kingincognito | sticks inbox/inventory

sticks inbox/inventory

♡

code credit

INVENTORY
· His canon clothing.
· His canon sword, The Burning Thorn.
· His half of The Founder's Grasp, a pair of bracelets of which Clive possesses the twin.
    NOTE: Ydalir has enchanted this bracelet, allowing Joshua to assume the form of a small,
    cockatiel-sized Phoenix.
· His copy of the Journal of Moss.
· A photographed family portrait of his own family, in fine (but not royal) clothing and
    appearing happy.
· A stock of medicine for his coughing, supplied by Pure Vanilla Cookie.
· An ear cuff, custom made by Sesa and gifted to him by Dion.
    NOTE: Ydalir has enchanted this ear cuff, allowing Joshua to create a small ball of light
    similar to Dion's that fires three quick laser blasts before disappearing.
· A small stolas, requested from home. Her name is Willowisp, and she coos a lot and
    accepts snacks.
    NOTE: Pure Vanilla Cookie has now linked her as Joshua's familiar.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only | Expand All

[ As Clive sets down the sugar container, Joshua takes it, peering into the spice cabinet. Oh, that's... a variety. He's curious as to what this world has.

Clive indicates the cutlery, and Joshua reaches over his brother to take a spoon. ]

Do you want sugar in yours?

[ He suspects not, but he's asking all the same. ]

No, plain, and strong.

[ He pauses, thinking a bit, before turning to his brother. Curiosity is obvious on his face. ]

Do you remember how to make coffee?

[ He wants to try it. ]

[ Joshua nods, smiling. Just as he thought.

Though, coffee isn't what he's expecting. Joshua blinks, peering at the cabinets.]

I... think so. It's similar to tea, but you can't leave the. Ah. Grounds? Inside the cup, like you can with tea leaves.

[ He doesn't quite recall how Ezell did it. Something to hold the grounds in. Ah, like the bags of tea that he and Luca had used. ]

Is there anything in the cabinet that says coffee? Or any sort of... soft paper?

Uh...

[ He takes a moment to begin going through the cabinets, finding one jar that says coffee. Oh... it's really black. Curiously he opens the top to sniff.

Oh he likes that. It smells really good. His tail thuds up against the floor gently as he sets the jar aside, then begins to look for... paper? Something to strain the grounds because they can't leave it in?

It takes him a moment to find something that resembles what Joshua is talking about. Something that will hold the grounds. He hands his brother the cone shaped paper, frowning. ]

This?

[ While Clive looks, Joshua will set to preparing his tea. It's mostly so that he can focus on Clive's coffee, if they can find it. His tea will need a minute to steep anyway.

And it's a good thing that he did, because there it is! Joshua's eyes light up, and he nods, taking the jar and the paper. ]

Perfect. All right, let me see if I can recall...

[ How had he seen it done... Grounds inside the paper, and then simply pouring the hot water over it and letting the water trickle down into the cup? He thinks? But you can't just hold the paper. Looking around the kitchen, he scans for any sort of mesh strainer-- Aha. There's one by the stove. He takes it, placing the paper inside of it and spreading it as much as he can, then scooping out some grounds with the spoon.

He doesn't know if too much is a bad thing, but he does two big heaping spoonfuls, just in case. The strainer then gets placed over top of the mug, and he turns to retrieve the kettle again. ]

I believe the way you do it is, you simply pour the hot water in and let it drain down.

[ As a demonstration, he lifts the strainer in one hand, the kettle in the other. The hot water gets poured over it... and sure enough, slowly but surely, a brown liquid drains down.

Joshua looks very proud of himself. ]

When I had it, Ezell served it with milk in it. But I'm sure you'll probably want to take it without, won't you?

[ Clive watches with interest. It's very much like straining tea leaves, only if they were ground fine instead. The smell is nice, thick and aromatic. He hums, smiling to Joshua's pride. ]

Right, let me try it without. We'll see after if I need anything with it.

