Far better too much than too little. You'll be spoiled for choice, not to mention extra well-received when you reach your destination if you're bringing treats with you. May even earn me a bit of good will with the rest of the Steinbeck clan?
[Morena would be happy with anyone who made her son smile the way Amelia does, but it's true that she's taken quite a shine to the younger professor and welcomed her with eager and open arms.]
Ah, I had hoped it would be to his tastes! I'm glad to hear it. I'm interested to hear what he's been reading next time we have the chance to talk, both being men of science.
[Similarly, Gale and Amelia's father get along swimmingly.]
We'll make time together soon; spring break always comes around sooner or later, even when it feels an eternity away.
He'll like a spring break visit for sure. I think he mentioned something about going to Antelope Valley to catch the golden poppies in bloom.
[Professor Dekarios is such an affable fellow that it seems to bring out the hidden jolly side of Frank Steinbeck who is usually a reserved man. It's kind of like having a son that he never had!
But anyway, she's got a short trip to prep for.]
Putting that aside, I'll give the apartment a sweep and a mop before I go so you can at least be home alone in a clean space. Don't worry about me and just focus on enjoying quiet time.
Truly easier said than done, but I will make sure to make productive use of the quiet. You say that as though your presence is ever anything but welcome, but I digress, I'll do as I'm advised.
[He'd tell her not to go out of her way to do anything extra when she already has a weekend trip to prepare for, but he's long since learned to pick his battles with her.]
You're not worried I'll get up to no good in your absence?
[No, he was not able to text that with a straight face.]
At least the sort of trouble they're most likely to get me into will result in a nasty hangover at worst, but time will tell if I'm up for their sort of fun this weekend. Pleasant company though they are, Minsc is very costly to feed.
[He's a large man— which makes how soft he is regarding the hamster he keeps in his office even more comical.]
It is. Maybe I'll do some catching up with Wyll, in fact— I'm sure you'll agree he's a much better influence.
[An entirely different flavor of lawyer, given that he'd gone into human rights.]
Perhaps he'll even start to rub off on the other two. Ah, but time will tell! I'll be home shortly to see about those sandwiches, I just have one more stop to make first.
Wyll is the first I'd go to so you'd have an ironclad defense. Astarion, I'll trust when I need to.
[She means that fondly.... Probably.... It has probably been very funny for Gale and the others to listen in on Astarion and Amelia's conversations where there were some snipes and the latter having more success than not in twisting his arm to get a one up over him.]
[It has been rather entertaining to watch those very exchanges, and Gale believes that Astarion enjoys them just as much, thrilled to have someone willing to snipe back at him even if he wasn't going to admit it aloud. The man loved a challenge and appreciated most anyone who could truly hold their own in an argument.]
I will. See you shortly, my heart.
[As always, he is good to his word; it's a little less than an hour later when door to the apartment can be heard closing behind him, followed by the jingle of keys as he drops them on the kitchen island, followed by the market bag full of produce he'd been carrying.]
I hereby declare a cease to all housekeeping!
[She was being thoughtful, of course, but he will not have her spending her last afternoon before leaving doing chores when those hours could be better spent otherwise, even if she is only going to be gone a couple of days.]
[She's in the kitchen and had just finished putting away some stray dishes and cutlery while setting up a sandwich making station with the relevant tools.
Living together had been a cautious decision on her part, but after overcoming some logistics and figuring out their space and boundaries, Amelia has taken to it more than she expected.
It was nice, she thinks, hearing Gale greet her when he came home. She walks over to meet him, glancing at his bags.]
The housekeeping doesn't stop especially when the groceries are constant. But let's get these set up or put away.
[No-nonsense as ever— he expects nothing less, at this point, and smiles cheekily as he leans down just long enough to steal a kiss hello, his lips brushing against the corner of her mouth before he starts to unload the contents of his bag, tucking a few mangoes into the tiered fruit basket he keeps on the island.]
You've been keeping busy, I see, not that I'm surprised. Look at that!
[He looks positively delighted as he spots the sandwich station she's laid out for them.]
Wonderfully efficient. I wonder, how many sandwiches can one literature professor eat in a weekend?
[He's teasing, naturally— a love of food and a considerable capacity for it is something they have in common.]
