voidtreckerexpress | One Foot in front of the Other Foot [ota with closed prompts]

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One Foot in front of the Other Foot [ota with closed prompts]

Who: Taiki. There is an open prompt and then closed prompts for Inigo, Gyousou and Tidus.
Where: Kitchens, Library, Cinema
When: Horseshoe days 2-5
What: Taiki tries out some recipes from his vegan cookbook. Taiki and Inigo make food to cheer Tidus up, Taiki and Gyousou have a talk in the library and Taiki finally succeeds in tracking down Tidus.
Warnings: Taiki and Tidus' thread will have themes of disappearing/dying- purposefully to try and solve things- with mention of a past suicide attempt. I will add more things as they come up.

Day Two: The Kitchen [OTA]

Tidus' suggestion of a cookbook had come at a good time because as the month changed they once again had meat as one of the main ingredients. It was a little better this time, the meat was processed, already cooked and so entering the kitchen and store room was not an exercise in steeling himself against the smell of blood and raw meat.

He has his new book, Vegan: The Cookbook and has found a recipe for pizza. Considering pizza is one of the recipe's on the ICP this month he is confident that he should find the things to make it.

He moves carefully around the kitchen, gathering ingredients. Soon he has everything but cheese, the book simply says to use vegan cheese, which is not something they have.

He flicks through the book, looking to see if there are any suggestions for alternatives. He has found himself a corner to prepare food in but still feels like he is in the way, mumbling a 'sorry' to anyone who comes near. He hadn't meant for this to take that long...

Day Three: The Kitchen [For Inigo]

Permeating the whole of the last few days has been the lack of Tidus. Taiki has been worried about him, more than worried, ever since Roland told him what had happened on the platform. But despite many attempts he hadn't been able to find him. He wasn't answering his door, Taiki hadn't ran into him in any of his usual places.

He had kept trying, though he feared annoying his friend, the line between being worried and just irritating him so much that he wouldn't want to ever talk to him again was very thin, and Taiki didn't want to cross it.

But he was worried... And he knew Inigo was too, he had seen him around, seen him near Tidus' cabin. He knew he was just as worried, with Yuna leaving... So soon after whatever Tidus had seen on the mountain... It was too much.

He finds Inigo quickly, he's trying not to think about how easy that is to do, and holds out the two books in his hands. One is his cookbook and one is a book on bread making. "I told him I would cook him a meal... Maybe it will chear him up. Do you want to help?"

He doesn't think he needs to clarify who.

Day Four: The Library [For Gyousou]

The situation with Tidus was not the only thing Taiki was worried about. The flashes of the ouki from Inigo, that was worrying too. He knows it has something to do with what happened on the mountain. Something now linked his king and Inigo.

Just as he was certain that these flashes of confusion, of anxiety weren't completely his feelings alone. He was used to feeling overwhelmed and anxious, but this is more so.

Both things put together meant that at times like right now he did not want to stray from Lord Gyousou's side. So here he was, Gyousou was resting on a beanbag reading a history book called Book Not Found Taiki approached silently and sat on the floor next to him, not quite leaning on him but sitting close, his own book Summoning Magic on his knees.

Day Five: Cinema [For Tidus]

He still hadn't seen Tidus, not at all and he was more than worried. But if the other man didn't want to be found, if he was avoiding him and Inigo... then should they leave it? Was it better to allow him his space or make sure he knew they were here for him.

He didn't know but for the last couple of days he had just tried Tidus' room a couple of times. So it was a surprise, when he entered the cinema. He glanced instinctively at the screen, it showed some children clambering through a cave, holding torches as they explored. His eyes went back to where he was walking, scanning the seats and there...

There in the corner, his purple hood was pulled up but Taiki still recognises him.

"Tidus?"

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Inigo isn't too surprised to suddenly spot Taiki. It's like he's been spotting the other more than ever lately - even the times when Taiki doesn't approach him, when he can see him curiously wandering over before stopping in the distance. So the other approaching him today doesn't seem like too much of a surprise either, though it's with more purpose than usually, apparently, since suddenly Taiki is holding out those books to him.

For a moment there's faint surprise, but then Inigo's expression melts into a smile. Smoothly, easily, and he smiles widely, like there's not a single care in his head.

"That's a great idea!"

Taiki indeed doesn't need to specify who this is about. Of course Inigo knows. Tidus has been a constant worry for the past few days, constantly lingering in the back of his mind, rendering him too uneasy to sleep well at night. But right now there's none of that on his face. It's not something he should be showing in front of Taiki, who has to be just as worried about Tidus as Inigo himself is. He has to be the strong one now - to maybe distract Taiki's mind from the worry for a few moments, or maybe just to try and make things feel a tad more normal.

