[PRP] Kitchen Takeover [Jeremiah/Cass]

[demon_pachabel]

She nodded. "Yeah, once you get past the 'why are you turning your house into an oven by covering your windows in tinfoil' bit he's not too bad to be around." But Jeremiah was completely right. If a little paranoid, Marcus was very astute and attentive. "And well, it's been a long time since I tried a serious relationship. Probably six years or so...." her tone implied the last one had ended badly.

"Aw man, I can't blow up the kitchen? Well there go all my plans. I was hoping you'd just let me be in your house to destroy it at my own convenience," she teased. "But seriously, it takes too much effort to actually blow up a kitchen, so I think I'm fine with some potentially bad recipes and probably some cut fingers. My knife handling skills have definitely waned over time." Well, probably not the type she'd used if she challenged someone to a knife fight, but the kind where she could cleanly strip meat from a whole animal.

"If you wouldn't be put off by my attempts a few times a week, I think I'd like that."

Cass finally seemed content with her arrangement, stepping back from it to go wash her hands, because raw meat juice on her fingers would only appeal to Hellbine, probably.

Azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"I can count the number of serious relationships I've had on one hand," Jeremiah snorted, "and apparently one finger if we mean the man that I filled the shoes of." The man he had replaced had never tried any serious relationships, had not had any that he could tell, aside from Algie. It had been another sore point but-

"Suppose that just means Marcus is definitely something special for you." His lips twitched, eyes glinting as he nudged her slightly again. It was something she could probably do with having and he was glad for it. Then he was rolling his eyes. "I have nearly blown up the kitchen before - have a photograph somewhere of the aftermath - and it was such a freak occurrence, I don't know that you could align thing to have it happen again but one never knows." His own work done, he was moving to clean his hands as well.

"A few attempts a week are alright. I can get you a key, if you'd like? I also not necessarily think your knife handling skills have faded but perhaps when it comes to a kitchen ..."

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"I guess it depends on where you draw the line for serious. I'm gonna put the 'emotional commitment' point on the line and still say I'm at about two.....out of a lot more." Because casual dating was extremely fun to a certain extent. "I'll just see where it goes. I dunno how he'd fare if I broke his heart too soon." it was a playful statement, but it implied she was very prone to doing just that.

"Honestly, uh..." Cass coughed, "I don't think I actually need a key. I mean," she glanced away, then back at him, "a single touch should really be enough for my weird brand of magic tricks." How did she explain that she'd accidentally opened Marcus's front door up one day when their arms were full of CRAB and she'd just really, really wished she didn't need to try and fish his key out of her pocket.

"Well, maybe. I dunno if it needs to be on my ring or not, but I guess locks like me?" she shrugged innocently. "I mean, I found out I can do it to my house too....and my car.." she squinted. "Definitely don't know how it works." Not enough science of the unlocking type.

"But yes. I definitely would not say no to making myself at home in a well equipped kitchen to try my hand at things again." and on that note, she nodded to the stacked meat they'd both assembled, "Guess we should get these started if we want to eat ever."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"The line for serious for me ... Well, I suppose I can't really say where it is considering that I need an emotional connection with someone before I even notice them any way other than a friend or acquaintance." Jeremiah looked thoughtful for a moment, though his eyes glinted impishly. "So I probably broke far too many hearts." Like spirit-father, like spirit-daughter.

His eyebrow rose at the mention of her particular knack with keys and locks. "That ... makes me wonder ..." Then he was shaking his head. "It would likely be best to give you a key anyway, just so that you have it. Sometimes magic goes haywire but I certainly can't say anything about weird brand of magic tricks." Jeremiah's fingers wiggled, coldfire sparking over one finger tip as he then moved it between his knuckles like it was a coin before it dispersed.

"You could probably do testing if you really wanted to find out the extent of it." He turned the meat they had gathered and nodded to get it to the rotisserie and start it cooking. "Let's get this into the rotisserie. I'm certainly happy I went with the larger model and not the smaller one and, of course, you're welcome to the kitchen. Just not ... Thursdays. That's when Alg cooks," he chuckled, "but if you get really into it, I can share my favorite cookbook with you."

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"Well, we at least differ on a relationship need level. Sometimes it was just nice to not be alone, even if for a few weeks." she shrugged, but didn't seem bothered by it. Hey, the spirit-family couldn't have all the same standards for breaking everybody's hearts, after all. The end result was the same, at least.

"Well, an actual key will make me look less like a stranger breaking into your house to your neighbors," Cass shrugged, "so hey, if you trust a weird transient child with your house, I'll do my best to not blow up your kitchen," she winked. Then she picked up the first of the two spitz, moving to load it into the rotisserie. The second followed after.

At least she could do that much right.

"Yeah? I am a fan of more traditional recipes. I did a lot of Greek and German stuff when I was living at home. So I'm definitely open for some light, experimental reading...that isn't cooking all the crab from the crabbing adventure. I am actually sick of seafood." Marcus would wash her mouth out to hear her say that.

