A House, Currant, Maine, Wednesday

[smilestopscars]

Today's Coterie job had been a dirty one.

No, not the fun kind.

But not the supremely unfun kind, either. Just... literally dirty. There'd been a whole lot of mud involved. It had gotten everywhere, which was why Ezra's first order of business upon getting home had been to take a long and very thorough shower.

Second order of business, upon getting out of the shower, was to throw his muddily destroyed clothes in the trash. With a great big sigh, because he'd liked that shirt, dammit. Just, you know, not enough to go through the trouble of washing it.

Third order of business? Locating clothes to wear.

[ooc: NFB due to distance. Posted with one in mind, but open before her!]

Comments

[smilestopscars]

"But of course, darling."

With his other hand, he made a theatrical gesture at the screen.

"Whatever the lady fancies, really."

[spin_kick_snap]

"I suppose that's true," Kathy said, smiling at his theatrics. "It's my treat after all." She added the options she wanted, then returned the phone to him, gesturing him to do the same. "Tonight we feast like kings, for tomorrow we're stuck with leftovers."

Nerd.

[smilestopscars]

Time for more theatrics! This time, a curious head tilt. "What is this 'leftovers' that you speak of?"

Even though he was kidding, first between him and the other foxes and then between him and the firebug in one household, leftovers had rarely been a thing.

[spin_kick_snap]

"A myth amongst our people," Kathy teased, waving her hand through the air. "Wherein we don't eat all the now so as to eat more of it later."

[smilestopscars]

Ezra snorted. "I'm unfamiliar with the concept," he said as he returned his gaze on the phone so he could send the order off. "You eat when you can, or you can't be sure you'll eat."

[spin_kick_snap]

Whereas Kathy's mom had always made disapproving noises whenever either of her daughters had gone back for seconds, but that was the kind of comment that really brought the conversation down.

"I would offer to show it to you," she said, "but superballs don't leave very many leftovers behind, either."

[smilestopscars]

"Then let's not worry about those at all," Ezra decided, resting his phone on his leg now that their order had been made. "Tomorrow's another day, with other opportunities for food."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Now that's a good way to look at the world," Kathy agreed, relaxing back into the couch. "Fits in nicely with my stomach-centered view of the world."

Again, superball.

[smilestopscars]

"It's a very good model for looking at the world."

He patted her knee, lazily.

"Food should always take center stage."

[spin_kick_snap]

"Your ideas have merit and I'd like to subscribe to your newsletter," Kathy decided, smiling at him. "You've seen me eat. Food is one of the great pleasures of life."

And one of the few they were able to talk about without making it awkward!

[smilestopscars]

For as long as Ezra could keep from making any reference to any other kinds of eating he liked to do, anyway.

But he was being pretty good about that right now.

"Hear hear," he sighed. "That's exactly what I tell Lock whenever the pantry is poorly stocked."

[spin_kick_snap]

Oh, her brain had already gone there in a desperate attempt to sweep all those jokes and comments and associations into the back closet of her mind. Because they were going to have an easy, innocent conversation, dammit, if just to prove it was possible.

No matter how much she had enjoyed other kinds of eating he liked to do. And was good at. So very, very good at.

"Does Lock then remind you that you have a car and the ability to go grocery shopping?" she asked, amused.

[smilestopscars]

"Funnily enough, no, because he knows I won't pay for even half the things that I'll bring back," Ezra replied. "And he seems to feel like that's something to frown upon."

Which it obviously wasn't. What was he supposed to do, not take things that weren't nailed down? Please.

"No, he prefers to make outrageous claims about how I'm the one who ate everything in the first place."

[spin_kick_snap]

Kathy felt a deep and abiding kinship with Lock, even though she'd never met him.

"How dare he tell you the unvarnished truth in your own house?" Kathy said with a mock-gasp. "You should make a rule about that."

[smilestopscars]

Ezra shot a mock-scandalized look back at her.

"How dare you? Get out of my house."

[spin_kick_snap]

"See?" Kathy said, laughing and making no move to comply. "There's that damn truth again. Shoulda had a rule in place!"