Verity Willis (
brave_heart_verity) wrote in
nexus_sages2016-02-07 12:35 pm
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Entry tags:
Sibling Rivalries: Chili Edition


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 jalapeƱos, 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
Who gets your vote?
((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.))
no subject
"Yeah, if you want. Let's see..." A few passes of sriracha, a good shake of red pepper flakes, and a spoonful of jalapenos next. That would have any human sweating.
...can he sweat? She's about to find out.
no subject
"Magic needs poetry," he replies. "Both arts seek to give shape and scope to ephemeral things, imagined before they can be real."
He watches with interest as the ingredients are added, sniffing curiously more than once before she's done. And when she is, he tries a bite and instantly gives the pleased hiss-laugh of a chili-lover eating something that's right at the heat they like. "Haaaaa, yess! Delicious, Verity, thank you. They do not cook like this in the Imperial province, and I have missed it. You do not have some boiled shrimp I could stir in, by chance?"
no subject
She watches his reaction carefully, ready to grab a beer for him. But his reaction is better than expected, and she grins when she realizes how much he's enjoying it. "Shrimp? Ah, no, not today. But..." that gives her an idea for the future. And for now, maybe, "Cornbread?"
no subject
Shade-Seeker nods approval, or perhaps affirmation. After their discussion of alchemy, he feels a certain amount of proprietary care for Verity's magical growth. It isn't a widely-held belief he's just voiced, but it works for him, and he believes it could work for her as well.
"Cornbread? I don't think I've seen corn made into bread," he muses, taking a piece with care. "Oh, it's crumbly." Gauntlets maybe aren't the best for picking up a piece of cornbread--claws, either. With a little care, though, he can pop a piece into his mouth. "Mmm. Buttery, sweet, and very definitely corn. Thank you!"
no subject
No, gauntlets are not really the best food-eating apparel. But he makes it work, and she manages to catch most of the crumbs in a napkin, so, not much lost. "Yeah, it gets a little messy. Sorry, I'll make it firmer next time. It's a simple recipe, if you'd like to bring it home? It's not alchemy, but a new way to eat food can be pretty magical."
no subject
He flashes her another pointy-toothed smile. "I would enjoy that, thank you. Mmm, and it makes a good counterpoint to the heat. A countermelody, perhaps." The crumbs can go straight into his bowl, that simplifies things.
no subject
And if she can see that...
"If you like it that hot, I think you're going to love my brother's recipe."
no subject
"Ah? My apologies, I would not mean to give the wrong impression. It is almost a pity that the subjects are so connected. Almost." Shade-Seeker hasn't had much luck in that department, although to be fair his prospects have changed substantially since the last time he looked. He's still operating on his previous habits, in that regard; he shall need to adjust.
"Oh?" He smiles, intrigued, at the prospect. "Then I look forward to trying it. This has been a pleasant day, indeed, and I thank you both for instigating it."
no subject
"You're welcome. I'm happy to be this kind of instigator."
no subject
He chuckles. "It is the best sort of commotion to raise, eh?"
no subject
She grins and gives a nod. "Absolutely. Just imagine if we'd decided to do something with chocolate. I don't think I can handle that kind of power."
no subject
The suggestion of some kind of chocolate-off gets a chuckle. "You would need to fend off the crowds with a sturdy pole of some sort."
no subject
"Or a guard. Someone to enforce proper queuing etiquette and sample sizes."
no subject
"Guards would be prudent, yes," he agrees, before chuckling. "Yes, how many students are also the head of the educational institute they attend?"
no subject
She does not, and he knows that. So much joking, except when she's not.
no subject
He chuckles again. "A fair point. I would not want to give up the pleasure of learning, when it is my turn to teach another." He sobers then, assuring Verity sincerely, "you are much better than you say, Song of Truth. Better I think than you know."
no subject
And yet.
no subject
"It takes only fact to see someone at their worst," he replies. "To see them at their best requires an act of faith, I think, where you have slightly less practice, and have met perhaps with fewer rewards."
As an afterthought, he adds, "do I lie, when I speak better of you than you think of yourself?"
no subject
"It isn't a lie that you believe these things. But there's a difference between subjective and objective. And this is a debate for another day, I think, when we won't be interrupted so easily."
no subject
"All fair points," he agrees. "I look forward to exploring these subjects further, on another occasion."