collaborative_daredevil | Slavery RP Post XVIII

Matt blinked in surprise from where he calming and taking deep breaths and opened the door immediately, Toffee sounded very unsure to him, and Matt asked, what's up? Did something happen?

"We're worried about you. Are you feeling ill or did someone upset you? Everyone's letting me pour because I need to practise, how to be graceful when I serve tea. It's not a status thing." It all came out in a rush as he moved forward, hugging Golubushka.

Matt felt suddenly deeply protective, all anger and bad rising tide gone and dry, and he hugged Toffee back warm and close and cradled him, of course not your fault, did absolutely nothing wrong, nothing to do with you, and he kissed poor puppy's cheek, am fine, just some dumb passive-aggressive drama, you don't have to get involved. I'm fine now. Let's go back and you practice, I'm not graceful either, he reassured.

"Was nice of Danny to remind me that it's safe to mess up with ordinary tea." He murmured, feeling vaguely guilty about agreeing when Jamie had called Golubushka odd. And when they got back to the kitchen Danny was explaining how Ward and Joy Meachum's status symbols had trained in performing tea ceremony for their Japanese business partners.

Matt smiled and decided the best revenge would be to be his most charming and good self instead, and came back, murmuring apologies, he'd just felt sick, and listening avidly to the story or at least appearing to, and thanking Toffee genuinely for the tea, and in the kitchen Jamie was asking for what had happened and fetching a ginger ale for with the meal for the guest.

"You're welcome." He smiled at Golubushka, still not sure what had made him so upset. "I should go and prepare the parathas now."

(OOC: Is Golubushka taking Danny being social as some sort of dig at him now?)

Matt turned back and nodded, listening to the Danny talk about differences between the different tea ceremonies and all the things, and pretended to be calmly interested and hummed in agreement to some of the more neutral things, and then there was a delicious smell as the parathas started to cook and he smiled widely. (OOC No, but he thinks the best way to respond to Danny throwing him off deliberately is to refuse to be thrown off, and to instead be almost aggressively friendly and come off polite.)

DA Barba was very polite as he asked Matt if he minded DA Barba sitting beside him - so Jamie and Toffee would find it easier to get out and Golubushka would't feel trapped either, and he agreed with a deliberately bright smile.

Then Toffee and Jamie brought the parathas and chutney through, dishing them out one paratha each, and setting the chutney down in four small bowls.

Matt breathed in deeply and smiled as Toffee finally sat down once the parathas, chutney, and two other dishes full of new different stew and casseroles were on the table, and nibbled at first thing on his plate experimentally, murmuring to Toffee this is lovely, and then when he realized others were staring turned over, what?

"I think this is an informal situation, right Erik?" He checked with their host as he added chutney to his paratha.

Matt stayed quiet and still for a moment, a caught rabbit, and waited for the response with his heart in his throat, and then the master said of course, it's just a dinner with friends of the family, and Matt relaxed a fraction before taking some of the chutney very quietly and adding it to the food, nibbling at it again much more daintily than he normally did.

He still watched to make sure that Master Erik and Danny had both started on their meals before he began his own paratha, but that was all. And Danny's Matt praised his cooking in a soft voice.

Matt agreed with a hum, and told Toffee and Jamie how the parathas had a wonderful texture and all the flavors of the chutney blended together perfectly.

"Oh, thank you." Toffee answered, feeling his cheeks heat as Jamie explained that they'd got the chutney from his favourite farmer's market.

Then you have excellent taste, Matt said cheerfully, keeping smooth and happy and doing what Foggy-teasing called world's-most-charming-pet, and then he waited as people passed around their plates for stew as Jamie measured it out, trying to seem utterly not greedy or stick out, he knew the others were confused about them.

Toffee quietly pointed out the flatbreads available if they wanted to eat the stew with those instead, and Matt thanked him with a brilliant smile.

Lots and lots of the meal passed with just soft eating and everyone enjoying the food vocally, and Matt nibbled on everything and made sure to pace eating the way Feral taught him once, breath between bites and pretend to eat on metronome, and it made him a little scared but he could breathe through it, and when eating was winding down and people were talking now he almost jumped at the first question directed at him.

(OOC HAPPY NEW YEAR! MAY IT BRING YOU YOUR DREAMS, HOPES, AND GOOD SURPRISES!)

(OOC: HAPPY NEW YEAR!)

"Did you want to visit the nest with Toffee and Jamie?" Then Master Barba could have his discussion with Mr. Rand before they had to go back to work, leaving Ivannya to entertain him.

Matt almost flinched but contained it carefully, and nodded quietly, if you're all comfortable, would love to get to know nest, food was lovely, he added, aware of how much he was sticking out and absolutely hating it.

"Please. I want to show you our nest." He slid out after Jamie, and tugged gently at Golubushka while Master Erik gave Jamie a hug and a kiss.

Matt rose immediately at the tug, smiling at his enthusiasm and the prospect of not waiting for every breath of Danny to be another dig, but he still held his fork, a little confused and asking if he shouldn't at least put his plate and such in the dishwasher.

"No, that's not necessary, thank you. I'm on clearing up duty today." She reassured Golubushka with a soft smile as Master kissed Toffee as well, noting that Matt had collected Toffee's project bag as well as his own for transport to the nest.

Matt was relieved at that, he'd thought maybe Jamie would be stuck with everyone and everything to do, but instead he listened to the kiss, how flushed it made Toffee and how much he leaned in, and Matt felt joy for his own clear growth and waited by the stairs.

"Ah, no the nest is through this way." He went over to Golubushka, and led him through the kitchen to the nest while Jamie guided Matt.

Matt hummed in approval of the layout, good to have nest hard to find from outsiders, and upon getting in the nest put his cane on the door and delicately felt on the ground until he found soft big pillows and carefully sat cross-legged good small folded, and said, tell me about the nest, what's it look like, what's in it?

Re: Toffee: Visiting and Helping

Toffee: Visiting and Helping

Re: Toffee: Visiting and Helping

Toffee: Visiting and Helping

Re: Toffee: Visiting and Helping

Toffee: Visiting and Helping

Golubushka: Visiting and Helping

Treacle: Visiting and Helping

Golubushka: Visiting and Helping

Danny: Visiting and Helping

Re: Danny: Visiting and Helping

Toffee: Visiting and Helping

Re: Toffee: Visiting and Helping

Toffee: Visiting and Helping

Re: Toffee: Visiting and Helping

Toffee: Visiting and Helping

Golubushka: Visiting and Helping

Hendrick: Visiting and Helping

Golubushka: Visiting and Helping

Toffee: Visiting and Helping

Re: Toffee: Visiting and Helping

Ivannya: Visiting and Helping

Re: Ivannya: Visiting and Helping

Toffee: Visiting and Helping

Re: Toffee: Visiting and Helping