call me hot, not pretty [closed]

[higginbottom]

Esther is ready for her date (?) (!!!) with Gaheris. She has a lovely dress that's a touch more modern than what she's used to wearing, but hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. 

She's waiting in the Mansion kitchen, with books of poetry and novels by her side - and she's reading through the recipe for a sponge cake she found in the Mansion's library (go figure, they've got cookbooks too!).

She's eager, and excited, and a little nervous.

Comments

[minor_variation]

Gaheris arrives late, looking somewhat the worse for wear on account of the inevitable misadventures, the last of which included tripping on an untied bootlace and falling down the stairs on his way from his room. Not that Esther needs to know that -- in fact she extremely doesn't need to know anything.

He considered using his luck potion here, but he only has the one potion, and Claudius' instructions that it be drunk in its entirety are stuck in his head, the consequence of a lifetime of a witch mother who emphasized the importance of following instructions when it comes to magic. He's already decided he has to save it for the fishing boat's maiden voyage. And besides, how much trouble could he get in baking?

He flushes and smiles when he sees Esther, and then flushes more and smiles less when he sees her dress and the expanse of skin between her throat and the neckline, all creamy and soft-looking and attacked to a girl as it is. He stops in the door to the kitchen and gulps, trying to coax his brain back to work.

"H-hi."

[higginbottom]

"Oh, hello!" Esther says, perhaps a touch too enthusiastically. "Would you like to bake a cake with me? I've found this recipe that looks good."

She points to the books on the table by her.

"And afterwards, we could read to each other."

[minor_variation]

"Yeah, that sounds--" He swallows. "Yeah. Yes. Yeah. I mean-- tell me what to do."

[higginbottom]

All right, then.

"Do you mind, then, getting the eggs out and whisking them? I can handle the dry ingredients."

[minor_variation]

"Yes, ma'am. I mean, Esther." In his heart he knows that eggs are not a safe item for him to handle, not with his luck, but he asked her to tell him what to do and she's told him, so he heads for the refrigerator and takes out the box, praying he won't trip.

[higginbottom]

Aww, that little "ma'am" is very cute, she thinks.

"Thank you," she says sweetly, and moves to kiss him on the cheek.

[minor_variation]

Esther comes towards him and Gaheris' heart seizes. What does she want? Does she think he's doing something wrong? On purpose? Is she going to slap him or yell at him, or be disappointed the way his mother would, or is she about to waft him away for something wonderful on the perfume of her natural Girl Smell? What is going on??

Then her lips touch his cheek, and just dying seems nice. He should have used his luck potion for this after all. Kissed!! By a girl! It's not the first time, but it's still painfully new, and his soul wants to fly right out of his body. He squeaks.

[higginbottom]

"Ah, you're so...so you," Esther replies, clearly charmed by the squeak. "You know, I've never met a boy like you before."

She blushes a little, recalling her romantic troubles back home.

"I'm not used to boys who are nice, is all. Anyway, let's get back to baking."

[minor_variation]

"You think I'm nice?" he blurts, frozen in place.