Thomas Kyle (cantkeepmeout) wrote,
@ 2013-07-09 02:46:00

The Queen Chili Challenge
He couldn't say he'd ever been in this place before, not like he'd known Dinah well in any world, only in passing through Babs. So of course he took the time to take in the place. And what might seem like an appreciative glance around at the decor was really him trying to gauge how good the security was. Not that he planned to break in, it was just a habit of his. "Is this place used much?"

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	barbiebird 2013-07-09 04:28 am UTC (link)
	The Queen family's relatively small pied a terre in Gotham had perfectly adequate security, thank you very much. "A reasonable amount, when Mom wants to visit family or just gets tired of California." However delicate-lookiong her arms, Barbie managed to place the large cast-iron pot on the stove as she spoke. (Reply to this)(Thread)

cantkeepmeout
2013-07-09 04:35 am UTC (link)

Which is the conclusion he comes to, adequate. That's not an insult as much as him hoping there'd be something more interesting to it. How often was it one got to walk into another crimefighter's place?

"Tired of California and coming here? Have to say, that's a first," he comments with an amused raised eyebrow as he watches her get out the pot. "Did you need me to do anything? Or is this the sort of secret recipe where you can't have even that?"

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	barbiebird 2013-07-09 04:53 am UTC (link)
	Barbie chuckled softly. "I appreciate the offer, but yeah, dad would kill me... but I'll let you in on one little irony, considering Uncle Hal." She opens up a bag of Yellow Lantern Peppers to start dicing them. "Sorry if I'm being too obscure." Even if he was Maria's cousin, he might not be that well read on ring-slinger problems. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

cantkeepmeout
2013-07-09 05:02 am UTC (link)

A slight chuckle escapes from him. Oh the ironies. That's going to be an amusing tidbit he'll certainly remember. Though he's also amused at the idea of Ollie thinking his daughter revealed the secret chili recipe to a bat. "No, don't worry about it," he reassured her. "I get Maria to comment on anything superhero that pops up on the news when I can. She has an...interesting perspective on some." Not really a lie, they did comment dryly on news coverage of superheroes when it came on.

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	barbiebird 2013-07-09 05:09 am UTC (link)
	Barbie smiles. "That must be fun. So," she says as she... puts on surgical gloves before she starts chopping. "Are you, um, going to the next MSF gala?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	cantkeepmeout 2013-07-09 05:14 am UTC (link)
	Well that's...one way to do one's cutting. "Better question is if I'm going to remotely enjoy the next MSF gala." He gives her a smile in return. "What would you put the odds at?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	barbiebird 2013-07-09 05:18 am UTC (link)
	"Well, you can keep busy helping me out with the silent auction part? I have to run up the prices on absolutely everything there." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

cantkeepmeout
2013-07-09 05:27 am UTC (link)

"After the obligatory appearance and greetings around the room? Very much yes. You have no idea how much I like that offer. And I'm not bad with prices to boot." Pause. "I'd ask how you got stuck with that job but there's the possibility that you purposefully got it, to which I'm going to have to toast to your cleverness and wish I'd thought of it first," he smirks a bit.

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	barbiebird 2013-07-09 05:38 am UTC (link)
	"Hee! Why thank you. It was admittedly my idea. I'm a huge MSF fan, so I like lend them a hand beyond the seat-filling. I try to raise awareness and all, but I'm not exactly the most glamorous person in my family, so the slightly more quiet help is probably more useful." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	cantkeepmeout 2013-07-09 05:43 am UTC (link)
	He shot her a slight grin and nod to say you're welcome. "Everyone has their pet projects and causes. That's not a bad one to pick." He tilted his head and considered her. "But I'm sure you could glam it up with the best of them. Enjoying it is something else entirely though." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	barbiebird 2013-07-09 05:48 am UTC (link)
	And Barbie actually blushes a little. "Yeah, enjoying it is different. I mean, I like nice dresses, but I have my limits. Though Pippi's been very helpful these last few Events." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

cantkeepmeout
2013-07-09 05:57 am UTC (link)

He smiles slightly at having got a blush out of her. "I just have to stick on a suit and a smile, and with just that I hate it most of the time." He was quite good at it, but didn't mean he liked it. "Pippi...ah, I think she came over to bother Maria one time. Is she really as...well, her, as they say?" Okay so he'd been the one to sic Pippi on Maria, fine. But that was deserved. Honestly he hadn't found the girl all too bad. If you knew how to direct her it made things easier. Plus, he'd gotten a kitten out of that meeting.

