isleofavalon | [Closed] I'll always have everything I need

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[Closed] I'll always have everything I need

🧙 WHO: Gokudera and Aurora
⚔️️ WHAT: Aurora helps Gokudera make Baked Ziti, and he plays the piano for her
🕒 WHEN: After he's moved out of the inn and has moved into his new place
🗺️ WHERE: His new attic apartment
⚠️ WARNINGS: none? Maybe Gokudera's potty mouth

It's taken Gokudera some time to move out, and he wasn't in a rush to do so, necessarily, but it's helping him avoid a much larger issue than he'll readily admit. There wasn't much to move, and he's gotten a few necessities along with furniture that didn't fit Miwako's atelier. For now it's little more than a trundle bed, a desk, and some small side/end tables. The space is large, but looks smaller while it's occupied with an indoor tree. Apparently there haven't been many tenants, because they didn't want to keep up with the plan habitually dropping leaves on furniture. Gokudera doesn't care, though, since his pet from home will do best in the natural structure. So what if he has to sweep leaves off the floor from time to time? It's a much better space than a small carpeted apartment.

The skylights make the space seem that much brighter, and the brick wall makes anything difficult to hang, but Gokudera won't complain about the earthy tones it lends the almost too-white space. He's just getting home from grocery shopping, climbing the stairs to his front door when he hears a clatter inside and finds his leopard sitting on the floor next to a fallen branch. With a groan, Gokudera drags the branch and makes it into a small game, which would continue, but he needs to shoot Aurora a message that he's ready for her if she'd like to come over.

"Now look at the mess we've made," He says softly and starts gathering up the leaves from the floor before he's sweeping. Uri, his pet chases the leaves, scattering them and he moves into the kitchen, cleaning given up while he unloads what they will need for the baked ziti.

Uri comes in with a low growl and a curious rumbling chuff before sitting by his ankle and staring up at him.

"Chicken... or steak?" He cannot speak with animals, but he holds both and waits for Uri to paw at one. The meal of the day is an entire raw chicken, expensive but not nearly as much as the steak, which he's got cuts of frozen and waiting to thaw for Uri's next feeding. "Go eat it on the balcony." He hands the chicken over, and the leopard walks right out to sit and eat outside.

Gokudera is able to finally clean, but not discard the broken branch while he waits for Aurora to arrive, letting the warm weather sweep through his new apartment. He's wearing his usual white dress shirt minus its black tie, some ripped black jeans, and a few studded leather belts.

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He'll hear Aurora coming before she actually knocks, her singing as she comes towards the door loud and clear as a bell. On her shoulder is her familiar, Vivek. The giant Eurasian eagle owl currently watching everything around him as they walk to a new part of the kingdom, her usual animal entourage in tow.

Resting on the crook of her elbow is a picnic basket, filled with a tomato, basil, and carmalized onion quiche and for dessert, a honey-glazed pear upside-down cake.

She's wearing a shorter-sleeved shirt with the warmer weather on the rise but otherwise, her outfit looked much the same as it usually did. Aurora reached out and knocked on Gokudera's door.

Gokudera heads to the door, brushes his clothing off from all of his cleaning, and opens the door to greet Aurora and her familiar. His own familiar -if around- is not visible.

"Hey. Welcome." He says and steps aside to let her in while motioning a hand to beckon her in. The picnic basket seems quaint, and he moves in, motioning to his kitchen and connected dining room, where his desk is acting as a small table. Luckily, he has two chairs they can use.

"Thanks for coming." Uri is asleep on the balcony, the carcass of the chicken gone, and there's no trace it was ever there aside from the satisfied leopard sunbathing.

"Everyone, I'll see you all a bit later," she said to the animals, most of them scampering or flying off, though not a far distance should she call on them. Her owl, meanwhile, stays exactly where he's perched on her shoulder, the giant creature looking all about the apartment.

"Thank you for having me," she set the basket down and removed the scarf from around her hair, smiling.

"Ah, this is Vivek, my familiar. Vivek, Gokudera." The owl flapped his 6'0" foot wide wingspan in greeting before flying off to perch in the tree in the apartment. "He's something of a grumpy gus, don't mind him. But! As promised, lunch! Would you like to eat first and then cook, cook then eat, or attempt cooking and eating at the same time?"

