[ Closed ]

[gentilitea]

Who: Alex and Jakob
Where: Some TV studio in the Near Shore and thereabouts
When: March 23rd
What: An encounter on the set of “Taste of the Earth”
Warnings: Jakob

Amateurs! [ He doesn’t mind saying that out loud—it’s not like the mortals tend to notice him, anyway, and even if they did—so what? But at the moment Jakob is inspecting the set of the latest episode of that hit new cooking show, “Taste of the Earth,” as chefs and TV crew bustle about, trying to get things ready for the next episode.

To that end, the chefs are furiously going about their prep work, chopping and measuring ingredients and setting them aside for easy access later on. Over in the corner the host is rehearsing her lines, and he can hear some of the crew chatting and joking with the contestants. Hence, despite the bustle of this place, the atmosphere feels very casual and relaxed, and this simply won’t do. ]

Comments

[sing_for_me]

Alex was helping with stocking the pantry the contestants would be getting their ingredients from during the competition. T seemed like a sinole enough task, but who knew so much went into preparing for a cooking competition? She’s rushing by with a box of crisp, iceberg lettuce when a sufden shout has her almost dropping it.

She turns to find Jakob standing there, very much displeased.

“What—What’s wrong?,” she askes as she adjusts her grip on the box. To her, it certainly looked like a professional production.

[gentilitea]

“The goddess Oshun, was it?” Jakob turns to look at her, still as entirely unimpressed as he’d been during their first meeting. But it’s nothing personal, Alex; he’s just had a Day.

“Please pay me no mind. I am simply instructing these poor fools on the proper methods of food preparation—you there!” He immediately whirls around to reprimand a nearby contestant. “What kind of idiot uses a fillet knife to cut vegetables? No, you—you drop that at once!”

[sing_for_me]

"Alex is fine." It was weird being addressed as Oshun.

He really didn't look like he was having a good time here. Though for someone of his skill level, it must be frustrating witnessing their mistakes. She's not sure whether she feels bad for him or the contestants though.

She goes back to placing the cabbages where they needed to be before returning to Jakob.

"Can I help with anything?" Maybe to help alleviate his stress levels.

[gentilitea]

It’ll never not feel weird for him to address the gods and goddesses of the Far Shore so casually. Even the ones he dislikes get some kind of honorific, but…fine.

“You hardly need to concern yourself with this rabble at all, Miss Alex.” Gotta keep that scrupulously polite distance, and all. Anyway, when all’s said and done, being around her isn’t…terrible. “Though I wonder that you are here at all. Surely there isn’t an ayakashi lurking about?”

[sing_for_me]

"But that's what I'm here for, right? To help them out?" She doesn't have many skills, but she can do some manual labor at least.

"And I wouldn't want you to get stressed doing everything. So just tell me what to do and I'll get it done." She's determined to do what she can anyway.

[gentilitea]

“It is very kind of you to offer, but…” This feels very odd. She’s strikingly down-to-earth for a goddess, but even something like this is pushing it. Maybe she’s here to answer a prayer then? But if so…

“Where are your shinki? Shouldn’t they handle the drudge work for you?”

[sing_for_me]

Alex tilted her head slightly. She was starting to wonder what Jakob thought a shinki’s roll was..

“They’ve got their own plans and all. And I kind of just did this on the spot, so I don’t want to bother them with it. It’s really not all that bad. “

[gentilitea]

He raises an eyebrow at her reply, disbelief as clear on his face as the general clamor of a busy TV studio prepping for a cooking show goes on around them. It’s total chaos here, and everyone has yet to be sufficiently yelled at by an angry man with a British accent.

“Well,” he says at last, deciding to just roll with whatever this is turning out to be. “I suppose the whims of the gods cannot be helped.” At least she isn’t the type of person to get in anyone’s way—which is something he can appreciate.

“All right. I suppose I do need some help. The theme of today’s competition is ‘fertility’ and all that it implies, and I must admit that even I have difficulty coming up with suitable recipes.”

[sing_for_me]

She may be assigned as a fertility goddess, but that had no merit here.

The curve of her finger rests against her chin thoughtfully. What came to mind with that theme...

"What about vegetable type dishes? Crops and such. Maybe dishes where some fresh ingredients could be used?"

[gentilitea]

“I suppose…” Truth be told, he doesn’t consider it a bad idea. In fact, it’s as good a start as any. But why start being approving now?

“This time of year, there should be plenty of fresh ingredients available. Now I wish they can put their dishes together without giggling about it every so often.” Gossipy housewives, amirite? Never mind that he’s technically of a similar breed to them.

[sing_for_me]

Alex glances at him, then back ate the contestants. They were certainly lax considering this was supposed to be a competition. She considers for a moment. He's already focused and alert enough, so it's possible it won't really affect him if she doesn't use too much.

Without another word, she starts to use her god power, a subtle scent spreading across the studio. Those chatting will suddenly start to go quiet, their posture straightening. They're suddenly filled with the urge to put their attentions to the task at hand. While this is happening, she continues her conversation with Jakob.

"I'm sure they'll get to it. What else needs to be done while they're working on their dishes?"

