the sound of his laughter is unexpected but warming from the inside out, dextera pleased as though this wasn’t a prank at his own expense. with everything that just happened regarding guren, he’s not up to a prank on him, but dextera can take this. he’s happy to. ]
…
[ in fact, dextera hefts the half-destroyed snowball in his hand and tries to toss it back—it doesn’t have at all enough weight to make it over, and crumbles in the air. alas. ]
[The snowball disintegrates, but Damian sort of hunches just a tad to at least give Dextera the benefit of him "being wary." He edges out further with the laptop, and then, without any threat of snowball, ventures on over to Dextera.
Admittedly, despite the laugh, he looks tired. Like maybe he hasn't had decent sleep kind of tired. A restless tired; wanting to fall asleep but the mind won't shut off.]
I couldn't pass up the opportunity. I told you there would be snowball throwing. [A pause, brief but considering.] Are you feeling better?
[ dextera looks, a bit, the same. although guren is back, he’s still working through the emotional damages of it, not to mention the random bout of sickness that hit him thanks to ryo. it’s a hard month on his body, and on his heart. ]
…
[ he wipes his hand off on his shirt, and nods, his eyes just a little softer. ]
[It's a relief. Damian has had a lot to worry about, but seeing news of Dextera and Guren's forest adventure... and then their second forest adventure really weighed on the back of his mind.
He cares a lot about the both of them, even if he pretends he does. Also, surprise: he now knows they're fucking dating, finally. Thanks Dave and Izuku.]
[ it’s a strange request, but dextera’s first assumption is that damian needs something. some company, or some support—he’s not sure, but of course he’s going to go along.
[As in, he'll mingle around out here while Dextera gets whatever, and then he'll lead the two of them over to Flavo to his formerly here father's cottage.]
It isn't anything bad. [In case Dextera worries.] It's a surprise.
[ the only thing dextera needs to grab is a warmer coat. even though it’s warming up and the snow is melting somewhat, the ambient temperature is still quite chilly—but once that is done, he follows damian like a dutiful little puppy. ]
Ah.
[ a soft noise, in relief, but he still hasn’t put two and two together yet. ]
[Gently, Damian shakes his head. But he doesn’t clarify what it is, not wanting to ruin the surprise by giving away hints. He’s a naturally quick walker; at first he tries to keep pace with Dextera, but keeps getting ahead accidentally. So he gives up and walks ahead a bit, but continues to pause and glance behind to make sure Dextera is okay.
Crossing to Flavo isn’t hard. The only annoyance is the cottage is tucked back a bit more to make room for the animals. They’re still there: the cow, the goat, the geese. Very good girls. Except for the geese, they are kinda mean sometimes.
Damian pushes the door open for them without an hesitation. Nothing seems amiss aside from what is a house swathed in the delicious smell of food.] Okay.
[ dextera is more than game for the delicious smell of food, so with little more than a kind glance to the goat they saved—and a worried one for the geese—dextera’s attention is swept up by the scent hanging in the air.
he doesn’t recognize a lot of it, but he does know edible and potentially delicious when he smells it. his stomach growls, and he realizes it’s been a few days since he’s had anything proper. ryo’s bone-and-heart soup restored his vitality, but it’s not exactly a meal. not like this. ]
Ah—!
[ before he sits, he taps damian’s arm to get his attention. ]
[Faintly, Damian manages the hints of a smile. He nods. Signs:] Thanksgiving. [As if it'd show he's keeping his promise.
He motions toward the den and the table. There's already a few things there, but he leaves for the fireplace to check the pot hanging over the fire. It seems done, so he goes back to Dextera. He had a little tutelage from Ignis, but there wasn't a whole lot he could necessarily cook here that'd be traditional Thanksgiving. It's fine.
The only thing suspicious is the plate holding a bit of bones. Hm.] There's some sauce. Vegetable casserole, some stuffing made out of other vegetables. Beans. Gravy. Some dessert.
And this. [Poultry?? It seems like it, cut up into slices.] Courtesy of the forest. I could only get a turkey if I took you for purification, but it was supposed to be a surprise. It was killed humanely.
That's yours, too. [The plate of bones.] Ichinose said once not to let you eat bones. We can skip that rule today if it's something you like. [Weird....] Go ahead. [He lifts his head when there's muffled scratching at one of the room doors. Ah. He heads that way, but a forlorn, resounding meow gives away who had been locked inside. When he opens the door, a black and white tuxedo smugly pads out, stretching down along the floor.]
