saveourearth | Let's proudly not melt, shall we? [Mingle]

Entry tags:

Let's proudly not melt, shall we? [Mingle]

Date: 31.8-9.9.2018

Characters: Open

With the end of the eternal summer ~~heat~~ in sight, the last gasp of summer festivities start in Mossgate. The first signs come when the flag above the town hall showing the town coat of arms is removed and replaced with the bright and beautiful pride flag. Anticipation is high in the LGBT+ areas of town, and the traditional pride pre-parties take place in the LGBT+ venues on Friday and Saturday nights. Bunting starts to go up along the main streets of town, and volunteers are gathered for meetings and rehearsals. Any latecomers who still wish to volunteer are invited to turn up and make themselves known at this point (especially anyone with a valid first aid certificate!)

Pride officially opens on Sunday, with special free walking tours of the notable LGBT+ venues and sights around town twice a day, as well as open lectures at the universities featuring such topics as “Defining ourselves: deconstructing LGBT+ labels” and “Not just Stonewall: a brief history of LGBT+ activism”. Interested parties can sign up online using the local theatre's website, where they will also be able to browse the special LGBT+ program for the week (which, unfortunately, is not free, but those volunteering at any point over the week will be provided with two free tickets as one of their perks – either to be used alone for two events, or with a companion for one). The twice monthly LGBT+ book club is holding a special taster event on Wednesday evening, and the comic store is also holding special events each evening, focusing on a different LGBT+ character or author each night. Some of the religious institutions in the town are holding special LGBT affirmative services, and some are also holding drop in sessions. The RSPCA holds a pride themed dog show. Certain beauty stores, hair salons and barbers are holding trans-friendly sessions and workshops, some outside of normal working hours (although some are only accessible by signing up in advance). During the evening, there will be LGBT+ pub quizzes and special LGBT+ events up and down the high street. And, of course, plenty of other stores will also be taking advantage of the pink pound and the locals will notice the sudden influx of rainbow products, especially in the touristy shops along the beach front.

The main event is the pride parade, held from 11AM on Saturday, starting at the town hall, progressing along the main beach front road and ending up at the Green from around 2PM. It's a massive event, equal to Brighton or Manchester, with plenty of floats and sponsors. All along the parade route, flags, bunting and ribbons float in the sea breeze and barriers have been placed to keep the audience from getting under the feet of the walkers, dancers, prancers and stompers that will make up a part of the parade's diverse make-up. The parade itself is made up of an interesting mix of local businesses and big name sponsors; the local walking society walking behind Absolut vodka, the WI walking ahead of Skittles, and the local scouts being proceeded by Stonewall and followed by the Conservative Party.

There is one unforeseen thing happening this year though that will be throwing everyone into a tizzy for a bit: In between the last security check and the head of the pride parade arriving at the spot outside the town museum, someone has managed to sneak a giant cake in the way of the parade. The parade will come to an abrupt stop for almost half an hour while rumours run wild about the reason for which the parade has stopped, ranging from a terrorist attack to a romantic proposal. Eventually, the cake turns out to be entirely harmless, is removed and the parade continues. But news of it spread soon, and it is moved to a square where people are allowed to take pictures with it. It is, of course, heavily advised against trying to eat from it. Just that it doesn't explode doesn't mean that it meets food safety standards...

The Green has once again been set up with stalls for sponsors and local businesses, including charities like the RSPCA and the Samaritans. Those out for freebies won't be disappointed, with stickers, badges and sweets being handed out left, right and centre, especially by the representations of political parties who are doing their best to build some trust back up with the population. The local reproductive health centre also has a stand, handing out condoms, dental dams, and advice.

A dance area and a DJ have been set up around the bandstand, and with several bars having build temporary extensions, the party will go on well into the night, although the parade officially ends at nightfall, when there is a fireworks display. After the fireworks, the Green is temporary cleared, and after it reopens, only those with ID proving themselves to be 18 are allowed back inside. There is, however, an alternative, alcohol free party held in the town hall for any ages.

