DAAAATE!

[bothme]

Gamzee couldn't fall asleep until well past what he considered "fuckoff in the morning," so he was a little laggy as he woke up. he slammed a soda after his ablutions, eating a big breakfast, smirking his way through his bacon and eggs. Then he got dressed. He decided, that since it was blessedly less hellishly hot and humid today, he could get away with more than just boxer shorts. He had on basketball shorts, a nondescript tank top, and a gaudy vintage printed silk shirt of gold baroque filigrees on a background of the deepest midnight blue. His hair was pulled up and back off his face and neck in a poofy ponytail. 

Now it was time to be ready for the date. He hadn't been on a proper date in months. The last date he was on had gone tremendously nuclear when his matesprit at the time had decided to try and spoil him, which was not something that he could accept or enjoy. He got progressively more uncomfortable and tetchy until he melted down at dinner that night and had a panic attack in the ramen shop's bathroom. 

This was bound to go far, far better. For one, they were in the comfort of his own home, and he was going to learn something valuable. Second, it was with someone he knew had similar interests to him. 

Someone he knew, if he was a troll, would be a purpleblood. Because he knew Troll Corbin, although he wasn't near as interested in Troll Corbin. In fact? Troll Corbin gave Gamzee the wig for a number of reasons. But Human Corbin? He was so at peace with him. Corbin made him feel so comfortable. He hadn't gotten too nosy about shit that he felt was touchy or personal. He didn't ask why Gamzee enjoyed the forest or why he twitched sometimes, or why he couldn't make eye contact. He just. Accepted him. 

It was a new, beautiful feeling.

When the time rolled around for Corbin to arrive, Gamzee was sitting poolside, legs submerged, as he laid back and looked at the clouds, smiling dazedly up at them, making believe they were smiling back.

Comments

[maryonet]

Of course Corbin had texted first before he left the house. He had made sure he was cleaned up all spiff because the heat of the previous week had just been awful. No sense risking being stank-ass if there might be cuddling going on. Dressed himself relatively spiff in a light silk short sleeved button-up shirt open over a tank and some board shorts. It looked a little surfer chic really but whatevs.

He had hit the store the night before and got a good deal on the pork. Lucky timing there really. The thing looked like a roast but sliced and baked it fell apart into beautiful shreds of meat. He got a nice bottle of sauce and brought his casserole dish to cook the thing up faster.

Truth be told he hadn't really dated much since Eridan as it was. Too busy getting his life restructured and all. There was that bit of a thing with that demon teacher but. He seemed to have gone off on sabbatical or whatever, so another short whirlwind thing that didn't pan out.

Of course the idea of actually dating Etoile sort of made him nervous. What if he messed this up? Ah he couldn't let himself think that way. He was just going to be himself and if it didn't work then that was life and with luck he wouldn't have to find out what'd happen if it didn't work out.

So, he had all his gear set up, the carrying bag for his smaller poppets and toolkit, the food cooking ware and the ingredients, so forth. It was enough to carry that he had brought a rolling case for it all because he wasn’t about to be actually exerting himself even in the more moderate heat of the day.

But eventually, he headed toward the mansion, texting beforehand. -Hey man I got all the stuff together, you ready for company?-

[bothme]

-Ready when you be, brother.-
There was a bit of a surprised leap in Etoile's chest when he got the text, and the elation and surprise held on as he realized it was from Corbin. Fuck, he was already going nugbone over prong for this guy. He tried to reel it back in as he slipped his feet out of the pool and shuffled his way back into the (slightly less warm) castle folly, tucking his hands in his shorts' pockets as he leaned against the wall in the entrance to the home.

Between the five of them who lived there and the poltergeist, they did pretty all right in keeping the fixer-upper from falling over. It was an unsurprising mishmash of all the occupants' aesthetics. The opulence of Eridan's refined tastes served as the cornerstone for what came afterwards. Dave's ironic tastes littered the place, with strange knickknacks, and photos he had taken. Jade's tastes in décor ranged from the scientific to the botanical, and coincided well with Etoile's love for space and plantlife. living plants were in every room, making the air cleaner and fresher as a whole in the house. They were well-kempt and flourishing. And with his more bohemian style, Etoile had decked out the entire basement to feel more like a hippie pad than the large cellar of a castle. It was cooler down there, by a marginal degree, and darker, and more mellow. He preferred it to being upstairs by a long shot. Especially the fourth floor, where he was sure that it was sweltering in the noonday sun.

He saw Corbin's approach with the rolling bag and had to keep himself from going dark across the cheeks and ears as a big smile spread over his face, and he opened the door a crack. The poltergeist flung it from his hands and opened the second of the double doors as well, and with a petulant huff, Etoile looked around at the nothingness. "Seems you be more welcome than all that, haha, c'mon in," he said to Corbin, his saltiness subsiding.

[maryonet]

"Ain't like I'm moving in, this is just all the gear for dinner and the poppet bag," Corbin said with a grin, and he shrugged. The poltergeist, he was unfamiliar with, so didn't know what to expect there. But. He was just gonna be polite cus some ghosts would leave you be if you were nice to them.

He nodded and headed inside, clunking the rolling bag behind him. "So. I brought along a baking dish just in case. Stuff cooks up in about an hour in the oven and like four in a crock pot. There's a reason they call it a slow cooker and all. But the plus side is you can set shit up in the morning after coffee or whatever, and then by dinner time you don't have to do a damn bit of work, it's made. Good if you're off working, or so forth."