[ dextera doesn’t have any concept of thanksgiving anyway, so really, damian could have put down actual garbage in front of him and he probably would have been grateful for it. the fact that it smells like good, edible food—and based on damian’s description, is actually—is merely a pleasant bonus. ]
Is he hungry?
[ he’s weak to cats, you see, especially with that sad yowl.
of course, after asking that, dextera instantly goes for the plate of bones because that’s what’s most familiar to him—just to give himself something, literally, to chew on, while he surveys his other options. “stuffing”… what is it stuffing? and what is a casserole? ]
[Pennyworth isn't especially fat, but Damian doesn't correct the sentiment with any sort of logic. The cat, naturally, prances over to Dextera's chair and sits right by the legs and Dextera's feet, peering up, tail swishing. Expectantly.]
Tt.
[Ignoring the cat, Damian comes back to the table to start... well, giving Dextera some things to try that aren't a plate full of bones. There's a little of everything, and Damian will give Dextera more depending on what Dextera tells him is enjoyed. He goes to the fireplace for the gravy and returns again to give Dextera the plate.
By now, Dextera has infiltrated Dextera's lap to sit and peep eyes over the edge of the table at everything.]
I don't know what you like to eat aside from bones and strawberries, so you'll have to try everything.
[ dextera has a cat in his lap and an array of foods that are begging to be eaten, and for a moment, he doesn’t even know where to begin. he crunches through a bone with the impressive and possibly inhuman strength of his jaw, swallows it, and leans forward to examine the food while trying to still hold pennyworth. ]
…
[ he’s gonna use his fingers. sorry.
it’s obvious that he’s going for it with his fingers, too, because he reaches out like he’s going to play football or something, stopping just above the warm, steaming casserole. ]
What about you?
i just saw i typed dextera infiltrated dextera's lap and laughed for ten minutes
[Uh, yeah. The bone eating? Crazy shit. But Damian at least has the decency not to ridicule it, not knowing what he does of Dextera so far. He thinks it must be something innate, something a part of what Dextera is as a being. As long as the bones are scraps and not, like... ripped out of people. It's fine.]
I'll eat with you. It's Thanksgiving after all.
[So he does, whether or not Dextera decides to start trying things. He doesn't get any of the meat, but he does slide the rest of the vegetables and fruit and gravy onto his own plate and returns to have a seat beside Dextera and Pennyworth.]
Pennyworth could have made a feast for the entire town more than likely. [It sounds both fond and mournful. As if he misses the man.] This will have to do.
[ dextera did eat a lot of the skeletons that came around last month, but… listen, it was like a community service. he was cleaning up the town, especially once the bones all randomly turned a dry-blood red.
for now, though, as soon as he has a proper array in front of him, he starts to eat, one hand shoveling food into his mouth like someone who has forgotten all sense of grace and etiquette, and the other is, surprisingly efficiently, petting the cat just hard enough that he can never seem to escape from dextera’s ministrations onto the table to eat. dextera has learned a knack for this kind of thing, with leliel.
Yes. Alfred Pennyworth, the original. [Without saying anything against it, Damian watches Dextera eat. He can't and won't call it savagery, not when he's aware plenty of cultures eat with their fingers. All he does it make sure Dextera has a scrap of cloth to use as a napkin.] If this one could cook much less hold something without an opposable thumb, I would be surprised.
[The Pennyworth here, in question, very slowly puts a gently paw onto the edge of the table. Testing. Just very lightly, right there with it's little arrow-shaped foot. Pennyworth glances up at Dextera as if to see whether Dextera will scold him not.]
[ dextera looks down at the cat once he notices the paw, and although he doesn’t scold him, he does just… offer up one finger that still has a little food on it for the cat to consume. you don’t need to go on the table, child. dextera is a willing servant.
he also doesn’t have a very good grasp of what animals should and should not do at the table, or anything like that. he’s prone to spoiling, which is how leliel got as pleasantly plump as she is. ]
It's more a matter of capability than... [But he doesn't finish. It feels wrong, in the face of Dextera, to talk about what would be considered a handicap.
He's trying to be reasonable, but he already knows how many people would not suffer his logic when they optimistically argue that anyone is absolutely capable of anything so long as there's an attempt, practice.] Nevermind.
When he's able to cook, I'll invite you over again for the meal. [Pushy, Pennyworth slaps one paw gently around Dextera's wrist to keep the hand from fleeing, and then the bristled tongue goes to work on the finger. Damian snorts.] We can make him some chef's whites. A toque blanche.