Pride officially concludes on Sunday evening with the Kings and Queens ball, an extension by tradition that is held in the Hive. With the bar cleared out to make a second dance floor, there is a flamboyant tie dress code, (as long as it's smart and fabulous, you'll be welcomed), and while tickets generally sell out months in advance, Alexander keeps a few to one side for late comers, and volunteers are (again) provided with two as part of their package. When the bell finally tolls at 2AM, and the last partygoers are sent home, Mossgate will return to it's usual, quiet self (but the glitter will take some time to clean up completely).

[ooc: Eating from the cake will give characters a plot echo. It will also make them high and give them indigestion the next day.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I appreciate that. And I can assure you small spaces don’t bother me. Barring an emergency however, he does intend to text ahead of time for permission. Benjiro has a rough idea of the schedule Walter keeps, but that does not account for variances.

You don’t need to perform, but I think a comment on a classic might go a long way.

Once he has his lunch prepared, he returns to his room to eat with the door closed and locked as a precaution.

Well-noted on both counts. ;) If I'm not by in the next ten minutes, then I'll knock when I DO get there.

And, well, Walter wasn't exactly kidding about visiting before Ben's break was over... but he's gotten into the habit of biking at full speed only when traffic is down, to reduce any chances of being spotted. (Messing with satellite capturing would be as troublesome as it'd be useful, but there's not much it can render at this distance.) It's a few hours yet before he's able to take to any 'back roads' and get over to Ben's aunts' house.

And yes, he knocks.

I’ll listen for you. If you can’t make it until later, I’ll be on break again in a few hours.

Once the ten minutes has passed, Benjiro assumes that he’ll be seeing Walter at the next break, and gets back to the stream on time to resume hosting with the other streamers.

Those few hours later, he is back downstairs preparing some snacks when he hears the knock at the door. The house itself is not particularly impressive in size, though it is easily suited to doubling the number of current occupants comfortably. Instead, the quality of components, even from the outside, are clearly from the high-end of available materials on the market. When Benjiro opens the door, the decor reflects that taste his great aunts hold.

He immediately smiles from behind his facemask upon seeing Walter, and steps back to invite him in, “Hey! Excellent timing as always.”

Edited 2018-09-15 19:43 (UTC)

In other words, it definitely doesn't look like Walter and Russell's flat.

Walter doesn't let it bother him. Though, it doesn't really resemble Ben's own tastes...

Walter's immediate reaction is a smile in return.

"I do try," is his response, having put his bike somewhere Ben's aunts (A) won't run it over and (B) will notice if they happen to show up while he's here.

"Nothing more than the expected excitement today?"

Granted, he'd been following the stream, and nothing had looked like it had gone wrong, but that wasn't a certainty.

Benjiro is merely a guest in the manor home. A long-term one that happens to be related to one owner by blood, but a guest nonetheless. His room should relay more of the teen’s personal style.

With a chuckle, he retorts jokingly, “I seriously doubt you have to try hard.” He waits for Walter to enter inside before closing the door behind him, then engages the locks. Reaching up to pull his facemask free, he tucks it away into his pocket as he motions to the shoe rack beside the door, “My great aunts like keeping things tidy, but I can grab you some house slippers.” Clean of course.

“Thankfully not,” he is glad to report. “I am however about to make okonomiyaki, and would be happy to make some for you.”

Walter bemusedly rolls his eyes, then moves to take off his shoes out of the way of the door once he's inside.

"That would be better than just socks, thanks," he admits.

And while his first instinct at the offer at food is to say Ben doesn't have to, his stomach immediately protests this thought.

"... I think that would also be appreciated. May I help?"

It only takes a moment for Benjiro to grab a pair of loaner slippers and set them down on the floor for Walter to step into, the slippers themselves very basic like those afforded by some Japanese airlines.

