six_word_stories | (no subject)

"One of many reasons I love this time of year."

"Oh you and me both, sugar. After Apple Pie Season comes Pumpkin, Sweet Potato and Pecan pie, though between you and me, pecan pie's good any time of year."

"Never met a pecan pie I could say no to," he chuckles. "But that's me and pie in general..."

"I can already tell that you and I are going to get along just fine."

Her brow lifted, eying him for a moment, "Do you prefer the kind that's candied pecans on top of a brown-sugar pudding filling? Or the kind that's pecans all the way down?"

"I know this is a controversial and divisive subject, and that wars have been fought over less," he answers gravely, "but it's not a real pecan pie if it's not a pie with pecans in it. Don't fool me with a nut topping, give me that syrupy jello inside, and pretend that's a pecan pie..."

(ooc: just for the record, you're making me VERY hungry, lol)

She laughed brightly, shaking her head, "Well if you're doing it right it ain't syrupy jello, it's a proper brown-sugar, brown-butter custard, but even then, that is a pecan custard pie, and not a pecan pie."

She sighed heavily, entirely melodramatic as she shook her head again, "It's like using a zester on a spaghetti squash and trying to pass it off as actual spaghetti, there is a special level of hell for people who do that kind of thing."

[ooc: that's the problem with this one, she does that to everyone, including me!]

"Okay, I'll admit that this pecan custard pie sounds better than the Northern alternative, and I am intrigued by the concept," he admits. "But a real pecan pie must be filled with pecans. I'm glad we can agree on that much."

He laughs at the comparison. "Oh, God, trying to pass of spaghetti squash as real spaghetti sounds like the kind of thing a well-meaning, health-conscious mom would do after watching a particularly misguided episode of Doctor Oz..."

(ooc: lmao :D I wouldn't mind so much if it weren't almost midnight. my stomach is suddenly making the most demanding noises at me and I'm wondering if I can get away with feeding it a few pretzels or a handful of cheerios or if it's actually going to make me try to cook without waking anyone, lol... I like her, though. I've always played Will as having a secret thing for cooking and food in general, so he's already loving your girl ;)

"In my experience it's always the Vegan Friend, though I do use 'friend' in the loosest possible manner, because anyone who pulls that kind of bait and switch doesn't deserve to have friends." She shook her head, "At least not ones who will invite them to the potluck."

A sigh, throwing up her hands briefly, "But I digress, went and got myself sidetracked, what are you having?"

[ooc: I would apologize, but given as how I just finished dinner, am stuffed to the gills, and still going: "I could make a mug cake, I could make two mug cakes!" I'm in a similar boat. And thanks! I really should let her out more often.]

"I have a vegan friend, one who makes delicious food, incidentally, and he would never try to pass one good thing off for another good thing. He makes this 'meat pie' dish with mushrooms..." He trails off, groaning softly. "Never knew I liked mushrooms until I met this guy."

Grinning at her, he adds, "And now we're both digressing. Food can have that effect on people." Making a thoughtful noise, he peruses the menu. "What do you recommend?"

(ooc: lmao, sounds like me after a stressful day, actually. I hear you :) I know EXACTLY where you're coming from)

She laughed, shaking her head, "And that right there is the difference between a friend who's vegan and the Vegan Friend."

She gave a little shrug at the question, however, "And my recommendations are conditional, can't really make one if I don't know what you like, so let's start with a little this or that."

She arched a brow, just a little, "You looking for something sweet or something savory?"

"Mmm, let's go with savory just now. I don't like to overdo the sweets. As a young man, I practically lived on them but, as I get older, my metabolism slows down, so..."

"Well that is definitely something I can relate to." She replied, giving a nod, "And were you looking for a meal or just something to tide you over a while?"

Customers often claimed that her ability to know what someone would like was magic, and it was, at least a little, but it was also just this sort of determination, letting people tell her what they liked so that all she had to do was fill in the blanks.

"Well, meat sounds good, but is it kosher?"

"Sure is. Butcher I use is actually just the opposite side of the block as a matter of fact." She shrugged, "It ain't halal, but that hasn't been a problem so far."

