songerein | [08] i'm 'bout to celebrate, push my head into the cake

[ Nothing has to be spoken...

Hmm. There's a beat as Susato naturally gravitates to a nearby shelf, reaching for a notebook that she keeps here in the kitchen, just for the occasion. Inside there are multiple doodles of Toby, from back when she was designing the Lestrade Chocolate Special cupcake, and also notes from the current recipe in question, which also contains their multiple attempts before they settled on something they liked. ]

I could show you. But now I am curious as to what recipes you have to offer. What other delicacies do you favour besides chocolate chip cookies, I wonder?

[76 was removing his gloves as well, giving them the same treatment as his visor and headgear. Moving then just a few steps away as he shrugged out of his jacket to reach through a shadow 'drawn' in the air and drop through it into his private room at the Harvest. Would find it later rested over the back of the bench-like couch there.

Idly he smoothed down the hugging short-sleeved shirt, grabbing his apron to pull on and tie at his back. Easily going through the motions of starting off his day in the kitchen-]

Maybe you should offer the secret of your churros and the dip that goes with it, Reaper.

[Idly spoken, even as he cut Reyes a brief look. Sweets for sweets?]

[He remained stiffly standing there in the big kitchen, as if trying to stand his ground against this negotiation and pretending to fail at it. He growled as Susato like her question was uncomfortably invasive, perfectly willing to make a show of it.

Then his head snapped around and his posture changed to offended as he pointed a finger at 76 who had recently lost more than a few articles of clothing. Damn old man.]

No. That's a family recipe, and as much as I like cookies, churros is worth far more than cookies. [By 'like' cookies, he actually means 'loves'.]

Sacrifices had to be made in order stick around here and get that recipe. His outfit was definitely not designed to cook in, and he supposed he could trust Susato with just a peak at himself as his gloves and bracers turned to smoke. Much like 76, his hands and fingers were blackened, but unlike 76's, his looked far more unnatural like his skin was necrotic.]

Move aside. I'll show you Huevos rancheros and you'll like it or else.

[ Rude! "You'll like it or else" is totally her threat. ...But you know, maybe can understand the value behind a family recipe. She would have to earn that one, but for now, she'll look at Jack before taking those few precious steps back and giving Reaper the floor--or the counter. Conveniently, she already has a place to take notes, so all she has to do is turn to a fresh page. ]

Huevos rancheros...

[ Spanish? Did she even spell that right? ...She squints at her scribbles, and decides that's good enough.

Let's see... ingredients first, right? ]

Eggs?

Right, right.

[Oh, he knew it was a family recipe; adding the right sort of point where Reaper could keep up this little show and keep the attitude going while 76 rolled his eyes and played right along. Even if here and there he was setting out the pan that would be needed well within reach for Reaper to use as he moved.]

Floor's yours, old man.

[76 could keep himself out of the while while still getting a few things set out and at the ready- without being obvious about it.]

[Without waiting for anyone to agree, Reaper bustled off to search for ingredients while Susato began to ask questions. He knew 76 would be tolerant of him taking over, even if this was technically their kitchen to utilize. He'd commandeered for less honestly.]

Yes, eggs. This recipe fries eggs, but you can also scramble them and that's called Huevos a la Mexicana. First we need to make salsa.

[He came out with an onion, tomatoes, cooking oil, chilies and set them out on the counter. He pointed at Jack with a blackened finger.] Do you have chili powder or cumin any kind?

[He began to chop up the tomatoes with skilled fingers of someone who had been working around a knife for a very long time and was perfectly comfortable talking and cooking at the same time.]

And how old are you turning this month, old man? [He said it with a casualness of someone knowing exactly what they were doing. After all, he already knew what age Jack was. Susato clearly needed the benefit of a birthday coming up rapidly.]

[ Ooooh. Susato looks up from writing, fully prepared to answer his question. She keeps the kitchen pretty well-organized, thank you very much, but when she sees that the question was directed at Jack, she relents, shutting her mouth. It gives Reaper a chance to add in another question, seemingly unrelated to the first.

Huh? ]

......This month?

[ Wait. She asked--

He never answered, did he? ]

[Susato and he ran a rather organized and well kept kitchen, and he double-checked to make sure nothing was short; if it was he took care of it before it was ever needed to be done. Better than chancing it—]

Got both- here.

[—Took a ducking into the 'spice' cabinet but it was two shakers that he was placing within Reaper's reach. Slipped right in behind to set them down on the counter before back to where he'd stationed himself.

Did cut Reaper something of a strange look while answering before thinking with that dry sort of tone.]

