003. - Late September Log [Open]

[helpdesk_hero]

WHO: David Alleyne, OTA
WHERE: Heropa,
WHEN: Late September
WHAT: David Hanging Around Heropa, Cooking for Housemates
WARNINGS:


Wild Blue Yonder - Closed to Carol

Carol had promised him lessons, and at last their schedules had finally started to line up enough for the first lesson. Sure, they hadn't gotten off the ground under David's control, but all the in person studying of cockpits and instruments, the bit of time in the simulator, and then finally getting to go up with Carol flying? It had all been absolutely exhilarating.

Sure it was her job, but David couldn't help offering to take her for a brief lunch when her work shift was over, more than happy to handle buying burgers at the place not too far from the airfield where she worked.

Casserole Surprise - Closed to Residents of De Chima 004

Cooking for other people is something David normally reserves for friends. But Harley had seemed interested in real food being in the house, and frankly, he wasn't able to just sit there and live with the fact that she was eating cold canned food. No, there needed to be a real meal available to his housemates once in a while, even though David did tend to avoid them.

But one he's done with tutoring for the day he comes home with materials for not one, not two, but three different casseroles because he doesn't know what his housemates can eat. So in the end he pulls out a tatertot casserole, a taco casserole, and a spinache and artichoke ravioli bake. Because he's got to cover all sorts of personalities here. Besides, leftovers are always good.

Once he has things out of the oven he's left standing in the kitchen, eating off a plate with a slice of each as he makes little paper signs listing ingredients in each thing, just in case of allergies. He can't help it if a housemate steals them, but he's trying.

Stray Magnet - Heropa OTA

This wasn't, of course, why David was in town. He'd only come to visit Heropa because the goal was to get to know new cities one at a time. And given he had a few friends who lived in Heropa, it seemed like the best place to start. Granted all his fall clothing was really a bad choice in Florida, but for now he was doing his best. Not like he was going anywhere or going to bump into anyone while he was in a t-shirt and no gloves. How could he, when he'd sat down for just a moment to consult some stuff on his phone and have a lemonade, and immediately had his lap taken over by the sweetest gray and white cat that had decided his lap was the right place to be.

Damn thing was pretty sweet and definitely didn't mind harassing him. It's entirely possible the feline belongs to someone. So, when people pass, he smiles and waves them over.

"Hey, is this your cat? Or maybe do you know who it belongs to?"

Because if not, he might just take it to live with some friends until he knows he can keep it safe on his own.

Books And Coffee and Gaming Oh My - De Chima OTA

There is, of course, always plenty of things to get around town, when David's free in De Chima. Throughout the afternoon and between his tutoring work, he's often around De Chima doing a variety of tasks.

For one thing when there isn't much time he plops himself down at a cafe known as Grindhouse, willing to pay their lofty costs for coffee, pastries, and even their overpriced sandwiches. It gives him plenty of time to enjoy himself, talk to the other regulars, and catch his breath in the course of the day.

Recently he's also been haunting a local used bookstore called The Back Shelves. Trying to run possibly multiple book groups means he's got to have things to offer, and that means checking to see if the things he's familiar with even exist on the shelves WHich, of course, isn't always the case. There's going to be so much he needs to read to come up with ideas.

And really, what nerd's life is complete without games? His friends seem to have the video game market cornered, but David? David's definitely a board game kind of guy. Which means when he first finds a board game shop offering weekly game nights where people can come in and sample different games, well, David's absolutely there every week, ready to jump into anything new that he hasn't experienced. He might have to buy a lot of them too. But at the moment he's working on reading the rules for a two player deck building game and is considering carefully whether he should try and get someone to join him.



[I am always happy to make custom starters for other situations. If you'd like David for anything, message me here, on discord at Churby#4290, or on plurk at churbooseanon

Comments

[usaf]

Carol's been to this burger joint a few times before. Flying between Porter cities-- without the airplane-- burns up more than a few calories, so she likes to indulge from time to time. She holds the door for David as they walk in, waving to the server at the counter who she's on a first name basis with.

She leads David to 'her' table, gestures for him to sit, then goes to grab a couple laminated menus.

"They've got great fries here. And milkshakes, if that's your thing."

