Christine lets out a huff. "I'm used to being on call," she replies, not looking back at him but rather examining the cake stand. "I can keep weird hours just fine."
But coffee sounds really good right now. She practically lives off the stuff, and she knows she'll have to accept nourishment eventually so there's no point staging a hunger protest over things. She's practical that way.
"I could do with some coffee," she replies, before turning to acknowledge his existence. "There seems to be a baked goods theme around here. Got anything to go with the coffee?"
Even though Max has on an all-black suit, it's like his color setting gets turned up the moment she asks about the desserts. He's suddenly so animated and bright. She's found his absolute favorite topic, baking.
"Oh! Yes. Do you like chocolate? I made those cupcakes pretty recently. Still good an' fresh. I have some sugar cookies too, in case you'd like those better? I can make anything else you want, too. Just say the word."
He bustles into the kitchen, breezing past her to busy himself with the coffee maker, brewing a fresh, strong, pot of it. Next, he'll grab some plates and utensils for them both. He'll hardly wait for her reply before he starts plating a cupcake for each of them.
"Um," Oh, there he goes. Christine has to admit she's surprised. Here she'd just assumed he had stuff delivered from a bakery, or the vampire set someone off to get it for him. He made all this stuff? Well, she'll have to see how it tastes.
"O.R. Nurse," she replies, before moving out of the way. "Guess I'm not anymore." Her friends will look for her, surely. They're supernatural people themselves so they must have contacts who can reveal who took her. But until that point she's another person who's just gone missing.
"Wow. A nurse. You probably are really used to odd hours then." His brow furrows sympathetically. And his voice is tinged with true regret when he adds, "I'm so sorry. I... know this hurts so much. To be taken away from everything you knew. Your purpose in life. It's not fair."
He sets the cupcake down in front of her and then follows shortly after with a fresh mug of coffee. A jug of milk joins them on the table in case she doesn't drink hers black like he does.
"I wish I could say something to make this better. But, the truth is, this sucks. You didn't deserve to be snatched away from your life. But it was the only way my Master could keep you safe in the short term. You're a marked woman Christine. They were going to assassinate you. My Master got there first."
Christine sits at the table and crosses her arms on it to stare down at its surface. Everything he says is kind, and probably something he thinks she needs to hear. Maybe she'd do similar if their places were reversed. But what she'd rather hear is that he's been working on some sort of escape plan. This acceptance of his — along with calling that vampire "Master" —just rubs her the wrong way.
"Because I'm a marked man too," he says with a heavy sigh. "I'm here for my own protection as much as you are."
He doesn't have to plan an escape. He knows the codes to all the doors. He could leave at any time. But if he did, he'd be dead in a day. Only his status as Erik's Pet keeps him safe.
"Who knew vampires were such assholes, huh?" It's meant as a joke and she ends it with a little laugh, but as she does so tears prick the corners of her eyes and she bows her head to pick at the cupcake's paper wrapper.
"Didn't know they even existed til recently." She sniffs and takes a bite of the cupcake, firmly telling herself that she's not going to cry in front of him.
She's not really fooling him. He can hear the sniffles, see the shine of tears gathering in her eyes. But, he politely pretends not to, while pushing a paper towel toward her. For the cupcake, of course.
"It was sudden for me too. I was in my junior year of college. I met this woman at a new years eve party. Only, she wasn't just a woman. She was a vampire. She was my Master's twin sister, actually.
"She tried to eat me. I fought back. I didn't mean to kill her, it just... happened. Now, all of her followers, her allies, want me dead. The only person who has a claim to my life that supersedes theirs is Erik. As long as he claims me, they have to let me live.
"That was six years ago. I've been here ever since." From a week past his twenty-first birthday, to now. This is all he's ever known. "My family thinks I died in a fire. You probably guessed, Max Maximum isn't my real name."
"He must not have liked his sister much," she replies after taking a small bite of the cupcake. It's good; like something she would make. A lot of cupcakes taste of chemicals from the preservatives in them meant to stretch out their shelf date by a few more days, but this tastes chocolatey and has the perfect fluffy texture.
"So does this mean he's gonna give me a stupid name too?" A pause. "Sorry." That was rather tactless of her. Usually Christine can summon that Southern politeness that everyone's mawmaw taught them.
"That's fair," says Max with a devilish twinkle in his eye. No, he just can't let the puns go. He just can't, "since using the same vein all the time isn't recommended." Ba-dum-tss.
"No, but really. I think that's a great plan. Man, I almost wish I'd thought of it."
