Rice cooker

[onifukuchou]

[There is a new rice cooker in the apartment. The previous (ancient) one had met it's demise in a fizzle of sparks from the cord and much swearing, and had summarily been replaced. The new one is very white, very shiny, and has roughly three times the buttons on it that the old one had.

Hijikata has decided, in honor of this, he will actually cook dinner at home. Dinner that isn't half from a box.

Unfortunately, the rice cooker is proving to be A Problem]

Comments

[mumyo_ken]

Okay!

[And that's all he really wanted anyway. To be useful. So he'll just hum happily to himself while he gets the rice cooking without even needing that manual.]

[onifukuchou]

Hn.

[You didn't have to be useful. HE IS MAKING THIS FOR YOU. But while he cuts onions he will... try to see what setting Souji is using so he can remember for the future.]

[mumyo_ken]

[But he *wants* to be, damnit. And it's not like it's hard. Unless you're a grumpy old man, apparently. He'll have to not-so-subtly go and mark the right settings in the manual later when Hijikata's not looking.]

I was right. It's like the one my sister has.

[Maybe that would take the sting out of it. ...okay, probably not.]

[onifukuchou]

[HE'S NOT THAT OLD goddamnit kids these days grumble grumble :|

The onions go in the pan on the stove, and he glances at Souji.]

Beef or chicken? I bought both.

[mumyo_ken]

Hmm. Let's have the beef.

[Since he'd bought it, and it probably had been a bit expensive.]

[onifukuchou]

[It kind of was, but it's not like he spends much of his money elsewhere anyway.]

Alright. This stuff should be done pretty soon.

[Into the pan goes the sliced beef]

[mumyo_ken]

[Poking his head around to watch]

It looks good.

[onifukuchou]

It's just tanindon. And you live off of instant ramen anyway.

[But he looks a little pleased at the compliment]

[mumyo_ken]

I do not.

[Okay, maybe. But only because that was what he could afford.]

[onifukuchou]

You do. You probably haven't had homemade food since the last time you visited your sister, am I right?

[mumyo_ken]

I cook real food sometimes!

[Miso counted, right?]

[onifukuchou]

If it comes in a box, it doesn't count.

[Not that... he cooks from scratch much. Other than rice.

The eggs go into the pan, and he glances over at Souji and the rice cooker]

Dish that out when it's done. The bowls are over the sink.

[mumyo_ken]

It doesn't!

[Over the sink... over the sink... Who kept their bowls all the way up there? People taller than him, clearly. Cue Souji clamoring up onto the edge of the sink to pull them down. Wheee.]

[onifukuchou]

[Hijikata looks vaguely worried at that for a moment, before he switches to annoyed.]

You could have just said they were too high.

[mumyo_ken]

[He wobbles a little but catches himself]

Or you could keep them somewhere less silly.

[onifukuchou]

[Hijikata sighs, and leaves the stove for a minute to go and reach over Souji's head for the bowls]

It's not that silly.

[mumyo_ken]

I was going to get them!

[But now he's been thwarted, so he's just going to sulk about it.]

It is silly to put things where no one else can reach.

[onifukuchou]

[And Hijikata will do his best to ignore it :| though he makes a mental note to move the everyday stuff down to more reachable locations]

I don't have people over often.

[mumyo_ken]

That's because you're always off working too hard.

[onifukuchou]

[He huffs a little]

It's work that needs to be done.

[mumyo_ken]

That doesn't mean you have to be the one to do it...

[onifukuchou]

[He shrugs a little]

It'll get done faster that way. Kondou needs the help.

[mumyo_ken]

You just don't trust anyone else.

[But now the rice is done, so he's going to go ahead and scoop that into the bowls]

[onifukuchou]

I trust them. I can do it faster, though.

[He takes the pan off the stove, and starts dividing up the cooked beef, egg, and onion.

...Souji's bowl may have a bit more than his]

[mumyo_ken]

They can't get any faster if you never let them do their jobs, you know.

[He sees what you did there, Hijikata]