely do that. It wouldn't really be right if we didn't, would it? [ He crouches down beside it, touching one of the tanzaku almost thoughtfully, before turning his attention back to her.]
Maybe I can help with that, too. [So that nothing really weird gets put into their already guaranteed to be offbeat okonomiyaki plan. Has she noticed the way Ichigo is always offering to help her cook...? That'll be an awkward conversation, if it ever comes up.] So where do you wanna start?
[ And they can't really go home so might as well go big. Not that that was the parallel she was trying to make. (Whoops.)
Yes, Ichigo, she actually absolutely knows that you're trying to supervise and make sure she doesn't make anything too strange for you. As much as Orihime enjoys her own unique palette, she also is well-aware that it's not most people's cup of tea. She knows she that she should tell him it's fine not to watch her and that she'll save her additives for her own servings or portions, but...well.
She also just kind of likes the attention and involvement. Like a fun activity that they can do together, something she looks forward to. It's greedy. She'll tell him someday.
Today is not that day.
So Orihime just nods that too. Sometimes feigning blissful ignorance saves them both face, doesn't it? ]
Are you hungry? If so we can start with food while we think of some good wishes.
[...yeah, some things are probably better left unsaid on that front, because they're just gonna end up going in some typical apology circle over that.
Anyway, it's a similar feeling that he has. Sure, he does it with a self serving purpose in mind on the surface, but the time spent together cooking has actually been one of his favorite things about being stuck here with her. It makes him feel like something is normal, and okay, and he would probably keep doing it even if she were to tell him.
Either way, Ichigo is getting to his feet, offering her a smile that only seems to get more comfortable the longer they talk about their plans. Ichigo definitely needed this, in hindsight. He's going to have to make sure to tell her that, at some point.
Not yet, though.]
I could definitely eat, I haven't had anything yet. [Because his appetite has been at a bare minimum level, thanks to anxiety and everything else eating at him. Now that he feels a little lighter, he's definitely not just saying that to keep her from worrying, like he's gotten used to doing lately.] Lead the way. Your good sized cabbage is on the counter.
[ Keeping some sense of normalcy is absolutely her goal. Even though their idea of "normal" may not exactly be mainstream, it's important to keep them grounded, at least she believes so. Orihime has been worried that it might come off as complacency, an acceptance of their situation and a lack of desire to change it. Because there have been good things, hasn't there? She's gotten to spend time with him, she's made new friends, but...
...but their end goal is to leave this place. They have to get home and fight another battle. Yet every day in Deerington can't be spent fraught in worry and in disappointment of their lack of progress. Others have spent years in this town, and while she does think that Ichigo can make a difference, she also doesn't want him to to feel pressured to be the only one to push forward. If time really is paused, the time is something they do have.
Which means there's time to have some okonomiyaki and set fire to paper.
So she smiles at his appraisal of the cabbage and heads back inside. She'll have to flip a few lights back on to actively cook, though. ]
It is! It might be more than we need for tonight...although I could just make really, really fat okonomiyaki? Mmm, what do you think, Kurosaki-kun?
[ Orihime pulls two different packages out of the refrigerator. ]
They didn't have octopus so we'll have to improvise. I did get some sort of white fish, though? And I got chicken! Which one would you like? Or maybe both?
Edited (damn that kurosak-kun for showing up again) Date: 2020-07-24 05:05 am (UTC)
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(no subject)
Date: 2020-07-08 11:57 pm (UTC)When he mentions wishes, though, she covers her mouth. ]
Shh, that will spoil the surprise!
[ Yes, there are most definitely wishes going to be involved. That's a big tradition. And when he suggests that they could give them a proper send off? She lights up. ]
Could we? That would be great! That's the only way to do it.
[ Well, since he already knows part of it, she motions for Ichigo to follow her to the back door. She pulls back the curtain and boy the light of the afternoon beams in and burns her retinas, but she pushes it back just a little so she can open the door and beckons him outside.
Outside there is a potted bamboo plant about three feet tall. There are already a few little tanzaku hanging off. ]
I also got some colorful paper so we can decorate the tree too! And...well, the cabbage is because I wanted to try and make something close to okonomiyaki to go along with our noodles.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-07-10 07:30 pm (UTC)Nailed it, effortlessly. Oops.
Ichigo follows her as he replies, stepping out of the apartment to check out the bamboo plant she's acquired.] We can definitely do that. It wouldn't really be right if we didn't, would it? [ He crouches down beside it, touching one of the tanzaku almost thoughtfully, before turning his attention back to her.]
Maybe I can help with that, too. [So that nothing really weird gets put into their already guaranteed to be offbeat okonomiyaki plan. Has she noticed the way Ichigo is always offering to help her cook...? That'll be an awkward conversation, if it ever comes up.] So where do you wanna start?
(no subject)
Date: 2020-07-13 02:39 am (UTC)It's best to go all out. "Go big or go home!"
[ And they can't really go home so might as well go big. Not that that was the parallel she was trying to make. (Whoops.)
Yes, Ichigo, she actually absolutely knows that you're trying to supervise and make sure she doesn't make anything too strange for you. As much as Orihime enjoys her own unique palette, she also is well-aware that it's not most people's cup of tea. She knows she that she should tell him it's fine not to watch her and that she'll save her additives for her own servings or portions, but...well.
She also just kind of likes the attention and involvement. Like a fun activity that they can do together, something she looks forward to. It's greedy. She'll tell him someday.
Today is not that day.
So Orihime just nods that too. Sometimes feigning blissful ignorance saves them both face, doesn't it? ]
Are you hungry? If so we can start with food while we think of some good wishes.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-07-17 05:11 am (UTC)Anyway, it's a similar feeling that he has. Sure, he does it with a self serving purpose in mind on the surface, but the time spent together cooking has actually been one of his favorite things about being stuck here with her. It makes him feel like something is normal, and okay, and he would probably keep doing it even if she were to tell him.
Either way, Ichigo is getting to his feet, offering her a smile that only seems to get more comfortable the longer they talk about their plans. Ichigo definitely needed this, in hindsight. He's going to have to make sure to tell her that, at some point.
Not yet, though.]
I could definitely eat, I haven't had anything yet. [Because his appetite has been at a bare minimum level, thanks to anxiety and everything else eating at him. Now that he feels a little lighter, he's definitely not just saying that to keep her from worrying, like he's gotten used to doing lately.] Lead the way. Your good sized cabbage is on the counter.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-07-24 05:04 am (UTC)...but their end goal is to leave this place. They have to get home and fight another battle. Yet every day in Deerington can't be spent fraught in worry and in disappointment of their lack of progress. Others have spent years in this town, and while she does think that Ichigo can make a difference, she also doesn't want him to to feel pressured to be the only one to push forward. If time really is paused, the time is something they do have.
Which means there's time to have some okonomiyaki and set fire to paper.
So she smiles at his appraisal of the cabbage and heads back inside. She'll have to flip a few lights back on to actively cook, though. ]
It is! It might be more than we need for tonight...although I could just make really, really fat okonomiyaki? Mmm, what do you think, Kurosaki-kun?
[ Orihime pulls two different packages out of the refrigerator. ]
They didn't have octopus so we'll have to improvise. I did get some sort of white fish, though? And I got chicken! Which one would you like? Or maybe both?