Fifty.... nine? [A few years older than he should be given the last time they did encounter each other. Oof.

... Wait. He glanced at Susato. Ah, yeah. This month—]

Uh, yeah. This month.

[Reaper took the shakers and eyeballed how much to add rather than measure it out. He had been using this recipe for years so he could sleep his way through it. He was tossing the cut tomatoes, onion and peppers into a pan to simmer while adding spice.

He didn't have to look to know that Susato hadn't known. Her tone said it all. Internally, he was cackling. Externally, nothing was different about him motions.]

Hmpt, you're old. I bet you don't even have anything planned, do you?

[Finally he turned back from his efforts at the stove and making salsa then leaned a hip on the counter close to where he had been chopping up vegetables.]

The old man likes vanilla, by the way. I could tell you the story of how his face went into his cake someday if you're good and give me that recipe.

[He was never above bartering.]

[ This month.

Still feels surreal, though what he says tracks. Memories of that night trickle back, and she remembers making a dumb joke about how she thought he was 76 when he mentioned something about 59. She doesn't interrupt, though she does smile at the mention of vanilla. Her eyes flicker down to her notebook and back up again. ]

I'll even give you a copy to take home. Though... he... might have let that story slip already. [ She remembers the picture. She'll let Jack take the lead though, about how much to reveal. There was a time when she wasn't even sure it was OK if Reaper knew about them knowing Jack's name. ]

Tradition, right?

I haven't had anything planned for well over a decade. Close to two.

[Wasn't worth celebrating a birthday with everything going on- and then everything that happened, abandoning his name and nearly everything with it.

He did pause and tip his head briefly towards Susato, a bit of a nod. While he was staying in the Mikotoba household he had told that old story. One of the better memories when all of them were still together, old guard with a few new additions.]

Wasn't even the first time- who did it was more the surprise. [There was of course a look shot Reaper's way, meant to look like a glare rather than the What the fuck, Reyes. sort of feeling it carried. Why was this happening?]

Perhaps you should watch your back this year...

[He knew why 76 hadn't bothered celebrating. It was probably for some of the same reasons that he didn't, but also, he just plain didn't like celebrating his birthdays. It was important for others, but he didn't like being in the spotlight for celebratory means.

He gestured at Susato with a hand.] Deal. [Then he returned back to setting aside eggs for later.] And how would you like a reenactment, hmmm?

[He smirked behind his mask at the glare. Oh he had been there when Jack's face went into the cake. It had been a moment worth having a picture of.] Well, you should always have eyes on the back of your head, old man. I always thought you had sharper senses than that day proved.

[ Leave it to Reaper to make everything sound like a threat. A few months ago, that might have concerned her, but now and in this context, Susato looks a touch amused. She's not eager to interrupt the two reminiscing by any means, but she does cast her mind back to that night.

Doing what she can while not getting in Reaper's way too much. ]

It was, um... Will. [ No, wait. ] Wilhelm, I think?

[ Jack's senses aside, he said he always managed to surprise him. ]

Are you threatening me with what's usually a good time for people?

[Parties. Parties were usually a good time for people, along with cake and just.. birthdays in general.

Eyes rolled, arms folded and hip rested against the edge of a countertop while he still kept well out of the way of Reyes doing his thing. Of course he was still there to go grab whatever else might be needed—

A nod towards Susato. Right name.]

I was not expecting Wilhelm to be the one to push my head into the cake. Usually that was you, so my attention was more there than him.

[Someone had managed to talk him into doing it instead.]

What if I am? Are you going to fight me about it?

[He was moving away to the stovetop to put a pan on, added some oil he saw nearby and then bustled off to see if there were some corn tortillas around this place. There had to be or everything would be ruined. He'd make salsa but tortillas were always a delicious pain in the ass.

He returned with his other ingredients and looked between the pair of them.]

He wasn't hard to convince. You just had to find the right person and the right reason for him.

[He'd paid Torborn off to do that part. That had been the most difficult part to pull off, but if he appealed to the man's sense of family then it went a bit more smoothly. He still had to endure so much cussing and grumpiness.]

So if she knows about Wilhelm, does she also know your name, old man?

[ ......

Susato can tell he is looking for something. She can't tell what yet, but luckily for Reaper, they recently introduced tacos to the menu, so he will locate the tortillas eventually. She appears to watch him, maybe scribbling a thing or two in her notes as he continues to interrogate Jack. ]

...

[ "Well--" she opens her mouth to say, but the words get caught in her throat. She'll let Jack answer. ]

I could.

[Yet there was no moves made to stop it, just a roll of eyes and some deep resigned sigh. Arms still folded as he tipped his head.

