5th Floor Common Room, Monday morning before class

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

Michael was cooking breakfast again. He'd had some trouble deciding on what to go for, so there were a variety of foods spread out on the counter.

All comers were welcome to request their favourites.

[ooc: open as common rooms are!]

Comments

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

...the reason why he was there was simple.

He was following his nose.

To say that he was surprised to see the other boy from his Math class there, the one he'd exchanged notes with... that was a bit of surprise.

"You're up early."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"Breakfast", Michael informed him briskly, not looking up from his frying pan "is important on class day. So're you. Up early."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"I've been up since sunrise," he said. "Habit."

The Emerald City had made for fitful, paranoid nights of light rest and movement before dawn. Kiamo Ko had required waking at dawn if only to get a head start on the mess.

"And I was aware you were cooking. I'm not that dull."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I like being up early too", Michael said with a shrug. "Never said you were."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"And I never said you did."

That was childish. He decided to stop.

"Are you cooking for yourself? Or..."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"For anyone, I already had mine. You want something?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"If you don't mind," he said after a moment. He was always a little leery of accepting things from people.

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"Not my food", he said easily. "School pays for it, so... not a problem."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"I see," he said. "But you are still cooking it."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"I like cooking." He shrugged again. "Still no problem, far as I'm concerned."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"As you say," though he was still wary. If it was any kind of consolation, it was a universal wariness as opposed to any kind of dislike for Michael.

Professor Ambrose regularly drove himself mad trying to explain why he could accept things from people. The best answer, so far, when it came to Liir seemed to be 'because I said so'.

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

Universal wariness, Michael could understand. There were no hard feelings.

"What'll it be, then?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"I don't know," he admitted. "What can you make?"

[intraspective]

Ino was tired, she'd slept badly, and yesterday's handwavy day of training out in the preserve hadn't done much to help her sort out her thoughts. When she'd smelled food cooking from her floor's common room she'd guessed it would be Michael.

She hovered at the door, not sure if she was up to talking, but not really feeling like being alone.

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

He glanced up at a sound from the door, and offered her a slight smile.

"Hey, Ino."

[intraspective]

"Morning," she said, stepping into the room and curling up on one of the couches, "how have you been?"

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"Not too bad." He shot a worried glance her way when she curled up, but didn't come over yet. "You?"

[intraspective]

She shrugged. "Tired," Ino said eventually, "I did a lot of training yesterday."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"Did you eat?" he asked mildly.

[intraspective]

"I ate yesterday," Ino said, tilting her head to look at him. She just hadn't eaten much, but it wasn't a lie. "Nothing yet today."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

He raised his eyebrows at her and just asked, "What d'you want for breakfast?"

[intraspective]

That got him another shrug. She really had no preference. "Whatever you feel like making?" A long considering pause. "Nothing heavy?"

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

"Hm." He considered that. "Scrambled eggs?"

[intraspective]

"That works," Ino said, fiddling with her hair, then saying, "Cassandra told me that Kabuto broke up with me because of you."

[rebelheartalien.livejournal.com]

He'd turned to get some eggs, but one of them broke in his hand at that.

"...he told her that?"