Kitchen Talk
Pssh. I dunno. Now that I know where I want to go, I realize I don't have enough experience to write it properly.
Oh well. The following was written this morning, starting at about 7 am, finishing at 8:05 or so.
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Kitchen Talk
Meron buried her head in her hands and groaned.
"Why do I make things difficult for myself?"
"Because you're secretly a huge masochist?" Miguel suggested. She threw a chair cushion at him.
"Hey! Don't blame me for your problems."
"If you're not going to give me constructive advice, than shut up," she told him. "Anyway, the next thing I'm throwing is the chair."
Arguments notwithstanding, Miguel really was her friend, so he sat down and tried to look helpful.
"Why don't you start at the beginning?Uh, wait--just see if you can explain logically."
That pissed her off, but it was true, she got sidetracked the way some people gambled--that is to say, habitually, joyfully, and usually not helpful to the people around her. Of course, it being true didn't help her mood,
"I guess...the starting ma-thing is that I'm involved with eight people instead of one, so it octuplifies the problems. And then...I dunno, it gets weird."
"...define 'weird'."
"Well, sometimes, there is definite sexual tension, and then other times, we'll be reading or whatever, and it's like...like I'm reading with my father or something, you know? Really comfy, but no sexual tension at all, and-"
"Waitaminute. With the same person, right? Just so I'm clear? Who are you using for this example, anyway?"
"Who said I used an actual example?"
He gave her a reproving look(not the first time).
"Have I known you for five years or not?"
"Fine, fine. Yes, it was the same person. And the example was Anansi in particular, but it's not just with him."
"Oh? Who else?"
"Mostly the ones who're older than me, but...okay, Ren is more of a friend here, and-"
"Can you run through 'em all again? I forget who is who."
She glared at him. "I remember for you. Even the goldfish!"
He flushed. "it's always the fucking goldfish! A-and anyway, there was only one!"
Point.
She ran through them for him.[go back, add later?]
"I have a question."
"I may have an answer. Ask away."
"What about Renai? You met her first, so shouldn't---why are you making that face?"
"Uh."
"Whoa, whoa, I remember this now! I can't believe this! You're embarassed!"
"Oh, go fuck yourself."
"Ha! I don't have to; I have a boyfriend. Spill it, woman."
"I, um. Balls.Uh. See, I don't really have the, uh, friend moments with Renai, see. I'm, uh, kinda always gettin' that...vibe, you know?"
"The skinny one with green hair? Who's always polite? Are you sure it's not one of those--"
"YES! I certainly don't want to be her, I just want to be--Nothing. I'm shutting up now."
"That would be a change."
She picked up the chair.
"Okay! ...do you have any idea why?"
"Pssh. No, that would be easy."
"Well, I don't think you have too much to worry about, the way Green-hair was sneaking glances at you."
"She was? When?"
"When she came to see you, a year ago."
"...oh."
"Look. Meron--don't worry about it. It'll probably work out. Don't ask me how, but you always seem to make the craziest things possible. So just--I mean, for someone who changes moods or ideas as quickly as you, it's probably natural that you would respond to 'em differently at different times or whatever. Okay?"
She thought about it.
"Okay. I mean, I'm pretty good at not worrying about stuff, we know, but I just--I really don't want to screw this up, I just-ah, fuck. I don't know what I'm saying."
Her body, filled with tension and nervousness, answered any questions he had. Shit, he thought. She's really in love. How crazy was that?
Ah, but so was he. That counted for...for he didn't know what, but something.
"So, uh, what about you? Everything going okay with you and Zhan?"
"...yes and no."
"Explain."
And she was all business, Meron-who-takes-care-of-people. He still couldn't comprehend how she did it, or how she kept it up.
"Well, we haven't had any major problems. Or--let me put it this way. It' isn't what's happening-"
"-it's what's not happening," they chorused.
"Dude. I feel your pain. D'you know what it's like to be in a relationship with eight people and still not get any action?"
"No, I don't, and it's not relevant, because this isn't about you."
"Ooh. Sorry. I've been doin' that a lot, huh?"
"I don't want to be an asshole about it," Miguel said, "But yes. I know you went through a lot, but the rest of us have lives, too."
"...I know that."
"Don't get sulky on me!"
"Whadda you want, rainbows and sunbeams? Excuse me for not being delighted over criticism and anyway, we're getting off topic."
"Uhm. Right. So--I just. Is it me? Am I doing something wrong? I don't want to fuck this up either."
"huh. Gotta say, I wouldn't know, but--"
"You know someone who would?ha! Figures."
"Mm-hm, sweetheart. D'you have any problems with talking to Rissa? I mean, she frickin' grew up with him around."
"Wait, she did?" He stared at her. " I didn't know that."
Meron grinned.
"hello, doofus? His liege lady is her adoptive big sis. An' you know her reputation for runnin' off to do stuff, so she says Zhan had to go over to try an' get her to come back."
"--are you serious?"
"Uh, yeah. Man, I keep forgetting how far West you're from. I mean, I wanted to be Elaan Goldspike as a kid. Beat up armies by myself, and when work got boring, just up 'n leave? You bet."
"Oh. No, I heard of her, but--it's hard to believe, you know? That she's the same person you met."
"...huh? She wasn't drastically different from the stories or anything."
"No, but--she's a legend."
She picked up the cushion from the floor and started to whack him with it.