[helpdesk_hero]

"Are you the sort to judge a guy for getting a chocolate milkshake and dipping his fries into it?" he asks as he starts looking over the menu she offers.

What? He's got unique tastes. But he's pleasantly surprised to see they have more than the standard milkshake flavors. He could get one that is mint chocolate? Score.

"I think I've worked out enough today to earn this greasy food. I mean, I didn't even crash the simulator."

[usaf]

"No judgement here. I might even try that." Salty and sweet was a good combination, but fries in milkshakes were one variation Carol had never had before.

"You did great today. You'll be taking the controls in no time. Seriously, you're taking to this a lot faster than most people." Just goes to show how much the name 'Prodigy' really does suit him.

[helpdesk_hero]

Suits him, and it had been given to him for a reason. Smart before the mutation, smart after too.

"It helps that in a way, it's almost like review. I used to be able to do this, before I came here. Sure, the planes are different, but the general stuff is still the same. My brain knows it can learn this, because it's learned it before."

Just didn't retain it. So learning it again? Surprisingly easy.

He does consider the list. Biggest, greasiest he can pick out, he thinks. Because he deserves it.

"You're also a damn fine teacher."

[usaf]

"Relearning something is always easier than picking it up the first time."

Carol's thoughts on her abilities as a teacher are interrupted as the server comes over to the table. Carol instead smiles up at them casually.

"The usual, Ruth. With a side of fries and a chocolate milkshake." Then she looks over to David, gesturing for him to order.

[helpdesk_hero]

"Maybe that's why I crash so much. Because I keep relearning it," he mumbles. But then there is the server and he nods.

"Same on the fries and chocolate milkshake. Make it large. I'll also take a water and the burly burger. Could you leave the mayo off? Thank you."

And he even manages it ignore the eyes being batted at the table. If they're for Carol, that's her business. If they're for him... well he really doesn't go in for romance here.

[usaf]

Carol smiles back at Ruth with the same friendly smile she reserves for all service industry people who aren't complete assholes, either not noticing the eyes being batted or intentionally ignoring them. Ruth collects their menus and hurries off back to the kitchen to put in their order.

"It'll get easier," she promises. "With time, you'll learn it for good, until it just becomes muscle memory."

[helpdesk_hero]

"I miss it being as simple as muscle memory," David grins as he leans back in his seat and relaxes a little. "I mean, I understand a lot of the theory, and I've read books on it, but it doesn't gel as well without practical experience."

[usaf]

"You'll get there. That's what I'm here for."

Carol never really thought of herself as being particularly suited to teaching, but with a student like David, it comes easy.

Gaming

[made_up_names]

A couple of weeks in, there's a familiar face at the board game shop. Good ol' Peter Parker in the flesh, going through the library of offerings for the night. He's eying a new expansion for the Cthulhu themed LCG that's just come out. And sneaking the rules pamphlet out of the box so that he can read through it. Yes, Peter is that nerd in the group who reads the rules and teaches the game to the rest of the group. Because he likes it. Nerd.

If David doesn't notice him in turn, he'll look up soon enough. But for a moment, here's Peter in his natural habitat. He seems a lot happier than the last time they spoke in person, all things considered.

[helpdesk_hero]

Oh no, David definitely notices Peter soon, and that gets David to smile and set aside the book of rules he was reading for Dominion. Much better to head over and lean against the table Peter is studying other rules at.

"Lovecraftian horror? Always a great way to spend a Thursday night. Unless you're prone to nightmares."

[made_up_names]

Okay, but the real question is which expansions you're playing with. Gotta pick the right ones to really make it spicy.

Anyway, Peter looks up at that, surprised - and then not surprised - to see David there. Of course he'd be here. Why would Peter expect anything less? "Look, if I wanted nightmares, I'd play that for the next five hours," he says, pointing to the battered copy of Arkham Horror in the game library. "The LCG is way more solid of an experience."

[helpdesk_hero]

Yes, you really do have to pick the right expansions to make deck building games better. David tends to prefer ones that add more player to player interaction when in larger groups.

"I'd go more with Betrayal at House on the Hill because it's got those horror elements but you've got such varied end conditions."

He reaches out to pick up the box for the expansion to consider it.

"Lovecraftian always bothered me more."