It's entertaining, watching her talk to her entourage of animals. Gokudera smiles at the whimsy of it and then admires the owl perched on her shoulder. He looks quite heavy and strong, but despite being a 'grumpy gus,' Gokudera approves. He nods and watches him land, feeling even better about the large indoor tree.

"I've met Vivek before, but I don't think we'd been introduced." He says and then glances over off the balcony as Uri wakes up and stretches, but hasn't noticed there is a new person in the house.

"Eating first, then cooking. That way it will be easier to focus on the task at hand." And he won't eat some of the ingredients or dawdle.

"Ah, then I hope you're hungry. I made a tomato, basil, and carmalized onion quiche with a honey-glazed pear upside-down cake for dessert. I wasn't sure if you liked things as spicy as Zuko does so I went for something mild and can adjust for next time! I would like to learn all my friends' favorite dishes. Ah- that is, I would like for us to become friends, Gokudera."

"That... I don't think I've ever had any of that... or if I did, it was poisoned." He's eaten all sorts of food his sister used to make and poison to test out on him.

"Mnnn I already did consider us so." He says and gives her a smile. It was obvious, right?

"Then you're in for a pleasant surprise, I hope." Aurora began to unpack the dishes from the basket. "I didn't bring anything to drink, I hope I'm not being imposing asking if you'd have some?"

She unwrapped the cloth from the quiche and the cake.

When Gokudera said he already considered them friends, Aurora brightened up even more, her sun becoming as shining as the sun.

"Ah! I'm really so glad," she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Oh. I can make tea if you want. I also have sparkling water and regular water." He moves to open his fridge and then stares into it, giving a long, thoughtful pause before listing the last item. "And milk."

He moves by her to get himself a glass, wondering if he needs to put the kettle on or not.

"I'll wait to let Uri in once everything is unpacked. They'll beg."

He won't make any further comments on them being friends. Gokudera isn't so used to anyone wanting to be his friend. He knows in this world he had a good few that he did not return the same affections for. Now he's grateful, if a lot more quiet and less abrasive than he was before ~~his CRAU update~~ his strange time-travel nap.

"It will get warm with the oven running, so cold water will be just fine, thank you, Gokudera." Aurora did prefer tea, but she also didn't want to put out Gokudera as her host when they already had so much they would be doing. Besides, the day was warm, something cold would be better than hot tea.

"If you show me where the plates and utensils are, I can begin serving the meal."

coming over to practice
hope youre home

[ He's that friend... Uninvited houseguest. And in for a surprise. ~~Because Gokudera hangs out with other people too, Zuko jeez~~ ]

"You're welcome." He says and pours himself some milk, putting the carton away before pouring her a glass of water and handing it to her. Gokudera doesn't mind being a host. It happened often on Amoi, considering his roommate was something of one quite often. It's been a while since he's seen Aurora, and Gokudera doesn't want to spend long looking at her, is more reserved than he ever was during any of their previous interactions. Every look in her direction is little more than a glance, though there is something on-edge about how he carries himself.

"Yeah. The plates are in the cabinet above to the left of the oven. The utensils are in the drawer to the right of the sink." He moves to show her and then points at a tall ceramic container of larger utensils, like spatulas, ladles, and serving spoons. His device goes off in his pocket and he nods to her.

"Excuse me. I'll let him in... Oh. Do you mind if Zuko stops by to practice with me while the ziti cooks?" Gokudera asks and pulls out a cigarette, placing it between his lips so he can smoke outside before letting Uri in. The boy wants to give his guest room and time to adjust and be comfortable. The bomber lingers, tapping out a response to Zuko on his phone.

I'm home.

Aurora wasn't quite sure why Gokudera would avoid looking at her, she doesn't notice it, though, as she's getting utensils and plates out, setting everything up.

Her hands pause in mid-air with a plate in them at Gokudera's question and then she merely reaches up and pulls down another.

