Everybody Loves Chocolate Chip (Open)

[Kristian Van Hasselt]

  Kristian had always been a vampire, after all he had been born that way.  Still, that didn't mean he couldn't bake did it? Well he certainly didn't seem to think so, as he removed a batch of  double chocolate chip from the oven using a spatula to slip under the cookies and settle them on coated wire cooling racks. He already had some white chocolate macadamia ones finished, and was pondering something a bit more involved.  Maybe some Macaroons, he could easily settle into making those, as the potential flavor combinations certainly left plenty of room for him to make a variety if he started to get bored. 

   Kristian loved to bake, his enhanced senses helping him, where a human baker might use his sense of taste. In truth, Kristian could taste the things he made to test them, but it typically wasn't palatable to him. Straight sugar (sugar directly from 'food') was overly sweet to his sensitive tongue, and many of the other flavors were just so odd, not disgusting, but not appetizing to him either. Taking a moment to remove the commercial grade oven so that whatever the staff was making for the humans in the clan house wouldn't be compromised, Kristian took off his oven mitts as he considered his next batch carefully. 

   Some might have minded being in a pink apron, but Kristian rather liked the color honestly, nor did it bother him that his apron was quite thoroughly covered with flour in some spots.  Kristian was good at baking and other such things, but that didn't mean he managed to stay pristine while he was 'creating'. It was sort of a shame really, the Kaiser before his Vati didn't seem to have a very good slave base, not that Kristian wanted a slave, it was just... established slave bases meant there were human children in the clan, and then meant happy consumers for whatever 'tasty' treats he came up with.  He rather liked seeing children made happy, and he knew his Vati would more than approve, as the elder Prussian had a love of children that transcended race. Oh well, certainly the adult humans in the clanhouse would like cookies too, even if they weren't children.  Everyone liked cookies, or so he had been assured by plenty of humans, especially chocolate chip. 

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Word Count: 395
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[Joseph M. LeBeau]

The smell of something delicious baking was what had Joseph's feet absently shuffling in the direction of the kitchen...though admittedly he'd already been headed there to begin with. After all, keeping these late hours of business or no - a man still needed to eat. And though his schedule was vastly different than what it had been when he'd been a simple defense attorney, he still made certain to include meal times in his schedule. Normally, these meal times meant he ordered take-out, or occasionally just called down to the kitches to have soemthing brought up...but today, well, today Joseph felt like going for a walk. And apparently it was worth it as the smell of chocolate and sugar and other delicious things being baked up in an oven were enough to make his mouth water - and enough to make the nature of his steps a bit more purposeful as he turned the corner to head into the room itself.

Now, Joseph had no way of knowing that the person doing the baking was a man - at least not immediately from the back, nor a vampiric one at that. All he saw was a pretty fall of glossy black-red hair, a hint of delicate shoulder as it peeked out of the top of a rather flowy shirt that had fallen down over it, and the ties of a pink and decidedly frilly apron. The sight of that apron had his lips quirking a bit, despite himself, as he'd thought those sorts of things only existed in television shows from the 1950's...but other than that he didn't move to greet or otherwise disturb the other person in the room. At least, not immediately. No, his eye was on quite another sort of 'prize'.

Of course... Joseph was a reasonably health-conscious individual...but he certainly had quite a bit of a sweet tooth. But that sweet tooth didn't generally extend into the territory of candies and other things that were blatantly only comprised of sugar - no. He much preferred to sink his teeth into a crisp cookie, or a gooey brownie - and the cookies he was currently eyeing peripherally were obviously still warm and each kind looked as delicious as the next. The only real question in his mind was which one would he go for first...especially since he had no real intention of asking as a stolen cookie was always better than one given freely. A hint of mischief played about his lips as this thought crossed his mind, the thought process childish in origin and therefore very rarely indulged...but this time, on this day - he was definitely allowing himself a bit of freedom.

Quickly, a hand darted out - snagging up the first cookie he could reach...and though it was still pleasantly warm, it wasn't so hot that he'd burn his mouth with searing hot chocolatey goodness of doom. This turned out to be a good thing as he nonchalantly shoved the entire cookie in his mouth to quickly get rid of the the 'evidence' and began to chew it even as he opened the fridge to take a peek inside and see what might be good for re-heating. The cookie though...oh it was so delicious, he couldn't quite help the sound of pleasure that escaped around the mouthful. It was so buttery and rich, and the chocolate - which was always his favorite part of anything that was baked with the stuff - the chocolate was clearly high quality. But other than that soft noise, Joseph didn't do anything else to otherwise draw attention to himself...even if he was perhaps a bit curious about the person responsible for creating such tastiness.

