[ And just like every other time Drake's mentioned him to Jesus, he can't completely keep the fondness from his expression or the warmth out of his voice. It's soft, but there. ]
You know, he might be on board to rock the boat with you at some point. It depends... but I'm pretty sure he'll like you too.
Yeah, I've had other subs before. If anything I think he'll be more comfortable with it now... we'd renewed every time it was up for a year before this. And I did mention you already, so you've just gotta introduce yourself.
[ He's quiet for a moment, wondering if he should give a warning or not. For some reason he isn't worried about Jesus' reaction at all, but that just makes him feel like it's safe to give a heads up? ]
Two weeks isn't a lot of time, but I don't want you to rush a decision because you're worried about it running out. Sleep on it, hit him up to meet, see how it goes. Just don't let his appearance throw you.
If I thought they would, this would be a different conversation. I'm giving you a heads up because of how much they bother him. We're working on it, but you can't rush this kind of thing.
[ That attitude, right there? Is why Drake's offering to contract with Jesus in the first place. His smile broadens warmly. ]
I know.
[ He feels like this is a good place to leave off for now, where Jesus can process and consider and pick back up when he's decided which direction he wants to go in. So Drake lifts his glass again, swirling the last of the alcohol in it thoughtfully. ]
You'd think it would be hard for Drake to keep from reading that as flirty after how the day's interactions first started, but this is the one social dynamic he's genuinely shy about. So he gives himself another moment to study Jesus, then downs the rest of his drink and gets to his feet.
"Where to?" he asks curiously, already considering options. "You can say chicken again if you really want, but I'm starting to worry I got you addicted."
"One winter we had almost nothing but turnips," he says, so yes he might be a little hooked on good chicken. "How about you choose this time? We can take it back to my place."
"Better than nothing at all," Drake replies, his tone light but knowing as if he's very much speaking from experience. Not from home, even growing up poor he never literally starved back in Seattle. Not even as a zombie, which made him one of the lucky ones.
But as Jesus knows, Duplicity isn't his first world hop.
He doesn't dwell on those thoughts now, just nods his agreement and leads the way out of the club. If they're going back to down housing that helps him narrow down the options.
"I still like turnips," he agrees. He probably wouldn't pick them as a menu item here, where there are options, but he remained stubbornly positive about them all winter long.
"Virginia. In the DC area." A beat. "We had plenty to eat when I was growing up."
That addition gets a little nod of acknowledgment, but Drake wasn't asking for that reason. He's just trying to come up with a recommendation based on what Jesus might be missing from before the apocalypse -- like the chicken, but more personalized. Things he grew up with and maybe hasn't had in an even longer time.
Nostalgia's important.
"So southern-ish? And DC's kind of Maryland, too, right? But if we're doing takeout I think I know where to go."
"I'd do a lot for decent hush puppies." It's been a long time since he allowed himself to think about the food he used to love but he's starting to associate rediscovering them with Drake. Not a bad association at all, really.
"I've got a place in mind for that, but it's in the up and better for sit-down. This way tonight," he tips his head to their right, leading them farther away from city center and the elevator.
A couple blocks down he realizes he's still got the Marked line down his throat, and scratches at it to make the fact that it's paint more obvious -- he might get some weird looks but at least they won't be turned away as if they're two subs.
The restaurant he stops at is a bbq joint, mostly pork and chicken options but lots of classic sides. Drake has absolutely no idea what style is it, having never lived in the south himself, just that they've actually got a smoker and he likes the food.
As always, Jesus can order whatever the hell he wants.
He's never going to turn down an offer of good food. If he was ever in a position to be picky, it went away around the time he ate his first rat.
Burnt ends and potato salad are what he settles on, and the look he gives Drake is every bit as grateful as if Drake had found him half starved on the road.
Well if Drake wasn't curious about what Jesus ordered when it was first pointed out, he sure is at that expression. He takes his card back from the hostess and tucks it away, giving his friend a curious look.
"What's that face for?" It'll be a minute, but there's a bench off to the side where people stopping in for takeout can wait out of the way. Drake nudges Jesus in that direction with a grin. "I'm not even sure what you got."
"No one feeds me as well as you do," he says with a little smile. "But if you've never had burnt ends, you're going to have to try mine. It's beef, all the caramelized bits off the brisket."
"That's a huge compliment, you know. But now if anybody starts pulling ahead you've gotta tell me so I can keep my rank." Is he serious..? Yup. He looks really flattered, honestly. "I'd love to try it."
"Well you always wanna go out, or I'd cook for you instead. That's usually where I wind up impressing people."
He pulls out all the stops, even back when he wasn't as good a cook. But that's something they can get into later if Jesus wants to hear about it -- right now he'll accept the bite because he's very curious. It does look burnt, which isn't super appetizing, but it smells fantastic anyway and Jesus' endorsement would go a long way even if Drake wasn't the 'try anything once' type.
"Okay, that's really good. It's not actually burnt, just very smoked?" The texture's a little different than he was expecting too but not in a bad way. Yeah, he likes that. "Better keep your box away from me," he jokes, reaching to open the door to head back to housing.
He grins and pointedly holds it away from Drake's reach.