Just don't be surprised if there are only rat innards, and feathered drumsticks, and mole tails to eat. [There's a tiny, almost mischievous grin at this, like he's waiting for Dextera to be grossed out by the description. (The guy who eats bones and hearts, sure.)] If you even get to have any. He'll probably eat it all first.
[ good try, damian, but dextera doesn’t realize he was being teased. technically, he’s never had rat either, but he’s had things that are more similar to rats than they are to moles. gross. all of it, really, is gross.
that comment will hopefully slip by unnoticed, however, as damian presses forward to ask him about the quality of the food—much more than gross pieces of animals that aren’t entirely meant for consumption in the first place, everything damian has prepared is hot and delicious, not to mention made with fondness, if not love.
dextera appreciates it, his expression warming as pennyworth licks away. he nods. ]
[Wow. (unsure) for real. Even if Damian lets that statement go, he won't forget the implication Dextera has eaten rat and maybe feathers attached to a bird. Bones. Look, Dextera told him a bit about the desolate future Dextera is a part of--it's fine?
Damian knows, sometimes, things have to be done to survive. He doesn't fault Dextera for an extremely weird diet. He'll draw the line at horny on main with God and Satan, however.]
It's sufficient. [Damian is less modest and more accepting no one can make food as good as Alfred Pennyworth. Except maybe Ignis?] Whatever's left, you can take to Ichinose, I suppose. [A small, suffering sigh.]
[ dextera can’t help himself. when damian sighs like that, a quiet laugh slips from his mouth, and he covers it quickly with another bite of the veggies on display. he doesn’t completely understand the strange rivalry that damian has with guren, but it’s endearing, in a way.
it feels normal, or right, or something. ]
He’s picky. [ although his hands are necessarily toneless, there’s a fond look on his face—then, he frowns, his best impression of guren at his most stern. ] ‘I don’t eat food from brats.’
[ dextera can’t imitate guren’s voice, either, but he does sign a little harder, more forceful. he’s doing his best. ]
[The intention wasn't for Dextera to laugh--he's serious, alright--but he seems pleased he got the reaction anyway.
Dramatically, purposefully, he rolls his eyes at the imitation, mostly because it's very like Guren even with the lack of verbal tone and the softness of Dextera's face.] Tt. Jokes on him.
He ate my strawberry tarts. So I guess he does eat food from brats.
[Damian smiles both smugly and, yeah, maybe somewhat fondly. He gives Guren a very tough time with poor Dextera smashed between their rivalry, but the two of them do mean a great deal to him anyway.]
dextera is a little embarrassed at his own impersonation of guren, even though damian made no commentary on it—his cheeks a little pinker for it, and so he moves on in the conversation. speaking of guren, and all this food, if anyone knows how to make a very important thing, it would be damian, wouldn’t it? ]
…do you know how to make cola?
[ curry seems possible, these days, but dextera has no idea where to even begin with soda. ]
[At this, Damian pauses to peer at Dextera. He seems... intrigued and confused all at once.] Cola? Mm. [It's not a terribly odd request, but maybe for Dextera it's somewhat strange.]
I know how to make it. The only part which would give us trouble would be the carbonation, the one thing that makes a soda. Otherwise, we'd only need sugar or honey syrup and some fruit.
pennyworth has moved on from licking the food off dextera’s fingers to licking the salt off his skin, which is fine. he may just be stuck in an endless loop of licking, as cats are prone to. ]
He [ guren, that is ] likes it.
[ and it would certainly be more effective if he hadn’t said that, but listen. dextera’s heart is pure. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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the sound of his laughter is unexpected but warming from the inside out, dextera pleased as though this wasn’t a prank at his own expense. with everything that just happened regarding guren, he’s not up to a prank on him, but dextera can take this. he’s happy to. ]
…
[ in fact, dextera hefts the half-destroyed snowball in his hand and tries to toss it back—it doesn’t have at all enough weight to make it over, and crumbles in the air. alas. ]
Heh…
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Admittedly, despite the laugh, he looks tired. Like maybe he hasn't had decent sleep kind of tired. A restless tired; wanting to fall asleep but the mind won't shut off.]
I couldn't pass up the opportunity. I told you there would be snowball throwing. [A pause, brief but considering.] Are you feeling better?
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…
[ he wipes his hand off on his shirt, and nods, his eyes just a little softer. ]
A lot.
