09

[takethat]

[A flour-covered Phoenix may be found in the kitchen bright and early on March 7, adorned with a yellow and white striped apron, and merrily rolling out cookie dough. His journal is open nearby, and he's talking over it.]

So, it's Purim! Or at least, it will be tonight. I don't think it counts for very much here, since the castle seems to be pretty choosy about what holidays it celebrates, but I wanted to make hamantaschen anyway. So, uh, anybody who wants some, please let me know!

[There's a delay as he's cutting out circles from the dough, and then a splatter of prune filling on the journal.]

...if you don't know what they are, they're cookies with fruit filling in the center. These are prune flavored. Don't knock it til you try it, but I can make apricot, too.

[And with that, he goes back to making his cookies, plopping the filling into the center of each one and pinching the cookies into triangle shapes. When finished, they'll look a bit like this, though considerably less perfectly-shaped. A couple are definitely still round.]



Hey, uh--Maya? I need to ask you something.

[A lengthy pause]

...what's going on with you and that Wheatley guy?





I made you a batch of hamantaschen. Lots of different flavors. I'm in the kitchen if you want to come get them, or I can bring them to you later.



((ooc: Jewish!Phoenix is headcanon, not actual canon. The more you know.))

Comments

[gevurah]

Phoenix. [ That's an odd name. Hippy parents? ] Nice to meet you -- Nick.

And sure. [ She sets for the cupboard, looking for an extra glass. ]

[takethat]

Thanks. Doesn't even count without orange juice.

[A pause.]

I've never seen you around before. How long have you been in the castle?

[gevurah]

[ That gets pause; thinking about all the time she's been here... :( ]

It'll be two years in July.

[takethat]

Holy cow. Two years?

...I've only been here for four months!

[gevurah]

It's been a while, yeah. [ She pours juice into a glass for him and holds it out. ] But there's a few who've been here longer.

[takethat]

It never ceases to amaze me when I hear of people who have really been absent from their own homes for that long.

[He takes the glass]

Thank you.

...I wonder if I'll be here for that long, too. I'm pretty content now, but I don't know if that would last.

[gevurah]

[ She nods, then pauses. ]

You like it here?

[takethat]

I do. Two of my dearest friends are here.

[This is somewhat of an understatement obviously an emotional thing for him, and he goes back to pinching the cookies into triangles to be a man about it and hide his expression. Yeah, these two people mean the world to him, and he's afraid of someday losing them.]

[gevurah]

[ She picks up her glass, staring into the juice. ]

I see. It makes it easier, from what I hear. [ She doesn't like the idea of "settling" but friends help. ]

[takethat]

Wherever they are, that's where I want to be, you know?

[With the last bit of cookie-pinching done, he sets this batch on a pan and slides it into the oven.]

Well... not too much longer on those!

[gevurah]

What do you do back home?

[takethat]

Huh?--oh, I'm a lawyer. A defense attorney, to be exact. ...what about you?

[gevurah]

We rarely get those in Paradisa.

[ She smiles a bit. ]

I don't have a day job. My... stepmother's company is worth millions of dollars.

[takethat]

Millions? Holy cow.

[The timer on the oven dings, and he hurries over to retrieve the cookies, oven mitt in tow and talking over his shoulder as he goes.]

...so you don't have a day job? Does that mean you have a night job?

[gevurah]

[ She brings the glass back up to her lips. Haha, night job... ]

No, nothing like that.

[takethat]

[He laughs, scrutinizing his now-cooling cookies all the while.]

Worth a guess--especially since you don't seem the type to volunteer any more information than you have to. Am I right?

[gevurah]

[ She chuckles softly. Perceptive man. ]

I have to admit there's not much to talk about.

[takethat]

I think all people and their stories are interesting, personally. But, if you don't want to talk about it--that's a far different matter.

[gevurah]

My stepmother's a wealthy socialite. There's not much else to it.

[takethat]

If you say so! Wealthy socialites tend to make for a lot of intrigue, though.

[gevurah]

Gossip is a part of their lives. Can really kill the mood at a party, though.

[takethat]

I imagine.

[He gingerly pokes one of the now-cooled cookies.]

...looks done to me! Care to join me in a couple of much-needed cookies?

[gevurah]

If you don't mind. [ Hnnng, they look so delicious. ]

[takethat]

Fantastic!

[With a smile, he hands over a few of the hamantaschen.]

[gevurah]

[ She's going to take a bite out of one. It's kind of hot still, so she slows down on the chewing before swallowing. ]

It's good.