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	barbiebird 2013-07-09 05:59 am UTC (link)
	"Pippi is quite, quite Pippi. And she's always on, too. There is no dormant mode. But she's very nice" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	cantkeepmeout 2013-07-09 06:03 am UTC (link)
	If a little...misguided. She thought I worked for Playboy, and 'bats are birds', really.... "Well that's always something. Should I hire her on a more regular basis for Maria or is it too much?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	barbiebird 2013-07-09 06:04 am UTC (link)
	"It's a bit mu-- well, on the other hand, Maria is Maria. Extremity isn't really extremity to her." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	cantkeepmeout 2013-07-09 06:08 am UTC (link)
	He chuckled. "No, not at all." And with a straight, rather innocent, face. "And one needs to go the extra mile for family." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	barbiebird 2013-07-09 06:48 pm UTC (link)
	"Absolutely," Barbie says as she starts on the initial browning of the meat. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	cantkeepmeout 2013-07-09 07:56 pm UTC (link)
	He'll stand by and casually watch, most certainly no hawk-like intense gazes with a 'trying to figure out the secret recipe' bent to them. That'd be just silly. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	barbiebird 2013-07-09 09:07 pm UTC (link)
	"Thomas, could you please get the stepladder from the hall closet?" Yeah, Barbie's not completely naive. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	cantkeepmeout 2013-07-09 10:49 pm UTC (link)
	He looked amused at that and shrugged apologetically. "Sorry, Maria would kill me if she knew I saw chili being made and gave her no tips. Don't tell her." Because asking someone a foot taller than you to get a step ladder when they could probably reach it for you was a clear enough 'look away' indicator. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	barbiebird 2013-07-09 10:54 pm UTC (link)
	"Perfectly understandable. I'm just trying to maintaina little integrity; Dad wouldn't want the Bird side of the family knowing." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	cantkeepmeout 2013-07-09 11:03 pm UTC (link)
	"They won't hear it from me. I'm good at secrets," he smirked and put an index finger to his lips. Of course the statement was truer than she'd realize but oh well. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	barbiebird 2013-07-09 11:07 pm UTC (link)
	Barbie smiles. "Thanks. I appreciate that. So can I, so get me the stepladder." She'll happily continue talking while he does so. "So how's Wayne Enterprises?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	cantkeepmeout 2013-07-09 11:20 pm UTC (link)
	He rolls his eyes, still smirking and concedes. "Alright, I'll get the superfluous stepladder for you to pretend to need." Which he does of course, before returning with a shrug at her question. "Doing well, how's Queen Industries?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	barbiebird 2013-07-09 11:24 pm UTC (link)
	"Fine, by all accounts. I don't work there, myself. Not a lot of time, between studying and volunteering and the Nightingale stuff." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	cantkeepmeout 2013-07-09 11:29 pm UTC (link)
	"I imagine that must take up a lot of your time, sort of limits the rest I guess. What do you study?" The stepladder gets put off to the side in the kitchen for now. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	barbiebird 2013-07-10 12:28 am UTC (link)
	"Poli-sci," Barbie says as she stirs the various things she got started while he was stepped away, then climbs to the top shelf for some more. "Especially looking into advocacy for NGOs, that kind of stuff." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	cantkeepmeout 2013-07-10 12:35 am UTC (link)
	"You know I could've reached that for you," he pointed out then smirked. "But I guess that's the price of intense recipe secrecy. How's that working for you? Poli-Sci and...Maria says you're on a team I think?" JLI, yes, he knew, but too much surety in a civilian wasn't good, even one with connections. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	barbiebird 2013-07-10 12:38 am UTC (link)
	"I know. And yeah, Justice League International. With Pippi, among others." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	cantkeepmeout 2013-07-10 12:39 am UTC (link)
	"Nice, so you're the American representative? I'm sure someone sees the irony in getting a Queen for the job," he teases. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	barbiebird 2013-07-10 12:55 am UTC (link)
	"Well, I'm the only one with two documented American parents, but the majority of us are half-American, actually." Barbie faux-sighed. "Gentrification is everywhere. And yes, explaining Queen sociopolitical stances to the Chinese representative was...interesting!" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	cantkeepmeout 2013-07-10 01:01 am UTC (link)
	"The majority? Interesting. What other nationalities do you have on there?" He chuckled at the image of the Chinese guy on her team trying to parse explanations about Queens. "I'm sure that went over well. How'd you explain it? And what'd your dad think of your involvement on the team?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

barbiebird
2013-07-10 01:20 am UTC (link)

