[BOND]

[voreaciously]

Who: 80H and you! Eat, drink, and be merry! It's a mingle.
When: Day 25, afternoon
Where: The Lounge

In Jasmine

[Within Jasmine's tremendous new kitchen is a flurry of activity, a storm of leashed chaos, and in the eye stands 80H, cooking and baking up a storm.

Ever prepared, however, she's cooked meals for the rest of the car so they do not have to worry about fending for themselves while she's taken over the space. It's all neatly labeled and delicious. She starts early evening and if you come down for a midnight snack or glass of water, she's still at it. Different times of day warrant different aromas. Savoury, sweet, herbal, blends of lavender and vanilla, citrus and cloves.

And the warmth.

It feels nice in here from all the baking, not oppressively hot, but looking at her, it's difficult to tell if she feels any of it at all. She seems like an icy singularity, divorced from her own reality even she carefully, delicately makes mille-feuille for it.]

In the Lounge

[80H is not in her uniform (shut up, Crow, it's still fucking legit) for the most part, instead wearing Jasmine's sweeping skirt, bunched top, and sandals, though she keeps her blindfold, tied in a bow at the side of her head with ribbons. Blue, silver, purple.

Marigold.

She wheels out a long cart made of crystal covered by a light blue tablecloth that dips oscillates between transparency and translucency, fading into nothingness at the edges. It reflects prismatic colours in crystalline shapes, but despite the edges of the reflections, it looks light as air and soft as silk.

Upon it sit myriad desserts on plates of various sizes, though many are single serve. They, too, are crystalline and clear, delicately shaped, but belying sturdiness. Creme brulee torched to perfection, tarts of all kinds, mille-feuille, delicately baked, round cheesecakes with a thick drizzle made of native berries, mousse made with the same, and thin biscuits dipped in dark chocolate and marbled with white.

In various crystal pots are tea. She would have liked to have more, but there's a fair selection all the same. The pots are transparent and so the colours are immediately visible and she's taken care to arrange them in a most pleasing away along the table.]

I would humbly suggest you try something.

[She will say this to anyone and everyone, and if she is not stopped, she will stand well away, but present.]

Comments

[voreaciously]

I do not have much to offer in the way of...bonding, as it were, but my team's bond and gifts should do nicely in this respect.

[A beat.]

Unless everyone detests it, but even then, they will have to try to know for certain and I will have succeeded by that point. Good day, Crow-san.

[bad_crowmance]

I doubt anyone's gonna hate free food, especially delicious free food.

[voreaciously]

...I do not know about delicious, but I suppose we shall see.

[it's fucking phenomenal.]

[bad_crowmance]

Oh please, as if you'd do anything less than your best.

[ He takes a bite of the cheesecake, and his eyes slide shut as he tastes it. ]

Like I said...!

[voreaciously]

Of course, I would.

[She says it a hair too quickly, not with confidence, but as though she means to reassure him that she did nothing less. She didn't slack.]

But that does not matter, sometimes.

[She pauses for a breath, her expression is, as it often is, guarded.

But her voice grows lighter a moment later.]

People have different tastes, but it's alright, then?

[bad_crowmance]

[ He can't actually imagine her slacking on anything she puts it to her mind to do. ]

People have different tastes... but I happen to think this is delicious.

[voreaciously]

Eh, really?

[She seems, sounds genuinely surprised to hear that.]

There is nothing wrong? Not too bland, or sweet or bitter?

[it is honestly delicious, but she seems worried about something.]

[bad_crowmance]

[ He considers her question seriously for a moment. ]

No, I'd say it's perfect the way it is.

[voreaciously]

Ah...

[She doesn't betray the entirety of her relief, he might think it's pathetic, but she cannot help letting on just a little. It's natural to let on a little? Everyone wants to do well with their food, certainly.]

I am glad. That is good to hear.

[bad_crowmance]

You know, you should really have more confidence in your cooking. You've got skills, you should be proud of it!

[voreaciously]

...You believe so, truly?

[She sounds uncertain, but you know, she's asking, she may be willing to concede the point.]

[bad_crowmance]

Of course. Personally, I don't see the point in being modest about it. I think you should own it-- you've got skills not everyone does, and you're damned good at it. Goddess knows I couldn't pull this off.

[ He waves around a bite of cheesecake. ]

[voreaciously]

You do not see the point in being modest about anything.

[she's focusing on that because her face is pink and she doesn't want to think about all that blunt kindness, thanks.]

[bad_crowmance]

That's true, but even if you think differently-- I think it's possible to go too far the other direction. If you do nothing but undersell your own skills, what's the point in even developing them?

[voreaciously]

To be useful.

[bad_crowmance]

Yeah, but if you weren't good, how useful would it be?

[voreaciously]

[Her voice is subdued, a little.]

...Not at all.

[bad_crowmance]

Exactly! And you're not the kind of person who would do a thing if it were useless. So you might as well stand up and say, "Well yeah, of course I'm good at it!"

[voreaciously]

[She needs to be careful, she doesn't think about that fact, she just knows it.

Crow is not an idiot.

She likes that about him, but it's honestly inconvenient at times, too. She cannot tell him what he wants to hear easily, he will know she is lying, but she needs to have a care in her honesty, too. He does not want to know anything about her that does not serve his needs or purposes and she is fine with that.]

I would not, no, but I cannot...seem to please people who deserve it most. Can I truly call myself competent in that case?

[bad_crowmance]

[ He considers that seriously for a moment. ]

....I'd say that just means there's room to improve. But isn't there always? I know I'm good at fighting, but I'm not the best ever-- maybe not even the best on this train. That doesn't mean I'm not good at it. I'd say it's the same here, too.

[voreaciously]

...I suppose I will simply continue to improve, then.

[bad_crowmance]

Heh. Sounds like you've got the right idea.

[voreaciously]

[she does!

just not the one you are thinking.]

My apologies and thank you.

[bad_crowmance]

[ NO. BAD 80H. LISTEN TO CROW. ]

There's nothing to apologize for.

[voreaciously]

[ ]

It is not exactly pleasant afternoon tea discussion.