Brightening when the offer is accepted then reciprocated, he nods as he turns to lead Walter through the house, "Sure! I haven't shredded the cabbage yet so that would be a big help. Mind you, I'm not making okonomiyaki in a traditional style. The name literally means 'grilled as you like it' but I'm taking a couple liberties." Liberties that are quite tasty and more cost effective outside of Japan.

With Walter helping prep the ingredients, Benjiro mixes up the batter starting oddly enough with flour and the shredded cabbage to coat the cabbage. After that, he adds eggs, cold water, cheddar cheese, and tenkasu (tempura batter bits). He pours half of the batter into a skillet and covers it with a lid on a controlled heat. Motioning to the next ingredients, he'll ask, "Walter, would you please dice the tomato? It gets sprinkled on top with a little mayonnaise after cooking." Benjiro on the other hand gets the turkey bacon strips ready.

Edited 2018-09-16 03:10 (UTC)

"What, beyond 'as you like it'? Color me interested," Walter remarks.

The prep (not begun until hands are washed!) is little trouble for him, and even less so with present company.

"Sure," he replies to the request. Nothing harder than he's done at home, so far...

“For starters, I’m skipping the green onion and substituting turkey bacon for pork belly strips. I’ve had it with smoked salmon before but that requires further adjustment.”

Thanking Walter for the assistance in initial prep, he watches over the savory pancake as it cooks halfway through. Lifting the lid, he places strips of the bacon across to top, then carefully flips it over to put the bacon down with the pressure of the half-cooked batter holding it flat. Lid replaced, he cleans his hands and gets a pair of plates with forks out and ready to receive the finished product from the skillet. Time allows for him to gather drinks as well.

A few minutes after the flip, he scoops the fully cooked snack out with the spatula and puts it to a plate to offer to Walter, “All it needs is some mayonnaise and tomato, and it’s ready.” Once it’s taken, he’ll pour the second half of batter in to start.

~~In this household we do not eat pork.~~

"As long as it's good turkey bacon."

Walter keeps a close eye on the process - without getting underfoot! - and takes over for setting up the drinks, as well as napkins if necessary.

He'll take that plate, tomato and mayonnaise at the ready.

"Do you want the first one?" he feels the need to offer, though he knows that's usually not how it goes.

“My aunts would let nothing less in their house,” he says with a half smirk.

Grateful for the extra help in gathering the drinks and napkins, he does raise a brow when Walter tries to be a little too polite as a guest. He chuckles and shakes his head, “Not when I need to watch this one to keep it from burning, but thanks anyways. You should definitely dig in once you’ve got the toppings on. The cheese stays hot longer, but the rest cools quickly.” With that, he motions to the bar seats at the other side of the central counter.

Like before, he’ll prepare the second half of the turkey bacon and wait for a verdict from Walter’s first bite as he cooks his own up.

"That's what I figured," Walter replies sheepishly, taking the now fixed plate over to the seats.

Speaking of being polite, he really does try to wait, but-

"Mmm!"

That's one vote of approval from this Numbered. It's only a small piece, because Walter's not a fan of mouth-burning, but the flavor is prime.

The hum is a clear indication, and Benjiro grins as he lays the strips in to flip his own over. Lid covering again, he only needs to wait a few minutes more before he can join Walter in chowing down.

“I don’t cook as much as I used to, but I like to when I can,” he comments as he cleans his hands one last time. As he waits for the cooking to finish, he starts cleaning up from the preparation.

"Clearly, your talents don't only lie with computers," Walter retorts between bites.

He is trying to make this dish last, without it going cold. It seems to be working so far...? At any rate, he doesn't stay put, moving back up out of the chair before he's finished the food, in order to aid in the cleaning.

“Cooking is more of a skill than a talent for me. I had a lot of mistakes to eat,” he defends with a chuckle. Benjiro had good motivation to learn when he was taking care of his little sister, and he always made sure she had the better cooked portion.

