026 [Video/Action for Cherrygrove PokéCenter]

[soggypastry]

[Hi, Johto. Hve you been enjoying your...odd weekend? Hopefully so, because it's about to get weirder. Enjoy your view of Lightning hunched over a stove in the Cherrygrove Pokémon Center, stirring something in a pot. It's an odd sight, both with her hair twisted up into a messy bun and the fact that she's...actually cooking. Anyone who knows her knows that's not a good sign. Especially when she's starting to look a little bit frazzled.]

No, no, no...come on. Don't you dare burn.

[Yes, she's talking to her pot of...something. Unfortunately, this doesn't help her with the cooking and it's with a rather frustrated sound that she takes that pot off the stove, camera tracking her movements while she places it in the sink before scrubbing her face, leaving smears of chocolate down her cheeks as she takes a breath to regain her composure. Is she giving up? Not on your life.

She's just turning back to the counter, where there's enough ingredients for one more try along with a recipe book she's looking back at.]

You could always help, you know.

[A startled "Pika!" and...end feed. Spark still enjoys being Camera-chu, it seems.]

Comments

[lif]

[ She's moving, she's moving. Plus Lightning would probably kill her for ruining the last batch. Injury to injury. ]

Fine, the book says it's the next step. Better?

[soggypastry]

[Have a small smile, Fang. Much better indeed. Still, once the chocolate's in the mold and in the fridge, that smile's getting just a hint wider...and yes, that is gratitude in her eyes.]

Thanks. For helping out.

[lif]

[ As much as Fang's laughed through this, and as much as she likes teasing, it's hard not to respond to that smile. It's not often that Lightning shows this side, at least not to her, and so for once the teasing answer doesn't even cross her mind. ]

You're welcome, not that I did anything. Ya just needed the right pot.

[soggypastry]

[A shrug, and the smile's gone from her face as she starts to clean up. Pots and pans and stuff.]

Maybe, but that doesn't mean you had to help me with it. Could have just told me which pot to use and left.

[lif]

[ There's a quiet, amused sound as she shakes her head. ]

You really think I'd do anything different? Just for that I'm stickin' ya with all the clean up.

[soggypastry]

[A quietly amused sound that earns her a half-smirk. Leaving her with all the clean-up? Nothing really new there.]

Be glad you didn't end up with chocolate on your face, then. You wouldn't want me to have to clean that, I'm sure.

[lif]

Now you got me all curious. Any of that burnt chocolate left?

And after I was all nice about it with you.

[soggypastry]

Only if you want to go digging through the pipes.

[Or perhaps Lady Luck does smile upon Fang even after all this time. There's a pot still on the counter by the sink. It does have some chocolate left on it, amazingly. She might want to grab that before Lightning can.]

[lif]

[ She'll do just that, then. After running her finger around the pot, aiming for the less burned chocolate, Fang pauses, considering mischief. But no, Lady Luck must still like her: no matter how good a mood she's in or how relaxed Lightning seems, she can tell it's not a good idea. Vanille pouts but takes things in good humor; Lightning doesn't.

So Fang just tastes the chocolate instead. ]

Pretty good once you get past the burnt taste, and I don't even like sweets.

[soggypastry]

[Then Lady Luck shines on them both; if Fang had decided to make mischief, Lightning would have done something that involves the soapy water she's elbow deep in. Hard to say how that would have gone.]

I'll remember that the next time I make something for you, then.

[Fang, be afraid. Be very afraid. Letting this woman into the kitchen is a bad idea.]

[lif]

[ Okay, now she can't resist. Lightning probably wasn't expecting to get out of this without at least one tease about Leon, at least. ]

"Next time"? Sweet of ya, Light - I didn't know you cared enough to make me chocolate.

[soggypastry]

[No, she was definitely expecting the teasing. Perhaps hoping it wouldn't happen, but expecting it anyway.]

Who said anything about chocolates? They may not be the only thing I made today.

[Terrified yet, Fang? You should be. She may not be kidding around.]

[lif]

[ She is starting to worry, yes. ]

I thought you'd destroyed all the other ingredients.

[soggypastry]

[Good. It means her survival instinct is still intact.]

For the chocolate, yeah. But I've been in here all morning; do you honestly think it was the first thing I tried to do?

[lif]

You might've. Ya did say Serah handled the cooking.

[ No, she hasn't forgotten that. Yes, that's exactly why she's worried. ]

[soggypastry]

I did. But she's not here now, so someone else has to do it. I don't see anyone else doing it this year.

[And with no one else but a Pikachu in the kitchen...oops?]

[lif]

Didn't realize today was such a big deal.

[ She is teasing about Lightning being so into it, but she really didn't know! ]

[soggypastry]

It depends on who you ask, really. It's a bigger deal to some people than it is to others.

[aaaaand she didn't catch the teasing this time. She is telling the truth, though! It wasn't such a big deal to her last year, so...]