Ah yes... as for Erik. What do you get the guy who has not only everything but the means to get it at a moment's notice?
"I like the slipper idea. If only because I'd love to see his face when you suggest playing fetch with him." Max, for once, genuinely does not know how Erik would react to that. Could go either way. But, Matthew would get points for surprising a vampire. That's no small feat.
Max will just have to keep thinking. Which he will, but lets the topic of gifts drop for now while he beckons Matthew over to help watch the dough that's floating gently in the hot oil, to make sure they come out at the right time.
"You know what. Okay. I'll make a few raspberry ones," he says after a moment of consideration. "Only because I did already get some preserve to use in my turnovers. Now, those are really my favorite so I was gonna make 'em either way. And apple ones for you of course."
A laugh as dry as the Sahara rasps out of him. "She was planning to overthrow Erik. I did him a favor." And this is Max's wonderful reward. Then again, Erik could have killed him.
The venom from her surprises Max, even if it shouldn't. His eyes go a little wider and he stands up a little straighter. It stings. The name was meant to sting. Perhaps just one more way Max is atoning to Erik for his crime of daring to defend himself against a vampire and win
Still ... somehow Max didn't expect to be taking those barbs from someone like her here and now. His tone is a little more wounded than he means it to be.
"I'm sorry too... I don't know what he plans to do about that. I can try and prevent him from picking anything terrible if that's what he decides."
Then, on a whim, he decides to add, "Jonah. My name was Jonah before..."
"I mean, I expect you to be there while Erik's opening presents, so with any luck you'll see the look on his face." He's totally going to do the thing now, with Max's encouragement. These two are dangerous together sometimes in that reckless way.
"Here, flip the two on the left, they're getting pretty golden on that side." He points to two of the sufganiyot that hit the oil first, grinning. "And yes, apple turnovers do sound absolutely amazing."
"Of course," says Erik genially, "I'm sure after all of that, your curiosity couldn't help but be piqued. I do not hold it against you." He pats Max's arm again, as if to imply the words are meant for both of them.
Max lets out a slow breath and seems to relax again. He reaches for his coffee to take a sip and grimaces. It's still just as burnt but now it's also cold.
"I think," adds Erik, "we might be better off if we tried to forget what we saw in that warehouse. I do hope it won't keep us from doing business in the future?"
It's not like her to lash out, but the situation has made her stressed and her careful mask of control is slipping. She chooses to eat her cupcake silently for a moment rather than stick her foot in her mouth again, but when he tells her his name — his real name — she speaks up.
The corner of his mouth twitches slightly. Sadly, he can't help Max there with cold coffee.
Yet Klement perks, his attention unwavering as he nods. "Oh– oh yes, indeed. We never have to bring the incident up again." It just goes in the pile of other incidents he's had happen during the growth of his careers, mostly left alone until someone decides to bring it back to the forefront.
Most likely his father. That will be another issue to deal with later, however.
His hands clasp together. "Mr. Osbourne, I am more than happy to continue our business relationship," he says. "You have a keen eye and great respect for antiquities and the like, and I only wish more clients understood the value in collecting and preservation."
"Not just see. I'm planning to take a picture." He will too. That's another strange consequence of Matthew joining their little family. Now, suddenly, Max feels the desire to memorialize things in photos once more. He has someone to show them to now. Erik probably won't be too mad if they make sure to keep their snickering low-key.
"Ah, thanks," with an easy gesture, he flicks the donuts over. "Good! I know what we'll be having for breakfast tomorrow then."
Max will happily continue on with the task at hand. With Matthew's careful watch, they manage to make all the donuts without burning a single one. Soon enough, they have a plate full of jelly-filled goodness. And a second, smaller plate with Max's raspberry batch too. The whole house smells of sweet dough and oil.
Max is just reaching for one, to test if it's cooled enough to eat, of course, when Josiah slides into the doorway.
"Times like this," he says, in a cheery mood by the looks of it, "makes me wish I could still taste as well as I used to."
Max, finding the donuts cool enough to handle, picks one up and tosses it to the younger vampire. "You might still taste the jelly. Try it."
As they age, vampires lose their sense of taste. But it doesn't go right away. Sweet, bitter, and sour are the last holdouts. The raspberry might still count.
"Thanks," Josiah says, catching the pastry mid-air and bringing it right to his lips. His eyebrows flick up. He can taste it, a little. Huh. He nods and smiles at the pair of them. "So, you two sound excited for the day ahead."
Watching Josiah's reaction to being able to taste the sufganiyah, Matthew can't help but grin. It's nice to be able to find one of the rare few things Josiah can still enjoy. And if that's good, things like pies with fruit fillings might be too.
