[Training] {SE} shake and bake

Cordelia

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where the wild things grows

It was a silly thing to be nervous over something as trivial as inviting someone to her home to bake. Except she'd been avoiding most of those she calls her friends and she knows that they can tell. She still hasn't talked to Sah and she wasn't sure when she was going to, but Talyson hadn't done anything to warrant receiving the cold shoulder from her. So she sent off a note, inviting him to her and Noah's home with the intention of apologizing and baking something for the festival.

She already has everything set out, having made a special trip over to Torchline for a few of the ingredients they were going to use for the sweet rolls. Cordelia draws in a deep breath, glancing at the clock on the wall, nerves twisting her belly. He'd be here any minute.

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where time runs slow

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He hadn't been invited over to someone's house since he was a kid. At least seven years ago. Once he started running the courier trail through the Tundra in Longheat and spending so much time outside the Citadel, most of his childhood friendships had just... drifted away.

Not that he'd had many to start with, and he liked the solitude.

Except...

He took a deep breath, tense and nervous in his best parka and scarf, and knocked tentatively at the door to Delia and Noah's home before heading in to move things along. Boreal chuckled indulgently as she settled herself on the roof, draped over the point like a lazy gargoyle and he rolled his eyes at her amusement while he divested himself of coat and boots.

Shuffling into the kitchen he bobbed his head at Delia in awkward greeting, automatically reaching up to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh. Hi. Thanks for invitin' me. Um. What're we makin' today?"

Cordelia

let us go
where the wild things grows

Strangely enough, Cordelia had never invited anyone over to her house before. Not even when she was a kid. Normally it was her parents inviting people over for hunting trips or dinners. That was one of the first times she'd met Noah when she was just a girl.

This was an entirely different experience, however. This was her home and Talyson was her friend. At least, she thought he was.

"Thanks for coming." Her smile is tentative, leading him towards the kitchen where things are already set up. "Sweet rolls. I got some dried fruits from Torchline that I thought would be good in them." Specifically strawberries. Fresh and dried. A fruit that they don't usually have access to in Halo.

She's not as closed off as she's been recently. Her expression less guarded. The dark circles under her eyes are worse and it's clear she's not doing well. As if it was even a question. "So... How are you?"

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Tal perked up at the mention of sweet rolls and dried fruit, and was lured further into the kitchen to stand near his hostess as he looked over the baking supplies that were usually his sisters' domain.

Had been his father's, too, once.

He jammed his hands in his pockets to keep the tapping of his fingers more hidden, but when he looked up at the question he was caught by the shadows in Delia's face and stood in uncomfortable silence for a moment before exhaling a rough sigh.

"A lot better'n you are," he said bluntly. "Look, I heard what happened to your cousin. I'm sorry. I dunno if you're a hugger, but..." He shrugged a little helplessly. He and Delia didn't know each other well, but he was shit with words and knew it. So instead he pulled his hands back out of his pockets and awkwardly lifted them a little ways from his body, offering a hug if she chose to accept it.

Cordelia

let us go
where the wild things grows

A watery laugh bubbles up out of her. Sudden and unexpected. Out of place in the quiet of the home that surrounds them. His bluntness startling it out of her as she looks up at him. Her smile falters after a moment and she takes his awkward offering of comfort for what it is. Tucking herself against his front, Cordelia wraps her arms around his middle, lingering there for the span of a few breaths. "Thank you.." She mumbles into the soft wool of his parka, sniffling for a moment before she finally draws back, wiping at her eyes.

"It's not been a good time." That was an understatement on the Shrike's part. She still hadn't talked to Sah since her conversation with Deimos. Nor was she sure when she was going to. The idea of confronting her cousin made her sick to her stomach. She'd hardly spoken a word to him since he told her the news. Sure, they'd been around each other, but it wasn't the same.

Unwilling to sit too long, finding herself antsy even just standing there, she reaches for the large mixing bowl that their dough will go in to. "We've got to do the dry ingredients first... Have you done much baking before?"

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This is a test.

Tal put his arms tentatively around Delia, giving her a careful squeeze and patting her back with his usual awkwardness.

He was glad she'd taken him up on it, though. He couldn't do much for her; he knew what it was like to lose a loved one and words were just empty. But at least he could do this one thing, even if it was small.

He let her go as soon as she drew back, reaching up again to rub at his neck and look over the kitchen as if he hadn't already done that a minute before. Yup. That was definitely some flour. And there was the sugar. Or maybe it was the salt?

"Um. I can listen, if you want to talk about it," he offered, reaching for the flour and looking around for a recipe. "I'm not really... uh. Allowed in the kitchen much," he admitted sheepishly. "But I made corn muffins recently!" He said that with a lot more pride than it deserved, given how Ronin had needed to rescue the muffins from him. But hey, it had been a team effort!

Cordelia

let us go
where the wild things grows

Words never meant much to the Attuned. Not when actions always spoke louder. The moment passes and Cordelia draws back from him to focus on the task at hand.

Her brows arch as she turns to look at him, studying his expression for a moment before huffing out a slight laugh. "And who allowed you in the kitchen to make corn muffins?" She was skeptical that he'd been allowed and more or less did it without anyone's knowledge.

As for the other topic at hand... Cordelia sighs, chewing on her bottom lip as she adds the dry ingredients into a bowl, mixing it with a wooden spoon. "She was with Sah when it happened and I know it isn't his fault. I shouldn't blame him, but a part of me does." It's painful to admit. She hates herself for that. Hates him for it too.