"I don't mind at all, Gokudera. It is your home, after all. Are you going to be able to manage music practice and cooking lessons?"

on my way

Aaand he's off. He was totally already on his way, though; he sent that first text on his way out the door... Tsungi horn and tiny dragon in tow. It'll be some time til he arrives, so Gokudera and Aurora can hash out the details of the updated plan on their own, unbeknownst to Zuko. Aurora's presence at all will be a nice surprise ~~to mildly panic over~~ for the evening... And her food will be, too. Better than his usual hotchips and takeout, surely.

She needn't worry if she doesn't notice, then. Gokudera will just keep up with being a bit cagey and timid.

"Zuko can practice on his own until the food is in the oven, and then I will join him." Gokudera is excited to have his friend over, but at the same time, Zuko pretty much invited himself over, so will just have to handle the consequences of being inconsiderate in regards to Gokudera having other priorities. The bomber can multi-task well enough, but Aurora was over first, and she gets higher priority in terms of cooking lessons over music practice. Sorry, not sorry, Prince Zuko.

"Did he mention any food from his world to you, by any chance?" Gokudera is walking over to the balcony door, opening it and letting the heat in, but the smoke from his cigarette out while he listens. Uri is still sleeping, rolling about when they notice the boy, and trying to tempt some dangerous belly rubs.

Well, she would be concerned about a friend feeling cagey and timid around her, but for now, her focus is elsewhere. She pauses and presses her lips together.

"I don't know how much Zuko will enjoy what I made, he only likes spicy foods." She frowned, her back still to Gokudera so he could not see her expression as she stared down at the, while tasty, ultimately spiceless quiche and the sweet dessert. Oh dear...

She takes a deeps breath and puts on a smile. "A few fruits here and there, and endless amounts of tea. But no particular dishes, why do you ask?"

It is concerning, but it isn't just her. Gokudera is cagey and timid even and especially around his boss. To be even more problematic, he's cagey around almost everyone whether they're a friend or not. Gokudera doesn't often realize how he's acting, and so right now, is just splitting his attention with his pet leopard and the conversation.

"He only likes spicy foods? Are you sure? I'd think that spicy is his favorite, but c'mon is his palette really so limited?" Gokudera is no chef or anything, and maybe he's just eager to eat a lot because of how he was raised, or the nearly three years he spent scavenging for food or eating pills for his meal supplements.

"Oh no, I know it's a trap, Uri," Gokudera remarks and then shakes his head, tossing his cigarette onto the balcony. Uri gets up and follows, and he shuts the door after. The leopard walks right up and sniffs at Aurora's leg before headbutting it gently.

"Why not ask? It's another world that he's from, and I'm curious about how different some of his food from there may be from what I've ever had. He's never been to Italy, and this is an Italian dish we're making. Have you ever had it before?" Gokudera walks up and smiles at the food she's serving them.

"It looks good. If he doesn't enjoy it, then there will be more for me." He grins at her and then runs a hand along Uri's back. The leopard swats at him, but he ignores, not interested in play-wrestling in the middle of the dining room.

"I believe so, yes," she answered sincerely. Zuko had mentioned liking fruit but who didn't like fruit? That wasn't the same thing as dishes made. "I'm sure he has his reasons?" she tried to defend the fire prince.

"Oh, why hello there," she smiled, crouching down to Uri. "You're beautiful, it's a pleasure to meet you, Uri," Aurora smiled and began scratching the leopard's chin and behind the ears. "Oh you're so soft," she pressed her forehead against Uri's, getting licked against her cheek. "Oh, aren't you sweet," she giggled. "Don't worry, I have something for you to eat too," she stood back up, humming as she unpacked the butcher-paper-wrapped meat from the basket. "Do you like sheep, Uri?"

"Hmm?" she turned back to Gokudera, having completely focused on Uri. "Well, it certainly won't hurt to ask, I'll do so when he arrives and settles in. And while Italy does border France, I'm afraid I've never gotten a chance to try any of their dishes. So long as there isn't any meat in it, I don't mind trying it- Here you go Uri."

She plated a strip of raw sheep meat and placed it on the floor for the leopard before she took a much smaller package out of the basket, unwrapping it and holding it up to Vivek. The owl immediately began digging into the meat Aurora had brought for him.

