How much wood would a woodchuck - NO WE'RE NOT STARTING THAT AGAIN [open]

[flailingbento]

Characters: Doumeki and Watanuki
Content: Watanuki has fulfilled Doumeki's woodchuck stew challenge. NOW THE TASTE-TEST.
Setting: In the Winding Way galley
Time: A bit after Watanuki's announcement of the completed stew.
Warnings: Language, excessive shouting, possible violence... yeah, Watanuki's in here. At the same time as Doumeki. 'Nuff said.

Comments

[bentothief]

All the events of the day had been ridiculous and irritating. Doumeki, a person who was so often full of almost limitless patience, had actually nearly run out of it during that entire... seamstress escapade. It also delayed the woodchuck stew, and he was particularly displeased about that part of the whole headache.

So once everything had calmed down, finally, and he'd gotten rid of the slight headache, he left his room and made his way to the galley. It was both irritating and amusing to think that something could actually annoy him more than Watanuki's incessant yelling and flailing.

Snorting at the thought, and the image of an angry cook flailing at him for being late, Doumeki rounded the corner and made his way into the kitchen.

[flailingbento]

Watanuki all but had a sixth sense for Doumeki entering any room where he was cooking. He whirled the instant Doumeki put one foot across the threshold, brandishing a ladle with righteous indignation.

"You," he snapped, "Are late. Late to eat the stew that I made for YOU. That I about KILLED myself procuring. You may begin groveling now." He crossed his arms and waited, the pot bubbling beside him. It gave off a savory, garlicky smell that, despite the questionable contents, was nothing short of delicious.

[bentothief]

Doumeki leaned back when the ladle was brandished, quirking a brow at the kitchen instrument-turned-weapon. Lifting his hand, he pushed it calmly to the side with a finger, glad when he crossed his arms and got it away from him.

"I am late," he agreed, though he still kept an eyebrow raised at him. The look itself spoke volumes of I doubt it was that dangerous, which meant that he didn't even have to actually say it for Watanuki to get it. Shaking his head and letting out an annoyed sigh, he frowned at him.

"Tasting it first," he challenged (though he wouldn't grovel even then), calmly moving to get something to try it. Though he hadn't spent much time in the Way's kitchen, if Watanuki cooked in it, he knew where everything would be.

[flailingbento]

Well, he hadn't really expected him to grovel. And in the interest of wasting no more time, Watanuki grudgingly let it go. He kept a careful eye on Doumeki as he procured a spoon, standing just far back enought to grant him access to the pot on the stove. He was going to watch carefully for all signs of foul play.

"Did you not read the network?" he said in answer to Doumeki's unspoken disbelief, which he could read in that one eyebrow as though Doumeki had shouted it. "I had to pay off the Thieves' Guild before they would let me into the market without getting mugged. I had to search the black market for woodchuck because they aren't native and import is restricted. Who the hell buys enough woodchucks that you have to restrict the import?!"

[bentothief]

No longer interested in wasting time, Doumeki dipped the spoon into the stew once Watanuki stepped back. Letting it cool a little before he tried it, he looked back at the cook with the twinge of a frown. It was barely there, but still apparent on his often neutral face. If he'd known that, he would've gone with him, but instead he'd stayed on the ship. Damnit. "Really." I'll pay you back.

Without saying anything else, subtext or otherwise, he stuck the spoon in his mouth. His expression returned to neutral as he let it set in. It was really quite amazing sometimes how Watanuki could cook something you'd expect to be gross and it'd end up good.

"Hn," however, was his only verbal response. This is really good.

[flailingbento]

Watanuki scowled deeper in response to Doumeki's frown. "Yes, really. But it doesn't matter now. The stew's done." Like hell I am letting you pay me back when the whole thing was your idea in the first place.

He'd never acted nervous when Doumeki tasted his food, but he did watch carefully and with breath not quite bated as Doumeki tasted the woodchuck stew. He'd never made a dish Doumeki had called unsatisfactory yet, and intended to keep up the record.

Watanuki breathed easier when Doumeki's expression returned to neutral. Neutral in Doumeki's book was, of course, closer to ecstatic in this case. "Of course it's good," he said, with the air of one who had not been hanging on Doumeki's every action to make sure he liked it. "I shed blood for that stew!"

[bentothief]

"True," Doumeki replied to both said and unsaid, simply dismissing the case for the moment. He'd forgotten about the Thieves' Guild, however, and he'd make up for that... While, of course, having him make something. Perhaps a new set of spoons, since he seemed quite obsessed with them and the possibility of their disappearance.

Expression changing from neutral to just a little amused, he sought out a bowl so he could stop hovering around the pot. It wasn't like he'd never done that before, but this would be easier. And since he did approve of it, and was getting first come, first serve, he figured if anyone else wanted to come and try it, they could.

"I'm sure," he let a little amusement slip into his voice as he got the ladle to pour some into his newly acquired bowl. And, because no conversation on Watanuki's food was complete without one, specific remark despite how good any of it was... "It could use more pepper."

[flailingbento]

Watanuki's triumphant expression disappeared almost magically from his face, replaced by a glower. "And of course YOU would complain about PERFECTION." Nevertheless, he snatched up the pepper and stirred it in, then grabbed the bowl from Doumeki's hand and filled it with stew. He wasn't going to let Doumeki pay him back anything for anything, because that would take something vital out of the victory. That was what he told himself his reasoning was, anyway.

He handed the bowl back with a scowl. "Better?"

[bentothief]

Doumeki managed to refrain from snorting as Watanuki's expression changed, leaning against the counter when he got the pepper. He was about to dip his spoon into the bowl when it was snatched from his hand, though didn't seem to mind all that much. This was normal behavior for them, after all. "Of course," he mused, slight smirk still there.

When the bowl was returned, he finished the motion of spoon-dipping, afterwards putting the newly peppered stew into his mouth. A sort of grunt of approval was his response.

[flailingbento]

Grudgingly satisfied, Watanuki turned down the heat under the stew and set the ladle down carefully next to the stovetop. He allowed himself to lean back against the counter, though out of respect for his precious countertops with only half his weight, and relax a little after the ridiculous events of the day. He couldn't have done this around anyone else but Doumeki; the instant someone else entered the kitchen, he'd be up and moving again.

"Quit smirking," he said, without much fire. "It makes you look like an idiot."

[bentothief]

"Really," Doumeki merely seemed more amused by the comment, though his expression didn't change at all. It stayed a calm smirk as he continued eating, glancing over towards him when he joined him against the counter. The momentary silence was a good one, and despite all his harassment for being loud, he knew Watanuki could manage it every once in a blue moon.

Partway through the bowl, he let out a slight snort. If he could make woodchuck taste good... "Too bad you didn't get any of the whale."

[flailingbento]

"Seriously!" Watanuki's eyes glazed over a little at the thought. "There's only so much you can do with woodchuck, but whale... there's whale sushi, whale with sauce, whale fin and flipper and all over rice, whale bacon-- whale bacon!" He sighed and stared dreamily at the ceiling. "Shame it got away."