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 Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 9:08 pm
ForMyself and Dea and #Teddy# FeaturingDirk x KarinaPlotJust winging it right now.
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Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 10:15 pm
Flower Princess Borrows Some Sugar
Status
:: done ::
OOC moments
:: this color text :: [8:30:37 PM] Jinx: Rows of empty fields stretched out for acres, harvested for the year and sitting barren while they awaited the new growing season. To the edge of the fields sat a charming little house, painted a cheerful yellow with white trim. It had a deep wrap-around porch and looked two-story, though there couldn't have been more than two rooms on the second story. A young man knelt on the ground in front of the house, tending the flower beds. A basket of dead summer annuals was at his side, half full. The scent of freshly turned earth and brightly colored pansies marked his progress so far.
The man couldn't have been any older than his mid-twenties to look at his face, though there was a calm peacefulness to his eyes that made him seem older than his years. He wore dirt-smeared jeans, red-checkered shirt, and green work gloves. Chocolate-colored hair poked out from under a straw hat. Green eyes blazed against the weathered tan skin of his face, the color of new growth.
A crow sat nearby on the roof of the house, watching the man work and occasionally letting out a taunting cackle. It was waiting for the man to dig up some tasty bugs for it to snack on, though it kept an eye on the shiney garden tools in case the man's attention lasped for a moment.
[8:32:24 PM] Dea: ((Ooo, very nice start))
[8:32:41 PM] Jinx: ((Thankee ^^))
[8:33:07 PM] Dea: ((Now I have to figure out what to post for Karina and how to picture humanish lol
[8:34:08 PM] Jinx: ((Take your time, I have Sims to keep me distracted while you figure it out : ) ))
[8:34:18 PM] Dea: ((Thanks lol))
[8:56:34 PM] Dea: A young woman with flowing brown hair that seemed to flutter in the wind was walking down the dirt road. She had a basket on her arms and she seemed to be humming to herself. Her blue eyes were sparkling as she walked, seeming to be in high spirits today. On her head was fixed a tan colored had with a sky blue ribbon. She was wearing a beautiful dress with patchwork hearts on the dress.
Her eyes seemed to be soaking up the scenery, but as she approached the house, her eyes seemed to be searching. She soon spotted the young man and she approached, hoping she was not disturbing him.
"I am mighty sorry if I am bothering you, but I was wondering if you might have some sugar I can borrow,"the young woman asked, a soft southern draw detected, though it was obvious she was not fully from the south.
[9:19:43 PM] Jinx: As the young woman approached the house, the crow turned its attention to her and changed it's good-natured taunting of the man to a loud cawing alert of a stranger in its territory, though it didn't swoop down on the woman like they sometimes did in the wild. The man glanced up, pushing the brim of his hat out of his eyes to see what had his bird riled up. He felt a spark of curiousity as he spotted the figure of the woman walking on the paths; there weren't a lot of strangers around his farm during the winter seasons.
He bent back to his planting, setting another pansy into the fresh-turned earth. She was probably just taking a walk since the weather was pleasant today. Therefore he was surprised, though not completely startled, when a female voice spoke up behind him.
He lifted his head, dirt-stained gloved hand going to his hat rim to push it up again as he turned to look at the woman. She was a charming-looking thing and could have been from farming or country stock if her clothes and accent were anything to go by. "It's no bother," he said, revealing his voice to be a deep tenor. He picked up his tools and set them in his basket, stripping off his dirty gloves and laying them on top. He stood, picking up the basket.
"If ya wanna follow me, I'll get you some. I just gotta put this up real quick, or I'll have to steal back my tools away from yon rascal on the roof," he said with a gesture to the chattering crow. As he spoke an accent made itself known; a southern drawl, subtle, cropping up in a handful of his words.
He turned and started towards a little shed attached to the house, looking back to see if the woman was following.
[9:26:14 PM] Dea: "Good day to you, Sir Crow, I am sorry I had to interrupt your good-natured laughter. It is a pleasure meetin you and hope to do so again real soon like,"the woman smiled to the black bird perched on top of of the roof, tilting her hat gently. She gracefully followed the man towards his shed.
"I reckon it must get mighty lonely on such a big patch of land all by your lonesome. What do you do in the winter when the crops are not growin?"the woman asked, pushing a stray piece of her light brown hair behind her ear.
[9:41:57 PM] Jinx: The crow replied to the greeting with a rude call, which was actually not all that rude considering the nature of crows. It launched itself into the air and circled around high overhead, following the pair.
The man below chuckled softly at the bird's antics before turning his attention to the woman's questions. "Well, it's not so lonely as first glance shows ya," he said as he reached out and opened the shed door, stowing the basket just inside before closing it. "It's more land than I can really use for just myself, so I share most of my fields with the locals. Resturants that want fresh-grown, folks that want a little garden patch but don't have the space."
He led her the rest of the way down the path to a set of stairs onto the porch and a backdoor into the house. He climbed the stairs and opened the door, holding it as he made a gentlemanly gesture for the woman to precede him. "So I tend to just keep an eye on things and tend to a my personal fields, unless someone can't make it to tend their plot. I get a lot of people coming and going."
A grin pulled at the corners of his mouth as the crow cawed from overhead, miffed that they were going somewhere it couldn't follow. "And of course my friend there keeps me plenty of company. For winter I just clean up the fields, prep them for spring, and do a bit of work around the house."
[9:48:08 PM] Dea: The woman laughed as she heard the crow's response to her greeting, knowing that was typical behavior for the crow. She followed the man as he deposited his tools in his shed, then made he way back to his house. When he opened the door for her, she gave a little cursty, before walking inside. Her blue eyes looked around, taking in every nook and cranny of the room.
"Well, it is mighty kind of you to take care of the crops of others. Also very nice to allow people to use the land for their own private uses. Your land is very beautiful, I was admirin it on my way. Also, love the look of your house, it is quite sunny,"the woman smiled.
[10:04:13 PM] Jinx: The man smiled as he followed the woman inside. By happy coincidence the door happened to lead right into the kitchen. The floor was bare wood with a mat thrown down by the sink. Wallpaper covered the walls, palest blue background with a repeating motif of flowers in all sorts of varieties and colors. The cabinets were wood, painted white with yellow accents. The counter was also of wood, and showed its age in the variety of dings and cuts along its surface. It was clean and obviously well cared for. Pots, pans, and bundles of herbs hung from the ceiling while a large wooden table dominated the middle of the room, its surface showing as much wear as the counters and just as freshly scrubbed. There were two doors, an open one leading out into the rest of the house and a closed one, which, when the man went to it and opened it, which proved to be a pantry.
He disappeared inside, looking over the shelves. "I thank you for the compliment. I wanted the place to look inviting, so people wouldn't be afraid to come up and ask me anything." He appeared in the pantry door, holding a plain-looking ceramic jar, with a grin on his face. "Apparently farmhouses sometimes get a reputation for housing mean, cantankerous oldsters who want to be left entirely alone."
He juggled the jar to one hand, holding out his free one. "Ah, forgot to introduce myself properly. I'm Dirk."
[10:11:13 PM] Dea: She walked over to the table and looked it over, then looked at all the cupboards and the walls of the kitchen. She had to admit, he kept everything looking very cared for and appreciated. She watched him go into what she could only assume was a pantry. She smiled when he came out and thanked her and talked about peoples' assumptions about farmers.
"I don't have that kind of notion, I always think of people who own farmhouses to usually be kind types. Maybe it is just the kind of experiences one has. It is nice to meet you, Dirk, my name is Karina,"the woman introduced herself with an even brighter smile.
[10:19:23 PM] Jinx: Dirk shrugged his broad shoulders, though he was still grinning. "I guess its cause city or suburb types can't imagine living all the way out in the middle of nowhere, so they go blowing things all out of proportion while they wonder." He stepped out of the pantry and set the jar down on the table, pulling off the lid to reveal the promised white granules inside. He went to the counter and rummaged in the drawers to find a spoon.
"I grew up with farms myself." He glanced over his shoulder, spoon in hand, green eyes curious. "What about yourself?"
[10:27:36 PM] Dea: Karina nodded her head, knowing people sometimes jumped to conclusions about all sorts of things. She could go on about how they shouldn't do that, but then she reminded herself she sometimes did it herself. She watched him work on getting some sugar for her.
"I kind of grew up around both, the big city and the farms. My mama is from the big city, so during the winter we would be there. My papa is from the country, so we would spend all but winter on his farm,"Karina explained softly.
[10:39:32 PM] Jinx: Dirk nodded through Karina's explanation, sticking the spoon into the open sugar jar. "I only ever visit town every once in a while, to get things I can't grow or make here. Never could stand to stay in those places for long, they just feel so croweded to me." His fiinger beat a slow tempo against the side of the jar as he thought. "Don't know if it's a city or not, the land changes gradually from farms to houses to shops, and I've never had to travel very far into the town so I don't know how big the whole place is."
He shrugged and gave Karina a slightly rueful grin and laugh. "Reckon I'm just too country clean through, probably come off as a bit ignorant to folks used to big and busy places." He tapped his finger against the jar again, and his mind returned to Karina's original purpose here. "Were you needing something to put the sugar in, or did you bring a container?"
