nexus_crossings | Flavor Science is Afoot!

Flavor Science is Afoot!

There's a wisp of smoke curling through the Plaza today.

Strange. Spring is supposed to be wet and fresh. A fire this early seems rather suspect, doesn't it? The closer to the source of the smoke the thicker it gets and the smell of burning food or something sweet soon fills the air. It's thick over by the vending machines where a young lady is seated on a picnic table watching with growing frustration as a box of something or other shoots plumes of smoke and fire into the sky.

Next to the flaming box is a plate of misshapen and charred man-hole covers, but they may have once been an attempt at a baked good. Tina eventually looks up from her mess and gives a lopsided shrug of her shoulders.

"Did y'all know non dairy creamer is flammable? Sheeeeyit how's a girl supposed to bake with something if it bursts into flames in the oven?"

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It might still be Spring, but Reynard is looking much better than he did a month ago. Hard work and helpful company has done him some good, it seems. That said, he's still without his coat or any other unnecessary layers. This run to the Nexus had meant to be quick; A short trip to grab a few new tools. When he sees Tina, however, he forgets his hurry.

After glancing over Tina to make sure she's looking healthy and unharmed, Reynard raises his brow at the burning box. "Did you make the oven?"

!

Tina would know that voice and that walk anywhere. She leaps out of her seat and bounds across the Plaza to hug Reynard around the middle just like she always does. Bestest huggabutts like Reynard get the best hugs from her. It is a necessity.

"Damn son, I was beginning t'hink you weren't ever gonna show up again." It's gotten too warm for much of the clothes Reynard picked out for Tina before winter hit but she's wearing the wellington boots since they are Triple-A Plus Plus puddle stompers.

"The box isn't the oven, silly. It's the creamer."

This time Reynard is a little more ready for Tina's energetic hug. He gives her a warm squeeze in return and pats her on the back. "And leave you to have all the fun? Not a chance."

Reynard raises an eyebrow at the box and then turns it to Tina. "Did you put a box of creamer into an oven?"

"Good cuz things are always more fun when you're around, Huggabutt."

Yay hugs!! She'll pull away after a few moments but her grin is much different now than it was before. Less manic and more sincerely pleased to see someone. It's a special smile reserved for the people she's closest to. More reserved and softer.

"Naw, son. Lils told th'guy I get crumpets from not to give me any more on account of her getting a bug up her butt about what I eat and 'Tina you can't just eat crumpets how are you alive blah blah blah.'" Tina rolls her eyes at this. Food is food, yo.

"So I was like I don't need no handouts I'll just make my own cept th'recipe calls for warm milk and only rich bitches get that kinda thing on Pandora so Brick was like just add water to non dairy creamer and I was like HELL YES. And he brought me a box of th'stuff and I kinda forgot about it and left it out while I was working. Spare spark goes flying and...boom."

Tina shrugs. These things happen!

So someone on Tina's world is trying to keep an eye on her. He'd thank them... if he wasn't half certain that giving her a reason her to try making her own was as dangerous. Besides, he's seen worse diets through the years.

Reynard opens his mouth and closes it again. Slowly he keeps himself from grimacing and manages to smile instead, patting Tina on the shoulder. "Maybe next time someone could help you make it. Especially trying to make it for the first time ever. That's not easy. That's..." He eyes the flaming box. "... flammable."

Look, food is scarce enough around the wasteland Tina lives if you're not a cannibal. And as fucked up as Tina is, eating her fellow man has thankfully not been a bar she's stooped to yet. Besides baked goods were chock full of fat and carbs and a malnourished girl needs all the energy she can get.

"Well, I ain't got a proper oven either. I was in th'middle of welding one together outta scrap when I set off the box of creamer, yo."

There are so many questions he has. So many. Each one of them making him wonder if he's able to take care of Tina like he said he would. At least he already has an oven. She wouldn't need to make one. Or a kettle, or a stove… He'll have to introduce her to the concept of money and buying what she wants.

"And how did you set off the box of creamer?"

Edited 2018-06-19 08:23 (UTC)

"Spark from the welding torch an' the slag. There ain't a whole lotta room in my house ya feel me but I shoulda been more careful about where I left it out. I got excited and kiiiiinda sorta forgot about it until it went FWOOM on the floor next to me."

Tina gives a half hearted shrug of her shoulders but for Reynard she at least also has the decency to look a wee bit guilty about all of this.

"Live an' learn amirite?"

Reynard sighs, his shoulders sagging as he shakes his head at her. What is he going to do with her?

"As long as you learn." He ruffles her hair lightly. "If you make crumpets in my home, make sure Hazel or I are with you first, alright?" His hands settle on his hips and then shuffle into folded arms instead. "If you still want to live with me, I mean."

"Well, I mea--wait, who's Hazel?"

Tina reaches up and takes Reynard's hand in both of hers to still him from the hair ruffles after only a couple of seconds. She will not be distracted from this so easily!

"Is she your....y'know. Little sum'thin sum'thin? Your main squeeze? Also, can she cook?"