"I hope you'll be honest on what you think of my cooking, Gokudera."

Meantime, Mr. Spicy over here has made surprisingly good time. He walks fast to get anywhere; he's one of those speedsters. Nevermind the fact that he'd left his house while texting Gokudera that he was coming over...

Shortly after Aurora's hopeful comment, a few loud knocks at the door interrupt their pleasant conversation, no rhythm, just three urgent pounds. Zuko's in a good mood, not angry or bothered, no secret drama he's carrying over, he just... knocks like that. Legitimately just here for music practice and to check out Gokudera's new apartment. Thankfully... Because Zuko certainly has called emergency meetings with Gokudera many times in the past to Sort Out Some Feelings on the fly. This is not that. He's just here to chill, for once. Serious as he is about their musical performance, he's already rather having fun preparing for it, a small notebook in tow inside his jacket pocket with "sketches" of songs he's tried out on his horn, no idea if music is even read the same in his world as it is in Gokudera's... But he's surprised at himself already how much he's enjoyed having the tsungi horn here. He never imagined he'd ever be glad to be practicing tsungi horn. Life is full of surprises... and in this moment, even more than he knows! ]

"I'll talk to him about it." Reasons or not, that's no way to treat a woman's cooking, and if Zuko isn't a fan of this, well, Gokudera will have some grade A spicy words for him to enjoy.

Uri looks up, purrs, and then at the forehead press, bonks forward and then proceeds to wind its long body around Aurora's legs. This leopard is not an adult, but not a cub, still has that bit of scruffy baby-fur. At the mention of sheep, the cat stares and then sniffs the air. Food?

"I'm sure there's a vegetarian option that's just as amazing!" He sounds honestly excited about that, but has no idea how to make a vegetarian baked-ziti. Oh well? Future plans?

As soon as she sets that plate down, Uri is grabbing up the strip of meat and carrying it out of the room. Gokudera sighs and grabs the dish to clean it, muttering about how the animal is ungrateful.

"I can promise you ahead of time that it's already better than anything I've ever attempted." He washed the dish, then his hands, then gets the door when he hears the knocking. "Ah, Zuko's here. Excuse me." Ever polite, Gokudera walks up and opens the door, grinning.

"Took you long enough," He holds the door open until his friend is inside, and there isn't much hallway at all. Just living space up ahead and the kitchenette off to the right around a small corner. "Aurora brought food, and you better enjoy it." Quiet enough she won't hear, of course.

Aurora has finished setting up everything and feeding Vivek and Uri before she places everything on the table for the three of them. She was completely unaware of Gokudera's comment to the fire prince.

"Zuko! What perfect timing. Gokudera and I were just about to have lunch and then start in on his dish for the feast. I must admit, I'm excited to hear both of you play." She gestured to the table.

"I hope you're hungry?" she did have a touch of concern in her voice, clearly unsure if Zuko would eat, much less like the dishes she had made for the baking lessons she had planned with Gokudera.

"Wha—? Aurora?!" Zuko throws Gokudera a rather alarmed look, caught off-guard, not matching his whispering quite as well, but lo and behold— on cue, there she is, and Zuko turns when she calls his name, wide-eyed in surprise.

"Aurora...!" he says a little louder now, addressing her directly as his body language completely changes and he stands at attention, more rigid and nervous-looking than he'd been when he walked in slumped over beneath the giant tsungi horn wrapped around his shoulder. Surely Gokudera, who's seen Zuko at some of his rawest moments here in Avalon as well as plenty of normal, casual, fun hangouts, will surely pick up on this change in behavior pretty quickly, if not even from the start... Aurora, she doesn't know Zuko so well yet; he's just an awkward boy as far as she knows. Which also isn't untrue.

"Uh— Hi?!"

"Nn." Gokudera nods. You heard him right, Zuko. Gokudera turns to walk back into the kitchenette connected to the dining room, and he looks over his shoulder, brow raised at his friend's exclamation. Then, obviously noticing the sudden change in his friend, the bomber snickers and gives Aurora an honest, open smile.

