Strokes of Genius, Wednesday (January 20)

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

When was Katchoo ever in a good mood when she showed up at work? The question might be less rhetorical today, seeing as the answer was 'right about now.' Clocky had been about to come along with her, then fled beneath the bed in terror (apparently) when it realized she was whistling.

Of course, she was still blasting loud rock when she got there, so . . . it might be hard to tell, at least from more than fifteen feet away.

She wasn't painting today, either. Spending good chunks of the day leaning against the wall outside and smoking, yes, but she didn't have the focus to paint.

Weird.

[OOC: I sent the OCD to Trader Joe's last night to buy milk and eggs, and I think it got lost in the store and refused to come home. Chunks of SP are highly highly likely today.]

Comments

[bitchprince]

"I'd say I appreciate you sparing me the trouble of entering your place of business," said Arthur, who had been fortuitous enough to encounter her while she was out for a smoke break. Or something. "But I know you've never even heard of the word 'courtesy', so it's probably coincidence."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Pendragon," Katchoo greeted him, with a subtle undertone of so much as allude to floppy ears or carrots and I might hurt you. (The "might" was perhaps noteworthy. Most days the threat of injury would be a promise, not just a possibility.) "When have I ever gone out of my way to make life easier for you?"

Yes, she was smiling, if slightly. She'd missed having him bug her last week. Shut up.

[bitchprince]

They could commisserate about their utter lack of any kind of emotional attachment to each other later. At some point. Like when they talked about their feelings. Which would be never.

"I don't know. You were fairly accommodating as a rabbit."

A fact he was going to demonstrate by openly defying her subtle undertone. (He was never good at subtle, anyway)

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Only because Francine wouldn't let me bite people." Also because she had had a really tiny mouth and couldn't even reach high enough to bite people's ankles on her own, but pssh, details, and oh, look. Slightly narrowed eyes. "Being a rabbit doesn't count, dammit."

[bitchprince]

"I think it does," Arthur said, smirking. "Although congratulations, you're the only furred tiny creature Merlin hasn't wasted an inappropriate amount of time fawning over."

This was his way of saying 'welcome back to the world of the bipedal, Katchoo'.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

You know, in a weird way she'd take that as a compliment.

And gave him a (she hoped) mildly infuriating smirk. "You missed me, didn't you?"

[bitchprince]

"Oh, don't flatter yourself," he said. (That beat was so on you could set your clock by it. Possibly proof he made too much of a habit of this) "It's been nice and quiet on my Wednesdays."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Shame Clocky wasn't around so Katchoo could get its opinion on the beat. Well. That'd be assuming she knew how to interpret Clocky's answer correctly.

She idly stubbed her cigarette out on the porch and tossed the butt into a nearby, very close to full old coffee can. "So nice and quiet you decided to come down here and ruin it?"

[bitchprince]

"Someone had to see whether or not you were still hopping, and I didn't have anything better to do," Arthur said, shrugging a bit. "Besides, it's this, or watch Merlin's consistently stupid attempts to snuggle with a murderous bird."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Consistent attempts to . . ." Katchoo shook her head. "You know how to pick the crazy ones, don't you?"

Didn't have anything better to do, her ass.

[bitchprince]

Arthur shot her a pointed look. No one got to insult Merlin but him. "He's just a bit of a girl."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Who said it was an insult? Most of the people Katchoo actually didn't mind spending time around were the ones she'd deem crazy. "Nothin' wrong with that."

[bitchprince]

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Thursday evening," he said, rather than grace that with a response. "Sixth floor. It's his naming day. You will be there."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Hey!" Katchoo only bristled for the sake of convention, even though on an ordinary day she'd be up in his face for trying to order her around. "No frikkin' shit I'll be there. Geez! Francine'd drag me by the ear even if I said no."

[bitchprince]

"Good."

Arthur refrained from making a comment about how whipped she clearly was.

For once.

"How recently have you changed back?"

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

What, and miss the prime mocking opportunity that'd come from the doofy grin?

"Yesterday afternoon," Katchoo replied, digging in her pocket for another cigarette.

Wait, you know what? Never mind. There was the grin.

[bitchprince]

Arthur should have been disturbed by that expression, the one he was used to seeing on Merlin's face at the slightest provocation but that didn't really rhyme with the generally accepted image of Katchoo.

He wasn't.

The bit that disturbed him was the bit where he felt good about that.

"Looks like it wasn't too harrowing."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Katchoo, on the other hand, was disturbed by how very much she hadn't stopped herself from letting that look sneak onto her face in front of him. Because the key word here was 'him.'

"Eh. The timing sucked ass, but y'know . . . it wasn't actually that crappy. Francine took good care of me."

And boy had she ever.

[bitchprince]

Arthur didn't need any details beyond that.

Occasional mental images notwithstanding.

