Prepare the Calf for the Slaughter

Razzle once again found himself in the comforting setting of the kitchen, stocked with all kinds of ingredients to cook to his hearts content. This time his arms are near elbow deep in a big wad of bread dough. He kneads it firmly, the fluff-laced muscles in his arms bulging a little more than usual. His long, curly red locks are tied back out of his face though one strand falls and taps against his nose with the forward pushes of his arms.

Since it's the colder season Razzle's been growing out his facial hair, a curly red beard lining his jaw, up to his sideburns. It makes him look more masculine and somewhat softer to the touch. He's taken to the habit of showering for long periods of time everyday. He feels dirty when he's fed from, especially by Jene, she has a way of making him feel small, inferior. He knows he isn't, but it still makes him uncomfortable.

He takes his frustrations out on the dough, kneading harder, little droplets starting to form on his furrowed brow.

Giacinto hummed, a skip in her step as he almost danced into the kitchen.

She was in a good mood. After spending time with Nanda the night before, and feeding enough to lose the aches in her legs and backside, she felt good.

And now she wanted food. Earlier she had cooked up a large pot of steak chunks in French mustard sauce and left it in the fridge for later. She hoped Aodh hadn't gotten to it. She was looking forwards to eating it.

Adorning her frame was an outfit somewhat different than normal. A dress.

The dress was simple, black and red striped, fitting over her chest snugly and flaring out almost to her knees. Her hair was down, floating around her waist.

The woman hummed as she flitted towards the fridge, for now not paying attention to the other occupant of the room.

Normally Razzle doesn't pay much mind to when others enter the kitchen, he's become rather used to the constant in and out and stays silent to avoid conversation. But this time he raises his eyes to see Giacinto, looking lovely as ever and very happy. His kneading slows down to a stop and his already red cheeks get a little redder.

He watchers her a moment, not really realizing he's staring, but he's able to catch himself and he looks back down at his dough.

"Hey there Giacinto, long time no see," he smiles wide and gets to kneading his dough again, glancing up at her every now and then, the stripes entrancing him.

Her eyes flickered up and she gave a soft hum.

"Afternoon, Razzle." A familiar face that she could tolerate being around. Today was just getting better and better.

She set the chilled pot on the counter and reached up to pull out a bowl.

Her gaze flickered to Razzle then down at the dough he was kneading.

"Would you like some?" she asked, lifting her bowl and shaking it a little as if to offer the currently non-existent contents to him.

She had enjoyed their last meal together. Hopefully a second meal would be just as pleasant.

A smile spreads across his round face, making the little flecks of red-brown which litter his cheeks stretch out a little more than usual. There is flour smeared on his cheeks and this makes him look silly, but adds to his jolly baker disposition. She's such a sweet woman to him and any kind of kindness is a kind he appreciates.

"I'd love to," he replies happily, "Though you may have to feed it to me, I'm a little doughy." he laughs out a bright laugh and squeezes the dough again, making it nice and soft.

"How have you been?" he questions, honestly valuing her well-being. He feels as though he can trust the woman though he can't quite put his finger one why or how he feels this way. Nevertheless it means a lot to his shattered freedom and confidence.

Giacinto gave a soft laugh; it was low and husky.

"I'm sure I can manage feeding you without much complaint." She had done so the last time they had had a meal together.

"Well. Life has been...life. Tiring but still pleasant enough."

She'd had her troubles in the past few weeks with Lycus and Alek, and she had had a nice time with Nanda and Selene. Ups and downs. Right now it was in an up. A really good up.

"How've you been?"

She doled up a bowl of the steak and sauce and set it in the microwave.

He chuckles, enjoying the sound of her voice flitting against his ears. He's honestly missed a friendly tone and a smiling face, especially on such an attractive woman.

"I'd have to say about the same for myself. Just living it one day at a time, always waiting for something," he speaks smoothly, looking down at his dough, but always glancing back up at her. He has a strange feeling that if he looks down for too long the next time he looks up she will be gone.

But she continues to stand there, making them a meal to share, and this relieves him.

"As is life, I guess."

Her lips twitched a little the the microwave screamed out that it had cooked its contents and wanted more to please itself as a working appliance in the room. The silence was well and truly broken as she pulled the steaming bowl out and set the second bowl in.

While the second bowl was cooking, she flitted off to retrieve a spoon and a fork. Just one set.

She hopped up onto the counter besides Razzle and set the bowl in her lap, not reacting at all to the scalding clay bottom of the bowl pressing against the bare flesh of her thighs.