[10:46:35 PM] Dea: "No need to apologize, there are definitely advantages to bein one of the country folks. You get such piece and quiet here on the farm and get to commune with nature. Plus, I reckon those with children are quite happy to have land for their children to run around on,"Karina smiled.
She thought about it and knew that she really liked being in the country, it had a certain charm that was lost in the city. The stars for example, the city lights drowned them out, but here, they could be perfectly seen. Plus the sunrises out in the country were spectacular, as were the sunsets. One could have a picnic and see some really wonderful things.
"I brought my own container, reckoned I would need somethin to bring the sugar home in. Here it is,"Karina replied, getting a canister out of her basket and placed it on the table, taking off the lid.
[10:54:20 PM] Jinx: Dirk made a noise of assent as he picked up the container and began spooning sugar into it. "I've had a group or two bring kids out here to teach them about where food comes from and to just spend the day running around." His smile held a touch of wistfulness to it. "They seem like they're really having a great time. I'm hoping I'll have kids of my own some day that can run around and have fun like that."
[10:56:19 PM] Dea: Karina looked thoughtful as he spoke, a soft smile playing on her own lips. She had watched others with their children and she couldn't help but have some her own day. She just told herself time and time again that she needed to be patient, good things came to those who waited.
"I am sure the kids learn a lot when they come out here to learn about how things grow. I am like you, I hope to have kids of my own one day, ones I can watch grow and teach all kind of things to. It would be so nice, course one must be patient,"Karina spoke.
[11:04:32 PM] Jinx: Dirk chuckled. "Oh, that almost goes without saying. I dunno where kids manage to come up with all their questions, but they certainly have unique perspectives. I once was showing some children my trellises and I had a little girl ask me if there was a plant that could grow all the way up to the clouds and make cloud beans, since they looked so fluffy and delicious."
He set Karina's container on the table, now full of sugar, and put the lid back on his somewhat depleted jar before going to rinse the spoon off in the sink and leave it on a rack to dry. "I was mighty sorry to have to tell her I didn't have a cloud bean plant, but she promised that if she was to find one she'd bring me back some seeds so I could grow one for other kids who come to visit."
[11:07:16 PM] Dea: Karina laughed lightly, thinking kids definitely had some very interesting thoughts about life. She tried to remember what kind of things she thought of when she was little. She smiled softly at that idea, knowing she probably drove her parents crazy with all of her questions.
"I can only imagine my parents got mighty fed up with all of my questions when I was little. Course, I would welcome all kinds of questions from kids, thinking it is nice to think like a child sometimes. A cloud bean, I reckon those would be mighty comfy,"Karina smiled.
[11:13:17 PM] Jinx: Dirk returned Karina's smile. "I certain imagine they would be. Sounds like something I could use to stuff a mattress with and have a mighty fine sleep."
He suddenly tilted his head, expression curious. A piece of straw wedged in the brim of his hat fluttered loose and fell to the table. "You got me curious now, miss. You know that I spend my days out farming and watching the fields. Just what do you spend your time doin'?"
[11:15:52 PM] Dea: "Yes, they would probably provide the best possible sleep. I mean, I reckon they would be mighty soft and make it easy to fall into a peaceful sleep,"Karina nodded.
She thought about his question, wondering how best to describe her job. "Well, I reckon you can say that I help my papa with his farm in whatever way I can. When we are in the city, I am a librarian for the public library,"she replied to him.
[11:23:49 PM] Jinx: Dirk picked the piece of straw up for the table and twirled it in his fingers, a quiet chuckle escaping from his lips. "Well can't say I've ever frequented libraries often. I'm usually covered in a mess of some kind, and the folks working in the buildings look like they can get downright terrifying if you so much as smudge a book. It sounds like interesting work though."
He tucked the piece of straw behind his ear. "Your pa's farm close to mine? I'm usually so busy around here that I can be a bit isolated sometimes." He grinned ruefully again, sure his lack of knowledge outside his borders must seem unusual even to a girl raised on a farm.
[11:34:49 PM] Dea: "Well, some of the older ladies do get a smidge upset if you put even a small speck of dirt on one of the books. They seem to think of the books as their babies and if you even think of soiling them, they will tar and feather you. It is just somethin I have learned to be careful about,"Karina admitted.
Karina felt a twinge of pity for him when he said he was isolated, thinking again he must get lonesome, at least sometimes. "Yeah, my pa's farm is right down the road, maybe a half mile from here or so,"she replied.
[11:42:55 PM] Jinx: Dirk thought about his friend Harper, an aquatic female who was younger than him and had an insatiable love for books. Now /there/ someone who could be the definition of scary librarian. She was so quiet and shy, but you put so much as a mark on one of her precious books and she turned into an angry little whirlwind.
There was no age boundary when it came to true book love, it seemed.
"Half a mile," he mused, thoughts wandering away from books and back to the conversation. "You'd have thought we'd have run into each other before now. I'm not wandering around my borders all that often, but I run by to check on them enough that I shoulda spotted you if you were out."
Of course the farms weren't going to be /right/ next to each other; it stood to reason that Karina's pa's farm could have had its fields just far enough away that even if they were both out at the same time they wouldn't have made out the other as anything more than a speck in the distance.
[12:12:02 AM] Dea: "Yeah, you would think we would have run into each other by now, but guess we have either never been out at the same time or on different ends of our farms. Well, it is nice to finally meet you, glad I decided to come get sugar. Who knows, we may never have met,"Karina spoke quietly.
It was sad to think she did not know many of her neighbors as she ought to. It was just a terrible thing, but she hoped to remedy that now. She thought Dirk was a nice guy and it made her think getting to know people was a good idea.
[12:17:31 AM] Jinx: Dirk considered it for a moment. "Well I could certainly understand it if you lived on the other side of the copse where the crows live. I don't go around there much at all, on account of they don't get along with my friend." As if to underscore his words, at that moment there was a very irritated cawing from outside the door, followed by a quiet scratching sound as though it was pecking at the wood.
[12:19:29 AM] Dea: "Yes, I do believe that is where we live, so that would certainly explain not seeing one another til now. Seems your bird friend is not very happy right now, seems a might bit upset with us in here,"Karina noted.
[12:20:51 AM] Jinx: Dirk just chuckled, picking up his sugar jar and returning it to the pantry. "He doesn't like it when I go in the house, cause I never let him in. Tried it once, and he made the most awful mess you could imagine!"
[12:25:17 AM] Dea: "Yes, I reckon he would be worse than a fox in a hen house. Probably too many shiny things for him to try and grab. He will just have to be patient while you are in here, that is all,"Karina smiled.
[12:30:27 AM] Jinx: "You ain't wrong about that," Dirk agreed, remembering the cleanup from that single overnight stay; it had taken him a week to get everything straightened out, and a month to find everything the bird had hidden!
"I got him spoiled enough though," he continued, glancing at the door as more scratching sounds echoed through the wood. "I bring him some bread or something nice to eat when I go out. He's probably impatient for me to bring him his treat."
[12:32:04 AM] Dea: "Yes, he probably thinks you have been in here too long with your guest. Probably thinks you plum went and forgot him, even if you didn't do that,"Karina smiled. She took her sugar and placed it in her basket, before wondering if the other would want her to leave yet.
[12:41:32 AM] Jinx: Dirk shook his head, grinning. "Like I could ever forget that feathered noisebag." He reached an arm back into the pantry and came out with a hunk of bread; obviously this was something he had to do fairly often.
He went to a door and had his hand on the knob when he hesitated, pausing, then turned back to Karina with an odd look, like he was uncertain about something. "If you've got nothing you've got to do back home, you're welcome to stick around. I've gotta try to get these plants finished before the light runs out, but I'd welcome the company," he offered tentatively, as though unsure how the other would feel about the offer.
[12:45:10 AM] Dea: Karina laughed, hearing the affection in Dirk's voice as he spoke about the crew. She was sure they were fond of each other, at least as much as a crow and a farmer can be friends. She watched him getting the bread, when she heard his question.
"I reckon my pa has everything under control, it was actually his suggestion I come to you instead of one of the other neighbors. Not entirely sue why, but who am I to question my pa. I would not mind stayin for a bit, see if I can lend a hand,"Karina smiled.
[12:52:08 AM] Jinx: Dirk nodded, easy grin coming back as Karina accepted his offer. "That'd be kind of you. I don't have a pair of gloves that would fit you, not comfortably anyway, but I'm sure we can think of something. Maybe after I clear a spot and dig a whole you can put in the pansies," he said, thinking aloud as he opened the door and quickly tossed out the chunk of bread. There was a fluttering of wings and a muffed caw (probably from a beak full of bread), then Dirk opened up the door the rest of the way and stepped out, waiting for Karina to follow.
"Gotta warn ya though, my friend here might harass you a bit," he warned Karina. "Nothing bad, but he'll come flying up and seeing if you got anything he wants and whether or not he can steal it, or tug on your clothes or such. He's a ball of mischief, he is."
[1:03:06 AM] Dea: "Would you mind terribly if I left my basket here on the safety of the table? I would hate for your friend to use all our sugar before I could get it home. Also, your friend won't bother me none, I am quite used to it. Have some animal friends of my own,"Karina smiled brightly.
