Tell me how to make it right...

[darkprophecies]

WHO: The residents of Raven's house, unless they've got someone coming over or whatever.
WHERE: Lake Placid, NY
WHEN: Anytime this week I guess?
WARNINGS: N/A for now
SUMMARY: Family bondings, various miniplot development, and... derp?
FORMAT: Whatever you guys like! Separate threads for separate times and events, unless a character is randomly

Comments

[ajrimmer_ssc]

Even with all the weird smeg going on in the world, even with what appears to be open civil war looming on the horizon, life went on. A Thursday afternoon spent napping off the worst of the trans-Atlantic jet lag (or rather 'teleport' lag), and then dinner. Perhaps a movie put on.

Rimmer's homebody attitude would likely never, ever change. He liked being home, staying in, working on his own projects and not having to worry about shaking his funky thing down the disco. That was where he and Lister always came to loggerheads. Their worst fights were always when he went against his better judgment and allowed the Scouser to drag him to some seedy pub on some backwater moon during shore leave. Not for him, no thanks!

Tonight's dinner consisted of a chicken meatloaf and a spring salad, with plenty of wine to go around. Since he was now regularly cooking for five, he always made that and a considerable amount extra, so Joseph and Terry and Lister could rustle leftovers while he and Raven were overseas.

And woe betide anybody (

[darkprophecies]

And enter that very exception to Arnold's rule, complete with the cat Peter cradled in her arms. He had gotten so big, a full grown kitty now, but she still loved to carry him around just like when she first got him over a year before. He didn't seem to mind it all that much, content to purr away as long as she continued to give him attention.

She always did like to hover around the kitchen when Arnold made dinner, and it wasn't just from the delicious smells - it was the honest curiosity of watching him at work. He'd improved even more in his cooking skills since moving in with her, but that was probably from cooking for her, and soon others all the time. He seemed to do certain things effortlessly, where it would have taken her the better part of an hour to complete.

She peered over his shoulder the way she usually did.

[ajrimmer_ssc]

Literally hovering? Because that's the only way you're going to be able to see over his shoulder, Miss five foot four inches, heels or no heels. Long Rimmer is long.

Of course, since she was hovering, and since Peter's purrs were masked by the sound of him cooking, he didn't notice her sneak up behind him. He picked up his frying pan lid (where he was simmering the onions in white wine) and spun around quickly to slap it on his pan when he spotted her.

A verbal sort of keysmash escaped his lips, and he dropped the copper lid quite loudly on the tile floor. He then leaned up against the counter, clutching his chest and panting.

"You...brat," he said, finally laughing.

[darkprophecies]

Naturally the very loud sound was able to startle a kitty, which was precisely what happened, causing Peter to freak, and begin clawing his way up over Raven's shoulder, and halfway down her back to jump to the floor. He was gone before she stopped seething from the slight claw marks.

Slowly, she levitated back down, giving him some space to breathe, with a very sheepish look on her face.

"Sorry, I should have warned you."

[ajrimmer_ssc]

"I keep telling you, if you want to give somebody a heart attack, pick on somebody who actually has a heart."

He bent to retrieve the dropped lid, still chuckling, and took it to the sink instead to rinse it off. And then he turned his attention back to her as he was drying it.

"Are you all right? Peter looked like he was about to have kittens himself. Did he scratch you, dear?"

[darkprophecies]

"Yes, but then Terrence, Joseph, and David wouldn't like me anymore," she gave him a bit of a teasing look, before she tugged on the sleeve of her t-shirt, just enough to pull the collar of it to the side, exposing her shoulder. It let her see some of the damage. Just little red scratches, nothing bleeding.

"I'll be fine. He was just startled. It's what I get for cuddling something with claws."

[ajrimmer_ssc]

"I don't think that's possible," he muttered into his own shoulder. Ahem.

But then he saw those scratches and, after covering the onions, he leaned over and started fussing over her, kissing the worst of the scratches like a broody hen.

"Poor little blackbird. Next time you want cuddles, come find me, I'm much less catty. Only just, but still."

[darkprophecies]

The fussing made her smile, as it always would. Sure, there would always be people that gagged at how affectionate they were with one another, but she couldn't give two craps about that opinion. She was happy, he was happy, that's all that mattered in the end.

"I didn't want to distract you from cooking, though. It smells divine, but it always does."

[ajrimmer_ssc]

Those people could go take a flying leap, thank you very much. Granted, he would have been one of the worst offenders, once upon a time, but times changed. After one last little kiss to her cheek, he turned back to his cooking.

"You can distract me any time you want, love. Just don't sneak up on me to do it," he joked. Now he was chopping the herbs for the meatloaf, fresh rosemary and thyme. Those would go in with the onions in a moment.

"I hope you like it. It's a new recipe I found and I wanted to try it out. Not vegetarian, though. But chicken, if that's all right?"

[darkprophecies]

"I'll manage." she said simply, purposely not putting on any suspicion that it would bother her in the end. She was getting right back into her vegetarian ways again, and unless someone else was feeding her meat, she'd avoid it at all costs. She still had that need to make everyone else happy, after all.

Levitating up, she sat on the counter, close enough to watch, but far enough away to not be a bother to him.

"I'm sure it'll be delicious."

[ajrimmer_ssc]

"There's a salad, too," he suggested quietly. Ah, the problems of cooking for so many vastly different personalities. Lister would pour madrass sauce over the meatloaf, and Terry probably would prefer pizza or something, and Joseph...well, Joey never complained about the meals, now that he thought on it. Hm.

"I can make you a veggie burger instead, dear."

[darkprophecies]

"Oh, I'll just have the salad then, don't worry about me." she flashed him a smile, pulling her legs up to her chest and setting her arms over her knees, head resting back on the overhead cabinets behind her.

"This house is filled with growing boys, after all." she smirked - yes, she was very aware only one person in the house wasn't considered a full-grown adult, but she still liked to reference them this way now and then. "They need the proteins."

[ajrimmer_ssc]

"...If you insist," he said. It was difficult to sometimes take her at her word, but he was learning that on the little things, like this, she really was content to be fine with what was technically just a side dish. There would be no hurt resentment that he hadn't catered solely to her, and he wouldn't have to feel uncomfortable about it.

And then, he was up to his wrists in raw ground chicken, dropping in a raw egg and breadcrumbs before he went. The onions and herbs would get mixed in, and the wine sauce left over would be poured over the top.

"Oh! Honey, fetch me my spinach, please? It's in the fridge, already shredded. I'm going to smuggle some actual vegetables into the meatloaf. Lister will hate it."

[darkprophecies]

Oh, her laugh sparked again at hearing that, and rather than jumping down she simply levitated to the refrigerator instead, still only an inch or two off the ground when she did it. There was absolutely no reason for her to be floating there, aside from the fact that she was possibly happy, and wasn't thinking too hard on what she was doing.

"You're so cruel to him."

Still, she set the spinach beside him, closed the refrigerator, and was soon right back to her perch again.

[ajrimmer_ssc]

"I can just hear him now."

He turned, giving her his wickedest smirk, and put on his best Lister impression.

"Oi! What the smeg is this in my meat? Issat a vegetable? Oh, god, I'm gonna be poisoned. I'm dyin', Raven, help me please!"

[darkprophecies]

Like always, from the very first time they had actually gotten to spend time together, his impressions utterly delighted her. A light seemed to come on all across her face, features just sparkling with amusement. Every. Single. Time.

"He really would say that too. He'll be the death of me with his eating habits, and that's saying something, as you'd think it'd only affect him."