Second Floor Common Room; Sunday Morning [10/02].

[pun_king]

There had been an awful lot of talking (and chewing!) around pies and pizzas and empanadas lately, and Graham was fairly certain that he was not likely to be bereft of any of those things any time soon. But it did get him thinking that it was a bit selfish, wasn't it, to not sometimes provide something back? The only thing was that the only thing he really knew how to make was his signature choco-chip pancakes....and so, clearly, this morning, choco-chip pancakes for the whole dorms (or, well, for anyone who showed up that morning or for anyone who raided the leftovers after the fact) it shall be!

It didn't take much to gather up the ingredients and get to work, and he'd almost thought about having Triumph make the trek up the stairs to join him for something like this, but Triumph was having a bit of a lazy day, so Graham decided he'd just bring some down for him later, and, whistling and humming some idle, random tune as he did so, he got to work on seeing just how tall of a stack he could make before anyone showed up. Maybe he could even get it to the ceiling! He'd probably have to work pretty fast, though, and you couldn't rush a good choco-chip pancake!

[[ open common room is open! ]]

Comments

[noonedecidesmyfate]

Pancakes and chocolate? What a lovely way to start off a Sunday.

"Good morning, Graham! Did you make all of those yourself?" Belle asked, looking at the very impressive pancake stack. "How long have you been cooking? It smells wonderful."

[pun_king]

"Morning, Belle!" Graham greeted back cheerfully, straightening up proudly with a grin to match as he, too, took a moment to admire the stack, which had, admittedly, gotten just a mite bit precarious in its attempts to tower. "I did make all these myself! My signature choco-chip pancakes! I haven't been at it for too long, but, obviously, long enough to ensure that there's plenty to go around! Would you like some?"

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"I would love some pancakes," Belle said. "Thank you!"

And if she ate a few the stack would be a little less wobbly so clearly she was doing Graham a favor.

[pun_king]

It would give him a chance to sort of recorrect the placement of a few of the top ones, although, really, taking a moment to slip a good four or five pancakes off the top, at this point, wasn't really making that much of a difference. But it felt like a good number to start with, and so it was with that in mind, he handed the plate over to Belle.

"And there's plenty more," he stated, in case she hadn't noticed, "where that came from!"

And plenty more still to come!

[noonedecidesmyfate]

If Belle needed to eat more pancakes in the name of keeping the stack from toppling over she was willing to make that sacrifice.

"I wouldn't want any to go to waste," Belle said. "Any special occasion or did you just wake up and decide to cook enough pancakes for everyone in the school?"

Not that that was a particularly large number of students these days.

[pun_king]

Yeah, there were probably going to be enough pancakes for pretty much everyone on the island at this point, and Graham shrugged a little, smile going just a touch sheepish.

"It's been a while," he said, "since I've made them, and so many people are so good about making food that I've gotten to eat that I figured it was time for me to at least return the favor. I'm not much of a cook, though....except for when it comes to choco-chip pancakes! Those were always my specialty back home."

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"I really ought to learn to cook something to share," Belle said. "Instead of just making tea."

Perhaps a cooking class for next term was in order. "I'll leave the pancakes to you. These are delicious."

[pun_king]

"Thanks," said Graham, grinning over at Belle again with another swell of pride. "It's always good to hear someone else say it. I've only really ever had my family to make them for before coming here, so they might have just been appeasing me or it might just be a Cracker-specific sort of taste bud, you know?

"But making tea is also an important skill! Who doesn't love a good cup every once in a while?"

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"Any time you feel like making them I will be happy to help you eat them," Belle assured him before taking another bite.

"Would you like some tea? I could make some. Or perhaps something else is better with pancakes?"

[pun_king]

"If you don't mind," said Graham, brows lifting eagerly, "I'd love some! Then, we'd have both contributed something we're good at, and both things will be better for it, too!"

He couldn't help the simple, pleased smile that came with such a simple, pleased perspective on things, as he continued on with, "Have you had a good weekend, Belle? Are you ready for another exciting week ahead of us? Did those gremlins in the library ever stop interrupting you on a Thursday?"

It was convenient, really, that he got to report on Belle's library shift, because it meant he could always have something to refer to when talking with her!

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"I'll make a nice breakfast tea then," Belle said as she opened a cupboard to look for the correct type. "For sharing."

"It's been a quiet weekend but I've done a lot of reading. How has yours been, Graham? How was your game this weekend? And yes, eventually the gremlins left me alone but not until nearly the very end of my shift! I'm hoping this week they'll be calmer."