...He paused a little by Etoile though. Damn but he wanted to just give the boy a hug but wasn't sure if it was too soon for it and all. The hesitation just sort of radiated off him, but he still had a big silly grin on his face. Very happy to just be here. "...So um. Just like, lead the way to your room, I think I've only like... been by once to visit Princey so I don't know where your room is."

[bothme]

Etoile's good eye roamed from the bag to Corbin himself as he spoke, nodding occasionally, and then he furrowed his brow. Nervous Corbin. He smiled and just went in for the hug anyway. His embrace was firm but gentle, and full-hearted in its fondness. "Glad to have you by," he said, then detached and led the way. "The motherfucking wiring'n shit for the AC's downstairs, anyhow," he explained as he walked from the entrance, through the foyer, to the kitchen and then down the stairs from there to the basement. The kitchen, by far, was the most filled with plants, both his and Jade's. They'd been recently watered, dripping shimmering water from their leaves and the soil was dark with moisture. As he led, he swayed a bit, smiling pleasantly. This floor was very distinctly his. Lava lamps and tie-dyed and batiked wall hangings were pinned to the ceiling, well above his horns, and as they passed the hallway that led to his room, towards the living area, there was a mural that his older self painted - a beautiful sprawling scene of a fantasy alien landscape in deep, vibrant blues and greens, with a purple sky filled with stars and planets, and sagging, ancient trees and hidden creatures painted within. If one looked closely, each inch of the painting was hidden image after hidden image.

"You can get set up o'er there in the motherfucking kitchenette, fishstick dropped off the slow cooker down here, so you got that too. Sorry the stove's so tiny," he excused with a sheepish smile, looking down, "don't gotta have a big one when we got the motherfucking double upstairs. And like I got saying... I ain't cook much."

[maryonet]

The nerves melted when Etoile went in for the hug and he hugged back, returning the enthusiasm. He sort of rested his head on Etoile's shoulder for a moment. "Good to see you, brother," he murmured, then when hewas led inward to the rest of the house, he looked about, marvelling at theplants and the decor.

"...Fucking lava lamps. Ain't surprised, those things are hella fun to stare at, with or without medicinal shit," he murmured, and grinned.

"Don't need much for a kitchen setup tho. Just some counter space and an oven. Ain't even a big baking dish it's a nine inch casserole." He shrugged and looked at the painting again. "...Is this one just fantasy or did Alternia look anything like this? Love the detail work on it."

[bothme]

"Haha, man, that... That's some future-me shit. Alternia ain't look like that at all. Got some sketches I drew up all of the place from memory, if you be looking to have a visual. But nah, that's some motherfucking Vallejo shit he done up." He admired it as well, smiling sheepishly. It was well beyond his own skill level right at present, but his elder self wanted to leave a gift to him to enjoy. He stepped closer to Corbin, bowing his head. "Honestly though, motherfucker done up things to aspire to. I done one of these up at the Peixes mansion in nothin' but sharpies, but it ain't near as motherfucking wicked as all this madness."

[maryonet]

"Ha. Fair I guess. I mean if he's future you I guess that means you're gonna get that good eventually long as you put in the work. It's good shit yo." He wrapped an arm around Etoile's shoulder and nodded.

"Right. Lemme get this food set up and then while it's cooking we'll get a look at the AC shit. I'll work slow so you can take everything in. And if you got any questions you can ask me as I go, ok? Feel free to interrupt anything I'm doing if I go too fast and ask about whatevs?"

He looked to the kitchenette and then rolled his bag that way, unpacking the cold stuff and the supplies.

[bothme]

"Aight. Just go at regular pace man, I got quick know on when it's visual. If you be just explaining it, you'd have to get slow, but right now? s'alright." He scratched through the front of his hair and stepped a little closer, looking more over Corbin's shoulder than looking beside him. He'd learned how to cook breakfast this way, just by watching his alt go through the motions.

[maryonet]

"All right. But if you miss anything lemme know." The oven was preheated first. He took out his good chopping knife from its protective sleeve and chopped the ends off a large yellow onion, peeled it, the chopped it in half lengthwise and slived it into half-moon slices. Those were layered in the bottom of the casserole dish. The pork was next, the packaging removed carefully, sliced into flat strips the length of the baking dish, layered carefully. Then the entire stuff was dusted with paprika and a little jerk seasoning, and a half cup of chicken broth poured in. Then he added a few squirts of barbecue sauce. "Most of this gets added after its done and I shred it up. But that's it. Now we just bake it at 400 til it falls apart." He clapped a lid on it, and put it in the oven.

[bothme]

With rapt interest, Etoile watched and paid attention, only stepping away to give Corbin ample space when he was wielding a knife, then right back to Corbin's side the moment it was set down. Once it was finished, he smiled broadly and nudged him gently. "Looks good already," he murmured, then stepped away to lead the way to the very back of the hallway, passing three doors to the utility room, where the central air main was, as well as the breaker box for the house, the water heater, and the furnace were. "welcome to big tin shit I ain't know shit about central," he said while flipping on the light.

[maryonet]

"It'll be even better once it's done though. This shit is gonna be like melt in your mouth tender, s'good," Corbin purred and followed along patiently behind. Once they paused at the tin monster, he wrapped one arm round Etoile's waist and hmmmed. ...He looked at the machine idly, but. Mostly he was considering just leaning over and kissing his date.

"So do we got any idea what's wrong with it to start with? Or is it just like, shit won't go? Cus hell, could be anything making it not."