gluttoning | MISTER STEAKS AND FANDANDANNY

He was still bleeding all over his arms when I went to see him and said you hadn't apologized. You get why I wasn't happy about that, right?

[Is he being a little overprotective? Eh. But to say he had been alarmed when he got into the garden that day was an understatement.]

Mn. Levi should be talking to him again soon. He wasn't exactly happy to hear what you did, either. But if you guys did actually work it out, then I trust Lily to calm him down.

[ There's a pause. He's quiet for a time, wondering, and then, ]

Considering all I did was dig my nails into one of his hands, to hear he was "bleeding all over his arms" feels like an exaggeration on your part.

[ And Levi wasn't happy to hear it. Of course not, he probably wasn't happy to hear Amon — or Fandaniel, as far as Leviathan knows — was involved at all. Levi was going to be a problem. He already knew it. ]

Hm. Please realize that when I told you to keep what we've discussed private, that includes not telling him, too.

It's not. But you can think that if you like. Lily wasn't concerned about it and said he considered it a gift from you.

All I told him was that he can't let anyone just come up and hurt him like that again. I want to believe you when you say he can defend himself. I just worry. If someone gets invited in that actually wanted to do more than what you did, I don't want him allowing that again.

[So, yknow. Lily isn't mad, so he shouldn't be quite so mad. But it's the principle of the thing when your local game cryptid doesn't seem to know how to keep himself safe.]

...Yeah. I'm aware. I'm not about to send Levi into an anxious spiral.

A gift of pain, is it? [ That's cute. ] It is a very human experience, after all. I can see how he would look at it that way.

[ Morbid though it might be, they've all experienced pain, physical pain, emotional, mental, in some way. A skinned knee, a broken heart, a mental breakdown, any variety of things, but Lily never has. It hadn't been Amon's intent to teach him pain but it would appear that's what he did, anyway.

Ah, but he won't carry on arguing about it. Barrett wants to protect Lily, so let him. ]

I do mean it, though. If he wants to defend himself, he can. His garden is fully under his control, isn't it?

I don't know. He can summon items, and I know he doesn't want to leave that space right now. If you're right and he's responsible for all the armor, he can make brand new things and send them to other people. And he told me that our specialty armor was made directly from our memories.

So he has a lot of power. I'm not worried about that much. I just don't know if he knows what to do with it sometimes, or why he uses it the way he does.

[Which, for him, isn't much to be concerned about as an overall. He needs to have a chat with Lily about the armor... but so long as Lily was prioritizing his own safety, Barrett doesn't mind them trying to reach out to players and make, what he thinks, is just genuine attempts at connection gone wrong.]

Do you think he would have stopped you if you went any further?

[ Amon knows exactly what Lily wants... at least, part of it. He wonders if Barrett only knows a small part of it, too, but that tidbit, he keeps to himself, for now. ]

If he had felt himself actually in danger, yes, I imagine so. I doubt he saw me as a real threat.

[ Because he did relent, he listened, they spoke, they became friends. Maybe Lily had anticipated they would get along in the end. ]

But that won't be a problem with me anymore, at least, so do, as they say these days, calm your tits. [ Your beefy tits, Barrett. ] I'll let you know when I'm planning to drop in with the picnic lunch. Ah, but also... Would you be interested in joining Telophoroi? Now that cooking is in the game, I fear I'm going a little wild and planning a dinner party for the guild as well.

[There's a sigh, as well as what one might assume to be a rolling of the eyes from the other side of the world. But it doesn't sound like he wants to argue about this, either.]

Your guild? I don't think I'm much a fit for what you asked for, but if you just need help with the food... I guess I could come. So long as I get some too.

Hm? To help? Oh, I meant that you would be invited so you can join us, not to help prepare. I should be able to manage that on my own. Although, if you aren't sure about the guild itself, how about I invite you as a guest to the dinner party instead? You can see how you feel about it.

[ No need to rush anything. If it isn't his vibe, that's fine, and Amon isn't going to bother with pushing the notion. ]

Just... try not to bring your brother. We don't usually get along.

Oh. Sure. I wouldn't mind being a guest. Thanks.

[...]

Don't worry about it. I've heard plenty from Levi about how you're some sort of troublemaker. I wouldn't ask him to come. Arguments don't really make for good dinner.

Mmhm, that they do not, but you know what does make a good dinner? Me!

[ Someone's very confident in their cooking skills. ]

Ah, but until then. You'll get an invite to that separately but I'll let you know when I have the picnic all packed far sooner. Any suggestions for that? Anything you'd like Lily to try?

[A pause as he considers.]

Maybe something fresher. I brought him a lot of the carnival snacks, but we can cook more things freehand now.

I wonder if he'd like to experience that.

Oh, I agree. When I asked for suggestions, I did mean anything, anything at all. I've been cooking for myself since I was fifteen, so even if I do not know how to make it, I can learn.

[ A deliciously home-cooked picnic, straight from the... data stream? Or something? ]

[There's a quiet chuckle on the other end of the phone.]

You're gonna be here for a while if you're serious about asking me for suggestions.

[He has been to every restaraunt in a 15 mile radius of his current location and he could probably list their menus if he was hungry enough.]

[ There's a quiet huff of laughter. ]

Alright, then, how about your top three foods? Of all time? I can choose which is suitable for a picnic.

[Immediately:]

Double cheeseburger with roasted gouda, medium rare, lettuce, tomato, carmellized onion, pickle, dijon mustard, brioche bun, toasted.

[And after a handful of seconds:]

I like normal American barbeque spreads, too. Yknow, chips, cold salads, roasted vegetables, whatever roasted meat you can find.

Turkey legs are good, too.

[ Wow, this is all... super American. That isn't a surprise, though. ]

So definitely some kind of grilled or roasted meat, that seems very apparent here. Hmm. I think I can manage the burgers. They should stay hot in my inventory. Chips, something with vegetables, a fruit salad, maybe some soft drinks?

Heh. Sounds fine to me. Just let me know when.

[A pause, and then:]

Is it okay to contact you back on this number?

Of course. I'll keep this phone just for you, so feel free to call me anytime.

Mn. Same here.

[Oof, he has been sitting still for too long. There's a huff of breath over the receiver as though he's getting up from a seated position, jogging in place to get his legs back in action.]

I can't call on Saturdays unless it's an emergency. Season games are starting. But I can try to respond if you need it.

Games? Ah, that's fine. It's not as though we'll need to speak constantly.

You're also free to email me if it's for anything unrelated to the bug or Lily. Good luck with your season, Mr. Blake.

MISTER STEAKS AND FANDANDANNY

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now that I'm done crying about a dead body: oh right dinner

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