If he'd have thought about it, Reynard wouldn't have been surprised to hear something like that coming out of Tina's mouth. As it stands, however, he shushes her hastily, his head spinning to scan for the tell-tale sign of red hair. Seeing none, he turns back to Tina to splutter and rub the back of his neck.

"Well- It's- No." Not that he hasn't thought about the potential. "No, she's… She's another spirit. Like me." He takes his hand from his neck and cringes. "And she'd kill me if she thought I was spreading rumours like that. So please don't say anything like that around her..."

Pleading done, he shifts awkwardly on the spot to hide a growing smile, accompanied by a shrug. "But she is a good cook."

She's always talking like she's way older than she is. Usually crudely. The irony is she doesn't really understand a lot of it. Just enough to sound really inappropriate when talking to an adult or anyone really. Still, she leans her head back when Reynard tries to shush her and watches him spin around in fear of this Almighty Badass that Hazel apparently is.

She's gotta have mad stones to make someone as powerful as Reynard scared, right?

"Dang, son. You gotta ball an' chain without any of the sugar to go with it. That's cold. I didn't know you were inta that kind of thing."

Her skills in the kitchen are enough to win back Tina's smile too. No matter how scary this Hazel person is if it means free good food Tina can deal with it. "Niiiiiiice. You got yerself another Siren buddy to cook for yas. Is she a fire user then?"

All thoughts of keeping an eye out for Hazel's sudden appearance are forgotten immediately and Reynard scowls. "She's not a ball and chain," he grumbles. "It's nothing like that."

It's simpler the way things are now. Not that 'sugar' wouldn't be nice. With Hazel and soon Tina in his home it's about to become decidedly more difficult to get any.

Tina's questions drags him out of his thoughts and he shakes his head. "No. She's an Autumn spirit. She's connected to all of Nature, but she likes air a lot." He can't help it, looking at Tina again gets him to grin and try to ruffle her hair again. "You've got enough fire in you for four spirits. I don't need anymore fiery people."

Children do make it difficult to pursue that kind of thing.

Perhaps Tina's keeping her workshop in Pandora open for business and the occasional Bunkers and Badasses run might not be a terrible thing for Reynard after all. Though it still doesn't do anything about the whole Hazel problem. Someone Tina is decidedly curious about meeting now that Rey's building her up to be some kind of scary Air Siren.

"Air's seriously underrated. Breathing is pretty dope, yo." This itme she doesn't fight the hair ruffles but giggles and gives a squeal of faux annoyance at having it messed up. She loves the attention. It's something she's been starved of for most of her life.

"No bombs in the cabin. I know, I know. I'll go back to my place on Pandora to work on that kinda thing."

"No bombs, but I can bake with you, and then Hazel can complain that we've made a mess." He grins, as much at the idea of having a partner in mischief as anything else. Setting his hands on his hips, he smiles down at her. "You just tell me when you're ready to move in. Your room is… mostly finished. It's not painted, but it's intact."

Although he should do another check over to make sure there aren't any obvious ~~fire~~ hazards.

"Y'all do know I can probably outrun your dusty ol' bones outside'a Winter if she does get mad, right?"

Tina needles Reynard with her elbow and a hefty dose of eyebrow waggling but she's giggling all the same up at the spirit. She loves the idea of having fun with Reynard more often. Still, hearing her room is ready catches her a bit off guard. Time flies when you're having fun and she hasn't been preparing at all for this.

"Awesome! I gotta settle some stuff back at home on my end so if y'all can give me a few weeks to get in touch with my friends so no one thinks I'm dead or nothin' I should be all good to go." Her smile turns softer.

Tina gets up on tiptoe to hug Reynard again. He's pretty sure he hears a muffled 'thank you' thick with tears but by the time she pulls away she's got herself in order so no one will ever know.

Reynard barks a laugh and scuffs her shoulder lightly. "Not a chance."

But then Tina's response takes him by surprise. It's always a little strange to see anything other than persistent optimism and enthusiasm about even the worst ideas. The sudden half of plans brings the slow, constant march of time to his attention. He can feel it moving at a crawl across his fingertips.

He breaks out of his thoughts with a smile, patting her back while she hugs him. "Of course. Take all the time you need. You can visit them all any time, as well. And if you tell me what your favourite colour is I can paint your room."

"Wanna bet?"

Tina puffs out her cheeks childishly and stamps one foot down in a perfectly bratty show of rebellion but doesn't actually take any sass against Reynard or his suggestions. His actions of affection are much needed for the little girl from the wastelands.

"Yeah, bomb making gotta stay on Pandora. And I gotta run my Bunkers an' Badasses back home too. Oh, OOH! Make it pink can it be pink please ohmyguhhhhh~!"

"I'd bet a whole box of biscuits," Reynard teases with a grin.

Pink? He should have expected that. It's popular these days for girls to like pink. Can he really blame her? It's convenient, especially if there's a lot of red in your life.

"Pink it is!" He declares with a laugh. "That will keep me busy while you put your affairs in order. I'll make sure it's perfect."

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Flavor Science is Afoot!

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