"But hey, I can respect Thursdays being Alg's night. It isn't like I'm just going to show up to your place like a homeless animal to raid your kitchen," except she'd previously said that was exactly what she was going to do.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Oh, I can agree with that, I just ..." Jeremiah trailed off, growing quiet as if he was considering what he was talking about. "I'm particular about who I am close with." After all, unlike his counterpart, he had been alone for more years and there was only so long he could carry the torch without breaking down and realizing that being alone without touch for years would not work. It still showed, as he was older, in the way that he was particular about letting people in or being close but once they had gotten through? They were there and he was very close and tactile.

"At this point, I don't know that my direct neighbors would bat an eye at a weird child coming into my house ... Especially given all the other strange things that have occurred or the magic." Jeremiah chuckled, shaking his head, watching as Cass loaded up the rotisserie and he made sure his hands were still appropriately clean to finish making the sauce for later.

"Mm, I grew up with traditional English things but branched out to Italian and Greek and it went from there as I got older." He snorted at the mention of seafood. "Marcus still going crabbing? Seafood isn't a go-to for cooking and most things I have to look up if I want to try," not in his personal cookbook, "though I will admit that this is probably the first thing I've eaten in a while that is ... so much meat. I've been eating vegetarian meals for a good while."

His lips twitched a moment, unable to resist asking. "So that's a no to the plan to live under the sink with Hellbine and Violetta?"

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"You never know. Sometimes they may decide to fuss the normal looking things instead of the weird things they don't wanna explain. Sometimes it's easier to complain about things within your control and understanding," she shrugged. Once the rotisserie was loaded and set to cook, Cassandra also made her way to the sink to wash her hands, humming as she did so.

"Oh, he only got on that boat because I lured him on with kisses and praise, though." She could tell that clearly something had happened with a boat (or perhaps it was water?), but her tone implied there was a certain lack of context to it. "I thought it'd be fun. It ended up being a lot of extra work, but still fun." Most of that work being 'hold the man and tell him the boat won't kill him'.

"Vegetarian? Health or ethical reasons?" she looked at the rotisserie and suddenly wondered if she should feel bad for being a cause of buying AND cooking meat. She understood either way of course.

She looked towards Hellbine when Jeremiah called her out on her previous plan, 'hmmm'ing as she leaned onto the counter. "I can still do that, just not full time. I have to leave sometimes. I can't be dating boys under your kitchen sink."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Well, to one side is a moonwalker and a warg and to the other are neighbors I've had for over a year. They're really nice, don't seem to mind the oddities. Watch the cats if there's a need and we don't have someone else." An eyebrow was raised at the mention of the boat but Jeremiah shook his head with amusement.

"You never know when Marcus is going to be easily alright with something or assume that it's out for his life." A soft chuckle escaped before he paused. "Neither health or ethical, though I suppose I could say partially health? At one point my throat was burned raw and another point I was burned alive." Yet here he was, alive and whole. "It curbed my attempt for meat. Couldn't stand the smell or taste of it, especially pork. Still have a bit of trouble with things that smell burnt."

Jeremiah was frowning, thinking back on this before he noticed she was looking at Hellbine and speaking again. The small cat was mostly asleep, curled up into a small ball on top of the stool. "Well, yes, you'd have to leave to do the dating bit. I'm not exactly certain it'd be comfortable dating there or that, you know, one would actually want to have their date interrupted by an older British man."

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"Oh. Then I guess I'll just have to up my game to make your neighbors worry." She briefly pondered if that meant finding weird ways to get into the house (Hey, she wasn't a stranger to going in and out of windows), but she'd have to check and see if he had a chimney at all to see if that was an option as well. Maybe that was a bad idea if they actually used their fireplace though.

"o-oh. Well, I guess that makes sense. I mean, I wouldn't want to eat cooked meat if I uh..had been...cooked...meat," she trailed off as she spoke, frowning. "So just personal preference. That makes sense. Well, I guess if I ever try to surprise you, I'll keep that in mind." 'Surprise'. That was a dangerous word.

She laughed at the idea of being interrupted on a date. "I can think of at least five dates where that would have been the best way out I could have had." she tilted her head a bit, "except I now have experience in weird getaways. How many bathroom windows have you climbed out of?"

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Do try to only spook the non-magical neighbors, if you mind. I worry what the magical kind might do if they think you are someone trying to break in." Jeremiah doubted it and was mostly joking but-

"You should be fine if you want to surprise me," he snorted, "I just had to work back up to wanting to eat it more often again. I had to work back up to actually cooking again." It was an entire process and not entirely unlinked but not the time to discuss it certainly.

An eyebrow rose at the question Cass asked. "What kind of bathroom escapes are we talking about here? Because I was trying to get away from someone I wanted to not be around, because I had caused a situation and needed an alternative route to leave or because I really did not want to be on the 'date'?" A breath. "Note that I use the term date loosely. I didn't date but did apparently end up at a few I did not realize were dates until far too late."