[pun_king]

"I hope they'll be calmer for you, too," Graham said with a firm nod. "And if not? Then I'm going to have to include a warning for them in my broadcast, because, really, they should know better! You have important work to do, with all those books!"

And the gremlins probably listened to the radio broadcasts, too, right?

"And the game went well! They just got hired by a very well-to-do lady to serve as an escort for her brother to a city to the northwest, but, oh boy, do I have some surprises in store for them when they leave! I'll not say anything, lest anything get out and spoil the surprise, but they're sure in for it, let me tell you that much! I can't wait! But, besides that, I've mostly just been doing some extra training with Triumph. We've really got to get a lot in this week, if I'm going to be going on the school trip and everything! I ask him if I could see if he could come with us, but he said he was worried about getting sea-sick, and decided he'd rather just use the opportunity to go visit home for a bit, which is understandable. He probably really misses the weevils."

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"A warning certainly wouldn't hurt!" Unless it led to one or both of them being bitten in revenge but that could provide endless comic opportunities.

"Your game always sounds so interesting. Though the trip ought to be as well. The last three certainly were! Will Triumph be alright at home without you though?"

[pun_king]

It really had been a while, since the gremlins really managed to sink their teeth into something juicy, hasn't it?

"You're welcome to drop by some time and check it out," Graham offered, "if you want! I can very easily fit in a guest character for a session or two if you'd like to give it a try, and you can even stick around if you like it! The more, the merrier! And oh, sure, Triumph will be fine, he'll be happy to see my sisters again and they'll be sure to take good care of him. The real trouble will be trying to get him back, I'm sure, because they will pamper and spoil him, you can be sure of it!"

As if Graham himself didn't do exactly that constantly.

[napking]

Sugar, the breakfast of champions.

"Hi, roomie!" Gray chirped. "Something smells great!" Hint, hint.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

It really had. The squirrels were probably desperate for something to happen.

"Perhaps I will. I would like to see how it all works. It's similar to what we did in Miss Gingrich's workshop over the summer?" Belle asked as the tea kettle began to whistle.

"And Triumph, I'm certain, deserves his pampering."

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"Good morning Gray! Would you like some tea?"

To go with the mountain of pancakes.

[napking]

"Oh, uh," Gray said awkwardly. Tea was, in his mind, for grandpas and Alastair, who was basically a grandpa in a young man's body. "Is there any juice?"

[pun_king]

"Hey, roomie!" Graham chirped right back with a wave of his hand. "And, I might be wrong, but I think that might be because someone," who, oh who, could it have possibly been?, "made a whole bunch of choco-chip pancakes!

"Can I get you a couple..."

Dot dot dot.

"...dozen?"

[noonedecidesmyfate]

Tea was also for fairytale ladies who read a lot. Obviously.

"Oh, I'm sure there's some in the refrigerator. Would you like me to check?"

[napking]

Gray laughed at that. "Maybe not that many, but I'm definitely hungry!" He'd need a good breakfast before he went to watch Ray get smacked around by Dr. Foster, after all. "What if we start with...three? And go from there." Mmm, seconds.

[napking]

Yes, but that was the Sloth talking. "I can do it," Gray told her, and went to do so. "Oh, hey, orange juice!"

Ugh, but now he had to get a glass because drinking out of a shared carton was, as Alastair kept telling him, "rude." His life was so hard.

[noonedecidesmyfate]

"That does go well with pancakes," Belle said approvingly. "But there's plenty of tea if you want some of that as well."

[pun_king]

"Oh," Graham agreed, emphatically, "he most certainly does!

"And," he added, carefully pouring some of the next batch of pancakes into the waiting and ready pan, "it's very similar to Steph's class, but not really. Instead of acting it all out in the world, it's really much more the ~theaaaatre of the miii~ind~."

And here, Graham still moved his hands and waggled his fingers with all the mystery and wonder such a thing entailed, even with a pitcher of choco-chip batter in his hands.

"And a lot more actions are determined by the roll of a die, which can make for some really interesting moments, too! If you wanted to think of a character, we can start thinking of a way to fit her in! Either this week, or the week after next....we probably won't play while we're on the trip, unless I do some kind of themed one shot or something, but I'm sure we'll all be busy enjoying France!"

He said that with a great deal of wonder, too. All the lands here sounded so interesting and exotic!

[napking]

"I might have some in a little bit," Gray allowed. "Caffeine might be a good idea. I need to stay awake to help my brother out with a thing after while."