Log:Fry Reunion

Fry Reunion
Participants Jack, Cardinal	17 April, 2018 Jack and Cardinal meet up at the Fry family farm, after not having seen each other for many, many years.
Location
=====-< << Dair-ya Creamery - Farmhouse - Downstairs >> >-====== Warm, lived-in and very often an unholy mess of family-related clutter, the farmhouse's first floor is furnished in a mix of heavy wooden hand-me-downs and new leather, the scuffs and scratches of boots and pets, the fur, the toys and above all else, the noise of everyday living giving proof that an extended family stays here. Entering the front door, the mud-room comes first, with a second, inner door to keep the winter's icy air out of the house proper. And pets. Muddy pets. The family room is next, with a sprawling farmer's kitchen and long table open on the left, the scents of good solid meals greeting any and all who come. To the right of the family room, a hall extends past a flight of wooden stairs, the banister polished by many sliding bottoms. The den and much-abused family computer are there, filing cabinets to keep track of the business' many needs, not to mention airplane simulators. Because grandpa wants to fly. The remainder of the ground floor is a mix of bedrooms, baths and any other spaces family has added on over the years. It's not entirely rare Jack visits the old family home - he shows up once or twice a week to get the latest family gossip, touch up with his uncle and aunt Leslie and Mal. He's here this morning, having just come inside after helping do some farm work, wiping off his muddy boots and trying to clean the paws of his black German shepherd. "Goblin, just... sit still. Yes. We are cleaning your paws because it's not nice to leave mud all over." The dog seems to disagree but finally settles down so Jack can clean him off as best as he can with a towel. It *is* entirely rare for Cardinal to visit the old family home, but it's gotta happen from time to time. Mostly when she's looking for something or someone. Or when she's gotta make some changes to the regular deliveries of cream for the ice cream making. Whatever her *original* purpose had been for stopping by today, well, she's made use of the kitchen. Something's been baking. Something sugary and sweet, with a sour tang that promises gooey, half-exploded fruit. It's left in the kitchen, surely to cool, when the redhead comes tromping out to see who she might be able to shove her experiment at. And, well, she *might* have taken interest in Jack. Except that there's Goblin. She doesn't just rush right on over, but the urge to do so is there. Someone's a dog-lover, and her wide eyes are very plainly asking Jack for permission to fall upon the pup and pet pet pet pet pet. Jack stands up and puts the towel in a hamper and takes off his boots - he can walk around in his socks for a bit. When Cardinal enters, he does a double take - it sure has been a long time, and it doesn't immediately dawn on him who she is. "Liz?" He grins, obviously extremely pleased to see her. "Wow, you look great - what are you eating to stay that young?" Goblin senses an animal lover when he sees one - and it's quite possible he sees her mien too, but he doesn't really differentiate - he bounces over with tail wagging crazily, to sniff at her hands and beg for scritches. If Jack knows she doesn't speak now, he might've forgotten, or chalked it up to some rumor. "How've you been?" Cardinal's nose crinkles reflexively at hearing, yeah, her own name. Cuz that's normal. There's a nod, though, just to make clear that she is who she is. She's quick to sign something rather cheerfully back at his question about her diet, short and succinct, like maybe she really does have some miraculous routine. But then her hands are both rather decidedly busy as she plops right down in the middle of the floor to bring herself to Goblin's level and indulge the dog--and, really, herself--in a flurry of affection. There's a shrug for his question about how she's been, greatly because she's currently distracted, but she does look up eventually, eyes wide and brows arched, as if she might maybe be curious about his own well-being. Oh right. Jack could slap himself - he heard about it, but didn't really believe it. So, he stares at her like a dope for a moment, then smiles widely. He's happy to see her, that's all that matters in the end. "What, you eat only icecream, really?" he jokes. "I need to try that diet." He shrugs off his coat and hangs it up. "I'm doing fine - moved back a few months ago, I got a cabin a bit down south between the Falls and Brunsett. Come by sometime, meet Troll too. That's my horse," he explains. Goblin is rolling over on his back and making happy chuffing noises at her pettings, clearly a very social dog, his tongue lolling out. "What IS that smell? Something smells absolutely great in here, please tell me I can have some." Cardinal nodnods to his very accurate assumption about what that sign had meant, smiling up like a happily