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Summary: The delicious smells of baked goods drew a pair of teens into the kitchen to see what was going on.
Date: June 17, 2011
Log Title: Cupcakes and Conversation
Rating: PG
Xavier Mansion- Kitchen
This kitchen was designed to feed large numbers of people, and looks it with its bright white walls and stainless steel appliances. The stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher are all larger than normal. There is an island with stools around it for people to sit and eat around along with a table for twelve by the windows in back. Along the wall is a hole in the wall looking into the dining room so food can be passed back and fourth. Anything you want to cook or eat in the kitchen you will find the food and supplies to do so.
When Christopher is in the kitchen it usually means one thing, he's on a cooking spree. So it's not surprising for the smells and sounds that come out of the kitchen from Christopher baking a variety of cupcakes. Cake flour, eggs, buttermilk, cocoa powder, vanilla and many other ingredients, along with a few non-kid friendly ones like Irish Creme and Kaluah, sit on the counter. At least three dozen unfrosted cupcakes sit on the counter cooling and small radio plays the 'hits from today!' as mixes up his latest batch singing along to the poppy song.
Walking down the hall just outside the kitchen Tyler dressed in a simple pair of dark jeans and a t-shirt depicting a wolf in sheeps clothing proclaiming him the Big Bad Wolf, is walking towards the kitchen to see if there's a snack he might ninja from one of the cabinets. The closer he gets the more he's lured towards the kitchen by the delightful smell of warm cake. Sure one couldn't eat cake straight out of the oven but it sure smelled nice. Entering the kitchen he notices someone baking away and singing! "Hey, there! Smells awesome in here, man."
Christopher looks up from stirring his latest batch of batter and smiles at Tyler. "Why thank you. I'll have them all ready for you guys later tonight." He says wiping his hands off on the apron he's wearing. "I'm Mr. Parker-Mayfair, I'm the culinary teacher here. You must be one of the newer students here." He says. "There's been an influx lately so sorry if I can't guess what your name is."
"Really? Cool!" Tyler loves cupcakes so this is quite a good turn of events for the teen who comes to pull out a stool to sit down. "Yup, I'm one of the newbie's that washed in. I'm Tyler Hayworth, resident space case and cupcake fanatic. It's nice to meet you." Since Ty's at the island he puts elbows to the counter top and props his head up with both hands. "Hey, you're one of Kevin's dad's right? He and Kieran have told me a bit about you. Mainly that you're an amazing cook and teach the culinary stuff."
"Yes I am." Christopher says grining. "I'm glad to hear he's making friends. And I don't know about amazing…it's just a hobby of mine." He says blushing a bit but he does know he's a good cook. "I think Amazing is my ability as a colourist at my salon." He says with a chuckle. "But I'm glad to hear you like cupcakes Tyler. Any particular kind you prefer? I think I'm making about a dozen of each kind and there should be about seven dozen when I'm finished."
And here comes another new student! Drawn by the tear inducingly good smell of cake Evelyn ambles into the kitchen, her tail only just barely swishing from side to side. Trying very hard to be discreet she does her best to sneak over to the refrigerator without being spotted and comes so very close before catching an empty frying pan with her elbow and sending it clattering to the floor. "Awh cra… ud. Sorry you weren't using that were you? I'll clean it up right away if you were…"
Tyler smiles, "They sure seem to think your cooking is amazing. You've a baked goods fan club forming at least amongst the Paragons squad. Oh! I like all sorts of cupcakes but the funky one's are my favorite. You know like marble or red velvet. The kind where you put stuff in the center and it's a surprise. I like surprises. This colorist thing though is like frosting people's hair or like doing funky colors like someone wanted to look like a rainbow or is it both? It could be fun to color people's hair actually. Oh, hey!" The babbling trails off when Tyler notices Evelyn over at the fridge and then the whoops happens. "Evelyn, hey. I could clean up the pan for you if you want to chill for a bit."