[gentilitea]

He starts when she uses her power, feeling only the vaguest whiff of something going through his system—a sense of sharpened focus, perhaps. Regardless, he can’t help but stare at her in awe, before quickly frowning and turning to face the suddenly very professional contestants instead, all but disregarding her question entirely.

“Hmph, quite a useful ability. If I had known that you could do this at the start…”

[sing_for_me]

"Ah--" She was actually surprised he could tell.

"How did you know..?" She'd always thought it wasn't that obvious. Now she felt a little bad. Hopefully he didn't think she was trying to do something behind his back.

[gentilitea]

“It is simply impossible for these people to calm down and quietly get to work without my prompting.” He’d be surprised. But at least for the moment, that’s true enough. Either way, he isn’t upset about it.

“So it could only have been your doing. I’m hard pressed to believe that the ayakashi can instill order in such a chaotic studio.”

[sing_for_me]

Somehow, it was flattering that he would even consider that she had anything to do with it. Most people didn't expect such things of her.

"I see..." So long as it helped. "Are there ayakashi here...?" She hadn't noticed them if there were any.

[gentilitea]

It’s always the lowkey ones who turn out to be the most useful around here. Jakob visibly relaxes. He can’t find fault with anyone who has magic crowd calming powers.

“None that I can see.” Which isn’t saying much, granted, but, “While this place has been remarkably chaotic as of late, I cannot sense that negative influence that signals an ayakashi’s passing.”

Hell, if anything, everyone here’s a little too happy. Less chatter and more chopping, dammit!!

[sing_for_me]

If anything, that was a relief.

"Should we start searching for a recipe, or did you have something in mind?" She wasn't sure if they needed to switch out what they were cooking to match the theme, or if there was any other damage control they needed to do.

"What's next, chef?" Was that an attempt at joke? Maybe. But it also seemed apt for Jakob.

[gentilitea]

“‘Chef’?” He’s actually a little taken aback by that. She’s turning to him for guidance? It wouldn’t be the first time, true, but surely she must have seen the way he behaved around the contestants and TV crew. Why willingly subject yourself to that?

“Hmph.” He turns away, crossing his arms and tries to make a show of just!! How!! Nonchalant!!! he’s being. “I suppose we should follow up on your earlier idea then. We still need a recipe for the challenge round. They must learn to recreate a recipe in keeping with today’s theme. And it must be the most difficult recipe we can think of!”

There. He even added a “we” in there. Hmph!!!

[sing_for_me]

He might be tough, but he comes from a good place. She's handled rougher.

The huff was a little endearing, actually, and made her smile.

"The hardest one, huh." A true drill sergeant. She moves next to him, pulling out her phone and quickly typing up the search. "Do any of these look good?"

She brings up this link to show him. It had quite a long list, from appetizers to main courses to even drinks.

[gentilitea]

“Why call it a challenge if we make it too easy for them? The audience wants drama!” This is a competition after all. They gotta have tears for the camera!

Although he’s probably being far too intense for the general tone of the show anyway, but who gives a shit? He quickly scans the website she brings up and crosses his arms in thought.

“A gratin, perhaps…something deceptively simple, but requiring multiple components, each needing to be cooked separately…”

She might be onto something here.

[sing_for_me]

He was making her think of a certain god in the far shore with how seriously he was taking the show--but in a good way, of course. It was a little amusing to see how much he was getting into it.

"Hmm in that case..." She said thoughtfully, considering his mention of a challenge. "What if the gratin is announced, and after each chef gathers their ingredients, you make them switch with someone else. So then they'd need to work with what someone else chose?"

[gentilitea]

“How delightfully sadistic.” That sure put him in a good mood. He hasn’t even noticed that he’d straight up complimented her. Sort of.

“I had no idea you had it in you, Miss Alex. It’s almost…refreshing.”

[sing_for_me]

Being complimented for being sadistic was a...first. Alex wasn't sure how she felt about that. Jakob didn't seem like the type to give compliments often. If that counted as one.

"Thank..you?" She should feel flattered, right?

One of the staff calls out to let everyone know they were going to start soon, and that they better finish up preparations in the next couple of minutes.

[gentilitea]

“Indeed.” With his good cheer, that one word might as well have been a You’re welcome in disguise. Jakob certainly isn’t going to elaborate, though, as that staff member momentarily interrupts his thoughts. He immediately frowns.

“Well, I’ll submit the idea to the producer soon enough, but otherwise my work here is done. Was there anything else in particular you were here for, Miss Alex?”

[sing_for_me]

"Oh," he was leaving already? She was kind of getting into working with him. Then again, no one said they had to stay the whole time. She kind of just assumed she should.

"I was going to stay till they finished to help with clean up."

[gentilitea]

Hey, he’s not going to do the mortals’ jobs for them. It’s bad enough that they’re so helpless as to constantly appeal to the gods for help in the first place—but hey, at least it gives the Heavens something to do.

Though not nearly enough, judging by how restless Alex seemed. Still, it made Jakob curious enough to linger.

“Oh? That’s going quite above and beyond. A prayer for a successful show is one thing, but it’s rare enough for mortals to ask for divine assistance afterward.”