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I mean, you're close with Donnie and Leo right-? You know them super well, and, Rue is Rue, they're full of a lot of love to give.

[Peter tucks his hands into his pockets with an easy kind of smile. An assurance.]

[That feels unfairly deceptive of an impression to leave, so after a momentary awkward fidget, he gently corrects,]

I know them, but... I wouldn't say we're close. Since I'm from the future, to them I'm more or less a stranger. I don't think they'd see me as family.

[He won't disagree on the Rue point, though. They very obviously have love to spare, and he's deeply grateful for that.]

Oh. [Peter blinks a little bit, thrown off to some extent.] Well, give it some time. I know they already like you a lot. We have the time and space to figure each other out here, which helps.

[Peter genuinely does mean that.]

[Somewhat of a bittersweet comfort, that one, but it isn't Peter's fault and it is a comfort nonetheless, so Casey smiles.]

Yeah... I hope so. I really- [Ugh, what is he doing?] ...I wanna be a good friend for them.

I know you will be. [Peter gently bumps their shoulders together, offering the other teenager an encouraging kind of smile.]

You feeling hungry? There seem like there are a lot of good places to eat. [Peter offers a gentle out for the conversation, a way for Casey to focus on something easier. What they had planned on doing in the first place.]

[The bump and the smile really do wonders for Casey's mood, and his own smile broadens in response. Peter's confidence just makes him want to live up to that expectation.]

I can always eat. Maybe we can follow our noses, pick whatever smells the best.

[First rule of the apocalypse: never turn down food when it's available. Or maybe the first rule is to check for Krang goo first, then eat it. Regardless, yes to food.

He starts walking down the road, falling into step with Peter, stuffing his hands in the jacket pockets. It's so nice and cozy. It's the nicest thing he's ever owned. What the heck, Rue.]

The problem is everything smells good. It makes narrowing everything down feel super impossible. [He says easily enough as his attention drifts across the stalls on display.

There is still a relief in feeling all of his senses completely. Even if it can be overwhelming at times, Peter would rather be able to smell, hear and taste everything to its fullest extent.]

Seriously... I run into that problem every day. Doesn't help that I've never had anything so I wanna try everything. It's still so weird to have to think about what to eat rather than whether you're going to eat at all.

[What a beautiful issue to have, though. Day by day he grows increasingly amazed at how small all of these problems are.

Rather than following his nose, his eyes scan for names on the menus of the stalls and shops they pass before pointing at one with a series of rolls on display. There's a sizzle of grilling food behind the front counter, and the scent of soy and teriyaki in the air.]

What's 'sushi'?

[The more they talk, the wider the scope of how bad the future had been becomes clearer to Peter.] Well, I'm glad you're here and experiencing this kind of problem. Going hungry isn't- its not super great. [He never went without in that same way. Even when May and Ben were struggling, Peter knew he usually got food first.

Sushi is a Japanese food, like- raw fish in rolls. [Peter helpfully mimes a roll shape in his hands.]

Its really good, super fresh if you go to the right place. They also have non-fish options too- [He eyes the menu to be sure.] Yeah, looks like they have tempura here too.

[Casey can only nod emphatically. It's not great! It's kind of terrible! Here he hasn't gone more than an hour with a rumbling stomach once he discovered he can just. Eat. Whenever he wants. It's kind of wild.

He's more curious about sushi than exploring the subject of food shortages any day of the week though, so he listens to Peter's explanation with interest.]

Can we try it? I always wanted to try Japanese food. Since, you know.

[His family, and the whole ninja thing. Even his mom had that history with the old Foot Clan. Call him curious to discover more about his roots.]

[Peter can relate in his own way. He's Jewish, he doesn't feel connected to it. Not since his uncle died.

He doesn't know how to even approach the topic sometimes. He doesn't participate in the culture like he could, half afraid he doesn't really belong anymore. He doesn't quite fit anywhere. He's always just slightly wrong to click in place.]

Yeah, of course- [Peter's attention settles back on the menu, eying the options.] Do... you want help picking? Like suggestions or do you want to just wing it?

There are a lot of options, and- I dunno how much fish you've had just yet.

[Casey follows his gaze, trying to parse the menu as well, but... in truth, most of the words are completely lost on him. Different species of fish mean little to him, and he doesn't know enough Japanese to understand what the terms might refer to. (Even tempura is pushing it.) He's grateful for Peter's ideas up front, as it'll probably spare him the embarrassment of ordering something completely off-base.]

I've never had fish before. Maybe, order whatever you want, we can get extra and share it?

