13306/A Baker's Pair

A Baker's Pair
Date of Scene:	08 November 2022
Location:	Main Room - Titan's Tower
Synopsis:	Dawn Granger catches Caitlin in the kitchen and they talk about how Hank has changed, thanks to Dawn's influence.
Cast of Characters:	Caitlin Fairchild, Dawn Granger

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Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin's in the kitchen and her expression is mildly perturbed-- or at least, as perturbed as the congenial redhead can get. She goes through cabinet after cabinet with the motions of someone trying to find something that should be in a more obvious location.

"Baking bowls, mixing bowls... that's not a bowl," she mutters, and pulls a pan out of a cabinet to move it to where it lives (at least, her opinion on where it lives). The redhead's dressed in pink scrubs and Crocs, her hair pinned back so it stays out of her face. With the pile of books on the counter and the tablet next to it, it seems a good possibility that Caitlin just came off a resident shift at Metropolis General Hospital.

Dawn Granger has posed:
White hair neatly in its usual braid, the form of Dawn appears from the nearby elevator, heading over and poking her head into the kitchen. "You know, I was going to say you look a little lost, Cait, but then I realized we were in the /kitchen/ and there's absolutely no way you're lost in here," she remarks, leaning against the counter. "What'd someone take and promptly lose?"

If it's a mess, Dawn's pretty good at organizing things.

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"I can't find my good stainless mixing bowls," Caitlin complains. "And it's not where it's supposed to be. Someone must have used it for something or other, and then it didn't get back to where it belongs," she clarifies.

The redhead sighs and rests her hands on her hips, looking around. "So I'm hoping Hank or Madison used it and just put it somewhere weird. Either that or Gar took it and *did* something weird," she mutters.

A sheepish expression is turned towards Dawn. "I'm sorry," Caitlin says. "It's not the end of the world. I can make do with a different bowl. There'll be apple pie later, if you want some," she offers. The redhead reaches for a black apron hanging on a hook near the fridge, and hangs it from her neck and ties it off. "If you want pumpkin, you'll have to ask Wally to run out and get some."

Dawn Granger has posed:
"I think pumpkin gets a little too much credit as a pie most of the time," Dawn says, holding up a finger as she moves to check one of the cabinets towards the back. She continues talking, even with her head in there. "Apple tends to be classic, something you just want to come home to. Who doesn't like that smell? Pumpkin's just seasonal and people go crazy for 'limited time things'. Apple's got a sense of home, though."

There's a clank and Dawn wriggles her way back out of the cabinet with one of the missing mixing bowls. "I saw this the other day and I was kind of wondering why it was shoved in the back but I figured someone who used the kitchen more might have moved it for a reason."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
A relieved look crosses Caitlin's face. "Oh golly, thanks Dawn," she bids the other Titan gratefully. The redhead accepts the bowl with both hands and walks it over to a cabinet filled with similar bowls. It's studiously put back in the rack with the others (in descending order of size) so Caitlin can take a moment and appreciate the symmetry of having her cookware back.

Then the bowl comes down and she moves back to the counter to start mixing flour and pastry ingredients. "I don't mind other people using the kitchen," Caitlin says. Which is untrue, but she covers well. "I just want my stuff put back in one spot. If I come home and I can't find a piece of my Le Creuset, I will absolutely go bonkers," she advises Dawn, and nods at the wooden display shelf with a Williams-Sonoma worthy display of cast-iron cookware.

Dawn Granger has posed:
"If I'm around and I see someone absconding with your expensive cookware, I promise I'll step in and save them," Dawn says, offering a tiny smile. "I get the whole needing to have things in order and feeling like you need to know where things are. Trust me, I've got the deepest sympathy for that."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
Caitlin gives Dawn a sheepish nod of agreement. "I don't mean to sound so territorial," she apologizes. "It's not 'my' kitchen, it's just-- for a long time I was the only one who cooked here. It's filled with years of Christmas and birthday gifts. Way back when we first started living here I had to set some ground rules down about my-- er, *the* kitchen. If I came out here and there was a mess in the sink, then no one was getting cookies that day. The boys figured it out pretty fast," she says, and giggles at the memory.

