nexus_sages | Sibling Rivalries: Chili Edition

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Current Location: VSW Meadhall, the forum
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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.))

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"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."

There's just as glad of a hug and kiss for her in return. It's a welcomed sensation to have her lips to his even for a second after Clint's chili. Boy howdy.

"It is early," he's kidding of course and there's a laugh to go with it. "Death by chili is closer than we can imagine at the other table."

She can taste some of the spices on him still, and boy, that's not an awkward introduction to her brother's recipe...

"Is it? I haven't had any yet. It certainly smells... interesting." If she can handle Clint's chili better than Matt, he might never hear the end of it.

And, speaking of awkward, when she opens her eyes again and looks around... "Oh. Hey, Steve."

Steve had been busying himself trying to open the beers he'd grabbed. One for him and one for Matt. Opening them while he was holding two was kind of challenging.

Steve's also had years of experience being the third wheel even unexpectedly and didn't make a sound. In fact, he's been looking anywhere but at them for the last few seconds and had been trying to inch away when Verity caught him.

"No, no. Don't..uhm...I'll just...be going...sorry. I..I didn't mean to tag along like that..." He sounds every kind of uncomfortable despite his attempts at levity.

Hopefully the day that other people experience what it's like to have their senses turned up high they won't have to eat chili. Until that day, he will gladly look bad for not being able to appreciate Clint's fire in a bowl. "Oh interesting is the right way to start talking about it."

Beer too? Steve is a real friend. Matt on the other hand he keeps a hand on Verity while the other rubs the back of his head. "No, no. You're great." Hand done with trying to fluff or rub away his own second hand embarrassment he pats Steve on the shoulder.

When she's experienced it for herself, she will understand. "Now you're just making me curious." A hand on her back is answered in kind, and she leans up against his side comfortably.

None of that sneaking away, Steve: having seen him, she's not going to let him get away so easily. "None of that, you know I'm glad to see you. And you don't really think I'm letting you get out of a chance to feed you, do you? Would you like a hug too?" There's always hugs if Steve wants one.

Steve is still pretty tense as he looks at the hand on his shoulder, before swallowing and moving to set the beers down on a counter so he can open them. Okay, so this is apparently a Thing. It's not a problem, just...very much unexpected and Steve still feels like he's intruding.

Beer is finally released from it's prison. Steve wastes no time in gulping down a mouthful just to have something to do aside form shoving his foot further into his mouth. The other he holds loosely, waiting for Matt to free up either of his hands, really.

After a moment of him not letting Verity go, Steve does squint at him a bit.

"Do you want yours or not? Because I'm fine drinking both of them over here by myself." He's teasing, and besides Steve is ninety pounds he should really not do that over anything short of a couple hours, at least.

"Only if Murdock promises not to put his family's boxing prowess on me for accepting."

This might have been a good thing to try and prelude with. Boy oh boy. Matt has his own awkwardness to press on through.

Sorry, Steve. He really is.

"Please. I think that chili and beer are an excellent pairing. Don't ask me about wine and food. Beer and food," he does a little head bob. Imagining all of those ninety pounds taking in that much alcohol does make Matt snicker.

"I know when to pick fights. And they're in circumstances without you or Verity." To make it even more transparent Matt steps aside so he can have a first sip of beer too.

Ver rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "I don't need Matt's permission to hug my friends." Allow her to demonstrate.

Yes, Matt, she's got the hint: beer for him, wine for her. It'll work.

"Thanks for coming, Steve. I hope it's worth braving the cold. How did you like Clint's recipe?" Hugging accomplished, she steps back so Steve isn't all crowded. The fact it's where Matt is is entirely coincidental.

"He made it just the way Other Steve likes it, and it was pretty good!" Steve returns the hug, much less awkward than he used to be about dames touching him. But still slightly awkward because this is also probably the third time ever someone not his mother or Bucky's mother has hugged him.

"Spicy, but...smoky? It tasted like it was made on a campfire. I liked it. Didn't expect Matt to have as much trouble as he did..." You starting something, Rogers? A bit of teasing maybe? Matt can handle it, otherwise Steve wouldn't try.

"Oh, it's no trouble. I was practicing pool before I came."

Good? Good. That was someone's good. He really has to reign it in as he listens to the words. Steve is fully entitled to hugs. (Hugs from everyone.) But Matt will allow him the space. He's known Verity longer.