(Corn and flour tortillas to be found at that.)

His hand finally moved once he was in the space, and rested on Susato's shoulder with a little reassuring squeeze before he was moving on to pick up something he needed. An easy reminder to re-stock something before it was close to running out.]

Knows my name is Jack. [He might not have bothered much with his last name but- well. Morrison was right on the bag those pictures had been in.] She also knows about Ana, and Liao- even a bit about Ziegler, Sojourn.

[Susato had gotten a few names, because when she asked about someone in a picture he gave them.]

[He found what he was looking for and returned to the cooking counter with them, tossing them there. He looked between Susato in silence and Jack before he was shaking his head as the younger man's continued stubborn stupidity.]

And you deny you aren't putting down roots.

[This wasn't the kind of conversation to have in front of Susato either, but 76 had most definitely started it which meant that Jack thought she was trustworthy enough to hear it. Against his better judgment, he did agree on some fronts, except for the fact that anything she knew then Kazuma would know.]

So you'll be fine with her conspiring with me about your big day coming up? Good, the matter is settled. [He was going to anyway.

He pulled out another pan and set it on the stovetop, adding some oil and tossing in a corn tortilla.] Bit of oil, add tortilla and let it brown on both sides lightly. Now you can alter the recipe a bit with additions like sliced avocado, shredded cheese, black beans and the like.

[ There's a bit of relief in Susato's expression at the way Reaper reacts. Watching his technique around the kitchen and how comfortable he is here, she thinks that perhaps he is also putting down roots. She hums in quiet amusement at the thought, and as she thinks upon the names that are mentioned, the memories of that night become a little clearer. ]

I do believe I offered to continue the tradition, though he says he is too old for it nowadays. We will just have to think of something else.

[ She did move closer to the stovetop as Reaper continued, peering over the pan to see. Then she'll move to the fridge. Maybe she can work on slicing the avocados while the tortillas browned. ]

[76 huffed a bit-]

You keep saying that— and if she does decide to conspire with you over anything? That's between you and her, isn't it?

[That was about as much of a go ahead as anything that 76 could give on that matter. Reyes was too stubborn to be stopped the moment he got anything in his head -like what he was doing now, showing something he knew how to cook to Susato at all- and would carrying it through to some end.

Tone was the usual roughness, but there was more some amused sort of exasperation there than anything else.]

Well. He is old, but from what I've been told, no one is too old for a party. So he's going to show up and enjoy himself.

[Now he was just plain talking like 76 wasn't even in the same room as them, but that was rather purposeful. He knew that Jack wouldn't fight him on this, and even if the younger man tried, Reaper would win. He was a prideful man after all, and he liked to think he won all battles he decided were worth his while.

He might lose a battle, but he would always win the war.

Once the tortilla was browned, he moved it to a plate to repeat with a second then a third. He paused between browning to stir the salsa that was simmering on another burner.]

Once the tortillas are browned, we fry the eggs in the same pan. [He was keenly aware of her cutting things up to add, pleased by her choices.] By the time the eggs are done, the salsa should be as well if you're temperature and timing is right.

[ Heh. For the first time it kind of feels like they are on the same side. She can definitely get behind 76 enjoying himself for once, especially if it has been over a decade. After a short while, Susato is already stirring the salsa, giving it a small taste before adding this and that.

She speaks casually. ]

...Well, if there is to be alcohol involved, I will leave it to you.

[Had felt pretty pointless to celebrate something like that when things even started looking bad. All of the get-together parties stopped, and he forgot his birthday until it had passed and there'd been something in the mail from back home. Usually a card, if anything.

After a moment he simply watched them, out of the way, and the little easy preps were done with. His head tipped a bit.]

Wouldn't be surprised if he just hit up my stash.

[He made a mental note of where Susato went to assist with the salsa simmering and how 76 remained at a distance to observe what was happening. It didn't stop or delay him from finishing up with the tortillas and adding six eggs to the pan to fry up.]

He does have quite the stash. He practically has developed a distillery in the forest.

[He looked up from what he was doing to look at 76.]

Grate some cheese? [A request for 76, not an order.]

[ ...Maybe it would come out that she actually tried some. Even now, it feels taboo, though with the massive selection (as well as being around the stuff all the time), she has to wonder if she wouldn't one day find something she'd like.

She hopes Kazuma is there when that happens. But for now, as Reaper addresses Jack, she seems to snap out of her thoughts. She looks down at the salsa and, seeming satisfied, she sets it down to find Jack the cheese grater.

Doesn't take long before she's offering it to him... Unless they'd rather she do it? ]

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