1/10 Issue: Tea - Not Just for Drinking Anymore

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Slarti
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1/10 Issue: Tea - Not Just for Drinking Anymore

Post by Slarti »

Timelined a few days after Swimmers for Science

Jessica: Jess sighed as she pulled up outside the tenement building and gave it a proper look over. It needed a wash. The whole building. With soap. Hopefully the inside was less foreboding. She texted Jean to let her know she was outside even though Jean probably already knew she was there and let herself out of the car to start picking things up out of the trunk.

Jean: Jean absolutely knew, and had known as soon as Jess had gotten in the car at her own house since her Jess-senses were on high alert. Also because she was caffeinated. Ignoring her phone, she picked up Breathless and bounced out into the heat to greet her friend. "Hi!"

Jessica: "Helloooo!" She put the things down again to hug Jean and the doggo. "Aww I should have brought Sharky. They could have played."

Jean: "You should have! They'd have chased each other all over the building!" Jean gave her a happy, but brief, hug because it was hot! Glancing at the stuff in the trunk, she grabbed a bag with a free hand and then another with her teke. "Let's get in the AC!"

Jessica: "Yes, that would be amazing." Jess piled up some heavy stuff to carry them in and closed the trunk. "I hate summer... well, I hate summer here somewhere less humid would be lovely... with a beach... and cocktails with tiny umbrellas."

Jean: "That sounds amazing. I'm all about a beach and some fruity delicious booze." Jean teked the door open for Jess and put Breathless back down inside. She barked and danced in circles around them. "Baby! It's not the time for the tripping game!"

Jessica: "Then let me recommend a beach yurt in Hawaii for your honeymoon." Jess told her, easily avoiding the tripping game because she was super reflexes lady and also she could fly.

Jean: "We haven't even talked about the honeymoon yet, but that's totally on the list now!" Jean led the circus to the downstairs kitchen and set down her burdens. "This kitchen is done, so we can use this one. The one upstairs in our apartment area is still a work in progress."

Jessica: "Okie dokie." She set her own things down, "I brought... everything because I didn't know what you had and I didn't want to need something and find out you didn't have it..." she gave Jean an embarrassed grin.

Jean: "We have all the basic appliances, and a couple not-so-basic because Beth thought we totally needed them." Jean flipped her hair and did the Vanna White at the refinished cabinets and shiny new stove and fridge.

Jessica: Jess laughed, "Sounds like her. Call them housewarming gifts." She started unpacking the bags and putting things that needed to stay cool in the fridge because the car was not a fridge.

Jean: "Beth helped us with this one. The kitchen upstairs Jamie wanted to do himself. Me and Beth totally flooded this kitchen and then I used the bird to dry it out. He was not happy for a while." Jean laughed, then gasped. "Tour! You need a tour!"

Jessica: "I do?" She closed the fridge, "I guess we have time for one of those," she smiled, "Are you going to show me around too, sweet girl?" she asked Breathless, crouching to give her a fuss. "Show me all your favourite places to nap!"

Jean: "She's got a bed upstairs, but of course she totally just sleeps on our bed, or the chair, or anywhere she can shed all the white hair the boys don't shed." Jean watched Jess play with Breathless, who flopped over onto her back for belly rubs. "Awwwwww!"

Jessica: Jess was happy to give those belly rubs. "I miss having a real dog around. Sharky is awesome but when we were looking after Yoda it really made me want a real flesh and blood dog. Don't tell Miriam... or Sebastian. She has him wrapped around her little finger."

Jean: "Get another doggo! Sharky wouldn't mind! He'd just have a playmate for life then." She watched the puppy roll around and sneeze. "Bless you, pup!" Jean headed back into the front office area.

Jessica: Jess giggled at the cute dog sneeze, "See, Sharky doesn't do that because he doesn't have a real flesh and blood nose that gets tickled." She straightened up to follow Jean, "I don't even know what kind of dog I'd want... probably nothing too huge or fluffy... because he or she would chew Sebastian's over priced shoes."

Jean: "Well, I was gonna say maybe you should adopt one of Breathless' siblings, but she's gonna be huge and fluffy, sooo..." Jean stopped in the office and hopped on the corner of Jamie's desk. "This part is the first area he restored so he wouldn't scare off potential jobs." She waved her hands at the refinished woodwork and freshly painted walls.

Jean: "I took him to a noir escape room for his birthday and so he wanted to keep it looking old timey." She swung her legs and looked around. "I wanna get him an antique desk for Christmas, shhhh."

