2020-02-14 - V-Day Dinner

Valentine's day. The first one, Esme realized, that she'd properly celebrated in a while. Even though they weren't doing anything particularly fancy, it was just a nice notion, Esme supposed. To be spending time with someone on Valentine's and not just hanging out alone. She didn't cook often, but made good on her promise of cooking dinner tonight. Grilled chicken with a, well, it was supposed to be rissoto but it turned out more just lik regular rice, and also a side salad. There was dessert - which she did not make - a small cheesecake with chocolate drizzle.

Esme had just finished everything and was keeping it warm while she did a quick change into a navy blue dress that had a shallow v-neck and flared at the bottom and a thin gold chain. Her hair was left down and she walked back into the livingroom since Yule should be there any minute, if not any second.

The apartment itself was a two-bedroom, comfortable enough for one person to be able to spread out easily. Her furniture was a little mismatched since it had just been cobbled together from her work room and a couple thrift store items but, there was a very distinct rocking chair with her knitting basket right by it. Truly an old soul at heart this one.

When Yule arrives, he's dressed with a white button down shirt, the sleeves rolled back to reveal a black and white checkered pattern. A pair of black dress slacks compliments that shirt, and it leaves the single red rose that he holds to stand out all the more vibrantly. There is something else, a small wrapped package held in his other hand, and once shown in? He makes no attempt to hide his clear interest in seeing what she's done with the place.

"Which door is to your room with the walls plastered by all the cold case pictures, maps with pins, and boxes of old evidence?" Comes his tease, before he leans in to take away a soft kiss, passing off the rose into her hands. "Something smells great," He murmurs, offering a warm smile towards the detective.

Esme lets him look around while she closes the door. The kiss and rose are accepted easily and the kiss returned slowly. "The one with 'detectives only' marked in crayon." She teases back with a chuckle, her hand slipping in to his now free one. The package was noted and her curiosity piqued, however Esme knew it would be revealed in time. "This rose is beautiful. Thank you, Yule. I'm glad we could do this tonight." She stated to lead him over to the small dining table. Big enough for two, maybeee three.

The apartment was in the process of trying to look homey. It would get there eventually! Just a few more personal touches needed to really bring it all together. "Have a seat, I'll get the plates. What would you like to drink? I've got soda, tea, water, wine, beer, maybe a partial bottle of bourbon hiding in a cupboard."

"Good thing I'm an honorary detective," Comes Yule's quip back to her tease, a glimmer of those brown eyes coming to life as his fingers give a squeeze towards her own. "Me too. Hopefully with no weirdness. But given it is Gray Harbor," There is a ghost of a smile curling to his features, and his attention shifts to soak her all in, studying her for a long moment. "You seem to be dealing well with it all now, though."

"Let's go with wine," He offers up towards the drink, heading over towards the table. Only when necessity means those hands must release does he let go, and he waits until she's gone to fetch those drinks before he reaches across the table, planting that small box down upon her seat, where she'll have to deal with it before he settles in. "More talented in the kitchen than I am. I'm fairly certain I'd have ended up burning my cabin down."

"Hopefully no weirdness." Esme agreed with a light shrug of her shoulders. "Kind of? I went to that meeting that Minerva put on? It was...enlightening. It's comforting to know that a lot of people seem to be dealing with all this but it's still somewhat disconcerting. However, I haven't had any more crazy run ins situations yet. So...we'll see how things go." She steals one more quick kiss before retreating to the kitchen. The wine comes fist, a nice red one, a glass for him and for her. Then she comes out not too long after with the plates.

Esme sets his plate down first, then her own. "Oh-" A soft little surprised one as she spots the box now in her chair. Good thing she hadn't just sat down on it!"What's this?" She asked Yule, picking it up as she sat down in her seat, giving him a smile before looking back to the box and starting to open it carefully.

That kiss is given back in turn, and then he listens, head dipping into a faint nod. "Minerva has quite a bit of knowledge in these things. She was one of the ones helping Isabella and I in my experiment. Part of the problem we have with everything that goes on? Any sort of documentation disappears. It's probably why some of those case files appear incomplete, for example." But that's all he leaves to that, unless she wants to pursue for more information, turning his attention instead towards the box.

