RP: There's a thing
Who: Tate & Perse What: Roommates Dinner When: July 13th (backdated slightly!) Where: Their Flat above Sweet Nothings Warnings: Language, talk of death ish.
Tate had been itching to make one of the first meals that he had mastered, it was his duck. He loved being able to make it for someone, though as of late he was only really cooking for Perse and Emilia. He was learning to bake though at with Melinda, he had started working there in June, just part time. Now that July was in upon them, he was working full time with her now. He was enjoying Sweet Nothings, he was learning another side to cooking. Tonight though, he wanted to show off just a little. Perse had his cooking sure, though he still thought he could surprise her.
Tonight he was making duck that he had roasted with spices, cherries, crushed almonds, and onion puree flavored with verbena cooking, juice. He had even picked up a dessert from work to bring home for the pair to share, a case of a half dozen, random cupcakes since he hadn’t known her favorite one. They were in the ice box waiting for the pair to finish their dinner.
While he cooked Tate tended to like to talk, to whoever was around. It had gotten him into trouble a few times, especially since he wasn’t ever talking about anything important. Tonight was no different though, so while the duck was cooking he was talking to Perse. “I keep thinking about getting a new tattoo, something to symbolize this new chapter in my life.” The sober chapter, as he joking called it to no one but himself. “Do you have any ink?” She didn’t strike him as the sort to have a tattoo but you never knew, it was always the nice ones.
Persephone was staying away from the cooker and letting Tate work his own brand of magic on the kitchen. Since he was doing the cooking, she had set the table and even tried to make it look nice because Tate's food deserved some respect.
"Um, no." She shook her head as the cutlery marched across the table and lay down in their correct positions; she flicked her wand when one was a bit wonky. "I've never really thought about getting with one." Persephone looked him over curiously. "What are you thinking of getting?"
“I’m not even sure.” Tate admitted as he starting to finish off the duck so that he could go about plating it then. He looked up at her with a wide smile. “I already have one, it’s a triangle on my chest.” He lifted a free hand to pat his chest, just over where his triangle was under the fabric of his shirt. “It’s my doorway.” He had gotten it just after his father had passed, it was something he rarely brought up with others but he oddly trusted Persephone. He found her easy to talk to.
“I wanted something for new beginnings. I stumbled on the triangle when I was younger, it comes up in a lot of teachings. The sign of three, it’s always been around. It’s like the magic number to the universe, the key to unlocking everything. It was sort of my father’s goal, he loved that sort of stuff. I need something like that though, something that fits the situation. I’m not the best at these though, I got that one while trashed. I’m just lucky I had enough mind to have thought it out for years before hand.” He was oversharing and he didn’t know why, he laughed and shook his head. “Sorry.” He gathered up the duck and brought it to the table then, being sure to put a piece on each plate before setting the extra in the center of the table.
Persephone took a seat and poured herself a glass of water from the carafe that she'd set out. "No, it's fine. I like hearing people's stories about that sort of thing." She took a small sip and continued, "It'd be boring if just you said you'd got it on a whim on a night out. I know a couple of Healers who had a wee bit much to drink and ended up with tattoos." Usually on their lower backs, but she still wasn't sure why.
She gave a soft, longing sigh as he set down the plates of duck. "This looks incredible. I wish I had half your talent in the kitchen."
“I mean, a part of it was that I got it on a whim.” He chuckled then, wondering if Emilia and Perse knew each other from the hospital and not just the fact that she occasionally popped in to see Tate. Though he had been leaving more often to head to her houseboat. “It was just after he had passed, I knew I wanted something for him.” He didn’t want to stay on the sad subject, so he was switching topics easily. “It’s why ‘m trying to think this one out a bit.” At least he was trying a little, there was still a chance he would just go get one after a shift at Sweet Nothings.
“Thanks, I could teach you some things?” Tate offered as he settled into his seat. “I love sharing my knowledge, it’s the best way to go about changing the world. If we could all just learn to grow our own food and really be more self-sustainable, it would go a long way.” One of his favorite chefs preached about it, it was where he’d fallen in love with the idea. “I try to go to as many local markets as I can for food, I find it always taste better when it’s fresh.” He was loving having a roommate, someone to cook for that enjoyed his food. He usually only really splurged and cooked for Emilia but lately he’d been wanting to make more for the house.
“Do you have a favorite dish?” He could talk food for hours, he was sure he had asked this question at least a half dozen times before.
