The flyer had very much said "come through," which in Rhodes' personal vernacular meant everyone who was interested could sort of just walk inside and partake. Clutching a small mason jar full of pickled beets with a lovely ribbon tied atop, he knocks once for courtesy and to alert the attendees of his presence. But when he opens the door, there's only person there. It's Rory, in his kitchen, cooking probably the birthday cake with the dulcet tones of something he thinks is Meg Ryan in the background.
Rhodes checks his watch. Exactly 5 minutes early. Well. Maybe there was something to that fashionably late thing, after all. He curses himself for not remembering that.
"Where do we put the gifts?" He demands from the door, at least intent on busying himself.
ELSEWHERE IN THE BUILDING: Rhodes & Rory with the Real party
Yes, Rory's definitely baking a cake and definitely not doing what he's actually doing, which is tossing every single dinner-adjacent leftover from his fridge on top of some home fries (also leftovers). Right now it's little marinated cubes of tofu.
"Uh."
He blinks.
1. who 2. what 3. why 4. what (5. how's already answered — he basically never locks his door when he's home.)
"Wherever?"
ELSEWHERE IN THE BUILDING: Rhodes & Rory with the Real party
There isn't really a place with a lot of gifts, but the flyer had said that they weren't supposed to bring any. Maybe he'd overstepped. Hmm. Rhodes does a full lap of the strange living room before finally settling on Beside the TV, a place where surely someone would look at some point.
No. Not good enough. He moves it to the coffee table.
Actually, this all sucks, but he's getting a little self conscious now, and forces himself to sit down, on his hands, on the sofa, looking at the door expectantly. "Do you need help with the decorations or anything?" (This is maybe a hint. There's literally no streamers or balloons.)
ELSEWHERE IN THE BUILDING: Rhodes & Rory with the Real party
Rory pauses his most important task—now it's adding some mac and cheese—as the familiar voice cuts over Tom Hanks composing an email more cheeky than he's earned. And he clues into
There is still no one here, but the kitchen smells interesting, and so Rhodes goes to investigate. Not a cake. Maybe some kind of communal meal or appetizer. Interesting. He'll have to try some later. There is also no one else in the kitchen area, so he just sort of floats by the counterspace, trying not to look lost.
"Oh. A casual thing." This comes out as judgier than he anticipated. So he goes to phase two in his social gathering handbook. "Do you need any help?"
ELSEWHERE IN THE BUILDING: Rhodes & Rory with the Real party
"Like... hanging pictures?" If Rhodes is trying to imply that his choice of PERSONAL, PRIVATE ENVIRONMENT is inadequate vibe'd, well. Rory doesn't have any pictures to hang so he's about to be SOL. "Or...?" A glance at the horrifying creation he's wrought baking sheet of not-chos on the bartop. As a need-to-help-er himself, he gets the impulse. He just also doesn't know why it's being asked in the first place.
It does occur to Rory that he might have forgotten something. He and Rhodes don't really hang out anymore—not since the Great Splitski of '23 when the other man shattered the precious heart belonging to the love of his life—but maybe it was... an Explorer thing. Were they supposed to prep something? Should Rory start looking at his calendar? ... No. No, he should not. He never will. He suppresses a shudder at the thought.
He drags out his thoughtful, bewildered pause as long as he can manage. He can buy time until he figures out what's going on.
"Grate the cheese?"
Edited (not-chos are like nachos except not at all, unless you're rory) 2023-06-12 15:57 (UTC)
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enodia_ic2023-06-10 02:11 pm
ELSEWHERE IN THE BUILDING
ELSEWHERE IN THE BUILDING: Rhodes & Rory with the Real party
Rhodes checks his watch. Exactly 5 minutes early. Well. Maybe there was something to that fashionably late thing, after all. He curses himself for not remembering that.
"Where do we put the gifts?" He demands from the door, at least intent on busying himself.
ELSEWHERE IN THE BUILDING: Rhodes & Rory with the Real party
"Uh."
He blinks.
1. who
2. what
3. why
4. what
(5. how's already answered — he basically never locks his door when he's home.)
"Wherever?"
ELSEWHERE IN THE BUILDING: Rhodes & Rory with the Real party
No. Not good enough. He moves it to the coffee table.
Actually, this all sucks, but he's getting a little self conscious now, and forces himself to sit down, on his hands, on the sofa, looking at the door expectantly. "Do you need help with the decorations or anything?" (This is maybe a hint. There's literally no streamers or balloons.)
ELSEWHERE IN THE BUILDING: Rhodes & Rory with the Real party
1. who.
He blinks again. "No?" It had to be a dig at his poor attempt at home décor, right? That is, his lack of effort therein. "It's supposed to look like this?"
ELSEWHERE IN THE BUILDING: Rhodes & Rory with the Real party
"Oh. A casual thing." This comes out as judgier than he anticipated. So he goes to phase two in his social gathering handbook. "Do you need any help?"
ELSEWHERE IN THE BUILDING: Rhodes & Rory with the Real party
"Like... hanging pictures?" If Rhodes is trying to imply that his choice of PERSONAL, PRIVATE ENVIRONMENT is inadequate vibe'd, well. Rory doesn't have any pictures to hang so he's about to be SOL. "Or...?" A glance at the
horrifying creation he's wroughtbaking sheet of not-chos on the bartop. As a need-to-help-er himself, he gets the impulse. He just also doesn't know why it's being asked in the first place.It does occur to Rory that he might have forgotten something. He and Rhodes don't really hang out anymore—not since the Great Splitski of '23 when the other man shattered the precious heart belonging to the love of his life—but maybe it was... an Explorer thing. Were they supposed to prep something? Should Rory start looking at his calendar? ... No. No, he should not. He never will. He suppresses a shudder at the thought.
He drags out his thoughtful, bewildered pause as long as he can manage. He can buy time until he figures out what's going on.
"Grate the cheese?"