"I'm not certain. It's wrapped," He points out about the thing that has been carefully papered over with a bright red wrapper. Of course, when she pulls off the top? It's a anklet charm bracelet, with two charms that haven't yet been attached. That one? Is the cute little skull, no doubt a representation of him. The other is a tin silver badge, the sort one would picture of an old western movie.

"That would make sense. It...hides itself? Protects itself." Esme mused. "Doesn't make it any less annoying though when you're the cop trying to solve the same." She chuckled but otherwise lets the topic lie. For now. Once the anklet bracelet is revealed, a grin lights up the woman's features. Picking up the tiny charms to look at them and then carefully set them back in the box. "These are adorable. I love it! I'll have to put it on after dinner." Esme close the box back up and set it carefully down on the unused part of the table."it's perfect."

Taking a sip of her wine, she have a soft but contented sigh. "How has your day been?"

"Yeah. That is what it does. I can't recall if I told you... but FCN corporation? Be careful if you see their name come up. Their influence, apparently, extends to agents over here." His head tips to the side, watching as she reveals that charm, and his brown eyes go wide for a moment as he murmurs, "Good. I'll even hold your backup weapon while you put it on, if you want." As if that is the whole reason for the gift, but the pleased smile curls to the corners of his mouth.

"Talking about my day is hardly romantic," He murmurs, an apologetic smile cast towards the detective, "given what exactly it is I do. But, I can tell you I am looking forward to the rest of my evening. And to spring. I've a lot of plans for the spring."

"FCN. Does that stand for anything in particular? Or unknown?" She asked curiously, "But I will keep an eye out for it." Esme waggled her brows at the medical examiner when he offered to hold her backup sidearm, "How kind of you to offer, I may even let you." She mused, teasing. She leaned lightly on the table when he spoke of his work not being romantic and laughed, "I suppose it isn't, but I would love to hear about your plans for Spring, since I already know how the evening will go." A sparkle of amusement and mischief in her gaze. "I have a couple plans of my own I'm brewing for Spring."

"Nothing that I've found. August might know more," He offers up, head shaking just a touch, "Not that I've gone poking around a whole lot into them, as of yet." His foot extends out beneath, all to press up against her own in a gentle touch and caress, before his focus turns to picking up his wine and examining the food, "It looks delicious. As for spring? I want to get a boat. Always have. Hopefully I can make it happen. I also," It's a beat of a pause, his eyes flickering over the detective to gauge her reaction to his next thought, "have been putting in some thought about starting a private consulting practice. Sort of a ... weird science, given everything that is going on here."

Her toes wiggles ever so slightly against his ankle at the caress as she listened. "Hm, perhaps I will talk to him and ask. Always good to have as much info as you can." She took a bite of rice, taking a moment to decide if it was alright and then, in the end, decided it was good enough! Edible at least and not bland. Esme listened with interest as he mentioned getting a boat, and then her eyes widened a little when he spoke about private consulting.

"A boat would definitely be fun to have, a good way to enjoy the nicer weather that spring and summer bring." Esme agreed before taking another sip of hr wine. Dark eyes studying the medical examiner a beat. "That sounds like it would be...interesting. Potentially dangerous but, isn't everything these days? Would you...still do the ME stuff? Or is this like a career change sort of thing?" Quirking a brow, curious.

"Yeah. I've always enjoyed my drives, and it'd be nice to have a way to relax... away from Gray Harbor, without being away away," He murmurs, a rueful smile curling to his features before he starts digging into his own plate. The rice like concoction is tried first, and then he starts going about it one thing at a time, until he's had a sampling of it all.

"Still do the ME stuff. And it isn't as if what we do isn't already dangerous," He points out, one shoulder lifting into a faint shrug, "But I can't trust outsourcing lab work to anyone... that's how I learned about FCN. They had my samples redirected to their facilities. So it means either I stop poking around, or I have to figure out a way to do some of this stuff on my own."

Esme watches as he samples a little bit of everything. It's definitely not a 5 star meal but, it's certainly edible and has flavor. She's tried! There's a touch of relaxing when he seems to at least not dislike anything and she busies herself with a few more bites of food while he elaborates. An inclination of her head in a nod, "That's understandable then. If they have ways to to intercept the mail even, well...no telling how far their reach goes."

There's a fleeting frown that crosses her features but then she smiles again. "Well, if you need any help with any of it just let me know. You know I'll try at least. It sounds like it would be good to have an in house way to check certain things out and, who knows, I'm sure some of the doctors or other science-minded people in town might be willing to help out with it too even."

