sheridan | [closed] Gotta do the cooking by the book

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[closed] Gotta do the cooking by the book

[The air felt different today. Senel couldn't quite explain it - after all, Werites Beacon was a floating island. It was entirely possible that the Legacy had shifted towards another part of the world. Entirely possible... and not the proper explanation. It couldn't be, because it didn't explain the unsettling feeling in his stomach.

He and Shirley were out today to run errands. Typical brother-sister stuff. They'd get groceries, put them back in the kitchen, and then treat themselves to hot chocolate ~~because it was kinda cold today~~.

Except, while they're paying for groceries, someone inevitably recognizes Senel. Not as a Coliseum champion, mind you, or as an Alliance Marine. Oh, no, they ask him for advice on chocolate chip cookies. Senel gives it, absentmindedly, before turning to stare at the woman as she leaves the store.]

Uh.

[He glances over at Shirley.] Wait, why're people asking me this kinda stuff?

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[That's...strange. Shirley's watching the woman too, trying to figure out if she can recognize the woman's face. It doesn't ring a bell for her, but Senel's spent more time in Werites Beacon than she has. Maybe that was an acquaintance of his?]

I don't know. Have you met her before?

I've never seen her in my life. [Granted, Senel doesn't remember everyone he runs into, but Werites Beacon is a small place. Nearly everyone knows everyone after a point.]

I mean, I've helped out with bakery people before, but not like this... and definitely not here.

You do spend a lot of time at the bakery.

[She turns back to Senel, and in the process sees someone else approaching behind them.]

Look, someone else is coming this way.

What now?

[He's half-tempted to brush off this person, but she asks her question so damn sweetly ("Senel dear, I've heard that you would be the person to ask...") that he feels like an asshole if he doesn't oblige. So he again answers, waiting until she leaves before he raises an eyebrow at Shirley.]

"I'm the person to ask?" Since when?

Maybe the people at the bakery have been talking about you.

[It's a strange idea, but then their entire situation is rather strange. Shirley looks around to see if anyone else is about to come up and ask them for more baking tips, but it doesn't seem like it just yet.]

Did anything happen the last time you were there?

Maybe. [He tilts his head, trying to recall anything strange about his last visit - and he might be hurrying up, so that no one else approaches them again on their way back home.]

I don't... think so? I showing the owner my version of melon bread, and we were talked shop for a while, but that's normal stuff. I mean, it was more crowded, but I figured it was a busy time.

[Catching Senel's intent, Shirley hurries to walk alongside him. She does look back thoughtfully, considering what she's learned about the people here.]

Then maybe the townspeople have started seeing you as one of the bakers, the same way they've started treating you as the sheriff.

[She doesn't say anything more, but the not-quite-suppressed smile on her face is more enough to show how she feels about that idea.]

They what? [She doesn't need to say anything - her tone and her smile's enough to get the message across. Why would they appreciate his baking? Yeah, he thinks it's good, but it can't be that good...]

Shirley, you've gotta be kidding. ["Right?" He's stopped in his tracks, just in time for a couple of schoolgirls to come ~~pester~~ ask him about melon bread...] ... Right?

I don't believe that those girls were.

[The evidence kind of speaks for itself right now. That's the third time already; they really ought to get back, or else they'll be out here in the chilly weather all day.]

We should keep going.

Agreed.

[The girls aren't close enough for him to actually give them baking advice, so he pulls on Shirley's arm to indicate they're taking a "shortcut" home. It's a bit of a longer route, but with way less foot traffic.

He figures, it's worth the sacrifice to get them home without fifty million people asking him for advice.] Is that even legal, by the way? For me to be a "town baker" like that?

[Shirley follows quickly - it's a good idea, longer or not, and the sooner they get back the better. As for Senel's question, her diplomatic work has given her enough familiarity with Werites Beacon's laws to get the gist here.]

You may not be able to claim yourself a professional like the bakery's owner, but there's no law stating that people can't ask you for help as an unofficial expert. It's not too different from your work with Will.

[And to think this would happen not once, but twice...]