"It's like being back in grade school again and getting excited about a field trip. Same rules apply, too--stick close to your buddy, listen to your chaperone, don't lick the windows of the school bus..."
"Here's hoping." Her gaze falls away to the table and she picks idly at the cupcake liner a moment in quiet reflection before she says, "This is a good cupcake. You're a good baker." It's a little weak as far as compliments go, but she's thinking he won't blame her for not doing the equivalent of writing in a Michelin guide.
"Good. This is why I like doing business with you. I can count on your discretion. And you have a knack for flattery as well," though the vampire looks quite pleased by the praise. "I'll be sure to forward to you a few more of the choice pieces I am hunting for."
Just like that, the matter is put to bed.
Max breathes another shallow sigh. He's just as happy to put all this in the rear-view mirror as the rest of them. Now, if only he could put this restaurant there too. He fidgets slightly in his seat. Erik, ever attuned to his Pet's moods, picks up on that.
"But, alas, the hour is late. So, I think that shall have to conclude our business for now. Perhaps you will come by my home sometime in the near future? We may have more to discuss." An invitation to a vampire's abode is both an honor and a dangerous proposition. What will Klement decide?
"Thank you." His voice is warm, even hinting a bit at affection. Honestly, he appreciates any compliment at all, but especially for his baking.
"You know, it's what I always wanted to do. Be a baker, maybe open my own cafe. It's how I keep myself busy here. But, ironically, you're the first person besides me who's tasted anything I've made for a long, long time. Vampires don't have a taste for anything but blood." Literally. It all tastes like nothing to them.
Max snorts powdered sugar all over his front at that last remark. Lick the windows. A wolf would, wouldn't they?
Even Josiah gives a light chuckle. "Funny you should call it that. Because I was just coming to give you a few reminders. Remember what I've taught you so far, keep your ears and eyes open. Stay aware of your surroundings. I've got no reason to think this outing won't go smoothly, but you learn to expect to be surprised. So, just keep that guard up."
"Josiah," Max whines, "It's a shopping mall, not the front lines."
The vampire's gaze doesn't leave Matthew. The two have been training for some time now. Josiah has a lot of respect for the werewolf's diligence, and the focus he's put on those lessons. This is his first test in the real world. Josiah is expecting good things from his best student.
It's sad to know where life would've taken him had he not got caught up in all this. It's sad that they both had plans on where their lives were going and it's all good now.
"I like to bake," she replies. "And cook. Something about following a recipe just— I don't know. Makes everything feel nice and orderly." And it makes her feel accomplished too, especially when she makes something she never has before.
Sometimes, he tortures himself thinking about what could have been. How things might have gone if he'd finished his senior year of culinary arts school, gotten his degree, and had a chance to use it. It won't change anything. But he can't help where his mind wanders sometimes.
But, to hear her say she enjoys baking too. That it might be a passion and a pastime he can share with her? His heart feels lighter in his chest.
"Yeah?" he asks, eyes sparkling, "Me too. It feels like... being in control of something." A rare thing for him, admittedly, when so much of his life is controlled by another.
"It's sort of zen for me. If that makes sense? And when I nail a recipe I feel like there's something to be proud of."
He slips his hand over hers, "What do you like to cook?"
Christine knows exactly what he means. It's deeply engrained in her to strive for control and now that she doesn't have control over her own life she'll need to put that energy into something else.
"Jambalaya," she answers, not moving her hand away because she's focused on talking about food. "Mac and cheese, quiches, I like making breakfast foods too, especially on my days off. So: omelets, pancakes, waffles, crepes." She pauses, trying to think of more. "Well, there's a lot." It'd be easier to say what she doesn't like to cook.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-10 08:18 pm (UTC)But coffee sounds really good right now. She practically lives off the stuff, and she knows she'll have to accept nourishment eventually so there's no point staging a hunger protest over things. She's practical that way.
"I could do with some coffee," she replies, before turning to acknowledge his existence. "There seems to be a baked goods theme around here. Got anything to go with the coffee?"
(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-10 08:29 pm (UTC)"Oh! Yes. Do you like chocolate? I made those cupcakes pretty recently. Still good an' fresh. I have some sugar cookies too, in case you'd like those better? I can make anything else you want, too. Just say the word."
He bustles into the kitchen, breezing past her to busy himself with the coffee maker, brewing a fresh, strong, pot of it. Next, he'll grab some plates and utensils for them both. He'll hardly wait for her reply before he starts plating a cupcake for each of them.