"Yeah. And they just... knew. Supposedly, the normal lab I sent them to was flooded with requests that particular day, and so they outsourced mine. I'm not sure if they actually were that busy, or if someone at the lab somehow knew to look for that package to divert it. And it isn't like I marked it with, 'research for weird shit'." The last garners a faint but tight smile from the man, still clearly irked that there hadn't been a way to see that particular one coming.

"Yeah," He murmurs, his head dipping into a bob as he starts to work in earnest on his plate, and indeed, there is going to be little left by the time it is all said and done. "Just an idle idea at the moment. But there are enough people in the know, including the police department and first responders. We will see. Have a few more things I want to poke into first. But," It's a sheepish smile that is flashed towards the detective, his foot nudging gently against her own before he murmurs, "How was your day?"

"...Do you think they could have moles here in Gray Harbor?" Esme asked softly, thinking on it a moment. A thoughtful noise and then a shake of her head. "I'll keep my eyes peeled and ears opened." Another nod, yep there were plenty of people in the know. Sometimes it felt like everyone in town was but, she knew that wasn't entirely true. There's a laugh that bubbles up when he asks about her day.

"As if my line of work is any more romantic than yours polyagapiménos." Spoken with affection and maybe a fleeting bit of a smirk. She had slowly been dropping her terms of endearment and I love yous in varying languages for at least the past month or so. "My day was good though, since I was off for once. I window shopped a bit, I cooked, picked up dessert and," Esme grinned a bit. "I've got a present for you too. I'll give it to you after dessert."

"The equivalent of, potentially. I'm not sure if they can just ... hear us? Or if there are things at work here. You remember that Baxter I mentioned to you, that cold case of the woman who disappeared when Elvis died? Alexander thinks they are somehow tied into it... the Addingtons as well. You'd have to ask him for the whole theory, though." That part still clearly makes his head swim, shaking a touch to dust away those cobwebs before that word comes rolling from the tip of her tongue.

"Just how many languages do you know, Esme? And why did you learn so many?" It's a truly curious question, the man leaning forward just a touch as he listens, before one dark brow arches upwards at the tease of a gift in exchange. "Yeah? Going to make me wait, are you? Well," A lazy smile curls to the corners of his mouth, and then he starts to stand, picking up the dishes they are done with, "You get dessert, and I'll put these away for you. Least I can do, given all the cooking you did."

"I would like to talk with him at some point when I get some free time. I'll have to ask him." Esme agreed and gave him another grin. "Well I'm only fluent in one other besides English. But I've got a repository of words in lik, 5 others besides that?" A soft laugh left, standing with him. "From all my undercover work in different departments mostly. Sometimes it was necessary to know for a role. Other things I just picked up over time."

She walks with him into he kitchen, letting him handle the plates while she takes the cheesecake out of the fridge. "I miss it sometimes." She admitted. "The undercover work, but I know homicide is where I belong." Two smaller plates are obtained and she cuts off two slices. "And besides, if I wasn't, we might not be here like this right now."

"Suppose that'd come in handy. Sorta like all the weird things I know from having to do research on particular bodies and things found on or in them." It all makes sense to Yule, at least, and the leftovers find tuperware that he knows she, of all people, will have, before they are slid into the fridge. The plates in turn are put into the sink to be washed off while he listens.

"In a way, you are still doing undercover work, now that you know. It isn't exactly like you can go around telling everyone all the weirdness, yeah?" He points out, before a flash of a smile is cast her way for that particular thought, "Things have a way of working out as they should, I suppose. Or we just take advantage of the opportunities we do get." If there is a dishwasher? In the plates go into it for later cleaning, otherwise they are left in the sink before he begins to head back towards the table.

"Precisely." When Yule compared her languages to his weird knowledge. There is most definitely a dishwasher and easily found tuperware. "Hm, that is true I suppose. This whole...world within a world thing is similar. Scopin things out...trying to find the 'bad guys'. The hows and whys." She picks up the plates and walks with him to the table.

"It's definitely important to jump on the opportunities presented. Well, most of them." Esme agreed as the plates were set down. "I'm glad this one was presented." Giving him a kiss on the cheek before reclaiming her seat and giving another smile. "Not just because of this," A motion made between them. "But I feel like interacting with you in general, learning different things from you. It's helped with that transition of having the curtain of truth ripped open."