homeless_pard: (Khemrys)
Khemrys ([personal profile] homeless_pard) wrote2022-01-23 11:41 pm
Entry tags:

Shall we celebrate?

Who: Khemrys, Requiem, some donors, Jason?
When: Several weeks after arrival.
What: Khemry's feet can be declared healed!

Khemrys was pulling the last of the meat pies from the oven. They'd need time to cool, and the oven as well, then she'd seal them back in the warm box to wait for Jason and Nathaniel to come for their meal. Even if they worked they tried to stop in at least once to eat before dawn, and so she made sure to have proper meals waiting for them.

Granted, there were still donors waking and poking their heads into the common room that had become a combination of kitchen and dining room these days making hopeful eyes each time the oven opened...

...but they had plenty left still of the previous pies, layered with ham, beef, and potato, with pea and herb gravy throughout. It had turned out well in her opinion honestly. The last two pies were somewhat different though, layering duck, fried shallots, and beef mousse with a cranberry mince. Special, and higher protein with slightly less fat as those two men seemed ever worried for the merest hint of actual weight.

Silly lords.

"Salad, lord, if you do not wish a full serving of the pies already out," Khemrys noted, flicking a towel at fingers reaching for the cooling set. She'd learned the first night the men had returned that salads were an acceptable thing to pair with most meals alongside fresh bread so no one went hungry. In her own world such would be sneered at when served too often unless amongst such as the Dames, or in summers when most veg was in abundance. Otherwise 'salad' was pickles and preserves more often than not.

What a strange land to have such readily available in all seasons.

She had to turn enough to give the donor a mild look before he winced and backed off properly, "but I love duck..."

"And as such I will try to add more of it to meals," she noted simply. "But such is not this eve."

The man sighed and slouched to the table, dishing up, and Khemrys shook her head in amusement, shifting to ah...pass dirtied pans to Requiem. He had an odd rule about cooks not cleaning, and if the donors forgot it he came by to remind them. It was still odd, and it was even odds that she'd clean as she went, but tonight he had caught her out. Bah. "You're early this eve," she noted quietly.

Requiem chuckled, stacking the dishes properly and waving at the next donor on the list for the chore, "I heard Lillian deemed your feet healed."

"Aye," she laughed, "she did, though I've exercises to do to reduce scarring." And balm, which she well knew how to apply yes.

He smiled, "well, then we should celebrate yes? and test the strength of your feet currently so you'll know for improvement?"

She blinked, considering that. "ah?" No, she had no idea. "The lord is suggesting...?"

"That we show these people how to dance. Jean Claude and Asher may join as well, should the the idea amuse them. And no doubt Nathaniel and Jason when they arrive!"

Dance? "To...what music?"

"I found much to try!" he admitted with a smile. "Trust me?"

"Of course lord," she blinked. How could she not after weeks living here?

"Everyone could benefit from learning proper dancing," he chuckled, docking his phone in the speaker system and holding his hand out to Khemrys, "and this way we might convince our club dancers to add a touch of grace to their repertoire..."

"I'm certain they might do well of their own," Khemrys murmured, turning to place the two pies safely back in the cooler oven to stay warm before taking Requiem's hand and settling her other properly at his hip with a smile. "As they assure me they dance well."

"...trust me, they'll want to learn," he chuckled, sweeping her gracefully into the first swell of the song. Likely his own knowledge was comparable to hers of trained dancing! And it was fun to encourage the donors to watch and learn as well!
jasonpschuyler: (Default)

[personal profile] jasonpschuyler 2022-01-25 03:59 am (UTC)(link)
It was late when Jason and Nathaniel had made their way back to the Circus, but since Khemrys had started cooking they were coming back from work much earlier than they ever had before.

They weren't expecting to be greeting by music and the sound of...revelry?
Was someone throwing a party down there?

They walked into the donor's quarters and froze. Nathaniel broke into a wide grin. "Are we holding dances now?"
jasonpschuyler: (Default)

[personal profile] jasonpschuyler 2022-01-25 04:12 am (UTC)(link)
Hi Khemrys. Looks like you're having a good time tonight." Jason quirked a smile at hers, and oddly at the sound of Requiem's laugh. "Dancing even on your night off?" he teased Requiem.

Nathaniel beamed at Khemrys. "What kind of dancing are you guys doing?"
jasonpschuyler: (Default)

[personal profile] jasonpschuyler 2022-01-25 04:26 am (UTC)(link)
As always, they were hungry after working at the club, so they moved quickly toward the indicated resting place of their meal.

"Wow," Jason said, staring at the intricately built meat pie.

Nathaniel was beaming as he inspected his. "I hope mine start looking this nice. I've been practicing but it's nowhere near this pretty."

Jason really only spared a moment appreciating how the pie looked before he was cutting into it, a blissful expression on his face. Hungry lycanthropes eating, but still watching the two dancers with interest.
jasonpschuyler: (Happy Jason)

[personal profile] jasonpschuyler 2022-01-25 04:42 am (UTC)(link)
Jason didn't rush chewing what he had, but when his mouth wasn't full he managed, "Thanks for fending them off for us. These are delicious." He chuckled and winked at her. "Just tell your would-be thieves that we'll eat the pies or them. You can go all Sweeney Todd on them."

