Midnight Manor Boarding House Kitchen, Saturday Afternoon

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Arden, who had gone to sleep Arden and then woken up still the same Arden, currently had no idea that island was doing anything weird. She was bopping around in the kitchen, making up a tasty pot of shrimp and grits, while her Spotify daily playlist sang songs of 'energy rage'. Whatever that meant, it had her doing cute little dance moves and singing along in the kitchen as she peeled and chopped and boiled and browned.

Some weekends were just really good weekends, you know?

[open! Though with an SP warning attached because ahhhhh]

Comments

[slothbabyproductions]

Khan had spent the morning using the ridiculous excuse for technology this world had to research anything it could find on Starfleet, augments and one James T. Kirk.

And also some awful fiction that the owner of said laptop had written. A super powered woman empowered by an experimental space engine making friends with a teenage girl who could manipulate light because of her grandmother’s bangle? Ridiculous.

He approached the kitchen as whatever was being cooked smelled delicious at the very least. “Good afternoon. I was wondering if you could be of some assistance.”

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Arden startled at the unfamiliar voice, but then looked up and smiled. Must be a new resident, or maybe somebody's guest.

"Hi!" she said, setting aside the bowl of shrimp shells. "I sure can try, at least. I'm Arden, I live here, too. What can I help you with?"

[slothbabyproductions]

“I am new to this… place. We are on Earth? 2024? Correct?” He asked, as he looked around the room.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Still definitely not enough to let Arden know that this was something extra-weird happening, nope!

"Well, welcome to Fandom Island, sir," Arden said. "And yup, you're correct. It's August 3rd of 2024, and you're on Earth. Well, this is technically an international nexus at the meeting point of multiple dimensions." She eyed him thoughtfully, but couldn't place where and/or when he might be from. "From the past, future, or somewhere that doesn't have a connection to Earth at all?"

Yup. Just way too blase about this now.

"Also, if you're hungry, I'm making shrimp and cheesy grits. It's also got pork in it, if that's a no-go."

See a stranger, feed them. It was Southern law.

[slothbabyproductions]

“Yes. The primitive action of cooking food instead of a replicator. How quaint,” Khan said with a small smile. “So. I have stumbled into an inter dimensional nexus. Does that work for both space… and time?”

Did that sound sinister?

It’s Khan Noonien Singh. It was sinister.

[knightinshinarmor]

Remy had woken up in a room full of cats, and had to beat feet to get away from them before they decided to make him lunch. Or a new toy for that matter. Fortunately, he'd found a mouse hole to duck into immediately, almost as if it had opened up specifically for him to escape the cats' notice.

Then he'd just. . . . followed his nose. And now he was in a kitchen. Where someone was cooking! It smelled just heavenly.

He was so tempted by the smell, in fact, that he forgot to be as stealthy as he probably should be heading for the stove. . . .

[I'll be going afk again in a bit, so SO MUCH SP please!]

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Sounds like a you problem...ya ya ya ya you problem!" Arden sang, swinging her hips as she browned some Andouille sausage at the stove. "Careful of the ones that say they've--ahh!"

Guess who'd spotted the rat. Just guess.

"Midnight!" she yelped. "Midnight, there's a mouse!"

Guess who was also not great at taxonomy?

[knightinshinarmor]

Rude! Remy had flinched at first and started scurrying back towards the wall, but stopped and rolled his eyes at that.

Mouse? Mouse? He was so much bigger than a mouse!

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Did you just roll your eyes at me?" Arden demanded, now more offended than startled. "What the fuck - do I have a sign that only animals can see that says that I'm a pushover?"

Don't be ridiculous, Arden. Humans could see it, too.

[knightinshinarmor]

Remy’s expression agreed with Arden’s narrative.

He gestured to the stove. That dish maybe could use a stir, no?

[hasaknightjob]

There was island bullshit going on so of course Marc was checking in on people. He came into the kitchen when he heard noise.

"Arden?" he asked. May as well cut to the chase, he figured.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Marc?" Arden replied. "Marc! Thank the goddess! What the fuck!"

[hasaknightjob]

"Island bullshit," Marc said. "Watts is some kid now."

Townes was late teens but again, may as well be a fetus as far as Marc was concerned.

"You okay?"

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"Confused as fuck, but overall okay," Arden said. "There's a mouse - rat - running around, but it's a person...? So just watch out for that, I guess?"

She sighed and scrubbed her face. "This a thing that happens a lot?"

[hasaknightjob]

Marc made a note about the rat because sure, why not?

"Island bullshit," Marc said. "Guess we were due. Least this one's probably a weekend?"

It started on a Saturday, that was usually how that shook out.

[pocketpretzels]

Steven-with-a-v had said Townes was welcome to stay at his house for however long this lasted, and while the temptation was strong to remain in the guest room and play games on his phone for the duration, he figured what he should do is go out and- explore, a little. If by 'a little' one meant 'still inside the building, but beyond the private residence side'.

So very tentatively, he was poking his head into the kitchen, wondering if he ought to announce his presence.

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Well, at least she knew right off this wasn't Watts. "Oh, uh. Hi?" she said, giving an awkward wave. "Err...howw are you? Lost and confused?"

Cause, honestly, it was mutual.

[pocketpretzels]

Townes was also slighter and much more baby-faced than Watts, in addition to being dressed in sweatpants and a sweatshirt.

"Not lost, technically speaking. As I've been told where I am. Which isn't where I'm supposed to be. Still confused, because this shouldn't be possible."

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

"'Shouldn't be possible' is kind of what this island is about," Arden sighed. "Hey, I'm Arden. Nice to meet you, this will all be better by Monday, I betcha."

[pocketpretzels]

"Townes," Townes replied. "That's what Steven said. Essentially."

[singlenakedwhat]

Henry had come downstairs to grab the last of her Chinese food leftovers, giving Arden a nod in greeting as she entered the kitchen. Unfortunately her beeline to the refrigerator was interrupted as she happened to spot one of the room's current other occupants.

"What the fuck."

[pocketpretzels]

"... Henry?"

Townes's eyes went wide and he took a step back, bumping in to the counter.

[singlenakedwhat]

She'd just gotten used to the fact there was a guy here who looked like Townes but old, so this was-

"What the fuck are you even doing here. How did you find me?"

[pocketpretzels]

"I didn't!" Townes yelped. "I mean, I wasn't looking. I woke up here. That's a thing that happens sometimes. Apparently."

[afraid_of_marshmallows]

Arden gave Henry a nod back, going back to her grits when Watts--err, Townes' response caught her attention. And then she was just gonna try to meld with the oven and hope not to be noticed.