[1:07:56 AM] Jinx: "You're perfectly welcome to leave it here," he replied, pretty sure that the crow would have no interest in the sugar but knowing he'd make a right mess trying to find out if he was interested or not.
"I don't have anything that hangs around here besides that crow. What kinds of animals are your friends," Dirk asked, curious and interested.
[1:09:01 AM] Dea: Karina gently placed her wicker basket on the table, before she followed him outside. She smiled when she heard he was interested in the kinds of animals she had brefriended.
"There are some wonderful rabbits that enjoy coming to see me, course we have to make sure they stay away from the crops. Pa has built an area for them to come and go from, so that I can spend time with them. We also have some squirrels who enjoy the acorns in our Oak trees, who are fun to watch. Oh and some birds have made a nest in the trees, making such beautiful music,"Karina replied.
[1:17:50 AM] Jinx: "I don't have many squirrels around here," Dirk remarked as he opened the shed door and pulled his basket out. "Don't have but a couple trees close to the house and it's mostly all fields out here. Don't think my friend would tolerate a squirrel in his living space. Rabbits, I do get, usually sneaking into my fields and nibbling. I try to keep them contained to just one or two fields."
Dirk pulled his gloves on, then looked curiously at Karina. "I don't figure I have any gloves your size, but if you really want a pair I've got some extras in there that you can wear."
[1:21:16 AM] Dea: "Well, if you want to meet any of my friends, you are more than welcome to come and visit anytime. I would love to introduce you to them, they are just all so sweet. Papa says I seem to have a natural talent when it comes to critters,"Karina smiled. She thought of her animal friends and did enjoy their company.
"Oh don't you worry none about me, I am just fine getting dirty. I don't mind working in the dirt without gloves every once in awhile,"Karina assured him.
[1:26:38 AM] Jinx: "That should work just fine with what I got planned then," he said, slowly leading them back up the path to the area where he'd originally been working when Karina had first walked up. He knelt down on the ground beside the flat of pansies, next to an area he had yet to clear up.
"I'll pull up all the dead stuff and clear the ground, since I have on the gloves so nothing that bites or stings will bother me much," he said. He pulled the tools out of the basket off the pile of dead plants he'd already collected, laying them down. "You can use the spade and plant the flowers in the ground I cleared. And watch for that feathered trouble-maker, he loves trying to steal my tools," Dirk warned.
[1:28:49 AM] Dea: Alright, sounds like a really good plan to me, Dirk. No worries, I will keep an eye out for your aerial friend, make sure he doesn't take anything that does not belong to him,"Karina assured. She knelt down gracefully on the ground, her legs tucked up under her. She waited for her turn, watching him work.
[1:35:05 AM] Jinx: Dirk dug his hands into the earth, pulling up dead summer flowers and the occasional weed that had sprouted up. It didn't take long before he'd cleared a spot where Karina could work in. He scooted over and slowly began moving down the bed, pulling up more plants. He tried to be quick, though he didn't want to be too hasty and leave anything behind.
"Tell me, what's your farm like," Dirk asked curiously as he worked, head bent over the flower beds and chocolate-colored hair trying its best to flop in his eyes.
[1:37:25 AM] Dea: Karina picked up the spade next to her and began to dig a hole to put the first flower in. She soon had a hole deep enough and she gently lowered the plant into the hole. Then she covered the bottom of it in the soil, before scooting over to repeat the process.
"Well, we have an area for the hens to lay their eggs, which I help gather every morning. Then we have the barn where we keep the cows, always fun to milk Betsy, even if she is not fond of it. We have a big area of land where we harvest carrots, tomatoes, and other delicious crops. I also have my own flower garden, where I plant lilies and roses,"Karina spoke, thinking lovingly of her farm.
[1:44:34 AM] Jinx: "I've got a few perennials near the front of the house, but I'm out in the fields so often that I don't feel like I could care for anything more than a few annuals in the rest of the beds," Dirk admitted. "There is a spot with some really nice wildflowers that I like to visit every now and then, but it's so close to the copse that I can't linger too long or else there's trouble with the feathered ones."
He added an handful of dead plants to his basket, and scooted to a new section. "It sounds like you rely on animals at your farm just as much as plants," he observed.
[1:46:33 AM] Dea: "Yes, the animals are very important to us, we get a lot of our money from the goods we get from them. Though, we have some really great crops that bring a pretty good amount as well. I suppose we just like having animals around, not just for money,"Karina smiled. She was on her third hole, thinking about what he said about flowers.
"Well, if you wanted me to, I could come over some and help you tend to any flowers you might want around here. Flowers always are a good way to cheer people up,"she explained.
[1:53:54 AM] Jinx: Dirk had been in the midst of contemplating whether it might be worth it to try to raise some animals of his own (he made enough to live comfortably with his fields, but hens for eggs would be nice), when Karina's offer jolted him out of his thoughts. He gave her a startled glance.
"It's a very kind offer, but wouldn't that be an imposition," he asked. "I mean I'm sure you have chores of your own to do, things you want to get done, and even if your farm isn't very far away it's still a bit of a distance to walk every day." He pushed a strand of his hair out of his eyes, smearing some dirt on his cheek as he did so. "It feels an awful lot like taking advantage of a kind nature."
[1:59:45 AM] Dea: "No, it would not be a problem at all. I enjoyed the walk here, so I could gladly do it everyday. Also, we usually would be returning to the big city, but Papa wanted to stay this winter, so there is not much for me to do right now. Papa has it covered and I think he kind of wants to get me out of the house. So if you would not mind the company everyday, I would certainly like to come and help,"Karina spoke.
[2:03:50 AM] Jinx: "I wouldn't mind the company at all," Dirk said, giving Karina a friendly smile. "If you're sure it wouldn't be an imposition, I'd be glad to have you." He looked over at the expanse of flower bed. "Not a whole lot for you to do right now though," he observed, pulling up some weeds and adding them to his basket meant for the compost. "Not much grows in winter, it's just getting the perennials bunkered down for winter and ready to go when spring returns."
He made an apologetic expression. "Hope it doesn't sound like I'm trying to chase you away, cause I'm not."
[2:08:54 AM] Dea: "No, we will just have to find something else for me to do when I come to visit, that is all. Not sure what yet, but I am sure we will think of something. It would be nice to just have someone around my own age to talk to, so I don't have to spend all my time with animals who cannot really talk back or reading books,"Karina admitted.
[2:18:22 AM] Jinx: Dirk let out a short laugh. "Truly there's not a lot. Weeds don't grow in the cold and there's no use trying to clear stones out of the ground now since I'd have to do it all over again before the planting. I think I spend half my winter days just walking around the grounds to make sure everything's alright, and the other half wandering around my house seeing if there's anything that needs fixing or cleaning."
He was certain there was plenty of the latter that could be done that might keep both of them busy, but it felt quite rude to suggest to a woman he'd only just met that she help him clean his house.
He was sure he could also think of a lot of other things they could do if Karina was looking for a way to make the time go by with company, but those were, well, probably not as rude as the house cleaning thing but were certainly way too forward for him to voice since he'd only just met her, so he didn't even entertain the ideas.
[2:22:10 AM] Dea: "Well, I wouldn't mind helping you clean the place, if you needed the help. Or perhaps we could just walk around and talk, there would be nothing wrong with that. Or we could meet at my farm and I could show you around,"Karina fired off the suggestions.
[2:26:58 AM] Jinx: Dirk sat back on his heels and held up his hands like he was shielding himself, though he was laughing as he did so. "Alright, alright! I give in! There's probably a lot of things we could come up with, and all my fussing over how I don't want to take up your time due to selfish whims is groundless and nothing more than fussing for the sake of fussing!"
He laughed again as he lowered his hands and went back to the job, eyes sparkling with humor.
[2:28:48 AM] Dea: "And the lady is triumph, beating the noble knight into submission by her persistence. And the crowd goes wild,"Karina said in an announcer voice, her own eyes twinkling. This was the most fun she had in awhile and to think, it started with asking for sugar.
[2:28:59 AM] Dea: ((Aww, they are so cute))
[2:47:48 AM] Jinx: ((Yes, yes they are : ) Sorry I vanished for a bit there, got so distracted I didn't notice my computer had gone into sleep mode.))
[2:48:23 AM] Dea: ((Tis okay, not a problem. Been working on catching up in threads anyway))
[2:50:28 AM] Jinx: Dirk picked up a dead flower and pointed it at Karina, managing a completely serious expression. "Perhaps the knight should seek audience with the king and let him know that his lady daughter is going around bullying the knights," he said in a voice as serious as his face. He couldn't completely hold the expression though; his eyes twinkled with suppressed laughter.
[2:52:56 AM] Dea: Karina picks up her own dead flower and strikes a swords-woman pose with it. She was holding back a giggle as she tried to keep a serious look on her face.
"I do believe you will have to fight me to have an audience with the king. The princess will not allow you to spread lies about her,"Karina said in a bold look, her twinkling eyes nearly giving her away.
[2:59:10 AM] Jinx: Dirk raised an eyebrow, tossing his own dead flower onto the pile in the basket with a flick of his wrist. "I think I hear a challenge in your voice. I would answer it, but I think the king would take badly to me hauling said daughter princess in on my shoulder like a sack of flower. After all, we're supposed to use our powers to protect.