Christopher looks over at Evelyn and chuckles. "Don't worry about it, I wasn't frying anything, just baking. If you want to leave on the counter I'll take care of it." He says before offering a hand to Evelyn. "I'm Mr. Parker-Mayfair, the culinary teacher here and one of Kevin's Dads." He points at a dozen red cupcakes. "Red Velvet there. I'll be doing a cream cheese frosting for them. I have normal chocolate and normal vanilla. I have some Irish creme and some Kaluha cupcakes I'm making and I think on some of the chocolate ones I'll be topping them with some chocolate ganache and bacon. Like sprinkles."
Evelyn blinks, then blinks some more. "Bacon on cake?" she manages at last, before remembering to shake the offered hand. "I mean… bacon. On a cake… I've been places where they eat grubs before but never anything quite as weird as that." Handshake and confusion done she spins to wave at Tyler, coming very close to swatting something else off the counter with her tail. "Hiya Tyler, I don't mind cleaning it up but… I might cause collateral damage if I don't back off…" Beating a hasty retreat from anything she might send flying she adds "And I'm Evelyn Greer it's a pleasure to meet you Sir."
The boys eyes take on the comical appearance of swooning as he looks over the assortment of cooling cakes. "There's like an entire cookbook about what one could put bacon on," Tyler mentions in general. "If you think that's weird Evelyn you ought to go to this place called Denny's, I think their still doing it, they put maple bacon on an ice cream sundae for some bacon celebration thing they were doing."
Christopher nods with a smile. "Yes Bacon on Cake. The saltiness with the chocolate is actually a nice combination. It's why they sell chocolate covered bacon." He says before making a face. "Uh Denny's that place is just awful. Bland greasy food served to by bland greasy people. No. Thank. You. But then I think the grubs are a weird thing. It's like something you'd see on those weird food shows on the History Channel or Travel Channel."
"Well they /were/ served by a tribe in a rainforest," Evelyn admits with a shrug, now at a safe distance from anything she could possibly damage. "I think I'll give it a miss thanks Tyler. I have a pretty strict diet and I wouldn't want to get fat or anything." She sniffs at the smell of cupcake and then sighs. "Just smelling cake is good enough for me. Chocolate covered bacon also sounds pretty wrong, I mean who on earth came up with the idea?"
Tyler appears thoughtful. "I never knew they made chocolate covered bacon. I guess people will cover anything in chocolate, like bugs. Yeah, Denny's is pretty bad. I prefer going to the IHOP and using all of the flavored syrups anyways." Watching Evelyn find a spot shes comfortable to stand in Tyler points out the stools if she'd like to sit next to him. "I should probably watch what I eat but it's not going to happen. I eat a ton of stuff just like my dads. Our grocery bill is womg huge. No grubs though!"
"That must have been really fascinating Evelyn." Chrisotpher exclaims. "I've never been to the rainforest but I've been trying to plan a nice vacation with my husband sometime. Rainforest could be interesting." Christopher shudders again. "IHOP is just as bad, everything seems premade and microwaved to order." But then he is a cook himself. "It's not about what you eat, it's about moderation and then exercising after. And I have a question for both of you. First Evelyn, what is this strict diet? Now Tyler..Two Dads?" He asks with a grin.
"It's a girl thing," Evelyn says, waiting for a moment when Tyler isn't looking before pointing at her tail and then waving in some kind of cryptic no talkie gesture. "An African safari would be my top tip for a vacation. Rainforests are hard to find good tours through, but with a safari park you get usually get a really great place to stay plus plenty of sun. And the trips to see the wildlife are utterly stunning. Rainforests are… they're hard to see properly. A lot of the coolest stuff lives up in the treetops!" Not that she's biased or anything.
Since Evelyn's question came first Tyler waits on the stool shifting his foot from side to side along the rung in the front. He's also curious to know what this strict diet of hers is. Ahh, a girl thing, say no more. "Does it matter what time of the year you try to go on safari? Or is the weather pretty much the same all year round so you can't really avoid the heat?" He asks out of general curiosity and because if there's no break in the temp he'd never be able to go see a stampeding hippo take on a tourist van. As for the question posed to him Tyler drops one hand from his face to rest on the island counter. "That's right, sir. My parents adopted me when I was a baby. My father is a teacher and my dad is a repair guy. Neither one of them cook all that great but don't tell them I said that."