"You say you're on call? What do you do?"
(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-10 09:01 pm (UTC)"O.R. Nurse," she replies, before moving out of the way. "Guess I'm not anymore." Her friends will look for her, surely. They're supernatural people themselves so they must have contacts who can reveal who took her. But until that point she's another person who's just gone missing.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-11 12:52 pm (UTC)He sets the cupcake down in front of her and then follows shortly after with a fresh mug of coffee. A jug of milk joins them on the table in case she doesn't drink hers black like he does.
"I wish I could say something to make this better. But, the truth is, this sucks. You didn't deserve to be snatched away from your life. But it was the only way my Master could keep you safe in the short term. You're a marked woman Christine. They were going to assassinate you. My Master got there first."
(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-11 05:45 pm (UTC)"So why are you here?"
(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-13 03:23 am (UTC)He doesn't have to plan an escape. He knows the codes to all the doors. He could leave at any time. But if he did, he'd be dead in a day. Only his status as Erik's Pet keeps him safe.
"I have to stay here if I want to live."
(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-13 03:41 am (UTC)"Didn't know they even existed til recently." She sniffs and takes a bite of the cupcake, firmly telling herself that she's not going to cry in front of him.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-13 01:46 pm (UTC)"It was sudden for me too. I was in my junior year of college. I met this woman at a new years eve party. Only, she wasn't just a woman. She was a vampire. She was my Master's twin sister, actually.
"She tried to eat me. I fought back. I didn't mean to kill her, it just... happened. Now, all of her followers, her allies, want me dead. The only person who has a claim to my life that supersedes theirs is Erik. As long as he claims me, they have to let me live.
"That was six years ago. I've been here ever since." From a week past his twenty-first birthday, to now. This is all he's ever known. "My family thinks I died in a fire. You probably guessed, Max Maximum isn't my real name."
(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-13 06:03 pm (UTC)"So does this mean he's gonna give me a stupid name too?" A pause. "Sorry." That was rather tactless of her. Usually Christine can summon that Southern politeness that everyone's mawmaw taught them.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-21 01:01 am (UTC)"No, but really. I think that's a great plan. Man, I almost wish I'd thought of it."
Ah yes... as for Erik. What do you get the guy who has not only everything but the means to get it at a moment's notice?
"I like the slipper idea. If only because I'd love to see his face when you suggest playing fetch with him." Max, for once, genuinely does not know how Erik would react to that. Could go either way. But, Matthew would get points for surprising a vampire. That's no small feat.
Max will just have to keep thinking. Which he will, but lets the topic of gifts drop for now while he beckons Matthew over to help watch the dough that's floating gently in the hot oil, to make sure they come out at the right time.
"You know what. Okay. I'll make a few raspberry ones," he says after a moment of consideration. "Only because I did already get some preserve to use in my turnovers. Now, those are really my favorite so I was gonna make 'em either way. And apple ones for you of course."
(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-21 01:47 am (UTC)The venom from her surprises Max, even if it shouldn't. His eyes go a little wider and he stands up a little straighter. It stings. The name was meant to sting. Perhaps just one more way Max is atoning to Erik for his crime of daring to defend himself against a vampire and win
Still ... somehow Max didn't expect to be taking those barbs from someone like her here and now. His tone is a little more wounded than he means it to be.
"I'm sorry too... I don't know what he plans to do about that. I can try and prevent him from picking anything terrible if that's what he decides."
Then, on a whim, he decides to add, "Jonah. My name was Jonah before..."
(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-21 07:01 am (UTC)"Here, flip the two on the left, they're getting pretty golden on that side." He points to two of the sufganiyot that hit the oil first, grinning. "And yes, apple turnovers do sound absolutely amazing."
(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-21 02:25 pm (UTC)Max lets out a slow breath and seems to relax again. He reaches for his coffee to take a sip and grimaces. It's still just as burnt but now it's also cold.
"I think," adds Erik, "we might be better off if we tried to forget what we saw in that warehouse. I do hope it won't keep us from doing business in the future?"
(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-21 06:29 pm (UTC)"And what would you prefer I call you?"
(no subject)
Date: 2020-12-24 07:34 am (UTC)Yet Klement perks, his attention unwavering as he nods. "Oh– oh yes, indeed. We never have to bring the incident up again." It just goes in the pile of other incidents he's had happen during the growth of his careers, mostly left alone until someone decides to bring it back to the forefront.
Most likely his father. That will be another issue to deal with later, however.
