[Relationship] The Rosenhof Residence

[Basil Benson]

"Security would never let you past the gates." He observed, directly into her busom at a slightly awkward angle.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette moved slightly, as if suppressing a laugh. "And how do you suppose zey would stop me, should I be persistent?"

[Basil Benson]

After the shift, Basil's head was more comfortably (though still somewhat comicly) resting upon her chest, his chin nestled between her cleavage. He re-appeared here, looking very much like the cat that ate the canary, the relaxed state completely antithesis to what was about to come out of his mouth.

"Probably deporting you after you pull a breaking and entering on the home of British aristocracy."

He'd thought on this some.

[Colette Rosenhof]

"Gosh, if only we knew of someone who could slip inside unnoticed." Colette mused softly while gently petting Basil's head.

[Basil Benson]

His head rolled to the side slightly, his right cheek resting against her left breast.

"Yes, it would be lovely if my abilities weren't a pile of horse shit right now." He added, looking strangely miserable for a female attracted man with his face on a pair of boobs.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette played with Basil's hair, quiet for a moment.

"Zen perhaps ze direct approach is ze best one. Tell zem ze truz, even if it may be painful, but express zat you want to keep zings... confidential.

"Zough speaking of powers... oh, I do not wish to change ze subject, but... I am zinking of devoting more of my time to training. In ways zat I previously had not been. Do you zink zat you would like to join me?"

[Basil Benson]

"Yes, but what do I do? Just drive up to Offley Place and say 'hello cousins and uncle, I need to talk to you about my potentially deadbeat father, could I pop in? I brought scones.' "

Basil paused on the topic of practice.

"... I could keep you company, I suppose."

[Colette Rosenhof]

"Well, perhaps a letter first would be more proper. You are British, I am certain you can find a way to word it that politely addresses the issue."

Since the cat wouldn't sit in her lap, Basil's head would have to be a substitute as she pet it.

"I am simply zinking zat, perhaps instead of practicing trying to not use your powers, perhaps practicing how to use zem more may help you learn how to use zem less?"

[Basil Benson]

Basil somehow felt like writing a strongly worded letter was very British but probably not very effective.

"I suppose I could warn them of my coming...

And try to practice becoming more invisible with you. I've... tried before but I can try again."

[Colette Rosenhof]

"It may lend more evidence to zere being no malice in your intentions, zough I really cannot say. I have no experience wiz zis type of problem."

Colette looked down at Basil as she stroked him. "I would like zat. When I regained my abilities, my time as... flesh and blood, it seems to have helped me to appear more human. But it has also pushed me furzer in ze ozer direction. All of my life I have been trying to look and act like everyone else, but I have been ignoring my potential. And I believe zat it is because I was not pushing myself zat I was not more successful in my efforts. Perhaps ze same is true for you? Even if it is not... zere is little harm in trying, no?"

[Basil Benson]

"You mean other than to my ego?"

[Colette Rosenhof]

"I am certain zat I can find ozer ways to stroke it."

[Basil Benson]

A series of events Colette had seen before unfolded in front of her at the flirtation.

At first, he responded the way you would expect a young man to at the prospect of sexual contact, and an excited grin bloomed in his expression.

But after a moment or two of the rush of excitement, some form of self doubt seeped in, and his enthusiasm deflated like a balloon.

And then after another beat, he was invisible again.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette's face went from smile to a look of concern, cradling Basil's head in her lap.

"Talk to me, Basil. I cannot help if I do not know."

[Basil Benson]

"I..." He shifted awkwardly. There were clearly words in his head, but he wasn't sure how to appropriately express them.

So he just let it out.

"I am so ruled by my hormones I don't know which way is up sometimes... For the last twenty-four hours I felt like I wanted to die and at the first vague implication of a shag my entire mood changes as if you just grabbed my leash and asked if I want to 'go for walkies'.

Why am I like this?"

[Colette Rosenhof]

"Basil, if what you said was true, you would not be questioning yourself and would instead be capitalizing on it. Yes, you have been in a understandably sorry state for some time now. Do not blame your mind and body for grasping at some happiness. I do not zink zat you are subject to your biological whims more so zan any ozer person. I do zink however zat you are more critical of yourself zan average."

[Basil Benson]

"Is that a bad thing?

I feel like if more people analyzed their intentions, humanity would as a whole be better off.

If one knows not only what they want, but why, perhaps they can curb their own bad behavior. "

[Colette Rosenhof]

"Zis is true... but is what we are doing right now bad behavior?"

[Basil Benson]

"Well... Not yet." He flirted back.

"Bloody hell I'm doing it again..."

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette stroked Basil's cheek. "Zere is NOZING bad about two adults, who love each ozer, expressing zat love."

[Basil Benson]

This seemed like one of those conversations where he wasn't really getting through to her what he was trying to convey, and they'd just end up yelling at each other. Since this wasn't worth a fight, he fell silent again and allowed Colette to pet him at her discretion.

[Basil Benson]

Basil awoke on the morning of June the 14th, with a realization.

This morning he was 20. He didn't really feel any different, but he knew that it meant something. No longer a youth, in any sense of the word.

Not that the woman in the bed next to him wasn't a tip off.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette laid beside Basil relatively motionless, more so than probably any other woman he'd shared a bed with. Because when the French woman was in a deep sleep her body seldom mimicked breathing, and even then only barely. It took some getting used to, but the fact that she was still in her humanoid form was usually confirmation enough that she was still among the living. The arm draped across his chest might make difficult the act of extracting himself without disturbing her.

[Basil Benson]

He attempted in anyways, uncertain if he had achieved the wanted result. He was still retreating quickly from Colette whenever they were alone.

