Infinite Cosmos

One Piece: The Next Voyage

Hi. I'm interested. What sort of character are you all still needing?

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

〘𝓡𝔂𝓪𝓷 𝓦𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓼/ 𝓚𝓸𝓫𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓼𝓱𝓲 𝓢𝓪𝓽𝓸𝓼𝓱𝓲 小林 慧〙

>>Shokugeki no Ryan<<
>>NPCs only, currently<<

The satisfyingly smooth roar of a 4.6L V8 engine can be heard in the twilight of the setting sun. The time is now Friday, the day before the festival. Ryan, seated firmly but comfortably in his matte grey Porsche 918 Spyder, deftly flipped through the gears of his electric super car. The tires gripped and tore at the asphalt as Ryan made his climb up Mount Atlas. The sun giving way to the night laid a good symphony of color behind and around him.

"Yeah? Are all the ingredients ready? Ok. Leave it in the fridge, I'll be back later tonight to prep. Later." Ryan said to a helper on the phone. So. The material he needed for the festival and the accompanied cooking competition are gathered. There are some minimal prep work that needs to be done but he has the general concept of what he is planning on making clear in his mind. Something fragrant, spicy, and exciting.

For now. Ryan flipped through the gear, up and down, and pushed his car through its limits while caressing the curves of the road, tires screaming as he does. Sure, he was driving a bit recklessly, but he needed this. He needed this to clear his mind. Both for the competition and for whatever else he has going on in his life.

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

Umbrella Corp. Y I K E S

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

〘𝓡𝔂𝓪𝓷 𝓦𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓼/ 𝓚𝓸𝓫𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓼𝓱𝓲 𝓢𝓪𝓽𝓸𝓼𝓱𝓲 小林 慧〙

>>Ight Imma head out ™<<
>>@PrinceAlexus<<

Making his way back to the seats, Ryan noticed that there was one more person that had joined in. Shrugging slightly, he slowly sifted through the row of legs and human appendage back to his seat. "Ah. Of course not. I made sure to remember the lemon for the regular coke and lime for the diet. Um. I had them put the citrus wedges on the rim of the cups so you guys can add them as you needed." He gently passed the drinks over, being careful not to spill any or drop the wedges of fruit.

Sighing softly, he thought to himself that it was about time he made his exit. They had an old friend join them, and to stay any longer would make it seem like he is over staying his welcome. Besides, there is always work to be done at the restaurant. Work that can be done alone, and away from his thoughts.

"So yeah, while I was getting the drinks I got a call from my chef, saying that we're receiving a shipment of produce at the restaurant tonight, for service tomorrow. He wants me to meet him there to inspect and prep. So, it was nice catching up with you and meeting you as well. I hope to catch you guys around the city. Oh and feel free to stop by Kobayashi, I'm sure the head chef won't mind." Turning towards Vika slightly, "And maybe I can make - I mean have the head chef make you a proper meal this time around" Ryan chuckles and stood up. Fixing his cap and giving the trio a small nod before picking up his cup of hard cider and headed out.

He sipped his cider from the seating area all the way to the exit. Tossing his cup nonchalantly onto a recycling bin, he bin the gatemen good night and headed out.

Riding back towards the restaurant on his moped, his thoughts were mostly empty. He wasn't getting a shipment of anything tonight. And to be perfectly honest, there isn't work to be done at the restaurant that can't wait until tomorrow. He just felt like he should leave. And he did.

Stepping into the empty and unlit restaurant, he let out a small sigh. Why? Why is his feelings so mixed. Ah. No matter. He is in his happy place now. Or so it would seem. He stepping lithely into the kitchen, opting not to turn on the main lights. He reached for his lacquered case holding his knives. Placing the case onto the shiny stainless steel counter, he then pulls out a small step ladder. Placing the step ladder down by the walk-in cooler, he reached out and retrieved a fairly large case, of the same lacquered material. Exhaling a little more forcefully than normal, he puts the step latter away and walks over to the sink. One of the taps gives off filtered water and that is what he used to fill a gallon container with it. Going to another separate drawer, he takes out three different whetstones, ranging from 3000 to 8000 grit.

Sure, he can send his knives off to get polished and sharpened. But what self-respecting chef does that? Knives, and other cookware, are the lifeblood of chefs. To hand them off to someone else to tune up is like handing off your child to be cared for. One does not do that unless absolutely necessary.

Placing the stones on three separate clean kitchen towels, he sets the container of filtered water by it and gradually splash water on the surfaces of the stones. Opening the first lacquered box, he takes out three knives. A Deba, a traditional knife is used mainly for working with whole fish. Its blade is designed in a way that it fillets the fish without damaging it. It should not be slammed down like a meat cleaver, or used for chopping meat involving larger bones. A yanagi, a slicing knife that used for sushi toppings and thinning sashimi pieces. Finally a Usuba bōchō, a traditional flat edged knife used primarily for vegetables and produce. Inhaling and exhaling steadily, he starts to polish and sharpen the blades, holding the knives at a steady 17 degree angle. He makes no other noise other than the steady, soft, breathing and the muffled grinding between the blade and the whetstones. Small inscriptions can be seen on the blades, near the handle.