Then again-," he added, plucking up another handful of dead plant and thoughtfully brandishing it in Karina's direction, "-the princess bullying knights might just fall under that category. I'd be protecting my own ranks."
[3:00:45 AM] Dea: Karina bit her lip, trying so hard to keep her giggles to herself. She readied herself with her flower, waiting to see if he would make the first move or not.
"I am not bullying anything, I am just making sure that no knights, such as yourself, tries to take advantage of a girl. You know how you knights are, you think you can get away with anything,"Karina smiled.
[3:04:21 AM] Jinx: "You know, I find that attitude highly unfair," Dirk complained playfully. "If the knight badgers the lady we're taking advantage, but if the lady browbeats a knight into something it's not being taken advantage of, it's making us "be sensible". Am I the only one who sees the double-standard here?"
[3:06:02 AM] Dea: "I do not make up the rules, I just abide by them. Though, I have been very respectful towards the knights in the realm, helping them when I can. I make sure I am very kind to you, do I not?"Karina asked.
[3:11:03 AM] Jinx: "Aye, whether we will it or not," Dirk teasing, reaching forward with his bundle of plants and lightly tickling the tip of Karina's nose before tossing them into the basket as well. He carefully wiggled over so he could reach a new patch of flowerbed to weed.
"Yon princess might also be careful," he added, a hint of his playfulness now creeping into his voice. "A black feathered villian is sneaking upon thee to steal thine royal gardening spade." And indeed, the crow had been sneaking up on the garden tool Karina had abandoned in favor of a flower weapon.
[3:13:17 AM] Dea: Karina turned around to see the crow and she shooed him away from the tools. She picked them up carefully, making sure the crow did not have any more bright ideas. Then she threw the dead flower on the basket and went back to work.
"I shall remember to be more careful, since these were loaned to me. Would hate for the person I got them from to be upset with me,"Karina smiled.
[3:16:44 AM] Jinx: Dirk chuckled. "I see no way to respond to that that won't give you an opening to mock me mercilessly," he admitted, wiping some of his messy hair away from his eyes and tugging on a particularly stubborn root.
[3:18:19 AM] Dea: "Yes, you are probably right, though I suppose I could be nice to you. I mean you were kind enough to give this princess some sugar to take back to her kingdom. The king will be very grateful for the kind offering,"Karina spoke, smiling brightly.
[3:21:26 AM] Jinx: Dirk grinned back. "Yes, well this knight is better at experimenting with vegetables and the savory side of food more than fruits and sweets. I mostly only use the sugar to sprinkle over fruit or to activate yeast when baking bread." He dug at the ground thoughtfully. "Dunno why I don't seem to be good at making things with sweets, since some vegetables can be sweet and I do fine with them. It's just one of those weird things in life."
[3:24:48 AM] Dea: "Well, maybe you just haven't had enough practice with them. I work better with the fruits myself, but might be due to the fact I like things like berries and apples,"Karina mused softly.
[3:27:03 AM] Jinx: He shook his head. "I don't think that's it. I've been cooking, or making attempts at it, since I was old enough to see over the counter. I've had quite some time to practice, and I just seem to lack an innate knowledge of when I've added the right amount of sweetness to things. Whatever I make that's supposed to be sweet either comes out bitter or too sweet to eat, even for someone who loves sugary things."
[3:28:24 AM] Dea: "Well, maybe it just isn't your talent, that's all. Nothing wrong with that, everyone has their own talents. You are better at vegetables and I am better at sweets,"Karina shrugged. She dug another hole, then placed another plant into it.
[3:31:49 AM] Jinx: "Maybe that's something we can do one day, then," Dirk suggested. "Spend a day cooking up a meal. I can do the dinner portion, you can do the desert." He looked up and flashed her a grin. "It sounds better than just wandering around the fields pretending there might be something to do and knowing there really isn't much."
[3:33:14 AM] Dea: "Ooo, I think that sounds like a wonderful idea. I reckon I could handle cooking up some delightful desserts for us to enjoy. Plus, I would love to see how good a cook you are,"Karina replied with a smile.
[3:36:52 AM] Jinx: "Well I've managed to keep myself alive so far on my cooking, so I reckon I've been doing /something/ right all these years," Dirk replied pertly. He deposited another handful of weeds into the basket and stood up, stretching out muscles that had begun cramping from remaining tensed up in place, walking in short circles until the muscles were loose again before he resumed his task.
[3:43:28 AM] Dea: "Well, you do seem to be pretty healthy, so you must be doing something right, huh? So your cooking must be doing the job,"Karina spoke. She moved over and started to work with the spade again, seeming to be at home in the dirt.
[3:49:00 AM] Jinx: "That's my theory, anyway," Dirk agreed. He checked the progess they'd made, now that he didn't have to stop and plant the flowers as he went. Not so bad, but still another seven or so feet of garden bed left to weed. "So, are you the one who does most of the cooking in your house or do your parents tend to make the meals?"
[3:50:31 AM] Dea: "My parents usually make the meals, I chip in with something every once in awhile. Course it is usually something simple, since I am much better with sweets than I am actual sustenance,"Karina admitted in an embarrassed voice.
[3:54:31 AM] Jinx: "That depends on what your idea of sustenance is," he countered. "I think some people would happily attempt to sustain themselves on sweets alone. It's more about finding a healthy balance, I think, than whether or not you can do anything complicated."
He scratched at the ground, revealing a particularly ugly and fat grub. With a cackle of glee the crow swooped down and plucked it up before Dirk had more than a few moments to react, flying away to add the bug to its tasty meal of bread. Dirk continued the conversation like the interruption hadn't happened.
"How'd you learn? Did your parents teach you, or was it more a long process of trial and error?"
[3:58:22 AM] Dea: "My parents taught me when I was little, trying to give me as much experience as I could. In the words of my father, 'You will never catch a man if you cannot make a meal.' So it was kind of something my parents felt I need to learn,"Karina replied.
[4:02:12 AM] Jinx: Dirk let out a short laugh. "I'm not saying that it wouldn't help," he said, "but I can say for me at least that it would take a lot more than a woman's cooking skills for her to be able to "catch me". Me, I was more the trial and error type of learner when it came to cooking."
[4:03:51 AM] Dea: "Well, good to know cooking skills are not a way to your heart. Means there may actually be a chance for girls like me,"Karina giggled. She wondered what he looked for in a mate, but she pushed that thought out of her head for the time being.
"So you didn't have your parents to teach you how to cook?"she asked. Her blue eyes focused on the other curiously.
[4:08:36 AM] Jinx: "It was just my father and me, and he was always out in the fields working. If I wanted to live on more than raw fruits and vegetables, I had to cook my food myself." A brief smile flashed across his face. "It was probably a good thing he was so insensitive to the taste of food, since I'm sure my first experiments were fairly horrible."
[4:09:48 AM] Dea: Karina laughed lightly at that, thinking his father must have lots of fun with his son's cooking. If hist attempts were anything like her own, they were probably near disasters.
"Well, cannot be as bad as some of my first attempts were. I had smoke coming from my eggs, nearly set off the smoke detector,"Karina admitted quietly.
[4:12:26 AM] Jinx: "I had things explode on me. Potatoes, mostly," Dirk said, chuckling deep in his throat. "Smoking eggs don't seem nearly as bad. You haven't had a cooking disaster until you're scraping what was supposed to be dinner off the walls and ceiling."
[4:15:23 AM] Dea: "I believe you must be talking about my pancakes, they really do not make a good ceiling decoration at all. Dad said they looked like someone had decided to throw moldy paint on the ceiling,"Karina recalled softly. Yes, she remembered that so very well.
[4:18:06 AM] Jinx: "I've tried making pancake potatoes before. Oddly enough, those were one of the things that did /not/ end up on the ceiling," Dirk said. "If I recall correctly, they were actually very tasty."
[4:20:19 AM] Dea: "I don't think I have ever tried those before, going to have to try them sometime now. Well, at least you did not make a mess of them,"Karina smiled brightly.
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Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 7:27 pm
Spaghetti For Dessert
Status
:: done ::
OOC moments
:: this color text :: [5:50:58 PM] Jinx: Dirk scrubbed away at the inside of his microwave, a small frown on his face. It had been /years/ since he'd last exploded a potato! He'd forgotten how much of a mess they made, not to mention how very loud it was; for a second he'd thought the microwave itself had chosen a dramatic way to end its life as he rushed into the room to discover the source of the loud bang.
How could have have forgotten to stick holes in the vegetable? Nerves, maybe? It wasn't like he hadn't cooked for other people before, but it had been some time since he'd last invited anyone over to his house to cook and have a meal with him.
Just the other day while out walking the farm and looking things over he'd spotted Karina out on her father's farm in the distance; he might have have before, but now he was actually looking for her and had recognized her even from afar. She also appeared to have recognized him, and the two came towards each other and enjoyed a brief conversation as a break from work. Dirk made the offer for Karina to visit tomorrow so they could cook for each other like they had half-jestingly suggested before, and she'd cheerfully accepted.
