Room 512: Friday Evening

[badassprodigy]

Barry normally wouldn't have done this in his room but let's face it: the warehouse did not have a safe surface to eat off of.

Thank you Reno and Rikku!

So dinner with Elsa tonight was happening in 512. And while Elsa was handling dinner Barry was dealing with dessert. Specifically a inside s'mores burner, gourmet marshmallows and lots of chocolate.

So barring the entire dorm breaking in for s'mores it should be a nice evening...

Comments

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

"Joker's fine," Barry said rolling his eyes. "He's fucking proud that he got his hand broken while they were... You know. Anders healed him magically so he's fine. Eleanor on the other hand has that on top of last weekend to deal with."

[iceolatedqueen.livejournal.com]

She was chewing the inside of her cheek now, silently worrying about Eleanor.

"I might need to talk to her regardless... just maybe... not about Joker. I've been worried about her even without knowing about that, after all. Thank goodness for Anders, though."

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, there's a lot to be said for magical healing," Barry admitted. "Too bad it can't take care of mental trauma. Eleanor and everyone would benefit from that. Even Kathy was worried about Anders. We had a long talk about Rapture earlier this week and ethical issues. I worry about her sometimes and her desire to be a super hero."

[iceolatedqueen.livejournal.com]

"A long talk? What about it made you worry?"

A beat.

"If that's any of my business at all."

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

"She just seems so... Optimistic. Like that with her super powers she could have breezed through Rapture without any issues. I'm worried that someday her optimism and super powers won't be enough for her," he said as he started to frown. "Maybe we should find a happier topic."

[iceolatedqueen.livejournal.com]

"Maybe we should," Elsa agreed softly. "I... I've been thinking about getting a pet, have I mentioned? Between taking care of you when you were a dog, and watching Soleil for Eleanor. The company is quite pleasant."

And it didn't demand much! Food and water and some cleaning up after, now and again.

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

"No, you haven't," Barry said looking pleasantly surprised. "I think that's a great idea. You took great care of me when I was a dog which is a fucking phrase I thought I'd never say. What kind of pet are you thinking of?"

[iceolatedqueen.livejournal.com]

"You know, I haven't really thought quite that far ahead," Elsa admitted. "But something... easy? There are easy pets, right? This would be my first."


[Bedtime for me! Sp?]

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

"Maybe a fish or a hamster?" Barry suggested. "Or are you thinking of more of a cat or a dog?"

[iceolatedqueen.livejournal.com]

"I really only have any experience with cats and dogs," Elsa admitted. "We have horses back home, but they're not really pets, the same way. And I certainly wouldn't be able to keep one in my room."

Which was what the stables were for.

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

"Well a horse might be a bit of a stretch. Even with the stables near the dorms. I think there's some stables in town if you want someone else to care for it," Barry said thoughtfully. "Or you could go with a cat. I'm not big on pets but I could always help."

[iceolatedqueen.livejournal.com]

"I might have to take you up on that," Elsa decided. "You probably know your way around this sort of thing better than I do, all the same. Other living creatures and I really don't have experience with one another, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous just considering it."

She was still half convinced that she was going to end up with a pet dogsicle, gloves or no.

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

"Well I never really had pets myself," Barry admitted. "I was too busy making a fusion reactor that could fit under my bed. Plus my parents wouldn't let me. Plus I think once you start caring about the pet the rest is just instinct."

Barry went in for a second helping of potatoes. "Except for the animal outfits. Those are not allowed."

He might be giving Elsa a LOOK for certain reasons.

[iceolatedqueen.livejournal.com]

"Oh, Barry, are you trying to take all of the joy out of pet ownership on me?" Elsa was clearly trying not to laugh, now, reaching for some of the pasta. "Would you feel better about it if I got something a completely different size than you, so I won't be able to interchange the pet costumes if you become a dog again?"

This was her one concession to how embarrassing it might be, Barry. Take it or leave it.

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

Barry groaned. "Tell me you don't have those still? And are you sure you want a dog? They're not all as house trained and well behaved as I was. "

[iceolatedqueen.livejournal.com]

"You were very dashing in your little suit," Elsa teased, her eyes dancing with mischief. "But I think Kathy might have it. And I'm still not completely sure what I want. I think I might end up going to the shelter and seeing if anything catches my interest. That... is how people get pets, right?"

So new at this. So new.

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

Barry sighed heavily. He so was going to regret turning into a dog again someday.

"You have to be careful though. A small puppy today could be a one hundred pound dog in a year," Barry cautioned as he finished his chicken and potatoes. "Want me to come along to help you find something? Just so you know what you're getting into?"

[iceolatedqueen.livejournal.com]

"I might take you up on that," Elsa replied, and then tilted her head thoughtfully. "Or else use it as an excuse to coax Eleanor out of her room for something besides classes. She is a pet person, after all."

Well, she had a cat. That was more or less the same thing, right?

"Perhaps it could be a group effort. You there to warn me away from a dog that stands taller than me at the shoulder, Eleanor there because..." A beat. "Because I said so."

And she was a princess. She had to get at least some 'because I said so' points somewhere, right?

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

Barry let out a laugh and bowed. "Your pet and your rules," he agreed. "Are you ready to make some s'mores? I whipped up something in the lab so you could truly enjoy it this time around."

[iceolatedqueen.livejournal.com]

"You say that as though I didn't enjoy them the last time," Elsa replied, smiling at Barry as she set her empty paper plate to the side. "But now you've got me curious."

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

Barry pulled out a stainless steel domed device from his desk drawer along with some skewers. Then he pulled out a small black box. "The metal dome there is an inside heater for s'mores just in case you want to have s'mores and it's raining or snowing outside." He said opening the box to reveal two black bracelets that almost looked like a fit bit device. "And these are power inhibitors similar to your gloves. Except now you don't have to worry about getting your gloves messy while eating or cooking or swimming or whatever. What do you think?"

[iceolatedqueen.livejournal.com]

"I..." Elsa stared for a moment at the bracelets, and then up at Barry again, breathlessly. "They do the same thing?"

And now she was looking down at her hands. She was so used to wearing gloves, she barely recognized her own fingers whenever they were off.

"I could just... just touch things?"

Barry had quite possibly just unwittingly unlocked a whole universe of textures previously entirely unknown to his girlfriend.

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

Well maybe not unwittingly because yes he thought of the other benefits Elsa might have with them... But let's start off with S'mores, shall we?

"Yes," Barry said with a big grin. "Care to give them a try?"

[iceolatedqueen.livejournal.com]

Well, either way, Barry was amazing. That was the moral of this story.

"I..." One more moment of looking at the gloves, and then Elsa nodded once, firmly, looking back at Barry with her brow furrowed slightly in determination. "Yes. Yes, I would very much like to. How do I put them on?"

They seemed fairly straightforward, but she didn't want to mess this up at all.

[notaweenie.livejournal.com]

"Oh, it's pretty fucking simple," Barry said undoing one of the clasps on the bracelet and reaching out for one of her wrists. "Just put it on your wrist and redo the clasp. It won't come off unless you fucking want it to."