nexus_sages | Sibling Rivalries: Chili Edition

Current Mood: hungry
Current Location: VSW Meadhall, the forum
Current Music: Lindsey Stirling "Roundtable Rival"

Entry tags:

Sibling Rivalries: Chili Edition

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.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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?"

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?"

No need to worry Verity, Red will assure you with every bite that she is, in fact, as good as he makes her out to be. Such a cultured and well-traveled man, he certainly should be allowed his opinions, right?

"Obviously," he agrees with a laugh. Such a cheeky little thing. It pleases him to no end to know she's got such a sharp wit.

"Mmm, that sounds fantastic. Medium-to-low spicy for me, please, I'm afraid my gut doesn't appreciate when I try too hard these days." That will happen after a lifetime of unsavory things, though.

Everyone's allowed their opinions, even when they're wrong. She's not going to argue about this one.

She grins and ladles up a bowl for him, not too full so he has appetite left to try Clint's too. "Try it as-is, and we can add more chilies if you want. But I think you might like it the way it is." The heat in the chili is layered and lingering, but not intense. Just right for someone with a sometimes disagreeable tum*.

((*Developed by me for me and my ulcers, so, he should be fine.))

It's good to know she won't fault him for it.

"Thank you, my dear." He carefully takes the bowl, takes another good sniff, and then tries a bite. His happiness is instantaneous. He's at least good enough to to finish his bite before he speaks again. "Verity, you've simply out done yourself! This beautifully bridges the gap between stew and chili. Truly, my heart is warmed by this." And on top of that, it doesn't upset his stomach in the least. What a treat!

"I really am going to owe you at least one meal in return for your generosity," he says after another bite.

It's hard to want to fault people for thinking well of her. Not that she can't manage it, but she's trying not to go down that road.

His obvious delight gets a bright smile from her. He doesn't need words to tell her that. Not that the words hurt, mind; she quite likes those too. "I was aiming to warm the stomach, but that sounds even better, so I'll take it."

She gives the chili a proper stirring while he eats, making sure everything comes up off the bottom and all those important things. "I don't believe in debts between friends," she points out with a little shake of her head. The philosophy gets her in trouble sometimes, but she prefers it to being an emotional accountant. "Besides, if everyone here owes me a meal after this, I won't see my own kitchen again for a week."

"I find the two concepts often go hand-in-hand. My stomach has certainly been warmed as well." He chuckles and takes another bite. Mmmm. So good.

"You make a fair point," he concedes. "But what if I merely asked you to accompany to me dinner as a friend. A date, of sorts, but with no expectations of anything more than enjoying each other's company over a good meal. Would that be agreeable to you?" Good god is the man smooth when he wants to be.

"A multi-tasker? Excellent." Alton would be so proud of her. "Try adding some lime juice. I think you'd like that." It's a mild acid and makes everything taste fresh and bright. And he likes lemon cake so much she figures he must like other citruses too.

Smooth as satin. Not that she needs a ton of persuading. "Dinner with a friend sounds nice. What did you have in mind?"

"Lime juice, hm? Well, if you insist." He chuckles and adds a small amount of lime juice, mixing it in thoroughly before trying another bite. It helps bring out all of he flavors with a bit more of a 'pop,' which he enjoys immensely. "Wonderful suggestion. With that kind of advice, one might think you'd done this before," he says with a grin.

She agrees so easily! If Red seems pleased, it's because he is. "I found the most darling little French restaurant for lunch yesterday and came to find out that, at night, they become some fancy-to-do steakhouse that I'm told has the most succulent steak selections I can find anywhere in the multiverse. I was wondering if you might be so kind as to accompany me. It's a formal dress code, black tie and all that, but if that's too much for a friendly dinner, you need only say the word. I'm sure we could find something else to enjoy together."

She'll take the remains of the lime wedge if he'd like, to toss in the trash behind her chair. "I've had a lot of time to think about these things." Food being a much better thing to dwell on than, well, almost everything else. But it's been time well spent if today is any indication.

It's only natural he'd be pleased. She won't read too much into it. "Oh, no, that sounds nice. A French steakhouse? I'd think you might need to dress up just to pay proper respect to the food. I'll just need a little time to get ready."

And possibly buy a new dress. What is with all these dress occasions lately? She didn't even own any when she came here, except the mandatory black funeral dress her mom bought her in college when a cousin of her mom's she barely knew died.

If she's offering, he'll hand her the lime wedge. She's been a fantastic hostess. "It really shows. Your wisdom in the kitchen seems to have no bounds." Beat. "Oh, I'm sorry, that sounds absolutely terrible, doesn't it? Forgive me, I didn't mean to suggest that's all you're good for." Absolutely the truth, and not just because Lizzie would kill him if she found out he thought otherwise.