"I'm sticking with interesting. Probably a good alternative for fossil fuel." Just thinking about it is bringing back the memory of the taste. He'll drink more beer for that.

His eyebrows lift as he blinks incredulously. "Guess I don't have the same kind of stomach as some people."

Get used to it, Steve. There will be so many more hugs in your future. "Smoky fossil fuel alternative. I'm not sure if that makes me want to try it more, or less."

She'll let the boys tease each other, but Matt gets a little nudge when she heads back around her table. He can follow if he wants, or keep hanging out with Steve. Either way. "You two ready to try mine? Or do you need some cornbread to cool things down?"

"Hey now, it's really good. Don't knock it till you've tried it Verity." Steve is nothing if not just and fair, even in mid hug.

"I'll be good with just the chili, but Matt here might need some help." Steve rolls his eyes good naturedly, and gives Murdock a small push toward Verity. "I'll take mine and wander. I shouldn't...have you know." If he says intruded they'll insist he's not, but Steve knows better.

He is a Professional Third Wheel.

"If you really want to try it that is." His brow furrows but he's not about to stop her if she is set on trying the stuff. Matt is following her back to the table actually.

Pushed this way, pushed that way, Matt still stays on his feet. "Jeez. I have a low tolerance for that stuff. I should have said so." Low tolerance, yeah, sure.

"C'mon Steve. No one's making you leave to go anywhere you don't want to." Professional Third Wheel meet Professional Negotiator.

"Oh no, I want to try it." No pushing, just, suggesting. Sometimes forcefully. And hey, Matt'll be another set of hands for stirring things; she would not mind the break. But first, she gets him a piece of cornbread. "Here, there's lots of honey in this, it'll help."

Steve gets a shake of her head. "You're not intruding. How can you intrude at a big public event like this? Don't be silly. You two stay and tell me how good my cooking is, then go play some cards or something. Which reminds me."

She rummages in the bag she has stashed under her table a bit before holding up a pack of playing cards, which she then tucks in Matt's pocket. "I found some cards with Braille on them. I have a feeling you'll have the best poker face in the room, so go easy on the rest of us, hm?"

"...I'm gonna have to learn braille now." Steve jokes, shaking his head before he has another sip of beer. "Can I have a small bowl, Verity? I'm pretty sure I saw cake back there and I'm definitely going to have to try some of that too."

"Hey yeah. We can make Clint regret teaching us how to play pool by schooling him in cards, too." When this became Steve and Matt against Clint is anyone's guess. Steve thinks it's fair for it to be two against one if the one is an Avenger.

"And you're going to learn to lose gracefully." To Steve and his talk about poker. "Thank you, Verity. They're going to be put to good use." Matt grins too and focuses on the beautiful smell of chili, honest to goodness chili. The only heat he's sure of would be a tang of flavor and temperature: both things he's more than fine to have in his mouth.

"It smells better to me," and this is an honest assessment. Having a seat also means he can enjoy more. Or sweat more inconspicuously. Matt isn't a fool enough to think that Verity's chili won't burn. He hopes it does. And he hopes to not have heartburn to kill a giraffe after all this.

"They've got printing on them too," she assures Steve. "So everyone can use them." Given how much effort she put into Steve's Christmas presents, he shouldn't be surprised that Ver's been trying to find ways to accommodate Matt without insulting him.

"Small bowl to leave room for cake? Yeah, I can agree to that." Steve gets the first serving, since Matt's got that cornbread to finish. "Try some red onions and bell peppers, I think you'll like the play between the cooked and raw flavors." It'll be an education for him, and he did ask her to teach him how to cook.

Then for Matt, a larger serving; he'll burn it off. "Here, try it as-is, then let me know what you'd like to add. There's bacon, sour cream, cheddar, raw veggies, tortilla chips, and hot sauces. For you, I'd say bacon and cheese are obvious, but I'd also say a little bit of red pepper flakes."

Her chili aims for the warmth of sitting by a fire, not in it.

"I know how to play poker." Steve chirps. "And Verity would never lose if she played." So don't get so cocky Murdock. Sheesh. Maybe it's good Steve has a friend he can sass to like the little shit he is.

"Sure!" He goes to do as he's told, and seems quite pleased with the combination. When she mentions red pepper flakes though, he's going to add some of that and some cheese too. He is surprisingly sturdy for spicy food.

"How long did this take to make Verity?" Steve has to get a napkin. "The meat's so tender."

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Sibling Rivalries: Chili Edition

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