He'd been hoping to get a little prep work done before she showed up so that he wouldn't be in the way while Karina made whatever it was she planned, but it looked like his good intentions had gone out the window this time... Speaking of out the window, at that moment there was a tap on the glass. Dirk reflexively looked up, and was unsurprised to see the crow had managed to perch on the sill. He'd have to leave little treats all night to keep the corvine appeased.
[6:02:12 PM] Dea: Karina was singing a song as she walked down the same path she had used a few days ago to ask for sugar. She smiled softly as she thought of the discussion at the edge of the two farms the other day, which had lead to the current plans to meet and cook together. She was actually looking forward to it, having not had someone outside the family to cook with before.
The young woman was trying very hard to keep her nerves in check. Don't get her wrong, she was excited at the prospect of spending time with Dirk, but she was also scared. She wondered if she might screw something up. Normally she would not worry, but she actually liked Dirk and did not want to look stupid in front of him.
[6:04:44 PM] Dea: In her whirlwind of thoughts, she had arrived at the front door and didn't notice until she almost ran into it. She snapped back to attention and rapped at the door, waiting for Dirk to answer it.
[6:12:33 PM] Jinx: Dirk wasn't known for cussing, but at the sound of a knock on the door he paused, then let loose a mutter of very colorful, creative, original, and highly unlikely curses, all seemingly directed at potatoes. He hesitated, giving the microwave and it's half-cleaned state a resigned look, then straightened up with a sigh and headed for the front door.
It wasn't that far, actually. Through a small hallway (which had a door set in the wall on the side closest to the kitchen and an open doorway that led into a second hallway stretching away from the kitchen) and an open doorframe and he was in the front room. Living room, most would have called it. It was there that the front door was located.
He took a moment to run his hands over his shirt, smoothing the checkered material, and his hand drifted up to check his hat. He found himself slightly self-conscious about how clean he felt, having scrubbed up before starting his attempt at cooking. He stood before the door with a feeling like he was bracing himself, then opened it. An unconscious grin stretched across his face when he saw Karina standing there, despite nerves and irritation with the microwave. "Well hey there, missy," he greeted her cheerfully.
[6:26:06 PM] Dea: Karina smiled brightly when she saw Dirk at the door, so glad to see him. She had been so excited to see him ever since their unexpected meeting. She didn't know what it was about him, but he actually made her happy.
"Hello there, Dirk, it is so good to see you. I hope you are ready for this, I have been very excited for the past day or so. I borrowed some recipes from my parents that I thought we could do together,"Karina told him. She subconsciously straightened out her dress, telling herself for what felt like the hundredth time that she looked fine.
[6:38:40 PM] Jinx: Dirk chuckled, then made a good-naturedly rueful face. "None of those require a microwave off the bat, do they? It's kind of a mess at the moment." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm afraid old mistakes have a habit of creeping up on a person at the least convenient moment."
He stood aside and made a gesture of invitation for Karina to enter his home, adding a half-bow with a playful smile tugging on the corners of his mouth. "I look forward to seeing what kind of recipes you brought along. You've got me curious."
Dea
[6:41:20 PM] Dea: "No, none of my recipes require a microwave right away, so no need to worry about that. Course, I suppose that dashes my hopes of getting some popcorn, huh? Ah well, I suppose I should have expected it,"Karina laughed. She walked into his house, then looked to Dirk. She kind of wondered why they could not use the microwave right away.
[6:49:05 PM] Jinx: Dirk laughed. "I classify popcorn as a snack more than a meal, though if that's a request I might be able to do something with it, if plain corn just won't cut it," he said, half in jest and half serious. He closed the door behind Karina as she stepped into the house, and led her through the room and down the short hall into the kitchen where they'd first conversed not even a week before.
Even though he knew it would be impossible to hide his mess from Karina for more than a few moments, he tried to shield it from view with his body as they walked in. He quickly walked over and resumed scrubbing, trying to get it cleaned faster than he had been before. "It might be a moment before I can help with anything," he apologized, giving the microwave a vigorous scrub."
[6:52:09 PM] Dea: "Well, I never said popcorn was a meal, I know it is a snack. We did not say everything we made had to be a meal, now did we?"Karina pointed out. She followed him into the kitchen and could see the mess. She felt sorry he had to clean up such a mess.
[6:52:56 PM] Dea: "Would you like some help cleaning? I mean, it might get it done sooner, so we can get to work making things. I figure cooking might be more fun than cleaning,"Karina pointed out.
[7:04:57 PM] Jinx: Dirk felt a stab of amusement. "True enough. I don't think we'd planned a sit-down dinner, more like a make-stuff-and-eat-it-as-we-go thing. Maybe I'll try my hand at popcorn later."
He felt grateful for the offer Karina had made, though had to turn it down. "Only room for one person in here, otherwise I'd gladly accep the help," he said, shaking some of the potato mess into a bucket he was going to dump in the compost later. "I got some of it already so it shouldn't take me much longer. Any prep you need to get done for some of your recipes? We can talk as we both work."
[7:07:18 PM] Dea: "Thank you, glad to hear that I had a point, I reckon I get those once in awhile. Alright, as long as you are okay cleaning by yourself, I suppose I could start work on chopping up some veggies for one of my recipes,"Karina admitted. She put down her basket and took out some tomatoes, starting to cut them with a knife.
[7:21:58 PM] Jinx: Dirk looked up from the microwave to peer at Karina. "I can't tell if you were being playful or if I stuck my mouth in my foot there," he said with a quick, quiet grin, then bent back to his task. "Feel free to rummage around in the cabinets and use whatever you need to, food as well as utensils."
For a moment he was quiet, listening to the sound of Karina moving around the kitchen while he scrubbed and feeling his muscles relax a little at the homey sounds of food prep. "How was your walk over here," he asked into the silence. "I noticed the temperature is a little in flux today, going between cold and comfortable. Wasn't too bad, was it?"
[7:25:26 PM] Dea: "I was totally being playful, should have made that more clear with a giggle or something at some point. Alright, I will be sure to use whatever I need, since you are allowing me to do so,"Karina smiled. She put the diced tomatoes in a bowl, then got to work with smashing some garlic.
[7:26:01 PM] Dea: "The weather didn't seem too bad to me, just a touch chilly. Nothing I couldn't handle though, don't you worry none,"Karina answered.
[7:36:31 PM] Jinx: Dirk scraped more potato out of the microwave. Most of it was gone now, all that was left was cleaning a few smears so it didn't bake onto the plastic and become hard to remove. "I think it's a sign that I really need to get out more, if I'm losing my touch at recognizing playfulness, rather than lack of clarity," he assured Karina in a cheerful voice which echoed a little in the microwave.
The scent of garlic reached his nose, and his stomach gave a hungry gurgle. Dirk flushed bright red and tried to pretend like it hadn't happened. "That's good. I would feel horrible about making you walk here if it was cold. If the weather takes a bad turn you're always welcome to kip here." Well, that didn't help his blush any...
[7:37:41 PM] Dea: ((I don't know if I can love these two anymore together lol))
[7:38:23 PM] Jinx: ((Pfff! XD They are pretty cute. I sense much fluff in their future.))
[7:40:01 PM] Dea: ((*snuggles the pair* And RPing with you actually has helped me give her a personality, along with a really cute guy. Epic win lol))
[7:42:19 PM] Dea: ((Oh, I should probably reply to the RP, huh lol))
[7:45:56 PM] Jinx: ((Totally an epic win, cause Dirk's needed someone to chat with : ) ))
[7:45:52 PM] Dea: "No worries, I have to admit, this is the first time I have really cooked with anyone that was not family before. So, as you can tell, I probably do not get out much more than you do. I'll try to make myself more clear like in the future,"Karina smiled. The smell of the garlic was starting to make her hungry too.
[7:47:05 PM] Dea: "Well, I don't reckon it should be too cold when I leave, but we shall see. Thank ya kindly for the offer, regardless of if it is needed or not,"she told him brightly.
[7:47:33 PM] Dea: ((Well, I am glad he finally has a girl. Poor thing, he should have had one by now))
[7:57:45 PM] Jinx: ((Just bad luck, I think))
Dirk managed to get out a, "You're welcome," to Karina and another round of quiet cropped back up as he used the time to cool his blush back down. It helped to blank his mind and focus on cleaning, listening to the sounds of Karina moving around the kitchen. Good thing it didn't take much time for his skin tone to go back to normal, cause he was running out of microwave to clean!
Finally he straightened up with a little grunt, stretching a little after spending to relieve muscles cramped from hunching over. "There we go, I think the microwave is back in business."
[8:01:15 PM] Dea: "Good, means we will be able to have some popcorn tonight, maybe with a movie,"Karina spoke cheerily. She was busy mixing the garlic and the tomatoes into a sauce, adding a little water. She seemed to be in high spirits, enjoying the smell of the sauce. It helped that she had such good company.
[8:01:28 PM] Dea: ((Well, he just hadn't met Karina yet, that's all))
[8:10:05 PM] Jinx: ((Yup, the right Noodle not existing yet makes a difference. You don't notice until they randomly show up lol))
[8:10:05 PM] Jinx: Dirk chuckled. "Well I don't have a large variety, but we might be able to find something. We'd probably have to rent next time if you want something specific." He looked around the room for a moment, gathering his bearings, then with a tiny hint of reluctance he gathered up more potatoes. This time he didn't put them in the microwave though! He washed them, chopped them into bite-sized chunks with the skin still on, and started collecting oil and herbs while they sat waiting in a bowl.