I guess. Will wants to make it all official, anyways... [He sighs just at the thought. Sure, he doesn't mind helping out Will. Senel enjoys it a lot more than he thought he would.

But making that official? Just like the bakery owner might make Senel official? Now that's a scary thought. He can't wake up before noon most days. Why would someone put him in charge of helping people with their baking? Mimi exists, for crying out loud.]

Wouldn't hurt to ask, though. Not if it's been happening way more than usual.

Would you like that?

[It's a bit of a surprise, Senel taking on that much responsibility - but then maybe he's settling into his place, like Shirley is with her own work. She can hardly fault that.]

I don't know.

[He means it genuinely, too - if she had asked him a few months ago, he would've vehemently denied any professional interest. Will and the town baker were more suited towards those roles, but it had kept him busy.

In a good way, too. Boredom wasn't a constant companion, and he liked keeping his hands busy.] Maybe? What do you think?

Hm...

[She walks a little more slowly now, giving him an appraising look.]

You seem happy with the things you do for Will, so I think that could be a good step for you. I'm not sure about the baker, but it wouldn't hurt to help out there more to see how you feel about that too.

Might as well get paid for it too, I guess. [With both of them, really - though Senel's not sure if he'd last long as a baker. Too many people wanting to know why their pie crusts shrunk or why they can't just seem to get the perfect cookie.

Don't mistake his slightly-apathetic tone for indifference: he's not used to genuinely wanting something for himself like this, and the idea kinda scares him. What is this kind of personal responsibility?]

I'll see if I can talk to Will about it tomorrow. [beat] We got the marshmallows, right? For the hot cocoa?

Yes, we have the marshmallows. It should only be a few more minutes until we're back, so it won't be too long until before we can use them.

[Good thing, too. They've been out longer than expected, even aside from the sudden influx of baking questions, so it's starting to edge towards evening. And speaking of that...]

You ought to retire early tonight. If you're going to make things official with Will, you should start waking up earlier in the day.

[Senel breathes a sigh of relief. Good, good, he hadn't forgotten it like he thought he might've.

His relief melts into slight anger, though, at the idea of going to bed early. He has stuff to do! And things to accomplish!

Not that he'll vocalize said anger, because it's coming from a good place. He sighs, blowing his bangs out of his face.] That's asking a lot, Shirley. Like everything else, I'll... I'll see what I can do.

[Exasperating, but...not unexpected. That's Senel, all right, so Shirley just sighs.]

I'll remind you when I leave for Musette's.

[His sleep is super important to him! Honestly, if he could marry his bed, he probably would.]

Th...thanks.

[She means well. She really does. So he forces a smile as they approach his house. Fumbling for the keys for a few seconds, he unlocks the door and holds it open for her. The kitchen's probably the neatest room in the entire place: Senel's left it spotless, even though he'd spent most of the week baking something or another.

Once they're both inside, he grabs a pan and starts to warm up the milk and chocolate. (Because it's him, he's making it entirely from scratch.)]

[Shirley hangs back and lets him work - Senel's well practiced at this sort of thing, after all, and she doesn't want to interfere. She busies herself handling the groceries instead, setting out the marshmallows where Senel can reach them easily.]

[She wouldn't interfere! At least, he wouldn't consider it interfering. Senel quickly gets down to work, gathering the ingredients together and making what he hopes is the best hot chocolate they've had in a long while.

For him, this is as much of a distraction as any fight: the kitchen might as well become his new battlefield. It's a lot less violent, but there's always new appliances to play with and new recipes to try out. Boredom wouldn't happen here often.

Once he's done, he pours two mugs for them, careful to add just the right amount of marshmallows before he hands one over to Shirley.] Here. Let me know if it needs anything.

I'm sure it's fine.

[She blows on it a bit before taking a sip, then nodding her approval.]

It's good!

Yeah? [Even now, confirmation makes him sigh in relief. His "skill" doesn't matter if the people he loves aren't enjoying the food.] I'm glad to hear that.

Thanks for helping me with errands, by the way - even if it went a lot slower than we expected.

