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[inthejunk]

[Nothing like a rude awakening at 2:30 in the morning, right? Well, you're in for a treat fellow refugees. It seems like one just flew over the cuckoos nest. Not that you can tell initially. At first this just looks like some inconsiderate kid with rings under his eyes and messy hair, breathing down the camera lens a little too up close and personal.]

Yo. If we haven't met yet, hello. I'm Yosuke. But...but if you're new, you should count to three and then stop listening. Okay? One, two...three. Alright, go away. It's for your own good.

[For emphasis, he clicks the lamp beside him off, and the video goes dark. Nothing to see here, apparently.]

Listen. Guys. I'm curious what people do here for fun. Because uh-look. I've tried sleeping, and training, and then I tried going outside. And talking to the people in the market, and you know. Looking for animals. And I found some, but they were really creepy and mutated. You know? So it's impossible to forget this place is so...

[The light comes back on with a soft click. The phone-roll-up is on the bed table now. Yosuke smiles down at it tightly, and shrugs. Then something thumps in the other room and he jumps at least a foot, gesturing wildly and knocking the device off the table. Someone get the kid some decaf.

He hangs over the side of the bed and gazes at the mobile, his image now fractured like a kaleidoscope, and gives a rather put-upon sigh for a guy who was just trying so hard to be personable.]

Damn it. I'm cracked...

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Re: [ video ]

[inthejunk]

[Finally! He's relieved enough by that response that all the tiny fractured Yosukes slump a bit, and prop their chin up with their hands to give the question its moment of due consideration. And then they lean forward and pour out a deluge of animated word vomit..]

Hanging out with friends. And uh...there was some good hiking in the area. And I went to school and I had a job and...did some um. Volunteer work. You know? It was just busy all the time at home. Really, really busy. At first the break seemed nice but I think I've memorized every inch of this place already. And I know we're supposed to be saving the world, but I mean...do you feel useful?

[hostage]

Well, yeah... Kinda.

There's lots of volunteer work if you're into that. Somebody's fixing up an old church and somebody else is working on a greenhouse. And every month we make cookies for the new arrivals, if you wanna help with baking and giving those out next week.

Aside from that, I got a job with the Initiative. You could ask 'em for one, too, and get yourself some extra pay on top of the usual allowance. There's also solo missions.

[inthejunk]

Wait, the Initiative gives people jobs?

[He might have been lying about that volunteer thing. But some extra cash? That's a language he speaks.]

They don't happen to need a stock boy, do they?

[hostage]

I dunno. Go down and ask 'em in the morning.

[inthejunk]

They're not open right now? Not even a janitor or something? I mean, I think I could use a walk is all. I think I might go check anyway. It can't hurt, right? I should do that...

[hostage]

You're seriously tweaking, huh. I think most people are asleep. The ones that could hire you, anyway.

[inthejunk]

It's just that if you watch the walls for a while it starts to look like they're breathing. Uh! I mean, I know they aren't. I'm not on drugs, that guy just likes to tease me. But uh. You know. It's not healthy to do nothing, right?

Hey! Hey I can help with your cookies. We could just try to make a box now. For practice.

[hostage]

[The face of someone not judging drug use - alleged or not - even the slightest bit.]

Sure. Come over. I'm in 409. Try not to make a lotta noise or my roommate'll shoot me.

[inthejunk]

Really?

[Awesome! ...Except that part about getting shot. He had a scary roommate at first, so it's best to ask:]

Wait...really?

[hostage]

Yeah, really. Come over if you want.

[inthejunk]

As long as your roommate doesn't actually shoot people.

[hostage]

I was kidding.

[Kind of.]

[inthejunk]

Okay. Cool. I'll be right there. 409, right?

[hostage]

Yup. Just come in. It'll be open.

action?

[inthejunk]

[A wise move. Otherwise, he would've gone down and knocked.

Luckily, Yosuke is good at taking instruction. So, armed with that one, he jogs downstairs -making a few detours- and does just that. He steps inside and slips his shoes off quietly. Now, how to announce his presence without being too noisy? Maybe Jesse is waiting in the kitche-\

Ow!

[Yeah, that thunk you just heard was Yosuke busting a shin on the coffee table. Never mind that his apartment has the same basic layout as this one, he failed to notice it as he was concentrating on being quiet.

...Starting now he'll be quiet. Really.]

[hostage]

[Yeah, Jesse's in the kitchen getting out all the usual cookie supplies. He hears that thump and rolls his eyes, but he isn't actually that worried about waking Han up. He's a tough guy. He can deal with a little noise.]

In here.

[Just loud enough to carry to the other room.]

[inthejunk]

[In the kid wanders. He can't help rubbing his shin a bit as he looks around, taking in all the baking supplies. It looks totally foreign to him. He's never even lived anywhere with an oven before. In fact, he isn't sure what most of the appliances in the kitchen are for. He's kind of excited, but keeps it carefully in check.]

Hey...ever opened an egg with a pin before? It's not too hard. I could show you. What kind are they? Do you have red beans? They're not going to be too spicy, right? I was thinking about taking one home for Lloyd to make up for always calling him stupid, ya know? I mean he is stupid, but I probably shouldn't say it so much, right?

[Make that he'll be relatively quiet...]

[hostage]

[Jesse doesn't answer a single one of those questions, but he isn't ignoring Yosuke, either. In fact he casts several concerned glances at the kid in between fetching ingredients from the fridge and cabinets. Finally, when everything's all laid out:]

You okay?

[inthejunk]

Um.

[He bounces on the balls of his feet a little, sheepishly. Yeah, he's definitely talking too much. Whoops.]

...I'm good. How are you?

[hostage]

[He's exhausted and sallow, thanks for asking. What's he even doing awake in this condition, let alone taking care of a teenager? Daddy instinct...]

You're like jumping outta your skin. You wanna sit down for a second, cool it?

[inthejunk]

Ah. Yeah, sure. Sorry.

[And for a moment he actually does sit, though his leg bounces, apparently if it's own volition. He's like that annoying kid in class who can never stop fidgeting during exams. Before long, he's drumming his fingers nervously on the table as well.]

You must really like cookies, or maybe you don't know how to make anything else? I could show you toast and eggs. That's all I know how to make. But it's probably better than just cookies, isn't it?

[hostage]

[Jesse is that annoying kid, so that doesn't necessarily bother him. It's slightly weird behavior in the middle of the night, though. It makes Jesse think of himself when he's on the verge of nervous breakdown, seeking out a distraction or company or both.]

I can make eggs. Most people prefer cookies. You want eggs?

[inthejunk]

What? No. They make me burp anyway.

_And now that the sitting down feels sufficiently accomplished he springs up again, and takes a look at what's laid out for the cookies.]

So, what do we do?

[hostage]

[Jesse gives Yosuke another unsure look before turning to gesture to the butter and cup of sugar.]

Take that bowl there and start mixing those together. Start slow so you don't get the sugar all over the place, but then speed it up so it gets real fluffy.

[inthejunk]

Fluffy. Got it.

[He's sort of got it, anyway. The part about going slow seemed to go in one ear and put the other. He dumps the cup of sugar in and stabs at it with the spoon, causing the bowl to slide back and forth with the motions. The sugar, for it's part, dutifully attempts to mix in anyway. But it's not easy going.]