MHA #10 - Wednesday Evening

[notagoose]

So Goose had a dinner … date thing with Ignis and that had somehow turned into letting Summer decorate his apartment since the only thing Goose had by way of decor was two succulents that he’d managed to not kill and the photo frame that had the photo of his team that Niko had gotten him for Christmas.

The end result was that now Goose’s apartment now not only had a dining table, at least temporarily, it and the apartment had been set up with flowers and candles and there seemed to be quite a few noticeable traces of glitter as well, this seemed to be a bit more subtle than the Christmas party at least but well he used to be a student at Fandom not that long ago (at least for him) he remembered what glitter meant and oh … he was already turning red before this had even started.

Goose didn’t know why he was freaking out about this so much … it was a dinner … he normally didn’t even care about what people thought about him but he realised that he cared what Ignis thought and that was why he was going to all this effort … he had even asked Doc for what he should wear and it had taken a while to convince Doc that a) he was serious and b) he was in fact making a dinner for someone - they had managed to come up with an outfit that was rather different to what he was used to wearing.

While Summer had been taking care of the decorating side, Goose had been focused on cooking and had gone with the minced beef casserole that he was going to make and then since Summer had recommended going with chocolate for desert, he had also managed to make a chocolate cake.

There had been his customary mess left at the end of it but he’d managed to not set anything on fire or added to the mess of pulled pork that was already on the ceiling so … that was at least a good start … he hoped. At least he’d cleaned away the mess he’d made … he had tried to clean that pulled pork stain but that was proving to be a lot more difficult, so in the end he decided to leave it.

There was even wine , which Goose still wasn’t a hundred percent sure on how to pronounce so hopefully at least Ignis would like it and that Goose wouldn’t have to try and say the name to often and it wouldn’t be an issue because Goose was …well he wasn’t used to any of this .

All of this was so out of his comfort zone… dealing with emotions and everything wasn’t something that he had been taught at Wolf Den and then that whole thing with Darkstar and Stingray … and he had been in far worse situations than a dinner but still … surely he could handle a dinner that he was making.

Hopefully.

So his apartment was clean, the table was set and everything was ready and now Goose just had to wait for Ignis and try not to pace around his apartment so much while he waited … even though he wasn’t being successful at that part.

[Summer modded with permission! For Ignis :)]

Comments

[chef_chocobro]

And Ignis, as one might expect, had only the most impeccible timing, arriving precisely at the time discussed and feeling rather proud of himself for that. After all, Portalocity could be notoriously troublesome at times, but he was pleased that, at least that evening, it was cooperating enough that his preference for punctuality need not be compromised. Especially not when he was rather eager to see exactly how this was all going to play out...

...and the fact that there was no discernable scent of smoke or burning when he approached Goose's door was already a very good sign. And, never one to pass up an opportunity to test-drive a new outfit, he figured something a bit more casual would help put Goose's no doubt already somewhat frayed nerves at ease a little. After all, it was hardly a formal event, merely two friends getting together to celebrate the fruits of the culinary labors...

So with that, he knocked.

[notagoose]

Goose stopped pacing and stared at the door blankly for a moment before remembering that it would in fact be helpful to open it and was rather relieved when it was Ignis …even though it wasn’t like he was expecting anyone else.

“Ignis,” Goose tried to not sound so nervous as he answered the door, tugging a bit at his coat as he did, “hi, um … come in,” there was a pause and then after a moment, “I haven’t set anything on fire,” he added, almost ... rather shyly as he said it, his nerves finally betraying him.

Just ignore all those candles that had been placed around the apartment …it was probably a major fire hazard to have that many candles around when Goose was there.

[chef_chocobro]

Yes, all things considered, the candles certainly were a bold choice, and yet they weren't even the inspiration to Ignis being unable to help himself in adding, with a faint grin, "Yet."

But Goose's poor nerves were evident, and lest the light jab linger into a deeper wound, he moved on, lifting the two bottles of wine he'd brought with him, one in each hand.

"I didn't know what you were preparing, of course," he explained, "so I brought both a red as well as a white, and figured we could just go from there."