"Gotta admit, I was expecting you to go with sweet off the bat," he admitted as the smell of garlic flitting across his senses again. He suddenly grinned. "Please don't tell me that's going to be a desert," he asked in mock horror.
[8:13:29 PM] Dea: "Well, hopefully you have one of my favorites. If not, then we will just have to make do until we can rent something for next time,"Karina smiled. She couldn't believe she was actually planning for next time, it was not something she was used to doing. It was almost like she had been waiting for such a moment to present itself.
[8:14:28 PM] Dea: Karina made a face when he joked and she gave a small chuckle. "Not unless you count Spaghetti as a dessert. I mean, tomatoes are a fruit, but never thought of Dessert Spaghetti,"she giggled.
[8:14:48 PM] Dea: ((We can thank Cheza for that, she made the Noodle and Moony made Karina real))
[8:27:34 PM] Jinx: Dirk suddenly grinned, a wide, boy-ishly mischievous grin, as he began mincing some chives, parsley, and basil, dumping each into the oil as he finished. "Who says you can't have desert spaghetti," he declared. "Maybe we should use this opportunity and make some, after we finish all the dinnery stuff!"
[8:27:46 PM] Jinx: ((Indeed : ) ))
[8:33:14 PM] Dea: ((Well,Che made the plushie of her anyway lol))
[8:34:15 PM] Dea: "Well, we are eating regular spaghetti first then, if you are that eager to experiment. I didn't bring these ingredients for you to make them into a dessert,"Karina playfully pouted.
[8:40:40 PM] Jinx: Dirk chuckled, pouring the herb-filled oil over the potatoes and swirling the bowl so that they were all lightly coated. "I think I've got enough variety here for us to experiment with," he said. "We should be able to hopefully make something tasty, if a little odd." He reached down and hunting for a pan in one of his cabinets, setting it on the shove and turning on the flame underneath it, letting the potatoes sit in their herb oil coat while the pan heated up.
[8:43:24 PM] Dea: "I hope it is edible, would prefer we do not make something that will go to waste,"Karina smiled. She took a taste of the sauce and smiled, before walking over to get some noodles. Once she found them, she got a pan out and filled it with water. Once it was filled to the right spot, she put it on one of the burners and turned on the heat, allowing it to come to a boil.
[8:52:55 PM] Jinx: "If it's inedible then I'll add it to the compost, to go back into the earth," Dirk assured Karina, wetting his hand in the sink and sprinkling water onto his pan to test the heat. Once the water hissed and sizzled on contact he added in the oiled potatoes, which instantly sent up a loud hiss of noise. He pulled a wooden spoon out of a drawer and stirred them until they were evenly scattered throughout the pan, then let them cool a little to get a sear on one side at least.
"I imagine something less starchy might be a better pair with spaghetti, but little late for that right now," he commented over the sizzling as the sweet-savory smell of spices joined the garlic smell.
[8:52:55 PM] Jinx: "If it's inedible then I'll add it to the compost, to go back into the earth," Dirk assured Karina, wetting his hand in the sink and sprinkling water onto his pan to test the heat. Once the water hissed and sizzled on contact he added in the oiled potatoes, which instantly sent up a loud hiss of noise. He pulled a wooden spoon out of a drawer and stirred them until they were evenly scattered throughout the pan, then let them cool a little to get a sear on one side at least.
"I imagine something less starchy might be a better pair with spaghetti, but little late for that right now," he commented over the sizzling as the sweet-savory smell of spices joined the garlic smell.
[8:55:38 PM] Dea: "Alright, then that's what will happen...if it is inedible. And yes, something not so starchy would have probably been best, but we will work with what we have. Not much we can do about this now,"Karina smiled. She watched over her water until she noticed it bubbling, then she dumped in the noodles. She sniffed the air, enjoying the smells filling the kitchen.
[9:05:30 PM] Jinx: "If we're still hungry after this I can make up something, since I doubt we're going to want to make a lot of desert spaghetti." He doubted they would be, of course; they were making enough food to make a very decent-sized meal. Any hunger they might still have would probably be meager enough to be satisfied by the desert, if it was any good, not to mention the prospect of popcorn later on.
[9:09:03 PM] Dea: "Alright, I do not foresee us being hungry still, but we shall see. We are certainly making enough of a meal for a small army,"Karina spoke, her eyes twinkling. She grinned mischievously as she started to eat the sauce and took a small spoonful of the sauce. She gently placed the spoon on his nose.
[9:16:39 PM] Jinx: Dirk looked down at the single potato he had cooking in the skillet, stirring the pieces. "Oh yes, an army indeed," he commented, eyes twinkling as much as Karina's. He might have added more, but then she put a dollop of sauce, complete with spoon, on his nose.
He started in surprise, though managed not to eep or worse, inhale through his nose. He carefully removed the spoon and wiped the sauce off his nose with his finger, then tasted it. "Hmmm. Very nice." He grinned, then planted the still saucy spoon on Karina's nose before she had time to react.
[9:18:14 PM] Dea: Karina was about to reply, when she felt the sauce dripping on her nose. She reached up and took the spoon down, before looking at him with a red nose.
"Ooo, seems you are getting wise to what to do when I attack you, huh? Well, now I look like Rudolph, are you happy about that?"Karina asked with a laugh.
[9:26:57 PM] Jinx: Dirk laughed. "Well you tried to turn /me/ into Rudolph first," he countered. "I was just wise enough to realize you made a cuter Rudolph than I do and remedy the situation."
He gave the potatoes and stir, then looked around for a suitable dish to dump them into. Almost ready! Would you like a strainer for your noodles and a bowl to put them into," he asked while he was rummaging, having spied the objects.
[9:28:13 PM] Dea: Karina blushed at his words, wiggling her nose slightly. She started to stir the noodles, when she heard his question to her.
"Yes, a strainer would be nice and a serving platter for the spaghetti would be a wonderful help. I think this dinner is really coming together nicely,"Karina replied.
[9:29:17 PM] Dea: ((Is it just me or is it amusing that they are making noodles lol)
[9:30:24 PM] Jinx: ((It is lol))
[9:32:28 PM] Jinx: Dirk pulled out of the cabinet with a strainer and the bowl he thought would be good to put the spaghetti in, which he set on the counter before diving back in to find his dish, which he pulled out a moment later. He set it down and picked up his pan of potatoes, carefully pouring them into the dish before reaching over and turning off the stove top.
"Well, my dish is done," he commented, setting down the pan on the stove to cool down.
[9:34:00 PM] Dea: "Mine is almost done, the sauce just needs a couple more minutes. Then we shall have spaghetti and potatoes,"Karina smiled. After those couple of minutes, she spooned the spaghetti into the bowl and threw the meat sauce in with it.
[9:34:08 PM] Dea: ((Noodles making noodles lol))
[9:50:46 PM] Jinx: Dirk nodded and went to get more dishes, this time a serving apparatus for the spaghetti, plates for them to eat off of, and silverware. "Alright, I think we're ready then!" He dished the potatoes onto both plates and waited for Karina to server herself some spaghetti before he got some himself.
"We can go look at the movies I have and see if there's anything you find interesting, unless you wanted to have a sit-down-and-eat experience instead," he said, flashing her a quick smile. "Then we can make the desert spaghetti and start thinking about when we might make popcorn." A small idea wormed its way into his mind, but he put it on the backburner for later.
[9:53:15 PM] Dea: "I would like a nice sit down meal, if you wouldn't mind. Call me an old fashion girl, but I like having an actual dinner. Then we can go about making dessert after we eat and deciding on popcorn. Speaking of movies, you wouldn't happen to have Beauty and the Beast, would you?"Karina asked. She took some spaghetti out of the bowl and spooned it onto her plate. Once that was done, she waited for him to get his own.
[10:07:03 PM] Jinx: Dirk nodded as he spooned some spaghetti onto his own plate and picked up one of the forks he left out. "I've got a couple kid movies, just cause the stories are sometimes interesting and fun to watch." He placed his plate on the scrubbed wooden table in the middle of the kitchen, then went around to a spot next to it and pulled out a chair, offering the seat to Karina.
[10:09:07 PM] Dea: Karina smiled to him when he pulled out a chair for her and she sat down upon it. She placed her plate carefully upon the table and waited for him to sit down.
"I know it must seem strange that I am asking to watch a children's movie, being the adult that I am. But I suppose I am a child at heart, one who has never stopped loving cute things,"Karina explained.
[10:13:36 PM] Jinx: Dirk shook his head as he sat down. "It's not that weird to me. I own the movie, after all," he said with a quick grin. "I find myself rewatching these movies as an adult and realize I had very little idea what was truly going on when I was a kid. A lot of them have very lovely stories that all ages can enjoy."
He picked up his fork and took a bit of the potatoes first, pleased to see that it had comes out well. Then he twirled up a bite of spaghetti and tried it.