He would occasionally take a quick glance at both the time and the other, much larger, lacquered box. The box contained a specialized knife, a maguro bōchō. All four knives are of his own creation, during his travels back to Japan. He became friends with a renowned swordsmith and the smith allowed him to use his equipment to create his tools. After their creation, the swordsmith allowed Ryan to name his knives, akin to naming swords. The process is thought to imbue supernatural abilities to the blades, allowing the user to channel otherworldly powers. Of course, it really doesn't, but its the thought that counts.

The faint grinding can be heard in the kitchen through the darkness of night, in the quaint little restaurant in Sol City.

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

〘𝓡𝔂𝓪𝓷 𝓦𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓼/ 𝓚𝓸𝓫𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓼𝓱𝓲 𝓢𝓪𝓽𝓸𝓼𝓱𝓲 小林 慧〙

>>Luna Sports Facility, watching grown man trying to hit a small ball<<
>>@PrinceAlexus<<

"Ah. Well. I was born to American parents, but in Japan, due to their business interests. Thats where I apprenticed to work in a Japanese restaurant. Though, even to this day, I'd still consider myself just an apprentice. So yeah, not exactly exotic either but it wasn't exactly plain either." Ryan chuckled softly before stepping away for a moment for the drinks.

As he walked away, he started reflecting on the encounter as a whole.

"So, yeah, the guy that made me some food that one day happened to be at the baseball game we're at too, and just so happened to remember me." He thought to himself. "That isn't creepy at all. Just what the fuck are you doing?" He found a beverage stand and stood in cue. Thankfully, the line wasn't overly long. Ryan started twiddling with his debit card as he stood in line, wondering why he even approached the pair. In all honesty, he doesn't know. He just thought it could be rather interesting. "Uh, yeah. One diet coke with a slice of lime, one regular coke with a slice of lemon and I'll take a hard cider. Thank you." He gave the attendant a small nod as he ran off to get Ryan's drinks ready. Once returned, Ryan handed over his card, not paying much attention to the exorbitant prices they were charging for the drink and got a rather flimsy drink carrier to take all the drinks back to their seats.

On the way back, Ryan couldn't stop thinking, trying to deduce a reason as to why he approached Vika and her sister at all. Oh, and the comment Vika made about 'growing a little human' hadn't slipped past him either. "She's pregnant...? I would have never guessed. Not that it matters to me, it definitely isn't mine..." He thought to himself as he absentmindedly waddled along.

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

〘𝓡𝔂𝓪𝓷 𝓦𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓼/ 𝓚𝓸𝓫𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓼𝓱𝓲 𝓢𝓪𝓽𝓸𝓼𝓱𝓲 小林 慧〙

>>Luna Sports Facility, watching grown man trying to hit a small ball<<
>>@PrinceAlexus<<

"Ah. I meant no disrespect. It was but a silly attempt at a joke." Ryan gave a small chuckle. He can slice up a whole Big Eye tuna in the matter of minutes without breaking a sweat but when it comes to actual human interaction, he can be as useless as putting a fork in a soup bowl. "I'm sure there are sports where you guys are from. Which, to be quite honest, I cannot fathom a guess. The accents are quite exotic but at the same time very varied." He said.

"Hockey. In St. Petersburg. That must have been a sight. The Russians are consistently some of the best ice hockey players in the world. Their hulking figure and outstanding strength make them formidable skaters on the ice. Yet, they can be as precise as a orchestra conductor when required. There are some great Russian-born players that play in America..." He said, turning his attention back to the game for a moment.

"Well, rounders sound like backyard baseball for us. You play in whatever field you can find and you make your own rules kind of thing. Its quite fun. Though it can lead to some...disagreements. Argument over ball calls are common." He let out a small chuckle. "Pool building. Training? Are you a swimmer? Wait. Of course you are. Why else would you be training in a pool building... What is your event? The 100 meter butterfly? Or...what do they call it... Back stroke? Sorry, swimming is one of the few sports I'm not too familiar with."
"Days? How does one sporting event go on for days...? Is the scoring really difficult or something? Or is there like major weather delays all the time? Excuse my confusion but I don't see how one game can take days to finish... Maybe its just my American sensibilities of wanting instant gratification. But yeah, summer days on the yard, a cool shandy or cider and some friends would literally be all I need to have a good time. Matter of fact. Would you ladies like a beverage of some sort? I think I'll go seek one out..." Ryan paused to respond to Vika's comment "Or. We can just cook the cephalopod. Grilled, with some lemon juice and chili flakes.." He chuckled and rose. "Beverages?"

