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Hummus?

[ She's not sure if she should be incredulous that they managed to get into an argument over hummus or incredulous that they've decided to ask her to be a tiebreaker in any argument of hers, debated with equal weight regardless of topic. Surely. ]

I've had it, yeah. Kaveh brought some for me to try. ... Um, is that gonna skew my judgment?

Obviously, yes. Because now that you've had the best hummus possible, you can't possibly go back.

[ the way kaveh tosses his head, imperious, is entirely for show. he is already moving to the fridge. ] The crux of the argument however is that Alhaitham keeps insisting that the temperature of the water that you mix with the tahini doesn't matter. Just room-temperature water is fine, he says. Or just water from the refrigerator is fine, he says. But I assert that to get the best texture for your tahini, your water needs to be ice cold. I have mine sit with ice-cubes outside the bowl to bring the temperature down as low as it can feasibly go.

And it's so much better.

And I assert that it makes no difference at all the temperature of the water, and Kaveh only insists on it because he needs to justify his unnecessarily complex preparations for hummus. [He puts one peel of pomegranate to the side before continuing to scoop out the next one.]

But you won't be able to make any judgement until you've had it made both ways to compare.

[ Oh.

For a moment, she is just flooded with a lot of sappy love for these two men who are actually arguing over what temperature the water should be at as a flavor preference (or a texture preference?) and deciding her opinion is important enough to make her a judge. Even though they have both had hummus way more often than she has. And even though it's such a stupid thing to argue about.

Wow. ]

I really love you guys.

[ Happily. Because she's not afraid to speak her truth!! ]

But Al's right, I'd have to try the other way too or it's not gonna be fair at all.

Edited 2024-01-08 04:48 (UTC)

[ kaveh peers over the counter, all scintillating amusement. ]

And I love you too, Tsuruno. [ he says, with the kind of bemused warmth of a man just a little too old to be hip about this sort of thing, but is Trying. he rummages through the fridge, re-emerging from that cold recess with two tupperware containers. kaveh nudges the door shut with a hip, then sweeps across the kitchen for where stacks of freshly-made pita sit in their breadbox. ] Well, given that we're all in agreement on that matter, I've preserved Alhaitham's method of making hummus in a container, and I've a container of mine. I also have fresh pita for the judgment, given that you can't possibly judge hummus all by itself. It's just unconscionable. You might as well try to eat two scoops of different types of mayonnaise and then attempt to tell me what the fat content is.

[Alhaitham looks over at Tsuruno. His smile starts at his eyes and makes the trip down to his lips. It's the easy affection, really, that sort of honesty that for Alhaitham has always belonged within a home. A moment of trust reserved only for those who belong within the walls they carved into.

He pushes the towel to her before holding his hand out in silent request for her pomegranate so he can finish scooping it.] Not that it'll make a difference in this case.

[ She plunks her pomegranate in Alhaitham's palm at his request, taking the towel to wipe off her hands before she moves to trot back to Kaveh's side. She feels a bit like a ping-pong ball, bouncing between the both of them where she's needed, but it isn't as though she minds.

Honestly, a smile that reaches Alhaitham's eyes from the very start is as much a response to her announcement as Kaveh's reply, and with that, Tsuruno hums a little and offers up an enthusiastic nod. ]

Got it! I know you're not gonna tell me which one is which before I try them both, so I'm ready!

[ there ought to be some sort of prose here comparing tsuruno's endearing little nod to species of small dogs, the kind that you want to keep in your purse and spoil, but that doesn't quite do justice to how cute tsuruno is, so the prose will rest their case today. kaveh is grinning as he lays out the two containers of hummus, slotting in between a plate piled high with still-warm pita.

to the left, a plain tupperware of hummus. to the right, a plain tupperware of hummus, possibly done in ice-cold water at some stage of the tahini-mixing process. because it's kaveh, he is leaning in, chin propped on the heel of his hand as the red of his eyes glint. ]

If you're ready, then I am ready to place judgment solely into your capable hands. And tastebuds. Oh, before that. [ kaveh tips his chin towards the gently smiling man at the counter. ] Alhaitham, check the tupperware. I know you're going to make a fuss about the test not being blind enough or somesuch if you don't have a chance to circle it for yourself.

[Alhaitham leans over to peer at the containers presented.] I think a bigger issue is that you didn't label them, so how am I supposed to know which one is which? I didn't watch you put them away.

[Alhaitham sets the pomegranate aside and dusts off his hands before opening each tupperware. It just looks like hummus. And more hummus.] You do remember which one is which, don't you?

[ Yeah, she also has no idea which one is which, at a single glance, so she nods a tad sympathetically with Alhaitham's plight. Not that she's underestimating his ability to figure it out through some kind of wacky genius method, but. Still. ]

They don't even look any different, huh...

Hey, now. Even if they did look very different, I couldn't tell you which one is which, lest the knowledge biases you. And yes, Alhaitham, I do remember which one is which. I'm the one who packs up all our food after dinner. If I can track material compositions, where's the difficulty in two tupperwares of hummus?

[ kaveh shifts the plate to tsuruno. he gives her an encouraging nod. ] Have a bite of each. Let us know what you think. Whichever one that tastes better - well, isn't that further evidence for each of our arguments?

