The Stables, Saturday Evening

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin had stumbled across a dog training book somehow today. This meant he was trying to impart the wisdom in said book onto Bryn.

So far 'sit' only worked when he nearly fell over on her back half to force her down. But the dog treats were being eaten rather quickly.

"Bryn, no. Bad. Bad dog."

...it had been going on for some time with no success.


[[Open if you like, SP likely]]

Comments

[thatsamilkshake]

Would kalua-roasted pork be a better motivator? It wasn't exactly intended for Bryn, nor was any of the rest of the stuff on the plate Francine had snagged from the luau before failing to find Merlin in his room, but Francine wouldn't tell if Merlin didn't.

"Hi!" she called into the stables, plate in one hand, and an extra lei over the other arm.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Only if Kaluha didn't have chocolate in it.

Holding his hands and the treats up as high as he could, Merlin looked over at Francine. And was promptly knocked backwards by the puppy. "Hello!"

[thatsamilkshake]

Nope, not the booze kind! Just supposedly-roasted-underground smoky...carcinogen-filled goodness. Probably. Francine grinned, managing not to laugh. "I brought you some Hawaiian food from Kate and Joan's party." She held up the flowers. "And a lei. Everybody needs a good lei."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"There was a party?" Merlin asked, completely missing the joke. It... may be for the best.

[thatsamilkshake]

"There was food and music and people," Francine answered, walking over with the flower garland in her outstretched hand. "It was either a party or ... any random day in a common room around here!"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"With flowers," Merlin added, reaching over to take the flower and press a kiss to her cheek.

[thatsamilkshake]

"That's supposed to go the other way around," Francine said, lifting the lei up to drop it over his head, then returning the kiss.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Kiss before the lei. I'll remember that next time."

[thatsamilkshake]

"No, I kiss you, doofus." That might require demonstrating, just in case it wasn't clear.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Ohhh--" Merlin was stopped by the fact that there was kissing happening. Bryn took complete advantage to steal the entire bag of dog treats.

She was an evil dog.

[thatsamilkshake]

"Heeeey," said Francine, when there was not kissing happening. "Bad puppy!"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"More than a bit hard to train, it seems," Merlin informed her with a sigh. That was because he spoiled her something fierce.

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine didn't participate in that at allllll. "No more puppy treats for yo--" She grabbed the bag and shook it. The silence was... silent. "I guess she took care of that one already."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Perhaps a different book on training," Merlin said with a sigh. Since they had SUCH good luck with books.

[thatsamilkshake]

"Maybe a training video? They make those, I think." Francine set the plate where the puppy... would totally eventually try to get at it, and flopped down on the hay.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"They make videos of these things?" A whole new world for Merlin there. He paused for a moment, giving Bryn a firm look about the plat of food before joining Francine.

[thatsamilkshake]

"There's this lady on public broadcasting that has a whole show about it!" Francine leaned back on her elbows and shot him a look. "Also, yay, you're a boy again. Not that I thought you wouldn't be."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"I am!" Merlin grinned and leaned over for a quick kiss. "I'll never know how you deal with reaching for things."

Breasts just seemed to get in the way.

[thatsamilkshake]

"I... put my hands out to where the thing is?" Breasts were just kind of there.

Now when it came to balance...

"I'll never know how you deal with..." And there she stopped because it felt right to have a riposte, but she had nothing besides testosterone making you dumb sometimes, which she wasn't going to say. "I have no idea. I didn't turn into a boy last year."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"But they get in the way!" Because Merlin was flat like a pancake. There was a thoughtful pause before, "I wonder what sort of boy you would be."

[thatsamilkshake]

"I... don't know." The thought made her vaguely uncomfortable but she felt like she shouldn't show it since hiiiii hypocrisy with her trying to get both of the boys to relax about it. "I never really thought about it. I like being a girl. ...Most of the month, anyway."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"I rather like being a boy as well," Merlin replied with a grin. "But the island seems to have other things in mind."

[thatsamilkshake]

"It made Katchoo a boy last year, though. That was..." Embarrassing. "Confusing." Weird. She'd meant to say weird.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Confusing?" Merlin asked, laying back in the nice hay and looking at her curiously.

[thatsamilkshake]

Sigh. "I didn't know it was her at first. I flirted with him." And then threw a fit about it which in retrospect was the completely embarrassing part, not the not-knowing.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Oh." A beat. "Well, you didn't know. If I hadn't know, I certainly would have thought Arthur was attractive as a girl and not mildly terrifying."

[thatsamilkshake]

She hadn't found Arthur mildly terrifying; more like mildly terrified, but that seemed to apply to both of them. "You were both very pretty girls."

Because that totally changed the subject from Confusing Things.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"I still think you're prettier," Merlin replied. Because he was a total girl even when he was a boy again.

[thatsamilkshake]

Or just a very smart boy who knows how to make his girlfriend dimple, even if she had her doubts on that subject. "Thank you."

In the war between guilt and Not Talking About Confusing Things, guilt won out and she added, "Sorry I was weird, before I left in the morning. The um. The kissing thing just... threw me."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Oh!" Merlin looked down, rubbing the back of his head. "I should have thought before doing that."

[thatsamilkshake]

"No, I... you didn't do anything wrong. I think it's kind of sweet that you didn't think. It was just... different."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"It was still me," Merlin replied. "And still you."

[thatsamilkshake]

"I know," Francine assured him. Or maybe herself. "But..." But, there wasn't much but to it, other than the obvious. She spread her hands a little helplessly. "Different."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Reaching for her hand, Merlin nodded in agreement. "Different, yes. That's one word for it."

[thatsamilkshake]

It did make her think what if.... Like what if it had lasted longer than a day which she kind of didn't want to touch or what if it had happened while -- oh we're going to say that out loud after all? Thanks for telling us, mouth.

"I guess it could have happened at a way worse time for different."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin paused before the worst time hit him. Oh. Oh yes.

"Certainly." Please to ignore the blush.

[thatsamilkshake]

"I mean--" But of course she had nowhere to go there that didn't end in possibly nosebreaking flail. Please to ignore the color of her face too. "Yeah."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"So, you brought food?" Nice, safe topic.

[thatsamilkshake]

"Uh-huh! There's roast pork and pineapple skewers and... the mushy stuff is kulolo pudding which looks grosser than it actually is. It's really good."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Oh! I love pudding." Pudding, of course, not meaning what she may know. Blood is not a normal ingredient these days.

[thatsamilkshake]

That... probably depended on which universe you were eating pudding in.

"It's kind of like tapioca." Because he'd know what that was, and actually... tapioca was grosser than this.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin nodded dutifully and promised himself to look up whatever that was. "I'm sure it's delicious if you made it."

[thatsamilkshake]

"I didn't make this!" Francine answered quickly. Though she didn't fail to note down the Good Boyfriend Points. "Kate and Joan did." Or they bought it, but shh, she was giving them the benefit of the doubt.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Then it'll be utter shite," Merlin replied with a grin.

[thatsamilkshake]

"Hahahahahahahaha!" That might be stepping through Good Boyfriend Points into the land of completely sucking up, but it still made her laugh. "I had some; it's good. Try it, or I'll... " Right, because she had all kinds of terrible threats stored away. "Um. Something. Something! See if I don't!"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

It was what he was going for! Merlin grinned and pulled her closer. "You're terrifying, Francine."

[thatsamilkshake]

"Darn right." Ooh, not suitable for puppytime language. Shocking!

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"All those in the Support Reserve live in utter fear of you," Merlin replied oh so seriously.

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine snorted. "They live in utter fear of me deciding not to bring cookies some week."