solnet | [Video — Both Accidental and Not]

[Backdated to March 2, early afternoon.]

—n't be right. [A mumbled voice, scarcely heard. A flash of... Something red, it's hard to tell.] Wasn't it thi—?

[The video blinks out as soon as it started, nothing but a static feed. It stays like that, too, for a good 12 minutes: a video entry to the network of absolutely no substance.]

[—until unexpectedly it turns on again! Rin's face is visible in the frame this time, too close and blurry. Her head bobs away slowly, seemingly looking at something on her phone but not directly into the camera.]

Steady. Steadyyyy... Just like that— [The angle slides and loses her, topples towards a stone surface.] Ah!

[Thunk, crack! The feed cuts again, whoops.]

Hi, hi. Rin Tohsaka here.

[Third time's the charm? Framed perfectly in the shot and wearing a yellow apron, Rin stands behind a countertop in the kitchen. Hands on her hips, she beams at the camera.]

It's been a boring, uneventful couple of days, hasn't it? Normally, this time of month we'd be welcoming a fresh batch of soldiers into our ranks, but as of today, no new faces have shown up yet. It's strange for sure.

[But not too strange. New arrivals were late by a few days in January, after all, so this isn't the first time the routine has been broken. Head turned and tapping her cheek innocently, Rin considers saying as much, or asking if there have been other weird incidents like that, but...

No, that isn't what she meant to do today. Pressing that finger a little more deeply into her cheek, it creates an artificial dimple when she smiles brightly again.]

Strange, and more importantly than that: dull! Which is why I'll be in the kitchen all day today. [She snaps her fingers, pointing at the camera.] That's where you come in!

I'm challenging myself. Name a food or ingredient, or even several, and I'll try to make something yummy that incorporates all of them. Anything in stock in the kitchen goes!

[With this she grabs her phone, so she can turn it and record all the various different foods and ingredients they have here, both what she's laid out on the counters (eggs, frosting, butter, strawberries, among other things), as well as what's in the fridge and pantries. FEEL FREE TO MAKE UP WHATEVER YOU WANT YOUR CHARACTERS TO SEE HERE.]

Bonus! [She turns the camera back on herself.] Anything I make you can stop by and help yourself to eating, too. Sounds fun, right? So fire away or come visit. You know where to find me.

[A little wave, and video end.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She was expecting a flustered reaction like that; that it comes with gratitude saves him from both a round of teasing and scolding.

She wanted to help, not wound his pride. That he can recognize that means his warrior's guilt is still humored by good sense, she can see. Rin sips at her lemonade, smiling over the cup's rim.]

There's plenty more where that came from, if you finish and want seconds.

[Injuries to his pride are minor compared to the injuries that he's already recovering from. He's not feeling much like a warrior right now, but good sense is resuming its rightful place in his thoughts during this downtime.]

My might- [He stops to finish swallowing, then starts over.] I might have to take you up on that.

[He's wasting little time clearing his plate of stratta.]

[AND HERE SHE HASN'T EVEN STARTED HERS. Rin looks awed by his gusto before handing him her paper plate.]

Here, I can get another plate then. [Setting her lemonade aside she gets back up.] Oh, do you let your pokemon have people food? I could make a plate for them too while I'm at it.

[It's definitely a compliment to Rin's cooking skills.]

Thanks.

[Rob takes the plate from her. The Growlithe raises its head to stare at Rin when she makes her offer.]

If they want it, they can have it. Heh. Crichton's gonna be annoyed that she missed out on bacon. She shouldn't have wandered off this time, eh?

[Rin laughs at the Growlithe's barely concealed interest and makes a note that means two plates then. Crichton, though... That name sounds familiar to her. She speaks over her shoulder at Rob as she dishes more stratta up.]

Crichton... Was that the dinosaur, or the turtle? [A glance at the Squirtle, oops.] Ah, the other turtle, I mean.

The dinosaur. You ever read or watch Jurassic Park?

Jurassic... [What is he—] Ah!

[Her eyes light up, and pumps a fist in the air with gusto.]

The Steven Spielberg film, with Samuel L. Jackson and Jeff Goldblum!

And Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Richard Attenborough, with music by John Williams. Yeah. The book it's based on was written by Michael Crichton.

[This is a person who's never seen the film at all, Rob, but looked up all the big names attached to it once to pretend she knew her Stuff (TM). She was just excited she got the reference.]

Ah, that's right, it was a book first. [She... Vaguely recalls that. She thinks.] So you named her after the author?

[She finishes plating more stratta and moves to set it on the edge of Rob's bed, for Sparky to eat if she wants it.]

[Rob nods.]

It seemed appropriate.

[Sparky jumps onto the bed to dig into the stratta. Rob wiggles his feet until Sparky shifts to get off of them.]

It's been a while since I've watched it. I should see if Colin will show it at a movie night sometime.

That could be fun.

[Rin nods in agreement. Maybe she would even attend? She doesn't usually, with the movie nights. It's not that she doesn't like them, but that her forray into modern literature and media has been little better than getting her feet wet; a toe dip here and there. Between school and her mer mage training, there was rarely time for it.

And when she did have time, she dedicated it to preparing for the Holy Grail War. That saw her consuming vast amounts of literature over film, but it was fun. Daring legends and incredible tales of heroism and tragedies... it was necessary work, but she always got sucked in.

Rin will pet Sparky really quick behind the ears, if the Growlithe will allow it, then return to getting more food for herself again.]

You know, funnily enough, I named my Ralts after someone from literature, too. His namesake is a figure from the tale, though, not the author.

[Sparky stops eating when Rin pets him. He looks up at her, then pushes his head against her hand as he returns to eating. Rin has met with the Growlithe's approval.]

What's his name?

Koo Kullin, or Koo for short.

[It's a cutesy, phonetic reinterpretation of the name of the Irish hero, Cu Chulainn.]

[The blank look on Rob's face is enough of an answer even before he speaks.]

I don't know that one.

[She doesn't look surprised.]

Not a die-hard fan of ancient Irish mythology, huh?

Can't say I am. The closest I've come to Ireland is King Arthur.

[Sorry, she can't help but giggle at that unexpectedly. Another hero she's met in the flesh. Man, the stories she could tell you, Rob. Like how 'bout King Arthur being a woman, huh?]

What?

[He sounds a bit defensive.]

Sorry, sorry.

[She picks up her plate and cheerfully moves back to sit again, fanning her skirt to fall back into the right places.]

Those words made me nostalgic. It's unrelated, but I couldn't help but laugh thinking back on them.

[Eyes dipping back down, she cuts away at her stratta and switches back to the subject they were discussing before.]

Comparing the two, Cu Chulainn's tales date back further than the Arthurian legends. He lacks the universal renown, but he's pretty much the Irish Hercules.

[He's read enough about Greek mythology to recognize that comparison.]

Demigod who did a bunch of Labors?

[Video — Both Accidental and Not]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]