"African Safari might not be the best of ideas besides my husband has already been on one." Christopher says as he checks the oven to see how much time is left on his latest batch of cupcakes then starts filling the next dozen cups with a tan batter. "And I guess that'd be good if things livein the tree tops since I can fly." He says with a wink. "My husband and I both work here, but we both also have outside jobs. He's a psychiatrist and I'm a stylist. I own my own salon so if you need anything in regards to hair, I'm the man to see. And Evelyn, you didn't answer my question. I'm curious about dietary restrictions since I do cook around here often."
Evelyn crosses her arms and scowls. "It's for personal reasons," she states flatly. "Nothing I eat would require any special cooking. So don't worry about it." After all raw food doesn't need any cooking… "New Zealand is also nice. You could tour the wine regions. It's about the /only/ non-wildlife trip my parents have ever been on. It was while I was at a boarding school but they showed me plenty of really nice pictures. There are helicopter trips you can take where they leave you on top of a mountain with a picnic then come fetch you a few hours later."
"You can fly?" Tyler is so jealous of the professor. All he can do is hover a bit. Remembering that he came into the kitchen to get a snack before he passed out he slips off the stool and makes his way to search the pantry while the others talk about vacationy type things. Having found a box of Wheat Thins he returns to his seat and pops open the bright yellow box. "I'd kill to go to New Zealand. It's really pretty on the Travel Channel but mainly because a lot of Lord of the Rings was filmed there and I'm such a huge geek. I really want to go see it all for myself and maybe act like a total dork." Tipping the box over toward Evelyn in case she might want a few crackers. "Mr. Parker-Mayfair sir, would it be possible to stop by sometime to your salon and get some hair coloring done? I'm interested in how it's done and I've been thinking of dying my hair for a bit. Not that I mean to derails yalls conversation or anything but I'll forget if I don't ask now."
"Oooh, I do like wine." Chrstopher can't help but admit with a chuckle but he keeps his drinking to his own home. "That sounds lovely. And it definitely sounds like you're well traveled." He says before nodding to Tyler. "Yes I can, I can generate light and control what I generate thus enabling me to fly." He shakes his head. "Not at all Tyler, I can do it right now if you like, no chemicals no dye. No fading either. Just let me wash my hands and let me know what colour."
"Derail away! I don't think I could ever change my hair colour," Evelyn admits, sighing with relief now the topic has changed from her diet. "It'd mean changing my entire…. Actually I guess that doesn't matter while I'm only wandering around in my unstable two piece. But if I ever find anyone who can alter my old clothes to go with a tail I'd need my hair to be the same colour. Besides I dread to think how silly I'd look shapeshifted with colours in my hair."
"I can hover but not fly. I don't think I've quite figured out how to put the oomph in there to fly and if I did figure it out I think I'd scream myself silly for awhile trying to learn how not to smack into trees and things." Tyler munches on a few crackers after mentioning that then smiles with his eyes over at Evelyn. "You've got beautiful hair. Even when there's half a bush in it. I think you might look cute as a rainbow colored margay. Or some funky color." Pressing his lips together as he thinks about what color he'd want to change his hair to. He's been joking around for a few days about going orange for football season but what he really wants is something a bit more fashionable. Not a lot mixes well with safety orange. "Could you maybe turn it a dark blue? I've seen it a few times. It's almost shiny in a way. Not that hideous aqua or teal shade. I do have some sense."
"Actually I have dabbled a bit in sewing so if you need help I don't mind giving it a shot. And there's also Shane whose an amazing..I mean absolutely fabulous seamstress. She's a bit shy but she's a good girl so you might want to try asking her." Christopher then nods to Tyler. "You'll learn. I didn't know how to fly at first but now I'm quite good at it. And your hair Evelyn…any stylist would rather cut off their hands that cover up that beautiful red colour. And rainbow coloured Margay?" He asks with a questioning look. "I can do a dark blue without an issue." He says and just then his phone goes off. "It's my sister I have to take this. Tyler, I'll write you a rain check and you and I can hit up the salon this weekend. Evelyn it was a pleasure meeting you now please excuse me while I step out into the hallway." He says so he'll at least be in ear shot to make sure nothing burns.
