yumemigaoka | (no subject)

(no subject)

⭐ Who: Keiwa and whoever runs into him
⭐ When: Throughout February!
⭐ Where: Around Camellia, the DU and Koubai General Hospital in the waking world, various(?) locations in the Dreamsphere
⭐ What: Working at the Kissaten, passing out chocolates, donating blood, being ignored by the Nightmare because he's a chump and entirely too trusting/honest with people. 8(
⭐ Warnings: ???

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Oh. Well, uh...thanks?

[As a thank you for what? Maybe...maybe he's just giving them out to all the staff here. That would make sense! Though it'd also be an awful lot of work...]

I didn't...make anyone anything...

[And now he feels kinda bad he has nothing to give back! But - well, why would he? He doesn't know anyone here that well, he had no reason to expect he'd need gifts.]

... Oh! [he waves his hand in front of him] No, no, it's all right! I wasn't expecting anything in return.

[he pauses, a little awkward (it seems to be Keiwa's default)]

But um... How are you? It's been a while.

Oh! Uh...I'm good, actually.

[He sounds sort of surprised by this himself.]

Yeah, I got a job here! Some translation stuff to Spanish, and some just cleaning up, general uhhhhh...fixing? [He can't find a word for maintenance.] So that's good! People are pretty nice here.

[Honestly, it's the most stable gig he's had for a while. The hours are good, and the DU being what it is, he can do a lot of his Dreamer work right here! There's always folks sleeping here!]

[there's a curious look before Keiwa's face lights up at hearing the good(?) news]

Really? Congratulations!

[he doesn't need to know about Bruno's sleeping arrangements, it's fine, let him assume the man has an apartment--]

They are. And there's a lot of resources available as well, so... Hopefully it makes adjusting a little easier?

[He totally has an apartment like a normal person he's so regular - ]

Yeah! It's a pretty easy place to move to, if you're gonna...and they've got great stuff here! I didn't know there was a cafeteria!

[flashforward bruno joins the DU solely for the free food]

[Keiwa can't help but wonder how many people just joined the DU to get fed... Or maybe it's just the people's general disposition; food is a pretty good motivator, after all]

Oooh... That sounds nice. I usually make my own lunch but maybe I should go take a look.

[maybe not this month though, not when Camellia's as busy as it is]

Well? Any favourite foods so far?

Oooh, yeah, the shrimp tempura is really good! Where I used to live, we didn't get a lot of seafood - I mean, not from the ocean, it would take too long to get there...

[But let's not worry about where exactly he used to live lmao]

It's true, there's really nothing like freshly fried tempura.

[for all that Bruno's bad at keeping his history hidden, it seems Keiwa's perfectly happy to take it at face value. Considering the extent of his knowledge of Spanish speaking countries is what he learned in school, the idea of Bruno coming from somewhere landlocked doesn't even come off as strange to him.

But now that he's brought it up, Keiwa finds himself a little curious]

Actually... What did you usually make? There aren't very many Spanish restaurants around, so...

Uh...well, my - my sister used to make arepas all the time. It's sort of like a sandwich with a corn cake? You can put pretty much anything you want in it. I'd help her make them sometimes, we kinda had the same schedule, but I don't think I could do it by myself.

[he nods and does a little 'ooh' noise as Bruno explains. He can't really imagine the taste of it but... He makes a brief pointing gesture, and you can see the lightbulb go off above his head]

So a little like onigiri, except... Ahaha- instead of rice, you'd be using the ingredients you had available to you there too.

[he thinks it's a good comparison; this seems like a much better corn based cultural exchange than candy corn]

It sounds tasty. [this is where he would ask about how to make them, but hearing the last bit puts a slight damper on the mood... So Keiwa decides to switch gears, well meaning but a little clumsy in his execution] I wonder if Maki-san knows of a place around here that might serve them. It feels like she knows everyone and everything around the city sometimes...

Uh...yeah, I guess it is kinda like that.

[Not exactly, but he guesses he gets where it's coming from!

Maybe he could still try making arepas. But he was always more of a sous chef than anything, for Julieta. And it's been a long time, and....well. He's just not her.]

Oh - oh yeah? I don't think I know her.

[He can't really comment on the likelihood of finding arepas in Yumemeigaoka. Sure, he's been around a while, but it's not like he's canvassed the place for them. And he hasn't been anywhere else, so he's not sure if that's like...a thing people do, generally. Like how you can find Chinese or Thai restaurants most places.]

[he can't believe it's happened again...]

Y-you can tell me if I'm wrong, you know... [a little flustered, but he recovers as gracefully as he can]

Yeah. She works here in the DU, so you might run into her now that you work here too. Last time we chatted... I think she said she was in IT? I don't think it'll hurt to ask.

[this is the power of pure optimism. Even if they couldn't find it... Maybe it would be a nice little cultural exchange? With how foreigners tended to pass through the DU, it wouldn't hurt right? Right??]

Oh, huh. I haven't really been over there. Not like I have a computer.

[For work, or personally! It's fine, Bruno's not all that great with technology to begin with.]

I'll have to check that out, though. Maybe she'd know something like it, at least. [Granted, even if they do have an arepa restaurant here, he's sure it's not gonna be really the same. The food here's definitely different from when he'd slink into Japanese restaurants back home.]

Really? Maki-san tends to be everywhere...

[he doesn't even question the computer thing. Maybe he's assuming Bruno has a laptop instead? Either way...]

Mmm... That's true. I guess if you're in a different country, it's probably not the same...

[he'd tried the American BBQ last summer and nothing there had tasted anything like the 'American' food you'd find in Japan]

[Bruno shrugs a little.]

It'd still be fun to try, though! Maybe I could give them some tips!

[Probably he wouldn't, but you know.]

[it's the thought that counts]

That would be fun. Maybe we could do something like a culture exchange in the DU... Last year there was an American-style BBQ during the summer. Though I don't think the DU organized that one.

[he went from being pretty cheerful about to being pretty sheepish. He'd forgotten that the DU might not have been behind that... Not that he knew who the anon benefactor of the event was]

Oh yeah? Do they put stuff together like that sometimes?

[Bruno really doesn't care who organized a BBQ that he wasn't around for, but if the DU does do events like that occasionally - maybe he'll be around for one! Although maybe he should be more careful about big Dreamer social events...]

Mhm! [nod nod] I think Ai-san's planned something for Valentine's, and the HR team put together something for Halloween last year.

They're opened for everyone who works at the DU to join in too, so you should drop by if you have time.

Oh, that's nice! That they include everybody, I mean.

[It probably wouldn't have been quite like that back home. Not that they had any big organization like this in the first place, and not that they ever treated the townspeople worse - it was all about helping them, after all! But...well, he hasn't been around in a long, long time, but it's always seemed from what dreams he's observed that Mirabel...

...well. It's nice they work like that here, anyway.]

[softly;] Yeah, I think so too...

[then he brightens up]

It's called the 'Dreamer's Union' but the people helping to keep this place running are important too!

[does he really not suspect anything? More than likely, he's just letting it slide; if he needs to know, people will let him know]

Oh - well, sure, I guess. Thanks!

[Bruno, as paranoid as he may be, isn't actually a very suspicious person. He takes this at face value!]

You're welcomed.

[totally airheaded auto-response-]

Ah- I have a couple people left to give these to, so I need to head off. I'll see you next time?

Uh, okay - yeah, yeah, sure. See you later!

[Bruno stands there and watches him head off, still holding his chocolates. It's been a decade since he got anything from anyone like this...how nice!]

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