OOM: Christmas dinner with Pyrrha and Egil

[ostro_goth]

[[Ctd. from here.]]

Teja opens the door, laden as he is.

His usually comfortable, creatively untidy room is still that -- there is even Ferdinand the cat, sprawling all over Teja's bed, fast asleep. There are simply two new doors, one of them leading to a kitchen that provides all the modern comforts and appliances as well as a space to comfortably sit and eat, the other leading to Egil's room in Loki's apartment on the 12th floor.

One better should not think about how that works.

Comments

[ostro_goth]

"So it is brewed, in a way, with the seeds and the milk reacting?" he says.

[scarred_grin]

"Something like that, yeah," she says. "Some people use rice instead of the seeds, or other things--everywhere's got their local ingredients, and every family's got their recipe. I ordered it at the bar once and it was really different."

[ostro_goth]

"So she did no know what you really wished for?" Teja says. "That is rare. It must be a very special drink, then."

He takes another sip, then starts to eat.

[scarred_grin]

"I think I got the Mexican kind," she says. "Which is still really good, but it's different. Now I specify Puerto Rican and this is what I get."

It's less common, that's all. And she still likes the homemade kind better.

"How's your dinner?"

[ostro_goth]

"It is very good," Teja says. "Plantains are very pleasant food; I have not had them before. How do they grow?"

[scarred_grin]

"On trees, like bananas," she says. "You can do all kinds of things with them, but you have to cook them. Make 'em sweet, make 'em salty, they go with everything."

And Egil likes them fried and cut up. He continues eating.

[ostro_goth]

And even cats will like it; at least the stranger sort of cats. Which are, in all honesty, almost all cats. Ferdinand, in any case, is being joined by Myrrh who looks hopeful.

"What are they like uncooked?" Teja asks.

[scarred_grin]

"Really starchy, like unripe bananas," she says. "If you let them get really, really ripe they're sweeter, but if I want that, I'll just eat a banana."

She likes bananas too, as does Egil. They're mushier though.

[ostro_goth]

"I don't think I have ever had a banana," Teja says. "They are those bent yellow fruit, are they?"

[scarred_grin]

"They are," she nods. "They're good--they're sweeter, they're more dessert kind of fruit. Eat them plain, cut them up and put them on cereal or ice cream, or mash them and make fried peanut butter sandwiches, or put them in smoothies or bake them in bread. All kinds of good stuff."

[ostro_goth]

"I think I must try one, eventually," Teja says.

Myrrh stands on her hind legs and tries batting at his hand whicch holds the fork.

"Myrrh!"

[scarred_grin]

"I made them some treats," she says. "They're in with the presents, but maybe I should get them now? Maybe they'll settle down a bit."

Egil could also stop giving them food, too. But he likes to eat slowly and share.

[ostro_goth]

"I think it would be a good idea," Teja says. "They are getting somewhat insistent."

[scarred_grin]

She goes to get one of the presents--a plastic bag, tied up with some ribbons to make it festive, and containing crackers made from fish and chicken.

"Here you go--you two be good. Don't eat too fast, okay?"

She hands out a few pieces to each of them, then seals the bag again so they can't get into it.

[ostro_goth]

Suddenly, Pyrrha is the cats' favourite person ever -- they sit by he feet, lean against her legs, lovingly look up at her face.

"... whatever dire things may follow after," Teja says, watching them all very fondly, "we have this moment, and I shall carve it upon my heart and hold it to my mind's eyes when things become difficult again."

With Weyland in the mix, it is a when, not an if.

[scarred_grin]

The cats get some scritching and petting--they're family, after all--before Pyrrha returns to her chair.

"I think you might really like your one present, then," she says. "I hope you do--I spent a long time on it."

[ostro_goth]

"I am sure I will, especially if it resonates with this moment and will remind me of this homely hour out in the dark and cold," Teja says.

Dark and cold there will by, of some kind, before this is through.

[scarred_grin]

"Oh, it does," she says with a smile. "Almost perfectly, I think. Well, you'll see when you get it."

It's not something that most people would have made, but she thinks it's appropriate.

[ostro_goth]

"You are raising my expectation, now," Teja says, with a little smile.

[scarred_grin]

"...well, I can get it if you just want to open it now," she says. "I'm okay with that, and Egil's not gonna tell anybody."

Even if he tried, who would believe him?

[ostro_goth]

"Suspense can sometimes be held quite plesantly," Teja says. "When would be the right time to open them, by your book?"

[scarred_grin]

"Anytime is fine with me," she says. "The cats already got to open theirs, after all. How about between dinner and dessert? Give things a little time to settle."

[ostro_goth]

"It seems like truly a good time," Teja agrees.

[scarred_grin]

"I think we're gonna have plenty of leftovers for tomorrow," she says. "But it's better to make too much than not enough."

She's finished eating. Anytime is fine with her.

[ostro_goth]

"We need not cook again tomorrow, if we do not wish to," Teja agrees. He is still eating, as he has, maybe, spoken too much during the meal.