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Erebos (the__dark__one) wrote in paxletalelogs,
@ 2011-09-06 19:23:00

Entry tags:

erebos, eris, morpheus

CHALLENGING [Dov, then Charlie]
WHO: Elias + Dov + Charlie (later)
WHAT: Integration
WHERE: Elias' Apartment #202
WHEN: 5:31 p.m., Tuesday, September 5th

It was an odd thing to wrap up at the office and then be responsible for the well-being of another person. Elias hadn't needed to hurry home in some time, and his eating habits were so solitary that it was difficult for him to consider "normal" dinner times without putting effort into it. But effort he did put into it now, since that kid at his apartment would likely starve if he didn't make dinner.

That was why he'd been adhering to a set schedule. Come 4:45, Elias was shutting down his systems and wrapping up email correspondence. 5:00 meant that he was exiting the building, and today he went by the market directly afterward. When he opened the door to his apartment, it was with an arm full of groceries.

"Salmon or chicken?" he called, as he toed the door closed behind him and headed into the kitchen.

The day after he met Dov and subsequently gave him the couch to crash on, Elias purchased long swaths of opaque material from the fabric store and tacked it up on the ceiling to partition the living room from the entry way and the kitchen/dining area. It gave them both some privacy.

Typically, Elias would have chosen black for the fabric color, but something made him choose a dark blue instead -- almost midnight in its shade. In his apartment, it still looked black. But Elias knew that it was deep blue. It felt like a secret. When Elias looked over at the partition as he unpacked the groceries, he smiled a short and very secret smile.

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morphinedream
2011-09-07 03:54 am UTC (link)

Dov wasn't exactly used to having what would be considered a 'regular' schedule anymore. Working at the only 24-hour convenience store in tiny Catskill and not being able to find anything better involved working whatever shifts he could to avoid being fired. In fact, it was probably the only reason he hadn't been fired already. Dov was a slacker, and not a very polite or sweet slacker at that. If it hadn't been for him being the only one willing to work absolutely ridiculous, long hours, he'd be long gone.

Living with Elias was pretty strange for that and other reasons. He had such a fixed schedule compared to what Dov was used to - it was weird. That and he just didn't really know why the man had taken such an interest in him. He was a complete stranger, and where Dov was from? He didn't even open the door for most strangers back in Brooklyn, let alone take them in like stray dogs. That wasn't to say he wasn't thankful, because he was. And he was very rarely thankful. Still, part of him found it kinda creepy. What if Elias was like... some kind of creep murderer or something trying to lure him in?

Or maybe he was just stupid and too kind for his own good. But Dov wasn't going to complain unless he did something crazy.

The fabric had been a nice touch, Dov thought. While he wasn't a private person at all, he didn't like having no privacy either. While it was kind of dark and made him feel a little on the isolated side, it was nice. He slept better, at least. Huh.

"Uh... Chicken," Dov called back before getting up off the couch, where he'd been sitting with his phone trying to convince his boss to give him an advance on his paycheck - or at least a few more days off via text. It wasn't working, at least not yet. He wandered into the kitchen, glancing over at the groceries Elias was unpacking. "So, uh... Good day?" He had no idea what to make conversation about, not really.

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the__dark__one
2011-09-09 03:38 am UTC (link)

With a nod that signified he heard the boy, Elias pulled out the salmon in its thick white paper and set it on the bottom shelf of the fridge. He would cook it later tonight, once he came home and after Dov was out of the apartment. The odor of its grilling was potent and not truly as pleasant as one would prefer. Once cooked, he intended on letting it cool in the fridge and then using it for salads later. The rest of the groceries, he left in their sacks for now.

From the top shelf above the plates, Elias pulled down a cutting board and set it on the countertop by the sink. The chicken went straight into the clean, empty sink and he started the hot water running. Pots went on the cool burners next, and he turned those on to their proper temperature as well.

Dov was trying to ask him about his day. Elias smiled when his back was turned and the boy couldn't see it. It was... endearing. No one had asked him about his day in years. "Productive," he said by way of answer. "No slow-downs, no unforeseen difficulties. All in all, a good day."

Washing his hands first, he started cutting the chicken breast out of its plastic wrapped Styrofoam packaging. "I called the director for Midnight on Wheels," he said, glancing up at Dov as he worked. "They're expecting you tonight around 10:30 to start prep work for the kitchen. Deborah Mize will be showing you the ropes. She's a nice older lady, but don't mention cats to her. She won't stop talking about hers. Grilled or fried?"

Elias set the chicken breasts singly on the cutting board and started working the slivers of fat off them with his knife.

He couldn't deny that this night felt a touch surreal. He was cooking dinner for someone else. For someone he'd just met. It felt... very odd. At the same time, the hesitation he knew he should have felt was strangely silent and still. He had no compunction against doing what he could for Dov. In fact, strange as it felt, it also felt like the most natural thing in the world. As if it were a foregone conclusion that he would be cutting chicken breast for two tonight. Elias frowned at the black handle on his stainless steel knife.