homeless_pard | A social meeting

Entry tags:

jason au

A social meeting

Who: Khemrys, Jason, Nat, the leopards in general?
When: Saturday of the second week in this new world?
What: A cookout to meet other leopards! And maybe drama!

Her feet were still far more tender than she wished but at least her fingers were healing far faster? She did not need bandaging on her fingers anymore and that made most things far easier, such as finishing the lord Jason's silver bordered shirt with pawprints and silvery moons picked out in embroidery thread! It was far later than she had intended such to be completed but that was neither here nor there it seemed. She had delivered it, folded, with breakfast in the donor quarters as she'd taken up cooking as she had promised, but had been too shy to await his chance to open it.

She had much to do this day after all, such as debating which of her simple garments was best suited to an outdoor gathering (she settled for the full, deep brown skirt and cream tunic over a sage shift), and...wincingly slid her feet into boots she laced tight about the thinner bandaging. It might aid her feet in not swelling near as much? Of course, the loaned slippers were to be returned today as the lord Nathaniel had been too busy to be oft at the holdings she now lived at. She had naught else to bring, but had been assured her aid in preparing items would be a far more welcome host gift. The days were shorter here she had learned, twenty four hours with sixty minutes apiece rather than her own twenty hours with a hundred, but there was a clock that she was learning to rely on at the bedside table yes.

It was past dawn now and quiet around her, but nearing nine thirty and so she stood and brushed nervous hands down her skirt to...go wait in the hall for the lord Jason so he might drive them. She was trying to focus on the fact she would be cooking with Nathaniel rather than the trip there!

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"It's life," he offered warmly. "You work with what you have, right?"

He gave her another smile and stepped back. "Sure. People will probably be filtering in soon so I'll finish up outside." He took a deep breath. "Try not to worry too much and have a nice time? Everyone is excited to meet you."

"Mayhap," she supposed working with what one had was...sensible?

"I will do my best, lord, thank you for your patience." In allowing her space and the like. It was going to be a stressful evening it seemed, but perhaps ot a...bad stress?

Micah eyed Jason and Nathaniel once more before heading back outside, a look that was a clear warning to behave themselves and keep tabs on this new girl.

As Khemrys seemed to throw herself into her work, Nathaniel sniffed and joined her, quietly asking questions when she did something he wasn't familiar with. Jason watched them quietly for a time, but as much as he hated the uncomfortable silence (to him at least), the energy in the room wasn't buzzing quite so frantically once those two were working, so he kept his mouth shut and chopped vegetables.

Nathaniel was finishing demonstrating the potato salad as people began filtering through the kitchen with cheerful greetings and quick introductions before moving to the backyard: most everyone knew that Nathaniel got uncomfortable when his kitchen was too crowded. Jason had excused himself to set out the trays as things were ready and helping to fill coolers and chip bowls.

Nathaniel was wiping out some dishes and putting them in the dishwasher. "Anything I'm missing, Khemrys?" Nathaniel asked.

She was wiping her hands on a towel as he asked, certainly much calmer to have achieved something useful but she paused to consider the question just in case. The salads were topped with sliced, seasoned and fried cock o'the wood, a proper trade for meat. The batter bread cups were filled and layered, already walking out the door in fact...

...breads done...

..."naught as I might know," she admitted finally. "I suppose that means we are done then?" Alas.

He smiled. "All done for now. They way everyone eats, we can watch and see if we need to dig something else out of the fridge as the day goes on."

But with Merle on the grill, that might not be necessary, and everyone seemed to be bringing small dishes to share as well.

"They set up some chairs outside if you want to sit? It's warm but the umbrella is up if you want to sit in the shade. We can make up some plates and eat, enjoy watching everyone?"

"Aye, it may not last overly long with how you all eat," she agreed wryly, though it would certainly have served two meals and more at the abbey! "And shade would be a kindness. Your sunblock feels so terrible..." And she had yet to find the right herbs in in this world so far to blend her own.

And well, milk skin.

Yes.

"And they'd not take watching amiss?"

He shook his head. "Not at all. These aren't meant to be formal get-togethers."

The back door opened and Jason popped through. "Hey Nat, I left swim trunks here last time, right?"

Nathaniel blinked and nodded. "I think so? If not you can borrow some. Why?"

Jason grinned. "Zane and Caleb are setting up Slip 'n Slides. We're going to try making a kickball game with them. You in?"

Nathaniel laughed. "After I eat, maybe."

"I'll still try not to stare overly much, I seem to blink less than I shouldst these days after so long in fur," she admitted a touch wryly. Then there was...blank staring at Jason?

What?

"You swim with wooden logs?" Were they pine then? Was there a creek in the woods? And whatever were slip n' slides? Game at least seemed a normal term?

Jason gave her an odd look, then laughed. "No, it's a word for swim shorts." He paused, frowning. "Huh. Not sure why they're called trunks."

Nathaniel waved him towards the stairs. "Check upstairs. Khemrys and I are going to get some food." He smiled at Khemrys. "And no one will mind: you still blink more than the vamps, so it's not like anyone will be weirded out." He held open the back door for her, waving a hand to the chairs set up under the umbrella. "We can sit over there once we have food. And it looks like Merle already noticed you." He nodded towards the grill where Merle was waving a pair of tongs at the two of them and gesturing to several trays already stacked with meats.

The blank look stayed yes, because there weren't special swim costumes in her world honestly. Generally there was wading in underdress, or bathing without? "As you say?" Um? Yeah, no idea.

None.

Getting tugged outside was at least back to something she could understand! "Do I seem so starved?" she couldn't help but laugh softly. Trays, whole trails of meat to go with what they'd made, oh dear. "Granted, I know I am still a fright from running..." All bone and angles but still!

