[ prp ] Fix it with Food (America & Sonny)

[lizbot]

It's Christmas Eve-Eve and America's shuffling on the doorstep of the Shore house, two large bags in hand. They clang gently about as she moves. There’s a deep breath and then another. Sunny had said visitors were ok. This was okay.

The world, so far, seemed like the world she knew. There are good things, there are bad things, and there are the tragedies that make you choose, time and again, which part of it's most important.

When the door opens, America's smiling and, despite everything, it's sincere.

"You wanna make some gingerbread men?“

shibrogane

botherbotherbother

silverah

in case liam is there too

 

[shibrogane]

Sonny is well-dressed, a ribbed tank underneath her slubby House Hoodie, when she answers the door. "Hi," she says. Her hair is shiny and clean and her cheeks are slightly flushed and she says, "Yeah, okay. You wanna eat dinner with me?"

Dinner is macaroni and cheese. The fancy, homemade kind that's baked in the oven. Sonny (who is evidently feeling Girl today judging by the wine-purple scrunchy) peeks at it and judges it Unready. Then she sits on the counter, which is impeccably clean. "Hi," she says again.  

[Silverah]

Just as America and Sonny made themselves comfortable in the kitchen, Liam Noor slipped through the doorway, looking every inch like a sitcom dad two days after Christmas. He was wearing an ugly belted cardigan (red with white reindeer, apparently mid-coitus) over a tee-shirt, a pair of dad jeans, and bunny slippers, and holding an empty mug printed with different kinds of fish.

He surveyed the scene in front of him.

"Huh," he said. "I thought I heard the doorbell. Hi. I'm Sunny's dad."

He sounded like he had been waiting literally centuries to use that line.

He turned towards the oven. "Still not ready?"

Lizbot

 

[lizbot]

There's few things so sure to instill comfort as a nice kitchen, clean and lived in, warmed by dinner in the oven. America soaks it in like a sponge, her own little kitchenette can't compare, really. "Smells good," she hums, leaning next to Sonny.

There's another smile at that Hi, both shy and interested and pleased, but before America can answer, there is suddenly A Dad. Eyebrows lifting and curiosity clear, she gives him a little wave.

"Hi, Sunny's Dad, I'm America."

Jer once mentioned that people believed Sunny was the daughter of the Enemy and the Otherworld, but Mr. Christmas here didn't seem much like either. He didn't seem anything like the other Sunny's Dad, for that matter. At that thought, she couldn't help but send a searching look to the doorway, just in case he was about to make another big dramatic entrance.

When there wasn't one after a moment or so, she turned her attention back to Christmas Dad. "We're gonna make cookies, later, if that's okay?"

Always gotta be polite to your friend's parents, otherwise you might not get to have sleepovers.

shibrogane

silverah

 

[shibrogane]

Sonny perks up and smiles at Liam and his stupid sweater. (It is possible that she gave him the stupid sweater, but it's hard to imagine a being of theoretically infinite magical power internet shopping.) "No," she says, "It needs a little longer."

She smiles at America. "Yeah, it's okay! Papa and Father just buy them from the store, I've never made cookies before."

silverah

lizbot

 

[Silverah]

Liam made a face that, if they caught it, might have indicated his uncertainty over whether he had actually ever bought cookies from the store for the express purpose of stocking the kitchen for Sunny. "Yeah, of course," he said, and smiled brightly.

He crossed the room, grabbing the kettle off the stove and turning towards the sink. "I was going to make some more tea," he said, "since it seems like dinner's going to take a while longer. Would you like some?"

He filled the kettle and put it on the stove, lit the burner, looked at America: "You can call me Liam."

Shibrogane

Lizbot

 

[lizbot]

"Yes please, thank you!" America chirrups. Turning to Sunny, she whispers, "Is he the fun dad? He looks like the fun dad." In America's experience, parental figures had to have a fun to unfun ratio of 1:1 or things got out of hand.

More normally she goes on, "I brought all the stuff for them, but most 'specially the decorations. They're the most important part, 'cause it's not Christmas unless it's frosted half to death and sparkling."

shibrogane

silverah

 

[shibrogane]

"He's kinda both," Sonny whispers back. She swings her legs, bouncing her heels off the counter like it isn't even a thing, which is probably incorrect. "He's reading a great big textbook all over the dining room table." There was a kitchen table: a mid-century modern construction in whitewashed wood. This had a newspaper on it. "It'll be fun," she says out loud.