Though I'm confident mine will come out the winner.

[ kaveh, in his mind, possibly: right one! right one! right one!! ]

Since Kaveh has already forgotten what the counter-argument of this is: I don't expect you to find any measurable difference between them.

[He's already taking a piece of pita for himself but he at least holds off to let Tsuruno dig into the hummus first before he follows along. Not because he's part of the testing, he's just hungry.]

Right, I know!

[ But reminder appreciated. So basically it's... three possible options here. One, that she likes Kaveh's better. Two, that she likes the other one better. Or three, they taste the same.

Tsuruno at least appears to take it seriously, preparing two pieces of pita to scoop some hummus onto them, one from each container. She's even careful to take an equal amount of both, for ultimate fairness.

A longer pause to chew and deliberate her two options. And then, very thoughtfully-- ]

I really can't tell what the difference is. They're both really delicious.

[ the mock dismay is entirely theatrical. kaveh looks between the two tupperware containers, then at tsuruno, then sighs the sigh of a storm coming to reluctant rest. ]

Oh, no, you've spent too much time around Alhaitham. This is certainly all his fault somehow!

[Also with mock offense to Kaveh:] You're going to doubt Tsuruno's judgement just because you don't want to be wrong? Her family owns a restaurant, so if anyone could have noticed a difference it'd be her.

[Is he also saying that because it justifies his stance. Yes.]

Right! I mean, my family doesn't make hummus, but--!

My tastebuds remain unbiased!

[ Gosh!! ]

But it's so clearly different! The one I made with ice-cold water is just that much richer!

[ kaveh pouts, this grown-ass man sitting across from them both - but he's moving the hummus containers closer to alhaitham so he can grab a bite too regardless. ] It's fine. This is fine. It's a nuanced taste! I'll have to make sure you add more hummus to your diet, Tsuruno, so that you can also appreciate the nuance.

The nuance that's entirely in your head. [But he rips off a piece of the pita bread and dips it into the nearest hummus container.] Tsuruno, you should try it with some of the pomegranate seeds on top. I think you would like it.

[That combination of savory-salty and just sweet enough to blend with it. In fact, after popping the first piece in his mouth he proceeds to do exactly that with the second scoop.]

Ooh?? Sold!

[ Whether she's replying to Kaveh feeding her more or Alhaitham suggesting new flavor combos--well, it's probably both, and she lets out a thrilled little hum, going for a couple of seeds to arrange on top of the hummus. ]

[ here, kaveh has to grin. it's unusual for alhaitham to share what he likes. anyone can learn one's opinion on a messageboard, or so he claims - but only a few ought to know what he does in his private time. tsuruno digs in with the pomegranate, and kaveh prepares a bowl for the seeds should they need it.

he rolls his eyes. ]

I will have you eat your words sometime. But not today. Both you, ensure that you don't fill up on hummus, pita and pomegranate. I have a meal still on the stove that's almost ready! It'll be a shame if neither of you had room. When you're done, Tsuruno, I have dishes in the third cabinet from the left. Can you grab the plates?

[Tsuruno sprinkles on pomegranate seeds, and the edges of Alhaitham's eyes curve.]

You're going to send Tsuruno back with leftovers either way. [Bit he rips the pita a few more times to savor the hummus before he returns to pomegranate seeding duty.]

You are?

[ Look at Tsuruno, all bright-eyed and hopeful now--after she's polished off her hummus and pomegranate pita, humming in approval at the taste. Kaveh foists food on her all the time but still, she can't help but feel a little thrill of excitement every time she gets to eat more of it. ]

I-I mean! Right! Third left cabinet!

[ And she's off and running to the cabinet to collect the plates. They're in no real danger of breaking, despite her enthusiasm, at least. She's far too used to waiting tables. ]

[ kaveh's eyes gleam. ]

Oh, dear, did Alhaitham give it away? [ as he tips his head to tsuruno, all conspiratorial glee, ] Do me a favour, Tsuruno: now that the jig is up, at least pretend to be surprised when I foist three or four containers on you on your way out. Give me some gratification, hm?

[ to the table comes the meygoo dopiyazeh, still simmering in its pot, and three plates of basmati rice steamed to fluffy perfection plated on tsuruno's spoils from the cabinets. kaveh sends tsuruno to the table proper with a set of napkins, then collects the nicer set of cutlery they have. he sweeps over to deposit them where their placemats are, then holds out a hand for alhaitham to pass him the bowl of pomegranate. ]

There's also more pita and hummus, as you obviously know, and I'll have the salad up shortly. But don't fill up too quickly, hm? I've also dessert.

[Alhaitham offers the bowl to Kaveh.] He's been excited all day about you coming over. Once the renovations start it'll be a few weeks before he'll let anyone else inside.

Oh, so it's sort of like a last hurrah? Temporarily? A few weeks sounds like a pretty long time...

[ Well, she's a teenager, though. A teenager with a short lifespan dangling over her that she tries not to think about. A few weeks feels like a hefty loss, somehow. But she takes the napkins to their proper place and glances over her shoulder at Kaveh. ]

Either way, right now, I'm waiting til we're all at the table! [ Meals together? The best. ]

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