stupid cute idiots in dokis

[bumgall]

[It's only with much practice that Gumball has learned to multitask. It isn't often enough that he's left in peace while he's here in his kitchen, whipping up one thing or another while attendants and consultants and guards and all manner of subjects come and go with all manner of matters on their hands. He's learned to prioritize, to strike a balance between his passion and his duties, to learn which should require immediate attention and which he can make wait. It's just how he's decided to do things, and sometimes, his baking just comes first.

Today, though, requires a different balance, because the presence perched next to him on the counter actually quite has his attention. Given, as most of her stories go, Fionna's various conversation topics including a pulse-pounding recount of the ogre she and Cake took down on their way to the Goblin Kingdom last week give him a little leeway attention-wise. And even then, he's finding himself absorbing just about every word.

Well, mostly. It's when he finds himself fussing with the candy decoration placement on one of his cookie mermaids that his attention wanders off, if only for the moment.]

Comments

[bumgall]

I... see.

[His entire demeanor is more stiff than confused as he turns back to his work, simply leaving the frustrating mermaid be and continuing decorating on a different creature.]

Well, it must have been quite interesting.

[If he's trying to not sound strained, he's not doing a very good job.]

[swordstress]

It was.

[ leans a little towards his project, taking interest in it again for the first time since he started decorating it. she'd been quick to play around with a few of the unneeded ingredients before her storytelling, but hadn't kept much of an eye on what it had all turned into until now. ]

Except it was way too wiggly. We almost kept wobbling off!

[bumgall]

Well... yes, I'm sure that's what being on a posterior would be like!

[He's so very lost. Fortunately a timer dings, and he has the chance to scurry off to the oven, ready with the last tray already in his hands to replace the one he swiftly removes.]

[swordstress]

[ and while his back is turnedd.... reaches over and quickly swaps the places of two tiny decorations. aw yeah what a totally great prank, pffft. really casually gets back into chinhands position before his attention has returned, but she's trying so hard not to crack a huge smile. ]

[bumgall]

[Honestly, he's not sure whether to be disgusted or not, at this point. Either way, he can still busy himself with other matters, such as finding a spot for the newly-removed cookie sheet to cool, and gently prying off the slightly cooled ones from before that. It's a precise operation to efficiently churn out so many cookies, but he's got it figured out.

Or at least, so he thinks. Little does he realize...]

[swordstress]

[ he didn't notice yet, hahaha, ok, keep it together fionna, you can do this. you can. ]

—pfffffsssssoooo what are those?

[bumgall]

These? [He scrapes one off, then offers it up with his spatula, in all its stylized, gingerbread man-like chunky glory. But hey, at least it's clear what it's supposed to be.] These are mostly sphinxes. I also have harpies, lamias, and a handful of centaurs, which I just put in the oven.

[Don't mind the raptly admiring, shiny-eyed look he gives them. It's pretty normal when he does this.]

[swordstress]

Oh, coolsies.

[ and then she goes to grab the cookie off the spatula without a second thought, to get a better look but YEOWCH BAD IDEA. thankfully its a slightly cooled down one but it's still time to play hot potato cookie, bouncing it from hand to hand. ]

Wait, no. Hotsies! Hot, hot!!!

[bumgall]

[That garners a small gasp from him, moving to set down his tray and spatula, leaving his oven-mitted hands free to outstretch.]

Fionna!

[swordstress]

[ the cookie jumps from hand to hand before she finally tosses it forward onto the waiting mitt. her little fingers are red and she blows on them to help cool them down. ]

Eheheh, I'm okay.

[ the air blowing, it does nothing, but she's one tough cookie (pardon the pun. or dont) so she bears it like a pro. ]

[bumgall]

[Gumball catches the cookie with great care, cradling it in his mitt gently as to not distort the still-softened shape, then gently places it on one of the cooling racks. It's only then that he removes his mitts, hurrying over to the sink and turning on the cold water.]

Nonsense. Here, run them under cold water.

