Log: Laurie, Jean-Phillipe and Tabitha

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Laurie cooks, Tabitha and Jean-Phillipe eat and all is well in the world



Couches really weren't such a terrible place to sleep, all told. Better than the concrete floors from her years on the street, and loads better than the "mattresses" they'd had in the Citadel. She smiled as she stretched, not quite ready to open her eyes. Savoring a good night's sleep seemed much more important than actually facing the day.

Laurie smiled in turn as she saw Tabitha's smile, heading quietly past the common room couch that took up a centre spot in her and Jean-Phillipe's suite. She'd let Tabs know yesterday that she was welcome to stay with them if she needed a place to crash. According to Laurie's schedule it was time to make breakfast, she just hoped she didn't disturb her suite-guest that much while making waffles.

The subtle sounds of food in the process of making was enough to get her eyes open and her body upright. She peeked over the back of the couch like a gopher, trying to catch sight of the one doing the preparing.

"You're up!" Laurie said with a grin, waving the whisk she was using before going back to preparations. "Are you a berry compote type person, or a maple syrup person, or a lemon juice and sugar person?"

Tabs rubbed the back of her neck and looked sheepish. "I'm uh, actually more of a protein shake and jog person. I fail to cook."

"Maple syrup it is, with a side of bacon I'm thinking. If you only have protein shakes in the morning, you're missing out on the most important meal of the day," Laurie informed her, tone prim as she mixed up the batter for the waffles. She started to hum almost absently, her joy of making things coming across loud and clear.

"Uh-" Tabitha tried to rescue herself. "I have cereal sometimes?" she said in her defense. "There's that whole cooking thing... when I try there fire, and some screaming..."

"Right," Laurie replied, shaking her head as she turned on the stove top and quickly greased the skillet she'd be using. "And how much exactly does your power cost you in energy consumption?"

She knew in theory how much that was for an energy projector/manipulator, simply due to the fact her current path of study was all about mutant biology. Most mutants had a more solid idea of just what their powers cost them however, and as far as Laurie was concerned, it was always better to ask them assume.

This time she blushed. "Dr. Voght gave me a calculator thinger," she mumbled. "Mostly I make up the calories in Gu."

"Maybe you should try a bit more for real food, yes?" Laurie noted, but her smile had a teasing crook to it, and her eyes were warm with good humor. "Anyway, today I'm determined that you leave this suite with at least a little bit more in regards to good calories then you normally allow yourself. You can use my room and shower before you leave too, if you like. Jean-Phillipe tends to be like a bear with a sore head in the mornings, so I'll wake him up once we've filled the lounge room with cooking smells. I think his stomach is the only thing that stops him from being caustic."

Tabs huffed with laughter. "Yes, ma'am, Dr. Laurie, ma'am." She pulled herself up off the couch and stretched. "I think I will take you up on the shower offer."

"Off you go then," Laurie replied in her best imitation of her mother, but she spoiled it entirely with a giggle before turning back to her mixing. "There's spare towels in the cupboard beside my room as well."

"Ah," Jean-Phillipe grunted as he exited his own bedroom in an undershirt and sleep shorts, unusually under-dressed for him, as you could see the scars on his forearms. "I see my busybody suite-mate has taken a new victim in her 'breakfast is your friend' campaign," he noted as he shuffled toward the refrigerator.

Tabs couldn't help a small laugh. "I'm content to be harangued, once I'm clean." She ducked into Laurie's room with a small wave.

"I'll pick up some more juice when I go shopping this afternoon," Laurie noted, glancing at Jean-Phillipe briefly over her shoulder. "And breakfast is your friend, you're just too much of a dedicated sleeper to get up early enough to have it."

"Is it my fault that I am a young and fabulous man who enjoys places that do not close until three in the morning?" Jean-Phillipe asked with a cheeky grin and a toss of his head. He rummaged around in the refrigerator, and finally decided on the pitcher of water that they left in to chill. He poured himself a large glass and drank deeply from it. "What is the saying? Ah yes, do not hate the player."

"This from the man using his wanted poster as a pick up line, I'm not sure you categorise as a 'player'," Laurie teased, putting rashes of bacon on the skillet before turning on the waffle iron to heat. "Did you want to try out the new Danger room routine Paige and Garrison built later? I've been told it's pretty cool."

Jean-Phillipe frowned. "You were not supposed to see that. I had been keeping it in my room." To be fair, though, he had discussed it on the journals with Emma, when she'd mentioned her own framed poster. But still, he'd been trying to keep the more blatant reminders of Genosha away from Laurie. It would seem he hadn't been succeeding as well as he'd liked.

"It's fine," Laurie said, watching the bacon sizzle in the pan for a moment before flipping it to the other side. She reached over and plugged the toaster into the wall beside the waffle iron, toast was almost always welcome. "I mean, it probably wouldn't have been before, you know? But all that time I spent with Eamon in Ireland, it let me get everything in perspective. All the stuff that happened, that wasn't me, it was just a meat puppet that looked like me. It still sucks but there's nothing I can do about the past."

The phrase 'meat puppet' made Jean-Phillipe think of the automaton his cousin had briefly been during Day Zero. He could not imagine what sort of violation it felt like to have no control over yourself like that. At least the mutates' memories of their time in Genosha was mostly blanked. "Well, I am glad that you have found that perspective," he told her. He wouldn't say he cared in so many words (it would ruin his image, after all), but he had been concerned for her well-being.

Tabs walked back into the room at the tail end of the conversation, in clean clothes and toweling her hair. "Wasn't there a promise of making up my caloric deficit with delicious breakfast food?" She chirped happily.

"There was indeed," Laurie replied, plating up the first batch of bacon along with two slices of toast before placing some batter in the waffle iron to cook. "Waffles will be ready soon, but tuck into that first."

Jean-Phillipe was tempted to be greedy and take the lion's share of the bacon, but he could manage to be a good host. Besides, at this point Laurie was well aware of how much he could eat, so she would most likely double it and then some to feed both him and Tabitha. Mostly, he was impatient to assuage the growling in his stomach. He grabbed the butter dish and slathered his toast heavily.

Tabitha carefully left enough food for Laurie. After the first bite, she started in something close to shock. She never cooked anything this good. Before she fully registered, her plate was empty and she was staring at Laurie's portion with unconcealed longing.

Laurie took the first batch of waffles out and placed them on a separate plate beside various waffle condiments and then pointedly placed the last of the first batch of bacon on Tabitha's plate before placing the second batch. "Don't worry, I won't miss out. I'm used to living with an energy projector, so I know how much cooking goes into it. I could probably feed an army battalion without batting an eye by this stage."

Tabs' eyes widened until she thought she might lose them. "Is that the right number of calories?" She asked breathlessly. She pulled out her pocket guide and plugged in the numbers. "I can eat it all," she said with awe.

Jean-Phillipe looked at Tabitha and the whatever-it-was that she had pulled out of her pocket. "Of course you can eat it all," he said. "Your body consumes a lot of energy to fuel your power. So eat."

She finally turned her attention back to her food. The first bite made her hum happily, as did every bite after that.