"It looks amazing. Thank you." He puts out a hand to her arm, then moves to get another glass.

"Zuko. What do you want to drink? Set the horn down by the couch."

And sure enough, a few steps in, there's the tree and Uri napping in it as a sort of centerpiece to Gokudera's attic apartment.

"Hello, Zuko," she giggled as he suddenly stood up straighter and tilted her head.

"And not at all, Gokudera, I wanted something light and tasty since I looked up baked ziti and know that it can be heavier in the stomach. I set everything up for the three of us. Please come, sit, and eat."

"I, uh—" he stammers in his surprise, not knowing the answer to what he wants but looking to Gokudera as he instructs him; Zuko sets the tsungi horn down, heaving the instrument over his head and moving tentatively with a tone of voice to match. "Sure... Thanks. Um— I'm sure whatever you're having is good..." Meaning, give him anything. Water, soda, tea, wine, he's preoccupied.

He's gazing at Uri in the tree now, dawdling a brief moment to collect himself instead of heading straight to the table, before hearing a hollow scritching and scratching from beneath the downturned basin of the horn. And it's a good thing he dawdled and hung around a second, too... He lifts the horn partway up to leave a sliver of space, and from within, a small red dragon emerges... looking a bit frantic, really, about being forgotten and trapped inside a horn, um, rude, Zuko. But it's partly Zun's fault for riding inside it instead of on Zuko's shoulders like normal, right? ~~No, it's Zuko's for letting it.~~ The little lizard scurries away, wasting no time in scampering up the tree, but avoids the branch Uri is on, hiding on the other side of the trunk.

Zuko himself steps aside to the dining area, not certain at all what to expect, except that he expects it to be good. But he's worried, if it's not, can he pretend it is? He wouldn't think of himself this way, headstrong and used to relative luxury that protects him from any guilt over it, but he is a bit of a picky eater, and as a total rarity, if he doesn't like this meal, he'll feel the fault will be on him and his tastes, not on Aurora as a cook. He's never shied away from speaking his mind; in fact, the same day Zuko met Aurora, he later nearly landed himself in a brawl with a local cook over a greasy slice of cheap pizza, so he's absolutely the type to complain to the chef if he's not satisfied. But in this instance... absolutely not. He's more worried about his acting skills than he is about her food, even if it's not in the forefront of his mind; it is still a passing thought.

But indeed one that passes quickly, once he sees the spread Aurora's made here, standing and gazing on it in quiet amazement a second in his tracks before pulling out a chair to take his seat first, little mind paid to who sit nexts to who.

Gokudera would groan about how Zuko is acting so awkward, but he is very familiar with people around him having crushes. This is just so painfully obvious, and Aurora's giggle is sweet, makes him smirk softly. He's setting a sparkling water down at the table by his seat, across from him and next to Aurora. Sorry, Zuko, he's putting you right beside the source of those passing concerns.

When Zuko returns, Gokudera seems a bit surprised. No comment on the tree? His friend had seemed so stunned when he'd first mentioned it. The bomber sips at his own drink, then nods to Zuko's glass. "It's lemon-lime." The sparkling water, he means.

Aurora isn't used to anyone having crushes on her. The one man who did not "crush," he was very open about his feelings for her. The other man, the one she was betrothed to, well she didn't know him. Zuko or Gokudera could have themselves Prince Phillip and she'd have believed them.

She takes her seat between the boys and smiles.

"Now, be honest, I promise I can take your remarks on the quiche and upside-down pear cake. If it's too sweet or salty, the texture or flavors are unbalanced, or not to your liking, anything!"

"Okay..." he mumbles.

Poor awkward prince. 'Okay' goes to both the drink and the food. He's just flustered, he'll calm down soon enough, surely. He came over expecting focused music practice alone with Gokudera, and yes, he happens to be a bit hungry (he kind of always is in Avalon; he can't nourish himself properly on hotchips from the convenience store, oy), so he's thankful to this lunch he didn't expect... But he didn't expect Aurora at all, of all people. Zuko knew they knew each other, Aurora having described Gokudera as 'honest' and Zuko really liked that that's the one word she chose; and partly he's relieved to know they have Gokudera of all people in common — who better to buffer right now, after all?