Because, yes, that was clearly what this needed. More alcohol.

[notagoose]

There was a smile at that because yes, Goose would probably find a way to cause a fire and then it would be a very different outcome for the evening, even though the fire department would get something to do at least.

“Oh,” Goose blinked at the wines, “I mean thank you,” because manners were still important Goose, ““I uh … made a minced beef casserole,” Goose rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, “I also got a Cab….Caber…Cabernet Sa … Sau …Sauvignon,” Goose fumbled with the words, hopefully he wouldn’t have to say that too many times this evening, especially once they started drinking, “I think Summer said red wine goes with beef,” he didn’t know anything about wines so he was going completely off of what Summer had told him.

[chef_chocobro]

"Well," Ignis said, after trying his very best to not be too amused by that utterly charming attempt to make it through cabernet sauvignon, "Summer also is fond of pairing beef with gelatin and vodka, but....in this instance, she is correct."

And while he certainly wasn't sure what to think of the fact that he'd decided to consult Summer of all people on wine parings, it was a bit impressive that it seemed he'd thought to consider it at all, really.

"In fact," he added, "a cabernet sauvignon," pronounced smoothly and clearly as if for Goose's benefit, "does sound like an excellent match. I suppose these," he considered the bottles in his hands with a wry grin, "will have to wait. They're quite good, though. I'm sure you'll get the chance to still enjoy them."

[notagoose]

“I think I’ve tried a few of those shots,” Goose said with a grin because most of his alcoholic experiences had come in the form of Jello shots and then there was a pause as he listened to Ignis’ pronunciation of how to say Cabernet Sauvignon correctly, even though it was probably going to take a few more attempts before he was even close to getting it correct.

“I … uh … don’t really know anything about wines,” Goose admitted, which was probably not going to come as a shock to Ignis at all, “or that you paired them with certain foods … its …er … “ he looked a bit awkward, "I've ...er...actually never tried wine before," he finally revealed, just showing how much out of his comfort zone he really was with all of this.

[chef_chocobro]

"Oh," there was a faintly surprised tone in Ignis's voice, though he wasn't really all that surprised, considering Goose in general, and emphasized by everything else he knew about Goose, "well, then, you're in good hands. It's easily my preferred beverage for social situations, though I know that some do find it a bit of an...acquired taste...."

He truly would try his best not too judge too harshly, but it would be quite the challenge, if it turned out that Goose preferred some of those jello shots to a fine pinor noir or a chablis as he'd picked out.

"Did you pick out the cabernet yourself?" he had to wonder. "Or was this where Summer's advice came in?"

....neither of those prospects were instilling a lot of confidence in him regarding that wine, though.

[notagoose]

He was going to try his best with the wine, even if did enjoy shots like pickle juice and hot dog.

“Summer had a couple of suggestions…I went with the Cab..Cabernet Sau…Sauvignon,” at least that attempt was a bit better but not by much.

There was a pause, “she helped decorate the apartment as well,”

That was what Ignis wanted to hear right? Even though it wasn’t likely that Goose would have done any of the decorating on his own.

[chef_chocobro]

Ignis had been working up toward making a comment on the clear additions that had been made to the apartment since his last visit, but Goose mentioning it certainly saved him the trouble.

And...put things into a much more...comprehensive perspective.

"Ah," he said, now allowing himself to take in the particular decor in detail with a new appreciation for the context.

And for how such an endevour could have gone. Especially with regards to that glitter, which now made significantly more sense.

"...it's good to see she's finally learning to use restraint."

[notagoose]

Goose felt himself go a bit red, especially when Ignis did notice that glitter …

“It’s …uh …not quite what I was expecting but well since the apartment was …er rather bare I figured anything would be better than what it was,” he stammered, “um…I did get a table though,” he added, since he felt that was probably the most important addition for the purpose of the dinner.

[chef_chocobro]

It was rather hard not to notice the glitter...

"So you have," Ignis agreed, finding it increasingly difficult to use restraint of his own on his amusement, "and not a moment too soon. I imagine it will only serve to enhance the experience."