[made_up_names]

Urgh. Don't get him started with Betrayal at House on the Hill. Peter makes a bit of a face. "Yeah, varied is one word for it," he says. "Some of the haunts are super bad. Like - unplayable." He's still mad about some of them, okay. And certain Ned read the rules wrong on how fast the blob was supposed to expand. That was totally mathematically impossible in their room layout!

But he's not here to complain about his board game experiences, honest. "Lovecraftian is more realistic. Despite the, uh, giant squid monsters," he says. "The universe isn't out to get you. It just doesn't care if you get trampled. Doubly so if you screw yourself over."

[helpdesk_hero]

"I'm particular to the lich one," David grins. "Somehow I've had it come up twice. I kicked so much ass."

Sometimes you can only so much you can do to win that game. Which was half the fun. But the real issue with Lovecraft...

"Things like that exist in my universe. And they can be rude."

[made_up_names]

Wait. Wait wait wait. As much as Peter would like to sit here and rank Betrayal haunts all night, that takes precedence.

"You have actual Lovecraftian elder gods?" he says. "Real ones?"

Rude ones, apparently.

[helpdesk_hero]

"Yeah. I mean, if the creature I fought before coming here was a bit less colorful and creepy smiles she'd definitely qualify."

Her true form was a bit tentacled. Sorta. It's hard to explain her.

He sets the box aside and brushes it off like it's no problem at all. And he doesn't even know that Wiccan is going to get another elder-god thing possessing him in a few months.

"I mean, we have a lot of REALLY old beings in the universe."

Casseroles!

[criminallysane]

For the past month and a half or so, Joker's been spending as little time as possible in the apartment. Things haven't been right with Harley, and he's got bigger fish to fry at the moment than patching things over with a tetchy girlfriend. Besides, the couch in one of the back rooms at the Laugh Factory is plenty comfortable enough for him to catch a few z's on.

But a guy's still got to come back around every once in a while, for things like a hot shower in his own home and that tin of shoe polish he forgot to grab before. So now here he is, trying to sneak in and out without attracting the attention of a certain henchwench...when he smells something that, wow, actually smells delicious.

His mouth waters. When was the last time he ate? He can't recall, which is probably not a great sign.

He's had bad luck with that kitchen lately, but he's suddenly starving, and he reasons that if the food smells are that enticing, they can't possibly be Harley's doing. So Joker pokes his head around the corner and peers into the kitchen, feeling very Spy vs. Spy.

And, oh, thank Barnum: that's not Harley at all! That's... oh, what's-his-name. Daniel. Derek. Something confident-sounding that starts with a D, definitely. Deacon, maybe?

Joker straightens up and strolls on in, letting his nose guide him over to the yumminess. "Ooh. Well, don't these look delish?" He eyes the little paper signs Donovan is making for the dishes, and makes a mental note: this guy is entirely too thoughtful for his own good. "Party tonight?"

[helpdesk_hero]

His name isn't all that hard to remember. It's common, right? Oh well. He finishes one sign and puts it in front of the taco casserole.

"No. It's just... our housemate, Harley? She eats cold spaghetti-os. Out of the can. Couldn't handle that truth bomb. Offered to make casserole for the house. But I don't know what all of you eat so..."

Here. All of this. Joker's welcome to have whatever of it.

Even though David is watching him carefully. He's learned that his housemates aren't always the most stable.

[criminallysane]

It's not hard at all, no. But remembering anybody's name requires that Joker remember they exist, and damned if both of his non-Harley housemates don't just slip completely off his radar from time to time. Especially here lately...

But casseroles, my, my. Food is and has always been one of the fastest ways to a clown's heart, and Joker decides he's really going to learn Mr. D's name this time around. It's on the tip of his tongue, really. It'll come to him.

Darren? No...

He chuckles at the comment about Harley and her cold food. "Oh, believe me, you don't want to see what happens when she tries to heat things up." In any sense of the phrase. "For Harley, cold chow counts as a public service."

Though it occurs to him that perhaps Harley only said what she did to try to manipulate someone else into cooking for her. If so, well. That's one thing she's apparently done right, at least!

