paradisa | 27 | In Which the Wizard Ponders [Dictated / Action]

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howl

27 | In Which the Wizard Ponders [Dictated / Action]

[There's the pop and sizzle of something cooking in a frying pan, though at least the journal seems far enough away to not be spattered in the grease of whatever is merrily cooking away]

First our ever esteemed castle manipulates me into cleaning for days, and then it goes about turning my room into some weird fantasy version of itself for a romantic holiday. It's all back to the way I like it, but now I'm concerned that one of you out there will have some holiday where you nail everything to the ceiling in the worship of some deity, and we'll all be sleeping on bare floor. Try not to encourage the place, if you do, I'm quite tired of having everything rearranged.

[There's a pause, and a muffled bit of grumbling as the cooking noises stop]

Anyone fancy a bacon sandwich? I seem to have made too much.

[Open over the journal/in person in the kitchen]

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What's in the bacon sandwich? Like, what's the poison-to-bacon ratio? Just out of curiosity.

Why would anyone poison a perfectly good bacon sandwich?

I don't know. Sadism or insanity? There are probably other reasons I haven't thought of yet.

I'm not in possession of either of those traits. It's just a sandwich.

You swear?

Absolutely.

Then I accept your generous offer of a bacon sandwich or several.

[The Doctor pops his head into the kitchen after following his nose. Bacon itself stirs a memory, one that's bitter sweet, a friend that has gone, but those are things he doesn't think about.]

Hello. I think making too much is a curse of the kitchen, actually. Might I use the kitchen after you?

Bacon sandwich, you say? Well, if you really need someone to come and help you finish it, I think I can lend my services.

_{[ By now, the whole of Chimera should be used to Ashura's prodigious appetite. ]}

I'm in the kitchen, then. I'm afraid I don't to deliveries.

Does it? I hadn't noticed before.

[Although he suspects it was more his own momentary lapse--cooking for people who weren't even there--than anything the castle itself had done. But he shrugs a little and waves a hand at their surroundings]

All yours. I'm finished with it.

And I would greatly enjoy the company.

[Because if he can occupy himself with castle acquaintances, he doesn't have to think about the people who aren't around, or wonder why he even cares that they aren't.]

Where are you again? The kitchen?

_{[ He might be heading that way now, and ignoring the fact that the
little dog on his heels is named Bacon - along with Agni and a bird on his
shoulder. What? Every king needed his entourage. ]}

That I am. It seemed a better idea than to try to fry bacon in the pool.

Soggy bacon is good for no on. Do you have enough to feed two little canines too?

_{[ There was an answering yip, just to make sure Howl knew they were
there of course. ]}

Well, that's rude.

[But he makes his way down to the kitchen anyway, taking a couple of wrong turns before he finally pokes his head in the right door and gravitates towards the smell of bacon sandwiches.]

[He laughs a little at that pronouncement, then returns to the business of assembling sandwiches. Which, to the average onlooker was probably a bit of a strange sight, given his generally elaborate state of dress. But he, even fancy wizards get hungry, and when he spots someone peeking into the room, he waves a hand at a plate of sandwiches]

Have your pick. Though if you want anything else on it, you'll have to do it yourself.

Soggy bacon is a travesty. And if not, I can fry up some more. There's plenty here.

[Which has him wondering if the bacon comes from actual pigs, or if the castle just magically produces it without any actual animal involved. Which was a bit of a creepy thought, really]

_{[ It was, and best not thought upon if one planned to enjoy the
deliciousness of a pig's back-side. ]}

Excellent. Then expect company soon.

Well, you know, I've found people tend to woolgather when in here, perhaps. Far be it for me to give the castle ideas on curses now, and no, no, don't let me rush you, take all you need. It does smell rather good.

[Hands in pockets looking around at what was cooked, he makes a bit of an abashed and humourous smile.] Do you cook in here often? [No, he is not seriously asking that. Chatter for chatter's sake.]

That sounds pretty good actually. (He snorts in amusement at the comment about deities.) You won't have to worry about that with me, I assure you.

[Okay, that's a lot more sandwiches than Cassel was expecting, but he is not about to complain. Instead, he just picks one up and gets halfway through it before he realizes how fancy his company actually is.]

[Then, he slowly and dramatically raises one eyebrow.]

Do you always walk around like that?