[swordstress]

[ tttthinks about whether or not she wants to just tough it out instead, swinging her feet a second before hopping down and taking a place next to him by the sink. ahh, the cool water feels really nice. ]

I'm gonna bite that cookies head off. [ pause. ] You know, in a few minutes. I don't want to burn my tongue too.

[bumgall]

I would certainly hope.

[Satisfied for the moment, he crosses the kitchen floor towards a cabinet in the corner, and opens it up. From within, he pulls out a tin, checking the label before making his way back over.]

Here, dry your hands. I have a special salve.

[swordstress]

[ she does dry her hands - on her shirt. whatevs, it's just water. ]

You don't have to. I mean, I already feel way better.

[ said as I'd she still isn't holding her hands up for him as if she's half expecting him to just hand her the salve. ]

[bumgall]

Perhaps, but your hands are still burnt. This will fix you right up.

[And that's the end of that conversation, because shortly afterwards he just takes her right by the shoulders and leads her to the kitchen table and seats her in one of its chairs. No buts.]

[swordstress]

[ if that had been anyone else leading her about, burnt hands or no, they'd have gotten themselves a karate chop and maybe her hopping on top of the very table she's now being seated at, at the very least. but she just cracks a small smile, plopping down compliantly as her gut twists a little.

wow his hands are warm. definitely warmer than hers, even. she's sure of it. ]

Welllllll. . . okay.

[bumgall]

Good.

[He pulls up a chair to face her, scooting closer before bringing up the tin.] Some people overlook it, but it's always a good idea to have medical supplies in the kitchen. I even adjusted this recipe I got from the Pharmacy Kingdom myself to work best with oven-related burns.

[Which may or may seem to be a good thing when he opens the lid and small but visible, tendril-like fumes begin seeping out into the air.]

[swordstress]

The last time I went to the Pharmacy Kingdom, Cake got a Thermome-Mama stuck up her— Woah, vaporific!

[ the thermometer ladydude got stuck up cake's nose, by the way, in case anyone's curious. let's not get any hasty ideas here. ]

[bumgall]

[Good thing it goes right over his pink little head.]

Yes, that's just from the- well, I probably shouldn't divulge such secrets out in the open. [He reaches in to scoop up a small amount of the dark, purplish substance, still emitting the fumes, and without thinking about what he's really doing, extends a hand out for Fionna to rest hers in.] But you'll see, it works like a charm.

[swordstress]

I'm sure I hands.

Heheh, I mean, will.

[ no, what. that isn't even a normal kind of slip to make, no matter how excited she might be just to put her hand in his, fingers twitching ever so slightly against his gumskin when she does, even though she'd told herself to keep still. ]

[bumgall]

[It's funny, because it doesn't even occur to him consciously what he's doing, he just does it, gently rubbing over the tender, reddened skin of her fingertips, her fingers, her palms. He's always marveled at how lovely and small her hands always seem, and yet to actually feel the calluses he logically knew should be there is still surreal. And while his own fingers work with efficiency as well as care, the realization lingers in his mind.]

[swordstress]

[ wow, dudehands. dude hands that are touching her hands. and being all gentle and junk. and also they belong to prince gumball. this is awesome.

oh and this healing stuff is doing pretty alright too. whatever. SHE'S BASICALLY IN ZONING OUT SHINY EYES LAND RIGHT NOW. ]

[bumgall]

[Gumball doesn't really pay it much mind. Although he realizes after a moment that it's grown awfully quiet, and boy, he sure is doing a lot of hand-touching.]

Is that better?

[swordstress]

[ she's going to pretend she just absent-mindedly curled a finger around one of his own when it was like 800% intentional, la la la ]

Yeah, like, way lots.

[bumgall]

[And he'd pretend in turn that he didn't notice, but he does, and he looks up for a second before he can catch himself, lips parted in what was going to be a question, but it never quite makes it into words. Instead, realization of what he's doing strikes him, and his gaze shoots back down.

He still doesn't stop, though. Just fixes his gaze back to her hand in his, and smooths out what little hasn't been gently rubbed into her skin.]

Good.