Double double toil and trouble [Sybil - November 18]

[plaguedrat]

He's still uncertain of how he let himself be convinced to do this, but it puts money in his wallet and it keeps him from being smoked out of his own apartment. That doesn't mean Rat has to play nice; hell, he's hoping that Sybil will even tire of him if he plays it cranky. So far though, it's done little to dissuade her from showing up.

Maybe he's getting soft on people. Shion's fault, he thinks. Once you've let someone in, it's all to hell after that.

Sighing and forcing those thoughts aside, he sets out the ingredients on his counter. A raw chicken, onions, garlic, thyme, plus a box of chicken stock and risotto. To him, they're idiot proof dishes.

Also it uses up some of the several dozen boxes of chicken stock that he looted from the grocery stores.

Comments

[plaguedrat]

"Yeah. Salt, fat, herbs? They all add flavor, help it cook into something good. With salt or fat? You'd cry from how boring it is," Rat says

"The butter should be room temperature now, mix those thyme leaves into it."

[adifferentlife]

Sybil listens, filing away what he tells her. It's more useful than learning simply from a book, she realises, his explanations sitting with her in a way that the words from the page don't always.

"Is that enough?" She asks, showing him the bowl. "Or should I do more?"

[plaguedrat]

"If it's not enough, you make more," Rat says, shrugging. "Try and get some of the herbed butter between the skin and the breast."

[adifferentlife]

"Between the skin?" Sybil plucks at it, but the skin seems rather well connected to the flesh. "Should I cut it?"

[plaguedrat]

"Yeah, like this." It's a step he's more comfortable showing her, separating the skin just enough that Sybil can do the rest.

"Easy."

[adifferentlife]

She does as he's demonstrated, thinking that it is not so dissimilar to methods she learned in her classes. The butter goes beneath easily enough and when she finishes she looks up at him proudly. "What do I do next?"

[plaguedrat]

"Same thing on the outside, then salt and pepper. Then put as much garlic, lemon, and onion as will fit into the cavity and then that's it. It goes in the oven."

The oven, on arrival, had been one of the most difficult points of adjustment after living so long with only a camping stove. Sparking gas flames, the chance of more burns, still jab old fears in his subconscious.

[adifferentlife]

She does as he says, grimacing as she stuffs the centre of the bird. It's odd to have her hand inside of a creature, even one that isn't living any longer. "Then that is it? How long does it cook for?"

[plaguedrat]

"An hour and a half. More than enough time to make a side dish, if you're feeling ambitious." Or if she wants to get her money's worth. Never let it be said that Rat doesn't fulfill a deal.

[adifferentlife]

"Alright," she agrees, feeling as if she's up for it as she's had some success already. "I think that we should."

[plaguedrat]

"Ever had risotto?" Already, he's washed his hands and is taking out a heavy bottomed saucepan.

[adifferentlife]

“No,” she admits, though she has seen it as an option on menus. It always seemed odd to her that they would include rice under the pasta section of the menu, and Sybil has never quite had the temerity to try it. “What is it?”

[plaguedrat]

"Cooked Italian rice. It's not hard, but it takes attention and tending and the results are delicious," he promises, bringing over the rice and chicken stock.

[adifferentlife]

"Italian rice?" She has been to Italy, but never had rice there. In fact when they travelled their food was often still rather English, something she regrets now. "We should try it."

[plaguedrat]

"It's one of Grey's favorites." It's said more to himself than to her; he doubts Sybil knows or cares about his boyfriend.

[adifferentlife]

"Grey?" She asks because she's curious, and if Rat has mentioned him he must be someone of import.

[plaguedrat]

Rat nods, even as he opens the box of rice and hands it to her. "My boyfriend. Now, pour olive oil in the pan and let it heat up before toasting the rice."

[adifferentlife]

"Toasting the rice?" It's a strange idea, her idea of toast something done to bread, once over flame and now in a small electric box she's rather fond of. Yet she does what he asks, following his instructions precisely, even if she pours in far more oil than is needed. It's easier to talk of than boyfriends, something that she still sometimes has trouble with.

[plaguedrat]

"Just a little, until it smells a little nutty. Brings out the flavors." He notes her determined lack of acknowledgment of his explanation about Grey, which means he has to needle her.

"You've got a boyfriend, haven't you?"

[adifferentlife]

"I do," she says patiently, knowing that this is an issue of hers and not his. Isn't she happy for Thomas and his beau? Hasn't she told herself that it matters as little as the fact she is not married to Henri matters?

"How does it make it nutty," she says, trying to change the subject. "It's rice."

[plaguedrat]

"There's a science to it. I don't know." Rat flaps a hand, becoming quite indifferent to her. "When it smells good then start adding the broth in small amounts."

[adifferentlife]

He's annoyed, she can tell, but she isn't sure of what she can say. Sybil swallows an apology, turning to the pan and adding the rice in silence.

[plaguedrat]

Typically, he'd make a crack about he's used to being looked down on by the rich, but he still hasn't been paid. Her money's for him to teach her how to cook, not to be friendly.

"When the liquid's absorbed, add more broth."

[adifferentlife]

Sybil stirs, following his directions to the letter. She manages to work through two additions of broth before realising how silly she's being. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have reacted like that when you said what you did."

[plaguedrat]

For a minute, Rat busies himself by checking the progress on the chicken, which will need another half hour by his estimate. When he straightens, he makes a show of shrugging.

"I promise I'm here to teach you to cook, not recruit you to the bisexual agenda."