He disappeared to shower, and then immediately started taking care of responsibilities, largely ignoring the symbolic importance of the day.

If she looked for him, Colette would find him in the study, paying bills.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette wasn't letting him go... literally. Her arm stretched as Basil tried to move away, succeeding in dislodging her by the time he got out of bed. The limb was left looking not unlike a prize from a 10p capsule machine in the vestibule of a B&M, the pink taffy-like limb slowly pulling back toward its host in a lazy reset or surface tension.

You young man wouldn't see or hear from her again for nearly an hour or more. When she did make her presence known it was by pushing the door of his study open a little wider and entering unannounced to place a few things upon his desk. A small plate with a toasted & buttered crumpet topped with a fried egg and some fried tomato quarters, and a mug of tea. She didn't even say a word, simply lingering in her lean to give a little peck to his temple before she turned to leave. Sometimes one didn't need to say good morning to say good morning.

[Basil Benson]

Basil didn't stop her, but he did react to the peck with a smile.

He didn't dare mention what today was, for fear of making a bigger deal out of it than it need be. Basil liked attention, but only attention he earned. Being born was something that happened to everyone, so even though he enjoyed birthday festivities, he didn't really expect a pat on the back for it.

[Colette Rosenhof]

A smile was all that Colette needed, and she left Basil to spend the day as he wished.

When lunch time eventually rolled around she coaxed him down into the dining room for a simple lunch. Two cups of potato and leek soup made from packets, and some coronation chicken atop a leafy green salad. Not everything Colette made was grandiose, she was rather content with soup from a can, she just knew to add a little bit of bacon to it to give it that extra oomph. All of her presentation was saved for sweets and desserts, the main meals she tended to prefer simple things that weren't flashy, and were versatile. The leftover coronation chicken she could make into sandwiches for lunch the next day. There was however a large pot on the stove that hadn't been used for lunch, the woman already getting a start on that night's supper.

"At what time will you be leaving to visit your grandparents? I will have supper ready by seven, if zat helps you plan your schedule in any way." An odd question, since Basil hadn't mentioned leaving to see his family on this particular day. But one asked nonchalantly as she held the mug in both hands and sipped her soup.

[Basil Benson]

Basil seemed a little thrown off by the question, but answered fairly quickly.

"I don't have any plans to go anywhere today, so don't rush yourself around my schedule.

Perhaps Dagonet and I will take a nap in the garden. The weather is nice enough." He stated, making reference to the cat who spent less time around the house now that the warmer months had come, but still hung around in their garden occasionally and never passed up a free meal when they offered.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette in turn seemed surprised by Basil's answer, though not so much that she'd cause a fuss.

"Oh, I did not zink zat a simple phone call or video chat would be sufficient for your Bubbeh. Zat sounds nice zough, it is a beautiful day to relax in ze garden."

[Basil Benson]

"Oh she asked. I declined." He offered before putting something in his mouth. Once his pathway was cleared again, he clarified -

"She knows something about all this that she isn't saying. I don't feel the time is right to confront her about it, but I'm not sure, given what we've been doing without their knowledge, that I can keep my fat mouth shut."

[Colette Rosenhof]

"And so you choose instead to receive later a monumental guilt-trip. You truly are between a rock and a hard place." Colette wasn't chiding Basil for his choice, if anything she sounded sympathetic.

"If she did not approve of me before, she will definitely now look upon me as an even greater negative influence upon you. Keeping her precious grandson from her, what a monster I am."

[Basil Benson]

"She can't keep me in a bubble forever, as much as she'd like to."

[Colette Rosenhof]

"Ze bubbeh bubble." Colette mused, quite content with her joke. She would press Basil on the issue no further, sipping her soup and eating her salad, turning the conversation instead to more pleasant topics until he was finished and ready for the garden.

[Basil Benson]

Basil seemed to remain pleasant enough, and did eventually move out to the garden to read, and have a nap in the summer sun with the local stray (?)

As night insects started in on their dust chorus, Basil would awaken again, and return indoors.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette poked into the backyard on occasion, even spending about a half an hour outside reading, but most of her day was spent inside the house. When Basil eventually returned inside the aromas of different foods were quite strong as the dishes neared readiness. A stack of dishes and cups sat on the kitchen island, along with some utensils.

"For how many is the table being set, Basil?"

[Basil Benson]

Basil seemed a bit confused.

"Just you and I, I suppose?"

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette gave another pause before she started to set the table for two. "Oh, I zought perhaps you would better know which friends you would want to invite." Well, they'd just be having leftovers for awhile, or she'd freeze little meal packs for Basil to warm up on nights when she decided to train late. Having fewer places to set left for more room on the table for the entrees, meaning she didn't have to dish up buffet style.

The meal itself was somewhat like Colette's usual affair, but a bit different. What appeared to be a steak and ale pie with a beef shank bone protruding up out of the middle, roasted carrots and parsnips cut lengthwise, plain old creamy mashed potatoes, and something that looked suspiciously like a loaf of challah.

"I knew better zan to attempt a beef brisket" she said softly as she began to serve herself. "But I hope zat zis will be close enough."

[Basil Benson]

"I'm sure it will be lovely.

Besides, some might consider your attempts border lining on sacrilege." He joked, reaching out to partake of the bread.

[Colette Rosenhof]

Colette smiled softly and served herself, letting Basil take as much as he liked. "I like stepping out of my comforting area and trying new zings. I have been told zat leftover challah makes for some excellent French toast. Perhaps we will try zat in ze morning." There was certainly enough of it, she'd obviously cooked for more than just the two of them.

[Basil Benson]

"Maybe."

Basil ate for a bit, then broken the awkward silence. "I wonder when we'll hear back from the Spencers? The suspense is killing me."