Second floor common room [afternoon]

[momslilassassin]

Ben had been given a rare morning off from his normal weekly asskicking via lightsaber sparring session, and he'd used that time in the salle instead. There were less bruises (both to the body and to the ego) involved in that kind of training, and now he was flopped comfortably on a sofa in the common room, idly flipping channels between bites of cereal.

Ben was not exactly a gourmet chef.

He'd currently stopped on some cooking show, hoping to get tips from a clearly deranged person who matched her shirt to the window treatments.

Comments

[therewaslife]

It wasn't that Bod was bored. He wasn't. He rarely got bored. But, it was quiet on his floor and if he had the ability to walk throughout the dorms, he was going to take advantage.

Once he'd spotted someone on the second floor, he stopped in and gave the other boy a brief wave before his eyes flicked to the television show.

"Is this a fashion show?" asked Bod, clearly taking in the shirt and the window treatments before anything else.

[momslilassassin]

"I'm not sure," Ben admitted, "and I've been watching for fifteen minutes. She makes things with packets of dried stuff and a lot of alcohol."

[therewaslife]

"Wouldn't the alcohol dilute anything dried?" asked Bod, sliding into a seat and frowning at the television. "So, it would just be alcohol with some...strange bits floating around?"

[momslilassassin]

"She calls it 'cocktail time'," Ben said. "I don't know, but I'm not exactly a big drinker, so maybe there's more skill involved than I'd realize." He laughed. "I was just hoping to learn how to make something other than cereal and toast."

[therewaslife]

"I tend to default to ordering things myself," Bod commiserated, making a face at the television screen and then shaking his head. Miss Lupescu would love this sort of thing. "At least she looks like she's having a good time?"

[momslilassassin]

"I think she might have sampled from cocktail time a little bit before they started filming," Ben commented wryly.

[therewaslife]

"Would they let her go on if she was intoxicated?" asked Bod, half serious. He hadn't seen a lot of American television as of yet.

[momslilassassin]

"They let her go on matching the curtains," Ben replied. "I'm not sure this is exactly the most professional show."

[therewaslife]

"Have you managed to learned anything?" asked Bod. Perhaps there was some merit to her seemingly strange ways if he'd picked anything up. "Or are you watching more for entertainment value now?"

[momslilassassin]

"I've learned that you should use edible flowers to decorate your pasta salad," Ben said. "I'm not sure how helpful that is."

[therewaslife]

"...because real flowers might get mistaken for food and get eaten?" guessed Bod, not entirely sure.

[momslilassassin]

"I have no idea," Ben said. "What makes a flower inedible, anyway?"

[therewaslife]

"That's a good question." Bod figured he wouldn't eat a real flower or an inedible flower. "Perhaps, in case you have animals at your table?"

Bod paused and made a face.

"I have no idea."

[momslilassassin]

"I think I'll just stick to cereal," Ben decided.

Pause.

"Not that I've ever been in a grocery store here. Maybe they just sell the good kind of flowers in boxes or something."

[therewaslife]

"I've been in grocery stores in England and I know they have floral departments," shared Bod, shrugging. "I don't know if they'd be considered inedible but I don't think I'd want flowers anywhere near any of my food, cereal or not."

[momslilassassin]

"I thought flowers were for giving to people, not really for eating," Ben admitted. "This crazy woman has changed my view!"

Well, not really.

[therewaslife]

"Perhaps we've both been thinking wrong this entire time," Bod joked, making another face at the woman and shaking his head. "Granted, I rarely give flowers to anyone either. They're just going to die eventually so it seems almost worthless."

[momslilassassin]

"What do you give instead?" Ben asked.

[therewaslife]

Bod shook his head. "No one's ever wanted anything from me so I guess the answer is nothing. Unless respect counts and I only give that when it's earned and deserved."

[momslilassassin]

Ben laughed. "My dad would like you. He'd love to just give respect for birthdays."

Except for last year, when Ben got a landspeeder. Mmm. Guilt.

[therewaslife]

"Of course, if the other person didn't want my respect, then I'd run into problems," he quipped, laughing lightly.

[momslilassassin]

"That'd be quite a thank you to write," Ben laughed. "'Thank you for your respect, but I don't really want it. Can I just have a sweater?'"

[therewaslife]

"Honestly, that might be the worse option," said Bod, shaking his head. "I know how to give someone respect. If I tried to shop for a sweater, there's no doubt it wouldn't be the right size, shape, color or material. I suppose it's the thought that counts but I can only assume their thoughts wouldn't be so nice towards me."

[momslilassassin]

"Go with coffee," Ben advised. "It's always appreciated around here."

[therewaslife]

"Coffee." Bod fell silent and then nodded. "If I have the urge to give someone something, I'll go with coffee. I think I'll have to let the new student shine wear off me before I get to knowing birthdays."