As soon as his is cooked, he dishes it onto his own plate and shuts off the stovetop. Skillet and lid set back on a cold burner to cool down, he dresses it with the mayonnaise and the remaining tomato pieces. Then he turns to finish putting away the last ingredients only to find Walter a step ahead. “Thanks, Walter. I’ll take care of the dishes after we eat.”

Benjiro sits down and sets about cutting his food up into rather small bites.

"Bit more relevant to everyone's life, though."

Not everyone's lives were impacted by computers, bizarre as the thought may seem. Walter had grown up learning that.

With that settled, he goes back to his own seat, eyes briefly glancing upward and off to the side to check that burner's off; it's something of a habit he's grown into since uni.

He lets a comfortable, snack-filled silence settle over the two of them, and it's really a pity once his own is gone.

"One day, I'm going to have to make these when you're at the flat, just so you know."

“But very important to our lives. Cooking wise, I could simply get take out or frozen meals,” he offers for consideration. In the modern age of convenience, cooking is not as ubiquitous as it once had been while necessary for survival.

The silence during eating is appreciated as Benjiro still needs to lend a fair degree of focus to the task to avoid biting his tongue or relenting and simply swallowing chunks of food whole. Hard to enjoy the taste of something completely holding it briefly only to swallow it away. As he eats, he keeps a hand up over his mouth when chewing, sticking to the habit he is training to bind to the act. That, and if he were honest, to avoid feeling embarrassed about the awkwardness his teeth impose.

Once the plates are cleaned, he smiles and piles them together to take to the sink, “I promise not to complain. And if you want to try other variations, I can send you a few recipes.”

Edited 2018-09-20 23:32 (UTC)

Walter does want to ask about Ben covering his mouth - but it doesn't take much to remember why the boy would want to get into that habit.

"Just let us know if we're really getting it wrong; that would be a real tragedy. And I'd definitely appreciate those, yes!"

Unless Ben insists, Walter will wash the dishes.

"Alright, but okonomiyaki tends to be pretty forgiving. I'll send you some of my favorites tomorrow. Some of them include baking soda, which makes the batter more like a pancake in some versions, so don't be surprised to see that," he confirms.

When Walter comes to the sink to take the chore of washing up the dishes, Benjiro will chuckle and share in the duty rather than fuss or relent entirely. As Walter scrubs the skillet from cooking, the last dish, he takes a moment to wipe down the counters.

Once everything is clean and drinks are refilled to take with them, he motions with a nod of his head, "My room is upstairs. Come on up."

"Never anything wrong with a bit of pancake?" Walter says, quip-like.

And sharing is caring, at least when it comes to chores.

Making a show of giving the notion some thought, Walter nods, lifting his (now lidded and with straw added) drink in answer.

He'll let Ben lead the way, taking note of furniture and doing his best to not step on anything.

“There are some culinary disagreements over that in Japan,” he hints to the variety of traditional versions that exist in various regions of the country.

The house, or what Walter sees of it, is quite tastefully decorated and neatly kept with only rugs posing as potential tripping hazards along the way. The stairs circle as they ascend, and moving down the hallway, he leads Walter to a front corner room of the home and opens the dark wooded door. The space inside angles with the outside of the home in a break away from a square with an L-shape to the space created by the position of the closet near the entrance. Stepping inside, Benjiro is nearly as neat as his great aunt Agatha with only a bit of clutter present in clusters to make it feel frequently used. He has his corner desk set out from one wall to block in his rolling chair with a broad set of bookshelves behind it stacked with the mixture of books and bobbles that show in his stream background. The few indulgent media toy figurines he has are there along with his plush from the arcade. On that desk is a well organized computer set up with cables wrapped to avoid tangling. The other half of his desk has a sheet of cardboard over it with parts and pieces from some projects, one of which is the drone he built with Kitty sitting on his storage cabinets. Aside from his work station, an antique wardrobe serves as storage, and his bed is tucked farthest from the door with the foot of the platform queen bed set towards his desk. In the corner on the far side of the bed is a ladder of small shelves in the corner, and it holds framed pictures - most of which show a little girl that looks to be related to Benjiro. His bed is layered with blankets that are tucked and smoothed. His nightstand on the near side of the bed has his notebooks stored in the bottom and his tablet charging on the top.

