JASON TODD, new thorn in his side

[malewife]

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[unrecked]

[This just makes him kind of grin, subdued. Like he thinks he's won a small battle. He takes the fork, though, despite being an American.]

Where'd you learn to cook?

[This gives him time to taste-test some of the noddles. With the fork, of course. He does not say right away if it's good. Maybe he never will.]

[malewife]

[ Jason doesn't need to say it's good. Joonghyuk has enough ego and confidence to assume Jason thinks it's good. ]

The First Murim. [ Basically, a martial arts world. ] After the regression where I died from poison.

[unrecked]

[Honestly, the fact that Jason is even eating it at all means a lot. Then again, he was present when Joonghyuk was making it; that helps.]

Yeah. I'd imagine poison would be a great motivator for learning to cook. [He leans against one of the counters with his lower back while he periodically eats.] It took me a day or so before I'd eat anything on the island.

Not until I made sure everyone else wouldn't keel over at the dining table.

[malewife]

[ Joonghyuk would never poison food. He will just poison Jason with his existence. ]

I knew the basics before when I lived a normal life with my sister, but basics are basics. Poison is a good motivator and the Murim had the most delicious dumplings.

[ Sometimes fear of death, love for a thing, and necessity mix. ]

You all had to gather your own resources on the island?

[unrecked]

[Yay.]

Yes and no. [A careful shrug.] They'd feed us meals at the mansion in between us dragging ourselves out of the jungle, half of us dead; finding corpses; and pointing fingers at a fake trial.

Anything else you had to scavenge, or see if Ivan would give you. But it wasn't like here. There was only one place. Just the island with the jungle, the beach, the mansion, and a hole you figured out later was where the dead went. You know, if you died.

You came with what you had one you, so I had more than only my gun.

[malewife]

A hole.

[ HOLES, EVERYWHERE. He remembers Jason saying maybe he'd prefer the island.

... One week like that. He imagines for maybe a moment. Niah tilts his head. ]

What have you been doing here?

[unrecked]

Yeah. A hole.

[Which is why he had been so ???????? about Joonghyuk's hole (stop) until it seemed like it was unrelated. It's fine. There's more than one hole.]

With what? Am I supposed to be doing something?

[He glances from Niah to Joonghyuk, slowly, like he's waiting for Joonghyuk to try to pry.]

[malewife]

[ He looks at the plate Jason is eating from.

Then back up at Jason. ]

[unrecked]

[He just looks at Joonghyuk for a long moment, then sucks his teeth quietly.]

What? I'm a big boy. I can order from the restaurant.

[malewife]

[ It's okay, Jason. He isn't going to say YOU'RE BEING COMPLACENT. ]

How is it?

[unrecked]

[

A sort of indifferent, not wholly pleased shrug.]

It's food. It keeps me alive. Hasn't poisoned me yet, luckily.

[It's so-so.]

[malewife]

So not that good.

[unrecked]

It’s hotel food.

[what do you want from him old man]

[malewife]

Then it doesn't compare to my cooking.

[ we're here ]

[unrecked]

[He just

looks at Joonghyuk. Then he glances at Niah with the empty bowl poised in his hands.

He looks at Joonghyuk again.]

…

[…]

Yeah.

[malewife]

[ I'm sorry, but Joonghyuk smirks like "of course it is." Sometimes you're a bastard.

Taking the plate, he's going to wash the dishes now. ]

[unrecked]

[It really destroyed him to give that yeah. Like truly. It hurt him. He probably lost several hit points.

He does not let the plate go. He holds it in a firm grip and looks Joonghyuk in the eyes.

And snatches it back to instead be the one to wash the dishes.]

[malewife]

What are you doing?

[ WHAT IS HAPPENING

is Jason just going to wash his single plate. ]

[unrecked]

[He is washing whatever is here and dirty. Shut up.]

Cleaning up.

[malewife]

[ WELL. HE CAN’T COMPLAIN. Fortunately, Joonghyuk practices the art of cleaning up while also cooking. Not much of a mess left. ]

We can leave it to staff, you know.

[unrecked]

I'm not a little bitch. I can wash my own dishes.

[Hmph.]

[malewife]

I never said you are.

[ JASon. ]

Do you live on your own now?

[unrecked]

[Stop. He's rowdy. He has a smart mouth which is half his problem. But he can clean dishes well.]

Hate to break it to you, pal, but I've lived on my own since I was about thirteen until I stayed with some single, rich guy for maybe half a year before dying.

[malewife]

[ UH. WHAT IS HE SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THAT? WHAT ARE YOU EXPECTING FROM HIM?

actually, fuck it ]

What do you want from me?

[ WHY DO YOU KEEP BEING A SHIT TO HIM ]

[unrecked]

[Enjoy.

He glances at Joonghyuk, making a weird face.] Who said I wanted anything? [The furrowed brows ease.] I don't want anything.

[He goes back to washing dishes.]

I lived with my parents until my dad went to jail. Then I lived with my mom until she overdosed. Or that's what I thought at the time. When I came back after I died, I lived on my own.