Someone's in the Kitchen with Dinah

[disguarded]

WHO: Twice & whoever would like and/or dislike being mooched off of!
WHERE: Kitchens all across the porter cities; it's a crime spree!
WHEN: Throughout Feb.
WHAT: Someone's in the kitchen you don't kno-o-o-ow...
WARNINGS: Petty thievery?? Tasty meals?



Be it your workplace, your home, your friend's/relative's/neighbor's place, or maybe even someplace you also conveniently happen to be robbing right now, the sounds and (honestly quite delicious) smells of cooking are now emanating from the kitchen during a point in time when they should not be for some reason. And those curious, brave, and/or angry enough at this intrusion to investigate will find an uninvited guest in the form of a young woman working diligently at the stove while quietly humming along to whatever it is she's hearing in a pair of earbuds. There's a good chance she hasn't even noticed anyone behind her yet.

Who is this weirdo? What is she doing here?? Is she making enough of that meal to share???

All very good questions. Perhaps it's time to ask her.

Comments

[renamaer]

Since a few of her friends had disappeared recently, she's gotten accustomed to the experience of coming back to her small single apartment after a long day of work and either heating up leftovers she'd made earlier in the week or just making something simple, like a pre-mixed salad. Today, she was carrying a bag of groceries from the store, and it was later than usual in the evening, so she was feeling a little tired. Maybe she'd just go straight to sleep today? She's debating the choices with herself as she distractedly juggles the groceries and her keys, trying to unlock the door without spilling anything from her slightly too full bag.

The fragrance of food already cooking is what hits her first as she finally manages to slip in past the door without anything breaking (or making a break for freedom from the bag). Her first assumption is that one of her neighbors was cooking something, but she dismisses that idea. It was much more immediate than that. She kicks off her shoes, and makes her careful way to the kitchen with more curiosity than caution, an unfortunate habit of hers, still struggling to balance the bag in her arms as she peers around the corner to see...?

Something crunches ominously in the bag, and she faintly spares a hope that it was a bag of chips instead of the entire carton of eggs.

"U-um! Excuse me?" She asks, her voice still more bemusedly curious than angry or upset.

[disguarded]

Another few seconds pass without a response, Twice stirring at the contents of the pan a little more and adjusting the heat down a bit before she even deigns to look over her shoulder at Estelle. Her expression is almost completely neutral, not threatening at all but also without any sort of fear or remorse or any other emotion. Not even surprise at the arrival of the home's proper owner. It's... honestly a little disconcerting, maybe??

"Oh," she intones quietly, then just returns her attention to the stove (but at least removes her headphones for politeness's sake). "Hello. I didn't think that anyone was here but me."

[renamaer]

"Well, the house is usually empty when I'm gone during the day, so..." The most likely explanation she can think of is that she was somehow being assigned a roommate by the mysterious logic of the Porter system, but whoever this was seemed pretty settled. Still bewildered, but not all that inclined to make a fuss for the moment, she settles her bag on what looks like a clear portion of counter space and starts unpacking, wincing at the slightly crushed state of the egg carton. Well, she was going to have to use those up right away.

She'd had to learn to take a lot of things in stride since arriving here and since she did have friends - well, one friend - who habitually climbed in windows and stealth cooked for others - not necessarily at the same time - but at least she had a frame of reference.

"What are you making?" She asks, still bursting with curiosity. "I didn't think I even had that much left, so I stopped at the grocery store on my way back." And was therefore late getting back. She has no idea why she feels the need to explain herself to this stranger.

[disguarded]

Oh, good. This is usually the part where people get loud and angry. It can be kind of frustrating when she's still right in the middle of cooking.

"Yes, I did my best with what I could find," Twice confirms, sounding... not quite disappointed but slightly disinterested maybe? Like this whole conversation is kind of boring to her or something. "It's just a simple stir-fry and should be done in a minute."

[renamaer]

"It smells amazing for just a simple stir-fry," she says, genuinely complimentary. "Um...should I set the table or...?" Well, maybe she didn't want to share. "A...box to go, maybe?"

She heads to the cabinet for a bowl anyway, without waiting for an answer. She should take care of these broken eggs sooner rather than later. Maybe she could just throw together an omelette or something. Though the food already cooking looks pretty good...

[disguarded]

"You can if you want," Twice answers simply. It's not as if the details matter to her, as long as she gets a good meal out of it. She even takes a moment as she shuts off the burner to judge the amount of the pan's contents (as well as the rice in the other pot!). "This should be enough for 3 or 4 servings."

So there shouldn't be any reason for conflict here, right?

[renamaer]

"Maybe I should prepare a box anyway, so you can bring the leftovers with you?" She suggests, already opening her cabinet doors to pull out plates and cups and utensils to set the table. "Is the kitchen table here okay, or do you want to eat in the other room?" Her house wasn't exactly big, and she didn't eat here very often.

[disguarded]

Finishing up the final touches needed before the meal is ready to serve, Twice says over her shoulder, "I'm fine either way."

[renamaer]

Well, kitchen table it is, since that's more convenient to the food. She'll dig out some clean takeout containers too, for whatever ends up being left over.

"Is there anything you want to drink? I don't think I have much, but there's water or juice, at least? Or I can make some tea."

[disguarded]

Twice moves slow and steady as she works, as well as when she walks, carrying the food to the table. Just for a moment, she pauses when she hears the question, head tilting slightly in thought.

"Tea would appreciated, thank you," she answers eventually. It's been a while since she had a nice cup, especially one offered so generously.

[dancermai]

After a nice glorious nap, Mai's awoken by some tasty smells coming from their kitchen and just assumed that one of her housemates had been nice enough to start cooking a meal for them to share. She was glad that she was sharing a place with such nice people. So she's up and out of her room but she freezes as she checks the kitchen.

This isn't someone she's seen before. Unless one of her room mates changed in the night. Which...likely wouldn't be a surprise? Or someone she's met and forgotten. She's new here so...that would also be bad. Though, her home was full with another friend just moving in recently. Gotta play it safe and keep it cool.

"Hi?!" ...a little awkward but..it's still good.

[disguarded]

If it helps, despite the flat, sort of unimpressed look Mai receives for a moment, Twice is actually very unlikely to judge anyone's awkwardness?

She does, however, move the pan she's been stirring off the burner and then begin slowly rummaging through the cabinets. "Hi. Do you have a pasta strainer?"

[dancermai]

Well, the strange intruder is acting like they live here so they can't really be an intruder can they? She's pondering over that a moment before she's very easily distracted by the question and is now actually helping with this strange...invasion(?) cooking. "The strainer is in that drawer over there." And helpfully pointing to one of the drawers by the sink.

"Are you friends with Gentarou or Kaito..? Or one of the other housemates here?" She's still sounding a bit awkward. Still a chance this person moved in and she just didn't notice.

[disguarded]

"Thank you," Twice offers without much inflection, as she fetches what she needs and begins straining the linguine in silence.

Eventually she must either decide or remember that she ought to answer the question though (kind of hard to tell?), because she continues, "And no, I'm not their friend."

[dancermai]

There was a long silent pause as she slowly takes in the answer that was given to her. So this person wasn't a friend of hers...or Kaito or Gentarou...or any of the other housemates. Then...

She still wasn't quite able to comprehend. "Did someone hire you to cook dinner?" Well, people don't just randomly go and cook in other people's homes!

[disguarded]

Sure, they do. That's totally normal, right? Happens all the time?

"No, that was my decision," she answers easy enough as she finishes that task, combines the pasta and sauce in one dish, and begins to toss them a bit. Wouldn't want an uneven spread, of course.