Nathaniel laughed. "No, she'd be the pie lady who bakes them into pies. Mrs..."

"Lovett! Mrs. Lovett. Yeah, if they eat our pies, they get baked into the next one."

The pair were obviously in a joking mood as they ate enthusiastically. Still, they made sure their mouths were full when Requiem gestured for another dance so they could both watch and eat.
jasonpschuyler: (Happy Jason)

[personal profile] jasonpschuyler 2022-01-25 04:57 am (UTC)(link)
Jason shot a calculated side-eye in the direction of some of the lingering donors, but did bother voicing his threat. He knew Khemrys wasn't about to let him go hungry even if they had stolen his pie.

And speaking of Khemrys, he watched Requiem pull her back into their dance. They looked...very graceful. And happy.
jasonpschuyler: (Happy Jason)

[personal profile] jasonpschuyler 2022-01-25 05:22 am (UTC)(link)
There was of course polite applause from everyone at their bow and Nathaniel elbowed Jason and raised his eyebrows.

Jason laughed silently and shook his head, shoveling the last bits of pie into his mouth. "Never say no to a dance, right?"

He kicked his shoes off and tossed his socks with them: he didn't need to be slipping in socks in front of those two. He saw Nathaniel out of the corner of his eyes hurriedly finishing his own meal and stripping down to bare feet as well.

"No teasing while we're learning," Jason joked, "or we get to teach the next dance and tease back."
petal_storm: (Default)

[personal profile] petal_storm 2022-01-25 05:25 am (UTC)(link)
"...of course not," Khemrys blinked. Why would she tease them? "Shall we then lords and ladies?" as there were both genders and a few she was learning to call they as well, still present.

"Those who wish to learn leading, here," Requiem called.

"Following to me," Khemrys smiled.
jasonpschuyler: (Default)

[personal profile] jasonpschuyler 2022-01-25 05:31 am (UTC)(link)
The pair blinked. Jason shrugged and walked over to Requiem, leaving Nathaniel to watch the others mill towards their choice.

"I...don't mind doing either?" Nathaniel asked. "Would it be better for your numbers if I learn following then?"
jasonpschuyler: (Default)

[personal profile] jasonpschuyler 2022-01-25 05:40 am (UTC)(link)
Jason gave him a smug grin in return. "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life. That's the saying, right?"

Nathaniel simply smiled in return and slipped next to Khemrys without speaking, pressing to her side much like a friendly cat would.
jasonpschuyler: (Default)

[personal profile] jasonpschuyler 2022-01-25 06:03 am (UTC)(link)
"Always so much fun," Jason murmured at Requiem's remark, shaking his head. "I guess it depends on how these dances work, but I guess making your partner aware of how you're moving?" He was used to much closer dancing, where it was easier to feel the subtle shifts in direction.

Nathaniel smiled and flushed slightly at her instruction, mouthing a soft but good-natured, "Sorry," when he realized he'd done it again. He stepped back gracefully from her, watching eagerly.
jasonpschuyler: (Default)

[personal profile] jasonpschuyler 2022-01-25 06:25 am (UTC)(link)
"Pressure? Distance?" Jason sounded more like reciting than asking, or dredging up memories of old lessons similar enough. "A gentle push/pull with the hands, or guiding in a pass? Um...keeping your space..." Words were hard. He shook his head holding a hand out in front of him. "If this is the space, you can move all around, but you partner is going to hold the space. So if I step forward, she steps back and the space stays the same?" He knew some of the more classic dances at Jean Claude's insistence, but this older and more formal dancing wasn't something he knew.

A soft, joking voice in the group poked at Nathaniel playfully. "You should be good at this, then, Nathaniel." He, for his part, grinned in response. "I'm very good at following whatever gets thrown at me."
jasonpschuyler: (Default)

[personal profile] jasonpschuyler 2022-01-25 06:39 am (UTC)(link)
If anything could be said of Jason, he was an apt student when it came to dance: he enjoyed moving his body, and he had a very good understanding of how his body could move. For maybe the only time, Jason was paying close attention to what Requiem was saying without any hint of his usual snark.

Nathaniel watched Khemrys closely: he'd maybe learn to lead one day, but they were right and he was well suited to this. Graceful movements came fairly easily, even when the movements didn't always look entirely human.
jasonpschuyler: (Happy Jason)

[personal profile] jasonpschuyler 2022-01-25 06:56 am (UTC)(link)
A few people began to pair up. Jason stood for a moment, glancing at Khemrys. Of course he wanted a chance to dance with her, but Requiem's presence nearby reminded him...
He closed his eyes for a moment, frustrated with himself for letting Requiem get in his head: he was not the shy type. He crossed over to where Khemrys and Nathaniel stood and offered a smile. "Want to switch and give me some pointers now?" he asked her.
jasonpschuyler: (Happy Jason)

[personal profile] jasonpschuyler 2022-01-26 07:01 pm (UTC)(link)
He laughed. "Pointers," he corrected gently, "it's like advice. You show me how to do it better."

He winked and held out his hand. "Make me look like I know what I'm doing."

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