[ He moves to lean against the counter again, watching the coffee drip with interest before glancing to his brother with a smile. ]

Look at you. Tea, coffee, and potatoes. We'll have you a Cook yet.

[ Though the coffee hadn't been particularly kind to him, Joshua does enjoy the smell of it. It's a rich, dark scent, not like the light, herbal scent of tea. It reminds him of the difference between Clive and himself, in a way.

Maybe coffee will suit Clive better.

The compliment makes him huff out a laugh, and he peers into the mug to check the level of coffee inside of it. Still about halfway to go, he thinks. ]

Don't go asking me to prepare a royal feast. One would think that someone with fire spells would be better at this sort of thing.

Fire doesn't make a cook.

[ He looks amused, moving his hands to the counter to rest them there instead of crossing them over his chest. Maybe a little self-conscious now, thanks, brother. ]

I'm sure you would be a good one, however. You have the patience to learn it. Far beyond meat and vegetables.

[ Nevermind it's both their favorite things... ]

But it certainly helps.

[ He can't help but chuckle at his brother's new stance. He's sure that he'll go back to folding his arms eventually, at least. ]

I would make dishes without carrots in them, and my patrons would complain about it.

[ It's good-natured ribbing of himself, and he's smiling all the while. But the mug seems to be nearly full, so he pulls the strainer away. ]

Here you are. One mug of coffee. Hopefully it doesn't treat you the way it treated me.

Someday we're going to find you a carrot recipe you like.

[ Maybe buttered? Like he's going to show Joshua to do with the potato? He takes the mug with a soft thanks, raising it to his nose to sniff it first. It's stronger like this, and he brings it to his lips after to take a cautious sip.

Oh, it's strong. Bitter. But in an oddly rich way. His eyes light up in delight, and he takes a larger gulp. Then coughs cause oogh hot. ]

I much prefer this to tea.

Mm... Perhaps when chocobos fly?

[ He laughs, softly, unaware of his brother's thoughts. Thus far, he hasn't met a carrot that he liked. He isn't keen to try his luck.

Picking up his mug, he watches his brother's reaction. And he... likes it! Joshua's eyes light up, and he takes a sip of his tea, then winces. In his excitement, he forgot to add the sugar. Ugh, time to fix that. ]

I'm glad that you like it. Just be careful - it didn't hit me until about an hour after I drank it.

You know, I've met a Moogle. I bet there is a flying Chocobo out there.

[ His grin is - in return - as delighted as Joshua's when he watches his brother grimace to the tea. Yeah, he had noticed someone had forgotten their sugar, but he had taken the Older Brother decision and said nothing. ]

What exactly were the effects of it?

[ So far it's just a hot drink. Good in a way that would have made it a hit in the Hideaway. Sort of soothing. ]

If there is, I wouldn't want to know about it.

[ Blech, carrots. No thank you. The spoon clinks against the edge of his mug as he stirs the sugar in, then tries the tea once more. Much better. ]

Well, I felt very... jittery. And my chest felt strange. And then, I thought I might die.

[ He glances up at Clive. Hopefully he was just oddly sensitive to it, and that won't happen to his brother. ]

[ To be fair he DID meet a Chocobo that could cast magic. Rather well, at that. He wished he had been able to tame the creature, calm it down. It would have made a fantastic friend for Joshua.

He pauses mid-gulp to his brother's comments. The die part he remembers, but the jittery and his chest felt strange thing makes him arch an eyebrow. Calmly he lowers his mug. ]

Joshua... perhaps these are things you should open with?

[ Clive's comment catches Joshua so off-guard that he pauses in lifting his mug back to his lips, eyebrows raising. But he... he had? He told Clive that the coffee made him feel like he might die, and Clive asked for it anyway. ]

Forgive me, brother, but... was my claim of feeling as though I might die not... enough?

[ It isn't sarcasm. He is genuinely curious. ]

"I feel like I was going to die" could mean anything for us! I say as such hungover!

[ And he's pretty sure he did once he became coherent enough after the night with Will. Well, close enough, it was "leave me to die". He huffs heavily, scowling at his dark drink. ]

Jittery and your chest aching...

