6th Floor Kitchen, Friday After Support Reserves

[thatsamilkshake]

"The nice thing about refrigerators," Francine said, staring at the array of groceries laid out on the counter, "is we can make a bunch of food ahead of time and just warm it up right before the party. Which, you know, helps when you don't have a whole castle full of cooking staff."

Somehow, she'd hadn't exactly planned for those cooking lessons she was going to give Merlin to progress straight from brownies to party catering. Then again, there were a lot of things she hadn't planned.

[OOC: For The Gay BFF Eaaaaars.]

Comments

[thatsamilkshake]

"Just for peeling potatoes? Or all kinds of vegetables?"

Francine, no. Don't encourage him.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Apparently just being near each other was enough to make things got horribly wrong. "All kinds! Though, maybe just potatoes to start with."

[thatsamilkshake]

"How's it going so far?" He might want a bowl. For the skins. Assuming they ever came off.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"I think--I'll do it by hand until it's perfected."

Meaning it didn't work at all at the moment.

[thatsamilkshake]

She wasn't simultaneously relieved and disappointed at all.

Also somehow he'd taken over her job, which was fine, but she still wasn't chopping carrots. "You stick with that, then - I'll do the onions." Mm, lovely smelly onions.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Good enough." There was a pause before he added. "They make me cry."

[thatsamilkshake]

"Just the normal way?" asked Francine as she reached for a knife. "Or do you have a sad, sad story about onions to tell?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin paused. "Normal way."

[thatsamilkshake]

"You never know." Cutting board, chopchop. "They make me cry too, but eh. I'm used to it."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"...chopping onions?" Hey, the other option was bad making.

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine had to blink at him for a few seconds before comprehension got a rueful laugh from her. "Yes, chopping onions. No matter how much practice at the other one it seems like I've been getting lately."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Good." Merlin nodded and continued his work on those potatoes. "Are you feeling a bit better, though?"

[thatsamilkshake]

"I guess." It was noncommittal or dishonest; those were the options. "Katchoo's not doing so hot, though. As awesome as she apparently is about lying to people who aren't me about it."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"There anything I can do to help?"

[thatsamilkshake]

"I don't know; I'm not even sure what I can do." Francine wiped at her eyes with the back of her arm, and yes, it was just the onions. This time. "Distract her, I guess, if you get the chance? "

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"I'll try my best," Merlin promised. "Though I think Arthur has the better chance at that."

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine gave him a genuine grin and scraped onion bits into a bowl. "He does seem to be weirdly good at that. Maybe there's a secret blond language we're not allowed to know?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"I think it's a possibility," Merlin replied, glancing around as though they may be listening. "We should see if they try it next time they're around each other."

[thatsamilkshake]

"I don't know - what happens if we get caught? They might... throw us in the stocks!" Or be sarcastic at them. As blondes do.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Ah, but Arthur would need to build a stocks first."

[thatsamilkshake]

"He's Arthur. He'd hire somebody to do that." Possibly that guy from the hardware store, since the one who'd been leading the construction crew when Francine got here wasn't around anymore.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Probably," Merlin had to grant her. "Let's not let him know that."

[thatsamilkshake]

"Agreed. Maybe we should just plant a bug at Strokes of Genius."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"...how would a bug help?"

[thatsamilkshake]

"It could listen for us!" Francine, no. He thinks you mean the kind with wings.