driftfleet | ship mingle: february is for starstruckers.

[ Kubo shoulders his bag as he follows Wanda through the ship. ]

What am I trying?

[She smiles back at him.]

A cookie, of course.

[A quick stroll, and they arrive in the Starstruck's kitchen. The mountain of baked goods Wanda had made for her belated Christmas gift venture had diminished significantly, but there were still some cookies and a few brownies left. She picks up two, one in each hand. She offers one to Kubo as she takes a bite of the other. She watches him with thinly veiled anticipation. It's one thing to have a taste-tester. It's quite another to have one who has never sampled that kind of snack before.]

[ Kubo bites into it tentatively. The sweetness of it is overwhelming for a child that only ate what was necessary and put all his energy into taking care of his mother and himself. He finishes it quickly because he rarely eats out of enjoyment. ]

[Wanda snorts and starts giggling as she watches him devour the cookie. Well, that's certainly an encouraging sign as to the quality of her baking.]

You can have another if you like. Though I'd suggest chewing a little more to avoid choking.

[She walks over to a counter to fetch them each a glass of milk.]

It's so sweet. What's in it?

[She returns to the table and places a glass of milk in front of Kubo. She then demonstrates the art of cookie-in-milk-dunking.]

Well, sugar for one. There are also chocolate chips in these ones, and I also added a bit of vanilla to them as well. They are not too sweet are they?

[ Kubo eats slower this time, taking time to feel it in his mouth. ]

They are, but that's okay.

Hmm... maybe too much vanilla then. I will remember that for the next batch.

[If the critique bothers her at all, she doesn't show it. Simply ending her little thought with a wink. Hey, she did promise cookies for origami lessons, right?]

[ He swallows, feeling awkward. ]

You don't have to make that many. This is way more than I'm used to eating anyway.

[Wanda snorts, bringing out the teasing sister voice.]

Well, they are not ALL meant for you. They are for the whole ship to share.

[She then adds more gently.]

But that does not mean you cannot help yourself to one or two from time to time. As long as they are on that table, they are up for grabs.

[ He nods quietly. ]

Okay. I won't take too much.

[Wanda smiles at him.]

Make sure to get them while you can though. Knowing this ship, I'm sure anything sweet will disappear real quick.

. . . Really?

[ He has a hard time picturing Peggy, Max or Aizawa piling onto the sweets. ]

[Wanda gives him another knowing wink.]

You'd be surprised.

[Really, Pietro is the main culprit in her mind. She wasn't sure about Aizawa's or Ochako's degree of sweet tooth. Steve was likely a secret sneaker -- not wanting anyone to know how many he may have taken. Same with Max. Peggy, well, come tea time, there would likely be fewer sweets on the table.]

Everything about this place kind of surprises me.

[A soft snort from Wanda at that.]

You have a point.

[She looks him over, now a more sympathetic tone to her voice and expression.]

Are you settling in well?

[ He shuffles his feet before nodding. ]

Yeah. I mean . . . it's okay.

[Her out goes out for the boy. It was hardly easy for her to get used to this place. She can't imagine how he must be feeling.]

Has everyone on Starstruck been treating you nicely?

[She can't imagine any of her shipmates being all that mean, but she knows Peggy and Max can be rather blunt at times.]

[ His eye brighten slightly. ]

Of course. They've all been helpful. I'm just not used to all of this . . . space and technology.

[Good. Someone was gonna get an earful if it was otherwise. A more content smile finds its way to Wanda's face.]

I can understand. None of us were when we arrived.

With maybe one or two exceptions.

It's still a big jump for me. We still have to light fires to see anything in the dark.

[Yeah, okay, that's a hell of a jump. Sokovia was in no way a high-tech city, but at least they had running water and electricity (from time to time).]

That is quite a leap then.

[Wanda almost asks if Kubo knows the year where he's from, but it is possible he's from a world totally different from Wanda's own. So instead, she gives him a little reassurance.]

If anything is ever too confusing, you can always ask for help from me or most everyone else on this ship. Don't feel like you have to figure it all out by yourself.

[ Kubo is loathe to go that route. He's always been self-sufficient. Changing that now woul be nigh-impossible. ]

I can figure things out. I'm not too bad at it.

[She can sense the determination in his voice. There's a flash of respect in her eyes.]

Of course.

[She gives him a small little nod. She can certainly understand and appreciate a kid's wanting to be strong and independent. The big sister mentality in her compels her to add one more time, however:]

I am here though if you ever need a hand.

[ He nods, accepting that. Kubo isn't against help of any kind. He's just not used to it. ]

Thanks.

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notmutantbutmiracle - 2017-03-23 12:21 (UTC) - Expand