And starting to feel like delaying the point even further was just going to potentially leave his host nothing but a very large ball of frayed nerves, he took the initiative to gesture toward the table in discussion.

"Shall we, then?"

[notagoose]

“Oh, yes, right,” Goose blinked and led them over to the table, he tried not to feel so awkward about this as he stared at the casserole that had been served out on the plates, “I …this …er, I hadn’t cooked this before,” he revealed, trying not to fidget nervously to much.

Why was he so nervous about this? It wasn’t like he had burned the casserole that was already a step up from his usual attempts.

[chef_chocobro]

"Branching out into new territory is an important step," Ignis noted, sounding a little impressed by the adventurousness...and still terribly amused; he was pretty sure his charmed amusement at all of this would never truly cease, "and, I daresay, my intrigue grows even more by the moment. How did it go? Or should I merely wait and see what my tastebuds have to say about it?"

[notagoose]

“I think it went okay…I …er didn’t set it on fire,” he added sheepishly, “or cause it to explode,” he rubbed the back of his neck, “I tried to make pulled pork the other week and it ended up on the ceiling,” because Ignis wanted to know that right?

It was not just the community centre he did that to at least.

[chef_chocobro]

In that moment, Ignis was very grateful for his years of training that allowed him to prevent his eyes from immediately seeking out that ceiling damage.

"Pressure cooker?" he guessed.

[notagoose]

Goose nodded, “I was a bit over ambitious in my first attempt,” he admitted and then he pointed up at the ceiling where the stain was very obvious, “I tried to clean it, it hasn’t gone very well,” he said sheepishly, “I haven’t figured out what I’m telling Jon about why there’s a pulled pork stain on the ceiling in one of his apartments,”

[chef_chocobro]

Well, if he was just going to point it out...

"You could always just inform him," Ignis suggested as his eyes drifted up, "that it's still nothing compared to what the community center ceiling has seen."

[notagoose]

“I don’t think he’d be that surprised,” he admitted, “really, I mean …I did have to get him to order in a replacement table when I was an alien cat,”

That was still a weird sentence to say.

[chef_chocobro]

It was also a weird sentence to hear, but Ignis's attention now was, regrettably, focused on the stain.

"Have you tried vinegar?" he asked. "Or perhaps baking soda?"

[notagoose]

“Oh,” Goose blinked as he hadn’t even thought of those options, “I didn’t realise they could be used for cleaning,” he admitted and then there was a pause, "I ... I tried using water …and soap,” now that he thought about it, that probably hadn't been the best way to go about it.

[chef_chocobro]

"You'll want to use it sparingly," Ignis advised, very aware of who he was talking to right now. "The acidic properties can be very effective in lifting difficult stains, but too much can cause additional damage."

He considered it a moment longer.

"Perhaps I'll show you later."

Good luck spending the next few days trying to convince Summer Smith that 'cleaning pork stains off the ceiling' was not, in fact, some bizarre Lucian euphemism now, Ignis.

But he really could not just leave it like that!

[notagoose]

Goose hadn’t even considered the possibility of telling people how the evening went and that they also probably weren’t expecting to hear, ‘got shown how to clean pulled pork off a ceiling’.

Well maybe Doc wouldn’t be surprised.

“Oh, that … that would probably be something useful to know for future reference,” Goose nodded, because knowing Goose the odds of it happening again weren’t in his favour.

[chef_chocobro]

Ignis nodded; at the very least, that indicated that Goose did intend to continue his culinary pursuits...no matter how much it might diminish his security deposit.

"At the very least," he mused, "it might lessen the shock once your landlord does finally get to see it."

And since he was now probably going to need help to not be thinking about it.

"Now, about that cabernet..."

[notagoose]

Commander Walsh was so not getting that security deposit back, Goose was going to be lucky if his apartment was still standing when he was through with it.

"Right ...uh ...here it is," Goose fumbled a bit as he picked up the bottle but he was somehow able to pour both glasses without actually spilling anything so that was at least something.

There were really low bars for Goose to pass this evening.