You don't have to thank me. I'm glad we both had the time to spend together today. It's been getting busy, with the preparations for the Ferines migration going on.

[She takes another sip of her hot chocolate and sighs, relaxing a little more as she enjoys the drink.]

It seems like we've both been getting busier lately.

[That's right! It's hard for him to forget about the migration, and he knows Shirley's work means a great deal to her people. He wouldn't even think of standing in the way.

He just... doesn't like the (metaphorical) gulf it's creating between them.] Yeah, sure seems that way.

You don't need me to help out with anything, right? I'd feel weird asking Will for "official" work otherwise.

Working with Will might actually be helping on its own. Even with the Ferines gathered together on the Legacy - no, especially with that beginning soon...there's still a lot to do, if we want the Ferines and Orerines to trust each other. Looking after the town and keeping everything in order will be important to making that happen. A lot of my work is done with Musette and Will, after all.

[More Musette than Will, but...that's okay, really. She has no desire to be a stranger to Senel, of course, but having a little space is good for her right now.]

[Not quite the answer Senel was looking for - and it's fairly obvious - but he can understand why she'd push him towards Will. Politics wasn't even remotely in his scope. Even if he eschewed sheriff work for baking, it would still be something separate. Something uniquely his.]

Just like that, huh? If that's all you need from me, I can manage it. [beat]

The stuff with Will, at least. Not sure if I'll actually talk to the bakery.

[Shirley giggles, but she drinks again and nods.]

Do whatever feels right to you, Senel. As long as you follow that, I don't think it's my place to say anything about whatever you do or don't choose.

[What feels right to him? Senel takes a sip of his hot chocolate (mm, it's better than he remembered) as he thinks about it.]

Even when I sleep in "too late" for you?

Well...if you're working more with Will, I won't have to wake you up as often.

[Since Will'd just kick him awake instead.]

[LOW BLOW, baby sis. Senel groans, trying to hide it by hastily sipping some more hot chocolate.]

Hey, I'd get up in time.... That stuff matters. [Or he'd fall asleep on the suspect he was trying to interrogate. Same difference.]

In that case, I won't have a reason to want to say anything at all.

[Call it revenge for all the times she's had to wake you up, Senel. Shirley loves him, but that particular habit could be improved a lot. But hey, maybe he actually will if it's for the town? ...Maybe.]

[Or he'll just earn a reputation as the narcoleptic sheriff. Which may be a worse fate than actually being the town protector, if he thinks about it too hard. Maybe he should actually go to bed early one of these days...]

When you put it like that... [He sighs, pretending to busy himself with another mug.] Need more marshmallows?

[Shirley recognizes that he's changing the subject, but she can't blame him for needing time to think. Not everyone has near-catastrophic failures to propel them into civil service...thankfully.]

No, I have enough.

[She takes a long sip of her her own drink, watching Senel to see how he's feeling right now. If it looks like he needs support, she's ready; if not, that's really even better.]

[The truth hurts, baby sis, and it hurts more than Senel cares to admit. As of now, he's frustrated (and a little defeated) - but it's nothing he hasn't battled before. Early bedtimes are impossible for someone like him!]

Oh. If you're sure. [He blinks back surprise, helping himself to a fistful of them. Normally, he won't even touch them - someone might be emotionally eating, just this once.]

[That's unusual for Senel, so Shirley's going to go ahead and edge a little closer. She's not the one with a bedtime problem, but she gets how change is.]

It's hard to get rid of old habits. But you don't have to do it all at once, you know. Maybe you can start working with Will just part-time, and see how you do then.

[She's trying to be supportive, and he gets that, so he musters as much of a smile as he can - and he'll put down the fries.

Especially since he's not actually that hungry.]

Yeah. That's feasible, maybe ask him if I can start after lunch and see if we can move the time earlier as I get used to... not sleeping in until noon.

That's a good start. Do you want me to come with you? I have a meeting first thing in the morning, but I should have time in the afternoon.

[Which is the only time he'd go see Will anyway.]

Sure. [He'd take more offense to it if it weren't true.]

What kind of meeting is it, anyways? More migration stuff with the other Ferines?

