[Day 191 | Open] What's that familiar sizzling sound?

[freedom_engineer]

Who: Colin, anyone who wants breakfast
Open: OPEN
What: One word. BACON
When: Day 191, Morning
Where: The Distillery
Format: Take your pick
Warnings: Who needs a warning when BACON is involved?

Three days ago, Colin introduced his new buildings to the Bastion. This morning, the lab's work had finally come to fruition. Colin brought a slab of skillet-ready bacon to the kitchen, first thing in the morning. The kitchen was freshly upgraded, how fitting it would be to have it broken in with fresh meat?

Rin had been apprehensive at first. Artificial meat couldn't be good, could it? But that apprehension seemed to melt away gradually like so much fat off of sizzling meat as the bacon cooked.

So, when everyone shows up for breakfast, there's a giant serving platter loaded down with bacon to go along with the rest of the breakfast for the day.

Go nuts, everyone.

Comments

[freedom_engineer]

"Not nearly as many as I could be," Colin says impishly. "Anyway, if I gave you a recipe and provided the ingredients, do you think you could learn to cook a meal for me? I have been wanting some Trilarian food for weeks now."

[hellpyre]

Rin mulls it over along with what's left of her food, and for a bit she still doesn't look too pleased with him.

"Sure. You did fix the kitchen for me, I guess I can return the favor."

[freedom_engineer]

"Thank you, Rin," he says. "I appreciate it."

He settles his palms on the table near her, and he keeps right on smiling at her. "You still seem irritated with me," he says. "Need to talk about it?"

[hellpyre]

Groan.

"I don't wanna say anythin' 'bout this crazy idea of yours that worked 'cause you're gonna give me-- yeah, that look. Right there. The one that makes me wanna punch you!"

[freedom_engineer]

"If you wanna lay a fist in my face, we need only go outside," Colin says, smiling even wider. "I work with Elerians, Psilons, and Mrrshan. A punch is the least of the things I need to worry about with regards to my decisions."

He straightens up, dusting off his hands then. "If it helps, though, I'm not trying to gloat here. These questions are actually important to keeping things running. I need to make sure the meat's right, that your kitchen is working as you need it to," he explains. "That whole facility out there is for the Bastion, not for me. About the only thing I'll ever get out of it is the occasional fish dish when you've got the time for it. Otherwise, I hardly ever eat meat."

It was worth noting that he hadn't touched the bacon, other than the first slice that he ate to prove it was safe.

[hellpyre]

"I already told you I ain't gonna give you the damn satisfaction!"

Look at all that huffing and puffing. You're getting the full brunt of her tsun today.

"... but it is workin'. And the meat is fine. So, there."

[freedom_engineer]

"I really do have to wonder if there are people who think I like getting punched," he asks, directed at nobody in particular. "What gives me satisfaction is keeping things running smoothly. Masochism isn't my particular fetish..."

He shrugs, and he grins down at her as he comes back to their conversation. "But anyway, that's good to hear," he says. "I can show you how to use it a little later so you can keep your kitchen stocked exactly to your needs. Or... at least when it comes to meat."

[hellpyre]

"I never said it was. You do and say things knowin' it's gonna piss people off enough to wanna punch you. But if they do it just proves you were right and they were wrong and all they could think to do was respond with their fists!"

Says the girl who has, quite often, resorted to her fists against people who rightfully deserved it.

Then again, maybe that's the reason she's actually holding back. Colin does it to rile people, sure, but he's not actually being an asshole or a bully.

He's just... Colin.

"Y'really want me touchin' stuff like that? I'd probably break it."

[freedom_engineer]

"Only my sister, Jade," Colin says impishly. "She is so wonderfully easy to rile up. And half the time, it's Amber that beats up on me for it."

"But yeah, I think I want to show you how to use it, 'cause likewise... you really want me deciding what kind of meat goes into your kitchen?" he asks. "I made the interface a picture display, and if you need to read anything, I can show you how to display it in Japanese."

For as irritating and technical as he may be, he knows that other people are the ones using his creations. He knows the importance of making these things both simple and user friendly.

[hellpyre]

Uh oh, what's that face for?

"... y'do know I'm a middle school drop out, right? I can read most things but I'm still pretty iffy on my kanji."

[freedom_engineer]

"Don't worry about it," Colin told her, giving her a soft smile. "As know how important it is to make things user friendly. If you know anything about cuts of meat, you'll be able to use the facilities without a problem."

He pauses for a moment, and the smile twists into a smirk. "And if you need a primer, I have a couple of books on butchering in my library somewhere. I can tell you all you need to know," he adds.

[hellpyre]

Rin sighs and pushes her plate away, stretching her arms over her head.

"I could probably use a refresher. Ain't like I've ever had to butcher my own meat."

[freedom_engineer]

"Fortunately, that's hardly even an issue with this technology," Colin says. "The meat is produced ready to cut, or in certain cases, even prepared ready-to-cook, like the bacon here. Having to butcher meat is kind of a low priority when a new colony is established, which is where this technology originally came about. Especially on a planet where you can't raise animals in the first place."

[hellpyre]

"But I'd still need to know the cuts, right? I learned that stuff a long time ago when I was first startin' out, I don't remember it very well by now."

[freedom_engineer]

"Very true, very true," Colin says, nodding. "There's only so much that technology can do without some level of external influence."

He looks amused for a moment, as a scenario runs through his head. "It still gets me that there are people that don't know where their food comes from," he adds after a moment.

[hellpyre]

"It's not like most people take tours of factories. Way I see it so long as the stuff we get in stores are safe and healthy, it's not worth worryin' about that much."

[freedom_engineer]

"I disagree, but it's not really important, and it's certainly nothing worth fighting over," Colin says, shaking his head. "Just a lifestyle choice is all. I'm not trying to contradict you here."

He puts his hand to his forehead, and he sighs. "Why did I even say it, then?" he asks, once again to nobody in particular.

[hellpyre]

"Why d'you say anythin' you say? It just irritates people when you talk like that, y'know."

And here you have Rin, telling it like it is.

[freedom_engineer]

Colin just gives her a flat, albeit apologetic, look.

"You should be used to my mouth now, eh?" he observes, shaking his head and giving her a small grin finally. "Let's just get you up to speed on the facility out there. It's as easy as a picture book."

[hellpyre]

"'Used to it', and 'Okay with it' are two different things, Colin. Even I know that."

But she won't argue with learning the ropes of that meat machine.