First Taste of Penchurch [open thread]

[Lucy Parr]

Lucy smiled and nodded at Ali's description. That was how she'd always pictured acting, if she was honest- a good job for a select few. She also appreciated a man who didn't monopolise conversation- she did like to be able to get a word in edgeways. He knew his position in the grand scheme of things by the sound of it.

"Drama? I don't know about that." she commented drily. "It's not the Vicar of Dibley, and it's certainly not Midsomer Murders. Things change very, very little here from day to day. Still, I enjoy it. It's a very close interpersonal relationship that I like to think I have with the people. They come to me when they're in trouble, and I appreciate their confidence in me."

[Ali Ghazali]

“Maybe I got the impression from plays,” Ali confessed. “It seems in plays, there’s always something dark brooding underneath. Not always murder, but something. Of course, if plays were more like life, and secrets were less plentiful, more mundane, then what would we actors have to glower at each other about? Especially since glowering is so dreadfully important to the British male actor. I blame Colin Firth.” They had reached the Vicarage. Working off a guess that the town was too tiny and too cold for much theft, he reached ahead and tried to open the door for her.

[Lucy Parr]

Lucy chuckled. "There are no secrets in this village. By the time it's happened, it's halfway down the street. Two minutes later, it's the main topic of conversation in the pub. Five minutes later, it's old news. They're a very..." Lucy paused, then decided on diplomacy. "...tight-knit community. Everyone knows everything about everyone else. And I must confess, I'm occasionally partial to a good glare myself!" She smiled, then gave him a slightly shamefaced look as the door swung open easily. "I know, it's a terrible habit, but I've never heard of a break in in the village since I moved here, and honestly, I don't think most people in this part of the country would even consider robbing a vicar."

[Ali Ghazali]

Ali raised an eyebrow. "And a lucky thing it is that I'm not ten years younger," he said. "Just don't go round telling any Londoners that, all right?" He could only imagine what would happen if his younger self, or even one of his current cousins, got ahold of the notion that people didn't lock their houses in small Cornish towns. Imagine the raids...but then, also, imagine the old farmers and their shotguns...yeah, it was deffo better that nobody knew.

He followed her in and took off his shoes and shed his socks then and there. It was such a relief to wiggle his toes and not feel an awful cold squish that he grinned broadly. "Well? What's in your pantry and your fridge? Or, considering the oven, have you only got an icebox?"

[Lucy Parr]

Lucy grinned. "There's always someone looking out of their window, and strangers cause a right commotion. A thief wouldn't get far." She closed the front door and put up the chain, then turned with a smile to her guest. "The fridge is in the pantry, behind the kitchen. I'm not sure what's in it, to be honest." She never took much notice of what food she had in the house. It got eaten, occasionally she bought some... It all worked out all right, and that was the thing to consider.

[Ali Ghazali]

Ali made his way into the pantry and stood in its doorway, surveying the prospects. "If you live like that, you end up eating biscuits every night and every morning. Take it from someone who has about two years' experience." He gave her a quick look back over his shoulder. "Not that it shows."

Searching through the fridge for a meat base, Ali found a round of sausage. And it was turkey sausage too, not even pork sausage--score! Eagerly, he reached over, grabbed the first paring knife he could find (would pay for that later in extra dishes, but he was hungry) and slit it open.

"Eugh!" The smell. He snorted like a startled horse and threw it in the bin. "My fault, for not checking the date," he said to Lucy, moving to wash his hands and the knife. "But hey. Want to join in the scavenger hunt?"

[Lucy Parr]

Lucy chuckled. "Oh, I wouldn't say that."she muttered jokingly under her breath.

"I was saving that for a Christmas present to the head of the Anti-Christ League!" she protested, only half-humorously. She knew she should clear out her cupboards, but, quite frankly, she just couldn't be bothered. It wasn't as if she really had time anyway... She avoided thinking about the three hours that she'd spent sprawled on the couch earlier. They didn't count. A girl had to have some time to relax, right? Especially when they worked untiringly for the public good, as she did. Sort of. More or less.

[Ali Ghazali]

"Oh, I wouldn't bother," said Ali. "The anti-Christ League is far too busy running the world these days. Politics and the like, haven't you seen the news? Having forged on and finally uncovered some sort of sliced deli turkey, he sniffed it and deemed it decent. Perhaps the copious amount of salt involved in curing meats kept them infinitely edible, he thought. He hoped. "I know I said that I was a brilliant cook," he said, holding it up for her inspection, "but really all I can do with this is either soup or or sandwiches. I know sandwiches are hardly impressive but, you know..." He shrugged and said, fervently, "/Food./"

[Lucy Parr]

Lucy gave a wry chuckle at his words. "Truer than you know." she remarked drily, recalling the many stories of terror and violence that populated the news headlines each week. No self-respecting Christian could commit these atrocities, surely. But many of them believed that their religion was a justification for their terrible crimes, and this utterly sickened Lucy. The Church struggled enough with atheists as it was. The last thing that they needed was these fanatics creating a bad image. Exodus was very clear on the matter; the 10 Commandments stated that thou shalt not kill, and if that wasn't plain language, she didn't know what was.

"Soup happens to be one of my favourites." she replied with a smile, shaking off the dark thoughts that had taken over her mind.