Jessica: "Ooooh if you need help shopping for one, take me with you! I love looking at old stuff." Jess looked around the office, "I'm not surprised the noir stuff appeals to Jamie with his comic book obsession from college... It's nice that some things don't change."

Jean: "That part definitely didn't change." She grinned fondly and hopped off the desk. "I got him a fedora for his birthday too, and rented a 1930s gangster car." She started toward the stairs, with Breathless scampering along the wood floor behind her. "There's a bathroom down here and some storage for his files and stuff, but that's a total yawner, sooo..."

Jessica: "I don't know, showing me where the bathroom is makes sense," Jess laughed, "Sounds like the birthday was a whole event. Making up for lost time?"

Jean: "It's down the hall behind the office, to the left," she said, bouncing up the steps and turned to face Jess and float. "Hell yeah we're making up for lost time! Four years of birthdays and Christmases and everything!"

Jessica: She laughed, "Does Jamie know that's the plan? Because men are frequently clueless about our efforts to make things magical."

Jean: "He knows." She wriggled her left hand with its little pink ring. "He wants to redo his proposal, for realsies, for better memories for both of us. He hasn't told me when, though."

Jessica: "Being engaged because you already would be and him knowing you're wanting to make all the festivities extra festive is not the same thing but I'll take your word for it. Being in each others heads helps a lot."

Jean: "We're not engaged because we would have been. He gave me the ring because it was mine, but I wore it on my other hand. He didn't use it to propose again until, um, Arcade." She took a breath to steady herself. "Our link is amazing. I love it."

Jessica: "Yeah, nearly dying has a terrible habit of making you realise what you have and what matters to you." She gave Jean a small smile and a reassuring touch to the upper arm. "It's frustratingly helpful that way."

Jean: "I don't want that kind of help," she said with a pout, but returned the smile at her touch. "Okay, onward!" Jean spun in midair and floated up the remainder of the stairs, meeting an excited puppy at the top. "So this is the living area."

Jean: While Jamie had a sofa, Jean had spruced it up with some throw pillows that may have migrated from her apartment. A fair number of things had migrated from her apartment to his over the past few months in fact.

Jessica: Jess noticed the familiar fluff and pinkness, "Is there anything left in your own apartment?"

Jean: "There's a lot left in my apartment," she defended with a grin, "I'm just not there to see it."

Jessica: Jess laughed, "Maybe you should just fully move in here. Seems like you're at least half way there."

Jean: "I'd be okay with it. We just haven't talked about it. It's not that he doesn't want me here, I know that," she tapped her head. "He's still kind of scared of my parents and the whole living in sin thing. My dad loves him already though, so it'd be fiiiiine."

Jessica: That made her laugh again, "He's adorably old fashioned sometimes."

Jean: "He is! I love it!" Mostly. The thought made her grin to herself. "My dad bonded with him over nerdery. My mom still thinks he's an actor or something." Jean opened the door to the bedroom and two white fluffballs started their ritual stretching and meowing for attention. "My boys! Did I wake you up from your third nap of the day?"

Jessica: "Hi kitties," Jess waved at them, "Nerdery is a good bonding tool, I'm told. I'm not really nerdy. Now, Carol. Carol is a nerd. Bobby is also a nerd. I suppose some people would say Sebastian is a nerd but I don't class science stuff and Star Wars as the same thing...."

Jean: "Carol and Bobby are definitely nerds, and Jamie knows a lot of that kind of nerd stuff, but he also knows a lot of Dick Tracy James Bond nerdery." Jean ruffled Figaro and Dupero's ears as Breathless bounced and boofed at the bed. "Don't be jealous of your brothers!"

Jessica: "No, don't be jealous. I can pet you." Jess assured Breathless and did just that, "I don't know any James Bond nerdery either but I do know how to kick someone's ass seven hundred different ways..."

Jean: "So does he," she said, scooping up Figaro to bury her face in the fluff. "So do I! But they all involve my powers so that's probably sorta cheating."

Jessica: "Yeah I learned all mine before I manifested the zappies..." she wrinkled her nose, "Stellar parenting there."

Jean: "Well, it probably has paid off to know all that at least?" She looked up and blew cat hair off her lips. "Not gonna enroll Miriam in extreme martial arts?"

Jessica: "It probably saved my life a few times but also gave me nightmares so..." she shrugged, "And hell no. Miriam is being a normal child."

Jean: "Has she shown any hint of powers yet?" Jean let Figaro hop back onto the bed and went back out of the bedroom to head for the upstairs kitchen. "I think this crazy indoor tenement window is the weirdest thing about this building. The upper floors have them too."

