Strokes of Genius, Thursday

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

. . . no, Katchoo hadn't camped out in the store overnight after all, though she was half considering Jaina's offer over the radio. And then she decided nah, camping out in the store might be a better option.

When she arrived at said store after first period and started straightening up a display of mineral spirits cans with far more noise than necessary, at least she couldn't say she'd had no warning about that fashion class. But man, whenever she figured out who was responsible for that paperwork error . . .

Well. Anyway. She'd be out on the porch a lot during her shift today.

Oh, like that was new.

[OOC: Show me how pretty the OCD-free world is.]

Comments

[thatsamilkshake]

"Hiiiiiiiiii!" Mmm, Bouncy Cheerful Hell. (Even if, after last night's conversation, Francine's bounce was a tiny bit restrained. Only a tiny bit, though.) "I'm making dinner for Merlin's cabin tonight!"

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Aw, but Francine was actually the Smile Time portion of Bouncy Cheerful Hell. as such, she got a smile and a wave of the hand holding onto the new phone. (You'd think Katchoo couldn't let go of the thing.)

". . . why?"

[thatsamilkshake]

"Because he asked." Yeah, that was really all the reason she needed. "Just cabinmate bonding time, I guess."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Katchoo slid the phone open, thought for a moment, then started to punch at the keypad.

woumc xou makd me dinmer if i asked?

She'd turned off the predictive text function. She hated having a gadget trying to put words in her proverbial SMS mouth.

Since Francine's number was the only one she had in the address book so far, it was going to the right person when she hit send.

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine blinked when her phone buzzed, then grinned. And.... really had no trouble translating that, considering. "Of course I would!"

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

What if you did, and then I never showed up because I went and had a one-night stand with a bouncy cheerful blonde instead?

"Just had to check," Katchoo said. Because that was it, really. No other reason. "So guess who's in the crazy spandex class this time?"

[thatsamilkshake]

"Did you want me to? ooh, I could make liver!" Give her a moment to let the rest catch up with her. "...Ohmigod, really? What's your codename?"

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"No liver. Ew, Francine!" Katchoo stuck an elbow out to nudge her, then rolled her eyes. "I told her Razormouth. Y'know, like that weekend. Then she wanted to know how sharp my teeth were. Anyway, she wants to go with Pottymouth instead, what the ()*_@#."

. . . wonder why, Katchoo.

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine tried to stop from snorting. Really she did.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Funny, Francie. Really funny." Katchoo was not in any way attempting to capture cameraphotographic evidence of the non-snorting.

Sooooooooooomeone had a shiny new toy. And was squeeing about it the only way she'd let herself.

[thatsamilkshake]

"Well you have to admit it's accurate!"

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, that'll strike fear into the hearts of . . ." Definitely not the people she'd like to scare off. "Preschoolers."

[thatsamilkshake]

"Your actual mouth will strike fear in the hearts of everybody else," Francine pointed out. "Except the ones who know you're really a big softy."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Katchoo narrowed her eyes, mostly playful. "Oh, really? Who are they, so I can bribe 'em for silence?"

[thatsamilkshake]

"Me!" Francine considered the non-duh options. "Um. Merlin might. And Dinah."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Cue the muffled arrhythmic thud of hand against forehead. "Francine!"

Boy, there went a lot of her growly-face leverage, huh?

[thatsamilkshake]

"Well, I didn't want them being afraid of you!" Francine protested. "I wasn't going to let them think you're some grouchy mean person all the time just because that's how you are with strangers." Francine crossed her arms. "Anyway, Merlin gets it - Arthur's the same way."

Not. Helping. There. Francie.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

. . .

. . .

"I AM NOT ANYTHING LIKE ARTHUR!"

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine jumped back a little, but had to bite down on a grin. "You're both blonde."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"That can be fixed," Katchoo said through her teeth.

Way to prove her point for her, Chewie.

[thatsamilkshake]

"You're both insanely stubborn..."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Francine Peters . . ."

[thatsamilkshake]

"....Ahahahahahahahahahahahaha you both pronounce my name the same!"

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

". . . dammit, he's rubbing off on me," Katchoo grumbled, waving her phone at Francine in a not even remotely threatening gesture.

She liked that phone, okay?

Not that you would've seen her, say, cuddling it or something if you happened to peek over the partition into her alcove or anything.

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine went for the thing that had worked with Gabrielle and was still not a lie. You really couldn't apply the word to Arthur at all. If you wanted to live. And remain unstared at.

"You're cuter."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

That . . . was the second time in a week Francine had said that, and Katchoo doubted she had any idea what she was saying. She'd known Francine how long now? She felt perfectly qualified to make that assumption. She knew Francine didn't mean to be cruel by saying it, but still. Ow.

But if there was any irony in her smile, it was probably too subtle for Francine to notice. "Oh, good. You remembered."

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine looked around as if Arthur might... be clanking past on horseback in full armor or something, then just in case, reached for her phone and texted.

Your hair is prettier, too.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Katchoo wasn't sure if that made things any better.

and is gar paimt in is, too, she texted back.

[thatsamilkshake]

I Francine stared at that for at least the length of a Geico commercial before looking up. "He's got paint in his too?"

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"No, dork." Katchoo glared at the traitorous little keypad. "Mine does."

[thatsamilkshake]

"...Yes." This was true. "At least it matches the paint on your shirt?" There's always a bright side!

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"I planned that," Katchoo said dryly. "Doofus."

She leaned over to nudge a shoulder against Francine's.

[thatsamilkshake]

"It's very color-coordinated," Francine said, nudging back. "You should do just fine in Ms. Mode's class, Potty Mouth."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Keep calling me that and I'm gonna . . ."

Katchoo wasn't sure what threat to throw in there, actually.

[thatsamilkshake]

"Start answering to it?" Francine suggested.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Oh, hell no," Katchoo replied emphatically. Gesturing-with-the-phone emphatically, even.

[thatsamilkshake]

"Think we could convince Ms. Mode to just call you Trouble instead?"