"The Chinese government railed until they could get The Younger General In Irons on the team -- indulging the Chinese government on anything is Dad's main objection to the team, actually, but I tell him we have to work with these people or they're not going to ahve the incentive not to improve on teh human rights and pollution fronts. Jack O'Lantern is Irish. Pippi's from Kansas, although who knows whether she's got other heritage, she's never said, and is Pippi. Micromax is Chinese-American, Icemaiden has dual U.S. and Norweigan citizenship, and Din, the Crown Prince of New Morlaidh -- it's in South America, very isolated -- also has dual U.S. Citizenship. And Dex is from another planet."

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	cantkeepmeout 2013-07-10 01:24 am UTC (link)
	"Well that's very..." American still actually, if he remembered the files on these people right too. "...diverse? Does anyone get along? Only have experience with business people, no idea if a superhero team tends to get along." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

barbiebird
2013-07-10 01:30 am UTC (link)

"Diverse enough to be weird, but like I said, gentrification. Superhero globalization has its own quirks, just like business globalization, and one of those, as we now see the results, is interbreeding. Not that I'm one of those who equates marrying outside of one's nationality with cultural annihilation, because, well, no. But anyway, we got on... okay? Pippi's taken a while for everyone to get used to, but she's great. The Young General still has culture shock... or something. Dex can be... hard to rein in. And Din thinks THUNDER isn't telling us something and we might be being used as a front for god-knows-what, which is... reasonably understandable even without being understandable because of natural New Morlaidh paranoia. But other than that, we're fine. But some teams get downright familial, and aside from those of us that /are/ family, it's a little rougher."

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	cantkeepmeout 2013-07-10 01:38 am UTC (link)
	"Sounds like a lot on your plate. Why not freelance?" He asked as he casually nabbed a bit of meat when it was done. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

barbiebird
2013-07-10 01:46 am UTC (link)

"Freelance was what I was going to originally do as I eased back into things -- the pneumonia bouts kinda detracted from this kind of vocation -- but the classic 'disaster happens, brings a group together, then they're encouraged to stay together' stuff happened. Even Din, paranoid though he is, is sticking around to see what's up... and because somebody's got to help counterbalance things for Pippi. Oh! I almost forgot. We should have milkshakes with this, just in case.

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	cantkeepmeout 2013-07-10 01:55 am UTC (link)
	"That's still pretty impressive though. Still in that business despite any health issues." Milkshakes, perfect. Alfred had made great strawberry milkshakes. "Ooh, prepared. I like it. So what kind are you thinking of?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	barbiebird 2013-07-10 05:30 pm UTC (link)
	"Strawberry seems like a good idea." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	cantkeepmeout 2013-07-10 05:46 pm UTC (link)
	"Can't fault your taste." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	barbiebird 2013-07-12 01:51 am UTC (link)
	Barbie will fully accept help preparing the milkshakes while the chili simers, and eventually, both will be entirely ready, and they can sit down to the meal. Barbie crackers up her first bite, eats, and then sips her milkshake. Yeah, she'd nailed the classic Queen recipe pretty well. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	cantkeepmeout 2013-07-12 01:57 am UTC (link)
	Thomas takes his first bite of chili with nothing to dull the famous Queen recipe. And he even manages to maintain composure through it and into the (much needed) milkshake sip. Okay, so there was a reason there were waiver forms with this stuff usually. "...I have to say it lives up to the reputation." More composed milkshake sipping. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	barbiebird 2013-07-12 02:01 am UTC (link)
	"You do stoicism -- small s -- well," Barbie says, impressed and smiling. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	cantkeepmeout 2013-07-12 02:17 am UTC (link)
	The stoic expression breaks and he half smiles and half smirks back. "Thanks. Don't want to exactly make an idiot of myself here do I though?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	barbiebird 2013-07-12 02:24 am UTC (link)
	"Indeed. Just wouldn't do." A pause. "So, do you think I should volunteer to bring some to the MSF gala?" She chuckles. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	cantkeepmeout 2013-07-12 02:27 am UTC (link)
	"Only with the appropriate waiver forms," he says with utmost seriousness, before breaking into a smirk. (Reply to this)(Parent)

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