He's sitting stiffly in his seat, gazing at the rather beautiful food, feeling all the pressure of Aurora's eager and expectant gaze, wanting critique he didn't want to give... He was certain it's good even if he doesn't end up liking it. But, really, he has little doubt he will like it, just trusting Aurora's capabilities on her word. He's eaten many types of food all over the world — all over multiple worlds — and he's scarcely found anything downright offensive tasting... He's more just nervous and worked up about — well, nothing, really, he needs to act normal, telling himself so in his head... He doesn't want to be the first to dig in, nor does he know what to say, so he just takes a long swig of the lemon-lime water Gokudera'd brought him to occupy himself in excusable silence. Frankly, he's thirstier than he thought, too; nerves, man. For how little this guy thinks ahead, you'd think he'd like surprises by now.

Gokudera doesn't have a crush on anyone. He's busy pining for his clueless fiancé. Other than that, moving out on his own was just a means to cope. Meddling in other people's relationships is good enough for a distraction.

"I'm not a huge fan of quiche in general, but I've never seen one like this." So it's fair for him to try, and he helps himself. Once he's plated up a portion, he moves up from his seat.

"Excuse me-" And then returns with salt and pepper, just in case.

"I'm excited for the cake. I won't lie." And he takes a bite of the quiche and gives a hum. "Could use a little salt, but otherwise, it's perfect." He's going to allow himself to be curious about food and cooking today. There's been years where he hasn't been in a kitchen, has been more destructive than not, so... it's a good change of pace, he figures.

"Was any of it difficult to make?"

"Oh, not at all! Quiches and tarts are really very simple to make. We'll have to make you a fan of them. Perhaps I'll have you try my peasant stew or ratatouille! They're very common dishes from my kingdom."

At the mention of needing more salt, she inclined her head.

"Ah, I see, I tend to leave mild seasoning to the taste of the one dining on it. After all, you can always add seasoning, much more difficult to take it away. But I'm glad it is to your liking. And to be honest, I'm looking forward to my dessert as well. I have such a sweet tooth," she giggled.

She turned to Zuko, pushing hair behind her ear as she looked at him with a smile, though, she was inwardly nervous. It wasn't spicy food, after all.

"What are your thoughts, Zuko?"

Peasant stew...? He's a bit stuck on that inwardly, having no idea what ratatouille is, either. All the same, he quietly listens to their exchange, watching Gokudera's reaction as if by example, plating himself a slice of quiche as well as they talk. And now it's his turn... He glances to Aurora when he sees her turn to him, catching her eye for a moment, before giving a single nod and taking his first bite.

And it is a lot better than he expected. He wasn't even sure what he was about to eat. The texture is nice, the flavors aren't overpowering, it's clear to him she knows what she's doing in the kitchen. He disagrees about the salt, feeling fine as it is for his tastes, doesn't bother adding anything more to it, but nods once more after his first bite, glancing back to Aurora with his verdict. He could say all that out loud, show his honest enthusiasm like he probably should. But instead he just says:

"It's really good..."

"Peasant stew sounds comforting," Gokudera remarks and he seems pleased overall with the quiche. It's good, but he's not sure if he'd go for it if there were other options he could possibly favor.

"That's fair. Maybe my taste is just different." Maybe he's gotten used to saltier foods, but oh well.

"So what makes it an upside-down cake? It just looks like the pear is on top..."

"You like it? Really?" her eyes widened as she looked at Zuko, having expected him to say that it wasn't, well, spicy enough, because it didn't really have ANY spiciness to it. She suddenly smiled bright and wide.

"I'm so glad you both like it," she let out a soft breath. "I've never really cooked for anyone besides my aunts, let alone my friends."

She tilted her head.

"Oh, well, the pears aren't technically on top! They were lined on the bottom of the baking tin and then you flip over the cake after it's baked. That's why it's an upside-down cake! Isn't that clever?"

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[Closed] I'll always have everything I need

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text to Gokudera; un: fireprince

action w/ text to Zuko c:

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