"I didn't know cooking was an option," he admits. Every meal he's had for the past eight years has been stew. It doesn't really occur to him anymore that people know how to make anything more unique.
"I've definitely offered," Drake counters, though he doesn't sound put out about it at all. "I only knew the basics back home, but winding up in Hadriel where food was so hard to come by in the first place? Really had to get creative and up our game."
Granted, most of his time there he couldn't taste anything so it was even more difficult... but he managed. His grin softens at the memory of something before he looks back at Jesus.
"You ever try cooking for a date during your apocalypse? I remember the sense of triumph the night I managed to put together something that reminded him of Chinese takeout... in an alien warzone."
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timeasmymeasure
Re: cw abuse
Date: 2022-09-04 04:18 am (UTC)[ And just like every other time Drake's mentioned him to Jesus, he can't completely keep the fondness from his expression or the warmth out of his voice. It's soft, but there. ]
You know, he might be on board to rock the boat with you at some point. It depends... but I'm pretty sure he'll like you too.
Re: cw abuse
Date: 2022-09-04 04:21 am (UTC)Re: cw abuse
Date: 2022-09-04 04:40 am (UTC)[ He's quiet for a moment, wondering if he should give a warning or not. For some reason he isn't worried about Jesus' reaction at all, but that just makes him feel like it's safe to give a heads up? ]
Two weeks isn't a lot of time, but I don't want you to rush a decision because you're worried about it running out. Sleep on it, hit him up to meet, see how it goes. Just don't let his appearance throw you.
Re: cw abuse
Date: 2022-09-04 04:41 am (UTC)All right?
Re: cw abuse
Date: 2022-09-04 04:56 am (UTC)[ Drake smiles at Jesus, and this time the fondness is for him. ]
Something tells me you're good with putting people at ease.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-04 04:58 am (UTC)Scars have never bothered me. I've seen a lot of them.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-04 05:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-09-04 05:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-09-04 05:26 am (UTC)I know.
[ He feels like this is a good place to leave off for now, where Jesus can process and consider and pick back up when he's decided which direction he wants to go in. So Drake lifts his glass again, swirling the last of the alcohol in it thoughtfully. ]
You wanna get out of here?
no subject
Date: 2022-09-04 05:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-09-04 05:40 am (UTC)"Where to?" he asks curiously, already considering options. "You can say chicken again if you really want, but I'm starting to worry I got you addicted."
no subject
Date: 2022-09-04 05:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-09-04 12:27 pm (UTC)But as Jesus knows, Duplicity isn't his first world hop.
He doesn't dwell on those thoughts now, just nods his agreement and leads the way out of the club. If they're going back to down housing that helps him narrow down the options.
"Remind me where you grew up?"
no subject
Date: 2022-09-04 04:15 pm (UTC)"Virginia. In the DC area." A beat. "We had plenty to eat when I was growing up."
no subject
Date: 2022-09-04 08:28 pm (UTC)Nostalgia's important.
"So southern-ish? And DC's kind of Maryland, too, right? But if we're doing takeout I think I know where to go."
no subject
Date: 2022-09-04 08:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-09-04 09:34 pm (UTC)A couple blocks down he realizes he's still got the Marked line down his throat, and scratches at it to make the fact that it's paint more obvious -- he might get some weird looks but at least they won't be turned away as if they're two subs.
The restaurant he stops at is a bbq joint, mostly pork and chicken options but lots of classic sides. Drake has absolutely no idea what style is it, having never lived in the south himself, just that they've actually got a smoker and he likes the food.
As always, Jesus can order whatever the hell he wants.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-04 09:44 pm (UTC)Burnt ends and potato salad are what he settles on, and the look he gives Drake is every bit as grateful as if Drake had found him half starved on the road.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-04 10:01 pm (UTC)"What's that face for?" It'll be a minute, but there's a bench off to the side where people stopping in for takeout can wait out of the way. Drake nudges Jesus in that direction with a grin. "I'm not even sure what you got."
no subject
Date: 2022-09-04 10:10 pm (UTC)So plenty of reason to be thankful.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-04 10:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-09-04 11:26 pm (UTC)When he gets his take away box the first thing he does is grab a plastic fork and offer the first bite to Drake.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-05 01:59 am (UTC)He pulls out all the stops, even back when he wasn't as good a cook. But that's something they can get into later if Jesus wants to hear about it -- right now he'll accept the bite because he's very curious. It does look burnt, which isn't super appetizing, but it smells fantastic anyway and Jesus' endorsement would go a long way even if Drake wasn't the 'try anything once' type.
"Okay, that's really good. It's not actually burnt, just very smoked?" The texture's a little different than he was expecting too but not in a bad way. Yeah, he likes that. "Better keep your box away from me," he jokes, reaching to open the door to head back to housing.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-05 02:36 am (UTC)"I didn't know cooking was an option," he admits. Every meal he's had for the past eight years has been stew. It doesn't really occur to him anymore that people know how to make anything more unique.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-05 03:05 am (UTC)Granted, most of his time there he couldn't taste anything so it was even more difficult... but he managed. His grin softens at the memory of something before he looks back at Jesus.
"You ever try cooking for a date during your apocalypse? I remember the sense of triumph the night I managed to put together something that reminded him of Chinese takeout... in an alien warzone."
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