008 -- [Voice || Action]

[endgames]

[Voice]

Oi. What's easy to make for dinner, besides sandwiches and microwave dinners?

[Let's face it - Shikamaru can cook for himself if need be, but Chouji's the food lover. Unfortunately there comes a point where one gets bored of the dishes they know how to make - particularly when those dishes are sandwiches and instant food.

Speaking of instant food - he'll just beat Naruto to the punch on this one. 8|] ...Or ramen.

[/end voice]

[Fortunately he has some time to take suggestions. Once he's finished his regular daily regimen of training for the day (something he's been keeping up on since Chouji was taken), he can be found in a clearing not too far from the path to town, next to the river. There's a shogi board with him, set on a turn table, and it likely looks like he's playing himself.

Of course, if you're more familiar with Tsinku, or just paying closer attention to the rumble of thunder in the background that rolls when Shikamaru switches to playing the opposite side, you might guess differently. Apparently, as he learned the other day in a conversation with Law, the filial spirits have some interest in games. And surprisingly when it comes to shogi, Tsinku's turning out to a challenging opponent.

He hasn't known the spirit long enough to learn from him just yet, but he pays attention to him all the same. The sooner he can build up a relationship with Tsinku, the faster he can learn from him. And any skill he can pick up is a useful one. Especially here.

...This past week has been a rough one. Aside from Shino, Luceti's officially screwed with everyone he cares about now - and there's next to nothing he can do about it. It may prove to be futile, but he's going to be prepared for when it happens again.

In any case, it's the reason he's out here on a day like today. And he'll be out here until it starts to snow again or gets dark, whichever comes first.]

Comments

[yourhatred.livejournal.com]

[There's a sound, perhaps like the rustling of feathers or maybe that's just a light footfall, and there's someone else in the clearing. One arm resting loosely out of its sleeve and in the opening of a blue silk overshirt and red eyes cutting through the shadows, Itachi takes only a few steps in before stopping to watch.]

[endgames]

[He was wondering what had had Tsinku distracted. It's this that alerts him to Itachi's presence, which does well to make him feel like a green genin again. A pointless feeling - Tsinku is a spirit and that comes with an awareness of things that not even a trained shinobi can possess.

But it's something to work on. If he were back home, that sort of a delay could be a deadly one.

...He still has no idea what to make of Itachi, anothing thing this place has made overly complicated. One the one hand, it's nice to have not had to fight him; on the other, his reputation back home means he always feels like he has to be prepared for it.

Shikamaru takes a mental inventory of the weapons he has on hand before looking up from the board.] ...Long time no see.

[yourhatred.livejournal.com]

Mm. It has been some time, hasn't it?

[He takes another few steps closer, casually, stopping when he's within easy striking distance.]

You seem to have found someone who can offer you more of a challenge than I could.

[endgames]

It helps that he's not seven.

[Voice]

[phasingly.livejournal.com]

Mac and cheese? That's like, the only thing I can make that doesn't end with everyone making weird faces and pretending to like it.

[Voice]

[endgames]

Mac and cheese? [Mun hereby declares ninjaland has no such thing. But cheese sounds good.]

[Voice]

[phasingly.livejournal.com]

All you have to do is make macaroni and melt cheese on it. It's good and really easy.

[Voice]

[endgames]

Sounds like something I might have to look into then. Thanks.

[Voice]

[dangerouswind.livejournal.com]

[Look who's actually deigning to open the journal... and speak.]

Seriously, Shikamaru?

[Voice]

[endgames]

[Progress, he takes it. This isn't even filtered.

...so of course it's to bug him.]

What now, woman?

[Voice]

[dangerouswind.livejournal.com]

[Annoying you is one of life's pleasures. She remembers this now.]

You're seriously asking the population at large to help you cook?

[Voice]

[endgames]

No, I'm asking for suggestions on what to cook.

[voice]

[swordboning.livejournal.com]

If you've got a rice maker, I could give you some ideas that are really easy to make.

[voice]

[endgames]

I do, actually. [And it just so happens to be that rice is one of the things he knows he can cook reasonably well.] Fire away.

[voice]

[swordboning.livejournal.com]

If you take about three cups of rice and put it in a frying pan, it only takes a few minutes to add in things like onions, peas, eggs, carrots, and soy sauce and cook it up. If you want, you can add whatever kind of meat you'd like too. If I'm using frozen vegetables, I can be done in practically ten minutes but using fresh veggies obviously takes longer because you have to cut them up. The meat would have to be cooked too, obviously, if you want to add it. Chicken only adds on a few extra minutes.

If that's too much, you can always take some cool rice, put some raw salmon or tuna in the middle, ball it up, wrap it in nori, and eat it like that. It all depends on what is easy to you.

In the end, if you're just looking for help cooking, I don't mind doing that. It's a really fulfilling hobby.

[voice]

[endgames]

I got a friend who'd say the same thing. He makes some mean onigiri. I'm usually just in it to fill myself up. [There's some scribbling sounds - pen against paper - as he writes down the ingredients he might want to add in.] Thanks though. That sounds good.

[voice]

[thestormishere]

[ Lightning is probably even more clueless than Shikamaru is when it comes to cooking in a place like this, but if there's one thing she does know... ]

Oatmeal. Not the kind marked 'instant' at the stores, though.

[voice]

[endgames]

Does it taste much different?

[By general rule of thumb, most things do. But he has a harder time applying this to oatmeal. 8|a]

[voice]

[thestormishere]

Definitely.

[ Of course, she's from a world where everything is naturally really bland, so her sense of taste is probably quite a bit more in-tune with telling that sort of thing than most people's, but... details. ]

[ voice ]

[markofthebrave]

You could try stir fry.

[ voice ]

[endgames]

I could. [You made it once, when he was a kid. It's definitely had more appeal since then.] But there's several different kinds.

[ voice ]

[markofthebrave]

[Oh no! Not that!]

So start out with the vegetables that you think you'll like the best and flavor it to taste. Figuring out how you like it is part of the fun.

[allbluebreasts.livejournal.com]

[Easy to make for dinner... well, Sanji's view of "easy" is stilted, but she still runs through her database of recipes for an idea]

Depends on how fast you want your meal. Porkchops are easy. Just stick it in the oven and take it back out after it's cooked.

[endgames]

Under an hour, preferrably. [Or thirty minutes. He has more talent for it than some people, he just doesn't see the point in taking five hours to make something you can eat in five minutes. Porkchops, though. Those could last.

...And then he wouldn't have to make anything tomorrow. 8|a] Don't have to do anything fancy to it?

[allbluebreasts.livejournal.com]

Nope. Just season to taste, maybe throw in a few vegetables if you want, and make sure they don't overcook. [Hey, there's nothing wrong with hours of preparation for that little bit of extra flavor. You newb.]