she's minding her own business when she hears the door open, and sees a figure going through the door. [break][break]

then she smiles, seeing that familiar figure holding the ingredients that he needed to fetch. the leavanny and ribombee move with the trainer as she makes her way to the kitchen, asmile on her lips as she raises her arms in favour of tying up darker locks into a small bun, paired with a familiar butterfly pin. [break][break]

"i hope you weren't thinking of sorting that without some help~"

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

He’d glanced over in passing as he entered, but upon noting the footsteps grow louder (as well as the voice paired with it), he lifted his head once he’d released the bags just in time to see her make her way in. His gaze trailed after her as she walked closer before he brought his attention back to the ingredients, beginning to sort through them.[break][break]

”...That was the intention, but I suppose I should’ve known better~...” he hummed lowly, allowing the vaguest trace of amusement to tug upon his lips in the form of a softened smile. ”Has the rice finished cooking?”

AYAME FUJIWARA [break]
mission: affection's confections

☉

"naturally~" he should have known better, considering he know how she loved to cook. though for the time being, she'd let him sort through the ingredients as she walks into the kitchen, taking a glance over at the rice cooker to check for the orange light - and there it was. [break][break]

"ah, it should be done~" the woman chimes, moving to open up the lid on the machine. she's suddenly hit with steam, and she quickly recoils from the pot while taking the textured paddle into her hand. "i'll leave it to be warmed while we cook something up." and she dips the paddle into the rice, beginning to flip and scoop it around to it isn't sitting flat. [break][break]

with that finished, she returns to the table, moving to another side of it to begin opening up the bags. "i hope i didn't keep you waiting for too long, when you went to get the ingredients?~"

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

He shook his head, humming softly while turning to quickly (carefully) draw a knife from the stand that it dwelled within, setting it aside before pulling a number of the leafier products he’d brought over out. ”Mmn… Not quite, no,” he murmured, reaching over to flick the faucet lever up. Shifting over a number of paces, he held the greens out, washing them beneath the stream of water prior to shaking them off softly. ”I was the one that just came back, anywho…”[break][break]

With a couple more shakes, he stepped over towards the counter once more, quickly pulling a cutting board from one of the lower cabinets and setting it before him prior to beginning to chop them into more manageable pieces and moving onto an assortment of carrots and radishes. ”The fish should be in one of the bags closest to the edge of the counter.”

AYAME FUJIWARA [break]
mission: affection's confections

☉

ah, a slip of the tongue. no matter. [break][break]

ayame reaches over the counter, careful not to knock anything off, until she's gotten a grasp on the packet of fish he bought. she takes a moment to take a look at it -- "ah." she blinks a few times, seeing the pokemon in the package. the poor wishiwashi. on the bright side, they do taste delicious when prepared right. [break][break]

"hm.." she hums, then smiling more as she turns, slightly, to glance over her shoulder "did you pick up the red bean paste? i was thinking we could have youkan as a dessert, after making some ramen~"

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

”Of course I did. Look in the—...”[break][break]

He gave a brief pause, glancing over towards the bags with a pensive squint.[break][break]

”...The bag next to the one the fish were in.” He eyed the varied plastics for a little while longer before turning his attention back towards the array of root vegetables he’d assembled before him. With a hum, he returned to work and chopped away at each and every one of them (the ones he’d separated for them to eat that specific day, at least). ”Be sure not to make the ramen portions too big, though. …Remember we’ll be having some kenchinjiru to go along with the rice and the fish.”[break][break]

Such idle chit chat and direction.[break]
…He really did miss it.

AYAME FUJIWARA [break]
mission: affection's confections

☉

it really has been a while, hasn't it? [break][break]

she can't remember the last time they've done this. it's felt like forever ago - and yet they've fallen back into it like they've never stopped. it's come so naturally for her, she hasn't even realized how much she's missed this - it's something that was so mundane previously (enjoyable and simple, and mundane) that she had never even paid much attention to. there's more appreciation she's feeling now, as her heart pounds from the excitement and she finds it harder to suppress a smile. [break][break]

she finds the ingredients, and a hum with a smile form on her lips as she pulls them out to begin prepping. she tugs at the apron to the side, makes for the sink to wash her hands, then pulls the fish over and onto a chopping board. "i'm sure our pokemon would want some servings too, though~" she chimes "remember when we didn't make enough for some of them? they'd look so sad~"

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉

”I do, and it was a lesson reluctantly learned…”[break][break]

The mention of the memory, alone, had been more than enough to prompt a duo of sighs both in initial reaction, as well as the words had slipped from between his lips. A soft click of the tongue had joined it soon after, as well, though rather than expressing a look of disdain and annoyance, a soft smile surfaced upon his lips as he set the vegetables aside and instead turned towards another selection of cabinets.[break][break]

As if making a point, he picked out a larger, deeper pot before sitting it on the stovetop nearby.[break][break]

”If Hanabi had been born at the time, she definitely would’ve made the largest fuss of all…” he hummed lowly, taking care to fill the cookware with a copious amount of water before igniting the bottom. He reached over to the counter space behind him, quickly sifting through a bag and plucking out what seemed to be a couple of bags of kelp, mushrooms, and other ingredients for stock preparation before dropping them in. ”Needless to say, I’d rather not figure out how she’d react, so…”[break][break]

He glanced over his shoulder again, still with that same, softly amused smile.[break][break]

”...I do plan to make enough for leftovers spanning a few days. I’m sure you wouldn’t mind?”

AYAME FUJIWARA [break]
mission: affection's confections

☉

his slight exasperation is followed by a smile and soft giggle from ayame, recalling the old memories. "so you say, but i think hana and suiren both caused more than enough trouble." she clicks her tongue at the two butterflies who wander to the kitchen door, hearing their names and curiously peeking at the couple. "hana would try to make a fuss and make a mess of the floor as a spewpa, then suiren would try to become spiky as to threaten us to feed her~" she smiles to the two winged insect, who seem to give her a pout. [break][break]

"you'd think that suiren were a cascoon, with how sassy she is~" and an unamused buzz comes from the living room, followed by ayame's soft sputter and laugh. "no doubt, hanabi's father would need to hold his daughter back~" lest she cause a mess of their dinner, with ayame knowing how strong dragon pokemon could be - especially when they're younger, and don't know how to control their arms. [break][break]

her ears perk up, watching the man from the corner of her eye before nodding and humming at his suggestion. "oh, no, go ahead~" they should make enough and, what isn't eaten can be enjoyed by the pokemon, or themselves at a later date. she stops with the fish for a moment, however, in favour of keeping her gaze fixated on him. then, she lowers the knife against the board, in favour of sliding over to lift herself onto her toes, leaning to give the man a quick peck to his cheek before slithering back off to her board. a tinge of pink tints her ears "with my help, of course~"

Asahiko Hakuryuu

☉