[Peter nods at that, smiling reassuringly back at Casey.] We can just order a lot and share, see what you like best. Grab a seat and I'll order.

[He steps forward to join the line. Thankfully it isn't too long of a wait. Peter orders... an obscene amount of food. Peter is shooed away after paying, and he'll make a beeline back to Casey.]

Now we wait.

[In that time, Casey has found them a good-sized picnic table in the eating area for the food carts, whichever happens to have the nicest scenery. He smiles at Peter as he approaches, fingers idly drumming against the wood.]

I can manage waiting. Thanks for inviting me out, by the way. I keep getting a little stir crazy in the house with no work assignments, but whenever I go out on my own, I get stuck on too many choices.

[Peter settles down across from Casey easily, relaxed with the other teenager.] Hey, I'm happy to just hang out with you.

I also kinda figured we both needed to go out and do something. Trying out food is always a really good time. [At least in Peter's mind anyway.]

What kind of job do you do-? I'm kind of taking my time figuring out jobs right now. [Just being social means he and Leo can pay rent just fine honestly.]

[Casey's smile brightens at rhe first part and he nods. He's happy to hang out as well. There's so many new people, and he wants to get to know them properly.]

I didn't have a job exactly. At least, nothing with a title. I did whatever needed doing at the base, it kinda depended on who else was around and what we were gonna struggle the most with. I'd go on patrol with sensei, I went scouting for Krang monsters or scavenging supplies. And sometimes tech at the base needed repair, or they needed someone to run errands…

[He shrugs. If he tried to list all the jobs he did on the regular, he'd be here all day.]

Everybody just did whatever they could, and every day was different. For you… maybe just do whatever interests you?

[Peter listens at the description, finding it hard to imagine just how that kind of life would even really feel like.] Are you doing stuff similar here? Like, odd and end jobs-? Or just enjoying yourself trying new things?

I feel like I'm going to give you the same advice if you do want a job here. Though... having a job here feels really optional? [Sometimes Peter is amazed by how different this place is from home, much less the haunted variation of Massachusetts he met Leo, Donnie and Rue at.] As long as you're talking with people, you're going to be fine.

Ah... I don't know.

[Casey furrows his brows, mulling that over as rests his chin on his hands.]

I like trying new things, and there's so much here that I could do just about anything and it'd be new. But if it's fun, it doesn't really feel like work, and... I feel kind of wrong, not working. There's always been work that needed to be done. There was more work than we had people to do it. Sitting around doing nothing, not having to do anything... is it weird that it feels wrong?

[If he has time to sit around, he has time to train, at the bare minimum. But there isn't really anything to fight here, and once he's done his daily chores around the house he doesn't... really have anything required of him. It's sort of grating on his anxiety.]

[Peter nods a little at that, resting his elbows on the surface of the picnic table.]

Yeah, I can get that. Not doing anything just... its weird? It's nice for a break, but not long term. You start feeling antsy about it. [He's been enjoying the down time to get to know Leo more, to relax, but he has projects to work on. Eventually a job offer from Tony.]

Are there things you did back home while working that you enjoyed doing or found satisfying to do? You could probably lean into that.

Yeah, that's exactly it.

[Definitely comfort to be found in a kindred spirit of sorts. To know he's not alone in the stir-crazy feeling is... well, it's reassuring for sure.]

I used to help Un- Donnie in the lab, and he said I could help him here too, so there's that. Training with sensei... I liked learning how to do new things. It made me feel useful, but sometimes it was fun, too. [He pauses, then smiles a bit sheepishly.] Does that sound too much like work still?

You could probably try one of the colleges? [If Casey likes learning that feels like the best space to go.] You'd have classes and learn new stuff pretty much every day.

Its not work, but, it'd make you happy.

Oh... yeah, maybe. I thought about it.

[He fidgets a little, unsure.]

It might depend on how full they are. I'm still kind of iffy with crowds, and I'll probably ask too many questions...

Some schools are pretty packed, but... I think here they'd have room for smaller classes? [He offers back encouragingly.]

If it helps, school is all about asking questions.

Mm... that helps.

[A place to learn and ask questions- it's definitely a good place for him these days. Still makes him feel a bit antsy, but...]

I'll think about it. Thanks.

Yeah, take your time to think about it. All we have here is time. [Peter offers back easily.] I know I keep wanting to check them out, but the dorm part kind of makes me hesitate. I don't want to live apart from Leo.

I could take a couple classes too with you, if you wanted a study buddy. Ned and I did that with a few shared classes.

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/can't decide either, rng for food

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