[Well, the casual kiss as a hello, is still something to get accustomed to. Her nose scrunches, not because she hates it (not at all), but because it keeps catching her by surprise. But she shakes it off and starts to help unload the other groceries and put what's needed away into the fridge.]
I think one sandwich made by you would have all the calories I would need in the day and then some.
[Cause you know, the calories are also made from love]
Are you alright with doing this for the next hour? I don't want it to get in the way of any classwork or emails you need to attend to.
[The nose scrunch is, quite frankly, adorable. If his affectionate greetings ever stop taking her by surprise, he almost hopes she holds onto that habit.]
Ah, entirely possible! [He chuckles, unloading the last of the groceries; it had been a brief stop at the market, the results of it easily handled.] The way I hear it, I come from a long line of ambitious chefs who have found food to be the answer to countless situations, including as a show of affection.
[Morena was the same, naturally. He comes by it honestly.]
The rest of my day is completely clear— you suggested we spend the day together before you left, and so we shall. I am entirely at your service.
[He grins, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows one after the other.]
[There is something utterly charming about her being so organized about what some might dismiss as a terribly simple task, and his grin tugs to one side as he takes up his station beside her, looking to her for direction— he's at her service, after all.]
A spin? I'm very interested to hear what you have in mind, professor.
[How ambitious are these sandwiches of theirs going to get? Unless she intends to make a game of it, of sorts‐ color him curious.]
[He lets out a thoughtful hum, both amused and appreciative of the suggestion, though his brow furrows in an exaggerated manner as he reaches for the bread.]
We'll have to take care, however. I don't know that I would wish an Astarion-inspired sandwich on anyone.
[His voice remains full of warmth as he teases; actually, he can already think of a few ingredients his old friend might approve of. Surely, the man would demand anything he inspired be for an elevated palate.]
I feel like an Astarion-inspired sandwich could go either way. What I do know is that he'll take personal offense if the sandwich modeled after him isn't up to his standards when he sees it in your group chat.
[He's so fussy (but so is she and that's why they both clash).]
That's why you'll make that one. I'll start on Oren's and Berna's instead.
[Oren's will be easy, he is a minimalistic man, Berna's will be... A lot.]
Bold is one way to put it. She's the type to change her mind on a whim, but if there's a constant in her sandwiches, she loves having kettle baked potato chips inside and a numbingly spicy sauce.
[Amelia may or may not have accidentally eaten a sandwich with those ingredients...]
The former is a textural nightmare for me, even if I understand the vision. As for the latter, I'd like to think my tolerance is decent, but I don't know how anyone can be in pain and think that's delicious.
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That's a compliment, by the way.
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[He needs your parents to love him, Amelia.]
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[She loves her mom at the end of the day, but sometimes, she's overbearing like that.]
We can visit my parents together when you're less busy, ok? That is, if you're still worried about scoring points.
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[He's getting... better, about sharing his space in the kitchen.]
I'd quite like that, though for more reasons than just scoring points. My mother can't keep us all to herself.
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[Both sets of parents, have in fact, been very supportive of them and it's nice if still a little nerve-wracking.]
Dad definitely wants a turn with you. He did like that bottle of whiskey you gifted him last time.
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Ah, I had hoped it would be to his tastes! I'm glad to hear it. I'm interested to hear what he's been reading next time we have the chance to talk, both being men of science.
[Similarly, Gale and Amelia's father get along swimmingly.]
We'll make time together soon; spring break always comes around sooner or later, even when it feels an eternity away.
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[Professor Dekarios is such an affable fellow that it seems to bring out the hidden jolly side of Frank Steinbeck who is usually a reserved man. It's kind of like having a son that he never had!
But anyway, she's got a short trip to prep for.]
Putting that aside, I'll give the apartment a sweep and a mop before I go so you can at least be home alone in a clean space. Don't worry about me and just focus on enjoying quiet time.
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[He'd tell her not to go out of her way to do anything extra when she already has a weekend trip to prepare for, but he's long since learned to pick his battles with her.]
You're not worried I'll get up to no good in your absence?
[No, he was not able to text that with a straight face.]
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[There's a pause. Then typing...]
Not unless it involves Astarion and/or Minsc the janitor.
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At least the sort of trouble they're most likely to get me into will result in a nasty hangover at worst, but time will tell if I'm up for their sort of fun this weekend. Pleasant company though they are, Minsc is very costly to feed.
