xp_logs | Garrison & Terry | Dinner Drop-Off, Questions, and an Introduction...

During her usual Saturday drop-offs of food for various mansion residents, Terry swings by Garrison's suite to offer him dinner, add him to her route, and then something slightly more none of her business. It's cool, though. He gives as good as he got... if not better.

Terry hummed to herself as she dropped off her second to last basket of food at Marie-Ange and Amanda's door, then meandered down the hallway toward Garrison Kane's suite. He hadn't volunteered himself for her usual rounds of meal prep and delivery, but then... well, no one really had, she'd just decided they all needed more regular feeding, so knocking on the Canadian's door uninvited wasn't out of character for her at all.

Him answering the door in a Tragically Hip tour t-shirt, shorts, and a wolf wasn't entirely expected, but he pushed the wolf back. "Stop. Hey, Terry. Is Kyle ok?"

"Oh, Kyle's fine," Terry said, grinning. "I'm just bringin' y'somethin' t'eat. Is brisket alright? I've been tryin' out new recipes and this one seems to've done well in the oven despite everyone sayin' it needed t'go in a smoker," she answered, holding out the basket on her arm. "And I've packed two steaks in there for y'as well. One's for you, the other's for your friend." She indicated the wolf. "Lord, he's bigger than a wolf hound back home," she muttered, then focused back on Garrison. "Ran out t'Coles in Montrose for those, so I hope y'enjoy. They're uncooked. Kyle's the griller, obviously, and I know you're somethin' of an expert yourself."

"C'mon in. I-" Kane would have said picked up the place, but his suite was sad. Lots of empty space, neat in the way of a disciplined trained person. "I have cutlery, I think."

"Thank you!" Terry said, scooting by him. She did pause on her way to the kitchenette, though, to hold her hand out to the wolf for him to sniff it if he wanted.

"Oh sure, I-" Kane had no real idea what to think. Terry was Kyle's kinda wife that he didn't understand. "Come on in. He's-" He nudged the wolf. "-fickle."

When the wolf actually did sniff her hand, Terry smiled. "You're a beautiful fellow, did y'know? I'm sure others've mentioned it, as well." She moved over to the kitchenette, placing the basket with all the food in it on the island, then turned and gave Garrison a smaller grin. "Are you alright? Have I come by at a bad time? I can just leave all this, if you'd like. There's rolls for the brisket and some toppings as well as a few sides. Man like yourself, I figured you'd have a metabolism t'rival Kyle's."

"No, it's all good. I'm- well, I'm-" Kane paused and gave the wolf a pat. "I don't even know how I am. But, you know, food. I do like food."

Terry paused for just a moment, noticeable but not long enough to really indicate anything was amiss. Because nothing was amiss. "Are y'sure? Have y'been listenin' to," she glanced back at him to verify what was on his shirt, "The Tragically Hip?" She couldn't remember if Kyle had mentioned that being some type of indication about Garrison's mood or not and now she couldn't help but wish she'd paid a bit more attention. "Here, love, y'said y'have cutlery, have y'got a bread knife?" She hadn't cut the rolls before arriving, so she handed them to the Mountie before reaching in to grab the Tupperware containing everything else.

"I have a knife. It might be, well, buttery, but it's a knife." Kane said, dipping into his limited kitchen to put utensils in front of her.

Again, with the barely-there pause.

Terry nodded her thanks, took the rolls back, and set about putting things together on a plate she pulled from her basket. Everything was still hot, given she'd packed it within the last half hour, so once the plate was ready, she turned to face Garrison, handed it to him, and then rested the small of her back against the counter. Smiling softly, Terry said, "Well, I'll save us both the awkwardness o'me watchin' y'eat things y'may or may not like and just ask the question I've come t'ask." She paused, raised her eyebrows, and asked, "What're your intentions toward Jeanie?"

"None of your business." Kane snapped off. "I'm awkward because you're Kyle's partner and here and I don't have good explanations for that. But whatever Jean and I are..." His smile quirked. "You'll need to wait and see."

"Good man," Terry said, nodding firmly. Then she half-laughed, looked away, and grinned. "Lord love you, go on and eat the bleedin' brisket. I'm here cause I want t'be, y'need feedin', and if you're gonna be anythin' a'tall with Jeanie or without her, y'need t'be alive. Y'think Kyle wouldn't want y'fed? Besides which, you've taught him nearly everythin' he knows and he admires the shite out o'you. I can't want t'get t'know you a bit, too?"