[10:18:47 PM] Dea: "Well, I suppose stuffed animals and cute movies are things that make me happy. And you are right, you do own the movie, so you are no better than I am,"she teased. She cut herself a piece of the potato and stuck it in her mouth, looking happy as the taste filled her mouth. Then scooped up the spaghetti and quietly slurped up some of the noodles.
[10:31:45 PM] Jinx: Dirk just grinned in response and scooped up more of the spaghetti. "Excellent meal. I think the sauce could be even better if it had longer to sit and let the flavors marry. Have you made sauces like that before?"
He munched on a few more pieces of potato, then scooped up more of the spaghetti.
[10:33:48 PM] Dea: All Karina had heard was marry and she blushed, then realized he was talking about the sauce. She nodded her head quietly to the question, trying to gather her thoughts.
"Yes, I have made the sauce before, a few times. Thank you for the advice, I will try to remember that for next time,"Karina assured.
[10:34:41 PM] Dea: ((Couldn't help it with the marry thing lol))
[10:42:00 PM] Jinx: Dirk caught the blush and had to puzzle over it for a second. After a quick review of what he'd said and done to see if was anything /he/ had done, he was pretty sure he knew what caused it. His owns cheeks went a little pink, but he plowed on like he didn't notice in the hopes that it would go away sooner.
"Time's usually good for developing flavors. Sauces and rubs usually benefit. I made a flavored oil once that was pretty good, though it needed months for the flavors to properly leak into it so you could taste them."
[10:48:56 PM] Dea: Karina caught the tinge of Dirk's cheeks, but turned her head, trying to pretend she did not notice. She hoped he had not seen her looking or she would be found out. She busied herself by picking up her fork and twirling it in her spaghetti.
"Hmm, that is definitely something to keep in mind. I do not make sauces and rubs very often, so I did not know all of that,"she admitted softly.
[10:55:11 PM] Jinx: Dirk smiled crookedly. "I usually experiment with this kind of stuff to make different flavors, since there's not a lot of variety in the ingredients I use. I have to get creative." He cleaned the rest of the potatoes off his plate and worked on polishing off the rest of the spaghetti.
"How'd you like the potatoes? I know it's a double-starch meal, so I'm hoping the taste made up for it," he chuckled.
[10:58:51 PM] Dea: "I thought the potatoes tasted delicious. I am really enjoying this meal, we really made something pretty good together,"Karina replied. She was finishing off the food on her own plate, taking a sip of her water from time to time. She soon had eaten everything on her plate and took the dish to the sink, rinsing it off.
[11:08:51 PM] Jinx: Dirk grinned happily and stood up with his own empty plate, carrying it over to the sink and placing it in out of Karina's way. Then it went around and gathered up the dishes used for cooking and serving both sets of food, stacking them up and bringing them over to the sink as well.
"Okay, so dessert spaghetti," he started, grinning a little at the thought of making such an odd food item. It would be amazing if it succeeded!
[11:12:36 PM] Dea: "Alright, we need to figure out what we are going to use in place of all of the ingredients. Maybe we could use some kind of dough in place of the noodles,"Karina mused. She rinsed off the dishes Dirk had brought over so it would be easier when he did them.
[11:26:46 PM] Jinx: Dirk did a mental review of everything he had in the kitchen. "I know how to make noodles from scratch, though I don't know how to make them in the shape of spaghetti noodles," he said, thinking aloud. "I can mix some cocoa powder in there to make chocolate noodles. There's some fruit in the fridge, and cream cheese. I believe I also have some cream we could make into whipped cream as well. We can layer stuff in there with the noodles, almost like a lasagna."
[11:27:03 PM] Jinx: ((Is it wrong that I actually went and tried to find a spaghetti dessert online XD?))
[11:32:30 PM] Dea: ((Nope lol))
[11:33:20 PM] Dea: Karina looked thoughtful as he rattled off some ideas and her mouth began to water. The more he listed things, the happier it was making her.
"Yes, that actually tastes quite delicious, at least to me it does. I saw we try those together and see if they mix as well as our dinner did. Who knows maybe we make a good team ourselves,"Karina smiled, then blushed as she realized what she said. Why in the world did she say that last thing?
[11:55:36 PM] Jinx: Dirk nodded and started pulling out various materials. "Maybe you can whip the cream cheese with a little sugar to make it a touch sweeter. You know how to make whipped cream, right," he asked as he pulled out a small carton of whipping cream. "You can get that started while I make the pasta and cook it."
[11:57:35 PM] Dea: Karina took the sugar out and whipped it into the cream cheese, figuring she should do that first. Once it tasted sweet enough, she started to work on whipping up the cream into the right consistency for their whipped cream.
"You know, I am looking forward to actually tasting it when we are done making it. I didn't think I would like the sound of it, but the more I think about it, it sounds really good,"Karina admitted to him.
[11:58:33 PM] Jinx: ((You ever made homemade whipped cream before?))
[11:58:52 PM] Dea: ((I can't say I have, always get it from a store lol))
[12:01:25 AM] Jinx: ((Really simple. Pour whipping cream in a bowl, use a mixer (much easier than hand whipping) and whip it while adding sugar. You add about a tablespoon of sugar at a time, and eventually the cream stiffens up to the proper consistancy. You stop adding sugar once you get peaks that stand up.))
[12:06:14 AM] Jinx: Dirk nodded. "I am too, even though it sounded kind of odd when I first suggested it." He took flour and cocoa power and mixed them together and made a pile of it on the counter, scooping a hollow in the center like a volcano and adding the proper amount of eggs. He mixed the eggs with his hands, slowly adding flour bit by bit until he got the proper consistancy for the dough. He kneaded it for a bit, then pulled out a rolling pin, moved the dough to a clean bit of the counter, and began to roll it out.
"I think it's going to be more fettuccine than spaghetti cut, but I think that'll be close enough," he said cheerfully as he began to flatten out the dough.
[12:08:25 AM] Dea: "It is the thought that counts, doesn't matter if it is not a proper spaghetti. Who knows, this may become our own special dessert,"Karina smiled. She took a bowl and poured in the cream, then got out a mixer. Then she took the sugar and started to make the cream.
[12:13:31 AM] Jinx: Dirk set some water on the stove to boil and pulled out a second pot, filling it with cold water, then rinsed out the strainer that Karina had used for the dinner spaghetti. He set it on the draining board to dry and went to the freezer, pulling out a try of ice and adding it to the bowl of cool water before refilling it and sticking it back in the freezer.
All that done he began cutting up the flattened dough into thin strips, carefully putting them into his metal strainer. Once all the dough was in the strainer, he looked at the pot of water to see if it was boiling. There were some bubbles, but it wasn't /quite/ hot enough yet.
Dirk glanced back at Karina. "How's the cream going," he asked.
[12:15:12 AM] Dea: "Cream is getting there, not quite the right consistency yet, but I will get it there,"Karina assured. She continued mixing, making sure she didn't overmix it, since she knew that would turn the cream into more of a soup than anything.
[12:15:24 AM] Dea: "Do you think we should make some ice cream to go with it?"she asked.
[12:20:33 AM] Jinx: Dirk shook his head. "I've got some in the freezer right now. I don't think I've got everything we'd need to make homemade, and it would take time to freeze it. Maybe next time though, when we've had some time to plan." He glanced at the water. Yup, that was really starting to bubble now! He picked up the strainer and plunked it, noodles and all, into the hot water to cook. He watched it carefully, occasionally inserting a fork in to stir the noodles and pick one up to check doneness. As soon as he determined they were ready it picked the strainer up from the boiling water and moving it to the ice bath, soaking the contents with the cold water.
"There we go, they should be ready to eat," he said, picking one up and trying it. Not his best work, but it had a faint chocolatey taste at least. Next time he'd try with an actual recipe.
(([12:21:38 AM] Dea: *still giggling that our Noodles are having noodles*))
[12:22:44 AM] Dea: Karina soon had the whipped cream ready and she brought it over to Dirk. She placed it next to him and looked over at the chocolate dusted noodles.
"Alright, I think we are ready to put all of this together and see how they taste. Seems someone already took a taste of the spaghetti part,"she teased.
[12:33:11 AM] Jinx: Dirk just shrugged and smiled. "Better taste them to make sure they're alright now then put everything together and discover it was nasty," he said, pulling out a dish they could layer stuff in and put down a bottom layer of noodles. "Put some of the cream cheese on that," he directed and went to get some fruit out of the fridge. "Then we can put some fruit over that and the whipped cream on top of that. If we think it needs it we can add something else after tasting." He began cutting up strawberries and blueberries on a cutting board.
[12:35:54 AM] Dea: "Alright, sounds like a good idea to me,"Karina nodded as she took some of the cream cheese and spread it over the top of the noodles, just as she had been told to do. Then she waited for him to finish with the fruit.
[12:41:53 AM] Jinx: Dirk finished slicing the fruit and neatly layered it over top of the cream cheese. Then, because he'd only used two thirds of the noodles for the bottom of the dish, he evenly layered the rest of the noodles on the fruit. "There we go, now let's add the whipped cream and I think we have our highly odd dessert," he chuckled.
[12:46:26 AM] Dea: "I don't mind it being odd, as long as it all works together,"Karina told him. She took the whipped cream she had just made and put it on top of the dessert, her mouth watering again at the thought.
