steepwithdead | Folkmore

[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.

Not used to healing magic, still. I'll get there eventually. [Give it time, the right dice roll could make healing blast a hole in someone.]

I prefer having both arms, but... I don't need to lead an army anymore or be ready to fight at the drop of a hat. I can manage relatively alright, or at least set things up to make it easier.

[He offers that back easily enough, working on chopping other ingredients.]

You're not required to get used to it or anything. I just feel, if there's something that can be done to ease someone's pain, may as well do it.

[Most of the time his power is just sitting around waiting to be used, courtesy of a goddess he can no longer reach. She'd want him to keep giving those gifts freely, without restraint.]

There'll be an adjustment period, both mentally and physically. Perhaps to ease yourself into it, limit yourself to a few hours a day? After so much fighting, it won't just be your shoulder that needs a long time to rest and heal.

I was more thinking along the lines I'd get in some kind of trouble and ask you to help, but, that's a good way to look at it. To approach that kind of power. [He's aware he's likelier to get hurt somehow than anything else.] If you can do something to help, you should. Just don't lose yourself to it. Been there, done that.

[Bit by bit things are coming together for the soba. Leo is happy about that much.]

That'll be the hard part, just getting through the adjustment period without just going back to what I usually do. I'll want to wear the arm. It's my arm after all. [He huffs in amusement.] It's also starting to hurt me, but, you didn't hear that from me.

Ah, well. That's true as well, then. If you've got an emergency and need a healer, you know who to call.

[He peers around Leonardo to look at the pans he's working on. Since it's a new recipe, he's especially curious.]

Hurting you how?

Hopefully I won't have to tug on you for any house calls. I like... this. You and me, hanging out.

[Leonardo had cooked this meal at least one other time, so he seems to have a decent idea of what he's doing. Cooking montage is happening mid-conversation, wow!

He seems to debate with himself before settling on honesty. Between the two of them, it feels less like some horrifying admittance.]

Chafing more against my skin, weighing on me a bit heavier. I didn't think it was that bad back home, then again, I guess I just didn't notice since I didn't have time to. [He chuckles absently at that.]

I prefer this, too.

[Not really what he'd call fun, the whole treatment of desperate injuries. It's his job and he'll do it, of course, but peace, friendship... this really is better.]

The good part about being able to notice such things, having the time for it, is that you also have the time to make things better.

We can make this a thing if you want, just having dinners? [This was meant as a thank you, but... Leo was hopeful they could be friends. Real friends. Even if Donnie thought he'd somehow ruin this.] We swap on who cooks and try a few things.

That time is going to be an interesting adjustment period. Having it, being able to use it how I want.

Mm... I'd like that, yeah.

[He's usually friendly even on bad days, and Leonardo is easy to get along with. And... well, he wouldn't say as much. But he is so terribly lonely on his own in this house most of the time, and ill-suited to be alone, after everything that happened back home. The company is real nice.]

I think you're doing alright, adjusting so far. Give yourself some grace, take your time.

We can pick a day, or make it whenever. Not like I can't find my way to you.

[He chuckles at that, waggling a snap pea back at the firbolg.] Considering I got lectured by a fifteen-year-old about eating too many grilled cheese sandwiches, finding grace for myself is a little tricky.

I'm not really one for strict schedules. Call on me when you feel like it.

[He's chill, just come over, whatever.]

You need to give your stomach some grace too, sounds like. Along with variety.

Dangerous thing to say, since I could show up at your doorstep with ingredients when you least expect it. [He will text or call every time.]

Grilled cheese is a perfect food, thank you. It's cheesy, its grilled, its bread and butter. I add things in there too.

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