[It was absolutely a thing in the future. See, Ashitaka, the flavor of things change as they cool down. The fat in a real bowl of ramen starts to become less appetizing, the noodles become too soft, the vegetables too water logged, the egg loses its runny quality. This is fucking science, man. Food science. The best and only one Ryuji actually cares about. But he'll let that question slide for now. It's the experience that matters. As it warms your throat to the point of boiling it alive and it swashes back and forth in your stomach; those are the right feelings that need to be taken into consideration. And he's pissed at the lack of chopsticks, but that's another raging battle that he's not going to win.
Instead, as he moves the bowl into his hands, he cups around it, fingers sliding up to the rim as he holds it perfectly still for a moment and judges the structural spot to pick it up properly. Everything is warm to the touch, so carefully, he lets his thumb and index finger be the point of contact as he brings the ridge to his mouth, blowing on the water softly so that it doesn't splash up and hit him right on the face. If anything, he wishes he had some spring onion to chop into this. Well, whatever. He takes a sip.
And it's delicious.
It's home.
It's the first thing that he's felt in BASE that actually feels right. Setting the bowl back down, he turns to Ashitaka, who's losing it. As far as he can tell, at least- this is the proverbial Letting Down of Hair that he's never seen from the other before. And that, too, is nice.]
Sorry, ramen is my only girlfriend.
[It's said so matter of factly that it must be true. He wants to make this entirely more perverse, more vulgar- but he stops himself. If that got a chuckle and a slight redness out of him, going on any further would be downright obscene.]
slUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURP
Instead, as he moves the bowl into his hands, he cups around it, fingers sliding up to the rim as he holds it perfectly still for a moment and judges the structural spot to pick it up properly. Everything is warm to the touch, so carefully, he lets his thumb and index finger be the point of contact as he brings the ridge to his mouth, blowing on the water softly so that it doesn't splash up and hit him right on the face. If anything, he wishes he had some spring onion to chop into this. Well, whatever. He takes a sip.
And it's delicious.
It's home.
It's the first thing that he's felt in BASE that actually feels right. Setting the bowl back down, he turns to Ashitaka, who's losing it. As far as he can tell, at least- this is the proverbial Letting Down of Hair that he's never seen from the other before. And that, too, is nice.]
Sorry, ramen is my only girlfriend.
[It's said so matter of factly that it must be true. He wants to make this entirely more perverse, more vulgar- but he stops himself. If that got a chuckle and a slight redness out of him, going on any further would be downright obscene.]