Who: Chuuya and Claudia What: drinking and avoiding the portal Where: Claudia’s house When: evening of Nov. 15th Warnings: should be low Status: closed/g-doc
The excitement about the current portal did not excite Claudia at all. Sure, she enjoyed playing video games, but the idea of joining one? Claudia had enough on her plate with work and just didn’t want to visit this particular portal. But an evening of drinks with Chuuya? That sounded like a solid way to relax. And God knew she needed a night to not think about work.
She made sure to have the appropriate wine for her hat-wearing friend, plus a crockpot’s worth of pulled pork. At least Claudia could make decent pulled pork, even if most of her cooking skills could best be called eh it’s…edible?
Chuuya never played video games. It didn't help that he'd been in some military lab, being experimented on until Verlaine and Rimbauld attempted to kidnap him and he escaped. But even after he was out and free, he still didn't play any. Maybe the occasional game at the arcade but it never really interested him. And neither did a portal that led to video games, so he opted to skip it.
Instead he was going to spend time with Claudia and chill. He felt like both probably just needed to relax and just hang out, not think about work or annoying Babushkas leaving or anything else. He walked into her house, figuring she didn't mind if he let himself in, and called out. Hey, Wine Fairy! Where are you?" he asked.
“Watch out for the cat!” Claudia called out as she heard Chuuya open the door, laughing at the nickname. “Bringing multiple bottles of wine to the living room.” She set down the wine and walked to the front door, grabbing Minerva right before she escaped.
“No outside for you until we get you a bell…that you don’t magically lose.” She smiled at Chuuya. “Hey.” Claudia needed to definitely not think about things like Irina or work. “Glasses and wine are in the living room. Dinner is in the kitchen if you want to grab a plate.”
Chuuya couldn't remember how the nickname started, but he was sure it was because Claudia had wine sent to the house. Chuuya would come home and there'd be some wine, so he ended up calling her Wine Fairy.
"Eh?" He was confused at first then he remembered Claudia had a cat. Who apparently was trying to escape out the door. He wondered how often Minerva tried to get out the door if Claudia had to warn him.
He closed the door, though Claudia managed to grab the little furball before she could reach the door. "Alright. What's for dinner?" he asked. He didn't need to eat, being a vampire and all, but he still liked eating certain foods. He also didn't want anything to go to waste, especially if Claudia cooked it.
Claudia made sure both Chuuya and Irina never went without their wine of choice. Her life proved much easier with this rule she set for herself.
“She stopped for a couple months, but now wants out again. As I’ve explained to the little miss, i’d like to enjoy birds in my yard without her trying to murder all of them.” At least the cat would be content to watch them on the tv for a bit, so Claudia found a nature channel. It didn’t escape her that she’d just turned on her tv for her damn cat.
“Barbecue pulled pork sandwiches. You don’t have to eat, obviously.” Given Chuyya didn’t require food, she’d made it half assuming he wouldn’t feel like food. “I also have blood in the fridge if you prefer.” Given Chuuya came to hangout sometimes, Claudia kept a few bags in the fridge. If he didn’t come over after a couple days, she brought it to the museum so it wouldn’t go to waste.
"Not me. She can come and kill all the birds in my yard." He tended to find them annoying, chirping so early in the morning every day. Then again, it was nearing winter, so maybe he wouldn't have to deal with them much longer.
"No, it's fine. I’d feel a bit rude if I didn't. Besides, I never had that before, so might as well try some." He'd also had blood before he came over, so he was good on that front. He quickly made himself a plate and got a glass of wine before returning to Claudia.
"So you're not interested in the portal either?" He'd heard about it but since he wasn't that interested in videogames, he didn't feel like checking it out.
Claudia looked at Chuuya. “You can have her for a day or two when spring returns.” She couldn’t imagine birds with vampire hearing.
“I definitely hope you like it, then.” She followed her friend into the kitchen and loaded up a plate of food. The smells made her even more hungry. “You wouldn’t be rude if you didn’t.”
“Nah. I like video games, but work has been busy and the portal just sounded like something else I should do and not what I wanted to do.” She took a sip of wine. “I think I’d be fine if it was something relaxing, but it doesn’t sound relaxing. Now, with Midge also being sent home, it’s been difficult with the museum too.” Claudia really wished Alex would come back.
“No interest for you either?”
"Deal." Hey, at least it'll save him time from killing them himself. Which some days he was more tempted to do so than other days.
He took a bite and shrugged. "Not bad." He could definitely see himself having more of it in the future.
"Too bad it wasn't a beach or a spa or something." Because it sounded like Claudia and Rebekah could use a little vacation and a chance to relax for a day or two. Especially after yet another assistant got sent home, though they did manage to find a new one. But who knows how long that will last.
He shook his head. "Nah. I've never really played video games, so it didn't sound interesting to me."
Claudia nodded. “Good. I’m glad you like it.” She took a bite and chewed, before taking a sip of wine.
“Right? Another two week cruise sounds really needed right about now.” At least they did have a new assistant, which made life a little easier. For how long, who knew?
“I only play a few, but it just sounds so loud. And…well loud. Even Animal Crossing would involve work. No thanks.” Another sip of wine, Claudia looked at her friend. “I keep thinking I should take a vacation, but then I haven’t.”
"That would be amazing for you two." Not Chuuya. He was never good at taking time off work and going on vacation. He wasn't good at relaxing and sometimes his boss back home had to make him take some time off if he felt Chuuya was working too much.
"Which one's Animal Crossing again?" He tried to remember where he heard the title from but nothing was coming to mind. "You should, even just for a day or two."
“Yeah, we went on a trip early this year with Shuri, but I don’t think I have the bandwidth to visit Disney again this year.” Claudia barely remembered that trip, with how busy she’d been with work. Lately she too couldn’t relax well.
“The one where you basically build a town and …I don’t much beyond that, given I’ve never bothered to play. I’m not really in a place where I want to be fake gardening, you know?”
"I don't think I could stand going to Disney. Way too many people there." He'd always hated crowds and it was worse now that he was a vampire and his hearing and other senses were a lot stronger.
"Me neither, that sounds boring." And once he did find out more about the game, he would've said it was too cutesy too. "I'd rather be fighting dragons or something. It wouldn't be the first time. Did I ever once tell you I shoved a fifty storey building down a dragon's throat before?" he added after a moment.
She hadn’t loved Disney as a human. Claudia preferred places that were less…Disney. Not that she could tell Cosima no if her girlfriend wanted to go there. The two should take a trip, though.
Claudia slow blinked and nearly dropped her fork. “No. And now I need to hear all about it.”
He was about ready to use Ability to prevent her fork from dropping onto the floor but it looks like she caught herself just in time.
"It's a long story, but there was this Ability User who can steal Abilities from other people. All the Abilities somehow got manifested into a giant red dragon and caused a Singularity. Since my Ability is also a Singularity, I got called to help fight it using Corruption, so I did and hit the dragon on the head with the building before shoving it down it's throat."
There was probably more but that was all he could remember at the moment.
“I need to hear more of these stories,” Claudia commented after she swallowed a bite of food. She looked forward to the rest of the evening.