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He cares a lot about the both of them, even if he pretends he does. Also, surprise: he now knows they're fucking dating, finally. Thanks Dave and Izuku.]
Do you think you can walk to Flavo?
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…?
[ it’s a strange request, but dextera’s first assumption is that damian needs something. some company, or some support—he’s not sure, but of course he’s going to go along.
he nods. ]
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[As in, he'll mingle around out here while Dextera gets whatever, and then he'll lead the two of them over to Flavo to his formerly here father's cottage.]
It isn't anything bad. [In case Dextera worries.] It's a surprise.
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Ah.
[ a soft noise, in relief, but he still hasn’t put two and two together yet. ]
More snow?
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Crossing to Flavo isn’t hard. The only annoyance is the cottage is tucked back a bit more to make room for the animals. They’re still there: the cow, the goat, the geese. Very good girls. Except for the geese, they are kinda mean sometimes.
Damian pushes the door open for them without an hesitation. Nothing seems amiss aside from what is a house swathed in the delicious smell of food.] Okay.
You can sit at the table in the den.
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he doesn’t recognize a lot of it, but he does know edible and potentially delicious when he smells it. his stomach growls, and he realizes it’s been a few days since he’s had anything proper. ryo’s bone-and-heart soup restored his vitality, but it’s not exactly a meal. not like this. ]
Ah—!
[ before he sits, he taps damian’s arm to get his attention. ]
Thanksgiving?
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He motions toward the den and the table. There's already a few things there, but he leaves for the fireplace to check the pot hanging over the fire. It seems done, so he goes back to Dextera. He had a little tutelage from Ignis, but there wasn't a whole lot he could necessarily cook here that'd be traditional Thanksgiving. It's fine.
The only thing suspicious is the plate holding a bit of bones. Hm.] There's some sauce. Vegetable casserole, some stuffing made out of other vegetables. Beans. Gravy. Some dessert.
And this. [Poultry?? It seems like it, cut up into slices.] Courtesy of the forest. I could only get a turkey if I took you for purification, but it was supposed to be a surprise. It was killed humanely.
That's yours, too. [The plate of bones.] Ichinose said once not to let you eat bones. We can skip that rule today if it's something you like. [Weird....] Go ahead. [He lifts his head when there's muffled scratching at one of the room doors. Ah. He heads that way, but a forlorn, resounding meow gives away who had been locked inside. When he opens the door, a black and white tuxedo smugly pads out, stretching down along the floor.]
Don't let him try to steal your food. He will.
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Is he hungry?
[ he’s weak to cats, you see, especially with that sad yowl.
of course, after asking that, dextera instantly goes for the plate of bones because that’s what’s most familiar to him—just to give himself something, literally, to chew on, while he surveys his other options. “stuffing”… what is it stuffing? and what is a casserole? ]
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[Pennyworth isn't especially fat, but Damian doesn't correct the sentiment with any sort of logic. The cat, naturally, prances over to Dextera's chair and sits right by the legs and Dextera's feet, peering up, tail swishing. Expectantly.]
Tt.
[Ignoring the cat, Damian comes back to the table to start... well, giving Dextera some things to try that aren't a plate full of bones. There's a little of everything, and Damian will give Dextera more depending on what Dextera tells him is enjoyed. He goes to the fireplace for the gravy and returns again to give Dextera the plate.
By now, Dextera has infiltrated Dextera's lap to sit and peep eyes over the edge of the table at everything.]
I don't know what you like to eat aside from bones and strawberries, so you'll have to try everything.
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…
[ he’s gonna use his fingers. sorry.
it’s obvious that he’s going for it with his fingers, too, because he reaches out like he’s going to play football or something, stopping just above the warm, steaming casserole. ]
What about you?
i just saw i typed dextera infiltrated dextera's lap and laughed for ten minutes
I'll eat with you. It's Thanksgiving after all.
[So he does, whether or not Dextera decides to start trying things. He doesn't get any of the meat, but he does slide the rest of the vegetables and fruit and gravy onto his own plate and returns to have a seat beside Dextera and Pennyworth.]
