New Plan, Step One: Provide For My Community [open]

[summerdude]

Magnus needs something to change, so when a Mansion calendar helpfully informs him that it's International Falafel Day back on Earth, he goes to the library for some cookbooks, and then to the kitchen.

He lays out ten different falafel recipes. He gathers the ingredients they list, as best as he can understand them. He has canned chickpeas and fresh chickpeas and dried chickpeas and chickpea flour and box mixes of falafel that say 'just add water!'

Cripes.

"I can do this," he says, peering at the assorted recipes intently for a good ten minutes, and then takes the dried chickpeas over to the sink to rinse and soak.

Comments

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot is, as ever, moving neatly through the late-morning portion of his routine and comes through the kitchen simply to get a glass of water. He's a little surprised to encounter Magnus here, alone, but when he greets him his tone is mild. "Hello, Magnus."

[summerdude]

Magnus's latest thing is giving Lancelot desultory salutes during training, and he busts one out now. "Hi, Instructor Dickface," he says, which is surely a sign that he's at least 20% less grim than he's been at practice for the entire past week at least.

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot's typical response is a suppressed smile, which is what Magnus gets now. "Having a good day?"

[summerdude]

"So far so good." Magnus runs water into the bowl with the chickpeas, then squints. Is this supposed to reveal something to him? Some great inner secret about the quality of the legume? "I plan to kick your butt later."

[lanselos_du_lac]

"A novel plan," wryly. "What are you making?"

[onthewillowsthere]

"What are you making?"

[summerdude]

Magnus jumps, then turns, smiling automatically. "Falafel, hopefully," he says. "But, like, from the nuts and bolts. Apparently it's International Falafel Day?"

[onthewillowsthere]

"Do you want help?" It's been a long time since they did something silly like this together, frankly -- not since their quest for Galahad's scabbard. He misses it.

[summerdude]

Magnus misses it, too. Because of that, and since solo quests are for chumps, he says, "From you? Always."

[vineleaves]

As we all know, Dionysus is very good at everything and never does anything wrong, ever. So when he sees Magnus cooking something he is incredibly curious.

“Need help?”

[summerdude]

Magnus looks up from the sink, where his hands are submerged in an enormous thing of chickpeas and water. "Hey," he says. "What do you know about soaking stuff?"

[vineleaves]

"What are you --" but then before he can finish the sentence he just looks, with his own eyes. "Ooh, what're you making with 'em?"

[summerdude]

"Falafel! Best food in the universe."

[sporesprouter]

Tress walks into the kitchen and blinks at the laid out garbanzopalooza. She glances over at Magnus. "Wow. You look like you have a project."

[summerdude]

Magnus laughs, twisting off the water. "You could say that."

[sporesprouter]

She nods. "What's the project, and could you use an extra pair of hands?"

[summerdude]

"I'm learning how to make falafel," Magnus say, surveying the crowded counters. "Um, ideally."

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji slips silently into the kitchen and examines the array of ingredients laid out upon the counter, along with the multitude of recipes, with some affectionate bemusement. He glances over to Magnus, whose back is turned to him as he stands at the sink, and steps closer, waiting to be noticed.

[summerdude]

It takes Magnus a good few minutes before he decides that he probably has enough water on top of the chickpeas. He turns, and then does a double-take. "Hanguang-jun? How long have you been here?"

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji gives him an understatedly fond look, charmed by how surprised Magnus seems to see him. "Not long. Are you cooking?" He phrases it that way to be polite, rather than asking, Are you attempting to cook?

[summerdude]

"I'm trying to," Magnus says. "How long do you soak beans?"

[bymyheelies]

Mercutio slides in on his roller skates -- because of course he's exchanged the heelies for skates as soon as he could. "What are you doing?" This boy has probably never really cooked anything in his life, please help him, Magnus.

[summerdude]

"Mercutio! What's up, how's it hanging? I'm, uh, making falafel?"

[bymyheelies]

"What is falafel?" He tilts his head and skates over to peer at the chickpeas. "And why do you have so much cecio?"

[summerdude]

"They're spiced fried mashed chickpeas," Magnus says. "Hence..."