Luke's, Monday

[vdistinctive]

Okay, so the kids were starting to grow on Eliot. (Maybe more than starting to.) Being called "Daddy" every five minutes had not ceased to be really bizarre, but it had stopped making him want to stomp off in a huff, and the way they'd all immediately gone right for the kitchen when they got to Luke's this morning made his heart swell with pride.

"Alright guys, what're the rules?" he asked them as he tied his bandana on (and then reached over to help Joey adjust hers).

"No traumatizing the kitchen staff," Joey said. "Or the customers."

"And no pickpocketing," said Spike.

"And I'm not allowed to hack with the diner's computer," Ada said with a giant eye roll.

"And what happens if you break the rules?" Eliot asked.

"We have to do all the dishes," all three chorused.

"Right," Eliot said. "Now. Let's get to work."

Today's specials
Spicy tangerine beef ala Spike
Shrimp and feta risotto by Ada
Ginger-pear star scones, with love, Margueritte Fontaine

"You sure you don't want to put your real name on that?" Eliot asked. Joey just gave him a Look.

Luke's was open.

Comments

Mod your service

[vdistinctive]

The cook's daughter with one of the clerks at the Perk is bussing tables, today.

Talk to Eliot

[vdistinctive]

One of the kids is juggling plastic baggies full of sweet and spicy stirfry sauce. One of them was deveining shrimp. And one was explaining different knife grips to the dishwasher's AU twin sons.

Eliot might be a tiny bit distracted.

Re: Talk to Eliot

[stoleafamily.livejournal.com]

"Eliot, I think it's covered," Spike said a little anxiously, holding up the baggies. "Can I make the sauce now while it marinades?"

Re: Talk to Eliot

[vdistinctive]

Eliot looked over at the baggies critically and nodded. "Those look good." He raised an eyebrow. "You can start on it if you can tell me what the first thing you need to do for it is."

Re: Talk to Eliot

[stoleafamily.livejournal.com]

"Get all the ingredients together in the same place, use a clean bowl, and... pre-heat the burner?" Spike checked, bouncing on his heels a little.

Re: Talk to Eliot

[vdistinctive]

Eliot nodded again, smiling. "And can you tell me what those ingredients are?"

Re: Talk to Eliot

[whoisalicewhite.livejournal.com]

Parker was here, watching. Sitting on top of one of the booths and nibbling on something she'd liberated from the kitchen. "You guys are good at that." Jeez. Tiny people made it look easy!

Re: Talk to Eliot

[hitorgrift.livejournal.com]

Joey looked up from the pear she was chopping with a shrug. "Well, yeah. Daddy taught us."

Re: Talk to Eliot

[whoisalicewhite.livejournal.com]

"Daddy." Parker still couldn't help grinning at that. "How old were you when he first let you help?"

Re: Talk to Eliot

[hitorgrift.livejournal.com]

Joey shrugged. "I used to hand him ingredients and utensils when I was really little. I didn't get to try making anything on my own until I was . . . six? An' I didn't get to use a knife until I was even older than Ada. But that was because Daddy had to convince Mummy it was okay."

Re: Talk to Eliot

[my2dads.livejournal.com]

"Daddy says it's important to learn how to cook so that you don't rely on delivery and frozen meals to keep from starving, like you and Papa would if he's not around," Ada said, grinning. "Don't worry, Aunt Parker. You won't ever starve if I'm here, too."

Re: Talk to Eliot

[whoisalicewhite.livejournal.com]

Parker had to grin at her, and the 'Daddy says'. "We like delivery. But not as much as what your Daddy makes," she admitted. "But I bet he makes you eat right and have vegetables, hunh?"

Re: Talk to Eliot

[my2dads.livejournal.com]

"Vegetables are tasty!" Ada said, looking surprised at the concept of 'making.' "I might add some kale to this risotto to give it a little more flavor than the baby spinach alone will!"

RE: Talk to Eliot

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Still don't think it's fair that the kids get to help out and I don't," Hardison 'grumbled'--loud enough to be overheard, of course.

He was sitting at the counter with a laptop, but for once was barely even looking at it, only pausing now and again to input some coding. Computers were cool and all, but...kids, man.

Re: Talk to Eliot

[vdistinctive]

"You prove that you can follow a recipe and handle a knife without cutting your fingers off and I'll consider letting you handle the salads," Eliot said.

RE: Re: Talk to Eliot

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"Little bug, what're you doin'?" Hardison asked, looking towards where Ada was working over a cutting board.

"Deveining shrimp!" she called back.

Hardison looked appropriately grossed out. "I'm withdrawin' my objection," he informed Eliot. "That's just nasty."

Re: Talk to Eliot

[stoleafamily.livejournal.com]

Spike grinned at this, especially after Ada answered him. "I thought you didn't want food anywhere near your computers while we were making it?"

RE: Re: Talk to Eliot

[geniuswithasmartphone]

"S'why I'm on the other side of the counter," Hardison replied. "But if I was gonna help, I could leave the computer there."

Or try to find a place to put it so he could see the screen while he...hurt himself with kitchen gear because he was paying attention to the screen.

"Now, what're you doin', Spike? Tell me it's less gross than whatever Ada's up to."

Please.

Re: Talk to Eliot

[my2dads.livejournal.com]

One of the staff had tried to give Ada a kid friendly shrimp deveiner. Ada had just shot him an unimpressed look and gone for a well-sharpened paring knife. Seriously? She wasn't a little kid, god.

"Daddy?" she asked casually, slicing through the shrimp with neat, precise strokes, "do you like me?"

Don't pull punches or anything, Ada, jeeze.

Re: Talk to Eliot

[vdistinctive]

Eliot froze. Oh god, he was going to screw this up, Ada was going to cry, and Hardison would find a way to horrible murder him.

"'Course I do, Gracie."

She was going to see through that. He couldn't fudge this, he had to be totally honest.

"Bein' a daddy freaks me out," he said. "But if I'm gonna be one, you're exactly the kind of kid I'd wanna be a daddy to."

Re: Talk to Eliot

[my2dads.livejournal.com]

"Are you gonna be one?" Ada continued, because why should Eliot get to have a nice afternoon of questions that didn't compromise him emotionally? "Do you wanna be? I mean, sometime. Later."

OOC

[vdistinctive]

AU kids is a damn good cure for a case of the Mondays.

Re: OOC

[my2dads.livejournal.com]

Until you have to say goodbye...

Re: OOC

[vdistinctive]

THERE IS THAT.

Re: OOC

[my2dads.livejournal.com]

GLAD I COULD HELP!