The Royal Kennels - Camelot, Sunday Morning

[bigdamndestiny]

With Francine and Katchoo visiting, that meant that... showing Francine puppies. Because they were the girliest girls to ever girl when allowed to hang out.

"Arthur claims Brynn's no good at hunting, so he's using her to breed larger hounds," Merlin informed her sagely. While holding a wriggling puppy in his arms.

Big, badass wizard. Oh yeah. Live in fear.

[[For the one with him and anyone who might want to facepalm]]

Comments

[thatsamilkshake]

"I know. It would be funny, though." Francine glanced over her shoulder in the vague direction of the palace proper. "There. Not here."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"As long as no one starts a fire." A beat. "Or knocks down a tree."

Way to speak from experience, Merlin.

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine pushed a puppy away from her face only to have it instantly replaced by another, which made asking, "Did you do that when you were little?" difficult, but she managed it eventually.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Maybe just once." Or five times. But who was counting?

[thatsamilkshake]

"How young were you when that started?"

It was...possible... she might be doing research about small people who did not yet exist... Or just that she was interested. Or both.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin opened his mouth for a moment before closing it again to think it over. "My mum said I was floating things over to myself when I was still in the cradle."

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine giggled. "That must have been fun for her. Trying to keep up with you."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"I stopped when I was older!" A beat. "Unless I was cross and wanted something to eat."

[thatsamilkshake]

"You always want something to eat!" Not that she could talk.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Not always!" Like when he cooked for himself.

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine nodded. "True. Sometimes you're asleep."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Ha ha. It's not my fault I'm still growing."

[thatsamilkshake]

"Hey, I'm not complaining." No, what she was doing currently was kissing a puppy on the nose and getting slobber up her own for her trouble. "Euufph! Well, maybe about that." Francine wiped at her face.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin just grinned. "Have you found your way to the kitchens yet?"

[thatsamilkshake]

"Maaaaaaaaybe. Not that they'll let me really cook yet, but at least they're trusting me with chopping things up and throwing them in the stew. That's progress, right?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"For the cooks? Yes."

[thatsamilkshake]

"Someday. Someday I will bake them strawberry cake, and then they'll see!"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"It might confuse them if you used those baking... powders to make it lighter," Merlin pointed out.

[thatsamilkshake]

"I'll just tell them it's--" Magic? Yeahno. Ahem. "No, on second thought, I won't tell them that. I'll, um. Secret herbs and spices from the east?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"That might work!" A beat. "Or we could keep it all to ourselves."

[thatsamilkshake]

"But that'd be mean! Everybody should get cake!"

That was sort of a fundamental tenet for Francine's existence, in fact.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Not if they might think it's magic!" AND CAKE. CAAAAAKE.

[thatsamilkshake]

Francine frowned. "I could try it without the baking powder?" She could probably still make something like strawberry shortcake that way...

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

That held merit...

"You could ask how they normally make them."

[thatsamilkshake]

"You think they'd actually tell me, or is it like a state secret?"