steepwithdead | Folkmore

[Caduceus gives a cursory glance at the ingredients as they emerge, and fetches a couple of pots and pans he'd expect to likely be used for the recipe based on what he sees.]

Not exactly. I've got dough rising, I thought I'd roll them out and let them bake while you're cooking, if they'd be a good side.

[Leonardo is glad Caduceus is already grabbing things. He doesn't know where things are put just yet.]

I think that'd be good. A perfect addition to soba. [He's arranging the ingredients best he can. The array for the sauce get put together for easy grabbing.]

Alright, wonderful. There's room enough for us both in here.

[This house is a legit mansion, so it has a big kitchen. He fetches a couple of cutting boards and knives as well, then a tray for the buns.]

I wanted to cook for you, but cooking with you is good too. [He offers back genuinely. He likes to think they're friends or becoming friends by now.] There should be plenty for leftovers for a good while, too.

[Leonardo moves to actually get the biggest pot filled with water to get the noodles cooking kicked off.]

You're cooking. I'm baking.

[Normally he doesn't fuss over things like semantics, but if it makes Leonardo feel any better, he can very much still be the one to do the cooking.]

I hope you'll take some home with you, too. It's just me here.

[He can't help but laugh at that. He concedes the point.] Alright, fair enough. Baking is vastly different.

I think I will. Leftovers will keep me fed well for a few days when I'm feeling lazy. [Getting the sauce started is easy enough, though he has to take it a bit slower due to being one-handed for the task.] I'd try to offer some to Donnie, but he's picky. Busy with his own projects too. He's there, but the apartment is quiet.

Hm. Remind me to send you home with some biscuits. The flavour's plain enough that he might find them satisfactory.

[He's found both taste and texture that the younger Donnie likes, in part due to experimentation, and in part thanks to Rue's tips. The elder might find them alright, too.

He starts separating the dough into balls for the tray.]

Ooh, good idea. Might work for him if they're plain enough. [He is going to try and remember that for later.]

If his stupid butt is outside, we can also toss one at his head. See which one of us has better aim.

[It is a 50/50 on if Donnie does decide to stalk this, but Leo will make fun of it. Be starts working on whisking the sauce together, having to slow down marginally to add things in before he starts whisking. He peeks at the boiling water occasionally.]

Maybe don't tell him where they're from. I don't think he likes me.

[He's very suspicious. He can see the similarities between the two Donnies, for sure.]

Edited 2025-09-12 01:22 (UTC)

I could just say they're from Casey, or just be vague. [Leonardo rolls his eyes at his twin. Managing to not outright sigh.] Donnie doesn't like anyone who starts getting friendly with his family. He is a little... territorial. [No shit, turtle boy.] He'll learn to adjust.

[Caduceus isn't sure if Casey can even bake cookies, but at this point if he doesn't know, Donatello likely won't either, having just arrived. Viable lie! So long as he isn't telling it.]

So long as he doesn't mess with the garden, I don't mind if he lurks around. Not like I'm doing anything he should find concerning.

[Keyword being "should".]

[Leo's favorite hobby is giving Donnie a hard time and he will continue to do so.]

Even if he's a dumdum, he's not likely to mess with a garden. He loves plants. Ran the greenhouse back home for the rebellion. [Its a longshot to hope the two can kind of get along, but Leo will leave that there as he works on making the sauce. His whisking is a lot slower than he'd like. Alas.] You know two members of his immediate family, so he's going to be annoying about it.

[Caduceus is mostly finished rolling out the buns, though he keeps glancing over at Leonardo to check if he needs help.]

Oh, did he? Good to know my foliage is safe then. The rest isn't all that important.

[And since his garden is so integrated with the house, ideally that means no one will burn his house down... ha ha... (right? right.)]

If he gives you any actual problems, just tell me. I don't mind knocking some sense into him.

[He's trying to whisk, but its- a task. He does manage it. He carefully sets the sauce aside. He moves to pick up one of the avocados, pausing when he realizes this is a two handed situation. He picks up a knife, stares, before setting it down.]

...I might need help with the avocados.

I'm sure it'll be fine.

[He doesn't know for sure, but whatever, it'll probably be alright. It's been good so far- at worst, awkward.]