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

〘𝓡𝔂𝓪𝓷 𝓦𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓼/ 𝓚𝓸𝓫𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓼𝓱𝓲 𝓢𝓪𝓽𝓸𝓼𝓱𝓲 小林 慧〙

>>Luna Sports Facility, meeting a familiar face<<
>>@PrinceAlexus<<

"Eh. Well. Usually the one that scores more points wins..." He let out a small chuckle. "But yeah, this game. Its rather repetitive at times. Guy throws ball, guy tries to hit ball. Lots of back and forth. But I mean, one watches sports for the duels and that. The rivalry and the unpredictable events that are brought on by the quintessential human condition" Ryan said, moving his gaze between Vika and the game.

Ryan removed his cap and fixed his hair slightly before replacing the cap. "See, just there. The guy swung and missed. One typically gets three chances to do that before being called out. Um...how do I relate this to other sports..." Ryan said before thinking to himself. "I guess there isn't a whole lot of comparisons. I mean, in football, the European kind, there isn't a lot of 'do-overs' if you will. You kick a ball around, trying to kick it into a rectangular box... I don't understand cricket so I won't even go there... Uh.. Tennis. I mean, there is the whole situation of calling a 'let' and doing things over but...I guess you can say it is similar to that?" Ryan said, before catching himself in his ramblings.

The next batter up is their fourth hole.

"Ah. This guy. See, he is the fourth person to get a turn. That typically means he has the most power on the team. The three before him are to set him up so he can drive them in." Ryan said, taking a small look at Vika. "Of course, there are more nuances to all of this but to find out you'll have to tune in to next week's episode of Baseball Today." Ryan said, chuckling and hoping his lame attempt at a joke isn't too pathetic.

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

Yee.

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

〘𝓡𝔂𝓪𝓷 𝓦𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓼/ 𝓚𝓸𝓫𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓼𝓱𝓲 𝓢𝓪𝓽𝓸𝓼𝓱𝓲 小林 慧〙

>>Luna Sports Facility, meeting a familiar face<<
>>@PrinceAlexus<<

"I think we can trade the tea for a beer and a hot dog at things like this." He said, offering a small chuckle to Vitoria. Finding some room near them, he took a seat and situated himself. "Uh yeah. Baseball. Um.... Cowboys...? Like the Dallas Cowboys? Nah, they're in the National Football League, or 'N' 'F' 'L' for short. Different sport. Much more violent. The players tend to be... well... bigger..."

One can immediately tell he was much more relaxed this time around versus the time at the restaurant. "Ah. It was nothing. I mean, the owner wasn't around and she happened to stop in. I just fixed her some quick bites, nothing special. Oh, the chef wanted me to pass on to you that you guys are always welcome should you stop by for some food." He said, offering a smile, almost forgetting that he was pretending to not be the chef he spoke about.

"But yeah. Baseball. We can start with the outfield. Those guys out there are usually some of the fastest people on the field. Uh... The guys closer to us are referred to as infielders. They've got quick reflexes... Let me pause myself for a second. Is there a sport you guys do watch? Maybe I can relate it to that? Make it easier to relate to?" He said, before he went into full blown sports geek mode...

Sol City Modern Slice of life - Chapter 3 - (all welcome new and old)

@Tyler Night (Sorry about the non-reply. Life has been busy. Since the time skip happened/is happening, can we just say Ryan received his food, he enjoyed it, paid for it and made some small talk along the way before leaving? Thanks)

〘𝓡𝔂𝓪𝓷 𝓦𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓼/ 𝓚𝓸𝓫𝓪𝔂𝓪𝓼𝓱𝓲 𝓢𝓪𝓽𝓸𝓼𝓱𝓲 小林 慧〙

>>Luna Sports Facility, meeting a familiar face<<
>>@PrinceAlexus<<

Taking a unusual day off, Ryan saw some advertisement about the home opener for the Sol City Wild. He has always liked baseball, whether it was during his time in Japan where the sport has a massive following or back in the state where is it hailed as "America's Pastime". Dressed in some casual clothing consisting of a graphic tee, dark jeans and fashionable trainers, Ryan tugged at his baseball cap as he hopped on his scooter and made his way to the stadium.

Upon arrival, he noticed that there was not yet a whole lot of people. Shrugging slightly, he made his way to the gate, getting his ticket scanned through and entered the stadium. "Half priced eats, might have to take advantage of that..." he thought to himself. In any case, since he had some time before first pitch, he grabbed a program, flipping through it while he wandered around the concourse. Of course, the standard offerings of hot dogs, nachos, and burgers were among the standard fare. Spotting a stand that sold chicken fingers. That was his choice for the evening, it seems. Grabbing a tray of 3 chicken fingers, he started making his way out of the concourse and towards his seat.

The players were starting to warm up, at least thats what it seemed like to him.

Ryan, absentmindedly, started waddling his way towards his seat. Along the way, he spots something shining in the fading sun. "Isn't that that one girl from that one day during the winter...? Nah, that can't be. Right?" He thought to himself. It just so happened that he was slated to sit in that vicinity, so he would have to approach that section anyways. It is highly unlikely she would remember him anyways.