"You might be disappointed. I'm pretty boring." Kane shrugged. "But Kyle is my friend. I've- well, he's my friend. He deserves the best. I'd appreciate it if that's how he sees you."

"As if he doesn't think I'm the best now," Terry said, snorting softly. "I'm not just tootin' m'own horn, either. He said I'm the, and I quote, 'Best thing since sliced bread, and I've had your bread, Ter. It's pretty goddamn good.' So y'don't need t'worry about that. And honestly, the feelin's mutual. So take the food and the friendship, love. Please."

"So, vaguely terrifying but..." Kane sighed. "I've known Kyle since he was a teen. He deserved some good luck. Like, just please-" Kane paused. "He's a good guy. Trust that. Treat him like that."

"Not... that it's any o'your business," Terry said, catching Garrison's eyes with her own, "But I love that man more than anythin' else on God's green Earth. There's honestly nothin' that'd make me doubt him. Ever. There's no room for it between the secrets we don't keep from each other."

"So have you asked him why?" Kane said.

"Why... what? Why he loves me?" She asked, somewhat blankly.

"Why is he willing to not keep secrets. Kyle's been through a lot. And he's had a lot of that kind of trust abused or broken in the past." Kane said between mouthfuls. "Have you asked him what makes you different?"

Terry shook her head slowly. "I... have not."

"You should. It wasn't until Adrienne and I talked about how we saw each other that our relationship finally clicked, It wasn't just how we felt as we did but why we felt as we did that- well, kept us going as long as we did." Kane shrugged. "It's not that I see some pending disaster for you guys or anything, but since you seem determined to look into my friendship with Jean, I feel justified in dropping a little advice on behalf of my friend. To whom I will give several excruciating DR sessions to hide any trace of actual feelings."

"I'll take that under advisement," Terry said, quirking another smile. "Thank y'for the advice... just." She paused and squinted at Garrison a bit. "Well." She shook her head, more to herself than to Kane. "That's somethin' t'think about, isn't it?" She reached back into her basket to pull out a lemon tart in a covered dish, then the steaks she'd mentioned before and the few pieces of raw bison she'd had the butcher cut up for her. "May I give these t'your wolf friend? And one o'those steaks is his, as well."

"Sure, but-" Kane shrugged. "He's not unlike Kyle. Feed him and you might never get rid of him."

"Y'say that as though I'd mind," Terry grinned, opening the package of butcher paper. "Will he take them from my hand or would it be best to put it down so he can have at it?"

"When meat is involved, he's not finicky."

Terry folded the paper back as neatly as she could, then approached the wolf and sat it down. "That's for you," she said. "Cause you're gorgeous. And bein' friends with people larger than m'self's always worked out well for me."

The wolf stared at her for a decidedly long moment for a wild animal with food in front of him, before making a 'nurphf' sound and ambling forward to dig in. "Don't bolt it. You'll make yourself sick." Kane said offhandedly to the wolf.

"Where'd he come from?"

"In general, about 3000 miles from here. In specific, I have no idea."

"Hm... so he's native to the... continent? At least? Probably."

"Arctic wolf. He hails from... well, the Arctic. Means he's a countryman of mine."

With a last glance toward the wolf, Terry turned back to Garrison. "Well, he's lovely. Poor thin', though, I'll bet this weather's been awful for him, what with it being so hot out. Glad it's gettin' cooler, at least." She walked back to the basket on the counter and double checked there was nothing left in it before closing it and pulling it off the counter so she could hang it at the crook of her elbow. "I'll bring y'somethin' else a bit later in the week. If you've preferences, let me know. Otherwise you're gettin' whatever I've made."

"Wait, you now take requests? This place is getting out of hand." Kane shook his head. "I'm usually good but if you want to keep scaring fresh meat for him, it helps me from grabbing it myself."

"I've always taken requests," Terry said, grinning. "People just don't usually give me any. I'm happy t'keep him in bison and anythin' else he might like. But you're on the roster now, so -- do y'mind if I come in when you're not here t'put things in your refrigerator? I can always leave them outside the door, as well."

"Let's do the door. My reactions when surprised in my own room tend to be a little... unpleasant."

"Understandable," Terry said, nodding. "I'll leave y'a cooler, then." She nodded toward the door. "I'll be on m'way, you were m'last stop. Thank y'for the advice and the conversation."

Kane gave her a nod and as he left turned to the wolf. "Stop looking so smug. She would have fed you whether you were charming or not."