Joker moves in closer, inspecting the casseroles with interest. "But these, my god." They look amazing, possibly even better than the ones his mother used to make, and far better than anything he was ever served in Arkham. He breathes in the good smells, and this is all so homey, so nice. He looks back at Davis--and, wait, that might actually be the guy's name--and flashes a big, impressed smile. "You really just whipped these up? For us?"

[helpdesk_hero]

Mr. D. Oh dear, what a name decision. Still, he's left frowning at the implication of Harley trying to heat things. Which is interesting. Isn't it? There is no happy option here. Cook for clowns haha or live with the horrors of contemplating someone eating like that.

And to think this was considered good cooking by Joker's standards. He's a trained five-star chef. Casseroles aren't even the most impressive he can do.

"I made them for the house, because I'm a bit disappointed at some of the level of food here. So I'm just trying to make it better. One night every now and then won't hurt me."

[criminallysane]

One brow goes up in amusement. If this level of food is 'a bit disappoint[ing]' to Sir Fancy-Pants, Joker can only imagine what the guy'd make of most of what he lives on. When you spend enough years eating vile prison food you know full well somebody's spat in, you learn to be less fussy about things like whether or not the spaghetti-o's are hot. Dylan's high standards seem charmingly naive, like the morals of a well-sheltered teenager. They're cute. And if they result in coming home to meals like these, to boot? No, Joker's got no problem with them whatsoever.

"Well, that's very kind of you." He can't quite keep the amusement out of his voice, but there's nothing mean about it. "And well-timed, too! I'm positively famished."

He steps around Dawson and gets a plate, whistling a few bars of Under the Boardwalk. As he spoons some of all three casseroles onto his plate--because this isn't some culinary Sophie's choice here, friends; there's room in his belly for all of them--a fabulous idea dawns on him, and the whistling stops. "Say! How would you feel about maybe making this a more regular thing?" He hasn't even tasted the food yet, but he can already see it's leagues above anything he's used to. "I could throw some cash in your direction; you could throw some food in mine. Maybe two, three times a week?"

If he's going to come home periodically anyway, there might as well be a hot meal involved.

[helpdesk_hero]

If only he had been a well-sheltered teenager. As it is, David's just trying to make a little bit of good in life here. Having some peace between him and his housemates is important, given all of the delicate and ultimately expensive equipment he's been acquiring in his room. Food for privacy might be a good exchange. Especially with how creepy the smiles on Joker and Harley can be. They remind him just a bit too much of mutants off their rockers. Or just anti-mutant assholes.

"Well, you're welcome to help yourself, provided you leave some of something for the others," David assures him, letting the man move.

He's about to get his own plate of the healthy ravioli option when Joker abruptly stops whistling. Something tells him this isn't going to make him smile.

"If you're helping pay for it, then I could be convinced to feed people more regularly. I'd need to know any dietary restrictions you have. And you'd have to get here in time for it because I can't be held responsible if one of the other three swipes your food from under my nose. I'm not here to start fights after all."

It would be unwise to piss anyone in particular off. Which was why he'd made three casseroles. In case Harley had just grabbed one whole tray and absconded with it.

[criminallysane]

"Fair enough." Joker sets his plate down, nodding, and reaches into his jacket. He pulls out a roll of bills and, with the speed of a man who's done far more than his fair share of under-the-table cash transactions, thumbs off five twenties and offers them to Dominic.

"Shall we say Mondays and Thursdays, then? Maybe, oh...five, five-thirty-ish?" That ought to give him plenty of time to eat and freshen up before things get going at the club, he reasons, without cutting into his other work too much. Without waiting to hear if those are acceptable days and times, he adds, cheerfully, "Stick to this comfort-food stuff. Casseroles. Meat loaves. Pot roasts! The stuff Mom would make if she hadn't had that little rendezvous with a shotgun, you know?"

I applaud all the D names you're using. Wow

[helpdesk_hero]

Huh? That's... money. And a good bit of it. And David? He's left sighing, because the assumption there is just faulty. Joker can't say jump and expect a 'how high'.

And for a long moment he'd left silent and trying to process how casually the man is throwing out the whole 'murdered mother' thing. He's not touching that right now. Because there's a slightly more immediate issue to deal with.

"I tend not to get home until six, given my job. But I could probably get things by six-thirty. Or have things prepared and in the first or a slow cooker, and give you instructions for the final step for heating."