[12:52:55 AM] Jinx: Dirk pulled out clean dishes and a serving spoon. "I hope it's good, cause there's enough here that I think we'll have a little left over," he said with a chuckle. He dug the spoon deep into the dessert to get all the layers and spooned some onto his plate. He put the spoon back in the dish and offered it to Karina, waiting until she served herself before trying it; it only seemed right they eat their creation together.
[1:13:33 AM] Dea: Karina took the serving spoon and made sure she scooped up enough of all the different layers. Then she slid it into her own bowl and looked to Dirk.
"Alright, I am ready, let's try this together, shall we?"Karina asked, hoping it would taste good.
[1/5/2013 6:53:55 PM] Jinx: Dirk nodded and scooped his fork into the food, twirling up some of the noodles around the eating utensil and then scraping up some of the fruit, cream cheese, and whipped cream. He held the loaded fork up like he was making a toast. "Here's to hoping experimenting with desserts turns out as tasty as it was fun to make," he said in a serious voice, green eyes glittering with laughter. He waited until Karina had also scooped up some of her own dessert on her fork, then placed the dessert in his mouth.
[1/5/2013 6:56:36 PM] Dea: Karina giggled softly at that, filling her own spoon with some of their dessert. She held it out similar to the way Dirk did, a playful grin on her lips.
[1/5/2013 6:58:13 PM] Dea: "Here is to hoping we do not kill ourselves with our own dessert. I would hate to see the obituary pages for that. 'People killed by dessert.' Not the greatest idea,"Karina added with a twinkle in her eyes, before putting the dessert noodles in her own mouth.
[1/5/2013 7:06:49 PM] Jinx: The taste wasn't too bad. The noodles did have a sort of cocoa taste, but they weren't exactly sweet either. It was more like a back-up note of a taste, with the berries and cream cheese taking center stage. That was fine though, because it was quite good. With actual recipes and planning they might have been able to make something even better.
"Well-," Dirk finally said after he finished his mouthful, "-I don't think we're gonna win any rewards with it, but it actually wasn't that bad."
[1/5/2013 7:10:30 PM] Dea: Karina chewed her own, allowing the tastes to fill her mouth. She had a thoughtful look in her blue eyes, trying to decide the best way to describe it. When she heard Dirk, she laughed with a soft nod of her head.
[1/5/2013 7:11:19 PM] Dea: "It is actually pretty good, I quite enjoyed it. I reckon if we work on it, it may actually become some kind of prize winning dessert yet. It wouldn't hurt for us to try,"Karina told him brightly.
[1/5/2013 7:15:45 PM] Jinx: Dirk nodded. "I think I would need to research noodle recipes. Make the sweet taste a little more prevelant, maybe, or if we stay with mildly sweet and starchy we should fine things to add with it that would best compliment it."
He finished his dessert up in a few more bites, now feeling contentedly full. He put his plate in the sink and covered the remainer of the dessert in the dish, putting it in the fridge to be eaten later. Maybe aging would do something to the taste, he'd have to eat it tomorrow and see if there was a change.
"So? Should I make popcorn for a movie, or do you think a movie by itself will be good," he asked Karina, happy to go either way and wanting to see what her opinion was.
[1/5/2013 7:21:34 PM] Dea: "Well, I think it could be a little sweeter, since I like sweet desserts, but we would want to make sure it is not overpowering with the sweetness too. I am sure we will figure it out, just will take some research and some experimentation,"Karina nodded. She finished up her own dessert and placed her dish into the sink.
[1/5/2013 7:22:15 PM] Dea: "Some popcorn sounds good to me, since I need something salty now. Then once it is made, we can sit down and enjoy a nice movie together,"Karina answered.
[1/5/2013 7:33:50 PM] Jinx: Dirk pulled out the necessary items from the pantry and soon had a pan on the stove with jumping kernels underneath a lid. As soon as it was ready he tipped the fluffy corn into a bowl and added not only salt, but a bit of cracked pepper as well. Not a lot of people did that, but Dirk found it added a nice flavor to the popcorn. "Alright, I think we're ready to go," he said cheerfully, holding the bowl in one hand. "Wanna lead the way? It'll be back in the front room."
[1/5/2013 7:34:13 PM] Dea: ((Nice how you came back on with a post lol))
[1/5/2013 7:34:30 PM] Jinx: ((My internet is just evil.))
[1/5/2013 7:35:29 PM] Dea: "Alright, then let us go get this movie started right, shall we?"Karina grinned, leading the way out of the kitchen. She walked to the front room and then looked back at Dirk for further directions on what to do.
[1/5/2013 7:42:56 PM] Jinx: Dirk gestured for Karina to sit down on the old yet comfortable couch in the room, setting to bowl of popcorn down on the coffee table while he went to the TV stand and opened one of the shelf doors, fiddling with something inside then closing the door and turning on the TV. After flicking through a couple channels he found the proper one, Disney theme music blaring out from the speakers.
Dirk moved back to the couch and settled down on it, picking up the bowl and holding it to the side so that Karina could easily reach in to grab some of the popcorn.
[1/5/2013 7:45:30 PM] Dea: Karina sat down on the couch and got comfortable. She watched Dirk get things ready, waiting very patiently for him to finish. When he sat back down, she smiled, taking a handful of popcorn when it was placed between them.
[1/5/2013 7:46:06 PM] Dea: "This is such a beautiful story, if not a little sad. It is a shame the prince had to learn how to care for others in such a hard way,"Karina spoke softly.
[1/5/2013 7:59:47 PM] Jinx: "The ending seems happier for it, even if the way there was hard," Dirk commented. There wasn't much talk between them after that, as the movie's opening credits began to play. They sat comfortably side-by-side on the couch, sharing the bowl of popcorn. Both were so absorbed in the movie, it probably didn't occur to them they looked quite a bit like an old married couple.
[1/5/2013 8:07:30 PM] Dea: Karina munched on the popcorn from time to time as she watched the movie. When it was over, she wiped away some tears that had rolled down her cheeks. She looked over to Dirk and smiled softly at him.
[1/5/2013 8:07:43 PM] Dea: "Thank you for the movie and popcorn, I really enjoyed it,"she told him.
[1/5/2013 8:14:09 PM] Jinx: Dirk glanced over at Karina and smiled, leaning forward to set the empty bowl back on the table. "I enjoyed it too. I don't get company very often," he confessed." He leaned back into the couch, flushing a little as he realized how close he and Karina were sitting, and glanced over at the windows outside. It was dark, and looked cold.
"Doesn't look very nice out there right now," he commented, then without really thinking about it asked, "Would you like me to walk you back home?"
[1/5/2013 8:16:08 PM] Dea: Karina smiled, glad she could provide him with some company. She thought it was a shame that he didn't get to enjoy things with others, he seemed like the kind of person people would enjoy his company. When she looked at him again, she saw his cheeks and she wondered why. Then she saw how close he was to her and her own cheeks became a light pink.
[1/5/2013 8:16:54 PM] Dea: "Sure, I wouldn't mind you walkin me home, might be nice,"Karina replied to his question. She looked outside and shivered, thinking how cold it probably was. She was happy she had brought her coat with her.
[1/5/2013 8:19:29 PM] Jinx: Dirk nodded and stood, going over to a peg on the wall where a coat hung. It was a red plaid like his favorite shirt and covered in patches, and looked faded and old, yet it was actually very warm and comfortable.
"'M ready when you are," he said, pulling the coat on and waiting by the door for her.
[1/5/2013 8:19:46 PM] Jinx: ((Wanna do a skip to them being in front of her house or something, with you post?))
[1/5/2013 8:20:22 PM] Dea: ((Yeah, I can totally do that, would not be a problem))
[1/5/2013 8:21:15 PM] Dea: Karina grabbed her own worn blue jacket and walked to the door where he waited. Once there, she walked out and led the way to her home, trying to stay warm on the journey.
[1/5/2013 8:22:08 PM] Dea: Soon they stood outside the front door of her family's house and she turned to Dirk. "Thank you for walking me home, it was really sweet of you. I was a little scared to travel in the dark by myself, but you made me feel safe,"Karina told him softly.
[1/5/2013 8:27:32 PM] Jinx: Dirk smiled softly at Karina, hands shoved deep into pockets to keep them warm. "Glad to hear that, since that was my intention," he said in a half-joking tone, though truthfully it really /was/ the reason he'd walked with Karina. The thought of her walking alone in the dark and cold just hadn't sit well with him.
Suddenly he felt a little bashful. "That was fun. We should do it again some time. Well..." He suddenly moved forward, planting a little peck of a kiss on Karina's cheek while he own flamed from the force of his blush. "See ya soon again, I hope," he said quietly, then quickly turned and walked away into the darkness, overcome by embarassment at his actions.
[1/5/2013 8:30:09 PM] Dea: "Maybe we can meet here next time, to show you my animal friends,"Karina suggested. When he kissed her cheek, her eyes widened in surprise and her own cheeks glowed to match his own. She watched him disappear into the darkness and she stayed rooted to the spot for a minute or two. Then a blast of cold air reminded her how cold it was, so she rushed inside to get warm.
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