Pennyworth could have made a feast for the entire town more than likely. [It sounds both fond and mournful. As if he misses the man.] This will have to do.
i really enjoyed it honestly
for now, though, as soon as he has a proper array in front of him, he starts to eat, one hand shoveling food into his mouth like someone who has forgotten all sense of grace and etiquette, and the other is, surprisingly efficiently, petting the cat just hard enough that he can never seem to escape from dextera’s ministrations onto the table to eat. dextera has learned a knack for this kind of thing, with leliel.
he licks off his fingers. ]
Your butler? [ not the cat. he thinks. ]
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[The Pennyworth here, in question, very slowly puts a gently paw onto the edge of the table. Testing. Just very lightly, right there with it's little arrow-shaped foot. Pennyworth glances up at Dextera as if to see whether Dextera will scold him not.]
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[ dextera looks down at the cat once he notices the paw, and although he doesn’t scold him, he does just… offer up one finger that still has a little food on it for the cat to consume. you don’t need to go on the table, child. dextera is a willing servant.
he also doesn’t have a very good grasp of what animals should and should not do at the table, or anything like that. he’s prone to spoiling, which is how leliel got as pleasantly plump as she is. ]
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He's trying to be reasonable, but he already knows how many people would not suffer his logic when they optimistically argue that anyone is absolutely capable of anything so long as there's an attempt, practice.] Nevermind.
When he's able to cook, I'll invite you over again for the meal. [Pushy, Pennyworth slaps one paw gently around Dextera's wrist to keep the hand from fleeing, and then the bristled tongue goes to work on the finger. Damian snorts.] We can make him some chef's whites. A toque blanche.
Just don't be surprised if there are only rat innards, and feathered drumsticks, and mole tails to eat. [There's a tiny, almost mischievous grin at this, like he's waiting for Dextera to be grossed out by the description. (The guy who eats bones and hearts, sure.)] If you even get to have any. He'll probably eat it all first.
Is it good?
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[ good try, damian, but dextera doesn’t realize he was being teased. technically, he’s never had rat either, but he’s had things that are more similar to rats than they are to moles. gross. all of it, really, is gross.
that comment will hopefully slip by unnoticed, however, as damian presses forward to ask him about the quality of the food—much more than gross pieces of animals that aren’t entirely meant for consumption in the first place, everything damian has prepared is hot and delicious, not to mention made with fondness, if not love.
dextera appreciates it, his expression warming as pennyworth licks away. he nods. ]
It’s incredible.
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Damian knows, sometimes, things have to be done to survive. He doesn't fault Dextera for an extremely weird diet. He'll draw the line at horny on main with God and Satan, however.]
It's sufficient. [Damian is less modest and more accepting no one can make food as good as Alfred Pennyworth. Except maybe Ignis?] Whatever's left, you can take to Ichinose, I suppose. [A small, suffering sigh.]
If you can even manage to get him to eat it.
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[ dextera can’t help himself. when damian sighs like that, a quiet laugh slips from his mouth, and he covers it quickly with another bite of the veggies on display. he doesn’t completely understand the strange rivalry that damian has with guren, but it’s endearing, in a way.
it feels normal, or right, or something. ]
He’s picky. [ although his hands are necessarily toneless, there’s a fond look on his face—then, he frowns, his best impression of guren at his most stern. ] ‘I don’t eat food from brats.’
[ dextera can’t imitate guren’s voice, either, but he does sign a little harder, more forceful. he’s doing his best. ]
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Dramatically, purposefully, he rolls his eyes at the imitation, mostly because it's very like Guren even with the lack of verbal tone and the softness of Dextera's face.] Tt. Jokes on him.
He ate my strawberry tarts. So I guess he does eat food from brats.
[Damian smiles both smugly and, yeah, maybe somewhat fondly. He gives Guren a very tough time with poor Dextera smashed between their rivalry, but the two of them do mean a great deal to him anyway.]
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dextera is a little embarrassed at his own impersonation of guren, even though damian made no commentary on it—his cheeks a little pinker for it, and so he moves on in the conversation. speaking of guren, and all this food, if anyone knows how to make a very important thing, it would be damian, wouldn’t it? ]
…do you know how to make cola?
[ curry seems possible, these days, but dextera has no idea where to even begin with soda. ]
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I know how to make it. The only part which would give us trouble would be the carbonation, the one thing that makes a soda. Otherwise, we'd only need sugar or honey syrup and some fruit.
Why? Do you want the cola, I mean.
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pennyworth has moved on from licking the food off dextera’s fingers to licking the salt off his skin, which is fine. he may just be stuck in an endless loop of licking, as cats are prone to. ]
He [ guren, that is ] likes it.
[ and it would certainly be more effective if he hadn’t said that, but listen. dextera’s heart is pure. ]
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