Jessica: "Probably to let the natural light get to more of the inside. The olden times people understood the importance of sunlight and fresh air," Jess nodded sagely, "Miriam hasn't shown any signs of powers yet... but I started to manifest the wall crawling around her age so she might soon."

Jean: "My empathy started young," she said, skipping to the indoor window and plastering herself to the opposite side of it to make a blowfish face on the glass.

Jessica: Jess laughed, "I can't imagine getting that power at a young age... it was hellish when mine came up as an adult." Of course, Hope's craziness at the time hadn't helped at all.

Jean: "Oh yeah, it sucks Satan's asscrack, but Rachel had it, too, so it was good to know I wasn't alone. "And I knew the rest might be coming, but I still thought I was going nuts when I started hearing voices."

Jessica: "Ooooh yeah I remember how hard it was trying to sleep when I first got my enhanced hearing... when you can hear all the bugs crawling around in the walls and the rats in the alley and the neighbours down the street having sex, it's not a good time. I had to get used to it all over again after Circle Pines. One of many reasons I hid out in the boat house for a while."

Jean: Jean's mood instantly soured at the mention of Circle Pines. "Uuuuuugh, the brainwashing. I'm still trying to repress that, tyvm." She led the way into the kitchen on the other side of the window. The cabinets had been refinished, but the doors were leaning against a wall waiting to be re-installed.

Jessica: "I try not to think about it... when I came back, all the friendships and what little life I'd managed to build for myself just fell apart. It was awful for a couple of years afterwards... the only good thing I had for a while was Sebastian and that was entirely by accident." She smiled at the memory, "Think I might have really gone off the rails if we hadn't met."

Jean: "I didn't talk to my parents after all that until after Jamie and I broke up. Then I didn't have anywhere else to go really..." Jean bit her lip and looked down the hall at the unfinished, boring rooms down there. "It took a good year before I was willing to even talk to them about Circle Pines."

Jean: She sighed and tried to pull herself out of the funk. "Awwww, see, you caught yourself a rich shark! And I ended up staying at the school. I never would have made friends, or met Jamie, or met the real you if I hadn't gotten my brains washed."

Jessica: "See what I mean about the horrible stuff being annoyingly also good?" She gave Jean a small grin, "Like if I hadn't gotten kidnapped by Viper I wouldn't have known I had a little brother and she probably wouldn't have broken Obi out of government detention just to mess with Sebastian."

Jean: "Yeah, yeah," she said with a slight smile. "It's the silver lining of the the pitch black hell," she nodded. "Did I tell you we went to see Pietro? Like, Doctor Pietro, not just our speedy ex teacher."

Jessica: "Nooooo. What for?" Gossip!

Jean: "Oh, he's... um, running some blood and DNA tests and maybeJamie'sspunk for us." It came out more questioning than she'd intended, since Jess' reaction was enthusiastic almost enough to make her regret mentioning it.

Jessica: Jess blinked at her as that processed, then she couldn't help giggling at the look on Jean's face, "Oh boy, I bet that was awkward as hell with mister old fashioned."

Jean: "Oh, it was hella awkward! Especially once I realized he was gonna let me feel exactly what he was doing when he was, uh, making the deposit." Jean couldn't help but join the giggle now.

Jessica: And now she was laughing properly, "Did Pietro know?"

Jean: "Oh God, he tried so hard to make me think he didn't know." Jean was gasping from her cackle. She wasn't even high and this shit was suddenly hysterical.

Jessica: Jess laughed harder, "He probably didn't want to make it worse for Jamie, he's considerate like that! Oh God, can you imagine?"

Jean: "Jamie?! I was the one stuck in a room with Pietro pretending I had fleas from twitching while Jamie was enjoying himself in a closet!" Jean was wheezing now.

Jessica: "Yeah but you have no shame," Jess pointed out, "Jamie has enough for both of you when a tiny porn booth is involved and he has to hand over fluids to another guy."

Jean: "Oh, and he had to do it three times! Once for Prime, once for a dupe, then a dupe's dupe." She tried to get her giggles back under control. "I'm glad he did it, but OMG."

Jessica: There was more giggling until she caught her breath, "Wooooow double embarrassment. How did he ever survive?"

Jean: "He wouldn't if he knew I told anyone," she giggled, then gave Jess a mock glare and a point. "Girl code! Snitches get stitches!"

Jessica: Jess giggled, "Don't worry, he doesn't like me anymore anyway. Why would I make it worse?"