"You know I'm always impressed by you, right?" He laughs slightly, an arm reaching out to put a hand on Taiki's shoulder. "You always have the best ideas. Let's go make some right away, we can't let him go hungry!"

He smiled at that, he knew Inigo would agree quickly. Inigo must be as worried as Taiki is. After all Inigo had lost Yuki not so long ago and so he must know deeply what Tidus is feeling right now.

As for the rest... That was all worrying and not something Taiki wanted to talk about, before he could talk to Tidus.

But he could focus on something that might cheer their friend up, coax him out of hiding. He blushed at Inigo's words. It's along the lines of what Inigo usually says but... Now, when he gets the odd flashes of the ouki from Inigo.... It's almost too much.

"Okay." He smiled at him and moved in the direction of the kitchen.

He follows right along, not wanting to waste any time. As long as he can keep himself occupied, Inigo thinks, he can hide all his own worries and sadness from Taiki. It'll make it easier to keep up this energetic and positive act.

So by the time they arrive in the kitchen, he's quick to gesture at the books Taiki is carrying.

"Did you have any idea what you wanted to make for him? I don't think I've ever asked him what his favourite food is.."

"I... don't know." He admitted. There was still a lot, so much, they didn't know about Tidus. His favourite food was definitely on that list.

"He seemed really keen on bread, so we can make some of that..." They have a whole book on it after all. "Then... I guess we can look through the cookbook."

Something was bound to jump out. He feels bad they don't know this about Tidus, what food he ate was not something he had ever taken note of...

It seems like this is not going to be easy. Or at least, they're running a risk for sure of making something Tidus might not like. But then again, Inigo is trying dang hard to think positively for the both of them - if not just so he can radiate positivity for Taiki in this difficult time - and assume that Tidus would at least appreciate the effort and his friends' thoughts for him, even if their attempt in the kitchen might not end up great.

"Bread sounds like a good idea to start with!" He smiles, easily nodding at Taiki's suggestion. "Thank you, that's a good suggestion."

Maybe he's being a little extra generous with the compliments today, but look, some days you just have to overcompensate because you're fussing about your cute sad friend being too worried about your other - hopefully temporarily - sad friend.

"I know it's just my first attempt at it, but I'll do my best. Tidus wanted to eat bread I made so badly anyway, so maybe it'll be a tiny and hopefully happy surprise for him in the middle of all of this."

"I hope so too, he seemed to really want you to make bread." For some reason. But for now, whatever Tidus wanted. They would work their hardest to make it for him.

"The book has lots of kinds of bread so we need to choose..."

It was a lot of decisions, before they even got to the kitchen but he put his own arm over Inigo's and smiled at him reassuringly.

"Let's go for something simple."

It's not like complexity necessarily makes things better, after all, and it's better to give Tidus something that's simple and actually tastes good rather than something more complicated that's completely inedible since he screwed up on making it..

But at least that narrows down the decisions some, right? Inigo looks over at Taiki when he feels that warm over his own, and his heart feels like it's being squeezed as he sees that smile on the other's face.

That's right. Taiki is doing his best to be strong right now too, despite his own worries.

"Surely we can manage that much together, don't you think?"

"Yes." He agrees, they could find something simple that would taste good.

"We should look through the book first probably." Before they got to the kitchen, while they were out of the way. He doesn't particularly want to be in everyone's way again.

"Sure." Inigo nods.

He reaches over so he can take the other cooking book out of Taiki's arms, considering it might be pretty hard to look through the baking book while trying to still hold the other book at the same time.

He shifts the book until he's comfortably holding it in his arms, and then peers along at the one Taiki is still holding. "You browse through it, I'll look along."

He hands it over silently and then blinked. He stepped out of the aisle to a pair of seats and sat down in the window seat so Inigo could sit next to him, they probably shouldn't block the aisle.

He opened the book. "Stop me if there's anything you like the look of."

He really hadn't known there were so many types of bread.

He's quick to follow, sitting down on the seat next to Taiki. He puts the book down on his lap, letting it rest there, and instead looks along with the book Taiki is browsing through.

At first he's just sitting there, watching, but slowly Inigo's weight seems to be shifting a little - like he's leaning more and more against Taiki. Not overwhelmingly so, since he doesn't want to squish poor Taiki, but it definitely is Inigo trying to seek some comfort in these times that are so difficult for them without voicing it out loud.

His chin ends up on Taiki's shoulder as he keeps looking on.

"I didn't know there were this many different kinds of bread," he softly says.

Taiki notices, of course he notices and he shifts his arm so that it is around Inigo, holding him gently whilst his head is against his shoulder.

