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

[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

What? Oh, er, yes, of course, he would never scheme to engineer favorable circumstances for one of his friends. That Would Be Wrong(TM). "A joke in poor taste, then, pay it no mind."

"Oh, quite. Knowing this day was coming, I took care to cultivate my appetite for it. How do you recommend taking your chili to best effect?"

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[brave_heart_verity]

Worse than wrong: it'd be disappointing. Not knowing the truth, for Verity, is... well, he's seen how it is. "Mm-hmm. Okay." See? Trust. But verified.

"For you... a swirl of sour cream and a liberal spoonful of bacon pieces." She dishes up a bowl for him before adding, "And a piece of the cornbread. I used honey in it." Cream and honey? Why no, she hasn't been reading up on fairies, what would give you that kind of silly notion?

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[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

Verity would have been amazing at international politics--and would have hated every minute of it.

Cream and honey? She could have picked that up from how he takes his tea. The observation gets a smile, though, and a low chuckle. "Dear, dear, I wonder if you shall ever go a night without doing your homework. How studious."

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[brave_heart_verity]

Yes and yes. He knows her so well.

That's true, and she did to an extent, but she can't see so much of him and not get curious. "I did once," she admits with a smirk. "It was horrible. I vowed to never do that to myself again."

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[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

He needs to tell her more stories. Curiosity has an important mythic role, after all, and several caveats. "Oh? My, my. Those who share your life shall need to be equally studious, it seems, to keep up."

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[brave_heart_verity]

She's heard about curiosity and cats. But yes, more stories. Always. "It isn't a race, dear. I love you all just the way you are."

Well.

There are a few improvements she'd like to make, but still.

And since he's not moving on with the 'eating' portion of the day, she'll add the sour cream and bacon for him, and a pinch of green onion for good measure. "But if you're determined to be studious, I expect this should keep you busy."

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[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

"I expect it shall," he agrees, stirring in the sour cream before crumbling some cornbread on top. "But you can't honestly tell me you have no wishes with regard to your friends?" He'll take a bite, and mmm, there's chocolate in the chili, and cream in the sour, and honey in the cornbread, and care in the preparation. Exquisite.

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[brave_heart_verity]

She doesn't answer immediately, both to give him time to taste his food, and to consider the possible consequences. Schön and wishes. But then he's enjoying the chili, and she's smiling, and whatever dark thoughts had been crowding into her mind are brushed aside again.

She can answer honestly. "Mostly, I want them to be happy."

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[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

"Your noble heart shines forth again. Mm! This is delightful. I do hope I shall be fortunate enough to try it again, on some future occasion."

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[brave_heart_verity]

"Is it noble?" She really doesn't get that. Viatorus and his family are nobles, probably, and... they're not like that. But then, Schön would know. It's confusing.

"Oh, I expect I can be talked into making another pot of chili. My chili, like oysters, are best in months with 'R's."

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[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

"The best drives of nobility are the betterment of those under its care," he clarifies. "And you are continuously looking to your friends' happiness."

"Oh, is that the rule? I confess, I had not heard that said of oysters, but I can find no fault with it."

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[brave_heart_verity]

She hums thoughtfully at that. That's all her reply, for now, but he knows that look: she's mulling it over. There will be a great deal of thinking going on in that pretty little bean of hers.

"It's because oysters used to get a bit dodgy, shipped in warm months. You know, before refrigeration. But, shipped in the cold months..."

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[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

He credits her with much more than a bean. He even realizes she might occasionally hold him up to that particular yardstick--but he has never claimed to be the best of nobility.

"Ah, of course. I should have known," he admits, "that makes perfect sense. I think this chili of yours, though, could be a meal for all seasons."

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[brave_heart_verity]

No, she doesn't expect anyone to be noble. She's American, for better and worse. As for the rest of it... he's getting better.

"You think so?" She considers that for a minute. "Well, we could certainly try it."

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[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

At least she has some basis for comparison, now, when someone claims nobility around her.

"I know that in hot climes, the people often eat spicy foods, paradoxically, as a way to cool down." His smile turns wry as he adds, "or perhaps it is only to make the day seem cool by comparison."

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[brave_heart_verity]

This is true. And also, how men should look in a suit, which is probably more relevant to her interests. He's a very helpful and generous friend, in this regard.

"True. Possibly on both counts. Just remember, when I show up in the worst of the August heat with chili and expect you to eat it, it's your own fault."

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[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

Isn't he just? Besides, coming back to the topic, there are no shortage of noble Americans, in deed and intent if not title. (American aristocracy, on the other hand, manages somehow to be even more degenerate than the European breed, and in less time.)

"If I don't, you may chide me with the reminder of this conversation," he promises.

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[brave_heart_verity]

This is true, good people are good people no matter where they're from. (Americans have to do everything bigger and better and faster, didn't he know that?)

"I was planning to." But now she can also remind him that he agreed to it, should the need arise. Better and better.

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[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

(He may have heard something to that effect.)

"Lovely. Might I ask, out of curiosity, how you prefer to garnish your chili?" It's hard to tell whether they're cooperating or competing, sometimes, but they're certainly having fun.

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[brave_heart_verity]

Sometimes the outcome matters more than the path to get there. So long as they're having fun...

"Green onions and sour cream. And bacon." Bacon almost goes without saying, but she wouldn't want to be accused of being less than fully honest about something this important. "Sometimes I like avocado, but I seem to be the only one so I didn't bring any."

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[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

"Ah? I must try it with avocado, sometime, for myself," he muses. "For now, I shall sample the bacon, at your recommendation." Crumble, crumble, nom. "Mmm."

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[brave_heart_verity]

"I'll make sure we have some next time I make it." This is one of her favorite games, watching people enjoy her efforts and seeing how that enjoyment evolves as new things are added to the experience. Schön is a particularly good playmate.

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[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

Schön is particularly expressive, and also an articulate, erudite critic with a refined palate. He makes a good playmate in part because it's a fun game where everybody wins. "That will be delightful. Have you ever tried cubed turnips in your recipe? You throw them in with the onions at the start, to brown, and later they practically melt in the stew."

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[brave_heart_verity]

He is all of those things, and generally a pleasure to watch. This is a game they'll be playing for a long time.

"Turnips? No, I don't cook much with turnips. I'll have to give it a try." Even if she doesn't win this year, with all the good ideas people have been giving her, next year should be a cinch.

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[u_can_have_it_4_a_song]

The only winning move is to play.

"I think you'll like it. They add a mellow, earthy note, soften the edge of the heat a little. And they'd go well with the, mm, chocolate? That you put in your recipe. A hint of Mesoamerica there, and welcome."