"Father is busy today," says Sunny seriously to America. "He's always busy lately."

lizbot

silverah

 

[Silverah]

"Keeping us in house and home," added Liam, picking up Sunny's sentence where she'd left it off - but there was a twinge of guilt in his tone, something he was holding back. Covering up.

He walked over to the table and gathered up all the newspapers.

"I'm the fun dad," he said, and commenced playing basketball with the recycling bin.

lizbot

shibrogane

 

[lizbot]

America squints at the table, like maybe there's an invisible book on the table because seriously, maybe there was. There's a sympathetic look for Sunny, "My Pa used to be away for months n'months." She shook her head, "He missed out on all sorts of glorious me, and isn't that a thing to pity? Hopefully yours takes a break and stops missing out, himself."

Lowering her voice, she asks Sunny, "Is he a nerd, then? Do you gotta read the big textbooks, too?"

The man himself gets an encouraging thumbs up. Way to do a Fun, Mister Sunny's Dad!

shibrogane

silverah

 

[shibrogane]

"No, he's a nerd," says Sonny. "He's so a Nerd that he writes textbooks, too. He doesn't just read them." She gives Liam an arch look. There's an element of performance, like she's trying to convince America that she's cool, or something. "I like to read the big textbooks, really," she says. "Papa knows lots of magic, and I like to read how he thinks about it."

"Father runs an art gallery in Boston," she says, at a normal volume. "It takes him away a lot."

She slides off the counter and peeks into the oven, then reaches bare-handed in for the glass pan. If it's hot, she doesn't seem to notice as she sets it atop two pot holders. "Five minutes and then dinner, Papa." With a gesture, she sets the table: a white tablecloth spreading out over the surface, place settings for three floating out of the cabinets and drawers. Like this is completely normal. "D'you want water or cider or juice or wine," she asks America. Also like it's normal to offer wine with your mac and cheese.

lizbot

Silverah

 

[Silverah]

Liam bit his lip, like there was something on his mind, and dunked the last of the newspaper. "I teach at Rider-Waite," he said, by way of explanation, as the kettle came to a boil. With a wave of his hand, it lifted from the stove and poured a neat stream of water into his mug.

Like that was perfectly natural.

"It's alright," he said, looking over at America, "if you want to use magic. This house is a safe space."

lizbot

Shibrogane

 

[lizbot]

"I'm not good at books," America admits to Sonny, "so I can't say I like them, but I admire folks who do. Sometimes my boyfriend gets in a big happy rant about books written by old Russian guys, and it's just about my favorite thing."

There's a cut off warning and jerk when Sonny reaches for the pan, and then America is sitting back with a chagrined little laugh. After that she settles back, watching the smooth skill and control of the other girl with interest.

"Cider'd be great." After a moment she adds, a piece of confusion that had been lingering for days peeking out, "I think I'm enrolled there. At Rider-Waite, I mean."

The piece of encouragement from Liam is all it takes for the salt and pepper shakers to slowly lift and float over to the table. America laughs again, "I can't do more than two things and anything too fancy gets all wobbledy bobbledy on me."

She can't help but be delighted at the scene though, can't hide it even a little.

silverah

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Sonny nods. She fills the plates: macaroni and cheese, creamy sauce clinging goopily to the noodles, and bright green beans. Her attitude as she fills glasses with requested drinks is nervous, all fluttery-handed. "I'm not," she says. "Too much magic. I'm not supposed to really go out, either." She takes her seat, catty-corner to Liam and America both. "It's dangerous."

She looks at America: please understand.

She sips her apple juice and her eyes flick from Liam to America and back again.

silverah

lizbot

 

[Silverah]

Liam floated his mug over from the counter as he took a seat at the table. "You think?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at America, but let the weirdness slide. "I'm in the computer science department," he explained. "Most of my work involves magitech. Wardcraft and digital security, primarily - if that's of any interest to you. It's not too late to get in for next semester."

He plucked the pepper gently out of the air. "Practice makes perfect," he assured America, laughing gently. He peppered his plate, and then offered the shaker to Sunny.

"Thank you for making dinner."

shibrogane

lizbot