(Untitled)

[transgenic_alec]

If there's one area in which Manticore had failed to prepare him, it'd been in the culinary arts. Of course, it's always possible it would have come up at some point had the place not been burned to the ground, but as it is Alec's never really had to figure out how to cook anything in his life. Somehow, he hadn't figured it could be too hard

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[mayko_tran]

Mayko dresses up, because... well, it is a date, sort of, even if she still feels like they made it accidentally, and it's been a long time since she's been on an actual date. Nothing too fancy, but she does have a pale sundress that she thinks looks pretty good. Good enough for a first date, anyway.

"Well, nothing smells burnt," she says, peering inside. "Maybe I'm in the wrong place."

[transgenic_alec]

Glancing up at the voice, Alec smirks and takes a moment to appreciate Mayko's dress. He hasn't dressed up too much himself as he'd spent most of his time just trying not to mess up the food, but he's at least managed something other than jeans and a t-shirt. The slacks he's wearing are the same as what he'd worn to the masquerade and he'd found a decent enough green button-down shirt. Passable, anyway.

"Your faith in my cooking abilities is astounding," he remarks, standing up then and holding one arm out in presentation of the table. "Think you're willing to risk tasting?"

[mayko_tran]

"I made friends with a few doctors on my way down here just in case," she says, finally actually stepping inside and surveying the scene. Candles. "Good thing there's a clinic not too far from here. So what culinary masterpiece am I about to be treated to?"

[transgenic_alec]

He gives a quiet laugh, the atmosphere easy and comfortable as it's ever been as he pulls out a chair for her.

"What, you can't tell?" he asks, cocking his head to one side before nodding down at the chair, inviting.

[mayko_tran]

"Just trying to provoke some of your more gentlemanly urges," she says, sweeping her skirt out of the way as she sits down. It actually looks pretty good. Nothing like what David would've made, but she wasn't expecting that. "You really put some effort into this, didn't you?"

[transgenic_alec]

He helps her scoot he chair in as she sits and then moves around to the opposite side to take his own. "Gotta stop sounding so surprised," he tells her, reaching for the container of water and pouring glasses for the both of them. Wine would've been ideal, but he hadn't exactly figured out where to obtain any just yet. "Not allergic or anything, are you?"

[mayko_tran]

"Not that I'm aware of," he says, not hiding the fact that she's sniffing the food. She's pretty sure he's expecting it. "Wouldn't that be a lousy birthday." I smells as good at it looks, and she's smiling when she looks at him again. "Thank you."

[transgenic_alec]

"Hey," Alec says, lifting a hand to stop her, though he's still smirking, "no thanking me until you get through the meal without puking. I make no promises."

[mayko_tran]

"You really know how to sweet talk a girl," says Mayko, finally helping herself to what's on the table. "I promise if I have to puke at any point I'll take it outside."

[transgenic_alec]

"Nah, you can just take care of it here," Alec assures her, reaching to take the lid off the steamed vegetables, releasing the soft smell. "Least I can do is offer my floor for your use if I'm gonna try giving you food poisoning, right?"

[mayko_tran]

"At least I can be comforted by the fact that if you give me food poisoning, you'll have food poisoning too," says Mayko. "I'm not sure why that helps, but it really does."

[transgenic_alec]

"Solidarity," Alec says in agreement, still smirking a little as he dishes up some of the vegetables and then hands her the bowl and reaches for the salad. "Be a hell of a birthday, that's for sure."

[mayko_tran]

"Memorable, anyway, as being the one birthday I never want to speak of again," says Mayko, serving herself up some. Given conditions on the island, it actually is pretty impressive that more people don't get sick. "I have to admit, I was half expecting soup from a can."

[transgenic_alec]

"Can't say I didn't consider it," Alec says, smirking a little when he meets her eyes and then motions for her to have first pick of the crab legs. "More than once. Especially when I was trying to catch the damn crab."

[mayko_tran]

"You caught the crab yourself?" says Mayko, choosy about picking hers out. "Seriously?" There's a 'catching crabs' joke in there somewhere, but somehow she doesn't feel like this is quite the right time. "Don't we have people who do that?"

[transgenic_alec]

Both Alec's eyebrows raise at that, in surprise and mild irritation both. Jill hadn't told him that. Of course, it probably would've helped if he'd actually asked a few other people, but his pride had kind of prohibited it. Figures.

"Well, you know," he says, shrugging it off awkwardly, "thought it'd mean more if I did it myself."