[Howl mirrors that eyebrow raise, clearly a bit amused]

With a bacon sandwich? Only on occasion.

[He's fairly sure that's not what the young man meant, but he dislikes giving straight answers when he can avoid them, even trivial ones]

I suppose cooking does give one time for contemplation, but all I was contemplating was lunch.

[An excessive amount of lunch, if the pile of sandwiches was anything to go by. And it might be idle chatter, but Howl's clearly amused by it, rather than irritated, as he laughs a bit at the question.]

Well, I find it better to cook here than in the library. Bad for the books.

I'll be sure to be prepared.

You're welcome to join me, then.

[There's an answering chuckle] That's one down and... however many other residents we have to go. I'm not sure, exactly, never taken a tally.

_{[ And prepared he will need to be as Ashura comes in with his pets in
tow, who both immediately bolt for the table and sit, looking up at Howl
with their best puppy eyes to beg. ]}

I have them well trained, can you tell?

[There we go, a laugh is always better than a scowl, now. He grins a little in response.]

It does tend to sneak up on a person. The contemplation, not just lunch, and perish the thought that books become bacon scented.

Actually, that's not a bad idea. I'm the Doctor by the way. How do you do?

[He can't help but smirk at that. Okay, that is a medium-good dodge.]

You could wear one as a hat. Kinda greasy, but . . .

And utterly ruin my hair? I don't think so.

[It might be a bit hard to tell if the horror in his voice is a joke or not... he is very concerned about his hair]

I think bacon-scented books would just be a terrible distraction to actually reading them. You'd be endlessly hungry.

[Or he would, anyway]

Howl Pendragon. A pleasure.

You do indeed!

[He laughed a little at the entourage]

It's like you have your own little parade.

[Cassel's eyes widen in mock-horror. Okay, it's not actually mock-anything. Hair is important.]

Back to the drawing board with that idea, then. But you know what I meant.

Well, every king does need a bit of fanfare, does he not?

_{[ He smiled, coming to take a seat across from Howl, and after a
moment Agni breaks from Howl and goes to Ashura to repeat the begging
gesture. Ashura clucks his tongue in admonition. ]}

Now now, you get your treats at the end of the meal, not the beginning. You know this.

Well, you would have to make sure there was a supply of food nearby of course. Or I don't know, some residents might try to eat the bindings, which would be a travesty.

[He can't say a word about that name, now.] Howl, the pleasure is all mine.

I suppose that's true.

[He sets some plates out, along with the pile of sandwiches he's already assembled.]

[Finally, someone who understands]

I do. I just find giving a straight answer right off the bat to be so terribly dull.

It would. The poor books. Probably best to avoid combining them with food at all, in that case.

[And he's grateful for that reprieve. So many people being judgmental about names in this castle. It was terribly off-putting.]

[A broad smile, definitely amused by the small talk. Yes, perhaps for the best. Not that it would deter some residents from eating the books, I think.

[It's not like he can talk with just a title for a name.] Apart from wool-gathering, why is you've cooked so much bacon?

Okay, and fair point again. So you're an professional conversational meanderer, is that it?

Semi-professional, I'd say. Sometimes you can't avoid being direct, but I try.

No, likely not.

[Although he'd prefer that any resident in the habit of dining on books be kept far away from the library.]

Habit, I suppose. [He shrugged slightly] I wasn't thinking.

Hey, hey. You're either a professional or an amateur. Personally I'd say you look professional to me, but you gotta pick one.

Oh, says who? Are you the governing body of the society of conversational meanderers, now?

[He arched one eyebrow]

I'd really prefer not to commit.

Hmm. I often find when I'm 'not thinking' that I'm doing the complete opposite; thinking too hard on another problem instead of concentrating on what I happen to be doing at the time.

Now that's a telling statement. Hm.

[But Cassel can't help but grin, pleased at Howl's playfulness. Or the fact that he's a huge wizardy dork, tomato tomahto.]

[It really is, but Howl just laughs]

Is it? Well, I've never claimed to be a person of good character. Just one who doesn't poison sandwiches.

Well, that's certainly a possibility. I've got any number of things that could use my attention, but if I was focusing on any of them, it's completely slipped my mind. Maybe I'm just forgetful.

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27 | In Which the Wizard Ponders [Dictated / Action]

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