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Word Count: 620

[Kristian Van Hasselt]

  Being a vampire, there was a point where he became aware of the presence of the other. At first he might have thought it simply to be one of the kitchen staff going about his or her usual work. However, at some point, likely right when the other was the closest he would come, Kristian began to wonder. Still, he merely went about measuring out his ingrediants.  It wasn't like he didn't typically have a smile on his face, but it did widen just a bit as he got the impression that the other might have just lifted one of his cookies.

   He was used to such things, as he certainly had no qualms about letting the human children that resided in his Onkel's home 'get away' with such things. This was only confirmed once that pleased noise escaped, and he couldn't help his curiosity now.  After all, he hadn't been around long enough for the staff or any that served within these walls to understand that he didn't mind. So clearly, whoever it was, wasn't a slave or servant... and while he wouldn't judge, he really did hope it wasn't a vampire.  Kristian was accepting of such things, but he couldn't help but be just a bit disturbed by the idea of a vampire actually fully consuming 'food'. 

     "I think they'll be finished making dinner... if you're not tired of German food", he offers warmly.  Truthfully, the humans weren't limited to German cuisine, but seeing as it was the Kaiser's favored 'normal' diet for his blood sources, and truthfully Kristian and Volker's as well, it was likely served quite often since his Vati had taken over. He said nothing about the cookie of course, allowing it to seem like the opening of the refrigerator was likely what alerted him to the other's presence.  Finally, he took it upon himself to turn his attention away from his ingredients, so he could see just who this resident cookie thief was. He didn't even think about the fact that it might be the liaison, who, of course, had the rights to order whatever he might like... assuming he had the time and didn't just eat whatever was made. The liaison was only one man after all, what was the chances that out of all the humans and dhsmpires running around that that would be the one that wandered into the kitchen.  

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Word Count: 336
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[Joseph M. LeBeau]

Oh, he'd been caught and he knew it...though the other was gracious enough to not say so outright. It was just a shame that the mischief he felt at such a thing was put to such a shocking halt as he realized that the admittedly soft and pleasing voice coming from what he'd presumed to be a woman was actually male. He blinked into the refrigerator light, needing to take that moment of surprise before schooling his expression into something more neutral and even pleasant. Joseph was, after all, all too skilled at making his face not match up with his thoughts - not that his thoughts were really all /that/ bad as really he supposed that even men could wear their hair long and indulge in pink frilly aprons.

"I've yet to consume a single German dish...", he began absently, straightening from his semi-crouched position and quietly closing the refrigerator door so he could turn and get a better look at the fellow he was speaking with. Of course, when he did manage it he was left with the rather surprising realization that - woman or no - the other person speaking was perhaps upsettingly attractive.

This was actually a fact made even more upsetting by the other's clearly masculine state. Oh he was pretty, shockingly so, but he was still clearly a man. Joseph's brows drew in ever so subtly as his eyes raked over the other without even meaning to...though thankfully he managed to recover quickly enough and school his expression into something casually pleasant when his eyes were made to meet the other's once more. "Joseph LeBeau." A hand was extended, the introduction given perhaps abruptly but still in the cool, detached tones that the liaison was noted for. 

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Word Count: 294

[Kristian Van Hasselt]

T
    "Not even one?", he asks curiously, pondering his cookie thief a moment.  He resisted the urge to further, not wanting to irritate the other.  It was rather curious though; while some German dishes took some getting used to, for the most part people of this country tended to like it.  He didn't think on it much further, giving the other man his full attention, once he turned around.  he didn't fail to notice the brief looking over he recieved from the human.  Honetly, he couldn't quite keep himself from returning the gesture.
 
     The human was attractive, there was no denying that.  Many vampires would have adopted a stronger air, naturally assuming a dominant role with the obviously 'weaker race'.  Not Kristian though, without thinking about it, his gaze briefly diverted a bit, shyly.  It was only a moomentary gesture though; his gaze returning to the others.  His default smile widened just a bit as the other introduced himself.

   "Oh, the liasion", he offers softly, though his tone did brighten a bit, as one who had heard a bit more about him then a vague mention of his name being over heard. Extending his hand to accept the handshake, he felt a bit abashed for the slight break in propriety.  They weren't really acquainted, and the other would have no idea who he was. "I'm Kristian Van Hasselt"

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Word Count: 236
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Notes: phone was being a pain with my changing the font color