lying little twerp. She smiles all the more brightly for the mention of the horse, quick to sign something more elaborate up at Jack. He clearly understood her first words! Why wouldn't he be able to untangle the excited babbling she's flapping at him now? Those fingers drop to give a last tummy rub to Goblin, beaming delightedly down at the dog. But then she's hopping back up onto her feet, waggling her eyebrows at Jack... and dashing back into the kitchen. What awaits are cookies. Little buttery things with a swath of melted bluish purple jam sprinkled with bright yellow sugared lemon zest. Blackberry lemon cookies, it would seem, though a bite into them will reveal a creamy cheese-cakey center. Someone's getting all fancy up in here. The baker drops some on a plate to bring over to Jack, wherever they might be able to take a seat together and enjoy. Without milk. Because cookies can stand on their own, damnit! Nevermind how she's staring so very eagerly, waiting to see if he likes 'em. "Uhuh, really?" Jack responds - he doesn't get it, eyes almost crossing as he's trying to follow her signs with her fingers. He laughs - which, if she knew him better, is a rare thing. Before he has a chance to explain he doesn't understand, she's off to the kitchen and he trails along and so does Goblin, cause the dog has found a new best friend - he is sashaying after Cardinal, totally enamored. "He sure likes you, doesn't he," Jack says amusedly as he takes a seat, eyeing the cookies with ravenous delight. He lifts one up, takes a bite - and sighs that happy sigh you make when tasting something delicious and different, something new and interesting. "It's alright to eat ten or so, right? I'm an adult, I make my own choices," he quips at her. Obviously, he likes. "You get tired of ice cream, maybe you should open a bakery." Before she gets a chance to sign-language at him, he adds fast; "Sorry Liz - I don't actually understand sign language. I knew a few words as a kid, meeting your mom, but... Forgot it all." Cardinal nods her eager approval of gobbling up however many cookies he'd like. She's already got one of her own shoved into her mouth in full, cheeks puffed out, a little lemon zest caught on her lips. She'll catch up to it after she swallows. She had started to give Goblin more scritches, really rather intent on securing this new BFFdom, when Jack articulates what she's already come to understand from that earlier confusion. A finger is held up on one hand while the other goes into her shorts pocket to fish out her phone. Tappity tap tap. A feminine, mechanical voice chimes out, "It's okay. There are other options. See. I bake things to go along with the ice cream. Special sundaes and stuff. Sometimes. Sometimes not." The voice cuts off, which requires her to type more in, fingers furiously working over the touchscreen. "You look different. Been foreever." Cardinal frowns at that, the way it made a hard e out of her several eeeeee's in the word. "Can you maybe call me Red or something? Not Liz. Haven't been Liz for years. Was Lizzy for a while. Ex-girlfriend called me Lizzy. Just feels weird now." Goblin wants cookies, too. Jack indulges. "Alright, you can have /one/ - one. You'll get bad gas, you know it. What? You want her to give it? You traitor." But he's grinning. "Goblin wants you to give him a cookie too." He leans in to watch the phone curiously, then ahs in understanding as the mechanical voice speaks to him. He looks at Cardinal when it does though, already on his third cookie, a bit of jam on his cheek too. The Frys were always very relaxed about table manners anyway. "Of course!" He leans back, grinning sheepishly. "Red it is. Suits you. Least until I can figure out an appropriately embarassing nickname for you." His eyes glitter in good humor. "If you make one up for me, I won't know it so can't be angry if you sign it behind my back." Cardinal straightens as soon as the go-ahead is given to give Goblin cookies. Cookie. Whatever. She's already certain this is her sacred duty, a cookie already in hand when the one-sided exchange is articulated. The little treat is held out directly, no go ahead given beyond shoving it at the pretty pup. At the prospect of an embarrassing nickname, she only grins, inviting him to take on that challenge, to find something that might actually make her blush. "I would never," comes in that monotone voice after she's already shaken her head. She's already swiping more when one of the workers from the dairy farm comes in and interrupts, telling her, "Got it all loaded up and ready," before coming in to snag a couple of the cookies. It's got Cardinal backspacing and retyping as she gets up. "Gotta go! Need to get this over to the ice creamery. Should come b sometime. Better yet. Should maybe do dinner. You, me, Gabe and Boss. Your place maybe? I'll cook." But while that's all playing out, she's handing over another cookie to Goblin, giving him a scritch... and really just dashing out the door.