Dawn Granger has posed:
Dawn moves to lean against the counter a bit as she listens to the memory. "Oh yeah, I bet. Really, I still think it's your kitchen. You do the cooking and you make the rules, I feel. Maybe you just need to leave a nice sign to remind people that the more clean and organized this space is when you step into it the more likely they are to get something delicious?" She hugs her arms a bit, grinning at the idea of holidays. "You know, it's nice to have everyone close together to be able to do things like that."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"Had a sign, it got taken down after a vote six years ago," Caitlin says wryly. "I kinda went on a signage spree and the team voted that warning placards are disallowed except for actual hazards. Oh well-- that's democracy for ya," she says, shoulders rolling in a shrug.

The redhead mixes up the ingredients in the bowl and puts it into a stand mixer to start working. The mixer is a big industrial thing, easily twice as large as the countertop models most people are familiar with. The clear lid is put down around it to block out some of the noise, and Caitlin starts chopping apples with a large butcher knife and a frightening lack of concern for the sharp blade. "Did I ask what your go-to baked goodie is?" she inquires of Dawn. "I mean, you get birthday dinner, obviously, but I take requests if people want, too."

Dawn Granger has posed:
"Ah, see, you need to just have a little map that shows where things go. A guide, rather than a sign. Labels. That way it's not a warning, it's a helpful explanation," Dawn stays where she's at against the counter, watching the apple chopping. "I'm a fan of cheesecake. Or shortbread cookies, I enjoy those with tea a lot. Need to have some proper tea time around here sometimes."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"I *had* everything labelled, but..." Caitlin gestures vaguely around. "It is what it is. If I complain enough, people will be more mindful. Trust me, it was so much worse early on for us," she says with a flashing grin.

"Anyway-- cheesecake it is," Caitlin promises Dawn. "I can do a pretty bomb cheesecake. I like it with strawberry, personally, though I've got a pretty good orange fluff recipe that's very low carb," she offers. "I don't know how serious you are about your diet though. How often are you hitting the gym?"

Dawn Granger has posed:
"Low carb can be good. I'm trying to at least do some every other day as far as actually hitting the /gym/. Great thing is, Hank's just as active so I don't have to worry too much about dinner choices. He's thinking about diet just as much as I am. I do think I have a little bit of a sweet tooth, though." Dawn glances over. "Trying to actually make a routine at this point, but, figuring out stuff about... logistics from being back, you know?"

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"I wish I had some advice, but my life's a scheduling nightmare right now," Caitlin admits. "I had to take a leave of absence from Stark Industries so I could go get my residency hours in. Between that, and my obligations to the Amazons, and keeping up the home fort *here*--" she gestures around, the gold bracers on her wrists glittering subtly. "All I can tell you is that if you make fitness the priority, everything else falls into line. I don't know how much your Lords of whatever do for you power-wise, but I've always been of the opinion that fitness is for everyone. I used to be a lot weaker than I am now," she admits. "But I kept up with the strength training and development that pro athletes use. Thanks to superior genetics, those routines arguably work even *better* for me. The same might go for you."

Dawn Granger has posed:
"Oh yeah, making it a priority is important. I'm used to scheduling these sort of things with dance practice and college," Dawn smiles. "Regardless of how much Lords of Order come into play, I'm still a dancer and martial artist, so that's always going to be some of my routine. I'm going to get some dance sessions together with some of us, I've managed to talk Hank into actually coming to a dance class with me provided he gets to choose what he wears."

She grins. "Trying to impress upon everyone that dance is fun on top of the fact that flexibility and movement are important for combat. Honestly, I'm just hoping people will use it to blow off steam a little and have fun in the midst of whatever stressful thing is going on."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"Count me out," Caitlin apologizes. "Trust me, I've broken too many toes to risk me on the dance floor. And I've got no sense of rhythm," she adds. "Playing an instrument, that's fine. But every time I start trying to count and move my feet, I either fall over or send someone to the podiatrist. Don't let me discourage you though," she amends hastily. "I'm sure it'd be a lot of fun, and I might be there just to see my friends. Are you keeping it to just the Titans, or hooking it in with some of our allies?"