He continues turning the pages with his other hand, balancing the book on his knee. "Neither did I... It will be hard to choose just one."

There's a soft noise that seems to imply Inigo agrees.

"Maybe close the book, and then open it up to a random page. Otherwise we'll sit here trying to decide for so long that we won't get anything done for Tidus at all."

Even though Inigo is starting to get real comfortable sitting here. He's probably needed a hug - or at least physical contact - more than he has admitted to himself the past few days. But of course he's willing to give up that comfort for the sake of their friend, who needs help more than either of them right now.

He nodded, that would be no good since the whole point of this was to cheer Tidus up. He closed the book and then closed his eyes, thumbing through it, a little clumsily due to his arm around Inigo's shoulder, to open on a random page.

"Garlic and herb bread. Do you think he will like that?"

"Probably? He isn't allergic to something, right?"

Even if they may not know Tidus's favourite food, Inigo figures that the other would have mentioned at least at some point if he had any specific allergies.. So it should be fine to go for this. It's better than making something bland and tasteless, after all.

He kind of regrets having to do it, but Inigo slowly pulls himself back, off the other boy's shoulder - though he does reach out to clasp said shoulder with a hand for a moment.

"Let's go see if they have the necessary ingredients in stock."

"I... I don't think so." He had never mentioned it and Tidus doesn't seem the type to not speak about things he likes and dislikes. Though then again... He might not have said... He looked worried for a moment.

"Yes." He closed the book, leaving his finger in the right page so he wouldn't lose the recipe before standing up to follow Inigo.

Inigo is glad to lead the way - his steps almost carefree. It's well-practiced though, the mask he slips on feeling familiar. Shoving down all his own worries and fears down. Because there's someone else who's feeling the same things, and he has to be the strong one then. Pretend like there's nothing to worry about. Like there aren't ten thousand things that could go wrong here and only make Tidus feel worse in the long run.

He keeps glancing to make sure Taiki is still following though, all the way until they make it to the kitchen.

"There we are! Let's get started before everyone starts coming in to have dinner. Right now we have plenty of space!" Well, that, and also there will be no one to witness this if it ends up being an embarrassing disaster.

"Yes... this way we won't be in the way."

He had felt so much like that the day before, in the way, underfoot. Though everyone he had met had been kind.

"Um okay so we probably need to go to the stores... to find things."

"Sure. You need what we need to keep an eye out for, right?"

Please don't count on Inigo for this one.. Considering what he's been eating back home, there's no way he'd recognize all of those ingredients! You just tell him what to grab when they get there, and he'll get it.

"We can just leave the books here rather than carrying those things around. Not like anyone will take them." Unless a fiend like Reno passes by, anyway. One fear. "We'll be right back."

"Yes." He nodded and paused to look at the ingredients again, just to make sure he hasn't forgotten anything. It would be easier to gather things without the books to carry.

"We need to find flour and yeast first."

After all they were the most important and if they couldn't find those then they would not be able to make the bread.

Inigo nods. "Alright. Flour and yeast, flour and yeast, flour and.."

He's just repeating it to himself to make sure he'll remember, don't mind him. But then he suddenly stops mid-sentence, only now seeming to realise something.

"Ah.. Taiki, what does yeast look like?"

"Oh... sorry..." He hadn't though that Inigo wouldn't know. But he thinks for a moment, because, he's not too sure either, at least he's not too sure how it will look in the stores.

"Like flour... It's a powder. I guess it might come in a jar..."

"Alright, I'll take a look then. How hard could it be?"

Famous last words.

Granted, there's nothing in the stores that could kill him, so at least that's an upside to all of this. But the downside is that it's definitely not as easy as Inigo made it out to be a moment ago, especially for someone who has no clue what he's looking for other than the parts of Taiki's descrption he has to go off on.

So if Taiki is still waiting in the kitchen, he may be realising that minutes are passing without Inigo returning..

Taiki collects the equipment they need, gathering bowls and spoons and a measuring jug. It takes him a moment but then... Inigo is still not back.

"Inigo?"

He moves through to the next carriage, bracing himself. The smell isn't overwhelming, but it is something to be mindful about, to purposefully ignore.

"Did you find it?"

"Wha--"

Inigo's jaw drops, and he quickly turns to face Taiki.

"N-- No, no, I.. I've got this! It's alright!" Whatever Inigo is claiming that he's 'got', he actually has nothing in his hands right now. He obviously has no idea where to even start looking, and just doesn't want to admit it. One could read his face like a book right now.

"I'll have it in a second, I promise! It's right at.. at the tip of my fingers!"

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