His hands clasp together. "Mr. Osbourne, I am more than happy to continue our business relationship," he says. "You have a keen eye and great respect for antiquities and the like, and I only wish more clients understood the value in collecting and preservation."
(no subject)
Date: 2021-01-01 05:15 am (UTC)"Ah, thanks," with an easy gesture, he flicks the donuts over. "Good! I know what we'll be having for breakfast tomorrow then."
Max will happily continue on with the task at hand. With Matthew's careful watch, they manage to make all the donuts without burning a single one. Soon enough, they have a plate full of jelly-filled goodness. And a second, smaller plate with Max's raspberry batch too. The whole house smells of sweet dough and oil.
Max is just reaching for one, to test if it's cooled enough to eat, of course, when Josiah slides into the doorway.
"Times like this," he says, in a cheery mood by the looks of it, "makes me wish I could still taste as well as I used to."
Max, finding the donuts cool enough to handle, picks one up and tosses it to the younger vampire. "You might still taste the jelly. Try it."
As they age, vampires lose their sense of taste. But it doesn't go right away. Sweet, bitter, and sour are the last holdouts. The raspberry might still count.
"Thanks," Josiah says, catching the pastry mid-air and bringing it right to his lips. His eyebrows flick up. He can taste it, a little. Huh. He nods and smiles at the pair of them. "So, you two sound excited for the day ahead."
(no subject)
Date: 2021-01-01 05:38 am (UTC)"Max. You should call me Max. The person I was before is gone. It wouldn't be right to call me that anymore."
He drops his gaze to the counter. Jonah is dead. On paper and in his own mind too. He is Max, like it or not.
"Your situation could still be different... I don't know yet. It's too soon to tell."
(no subject)
Date: 2021-01-02 01:38 am (UTC)"It's like being back in grade school again and getting excited about a field trip. Same rules apply, too--stick close to your buddy, listen to your chaperone, don't lick the windows of the school bus..."
(no subject)
Date: 2021-01-02 01:55 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-01-02 02:08 am (UTC)Just like that, the matter is put to bed.
Max breathes another shallow sigh. He's just as happy to put all this in the rear-view mirror as the rest of them. Now, if only he could put this restaurant there too. He fidgets slightly in his seat. Erik, ever attuned to his Pet's moods, picks up on that.
"But, alas, the hour is late. So, I think that shall have to conclude our business for now. Perhaps you will come by my home sometime in the near future? We may have more to discuss." An invitation to a vampire's abode is both an honor and a dangerous proposition. What will Klement decide?
(no subject)
Date: 2021-01-12 05:48 am (UTC)"You know, it's what I always wanted to do. Be a baker, maybe open my own cafe. It's how I keep myself busy here. But, ironically, you're the first person besides me who's tasted anything I've made for a long, long time. Vampires don't have a taste for anything but blood." Literally. It all tastes like nothing to them.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-01-12 06:00 am (UTC)Even Josiah gives a light chuckle. "Funny you should call it that. Because I was just coming to give you a few reminders. Remember what I've taught you so far, keep your ears and eyes open. Stay aware of your surroundings. I've got no reason to think this outing won't go smoothly, but you learn to expect to be surprised. So, just keep that guard up."
"Josiah," Max whines, "It's a shopping mall, not the front lines."
The vampire's gaze doesn't leave Matthew. The two have been training for some time now. Josiah has a lot of respect for the werewolf's diligence, and the focus he's put on those lessons. This is his first test in the real world. Josiah is expecting good things from his best student.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-01-14 05:40 pm (UTC)"I like to bake," she replies. "And cook. Something about following a recipe just— I don't know. Makes everything feel nice and orderly." And it makes her feel accomplished too, especially when she makes something she never has before.
(no subject)
Date: 2021-01-16 04:24 am (UTC)But, to hear her say she enjoys baking too. That it might be a passion and a pastime he can share with her? His heart feels lighter in his chest.
"Yeah?" he asks, eyes sparkling, "Me too. It feels like... being in control of something." A rare thing for him, admittedly, when so much of his life is controlled by another.
"It's sort of zen for me. If that makes sense? And when I nail a recipe I feel like there's something to be proud of."
He slips his hand over hers, "What do you like to cook?"
(no subject)
Date: 2021-01-16 10:21 pm (UTC)"Jambalaya," she answers, not moving her hand away because she's focused on talking about food. "Mac and cheese, quiches, I like making breakfast foods too, especially on my days off. So: omelets, pancakes, waffles, crepes." She pauses, trying to think of more. "Well, there's a lot." It'd be easier to say what she doesn't like to cook.