Issue 1 Downtime

Wanda set her bags down on the kitchen table. She had managed to snag tomatoes, peppers, onions, and some other assorted things. It also looked like she'd snagged some beer, which she stowed in the fridge. She sat down in a chair and snatched a lone apple from one of the bags, which she started eating as she waited for Trev and Tala.

Tala knocked on the door with her foot. "Little girl, open the door. I have meats a plenty."

Wanda opened the door for Tala, "Always open the door for someone with meat."

Trev walked in with an iPad in one hand, and a 6 pack of some obscure Mexican imported beer bottles in his other hand. He wasn't dressed in anything particularly fancy, since he wasn't sure how messy he was going to get in the process of making all of the food.

"Hey ladies," he smiled.

"And there's our chef," Wanda said smiling, "So what can we do to help?"

"Depends on what you're comfortable with. I don't well want to assign pepper chopping duties to someone who will do it without gloves and then wipe their eyes," he chuckled, "Or give a klutz a hopefully sharp knife," he said, spotting a knife rack and retrieving a chef's knife to see how sharp it was.

"Yep. Pretty sharp. But less likely to slip and slice off a finger this way, so long as we keep our fingers out of the way,"

"I'll do the peppers, since Tala's likely to be more sensitive to them than I am."

"Hear that, Tala, she's calling you a sissy," Trev chuckled.

"If I'm the sissy what does that make you?" She stuck her tongue at Trev.

"OUCH," Trev emphasized, drawing out the word with a chuckle. "I dunno. The guy who spits in Tala's dinner?" he stuck his tongue out in return before grabbing another knife and starting to slice up an onion.

"I think her revenge would be particular unpleasant if you did that," Wanda said, picking up a knife and cutting into the peppers.

"Besides, if I wanted your DNA, I know several more pleasant ways of obtaining it without spoiling my food." She moved around the kitchen making sure everyone had bowls and began unwrapping various packages and setting up.

Trev choked a bit in surprise at Tala's comment, not quite sure how to respond, his rhythmic onion chopping interrupted for a beat or two. He finally decided to just chuckle and play it cool.

"Pleasant for you as you chase me around campus wolfed out, and then chew on my leg?" he teased.

"I seem to recall Jace never complained when ever I was wolf and chasing him through campus, then again it wasn't his leg that I wanted in my mouth." She gave him a big grin.

Wanda just snickered and kept cutting peppers.

Trev's face turned bright red, and he narrowly avoided chopping his thumb with the knife. He chuckled nervously.

There's no escaping sexy thoughts on a college campus are there? a tiny voice in the back of his head said with resignation.

"I'm not sure why he was running then" he laughed. "Most guys chase the girl."

Should probably just change the subject and retain some amount of sanity; are we already forgetting this past weekend.


...Shut up.

"Most guy's don't date Shifter girls. We aren't like other girls and honestly, do you think I'm the type of girl who would wait around for a guy to get his act together if I wanted him and then let him have all the fun?"

She chuckled.

"I'm complicated and I make sure that anyone who's interested in me is fully aware of what they're getting into and that they are truly interested in me and not just the fun things I can do with my tongue." She gave Trev a wink and a smile.

Trev's mind was going places he really wished it wouldn't with that.

He chuckled, trying to ignore it, "True, true. I suppose it's almost like dating two people at once sometimes."

"That's got to be interesting," Wanda said.

"Depends on the Shifter girl, some are divided, I would recommend being careful with those. They tend to be one or the other and the furry one usually isn't always very careful with human playmates. I'm all me though, the wolf, or fox, is just an aspect of who I am. My bedroom antics depend on my mood, just like any one else. It also depends on my partner. I'm personally open to anything, however if they are more conservative then that's how I'll play, but after awhile a girl's got to get creative to keep things interesting."

She chuckled and began cooking the meat.

After last weekend, the last thing you need is to keep fantasizing about what interesting means. Also. Fangs. Claws. Scarier dad AND mom.

Trev chuckled nervously as he set the onions aside and started opening a block of cheese and looking for a grater, "I doubt this is a concern for a carnivore like you, but make sure you don't overcook that flank steak. Won't take too long. Hope you guys like the marinade."

there we go. Subject changed.

Wanda was watching Trev. After finishing with the peppers, she carried the bowl over to the counter and took the opportunity to lean down and whisper in Tala's ear, "I think you exploded his brain." To Trev, she said, "Yes, overcooked meat is bad."

Trev cast a furtive glance over at the whispering.

oh god what is she saying

"I think you're right, Wanda and Trev, don't worry, I know how to handle meat." She gave him another wink.

"It will be delicious and this has been fun."

Well that's cool. You definitely needed another person you shouldn't be fantasizing about to fantasize about.

Trev wasn't sure his cheeks would return to their normal color anytime soon. He tried to play it off like it was warm in the kitchen, wiping his brow with his sleeve.

"It's been a blast for sure. I'm sure glad I've got more XI people like you here, Tala. And you're a lot of fun too, Wanda. A fat kid needs people who enjoy eating with him. We'll definitely do this again," he smiled

Wanda walked over and patted Trev on the shoulder, "As long as I'm not the one who has to cook, I'll be glad to enjoy food with you anytime."

"I'll cook for you any time," he smiled, setting down the remainder of the block of cheese and moving the bowl of grated cheese out of the way.

"I love it and it's probably way better for my fat ass and my wallet to not eat out all the time."

"Well, there a profession in cooking. Not everyone needs to be a super hero."

She moved around the two easily and cleaned up in between checking on the meat.

"No one could ever claim to have a hard time hearing me in the kitchen if I were a chef, I suppose," he smirked.

"If you're good at it and you love doing it, then that's the way to go."

"We'll see how school goes. For the moment I still wouldn't mind teaching, if I knew I'd be able to get a job at a place besides XI or the Academy of Tomorrow."

"That's my plan. School first for a bit, then maybe like a bolt from the blue I'll know what I want for the rest of my life."

"You ever think of being a vet? You seem rather suited to it. Not many people can ask animals where it hurts ."

"But then I have to put up with the squishy side of things. Maybe I could have a zoo. Would you pay to be able to actually touch the animals?"

"And know that they weren't going to try and make a meal of me? Absolutely."

"Or environmentally minded super villain!! Ooo." She chuckled and grinned.

"Well, I can certainly see the evil side of you," Trev grinned.

"I can hold the world ransom for cookies. Really big ones." she smiled.

"If I bake you cookies can I rule over a small island nation somewhere tropical?"

"It would be kind of scary, not knowing when small furry animals were going to jump out and try to take you down," Wanda said.