A nod, "And so far as meat goes today I've got Cornish pasties and I've got beef stew or chicken gumbo."

"Beef stew sounds great on a cold day like this..."

Another easy smile, "Sure thing. Buttermilk biscuit or a square of cornbread?" That was one thing she didn't have a preference on when it came to stews of any kind. The gumbo, of course, was served with rice, but beef stew went well with both biscuits and cornbread, and she wasn't about to make that sort of decision for someone.

"If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were trying to seduce me," he teased, smiling and shaking his head. "Mmm, biscuit and cornbread?"

She grinned outright at that, one brow arching, not quite a brow-waggle, but very nearly so, "Oh I think we ought to be able to handle that. Anything to drink?"

"Magnus swears by red wine with beef stew, but it's awfully early in the day," he answered, grinning since that was especially true for a man without a liver metabolism to match that of a vampire. "Maybe just water, please?"

"And I haven't got a liquor license anyway, so water it is. Now, do you want plan butter, honey butter or nothing at all for your cornbread and your biscuit?"

There was that smile again, easy and somehow a little wry, "If it changes anything, we do make the honey butter in-house, with locally sourced honey."

Will may be salivating a little when she mentions the honey butter. Or possibly more than a little.

"I'll take that on the biscuit, then, please, but let's have the cornbread plain?"

"Sounds like the way to do it." She replied, though she gave him a wink a moment later, clicking her tongue against the side of her teeth, knocking once on the counter, "I'll get that right up to you, have a seat."

She hummed to herself as she went about dishing up the stew from a hot pot behind the counter, and the biscuit and the cornbread were both warm, the honey butter served to the side so that it could be applied to personal preference.

Everything was delivered to his chosen table within short order, because quick service was something Viv prided herself on as much as she did good food.

Will eyes the food, inhales its scent, and can only think of one thing to say.

"Marry me?"

"Oh if I had a quarter for every time I heard that." She replied, though she was still grinning, feigning surprised revelation a moment later, "Oh, wait, that's how I could afford this place."

She shook her head then, snagging utensils out of a bin to hand them over as well, "Besides, it would never work out, my family is literally hell on earth."

Will's father just recently got out of jail, and his god-daughter is a werewolf, so... yeah.

"I can kind of relate."

"Oh? Your relatives a bunch of physical manifestations of cardinal temptations, too?" It was one of those things that she delighted in saying, because while it was true, no one ever believed it and it was always easy enough to laugh off again.

"Usually feels that way," he laughed, shaking his head. "Although many of them might consider them virtues rather than temptations. For example, Kate, every time we walk into a bank, she gives me a rundown on its security and how easily she could rob the place..."

Edited 2017-11-11 00:41 (UTC)

She laughed brightly, "That's a handy skill-set, don't let that one go."

She didn't suspect it was Greed at work, not unless there was actually bank-robbing going on, but Pride, maybe. Could also just be human nature and not one of her relatives at all.

"Oh, no, never letting her go," he assured her with a fond smile. "There was a brief period where we thought she might leave us to marry, but she got over that. We're all grateful, especially Henry. He's always had some pretty strong feelings..."

"At first I was going to ask what line of work a woman's getting married might still be a career killer for, but then I realized that it might actually be bank robbing, and if that's the case I don't want to know."

There was an obvious, easy amusement in the tone still, giving the statement away as a tease.

"We've only robbed one bank, and that was an emergency..."

"Oh well it was an emergency, that changes everything."

That easy amusement was still curling through her tone, she couldn't quite help it at that point.

Will chuckles and shrugs, unrepentant. "It's not like we took any money, anyway. And one girl actually seemed to enjoy it quite a bit..."

She nodded, "Some people just want to be part of something." A shrug, "Even something like a bank robbery, makes a good story for the grandkids, or for the book club, whichever."

"I think it may have been more than that in this case. Kate said later that the young lady in question asked if I was seeing anyone..."

She cackled, shaking her head, clasping a hand to her chest and shaking her head a moment later, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh, but I can't believe I called that one."

He chuckled, too, a bit uneasily. "People are weird. Remembering that can spare us many surprises..."