Jean: "Oh, he'll calm down," she said, waving a hand. "He just has to remember why he loves you!"

Jessica: "Because I'm awesome and I cook delicious food and now I come with mom mode," Jess struck a superhero pose.

Jean: "And you can teach me to cook delicious food too! Ooooor at least not to burn down the building," she laughed. "This kitchen may not be done yet," she patted the microwave, "but I think Jamie'll kill me if I set another one on fire."

Jessica: "Yes, the plan is to avoid fires and melted cookware... and also food poisoning."

Jean: "Ew, yeah... also definitely to be avoided." Jean made a face, then looked at the stairs. "The top two floors are totally haunted, so we can skip those!"

Jessica: Jess looked up at the ceiling then back down at Jean, "Haunted? Really?" This gave her terrible terrible ideas. Bad Jess.

Jean: "Well, the top floor for sure, and maybe the third, but Beth and I brought home a stripper pole and that's on the third floor right now." She grinned.

Jessica: "...why did you bring home a stripper pole? And do I want to ask where you got it from?"

Jean: "Probably not, it involved probable breaking and entering, maybe some larceny, definite criminal trespassing... See, I learn which laws I broke from Jamie!" She float bounced a bit. "And why not bring it home? It was gonna be homeless. I cleaned it!"

Jessica: She laughed, "Recycling for the win?"

Jean: "Fuck yeah! It's great for workouts, of all kinds," she grinned.

Jessica: "Nooo, my innocent brain-eyes!" She wailed dramatically, then laughed again, "I know it's good for workouts. I tried it once."

Jean: "Just once? Awww, you should come over and play on it... okay, I totes need to rephrase that," she laughed. "Again, I promise I've cleaned it!"

Jessica: She laughed, "I was banned because I got too much attention and the other girls were jealous."

Jean: Jean gasped and cackled. "You go girlfriend! OMG you should get one!"

Jessica: "And put it where? I might spontaneously combust. I'm already taking my life into my hands living in a church," she pointed out, "Do you know what I did before I went to XU?"

Jean: "Yeah, so? That was yeeeaaars ago and now you're married, and rich, and a mom, and rich, and if you wanted to strip for your man you're the boss bitch and nobody can tell you no!"

Jessica: She laughed, "That wasn't my point but thank you. I just feel like installing a stripper pole in my house would be a step back for me and might make Sebastian's eyebrows take off."

Jean: "Take off in the best way possible," she giggled.

Jessica: "Maybe I'll just borrow yours and a camera and send him some pictures while he's in a meeting..."

Jean: "There you go," she laughed, then gasped. "OH! Get Cess to take the pictures and give him a framed one! I want her to take pics of me with Baby for Jamie."

Jessica: "Where are we going to hang this hypothetical framed picture?"

Jean: "You don't hang them, he puts them in his spank bank vault!"

Jessica: She laughed, "Why does he need one of those? He has a me."

Jean: "So he has a reminder when you're away at a shrink conference, duh." Breathless was tired of cuddling with the cats and snuffled back out of the bedroom, then gave a happy yap and bounced over to them.

Jessica: "I don't go to shrink conferences. Miriam and Sebastian can't look after themselves," she reminded Jean, "It's only safe to go places if I can get a babysitter." She crouched to do more flesh and blood dog pettings.

Jean: "You mean that grown-ass man can't take care of a kid for a weekend?" She made a rude noise and looked up the stairs. "Do you want to see the upstairs? Or we can wait until your play date with my pole." She waggled her eyebrows at her.

Jessica: "Okay imagine Carol but the owner of a company and you're somewhere in the right ballpark," she said, by way of answering the question. "And I suppose I should see what I'm working with..."

Jean: Jean giggled and lifted off to float up the stairs. "Well in that case, I apologize for all the power tools and man clutter." She took in the sawhorses and fresh plaster on one side of the large open room. The other end was all hers for now and she turned down the hall to the room with the pole.

Jean: Flopping dramatically on the hot pink pouf, Jean posed and waited for Jess to catch up.

Jessica: Jess followed her up the stairs, "I don't mind all the power tools. You forget how long it took to finish Sebastian's house expansion project? As long as the buggers aren't turned on, I'm good." She paused at the sight of Jean and had to laugh, "No walls and yet you managed to get pink fluff up here already."

Jean: "Fuck yeah I did!" she laughed, striking another dramatic pose that was ruined when Breathless bounded over and jumped onto her stomach. "Ack!"

Jessica: "Get 'er!" Jess encouraged the puppy, "Give her all the loves!"