She nodded slowly. "Someone passing away can leave an indelible mark," she said quietly, her gaze falling to the table. Those marks weren't always tattoos either: Persephone's life had never been the same since Perseus had been so cruelly taken from them.
Grateful for the change of subject, Persephone smiled. "Yeah, I'd like that. I know some basic stuff, but it would be nice to know something a wee bit fancier." She turned her plate to better admire tonight's offering from the kitchen. "Maybe I'll have to come to the market with you sometime?" she suggested.
"I quite like Greek food," Persephone admitted. "Moussaka, that sort of thing. But I've never cooked it myself."
The look that Perse had given just then… Well, it made Tate glad that he had switched subjects. Death was definitely not something he wanted to talk about just then. Maybe another time when they were bonding more over serious subjects, but he liked keeping the dinner conversation light hearted.
“I would love to, whenever you like. I always have Sunday free so we could go sometime? We can do an entire meal.” He rather loved when he got to do that, going out to the market and everything for dinner that night. He had done that once or twice with Emilia, generally he went alone or with Quin. His step-mother had been there for the entire process, trying every meal he had made even when they were terrible.
“We could start with that, if you wanted? Or work up to it, it’s completely up to you. I love Greek food, there’s nothing like it.” If he were honest, there wasn’t much food that Tate didn’t love, he tended to like a little bit of everything. He lifted his fork to start eating, grinning when it tasted just as he had hoped. He had been tasting all night while cooking, but it never was the same until you got it all together on the plate. “I don’t think I’ve really gotten the chance to teach anyone how to cook something fancy, I tend to do the cooking. I think it’ll be fun, a lot more fun than I had learning in the kitchen.” He gave a chuckle then, kitchens weren’t known for being the nicest of environments. He had worked the long hours, paid his dues and everything. It was why he hated that he had to do that all over in London. He had lucked out with Melinda giving him the job, it was the best atmosphere he had worked in.
"Okay." Persephone nodded, her fork digging into her piece of duck. "A Sunday trip to the market sounds good." She often took some fruit to work as a snack to balance out the regular pastries from Sweet Nothings, so it would be nice to see what other things she could pick up.
"Let's work up to it," she suggested. "I like to think I'm a quick learner, but I should probably brush up on some basic skills." She would need to get a little more familiar with the kitchen before then too; she liked to know exactly where things were and while she knew where to find all the things she used regularly, that was barely scratching the surface.
Taking a bite of the duck, she made a small satisfied noise. "This tastes even better than it looks!"
That would need to look at his schedule for the following weeks to see when they could get to the market. He was excited though, the famers market was always one of his favorite places to go. There was nothing better than fresh produce that was grown locally. He really needed to look into that community space in the building, he thought he had seen a place he could plant some things.
“What basic skills would you like to start with? That might help me to pick what dish we do first.” Depending on the skill, he could pick a meal that would require her to whatever it was. It was how he had perfected a few different techniques, like sautéing and searing. He was currently practicing how to make the perfect poached egg, he had yet to perfect that one. He didn’t realize that she might mean basic skills around the kitchen, like knowing where he had put everything when he had filled the cupboards with all of his utensils and pans.
Tate’s smile was a proud, confident, crooked thing when she complimented his food. “Definitely glad to hear you say that,” He chuckled, “I think it’s the cherries that really give it the flavor.”
"I don't know." Persephone's brow furrowed as she tried to think of something that she really wanted to cook. "I might have to get back to ye on that one. I like fish, but I've never cooked much of it." Perhaps that might spark an idea for Tate?
Cherries and almonds were things Persephone would have expected to be cooked into a cake, not with duck, and she admitted as much. "Then again, I've heard of duck l'orange, so I probably shouldn't be surprised!" She smiled brightly. "Did I tell you I've been eating all sorts of stuff with Pandora lately? She has a chart that compares the size of the babies with fruits and veg, so we've been eating things based on that week."
Tate had been nodding his head to her getting back to him when she mentioned fish, his face lit up. “I’m actually pretty good with most. I can pick up some stuff, just let me know if you’re allergic to anything.” He was certain they had covered it before but he wanted to be sure, just in case.