He smiles broadly. "Would it be presumptuous of me to ask you out for this evening? If so, then would tomorrow be acceptable? I want to make sure you have the appropriate amount of time to get ready." Because there's no reason to rush when such an enjoyable evening lies ahead of them both.

That beat was enough time for an eyebrow to rise. She's quick like that. But the honest explanation gets her to relax again and shake her head a little. "It was unfortunate, but lucky for you, I'm proud of my skills." So, no need to fuss.

"This evening? If you don't mind a late-ish dinner." There's going to be a lot to clean up around the hall after everyone's left, and she's pretty much counting on Clint having to run off for an emergency. Not that she minds, she knew what she was getting into when she agreed to this. "If you think you'll still have an appetite to go out after all this chili."

Thank goodness for that. He was afraid she'd take back her acceptance of his invitation after that poor stunt of his.

"A late dinner has never been an issue for me," he answers with a smile. "As for the appetite, well, I'll simply have to do some more exploring to work it back up again. Should be fairly easy in a place like this."

She tries not to be that quick to dismiss people. Anymore.

"Never hard around here," she agrees. "If you really want to work up an appetite, I could insist you pick me up at home. It's a bit of a schlep. Can't beat the view, though. Chao garden on one side, parklands on another, and far enough away from the neighbors to not hear them."

"If you can get me an address and directions, I would be happy to come and get you." It means he can find more peonies for her and not have them awkwardly sit at the table between them while they eat. "The fresh air and exercise will certainly do me some good."

"Certainly. I'll even draw you a map if you'd like." Geography Club has improved her cartography skills. She's leveled up from little-kid crayon drawings to stick figures!

More peonies will always make her smile, but they're not necessary. Getting to go out with a friend is more than enough to make her happy.

Just give her a minute to work on this map, it gets a little tricky at one point. "You're a very cheerful man. I don't know how people like you manage it."

"You're most kind," he says with a smile as she begins drawing the map for him.

He likes giving her flowers, so as long as she doesn't object, she's going to keep getting them. Never let it be said that he won't take 'no' for an answer if the word is actually put out there.

"People like me?" What a strange question. "What ever do you mean?"

"Oh yes, so kind of me to make sure you don't get lost on your way to doing something nice for me." She's not a kind person. She knows herself too well to believe that.

It's unlikely she'll ever say 'no', but it's even less likely she'll ever make demands.

"Cheerful people. You come to a place outside reality as you know it and you delight in it. Most people don't." There's a distinct trend in how people react to arriving in the Nexus, and she's noticed it. "It's impressive."

He's not a kind person either. He just happens to like Verity.

He shrugs nonchalantly. "When life gives you lemons," he says with a chuckle. "Being petulant about the situation will get me no where. I'll either make it back to my world at some point or I won't. No need to waste precious time on wallowing."

It's a start.

"Mm. That's a good way to look at it." Here, Red, have a map. And a smile. "Still, you could give lessons. Be a motivational speaker. Start a new fashion for hats."

"I'm not sure I'd make a very good teacher," he admits as he takes the map from her, "but the hats I can get behind. They're very fashionable, and keep the head very cozy in cold winters like this." And when he chooses them? They're nice as all hell, too.

"It's good to have goals." She hopes he can understand the map. Sometimes what's clear in her head doesn't translate to paper very well. "And hats, this time of year."

He'll figure it out, and leave extra time to get to her place just in case. "Any time of year, if you're me. But it's mostly about the fashion in my case. I really just like the hats." He can't help but grin a little with that wink.

"They look good on you. You've chosen well." Normally she prefers a man with hair, but he makes the stubbly-headed thing work. The wink doesn't go unnoticed. "Clearly, the hats like you, too."

"I'm so glad you think so," he chuckles. What fun company she is.

"Shall we adjourn for the time being, then? I shouldn't keep you from the other voters. Oh, and what time shall I pick you up this evening?"

Sibling Rivalries: Chili Edition

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Grammarly thinks we're cooking children here. o.o

Wait, whaaaat? O.o

It wants to correct "chili" to "child". It is really weird sometimes.

Creepy! D:

Frequently, yes. And then it chides me for using ellipses too often. :P

Curses, it's figured out your habits! ;)

Today, the machine learns how I write. Tomorrow...

Tomorrow... the rise of the machines? O.o

Tomorrow, rise of the New Blogs: humans optional.

What a terrifying thought

I know. I apologize for my part in helping it come to pass.

Thanks. =P

It's the least I can do.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)