to the victor's besties go the spoils

[friendsfordinner]

Who: Cornelius Hickey & ota!
What: June catch-all + distributing presents
When: throughout June
Where: Milton

Content Warnings: n/a, will edit as needed

Comments

[friendsfordinner]

"I never had any problem with the sleep ghosts."

Just saying. There are very few times when Hickey can gloat about something and have it be absolutely justified: this is one of them. Marriage is great, it saves you from sleep ghosts.

"Wish all you want, but it won't change the fact that it is like this. It's like this, it's happened, all we can do is go along with it. That's life, yeah?"

[desperate_times_right]

Chloe snorts. Okay, mister boring married man. “You had a lot more trouble with that aurora pain effect than me. You win some, you lose some.”

She had actually had some fun with it, but can't imagine that straight-laced Billy is into that.

“Yeah, we’re stuck with this, but I don't have to like it.”

[friendsfordinner]

"I'll agree on that," Hickey says, with a little nod. There's a moment as he thinks things over before you know what, let's shoot the shit, why not.

"What's one thing, just one thing that you'd want this place to have to make it better?"

[desperate_times_right]

“Cars,” Chloe says without hesitation. “Not only because it would make travel easier, though that's a big plus. I miss driving.”

Back home she started out as a getaway driver, and loves speeding along with the wind in her hair.

[friendsfordinner]

Hickey nods a bit before answering,

"Bread for me. Freshly cooked bread. Food here's nice, but there're few things better than a good loaf of bread."

Though he suspects that if he knew what cars were or knew how they worked, he'd probably pick cars as well. What he's learned about automobiles makes them sound fun as hell.

[desperate_times_right]

Chloe sighs dreamily. “Okay yeah, bread is a pretty good choice, too. I do miss pizza.”

Pizza crust is bread, okay?

[friendsfordinner]

Time to blow this Victorian's mind, Chloe.

"What the fuck's pizza?"

[desperate_times_right]

“Shit, I forgot you wouldn't know what that was.” It's surprisingly easy to forget exactly how long ago Hickey is from. “It's like a savoury dough baked with sauce - usually tomato - and cheese. Sometimes other meat and vegetables too. The stuff you can order for delivery is so greasy, but so good.”

[friendsfordinner]

His eyes widen and he can already feel his mouth water with excitement as she talks. Honestly, it sounds like a better version of a hand pie. And almost immediately, Hickey knows he wants to try that.

"You ever come across any pizza here, tell me, yeah? That sounds like something I'd want to eat."

[desperate_times_right]

“Tell you what. If you manage to find any flour around here, I’ll whip you up a bootleg version.” It would benefit her too, after all.

[friendsfordinner]

Manage to find flour...Hickey's eyes light up a little and a grin spreads across his face as he points out,

"Give me a list of what to look for. Next time I'm in Silverpoint, I'll see what they have. They've got an actual town, yeah? Not a cluster of houses trying their best. For all I know, they might have flour."

And after all, it's not like Chloe can trek out to Silverpoint right now, what with her weird sunlight aversion. Only makes sense for him to go while the weather's like this!

[desperate_times_right]

“Flour’s the big one,” Chloe says, grinning back. “Cheese if they have it. Canned tomato sauce. Any spices you can get your hands on.”

Maybe they actually have some Italian stuff over there.

[friendsfordinner]

"It's cold enough that cheese should be able to keep during the journey there and back," Hickey muses. "But flour, tinned tomatoes, spices. Easy enough."

Hey, wait a moment.

"There's a cannery over at Silverpoint. Might as well poke around there and see what tins were left behind."

Yes, he was warned away from the cannery. But consider this: the possibility of pizza.

[desperate_times_right]

“If they have those flat cheese slices wrapped in plastic, those last forever.” Yes, processed single sliced cheese on a pizza would probably be nasty, but if they don't keep goats or anything beggars can't be choosers.

“A cannery sounds great, though. Bet it's mostly tinned fish around here, but they might have some good tools in there.”

[friendsfordinner]

"Couldn't scope out the cannery the last time I was there," he shrugs, "but I'm not too worried. People were trying to talk me away but we've had to deal with cultists, wolves, birds, and the bloody Darkwalker. I'm not worried."

[desperate_times_right]

“Billy’s going to be pissed,” Chloe points out, though she doubts that’s ever stopped him. “Be careful.”

[friendsfordinner]

"I'm always careful," says the man who knows he isn't.

[desperate_times_right]

“Uh-huh.” She definitely believes him. “Come back with all your limbs.”