"Hopefully this is all okay," Goose added as he handed the glass towards Ignis, "I've ... all of this is rather new," he admitted, which was likely to not come as shock to Ignis by this point.

[chef_chocobro]

And they were bars he was doing quite well at clearing with room to spare.

Ignis nodded his thanks as he took the glass of wine. "I've certainly no complaints. You've proven to be an excellent host so far, Shane."

A...brief pause.

"Is it alright," he asked, "if I call you Shane?"

He just...couldn't keep on referring to him with something as formal as Mr. Gooseman or as ridiculous as a name shared with a notoriously ornery water fowl.

[notagoose]

Goose blinked and then … oh yes that was his name wasn’t it? He was so used to being called Goose or Ranger Gooseman or other not so flattering names that hearing someone actually call him Shane took some getting used to.

“Oh,” and then he started to turn rather red, it was definitely a sight seeing a 7 foot tall genetically engineered soldier turning that shade of colour.

“I mean … I … I don’t mind,” he stammered awkwardly, “I …mean yes ... you can call me Shane,” he finally managed to get out, staring down at his wine glass.

[chef_chocobro]

It was absurdly endearing, that's what it was, and Ignis found himself smiling softly into his own glass of wine as he took a sip.

"Good," he said, and, hoping to put some of Goose's awkwardness at ease, offered by way of explanation, "I know you typically do introduce yourself with your more colloquial nickname, but, I have to admit, I find it a bit..."

It was a rare thing, indeed, when Ignis had difficulty finding the right word.

"...incongruous."

[notagoose]

“I’m kind of used to it to be honest,” Goose admitted, finally looking back up at Ignis and still that brilliant shade of red, “most of my life I’ve just been Goose or …Gooseman or ... well they called me runt back at Wolf Den because I was the youngest and smallest growing up, ” he trailed off as he considered "most of the Supertroopers still do when we run into each other," Killbane especially.

Then he finally took a sip of his own wine … which was actually not that bad. It wasn’t quite the same taste as jello shots but he found that he actually didn’t mind the wine either.

[chef_chocobro]

"Speaking of incongruous," Ignis said with a small laugh, "it's difficult to imagine you being the smallest out of a group, Shane."

Clearly, he had to keep saying it, until it felt as natural for Goose to hear it as Ignis felt it was to say it.

[notagoose]

Also it would help to remind Goose that his name was actually Shane.

Goose actually … laughed at that, which was a very rare thing to hear and he did visibly relax at that, “it took a bit for me to catch up to the others,” he did allow, which if he was being honest it felt a bit weird openly discussing Wolf Den like this, “I wasn’t always … well …” he used the hand that wasn't holding the wine glass to indicate his appearance, “I was 12, when I finally hit my growth spurt," he added.

[chef_chocobro]

"And you hit that ground running, no doubt," Ignis observed, lifting his glass as if to toast to the clearly successful recovery from runt-hood, to that laugh, to Shane finally seeming to be a bit more at ease with the whole situation.

[notagoose]

“Well it was nice to be more equal to everyone …even if they didn't always see it that way,” Goose admitted, not knowing if he was supposed to return the toast since ... guess who hadn't been in enough social situations where he had experiences with this, “it was kind of weird being so tall as a student though … when I did eventually start at Fandom, Prince Sidon wasn’t at the school then so I think I was actually taller than everyone on the island for a while,” if he was being honest, it was actually kind of nice having someone be even taller than him
 for a change.

[chef_chocobro]

"And as I've come to understand it," Ignis offered, "the Zora Prince is actually still growing! He's actually grown substantially even in the time since I first had the pleasure of meeting him. I don't believe he was much taller than yourself, actually, when he was a student."

[notagoose]

“Oh,” Goose blinked as he tried to even imagine what that would be like, “I must admit, it took some a bit of getting used to having to look up to speak to someone,” he added, taking another sip of his wine, “but it is a nice change from home," especially since the only person Goose knew who was at least somewhat taller than him back hone was Ambassador Waldo, " I must admit I've never met anyone like him before,”