"I did happen to catch you yelling at your co-host last night, yes," he said, "So I'm not surprised she did."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Hey, hey, hey. You can keep your mental images locked down, buddy, thanks.

"Aww. You listened? I'm touched." In the head.

[bitchprince]

"It's a Tuesday night. I need to do something properly mindless after reserves."

Don't you judge. This is how their thing worked.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Who was judging? Did you see anyone judging here? NOBODY IS DOING ANY $&@#()@# JUDGING, OKAY.

Katchoo jabbed the end of her unlit cigarette in his general direction. "So listening to me is mindless. I always knew you cared."

[bitchprince]

"It's not like I listen every week."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"So you went out of your way for me," she returned, determined to be at least a little bit of a pain in the ass. It was her way of showing love, okay? "Aw, stop me. I think I'm gonna tear up."

[bitchprince]

"Oh, don't you have anything better to do?" he shot back, "Like paint your fingernails or something?"

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Nah. But I could go in, grab a tube of something, and throw it all over you," Katchoo suggested cheerfully.

[bitchprince]

"You go do that," Arthur replied, idly. "Let's go inside, you inordinately irritating woman."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Aww, you cold?" She was. Shut up. The important part was, she was opening the door, tucking the still unlit cigarette behind her ear, and holding it for him.

She didn't actually say 'ladies first.' She didn't have that much of a death wish, thanks.

[bitchprince]

Sadly enough, the gesture lost some of its girly connotations if it was performed on someone used to things like people dressing him, let alone holding open doors. So inwards he proceeded.

"Not in the slightest," he said, "But if you're going to threaten to hurl things at me, you may as well be near your ammunition."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Sadly, yes. At least she got the satisfaction of practically yelling the phrase in her head?

"See, that's like giving me a free shot," Katchoo pretended to complain. "What fun is that?"

[bitchprince]

"None at all," Arthur said, cheerfully, "Which is why I offered. I see you're enjoying your day back in the flesh, as it were."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Never," Katchoo told him, "underestimate the value of opposable thumbs."

[bitchprince]

"I can't say it's ever occurred to me to do so," he volunteered.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Oh, god. She wished it'd happen to him someday so she could make fun of him. "Because however would you handle your sword?"

. . . no, really, it wasn't innuendo.

[bitchprince]

"Well, the last time I turned into an animal, I was a lion," Arthur volunteered, freely, "So the jaws made up for it. Not quite the same elegance, but quite effective."

At least until he'd turned into a naked man halfway into Francine and Merlin watching porn. Hello, awkward.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

. . . dammit. She'd forgotten about that. And claiming you had sharp teeth too didn't work quite as effectively when you had to have even the baby carrots chopped up for you.

"Elegance is overrated sometimes," she said instead. "Did anybody braid your mane?"

And if not, why not?

[bitchprince]

"Of course not," Arthur blustered snorted. "Why would you think anyone would dare do that?"

... Well. Merlin.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"You know the bird-cuddler," Katchoo pointed out, picking up a kneaded-rubber eraser from the counter and tossing it at him idly.

[bitchprince]

Arthur felt he was rather impressive, really, as he caught the ruler without much of a hint of strain. (It was a lucky catch, mainly)

"Sadly enough, yes," he said. "At least he managed to detach himself from Owain long enough last weekend to figure out how to cast a spell that raises the room's temperature."

... If she wanted to infer dirty from that, fine. It would be far less embarrassing than admitting that while there had been some dirty, there had mostly been cuddling and talking about one's feelings in both on-screen and off-screen threads.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Katchoo just raised one eyebrow slightly. "Huh. Thought you'd be just fine figuring out how to keep warm."

Yeah. She'd fall over laughing if he admitted to that.

[bitchprince]

"Mmm," Arthur said, non-committally. "No point in having a sorceror about if you don't use his talents."

Oh yeah. Innuendo intended. In a vague way.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Not so vague now, ha.

"All of 'em, I hope. Otherwise it's kinda a waste, innit?"

[bitchprince]

"Mmm. I take it you were properly furred for the weekend."

Sometimes, he just needed to collect on his asshole credentials.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Plenty." He wanted to collect? Hey. She gave at the office. "Nothing quite like a nice warm coat."

[bitchprince]

"No cold spells?" Arthur inquired, "I'll ask Merlin to cast a spell on your quarters next time." Put that up among 'things I never thought I'd say' for one hundred.

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Just one hundred? Not the Daily Double? "Does there gotta be a next time?" Katchoo asked, but non-confrontationally. "If so, well . . . thanks. In advance."

[bitchprince]

"It's Fandom," Arthur pointed out. "It never hurts to plan ahead, I find."

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Y'gotta point," Katchoo conceded. "Why the hell not? I'll check with Francine, but I doubt she'd argue."