She speared a chunk of steak and chewed it slowly. as always, reheating something took away some of the flavour, but it was still good enough.

Another piece was speared and held up for Razzle to take. One for me, one for you tactic. A good reason not to use two sets of cutlery.

In his head he winces slightly at the sight of her placing the scalding bowl on her lap, he knows the feeling of burning flesh all too well. He pauses his forward pushes against the dough to lean in and wrap his lips around the meat, taking it gratefully, his cheeks rosy with bashful blood. The meat is tender, savory against his tongue. He takes his time chewing it to show his approval and how impressed he is with her cooking abilities.

"I feel honored to be sleeping under the same roof as a master chef~" he compliments after swallowing the meat down. Giacinto is truly enticing to him, everything from her beauty to the way she speaks is saturated in knowledge and sensuality. He can't remember the last time a woman of her elegance shot him a second glance... Well, excluding Jenevieve, but she was mainly interested in him for darker reasons.

She laughed softly at the compliment, spearing another chunk of steak.

"I've had a few years to practise my cooking skills."

Nearly five thousand years she had been cooking. Five thousand years to improve her skills to the point of perfection. She was well aware that she could be considered a 'Master Chef' by many people's standards.

She chewed her morsel as she lifted another piece for Razzle to take.

He smiles warmly at her comment and takes the next piece of meat in his mouth and chews, kneading the dough once more, but this time in deep, forward motions that make his fluff-wrapped muscles bulge out a little more. Flour sticks to the little red hairs on Razzle's forearms and cakes his cheeks, making his brilliant cobalt eyes stand out more.

"What kind of bread do you like the best?" he asks, looking over at the woman as he kneads. He wants to make this for her since she's been so kind to him... And I won't lie, he wants to make it to court her as well~

She traded the fork in her hand for a spoon, swallowing a spoonful of the sauce before offering another spoonful to Razzle.

Favourite bread?

That was a difficult choice. Hmm...

"Sgabeo," she finally decided. Not quite a bread in the traditional sense of the word, but a meal that used bread dough as a main ingredient. She adored the meal but it was something she hadn't cooked in a while.

Razzle swallows down the soup and lets out a satisfied sigh at the taste. His kneading slows as the idea of what to bake starts shaping slowly in his mind.

"I've only ever made it with a chocolate filling," he admits, pulling his hands away from the kneaded dough to pick up a rolling pin, "Do you know if there's any baker's chocolate around?"

Though this isn't his first visit to the kitchen he still has a lot of exploring to do before he gets fully acquainted. Getting to know a kitchen is like getting to know a person. You look around and get acquainted with the basics, the stove, the dishes. As time passes you know where all the little things are; the food gets better, the environment is more welcoming.

You eventually part ways like old friends.

Razzle has done this dance may times.

"Sweet scabeo. I haven't had that in a long time."

When she made it, she generally used cheese. She liked the mix of the slightly sweet bread and the strong cheeses.

She set the hot bowl aside, took a moment to tut at the red skin of her thighs made by the hot clay. It'd probably be tender to the touch if she was inclined to touch it, too. Oh well, it wouldn't take long to heal up.

The woman slid off the counter and all but disappeared into the large pantry, returning with a large bar of dark bakers chocolate.

She set the bar down next to Razzle then took her seat once more, pulling the bowl into her lap again, piercing another piece of steak and holding it out to him.

His eyes follow her to the pantry and when she disappears he pulls his hands away from the dough, reaching over to grab the large rolling pin he laid out before hand. Razzle pushes the rolling pin against the heap of dough and starts rolling it out into a large, flattened sheet so he can slice it.

When Giacinto returns with the chocolate he smiles brightly at her in thanks and takes it so he can begin chopping it up. He pulls out a wooden chopping block and a large knife, laying out the bars of baker's chocolate so he can start dicing it up.

When she offers him the meat he takes it again in his lips, still chopping even though he isn't looking at the knife, but he stays on track, never missing a beat. He swallows down the food and turns back to his work.

"Thank you ma'am~" he coos out, picking up the sliced chocolate to sprinkle on the strips of dough.

She smiled a little and watched as he cut the chocolate.

He was a skilled baker. Giacinto was impressed.

She spooned some soup and held it up to Razzle with a little smile.

Her wine eyes flickered over him slowly. He was short for a man; a little shorter than her. His hair was a bright orange; much like the O'Ceallaigh twins. His eyes were bright.

He was cute.

