Paying Her Dues

[shinymetalboots]

[Necrofear does not want to spend five hours stirring soap, but her baby has been fed, desperately needed sleep has been had, and her irritation with Seto has been tinged with something a little bit like guilt, which she doesn't like at all. She supposes that she might as well get this over with

Comments

[kaibazilla]

[Have a sulky soap-stirring Seto.]

[shinymetalboots]

[Necrofear has arrived, reluctantly, dragging her shiny metal heels a bit. At least her baby is quiet this time. She wrinkles her nose at the mixture.]

So I'm meant to be stirring that, am I?

[kaibazilla]

[Lifts his head and gives her a sweaty, low-powered glare]

If you want to actually work for a living, sure.

[shinymetalboots]

[Glare returned.]

I'm repaying you for the metal, you realize, not adopting a miserable and rather insane new lifestyle. Goodness, who genuinely WANTS to work for a living?

[kaibazilla]

[Glare powered up! Though not by much, since it's still too damned hot]

You'd rather sponge off people for all eternity?

[shinymetalboots]

I do not "sponge." I simply find that others have a delightful tendency to lavish praise and presents upon me in recognition of my wit and worth.

[kaibazilla]

Or because they're scared of you?

[shinymetalboots]

You're not impugning my charm, are you?

[kaibazilla]

Necrofear. You're taller than most people, and made of metal. Which do you think is more likely? That people respond to your admittedly genuine charm or that they're intimidated by you into giving you whatever you want?

[shinymetalboots]

[Her ears droop a bit.]

A bit from Column A, a bit from Column B, perhaps? I don't intentionally intimidate anyone who isn't being inexcusably difficult.

[kaibazilla]

Would "inexcusably difficult" cover people who refuse to give you what you want?

[shinymetalboots]

Yes, naturally.

I've a nagging suspicion that you're attempting to make a point here that I rather don't wish to hear. Just hand me that stick now, won't you, before I become cross?

[kaibazilla]

Fine, whatever.

Five hours, then?

[Have a stick]

[shinymetalboots]

[She regards the stick sulkily, and begins stirring the mixture slowly and unhappily widdershins before pausing long enough to type.]

Five hours all in a row?

[kaibazilla]

You can have a break when this particular mixture has traced. Tell me when it thickens to the point where you can get the soap to leave a little mound on the surface of the liquid, okay? It should take two or three hours.

[Goes off a little to tinker with some copper piping, but remains within hearing distance]

[shinymetalboots]

[Stir. Stir. Stir. No wonder the little people are so dull, if this is the sort of thing they do all day long. Manual labor is positively soul-crushing, and she's only been at it for a few minutes.

In a fit of inspiration, she puts the stick in her baby's hand to see if it will stir for her. This works for all of thirty seconds before the baby yanks the spoon and sends drops of lye and oil flying across the room.]