"No, you look great," Nathaniel soothed, "But when Merle is at the grill, he isn't happy unless everyone is eating." He handed her a large, sturdy paper plate and began loading his own up.

"Hey!" Merle gave him a gruff look. "Ladies first, Nathaniel. Step back." He began pointing to the offerings with his tongs and naming them for her. "You let me know what you like best and I'll make sure to hold some back for you for later," he winked.

"The lord is kind," it was her rote response to compliments really, especially here. She knew she still looked a fright and fragile to boot by how others winced or hovered! Then she had a plate in her hand and far too many options and...

..."peace! I've...not the stomach all those here do!" She assured. Holding aught back might be a waste!

Merle only laughed. "I'm sure you'll have help with anything you can't finish. But I mean it, you like something and I'll hold it. Worst that happens is it goes home with you in foil."

Nathaniel was staying close by, but his plate was already becoming stacked dangerously high with food. "You don't have to try everything. And it's not going to disappear that fast."

Comparatively. Especially since Nathaniel's plate looked reserved next to some of the other ones being carried away.

"There are yet many ways of preparing and cooking here that I do not know, mayhap I might have a taste of many of your choices, lord Nathaniel? So I might know? Lest you have suggestion lord Merle?" she asked, still far too overwhelmed to narrow it even!

She could name most the meats, yes, but the preparations and scents were muddled wit them stacked so near each other! And her usually style of sampling and defining spices slowly between bites might go amiss here...

Nathaniel nodded. "Yeah, I don't mind. And I can explain what the ones you like best are."

The back door banged open and a young man blurred onto the porch and onto the grass, followed almost instantly by Jason streaking out in a pair of shorts...and that was it. "No those are for the game!" the man yelled as Jason laughingly pelted him with several pilfered water balloons.

Merle didn't look up as he raised his voice in warning. "Not near my grill!"

The young man wiped at his wet face, multiple silver piercings visible as he chuckled. "Watch your back, Jason: I've got more water balloons than those stashed around here."

It was fortunate Nathaniel had agreed, it meant her plate was still empty when the banging door and running made her jump, braid actually gaining a bit of thickness as her hair tries to poof like a cat tail. A bit tense in strange circumstance? Yes. Very much yes.

Oh...what?

Even?

Um?

She could even process, water balloons? Mostly naked men, and..."oh Gunnora the silver..." she whimpered, hands raising as if she could reach across the space and help...

Nathaniel seemed amused by her startled reaction, but moved closer to her at her soft exclamation. "He's ok," he said softly. "He'd had piercings before he was infected, and that's the only way he could keep them. It's a low content so it doesn't hurt so much. He doesn't even notice them half the time."

Jason meanwhile was laughing and hurrying over to a small group of men and women, offering hugs in greeting.

This world. This world. She had to hide her eyes honestly, which meant she was holding an empty plate in front of her face as she muttered, "it's not harm if it's chosen, it's not harm if it's chosen..." Pardon the stillmistress a moment.

Eeeeeeep.

Focus, focus...

..."why does this plate say Chinet?" Save her?

Nathaniel soothed a hand over her shoulders. "He'd be more upset if you tried to heal them," he offered with a small smile, "He'd have to re-pierce everything."

He guided her attention back towards the food. "It's just the brand name for the paper plates. The company that sells them. Here I want to make sure I get one of those things you made."

"I can't do aught but remove and apply a poultice to draw the poisons should I find the right herbs," she admitted, "but I'll not ask to do so." It would take a great deal of self control though!

A great deal.

Yeeeeep.

"Ah? Ah, I shouldst have fed you one in the kitchen mayhap..." as the table was already looking...devastated. Oh dear.

Nathaniel laughed. "With as fast as Jason was grabbing platters I'm surprised we got everything plated." He found one, though and plopped it on her plate along with several of the things they'd made in the kitchen, as his plate was already too full.

"Come on and sit." No one had taken their seats yet, so they still had a nice shaded spot on the porch waiting. "Oh! And I have lemonade if you want some? It's homemade, I just left it in the fridge. Not too sweet."

It had felt rather like a race hadn't it? She added salad alongside the breads and grabbed napkins at least? "Most the mushrooms you foraged are well gone already," she chuckled softly. Between the meaty portion atop salads and the batter breads...

Ah, lemonade was a treat here, though, "honey or your sugars lord?" The tastes were different! A seat and small table was nice though, yes, granted..."shouldst we grant our found batter bread to the lord Merle? He's had naught..."

He smiled at her. "Good idea. You want to make him up a little plate of that and whatever goodies you can find on the table while I get the lemonade?" He did wince slightly. "Sugar. I didn't even think to try with honey. Maybe next time? I saw a recipe for lavender honey lemonade we can try once I get lavender growing."

He glanced up and shook his head. "Try Jason over there for your Merle offering: looks like he stashed a plate before everyone got here." Which appeared to be true as Jason carried two heaping plates of food towards the table.

"If I hunt proper I might find one more overlooked?" she admitted, "I'd not take what he has chosen." No, not when it made him so happy it seemed.

And he was half naked.

And wet.

She wasn't even certain she could look upon him proper! "If I cannot find another while plating the rest I shall try to ask yes..." emphasis on try. Yup. "And worry not lord, it is well, your sugar is just so common here, it is odd to adjust to."

Nathaniel was giving her an odd smile at her near reluctance to even look in Jason's direction. "Well if you can't find any, take Jason's, and if he makes a fuss tell him that it would make Merle happy, and a happy Merle means more barbecue."

He set his plate on the table and disappeared into the house.

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