With ease the ginger man turns his head to take the spoon in his mouth, but on the chopping block he reaches the end of his bar with the knife and he stumbles slightly. The liquid of the soup dribbles down his chin and he crosses his eyes to look down at it, a light pink blush dusts over his cheeks.

"Aha woops~" his hands are too dusty with flour and sticky with dough to wipe away the liquid, so the man resorts back to his hallow-skulled ways of attempting to lick the juice off his chin. His eyes continue to be crossed as his tongue hangs out of his mouth.

It takes him a half a second to full realize he's making an utter fool out of himself in front of this beautiful woman and he looks up at her, slipping his tongue back between his lips.

"...Sorry that's the 'ol viking days surfacing again," he laughs nervously and averts his eyes, blushing hard as he curses himself in his head.

Giacinto gave a soft giggle as his tongue passed his lips.

He looked ridiculous. It was amusing.

"The Vikings were fun," she murmured softly, leaning forwards.

Her tongue traced the line of sauce slowly before tracing the seam of his lips. She pulled back a moment later and pierced a piece of meat and chew on it slowly.

Razzle's big blue eyes widen greatly when he feels the woman's tongue move up the slightly bearded skin of his chin, his skin flushing to a near red complexion. His eyes and body relax when she traces her tongue against his lips, his grip loosening slightly on the knife in his hand.

His other hand twitches very slightly to try and pull forward to touch Giacinto, but she moves away too quickly and Razzle his left standing with his lips pursed and his cheeks brink red.

His eys shake behind his skull a moment as he regains his composure and he stammers out,

"Y-Yeah... We uh... We were pretty rugged," He tries to inconspicuously puff out his chest and flex the muscles in his arms, but he ends up looking like a little boy trying to impress an older woman.

She grinned down into the bowl as she chased another piece of meat around the bowl.

"Vikings were fun to play with."

She'd spent a while toying around with Vikings. It was a fun past time that she had, unfortunately, had to give up.

"It's been a while since I last talked to a Viking. Far too many years."

The corner of his mouth turns up into a smile and he looks down bashfully before meeting Giacinto's eye once more.

"I don't think there are many left... I've tried my fair share of searching, but they're not as widely accepted in this age," he says this with a faux sense of despondence, but deep down it does strike a nerve in his heart. He misses the old days of plundering with his father and his friends, the world was in their hands and they could do with it what they pleased.

Not the world has seized Razzle by the throat and he feels scared and alone.

But Giacinto does seem to help.

"Very few," she agreed.

With time, great civilisations faded. Her time had faded. And so had his, it seemed. They could bond over that.

There were also others things they could bond over.

Very different things.

The Succubus leaned forwards, lips quirked upwards a little as she pressed them to his cheek.

"But that doesnt mean the few that are still around shouldn't be praised for their accomplishments in their time." Her voice was a low, husky drawl.

His face is hot, scalding almost with blood and it sweeps his littered freckles away in an ocean of pinkish-red. He leans his head over more to give her more of a pallet to work with, his face gaining more of a concentrated expression about it. His breath stirs restlessly in his nose and chest.

"Giacinto... I... I'm getting the impression you want to fool around," he says this in a voice that is a bit more breathy than he meant and immanently he becomes embarrassed, "Aha... You know like... With all the kissing and stuff."

He bows his head slightly in shame, his social awkwardness flowing out of him as if some kind of dam burst in his brain, words just flowing out of him. If he weren't trying to be more masculine he would have covered his face with his hands by now, to hide away all of the blushing.

Amusement washed over the woman's expression.

It hadn't been that obvious, had it? She had only done everything but turn her non-existent panties into a 'let's fool around' flag.

"And if I do?" she mused, arching a brow at him.

Her red eyes almost smouldered at the immortal as she leaned back, holding herself up on the counter with her arms, legs shifting apart slightly as an invitation for him to slip between them.

Arousal stirs in the pit of Razzle's stomach as his eyes wander down between the woman's legs, flickering back up at her's and then back down, her womanhood like a magnet to him. He swallows down a nervous knot in his throat and picks up a towel wiping off the sweet dough from his arms as he stands between her legs. He puts his hands, which are pretty large in comparison to the rest of him, on her thighs and leans his face forward to rest his forehead against her's. His thumbs trace little circles over her skin.

"...Giacinto I don't mean to sound like a sap, but I think you're the most beautiful woman who's ever asked me that," he admits, his tone low and soft. He always gets tender when he's about to partake in an intimate situation, it makes him feel like it's more than just a hookup.

His lips move forward to press against her's, taking in the taste of her skin. It makes the blood rush faster in his body.