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"Wait... did I say corn? I, uh, I meant cheese," Tal backpedaled sheepishly. "Cheese an' herb muffins. An' I was helpin' the great Commander Baron Chef Ronin himself," he added proudly, skinny chest sticking out as he subtly name dropped the Commander of Stormbreak, looking very pleased with himself.

He shrunk back down enough for his head to fit in the kitchen again as he began handing Delia the ingredients as she asked for them, serving as her gofer since she (wisely) wasn't giving up control of the mixing bowl. Her next words finished deflating his teasing boastfulness and his grin faded with a sober nod.

"Mm. Yeah. He blames himself, too. I get it, but..." He exhaled and then shook his head. There wasn't a 'but' big enough to make the heart feel other than what it did, even when the head knew it was in the wrong. "Did you... ever find out where she was when she went missing?" he asked cautiously instead, remembering a tavern and lanterns they'd made together; one had been for Aino.

The day a white dragon had flown over the Citadel.

Cordelia

let us go
where the wild things grows

"You don't even remember what kind of muffins you made?" Cordelia arches a brow, giving him a skeptical look and pulling the mixing bowl all the closer to her. She motions to the bowl with the butter in it, "Add the eggs and sugar to that one. Mix it until it's fluffy." It should be simple enough. The eggs were already cracked. All he had to do was pour it in. The mention of Ronin doesn't really ring any bells, but she has heard the name before. Mostly from Noah. Not that she's met him herself. "Oh yeah? Is he nice?"

She chews on her bottom lip, focusing on the dry ingredients as she takes a slow breath, "No, I didn't find out where she was. Aino didn't tell me. Just.. just that she was doing something." For the war or whatever else. Cordelia shakes her head, waiting for him to finish with the butter mixture before slowly adding in the flour for him to mix into a dough. "Deimos says I should talk to him."

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"Kinda burned my tongue real bad tryin' to eat 'em too soon," Tal admitted sheepishly. "Couldn't taste much for a couple days after." That first bite? Totally worth it, though. Even if after that the only flavor was 'painful burning.'

Ironically, eggs he was fine with. He would have been perfectly safe in charge of those, but he dumped in the sugar a little haphazardly before getting to work with a great deal more enthusiasm than skill. Which, luckily, was all creaming butter really needed. "Yeah! I mean-- he's okay," Tal tamped his enthusiasm down as soon as he realized what he was doing, trying to sound nonchalant instead.

Talk of the dead was a hell of a damper on the conversation, but Tal had offered to listen and he'd meant it. He nodded, unsure of what else to say. He held out the bowl for the flour and went back to mixing as he thought about it, a scowl beetling his brows. "I mean... do you want to talk to him right now?"

Cordelia

let us go
where the wild things grows

It brings a laugh out of her despite herself, "You would do that." She scoffs, wrinkling her nose at him as he adds the sugar to the better, making a bit of a mess of it. He does a good job mixing it though and she doesn't complain. A mess was bound to happen.

"Oh, Tal... Sounds like someone has a little bit of a boy crush." Her hip bumps playfully against his, causing him to lose hold of the bowl slightly, a bit of butter flying out of the bowl and onto the counter.

She lets out a heavy sigh, lips pursing as she stares down at the bowl of flour, knuckles tight on the rim of the ceramic. "I don't know. I- I miss him a lot."

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Tal just grin and stuck his now-healed tongue out at her - and the distraction might have contributed to the mess of the sugar but ehhhh, they'd clean it up later.

Or at least, someone would.

He absolutely slipped his grip on the bowl a little as she bumped him, because he flinched and looked almost guilty - and then he realized what she meant and the look he turned on her was genuinely panicked. "Ohhh nonononono, don't even joke about that!" He darted wary looks around towards the shadows, looking for a hint of spooky rags. "His husband is Ludo's demigod and he would kill me." He still remembered the flowers he'd delivered from Remi to Ronin...

And the blush of embarrassment that crept up over his neck and ears, darkening brown skin, likely did nothing to dissuade Cordelia of her assumption.

But both the joking the mixing slowed as the topic turned heavier and he didn't so much as bump Delia as lean his shoulder lightly against hers companionably. "Well... maybe... send him a letter?" he suggested hesitantly. "Might be easier to say things if you can, y'know, write them down exactly the way you mean 'em." He shrugged awkwardly and looked down into the bowl, mushing the flour around in the thickening dough. "I even know a guy who'd deliver it for you real cheap."

Cordelia

let us go
where the wild things grows

Oh. She'd met him once. Remi. The melancholy demigod outside of the shrine. Her brow arches, head tilting to the side, "Oh come on... He isn't that bad." To be fair, Cordelia wasn't really sure whether Remi would do something to Talyson even if it was just a joke. Surely he had more self control than that.

Still, she was willing to let it drop for the moment. Even as his cheeks turned a darker shade from his blush, leaving her with a slight smile on her lips.

"I'll think about it. Not sure I can trust a courier with flour in his hair though." Cordelia says, hand creeping towards the jar of flour on the counter, grabbing a handful and tossing it at him. A puff of white clouding the air and raining down over top of him, breaking the heavy mood that was weighing on top of both of them.

let us go
where time runs slow

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