Dawn Granger has posed:
"I haven't extended it out to any allies yet, I've mostly just been feeling out interest. Could be fun to try and hook in some others. I just know that for the overachievers and overworkers, having something that appears to be for training purposes but is actually just fun and social is kind of a win," Dawn glances over. "Maybe you just need to /work/ on your sense of rhythm. Or, at the very least... supporting friends would be good. I've heard very polarizing ideas on what people seem to think about going to a dance class."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"Look-- Donna? Graceful." Caitlin counts on her fingers. "D-- Nightwing? Graceful. Kara? Graceful, but she can fly so that doesn't count. *Trust* me, the last thing you want at your dance class is a hundred and sixty kilogram Amazon forgetting her left from her right."

The apples are sliced, mixed, and Caitlin goes back to rolling out the dough so she can lay out the pie crusts. "So... would it be prying to ask about Hank?" she inquires, tentatively. "He seems... much more centered, lately. Not as incendiary. I haven't seen him this calm in years."

Dawn Granger has posed:
"It's not really prying and we aren't really being secretive about it either," Dawn says, a smile making it onto her features quickly at the mention of Hank. "I really hope I'm having a good effect on him. I know he's a firecracker and I'm not /always/ around, but I'm glad if he's doing better. I know he was... well, I know he wasn't doing the best when I wasn't here."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"You've definitely been a good influence on him," Caitlin assures Dawn. "Even when Don was still with us, Hank had his bad moments. I think it's because deep down he has a really big heart," she admits. "You can't get that mad about stuff unless you care a lot about the person who needs help. I think most of the time when I saw him really lose his temper, it was because he was-- deep down-- worried about keeping someone safe."

Dawn Granger has posed:
"He's got a /huge/ heart," Dawn agrees, the warmth of her smile radiating. "He wants to help. He wants to keep people safe, and he doesn't like seeing things happen that aren't fair. I know there are times he's going to get hotheaded but his heart's in the right place, even if he doesn't tell anyone that he's leading with his heart."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
"I think a big part of it is fairness," Caitlin posits. She works diligently while she talks, laying the filling into the crust and then carefully pinching the topmost layer around the edge of the rim to give it a crimped appearance.

"I mean, that's what gets him the most worked up," she clarifies. "He's always been like that. Someone getting bullied or thrown under the bus, someone being pushed around-- we've all got that impetus to help out but Hank has always been sort of a, uh, 'the shortest path' kinda guy," Caitlin says, and illustrates Hank's tendency to move in straight lines with a gesture of her hands.

Dawn Granger has posed:
Dawn's smile widens as she laughs. "He just... he just feels it all deeply and there's nothing to stop him from just taking that shortest path. Sometimes, if I'm lucky, he'll listen to me and delay that straight path for something a little more strategic. He's a good partner."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
With the pies complete Caitlin starts loading them into the ovens. The kitchen is set up for feeding a dozen or more people, quite easily, and the ovens are big commercial units with an attractive fascia that makes them blend in with hte rest of the appliances.

"Hank and Vic, and Garfield-- they've been brothers to me my whole life," Caitlin tells Dawn. She starts wiping flour from her fingers with her apron. "I'm as close to them as I am to my own brother. You don't have to mince words about Hank, I love him and I know him well." She grins reassuringly at Dawn. "Though I never regret having Hank watching my back. When we got out in front and moved through obstacles, we called it the Freight Train."

Dawn Granger has posed:
"Yeah, I think you're a little more in on the secret that Hank's a big softie than most are. I'm pretty sure he thinks people still don't know," Dawn flashes another grin. "Honestly, I don't think there's anyone I know that I'd trust more to have my back. Or watch the back of anyone I'm close with."

Caitlin Fairchild has posed:
with everything done, Caitlin meticulously tidies up after herself. Used bowls get washed and set out to dry, the flour gets swept up, and the countertops get a wipedown. In just a few minutes the kitchen looks like she was never in there, but smells wonderfully of apple pie!

"Well, that was a nice break, but I have to get back to studying," Caitlin says with a rueful expression. "I've got a lot of reading to get done tonight and a paper to submit. I'm glad things are going well with you and Hank-- truly," Caitlin assures Dawn, and gives her forearm a quick and affectionate squeeze. "It was good seeing you around. Pies will be ready in about an hour if you're still here," she offers.