Beyond the dark colored furniture, the grey walls of the room are covered with game posters, and the dull mauve carpet flooring has a number of pillows collected in front of a small television set near the doorway. Next to that tv and stand is a toolbox and a crate of more mechanical parts and bits. All of this is visible in the lighting cast from his dual computer monitors and the standing lamp by the closet door with curtains blocking out the sunlight entirely.

Moving to set his drink on a coaster on his desk, he fishes a second one out of a drawer to offer to Walter, “Here. Let me go get a second chair.” Benjiro ducks out for only a moment to retrieve another chair from a nearby room.

Edited 2018-09-23 22:22 (UTC)

Walter's first full thought - apart from the usual high-speed stream-of-consciousness that is his norm nowadays - is Oh thank god, his cables are neat. Ben and Walter truly shared an interest, as well as an ability to care for computers and not get the wires tangled.

He doesn't quite stand by the doorway with one hand in his pocket while he looks around - at the very least, he walks in a little further than that.

"... Thanks," Walter says, grateful that if he's going to be awkward, he's not going to be doing it standing up.

Once Ben brings in the other chair, Walter closes the door.

"Should I be out of the way of the webcam when you tune back in, then?" That's his preference, but if his friend insists...

Having selected one of the wooden chairs with a pad attached to the seat by strings tied at the back, Benjiro carries it in through the doorway and straight towards his desk with a thanks called back when he hears the door shut. He pauses there, grasping the chair lower down with a glance back at Walter when his friend asks about positioning for the stream that he needs to return to in a few more minutes.

“That would make it difficult for you to play with us,” he says with an innocent smile. Back to the chair, he lifts it up and above his monitors to step around the desk and lower it next to the rolling chair once he shifts that chair slightly to one side. Reaching back to retrieve his drink, he plops down to sit in the borrowed chair on the same side as the mouse next to the keyboard centered on the surface.

Edited 2018-09-24 00:05 (UTC)

There's a very clear second where Walter's face makes it evident that he knows he's been had. It's not quite panic.

But then, he more-or-less asked for this, didn't he? So he sighs overdramatically, plopping himself into the chair with drink-and-coaster, and crooks one eyebrow.

"Kind of unfair if we're still doing point-and-click, isn't it? ... For the game, I mean. I can do commentary, though; that's not a problem."

Fortunately, he's telling the truth, there, and not just putting on bravado.

That overdramatic sigh is what breaks the innocent, almost expectant smile as Benjiro waits from behind the desk, and it is broken by poorly restrained laughter. Letting Walter sit in his usual, more comfortable chair, he reaches a hand to lay on his shoulder, “Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I’d love to have you on, but you are more than welcome to bow out. But, if you’d like to, I think we’re due for a change in games, so if there is a certain game you’d like to try from our list, that’d be fine. Even a repeat would be okay.”

Taking the mouse with his other hand, he pulls up a premade reference list of LGBT+ supportive games to let Walter look. Should Walter examine the list, they are categorized by type play rather than genre. Some of which are more demanding on the players than others.

Yeah yeah

We're into the t-t-t-TIMESKIP

Whoohooo!

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Sprinkling mayonnaise? =O /has it as a spread, not a liquid/

Sprinkling the tomato, not the mayo...though you can actually sprinkle the spread with some effort

Oooh! Good to know. /also lol I misread

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... /casually slides in a canon-based pun

Pfft X3

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Ben is so sweet. ;;

In this life he certainly is

Re: In this life he certainly is

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Wait, which game are they on? |D

Not to worry