Sibling Rivalries: Chili Edition

[brave_heart_verity]

Flyers have been going up around the Forum and Commercial District for the last week or so. This morning,the lights in the VSW Meadhall came on. By noon, anyone getting close enough to an open door would know: chili's on!

Inside, everything's set up and waiting for the hungry and the curious: Clint's cooking in one corner, and Verity's in the other. Between them, tables are laid out with the necessities: bowls, plates, spoons, and plenty of napkins. There's beer and iced tea, some lovely tres leches cakes provided by the Nexus' favorite Japanese detective, and various toppings for the chili: bottles of sriracha and sweet Thai chili sauce, red pepper flakes, green onions and red, lime wedges, diced bell peppers and jalapeños, crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream. Cornbread and tortilla chips round things out.

Long tables with a mix of benches and chairs fill the hall on either side of the fire pits. One has board and card games stacked neatly at one end (they were neat when they were put out, at least). Another has two boxes, one wrapped in purple paper and one in pink, for depositing voting slips.

Poll #17301 1st Annual Chili Cook-Off

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 7

View Respondents

Who gets your vote?

View Answers

Clint--Avengers Assemble!
3 (42.9%)

Truthfully? Verity.
4 (57.1%)

The fire pits are lit, the food is waiting, and there are games in want of players. What are you waiting for?
((There will doubtless be further Cupid-based shenanigans, but this weekend, it's all about the platonic relationships. Bromances, BFFs, and family ties rule the day! Let's celebrate! Threadhopping, tangents, games, and mischief are all encouraged. Just don't start a food fight or Verity will have to yell.))

Comments

In the Pink Corner...

[brave_heart_verity]

Clint may be slaving away over his chili, but Ver? She's relaxing. She's got a book and a beer and the occasional amused smirk to throw her brother's way. Her chili is done and nobody has to fight with it. (The casual demeanor or fauxhawk shouldn't fool anyone; she's super serious about all this.)

Her chili is also, it should be noted, amazing. Maybe she doesn't have fancy names for things, but she's got a chili that started life as a beef roast and fresh tomatoes, a mix of kidney and black beans and chickpeas, stewed together until the tomatoes were soft and creamy and the beef was falling apart. Then the beef was shredded and the pot was seasoned and spiced and put to simmer. Caramelized onions, roasted garlic and bell peppers, a blend of chilis, smoke and bittersweet chocolate, a hint of black tea and a note of something more exotic round out the flavors.

This is a good, proper stew: thick, warming, inviting second servings because no taste buds were killed in the eating of the first. But if someone is so enraptured they never want to taste food again, she too has a little pot of stewed-down chilis with which to heat individual servings to taste. But she takes no responsibility for what happens after.

[hellburger]

Kazuhira Miller, a weak-willed mortal, cannot resist the siren call of free food in a toasty venue. He wanders into the hall, scoping out the spread and the impressive decor before sidling up to Verity's table. Seems it's ladies first, as usual with this guy.

"So ... I'm gonna to assume you're the 'Verity' half of this competition? I don't think we've been introduced." He offers a hand. "Kazuhira. Or Kaz for short."

[brave_heart_verity]

Poor, poor Kaz, being lured into the dark and seedy underbelly of delicious food and good beer. What will become of him? He was such a nice boy...

Verity thinks he might have been at movie night. She hopes he doesn't remember. Have a slightly awkward smile, Kaz. "I am. Nice to meet you." She sets down her book to shake his hand. "Hope you're hungry."

[magnetite_plz]

Since the whole LOL fiasco, Nekomata has found that she's always able to track down Kazuhira when she needs to know that she's familiar with his scent. It's almost like being contracted to him, but less of a hassle.

Being contracted to Schon is enough, thanks. But being a literate cat-demon-hobo she too is quick to turn up at the promise of free food. Also doesn't hurt that a familiar face is there.

Still, she's a little wary of approaching the table where a pink haired humie is chatting with Kazkaz. Traditionally humans don't view her kind very well...are non humies allowed to partake? Or does she have to wait for Pinkie Hawk to be distracted before she steals herself a bowl?

Hot Toddukah Chili: The Seconding

[smartass_captain]

The barely audible blip of the PINpoint is the only marker to Jim's arrival to this shindig. He's got what looks to be a small casserole bowl complete with lid tucked under one arm and moves right over to Verity's table as soon as he arrives, giving her a big wave.

"Damn. Hot Toddukah chili again so soon? What have I done to deserve this? Because I'll do it again and again if this stays on the menu."

Chili's always better the next day! ;)

[brave_heart_verity]

"Jim!" He gets a wave and a big smile from her. "I'm glad you came." He'll be getting a hug once he puts the casserole down. (And it'll be getting a curious look, because... what? What's in it? She needs to know!)

"It was Hot Toddukah that started it, actually. Clint was teasing me about making chili instead of letting him do it, so I said we should see whose is best before we decide who the family chili maker is. So, here we are."

[romeoinabox]

It should be little surprise to Verity that her cooking draws the attention of Red the moment he steps into the Meadhall. Given the way he voraciously ate his way through snacks at their tea together, she can be assured that he came with an appetite.

"Good afternoon, Verity," he calls as he approaches. With his winter coat over his arm, it's revealed that he's dressed in a full suit today. Seems he's a snappy dresser all the time. He leans close to the pot and take a good, long sniff before smiling brightly at her. "What wonderous winter meal have you cooked up for us today?"

[brave_heart_verity]

Ver's noticed he has a certain fondness for her cooking, yes. She's going to start thinking she's good at this if he's not careful.

"Hi!" She gives him a smile when she looks up. He might be a little overdressed for the occasion, but he makes it work. "Well, this being a chili cook-off, I decided I should make chicken soup. Obviously."

