o2 | Dictation/Action

[nohalfway]

[ Ellie is silent for a moment, before sighing. ]

I give this place about twenty points just for not being too high on the bullshit meter.

And I get there's a price for making wishes, but still?

Here's the bullshit: I've got something to celebrate, and from what I've gathered in those "days of old" stories before the world ended? You get a cake when you've got something to party about. I already spent a wish on a pizza party, and since I'm basically trained to not trust anything, I won't let myself go any further.

So.

Baking. How does one accomplish it, and where the fuck does one start?

Comments

[dog_eat_dog]

[Tess is following Ellie's conversations with something between amusement and exasperation. It's like watching a toddler learn to walk, really –– it should be so easy, and yet they're stumbling over and over again, and you can't even blame them when it's no fault of their own.

Tess does anyway sometimes, but here she isn't.]

You're just going to feel lousy if you keep throwing junk into your body without giving it time to adjust, you know.

[She and Joel certainly know, having spent a number of hours "knelt before the porcelain altar" (so to speak) since their arrival, generally when they've overindulged. Cake would be a real fast ticket to it, too.]

[nohalfway]

Hey, I've only puked once since I got here.

[ Actually, that's a huge lie and Tess can probably attest to it since they live under the same roof. ]

A month isn't long enough to adjust?

[dog_eat_dog]

Oh please. I've seen you get all green a number of times, and Joel's definitely held your hair back more than once.

[This is one reason why the fort needed to go: tripping hazard during late-night flights to the bathroom.]

Just make a really plain one to start.

[nohalfway]

[ Muffled words of protest.... ]

I wouldn't want to go for anything too fancy anyway. I'd probably botch the hell out of it.

Something easy.

But what?

[dog_eat_dog]

Like a boxed mix for cupcakes or something.

[nohalfway]

Yeah! Yeah cupcakes! That'd work.

Like chocolate. With some boss blue frosting on it!

...

Got any money? Apparently, I'm just as broke here as I was in the qz.

[dog_eat_dog]

Tell you what: I'll cover everything if you scrub down the bathroom today.

[nohalfway]

Shit, for real?

[ Man, and she was starting to think you hated her. ]

You've got yourself a deal, Tess. Drive a hard bargain.

[dog_eat_dog]

Yeah.

[Tess: taking advantage of kids' complete unawareness about the value of a dollar with respect to wages and the price of boxed cake mixes.]

When did you want to do this?

[nohalfway]

You... Free now? I'm kinda rearing to go for this.

[ Her girlfrie-- best friend is here. Time to celebrate. ]

[dog_eat_dog]

Well, if you're raring to go, it'd be particularly evil-stepmother to deny you, wouldn't it?

[Tess knows when she's been a dick. She might not apologize for it directly, but she'll make a show of making up for it just to make herself look better. She's so hard suffering.]

I'll be back at the apartment in fifteen minutes.

[nohalfway]

[ Ellie would be lying if she said she wasn't... Surprised by the sudden change of heart. She knows that she's been overstaying her welcome in Tess' eyes, at least in regards to the room she's sleeping in. She hasn't been easy to live with, and she feels bad for it... So Ellie's pretty surprised that Tess is offering to help, even if it's for a price. A price that Ellie's actually more than willing to pay. ]

[ She makes a noise at the "stepmother" comment, something between a snicker and a snort, but she sounds pleasant nonetheless. ]

Alright! I'll throw something on then.

[dog_eat_dog]

[Guilt goes a lot further in a place where people are generally pretty nice. With the bar lowered, Tess tries to keep herself a little more friendly.]

Alright.

[Tess will be there on time, walking in with a brown paper grocery bag in one arm.]

[nohalfway]

[ Ellie's gotten herself cleaned up, despite the expectation to get covered in whatever junk goes into cupcakes. Hair tied back in her usual ponytail, she wears a loose-fitted rockband t-shirt and jeans, shoes off since she's been toeing around the house. She's in the kitchen, grabbing a big bowl and assuming that's all they'll need. ]

Yo, Tess!

[ She peeks over the wall and waves. ]

[dog_eat_dog]

Hey, kid.

[Tess is in her usual jeans and t-shirt, too, and she nudges off her boots in the doorway and scoots them aside so they're not underfoot. She sets down the groceries on the countertop and then makes a beeline to the fridge to get herself a beer.]

The measuring cups are in the drawer next to the cutlery, and the vegetable oil is the big bottle under the sink. Get them both out and find us a spatula, huh?

[nohalfway]

[ She drags a chair over, given that the counters are relatively high up. It's more comfortable to have the counters at your waist than at your neck. She gets on her knees, propped up and reaching over to the bag to obtain the mix, then all the other pieces Tess requests. ]

Hey, you should pass me one of those.

[ A beer, she means. ]

[dog_eat_dog]

[Tess glances over Ellie's way with a raised eyebrow, both at the chair and the the request.]

If I say no, are you going to hold it against me?

[nohalfway]

[ She wears a pretty relaxed expression, shrugging her shoulders with her hands up. ]

I might bitch about it, but no. I wouldn't.

[dog_eat_dog]

[A snort of a laugh.]

If Joel walks in, you hide it fast.

[nohalfway]

[ Alright. Ellie smiles, nodding her head as she reaches into a drawer to get a spatula. ]

Secret's safe with me if it's safe with you.

[ Okay, Tess is slowly regaining her cool status again. ]

[dog_eat_dog]

It's safe with me.

[She leans against the countertop with her beer in hand.]

The Coors are mine, Joel's are the nicer ones.

[nohalfway]

So steal Joel's beers, right?

[ Nah, she knows better. Ellie takes the bottle, pops the top open with ease, and holds it up to Tess. ]

To... Hoping I don't burn these cupcakes.

[dog_eat_dog]

If you want to get lectured.

[Just in case that wasn't clear. Besides, her beers are notably closer to water.

Tess holds her beer up, though.]

It's really not that hard, you know. I think you'd have to have cooking skills in the negatives to screw them up that badly.

[nohalfway]

[ Clink. ]

Well, most I've ever cooked is rabbit and deer.

[ She takes a heavy swig of her drink, then sets the bottle down before wiping her mouth. ]

Never baked anything before. But how hard can it be?

[ Ellie takes the box in hand, mulling over the directions. ]

Where do we start?

lol forgot to click post hours ago...

[dog_eat_dog]

[Tess chuckles, mostly at how Ellie apparently takes to beer like a fratboy, and she digs the cupcake tray out of the oven drawer.]

Pour the cake mix into the bowl.