It's not with the Ferines tomorrow, but I'll be meeting with Musette and some merchants from the mainland to discuss the potential effects on trade the migration will have. I'll have to go back and make some last preparations later.

[Shirley wouldn't give it up for the world, but jumping feet-first into the role of ambassador takes a lot of work.]

Oh. That's definitely more important than me figuring out if I'm gonna follow through on the sheriff thing.

[Which he will, and he knows it. Even though he'll miss sleeping in.]

Let me know if you think it'll take a while. I don't mind waiting, or going ahead and asking by myself.

[ Senel can't sleep.

He doesn't remember the last time he's felt so restless and anxious, this late at night. Sleeping was normally an easy piece of cake; he falls asleep, and Shirley wakes him up in the morning after his four alarms have failed him. He has it down to an almost perfect routine.

Tonight, though, his legs feel jittery, and the twinkling night sky outside is starting to distract him. Senel can't help staring at the sky through his window as he pulls a blanket around his shoulder. From this vantage point, he can't make out all the constellations. Once upon a time, he had known them all by heart. He kind of had to, if he wanted to survive the ocean as an Orerines – but now, the knowledge is peripheral, with little need beyond his volunteer work on the seas.

If he counts them, though, maybe he'll fall asleep. What had Norma called the expression? Counting sheep...?

Well, he's counting stars tonight as he peers out at the sky, sitting down by the window with his full, rapt attention, and he can't help wondering if it'll be any more useful than the other 'go to sleep quick' tricks in his arsenal. ]

[Shirley's used to being the more difficult sleeper between the two of them. It's an unfortunate casualty of her diplomat's schedule, even and especially with the recent years of peace: more stability means more meetings and more travel, and sometimes it even means being momentarily thankful for Senel's heavy sleeping. It's an unfortunate fact of every morning, but it's also handy whenever she comes back from a stay at a Ferines village and forgets which town she's is in the middle of the night. She never has to worry about waking him when she sits up in bed to check what room she's in, after all.

Tonight she still doesn't have to worry about it, but only because Senel's not in bed at all.

It isn't hard to find him, since he's only gone to the window. Shirley plants her check back on her pillow and tries to go back to sleep for a while, letting Senel have his privacy, until enough time passes that she looks a second time and realizes he isn't just getting a midnight stretch in. That's enough to prompt her to get up and sit beside him, following his gaze to the stars.]

Are you looking for something?

Not exactly. [ Senel exhales, releasing pent-up tension in his shoulders as he leans on her side. He hadn't meant to wake her up. If anything, he had meant to be her stubborn, annoying rock who could (and has) sleep through a hurricane.

Something doesn't quite feel right in his body, though, so he shifts a little and turns his attention to her. ]

I just... can't sleep? So I thought, maybe if I tried counting all the stars outside, it might do the trick.

[Shirley leans against him in turn, relaxing with the knowledge that whatever's keeping Senel up doesn't seem to be a cosmic threat in the night. Senel's explanation has her looking to the sky with more focus, as if appraising the number of stars herself. It's a clear night, so there's plenty to see.]

Count for me, then.

[She yawns, because she's still tired from running around town all day checking up on things. But maybe having a listener might help Senel, and there are worse things to fall asleep again to than his voice.]

[ He fights back a laugh at her yawn, ] Sure.

One, two, three . . .

[ How many times had he counted the stars before, when he was navigating the ship through still or turbulent waters? When he and Shirley were constantly traveling between ports, with little to anchor them but the stars?

It's been a while, but he recognizes the constellations with an aching memory. The clear weather helps, of course; so too had the hours of study, pouring over astronomy maps and memorizing the constellations until his head was swimming in the stars.

At some point, though, his entire body doesn't stop feeling restless. He sits up a little straighter, curling his left hand into a fist and un-curling it as he continues to count - ]

Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen...

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[closed] Gotta do the cooking by the book

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... i didn't see those typoes

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This got buried, sorry!

it's all good!

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the notif for this never came....

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oh wow this took too long

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in honor of legendia's 15th anniversary!

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/re-emerges from the void