Sorry, Red; ask a silly question... "This is my favorite chili recipe. Well. One of them. I stewed a roast in the tomatoes until it was ready to fall apart, shredded it, added beans and spices, and here we are. How spicy do you like it?"

[bestdadinamestris]

"Hey there, Verity!" Look who's back in his own body and happy as a clam about it. Hughes approaches with a bright smile and an air of excitement.

The pot of chili gets a raised eyebrow once he's close enough, though. "It sure smells amazing, but what's in it? And... can I have some?" Because, really, how could he resist?

[brave_heart_verity]

"Colonel." She almost calls him 'boss', but, public. This spy stuff doesn't always come naturally to her. "You're looking well." Translation: no lasting damage from Blaze's exuberance.

"Mine is shredded beef that's been stewed in tomatoes, with beans and spices. And of course, that's the idea. How spicy do you want it? Mine's pretty mild as is, but I've got stuff to make it hotter if you want."

[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

"Good afternoon, Verity," the thin man greets her--and when did he get here? "How goes the triumph?"

[brave_heart_verity]

He got here precisely when he meant to.

"Hello dear." Schön gets a smile and a gesture for him to come around the table for a hug. "I haven't won yet. But I think everyone's enjoying themselves, so, quite well. Or did you mean the kind with queens in golden chains? I haven't got any of those and I don't think Iphi would be willing to play along with that sort of thing."

Or maybe she would. Ver's not going to ask either way.

[magnetite_plz]

"Oh!" Nekomata is quick to sense her employer's appearance in the hall and has to set her now empty bowl of chili down fast in order to look like she's working instead of mooching a free meal.

She's not entirely unreliable, however. When she approaches Schon she has a stack of papers written in slightly untidy Japanese to hand over. Her report of the LOL incident and everything she'd uncovered during.

"Couldn't find you while I was in a humie body..." She says quietly, the downward droop of her tails telling more than she'd like about how nervous she is to see the other.

[shoulda_toined]

(Having already done the fire-spewing gag once, Bugs noshes down on the chili like a perfect gentleman, except for one little thing he can't resist commenting on:)

What, no carrots in da recipe?

[brave_heart_verity]

Wait...

Isn't that...

...okay. She can deal with this.

Once she gets over the surprise, she considers the question. "You know, that's a good idea. I'll try that next time."

[fightlikehell]

Ah, now this is a smell that is not going to remove any hair from his nostrils. He already has an idea of who is at hand on smell at a distance. It overpowers the other familiar fragrances.

"What enthralling thing are you reading there, chef?"

[brave_heart_verity]

"Matt!" Book be damned, it gets dropped hastily on the table as she moves around it to give him a hug and a kiss hello.

"The Invention of Murder, which is thoroughly unromantic, and perhaps not appropriate today," she admits into his shoulder as she settles into the post-kiss hugging. "I'm so glad you came. Thank you."

[red_room]

Natasha's been hanging around at Barton's table for some time, chatting about something or other while eating his chili offerings, but when she's done she's heading right over to Verity's, giving the other a nod in way of greeting when Verity notices her.

"Quite the competition going on. You two have drawn one hell of a crowd."

[beyond_my_limits]

[Chili? Contests? Mewtwo just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, as he wanders into the hall curiously. He doesn't really get what's going on, but it seems like a lot of people have gathered here for this event, and getting a chance to watch other people is a unique instance.

The purple cat-like pokemon approaches Verity's table, looking over at her cooking with an inquisitive stare. He's about to say something, but stops since some people don't like telepathic creatures sending messages into their brains. Instead, he frowns a little, before waving one appendage to her.]

[sumarusfinest]

When Katsuya does finally make it back to Verity's table, it's with a piece of cake topped with fruit and a raspberry drizzle to hand over to her,, as well as a cup of coffee.

"You've hardly had a moment without a crowd it seems." He offers in way of explanation offering a small smile. "I thought you could use a small reward for organizing such a successful turnout."

I stared at that picture too long and now I want chili more than i want AIR

[ixis]

He'd received a notice that dinner would be in the Forum today, which struck him as odd. But of course he ventures out eventually to secure his meal. And of course he's only going to eat what Verity's prepared. She's got a proven track record of being good at it! Naugus isn't here to settle a competition, he just wants to eat.

So it should come at no surprise that, after he gets a bowl, he just pulls up a seat next to Verity and chows down. Feet are up on the table at some point. Crass.

[conjuredskies]

If Verity’s offering free food in the Nexus, she can’t be surprised to see her favorite legionnaire come scrounging. Felix takes a while to make his way over, partly because of the crowd and partly because he wants to stop and inspect every last topping and accompaniment provided. Academic curiosity, and all.

Once he’s close enough, he leans against her table and waits for her to have a free moment before he catches her eye with a smile. “Afternoon, Verity. Planning to warm up the entire Nexus?”

[onemorebounty]

*Having swiped a napkin to dab her forehead, Samus makes her way over to Verity's table.*

Please tell me your chili isn't hotter than your brother's?

[brother_alone]

When life gives you lemons you make lemonade. When the Nexus gives you a lodge full of free food you bulk up in case meals are hard to come by for a while.

Joshua ambles on over to the pink end of the lodge flyer still in hand.

"This is the best competition idea ever, so you know. You and the other guy should get medals."

[gate_crasher]

When Shade-Seeker reaches Verity's table, he gives an appreciative sniff. "Mmm, if I hadn't seen the fliers, I still could have followed my nose to this from halfway across the forum! This winter air is very good for letting some scents carry, and what joy I find at the end of the path! Song of Truth, it is good to see you."