"Ow! hey!"
"Get over yourself," she said.
Oh well. The following was written this morning, starting at about 7 am, finishing at 8:05 or so.
-------------------------------------
Kitchen Talk
Meron buried her head in her hands and groaned.
"Why do I make things difficult for myself?"
"Because you're secretly a huge masochist?" Miguel suggested. She threw a chair cushion at him.
"Hey! Don't blame me for your problems."
"If you're not going to give me constructive advice, than shut up," she told him. "Anyway, the next thing I'm throwing is the chair."
Arguments notwithstanding, Miguel really was her friend, so he sat down and tried to look helpful.
"Why don't you start at the beginning?Uh, wait--just see if you can explain logically."
That pissed her off, but it was true, she got sidetracked the way some people gambled--that is to say, habitually, joyfully, and usually not helpful to the people around her. Of course, it being true didn't help her mood,
"I guess...the starting ma-thing is that I'm involved with eight people instead of one, so it octuplifies the problems. And then...I dunno, it gets weird."
"...define 'weird'."
"Well, sometimes, there is definite sexual tension, and then other times, we'll be reading or whatever, and it's like...like I'm reading with my father or something, you know? Really comfy, but no sexual tension at all, and-"
"Waitaminute. With the same person, right? Just so I'm clear? Who are you using for this example, anyway?"
"Who said I used an actual example?"
He gave her a reproving look(not the first time).
"Have I known you for five years or not?"
"Fine, fine. Yes, it was the same person. And the example was Anansi in particular, but it's not just with him."
"Oh? Who else?"
"Mostly the ones who're older than me, but...okay, Ren is more of a friend here, and-"
"Can you run through 'em all again? I forget who is who."
She glared at him. "I remember for you. Even the goldfish!"
He flushed. "it's always the fucking goldfish! A-and anyway, there was only one!"
Point.
She ran through them for him.[go back, add later?]
"I have a question."
"I may have an answer. Ask away."
"What about Renai? You met her first, so shouldn't---why are you making that face?"
"Uh."
"Whoa, whoa, I remember this now! I can't believe this! You're embarassed!"
"Oh, go fuck yourself."
"Ha! I don't have to; I have a boyfriend. Spill it, woman."
"I, um. Balls.Uh. See, I don't really have the, uh, friend moments with Renai, see. I'm, uh, kinda always gettin' that...vibe, you know?"
"The skinny one with green hair? Who's always polite? Are you sure it's not one of those--"
"YES! I certainly don't want to be her, I just want to be--Nothing. I'm shutting up now."
"That would be a change."
She picked up the chair.
"Okay! ...do you have any idea why?"
"Pssh. No, that would be easy."
"Well, I don't think you have too much to worry about, the way Green-hair was sneaking glances at you."
"She was? When?"
"When she came to see you, a year ago."
"...oh."
"Look. Meron--don't worry about it. It'll probably work out. Don't ask me how, but you always seem to make the craziest things possible. So just--I mean, for someone who changes moods or ideas as quickly as you, it's probably natural that you would respond to 'em differently at different times or whatever. Okay?"
She thought about it.
"Okay. I mean, I'm pretty good at not worrying about stuff, we know, but I just--I really don't want to screw this up, I just-ah, fuck. I don't know what I'm saying."
Her body, filled with tension and nervousness, answered any questions he had. Shit, he thought. She's really in love. How crazy was that?
Ah, but so was he. That counted for...for he didn't know what, but something.
"So, uh, what about you? Everything going okay with you and Zhan?"
"...yes and no."
"Explain."
And she was all business, Meron-who-takes-care-of-people. He still couldn't comprehend how she did it, or how she kept it up.
"Well, we haven't had any major problems. Or--let me put it this way. It' isn't what's happening-"
"-it's what's not happening," they chorused.
"Dude. I feel your pain. D'you know what it's like to be in a relationship with eight people and still not get any action?"
"No, I don't, and it's not relevant, because this isn't about you."
"Ooh. Sorry. I've been doin' that a lot, huh?"
"I don't want to be an asshole about it," Miguel said, "But yes. I know you went through a lot, but the rest of us have lives, too."
"...I know that."
"Don't get sulky on me!"
"Whadda you want, rainbows and sunbeams? Excuse me for not being delighted over criticism and anyway, we're getting off topic."
"Uhm. Right. So--I just. Is it me? Am I doing something wrong? I don't want to fuck this up either."
"huh. Gotta say, I wouldn't know, but--"
"You know someone who would?ha! Figures."
"Mm-hm, sweetheart. D'you have any problems with talking to Rissa? I mean, she frickin' grew up with him around."
"Wait, she did?" He stared at her. " I didn't know that."
Meron grinned.
"hello, doofus? His liege lady is her adoptive big sis. An' you know her reputation for runnin' off to do stuff, so she says Zhan had to go over to try an' get her to come back."
"--are you serious?"
"Uh, yeah. Man, I keep forgetting how far West you're from. I mean, I wanted to be Elaan Goldspike as a kid. Beat up armies by myself, and when work got boring, just up 'n leave? You bet."
"Oh. No, I heard of her, but--it's hard to believe, you know? That she's the same person you met."
"...huh? She wasn't drastically different from the stories or anything."
"No, but--she's a legend."
She picked up the cushion from the floor and started to whack him with it.
"Ow! hey!"
"Get over yourself," she said.