Guy's Night Out

[run_barry]

After everything that's been going on lately, the time has come for a break. A planned visit from a friend is just the thing and with no major crisis going on at the moment, it's the perfect time to make that happen.

So, with an itinerary that includes science, food and video games, Barry is excited to bring Yamato in from Milliways for another trip to Central City.

Opening the door from the bar that's a broom closet in S.T.A.R. Labs, Barry gestures Yamato through.

"Here we are," Barry says with a smile. "Welcome back, dude."

The corridor, like most of rest of S.T.A.R. Labs that doesn't get used by Team Flash much, is usually pretty dimly lit, but today the passageway is bright in anticipation of their guest and the science that's about to commence.

Nodding down the hallway, Barry says, "Cisco and Caitlin are in her lab and we're all set up for you."

Comments

[makes_the_toys]

Cisco finally sets aside the squishy kitty and gets back to chopping.

"So where'd you learn to cook anyways?" he asks Yamato. "This doesn't seem like a wilderness dish."

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"I just picked it up from books and experimenting. My old man doesn't cook, and he's never home long enough to eat anything anyway -- living on takeout and cereal didn't sound all that fun, so I learned how to cook instead," Yamato says wryly, shrugging.

[makes_the_toys]

"What's wrong with living on cereal and takeout?" Cisco asks with a pout.

Clearly that is the superior diet.

[run_barry]

"It's cool that you learned," Barry says. "I'd cook more often, but the kitchen at my place is ridiculously tiny."

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"You worry me. How aren't you dead yet," Yamato says to Cisco, side-eyeing him.

Because sure, Yamato and Barry may throw themselves at death like lemmings off a cliff, but Yamato really wonders how often Cisco even has food that hasn't been processed to hell and back.

"It comes in handy," he says to Barry. "If I'm low on cash and can't score a fight gig or a music gig, I can usually pick up a shift here and there as a line chef."

[makes_the_toys]

"How aren't you dead yet?" Cisco counters, pointing a leek at Yamato. "Cereal can be part of a heart-healthy diet, you know."

Maybe not the cereal he eats, but still.

[run_barry]

"I was fired as a fry cook once?" Barry says, the only thing he has to offer to the part about food industry jobs.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"Part, Cisco. Part of a healthy diet. It doesn't count if the rest of that diet is sugar," Yamato says, setting the bowls of batter aside and getting out some pans before turning the cooker to a medium heat.

He blinks at Barry for a moment, then: "It's not the worst work, but it's not that interesting. Luckily, Tokyo is full of places that will hire me to play music or punch people, so I don't have to take cooking jobs too often."

[makes_the_toys]

"Geez, you sound like my mom," Cisco grumbles." And the Surgeon General. And my doctor."

[run_barry]

"I didn't mind it," Barry says with a shrug. "But I also wasn't there all that long."

He is concerned that punching people, and getting punched, is on the list of money-makers for Yamato, but it is what it is.

He finishes up with the beef and washes his hands again, getting a protesting chirp from GP when he moves the faucet over to the other sink for a moment.

"So what now?" Barry asks, watching Yamato to see what he does.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"Let me just ..." Yamato says, washing his hands before grabbing the octopus and moving it to a chopping board. It doesn't take long for him to dice it into small pieces. "Okay. Now we just have to cook all of this."

He takes a second to figure out who's going to do what, then: "Kiddo, grab some tongs or something and start frying the beef in this pan. Take it out of the pan and dip it back in the glaze every minute or so, and then keep frying it."

To Barry, he says: "This pan here is for the takoyaki. Pour a little batter in, add some octopus, and pour a little more batter to cover it. Roll it around with spoons as you cook it to get it into a ball shape."

He moves over to the last pan. "And I'll handle the okonomiyaki, and if either of you need help on anything, just say."

[makes_the_toys]

"Roger," Cisco says, popping off a salute and stepping in to toy with the pan, getting it set just so before working with the beef.

"Mmm, teriyaki, meat's candy."

[run_barry]

"Alright, I think I got you," Barry says after listening to Yamato's instructions.

Barry starts with a test, pouring out the batter, adding the octopus, then fiddling with the spoons to get a ball that is... more or less round. More less than more more, but it's definitely not flat.

"When you said 'ball shape' does football count?" Barry asks, eying his creation.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"Football shape is fine, Gramps. I won't tell any takoyaki vendors if you don't," Yamato chuckles, starting on pouring out the batter for the okonomiyaki.

[makes_the_toys]

Cisco leans over to investigate what's going on in Barry's pan and 'tsks' shaking his head.

"Dude, clearly you've ruined everything."

[run_barry]

"Shut up," Barry says, nudging Cisco away with his elbow.

Barry nods to Yamato and starts pouring out more batter; this time trying out a few at once.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"You just focus on getting that beef cooked, kid," Yamato laughs, scooping some vegetables into the batter he's got cooking, then adding more batter to cover them.

[run_barry]

"What he said," Barry says, nodding at Yamato while focused on rounding up the new batch of takoyaki.

[makes_the_toys]

"This beef is coming out amazing," Cisco informs Yamato, holding up a piece with the tongs in illustration.

A moment later there is the sound of half-cooked and sauced meat hitting the kitchen floor.

"Whoops."

GP responds immediately, hopping out of the sink and flapping down to the floor in a bid to get after the dropped food.

"ARAWWW!"

[angry_friendship_wolf]

"Careful, kid," Yamato says wryly, gaze flicking over to GP, just in case he needs to intervene.

[makes_the_toys]

"Get away... " Cisco says, trying to shoo GP off. GP is quick on his little webbed feet and dodges around, dipping and ducking so that Cisco ends up trying to herd him with his legs like a soccer ball.

"You little savage!"

"RAAW!"

[run_barry]

Barry leaves Cisco to handle his own porg problems, focused on the food.

"HEY! I did it!" Barry beams, holding up a perfect sphere.

[angry_friendship_wolf]

While Cisco is porg-wrangling, Yamato moves slightly so that he can keep cooking the meat in Cisco's place, alternating between that and the okonomiyaki.

"Hey, good job!" He beams back at Barry. "That's no mean feat."

[makes_the_toys]

With Yamato taking the beef for a moment, Cisco puts his full focus into handling GP.

There's a brief struggle, a lot of squawking, and then Cisco is finally able to grab up GP. Taking the porg out of the kitchen Cisco returns a minute later, ignoring the shrieking coming now from the bathroom.

"Okay, gimme that beef," he says, gesturing to take over again.

[run_barry]

Barry winces a little at all the noise, but gets back to his pan.

Confident now, Barry pours out more batter.

"Well, I guess if I ever wanted to get back into the food game I know I've got a better shot at it now," he says with a laugh.