Jean: "Don't kill mommy! Noooo, don't do it!" Jean flailed, catching the puppy but not before she managed to squirm up and lick her teeth. "You are so lucky I love you!"

Jessica: Jess giggled in amusement, "She loves you so much! Look at that bottom wiggle!"

Jean: "Aaaargh," she flailed, sitting up and flipping the pup onto her back to hold her like an oversized, floppy baby. "She's also lucky she's fucking adorable," she laughed.

Jean: After a moment, the pup calmed and Jean grinned, then nodded at the pole. "See!"

Jessica: "I do see!" Jess finally crossed the space to join them, "A bet she's seen some things."

Jean: "Oh you bet she has, but mostly just drunk girls, tbf, because she came from a dance club and not an actual strip club. Me and Beth were gonna go dancing and the club was closed. Rude!"

Jessica: Jess laughed, "You've gotta do your research... also, you went dancing without me?! That's Rude."

Jean: "We'd been there before! It was totes open then! Oooo, well now that I know you're down for that, you have to go with us next time!"

Jessica: "I love dancing!" A holdover from Circle Pines that had stuck hard, "I know all the dancing skills."

Jean: "Then we have to find a new club and hope it doesn't close after we leave!"

Jessica: "We can bring Tandy. She likes dancing too! And anyone else that wants to have fun. We should do a girls night. I need to get out of the house. Can you tell?"

Jean: "We can make that happen," she laughed, standing up and plopping the pup on the pouf. Jean grabbed the pole and swung into an arc around it.

Jessica: "Did you know she does this thing she's labelled 'dance combat'? Tandy, that is. I tried it out with her in the gym. It's so fun! She wanted a sparring partner so I volunteered myself." She watched Jean swinging on the pole. "I'm refreshing her karate skills."

Jean: She didn't even have to use teke to sling a leg around the pole and spin, giggling away. "Dance combat! That sounds fun. Maybe I should incorporate some moves into my firebird shtick."

Jessica: "Everyone should! No one would expect it. It'd be delightful to see the confused expressions."

Jean: "We can work out choreography and everything!" Jean made herself a little dizzy with the spinning and spun herself away to flop back on the pouf while the puppy decided to sniff around the baseboards.

Jessica: "I would pay good money if you could convince Carol to join in," Jess gave her a grin.

Jean: "I got Carol laid, so I can do anything!"

Jessica: "You did?" Wow that was a thing. "Was she sober?"

Jean: "She was! She went on a double date with me and Jamie and my assistant, Redd. They hit it off and have been hanging out."

Jessica: "Well good for her. She needs a healthier way to let off some steam... and a life outside of work." She would totally be trying out the pole if she wasn't wearing a dress.

Jean: "Yeah, I was glad it worked out. They bonded over taunting Jamie until we gave them some privacy," she smirked.

Jessica: "Aww poor Jamie. Did you help him or join in?"

Jean: "A bit of both, but then we fucked off to fuck, so he was goooood."

Jessica: Jess laughed, "So you abandoned Carol with a stranger in a restaurant? How nice of you both."

Jean: "They were getting along just fiiiine, and it worked out better for all of us." She winked and grinned.

Jessica: "Apparently," she giggled, "I'm glad you all had fun... But I think the tour is over and it's probably time for some cooking or we'll be eating into the 'clean up the mess before Jamie gets home' time."

Jean: "Oh, that could be any time, since his work is kinda unpredictable," she laughed, getting up from the pouf. "We had hella fun practicing for a baby in Baby."

Jessica: "I'm sure you did and I'm sure the neighbourhood voyeurs also had fun watching you have fun."

Jean: "That's what mindwipes are for," she said, waving a hand and starting for the stairs.

Jessica: Jess feigned shock in dramatic fashion, "Scandalous!"

Jean: "That's me! All the drama in a small, hot package!"

Jessica: She laughed again as they made their way down the stairs, "Well, try and leave the drama on the upper levels while we cook. I like my fingers attached and my blood on the inside."
Esynthia
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Re: 1/10 Issue: Tea - Not Just for Drinking Anymore

Post by Esynthia »

Jamie gets a home cooked meal?! YAY
Slarti
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Re: 1/10 Issue: Tea - Not Just for Drinking Anymore

Post by Slarti »

Bonus points because Jean cooks like this.
Image
Esynthia
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Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:54 am
Title: Bicep Addict
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Re: 1/10 Issue: Tea - Not Just for Drinking Anymore

Post by Esynthia »

:naughty
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