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

Cass hummed thoughtfully. "Well, I'm going to count 'I'm 17 and why am I at a Sorority party and I can't find the door', 'I didn't ask for this date' and 'If I go out the front door, someone might follow me home' for starters." She wondered if those were too specific, "And I guess the good ol 'I really just wanted to have this as a life experience'." That marked at least 4 bathrooms she'd climbed out of. "I may also count the 'What do you mean your girlfriend is home, I didn't even know you had one'." Okay, five.

"Well, I just need to be thoughtful about my surprises is all. No use giving a gift that's going to go somewhat unwanted because it wasn't right," Cass shifted to seat herself on the counter, legs kicking back and forth. Well, she wasn't Hellbine so she was allowed to be on the counter, right?

...

Right??

"Well, I'll at least try to make it a good show either way I go about my random break in. If it's too daring I'll at least text you to know where about your house to check for my dead body. Or my living body. My living, broken, possibly trapped body."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"I was giving examples, not necessarily bathroom escape attempts. There was 'okay, I riled up the yanks a little too much and they might actually lynch me', 'your girlfriend is into me for my accent and I am not interested but clearly I need to get out of here before there's an incident', 'what do you mean the bathroom door is locked and we can't get out'," that had actually been with Algie, "'that time they decided locking the Brit in the bathroom because he's British and the new guy but did not realize he carries a lock picking set on him', and 'this is not the party I signed up for, it is in fact the exact opposite of a thing I want to be at'. The list goes on for there but thankfully I've not had daring bathroom escapes for a few years now." Jeremiah snorted, shaking his head. "I only play at being sociable. I would, in fact, much prefer being a homebody but made a career out of otherwise."

His eyebrow raised at surprises, though he merely nodded in agreement. It also turned out that Cass was indeed allowed on the counter, though Hellbine gave her a look as if he was sure that just wasn't fair. Jeremiah rolled his eyes at the cat like he knew.

"She isn't covered in fur and doesn't roam the streets all the time," he told his familiar. To her, he merely raised an eyebrow. "Don't doubt for a second that the cats can't take you out. They're magic. For all I knew, Hellbine can grow something from that one movie that can eat people." You know which movie: Feed me, Seymour!

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"Okay, some of those genuinely sound like a good time," Cass said, nodding. "I mean, better than my own window-escapes." Albeit, most of her actual escapes were out of an actual door, but still. "I don't keep enough stuff to entertain myself at home. I mean, if I had a place half this nice and kept more than 3 boxes of possessions, I'd probably be fine, but..." she owned the same 4 paperbacks from a thrift store for 5 years and rarely ever picked up a new shirt without tossing another one.

She didn't even own a TV.

"But hey, fake it 'til you make it, I guess. You were at least sociable enough to talk to a girl in stupid PJ pants." well, PJ pants that had definitely not even matched themselves. They were comfy tho, so she definitely kept them around for a reason (besides, who was going to judge her bedroom fashion?).

Hellbine's face was met with a coo and another scritchy finger pet from Cass. "Hey, I don't make the rules. Do I need to sit in a real chair and offer you a lap, sweet fuzzy face?" she asked, then looked back to Jeremiah with a shrug. Cass was more of a 'Somewhere That's Green' sort of girl. Though she really hoped Hellbine couldn't make the memory eating plants. That would have been bad.

"So basically we'll add 'may be deathed by cats' to my list of potential failures in clever break-ins." she laughed, "but you'll at least eat me when I'm dead, right Hellbine?"

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"It wasn't until I got this house that I really had more than a few boxes of stuff." As then, of course, Jeremiah had decided to put down roots. To make Ashdown his home instead of constantly running and never looking back.

He gave her an amused sort of look. "Perhaps I just enjoy talking to people who show up out of nowhere in strange otherworldly magical environments." A twitch of lips. "Besides, otherwise I would be without the pleasure of your company right now and then where would I be? Without making gyros." That was obviously where.

Hellbine lifted himself up and stretched, an ear flicking dismissively. Which was probably code for yes, absolutely. Come sit with me and pet me always. "Death by cats, death by rogue plants, the list could go on really."

Jeremiah also looked expectantly towards Hellbine at the mention of eating Cass when she was dead. His nose wrinkled, as much as it could anyway. "Mm, he might not be a people eater. Who knew. Probably because he knows us."

demon_pachabel

 

[demon_pachabel]

"Well there goes my funerary plans then," Cass laughed, hopping off the counter to take up a proper seat. She patted her lap, though her offer had already been made for Hellbine to take it up and soak in her affection. There was so much love for sweet fuzzy critters still locked away in her.

"Moving boxes is a pain. Moving furniture is worse. But hey, I get why you like it in here. This kitchen alone is pretty darn perfect." Not the most perfect, but she wondered if it was built this way by the previous owners, or if Jeremiah had been particular and the Mercers had done their own renovations for the place. Both seemed plausible. Marcus probably would have appreciated the house from his 'I like to build things' standpoint.

"Well, you'd probably be enjoying a quiet afternoon without making a big mess in your kitchen and having random strange children spill their deep dark secrets to you. Probably be enjoying your sweet kitty's company and reading a good book. And definitely less Gyros."

azuredreams