Evelyn tilts her head. "I've heard that name before… Is she Stars roomie?" she wonders curiously. "I heard she doesn't bite. Perhaps I'll bug my folks for some money, then ask her to do it for me. No offense to your sewing skills Sir! But maybe this way I can make friends with someone new!" Besides she doesn't want any teachers seeing just how short some of her outfits are… "So Tyler what's new with you? Got any wild plans for the summer?"
Tyler doesn't know this Shane but he'll have to look her up if she's a really good seamstress. He's got an idea for Halloween that he'll need help with and perhaps she could lend him a hand. "Sure, sir. Lemme know what works for you but I've got dinner with my boyfriends family Saturday night so that's probably not the best day." He waves as the professor leaves the kitchen to have his conversation.
"What's up with me? All sorts of interesting stuff. I got lost on campus a few times, ran into someone I'm not sure I'll get along with, erm..went to Mutant Town and checked out the embassy." The summer was still something a bit up in the air at the moment but he could at least mention something of his plans. "Going to go back to Ohio for a bit and hang out with Kieran's family. Maybe hit a themepark while we're there but I also maybe kinda sort might be going to Genosha if things work out." Munches a few more crackers. "What's up with you? Are you staying here or are you going to see the fam?"
"Someone you wont' get along with?" Evelyn prompts, sensing gossip may be at hand. Then with an impish grin she adds "You're going to Magneto's country? Doesn't he go around flattening orphanages and generally being a monster?" Not in the least bit serious about the comments it seems. "I can't see my parents for a while. Dads in a country that is pretty strict about travel and my mom is in New York, but if people at work see us together it could ruin her career. American companies dislike mutants and that means the embassy has to be discreet with mutant family members."
Tyler nods, "Personality conflict. Not gonna say anything bad about them just that we're not going to be hanging out swapping fashion tips ever. Yup, that country. I only knew Mags by tv rep so running into him was terrifying. He's a professor here ya know. Crazy intelligent but yeah I'm kinda anxious around him. Who wouldn't be?" It's a sad thing that Evelyn won't be able to visit with her family any time soon though the thing about the American companies has him quirking his head. "I don't know about all companies being that way. Sure there's prejudice around and it sucks that there might be people acting like douches around your mom but there's hope about especially in a place like New York."
Evelyn shrugs. "While it's still a fear amoung the majority they'll keep downplaying it," she offers matter-of-factly. "It's the way the world of international diplomacy works. Besides I've got plenty of stuff to explore in New York before I get bored. At my last school I even managed to stay in one place for a few /years/. First time ever no less. So I'm actually a little looking forward to just being in one place again. Changing school every year gets a little… eugh…"
Tyler nods, "Yeah. It's sad but maybe one day stuff like that will be a thing of the past." One can hope that the situation gets better over time though it's not likely to ever go away entirely. "I'm glad you're getting to hang around for awhile. Moving all the time could be fun for awhile but school wise it would suck. Having to meet new people all of the time sounds about as much fun as going to a knitting party."
"There are some perks," Evelyn admits. "I bet I've seen more of the world than most of the people in the city, let alone just within the school. Plus I have tons and tons of pen friends. Not that any of us write real letters, but you know what I mean." She shrugs. "And don't knock knitting until you've tried it. I /suck/ at it, but I have some friends who swear it's the coolest thing you can do. Hang out and just knit stuff."
"Pen friends? Ahh, pen pals." Tyler understands as he closes up the box of crackers then slips off the stool to put them back into the pantry where he found them. "I was just joking about the knitting but that's so not my thing. Not knocking it entirely but you know." Turning his hand over to read his watch he frowns. "I've got to get ready for a class. It was great bumping into you again. If I don't run into you again when break starts have a good summer, Evelyn." After exchanging goodbyes Tyler would simply walk out of the kitchen and head off towards the dorms to go pick up what he needs for class.