[He's a large man— which makes how soft he is regarding the hamster he keeps in his office even more comical.]
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[There are uses to being friends with a large man!]
As Berna has told me repeatedly, being with friends is good.
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[An entirely different flavor of lawyer, given that he'd gone into human rights.]
Perhaps he'll even start to rub off on the other two. Ah, but time will tell! I'll be home shortly to see about those sandwiches, I just have one more stop to make first.
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[She means that fondly.... Probably.... It has probably been very funny for Gale and the others to listen in on Astarion and Amelia's conversations where there were some snipes and the latter having more success than not in twisting his arm to get a one up over him.]
I'll see you soon then. Drive safe.
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I will. See you shortly, my heart.
[As always, he is good to his word; it's a little less than an hour later when door to the apartment can be heard closing behind him, followed by the jingle of keys as he drops them on the kitchen island, followed by the market bag full of produce he'd been carrying.]
I hereby declare a cease to all housekeeping!
[She was being thoughtful, of course, but he will not have her spending her last afternoon before leaving doing chores when those hours could be better spent otherwise, even if she is only going to be gone a couple of days.]
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[She's in the kitchen and had just finished putting away some stray dishes and cutlery while setting up a sandwich making station with the relevant tools.
Living together had been a cautious decision on her part, but after overcoming some logistics and figuring out their space and boundaries, Amelia has taken to it more than she expected.
It was nice, she thinks, hearing Gale greet her when he came home. She walks over to meet him, glancing at his bags.]
The housekeeping doesn't stop especially when the groceries are constant. But let's get these set up or put away.
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You've been keeping busy, I see, not that I'm surprised. Look at that!
[He looks positively delighted as he spots the sandwich station she's laid out for them.]
Wonderfully efficient. I wonder, how many sandwiches can one literature professor eat in a weekend?
[He's teasing, naturally— a love of food and a considerable capacity for it is something they have in common.]
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I think one sandwich made by you would have all the calories I would need in the day and then some.
[Cause you know, the calories are also made from love]
Are you alright with doing this for the next hour? I don't want it to get in the way of any classwork or emails you need to attend to.
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Ah, entirely possible! [He chuckles, unloading the last of the groceries; it had been a brief stop at the market, the results of it easily handled.] The way I hear it, I come from a long line of ambitious chefs who have found food to be the answer to countless situations, including as a show of affection.
[Morena was the same, naturally. He comes by it honestly.]
The rest of my day is completely clear— you suggested we spend the day together before you left, and so we shall. I am entirely at your service.
[He grins, rolling his sleeves up to his elbows one after the other.]
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Thanks. I'll be taking full advantage of your service so you can earn your recovery time while I'm away.
[The spreads are all ready and she starts categorizing the vegetables and meats.]
Additionally, I also propose a spin on the sandwich-making.
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A spin? I'm very interested to hear what you have in mind, professor.
[How ambitious are these sandwiches of theirs going to get? Unless she intends to make a game of it, of sorts‐ color him curious.]
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[She almost sounds pleased with the idea since she usually isn't this playful.]
It's a little abstract, I'll admit, but I think it could be a good exercise for our imaginations.
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[He lets out a thoughtful hum, both amused and appreciative of the suggestion, though his brow furrows in an exaggerated manner as he reaches for the bread.]
We'll have to take care, however. I don't know that I would wish an Astarion-inspired sandwich on anyone.
[His voice remains full of warmth as he teases; actually, he can already think of a few ingredients his old friend might approve of. Surely, the man would demand anything he inspired be for an elevated palate.]
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[He's so fussy (but so is she and that's why they both clash).]
That's why you'll make that one. I'll start on Oren's and Berna's instead.
[Oren's will be easy, he is a minimalistic man, Berna's will be... A lot.]
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I'll have to take exceptional care with it, in that case. One never wants a scornful lawyer on their hands, I much prefer having him in my corner.
[He casts her a sly, sidelong glance as he looks over the various ingredients and spreads she's set out for them.]
I'm interested to see what you come up with. Berna's would have to be full of bold flavors, I think.
[There's nothing understated about that woman— to her credit, of course.]
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[Amelia may or may not have accidentally eaten a sandwich with those ingredients...]
The former is a textural nightmare for me, even if I understand the vision. As for the latter, I'd like to think my tolerance is decent, but I don't know how anyone can be in pain and think that's delicious.
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