He gave a chuckle at the duck l’orange, nodding his head. He would have gone on a rant about balancing spices but hearing that she and Dora had been eating all sorts of things that were the size of the babies? Well it was just amusing. He wanted to know more. “You have? What’s the strangest thing you’ve ate?” He took another bite of his food, eating in between conversation. He was curious who was cooking for them, were they just buying out the whole time? Though he supposed that was if they had the food in a dish and not just the fruit or veggie on its own.
"There's not been anything too weird. Like when they were avocado size we went out for Mexican and had lots of guacamole. Or... apple tarts from Sweet Nothings." Persephone paused to take a mouthful, continuing once she'd swallowed. "Her fiance Ewan is a sweetheart and cooks for us sometimes."
She sipped her water. "We've sort of been getting to know each other again these last few months. It's been a really nice way to spend time together." Persephone grinned. "Even if I do have to drink her share of a margaritas."
“If he’s ever busy, I wouldn’t mind?” Tate wouldn’t admit it out loud, ever likely, but he had realized recently he apparently had a thing for Montgomery women. Not only had he found Dora attractive when his boyfriend at the time had introduced them, he found Perse attractive as well. Both women though were very firmly on his list of people he wouldn’t flirt with or make a move on. Perse was dating one of Tate’s best mates and Dora had been on that list from day one because of his ex. Instead he worked on being their friend, both women were phenomenal and he enjoyed having them in his life. “Though I assume she’s starting to run out of food shaped things, isn’t she due soon?” He couldn’t remember just when, but he thought it was sooner?
Tate wanted to pry, he wanted to ask why they hadn’t spent so much time together, but he assumed it was likely due to that traveling she had spoken about when he first applied for the room. He nodded his head though, “Family dinners are some of my favorite things. I’ve been debating asking Quin if we could make it a weekly thing. We haven’t really done a family dinner since I made pancakes for the littles.” Which was his name for his youngest two siblings, the littlest. The pancakes had been fun though, he had even let Auri help him.
"I'll have to get you a diner invitation sometime." It surely wouldn't make much difference for Ewan to cook for four instead of three. "Panda might like that." Persephone chuckled, shaking her head. "I think she'll keep going right till the end. Due end of September, but the wee ones will probably be here a bit before that."
She didn't envy Tate and his complicated family situation, though she understood losing a father. Persephone might not know what had become of Heracles Montgomery, but they had found a way to be a family without him. "You should do that. She's sweet, so those little ones must be beyond adorable."
“I’d like that.” Tate may have smiled just a tiny bit too big, but since his smile was permanently crooked it didn’t make much difference. He really needed to properly meet Ewan anyway, meet the man that made one of his closest friends happier than he thought he had ever seen the woman. “Do twins usually come early?” He knew he was lucky, if he had just asked any random person they might know but this was what Perse did. This was her job, so he knew she would know. “That’s not unhealthy for her or them, is it? If they did?”
“They’re pretty fantastic. Auri is about five or so, she looks just like Quin but she’s got a mind like my father’s,” And his, but he didn’t gloat. He liked to come off as the rube. It was how he tended to get away with things like stealing pocket books with Sid when he was younger, he always played stupid. He did a good job of it. It was his father that had known he was better than that, it was his father that had moved him to France just to get him away from the toxic friend.
“They make me think about if I want kids in the future,” Which he wondered if that was something Emilia would want down the line, though he wasn’t sure he could give it to her. “I don’t think I could handle it, I’m a mess. I’m really good at being cool Uncle Tate or something.” Cool big brother Tate maybe? Same thing.
Persephone nodded. Twins were more likely to arrive early, she explained. "But she's going to have the best care I can possibly give her," she added firmly. "They'll all be fine." And she knew to check whether either of them had inherited Dora's hearing problem so that neither of them would have to struggle like she had in those early years.
"My sister probably would have described herself as a mess just a few months ago. Maybe you'll be cool Uncle Tate, maybe you'll be a cool dad." She gave a small shrug, smiling. "Who knows what you'll be capable of a few years from now."
That was definitely comforting to hear, he grinned and nodded. Dora and the babies would be fine, all thanks to Perse. It was mind boggling sometimes but it was definitely a comforting thought. “That’s got to be exciting, knowing you’ll be there to help your niece and nephew into the world. That’s a special sort of bond.”
He chuckled at her words, nodding his head. She was right, you never knew. He never would have thought answering an ad in the Prophet would land him a roommate that was related to Dora. “Very true.” He took another bite of his duck, tonight was turning out to be a good night. Maybe he’d see about making this a monthly thing or something, maybe even bi-weekly.