[ It sounds vaguely alcohol, but Joshua isn't mentioning any mental obstructions. He glances up again. ]

Were your thoughts normal?

I can assure you, it is quite different from what I've heard of hangovers.

[ Hangovers are painful things, to his knowledge. Aching head, sensitivity to light, that sort of thing. This was not at all like that. ]

No, they were fine. Clear as day, actually. I... felt as though I could do anything, at least for a short while. The exhaustion was gone entirely.

It sounds like a potion.

[ He studies the liquid then shrugs and goes back to drinking it, because it's good, his brother made it, and he's not going to let it go to waste.

A potion combined with the Lionheart tonic, maybe. ]

I'll tell you how I feel after a bit. Promise. If what you say is true, it should kick in when the potatoes are done.

... perhaps. In a sense.

[ Now that Clive says it, it does seem that way, doesn't it? But a bit more potent than just a normal potion. At least his brother still wants to drink it, so he won't press too much. It's... a compliment? ]

If you start feeling odd, I could try to heal you. Whether it will help or not remains to be seen, but it would be a good test just in case.

You will not.

[ He says it evenly but it's obvious he's not going to take arguments for this. It's not worth a healing, unless he truly does begin to die, then he will allow it. But otherwise he will take the chest pain and jitters.

He moves to sit at one of the chairs that grace the kitchen, mostly used as catches for produce but enough empty ones that cookers can rest. Which he does. Thoughtful. ]

I'm realizing I barely know you anymore.

[ That's about what he expected to hear. Still, he doesn't argue it - his brother has already allowed him to heal him once today, and he isn't going to push it. Not unless it's direly necessary.

So, he nods, sipping his tea and letting the air between them fall into a comfortable silence. Until Clive speaks up, at any rate, which makes Joshua lift his head, eyebrows raising. ]

... hmm? What do you mean?

[ He's not that different... is he? ]

[ The question makes him smile a little down into his cup, swirling the liquid around a bit. ]

The you I know is my baby brother of ten years old. You weren't interested in books then. You were interested in sticking frogs you caught into your pockets when you were allowed outside, and sneaking them over to the sparring pen to show me. Rodney always used my inevitable distraction to knock me flat.

[ His smile fades away a little, and he sips his coffee. ]

And before that, you were but a babe, toddling in my wake whenever you escaped Mother or her cavalcade of ladies.

[ He finally glances up to Joshua, his gaze a little distance, as if he's seeing the ten year old boy in front of him again. ]

I know a Joshua whose just a child, with all the hopes of our people weighing his small shoulders down. I don't know the adult, much beyond I know you still dislike carrots.

[ ... ah. It's a fact that hurts, just a little, but... Clive is right. Similarly, Joshua only knows the man that Clive has become from the short time they've been together, and the insights he was able to obtain from the Undying's observations.

He offers his brother a soft smile. Somewhat melancholic. ]

I do not feel as though I've changed much. But I understand the sentiment all the same.

[ He considers his tea for a moment, tapping his fingers against the side of the mug. ]

The years have been stolen from us, but we can make up for lost time. I would like to know you, as you would like to know me. If there are any questions you want to ask, I will gladly answer them.

[ The smile is matched with one of his own. Joshua isn't a stranger, he's his brother, but- ]

Hah... I don't even know where to begin. Is the flower you like still the same? Is there any music you like? Do you read only for research or leisure as well?

[ There's so many questions to ask. What's his favorite color now, where has he gone, what has he seen, what does he want to do when they get home and they have their entire future ahead of them. ]

[ There is a lot to cover. Joshua doesn't really know where to start, either. But he smiles, taking a breath, putting down his mug. ]

It is still my favorite, yes. I don't listen to much in the way of music, but I have a soft spot for tavern bards and the tales they tell.

[ The last question makes him pause though. When was the last time he read something for leisure...? ]

Well, I suppose I read Will's book for-- Hmm. Was that research or leisure?

[ He finds research... fun? ]

sticks inbox/inventory

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)