Ah, just a moment, allow me. [He finishes rolling the last bun, wiping loose flour off his hands, and steps over. Rather than taking over entirely, Caduceus holds the avocado for Leo to slice.] How's that?

[How's your dexterity, katana-man? Don't cut his digits.]

More than likely, just be ready for twenty questions about whatever he gets in his head. [that's as much warning as he offers Cad. So far, the firbolg is fairly well - unshakable.]

That's good. [Thankfully for everyone involved, Leonardo can handle a stabbing implement fairly well. He gets the avocado cut cleanly in half. Given the chance, he'll get the pit out too.]

Perfect. I'll have to slice it, but, that should be less of a hassle.

Not sure I'll have all 20 answers, but I'll give it a go.

[If they're not, like, 20 math questions, it'll be aces. He takes the pit and sets it aside for later; it has its own uses.]

I can keep holding it if you need.

You're also free to tell him to bug off. Up to you. [Leonardo rolls his eyes fondly as he adds.]

Give it a flip onto the sliced sides and I can work on cutting it into pieces from the back. Not the prettiest option, but, we're making due. It looks like the noodles are doing good, I'll give them a stir in a second.

[He will finally step back to properly take off his cowl-cape combo to give himself a bit more wiggle room. Leonardo sets it aside casually. Without his prosthetic on, it's at least obvious his skin around the port has been getting chafed and bruised more recently from wearing the arm a bit too much. Without the arm or cowl present, the gradual grinding down of his plastron plates is a bit easier to notice. The raised edge in particular has been eroded over and cracked faintly. Not that Leonardo seems to notice or care about.] Okay, whilst I love a good dramatic drapery of a cowl, I should've shucked that sooner.

I'll think about it.

[He'd prefer not to tell his new friend's brother to buzz off, but it would hardly be the worst thing he's ever said to someone for being unreasonably rude. Which the not-stalking edges up against, generally speaking. (It's also not the worst thing anyone's done around him, so you know. Perspective.)

He obliges in the request, turning both avocado halves on their sides to let Leonardo do his thing. Once that's done, he washes his hands and takes the cowl, hanging it up beside one of the hung plants by the window.]

Some prefer the fashion statement over functionality. Is your shoulder alright?

[He blinks a little as Cad steps in to take care of the cowl. It earns a softer smile from the turtle for just a moment.]

I'd like to be those people whose all fashion, but, gotta make some bomb ass noodles. [The follow-up question warrants a shrug as he speaks.]

[He steps back over to work on slicing the avocado.] Been worse, been better. I just need a bit of a break from the arm this week, probably.

We can't all be Rue.

[No one's got better fashion in Folkmore than they. (Though perhaps soon to be usurped by default, not that he knows it yet.) Since Leonardo has the chopping back under control, Caduceus goes to slide the bun tray into his pre-heated oven.]

Want to see if there's anything I can do for it? Once you're done.

[Far be it for him to interrupt the work for a bit of bruise-fixing.]

Pretty sure no one can reach those heights. [It doesn't take long to cut the avocado into clean slices. He carefully sets those aside for later. Once the buns are set in the oven, the turtle moves to stir the soba noodles. They're cooking as expected, hell yeah.]

Only if you got the energy for it. [he at least grasps the idea that magic has its costs.]

[Caduceus chuckles. He sure doesn't disagree, but Rue has been a dear friend for a long time now.]

I've got it. Haven't done much of anything today.

[He reaches out to touch a hand lightly to the skin above the port, pouring a healing spell into Leonardo. Should help with some of the aches and bruising, at lease give him some eased pain until the effects on his body can catch up. Maybe he could use periodic top-ups, but this should make today easier.]

[The feeling of the healing spell is still something new and unusual for Leo. Paired with the very gentle touch above his port leaves some kind of feeling brewing in the back of the turtle's mind. Nothing he can concretely make sense of.

He just glances at the shoulder curiously trying to watch.]

Honestly, it already feels better. I'll keep the arm off it for a bit longer though, to keep letting it heal over. [Look at him being sensible.]

Well, glad to hear that.

[Healing and having it end up feeling worse? You hate to see it.]

It's a good plan to keep it off a while, especially if you can get by without. Magic can kickstart the healing process, speed things up, but time does a better job at easing the bruises and the muscle strain. Might come back too fast if you rush.

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