Office Hours - Thursday 8/19

[carpe_demon]

Drake was packing up his office, setting Delirium's psychedelic frogs aside for Karla and trying to decide what to do with his framed autographs from Merlin and Arthur. But the music was still cheery -- today's selection included Abbacadabra.

The door was open.

Comments

[carpe_demon]

"Wee blonde scourge!" Drake said. "Come on in. I'm just trying to decide what to do with some of this stuff. I don't want my autograph collection to go to waste."

[glacial_queen]

Karla wrinkled her nose at Arthur's picture. "You could always give it to someone in trust and suggest they hand it over to someone they think would appreciate it?" she suggested.

Why anyone would want Merlin and Arthur's signatures was beyond her, but who knew? People were weird.

[Apparently, pressing post is mandatory now. Whatever.]

[carpe_demon]

"Not a fan, huh?" Drake said, noting said nose wrinkling. "Hey, it's not everyday you meet literary icons. Except around here, apparently. I'm sure I'll find someone who'd appreciate them."

[glacial_queen]

"Merlin is a wonderful male," Karla said. "I'm going to visit him sometime."

Arthur...? Karla was staying diplomatically silent about him.

Oh, wait. She was Karla. No she wasn't. "Arthur is brave and honorable, for all that he's usually a giant jackass."

Okay, for Karla, that was pretty diplomatic.

[carpe_demon]

"Believe it or not, there are a lot of authors who would agree with you," Drake said with a laugh. "Sometimes he's heroic, sometimes he's a dumbass, sometimes he's a brave and honorable jackass."

[glacial_queen]

"Then they paint a much more accurate portrait of him then they do Merlin," Karla said with a sigh. "Old, occasionally dottering, and willing to help assault Igraine. That's not the real Merlin."

[carpe_demon]

"Stories get muddled as they get passed down through time," Drake said. "Go read a history book, then watch The Tudors." Pause. "Wait, don't watch The Tudors. Or don't tell anyone I said to watch it. It's dirty."

Well, not like anyone could fire him now.

[glacial_queen]

Karla did and then HER BRAIN EXPLODED

Karla just grinned at him. "First you want me to release these frogs into Professor Skywalker's classroom. Now you want me to go watch The Tudors. I'm starting to think you like getting me into trouble."

[carpe_demon]

"Someone has to pick up the slack for me," Drake grinned back. "And I'm not trying to get you into trouble. That only happens when you get caught. So...don't get caught."

[glacial_queen]

"But, Drake!" Karla exclaimed, all wide eyes and innocence. "I'm sure I don't know the least thing about being sneaky!"

[carpe_demon]

Drake snorted. "Pull the other one, wee blonde scourge," he said. "It's got bells on it." He paused with a puzzled look. "I've never understood what that phrase meant."

[glacial_queen]

"In Kaeleer, the bells are supposed to be an incentive to try again, I think." Karla said, drifting over to examine the tank of frogs. "Astral. Where did they come from?"

[carpe_demon]

"Didi's sister Delirium came a-visiting during Parent's Weekend," Drake said. "She conjured them up for me. That's Athos, Aramis, Porthos, and d'Artagnan," he said, pointing them out. "And that sneaky looking one in the corner is Milady de Winter. They like flies. Or jello."

[glacial_queen]

Karla immediately decided Milady was her favorite and the prettiest frog of the bunch, curling her fingers in a wave at all of them.

At least until Drake's last sentence sank in. "Do you buy the flies somewhere?" she asked, turning to look at Drake again? "Or am I going to have to learn to catch them?"

[carpe_demon]

"You can get 'em at pet stores," Drake said. "Flies or crickets. But they're kinda special so they're quite happy with jello instead. Purple, red, yellow, green, even blue."

[glacial_queen]

"I can probably handle making jello," Karla mused. "It didn't look that difficult..."

[carpe_demon]

"Hot water, jello packet, cold water," Drake said. "It's easy. Just don't feed them jello shots instead. Next thing you know they'll be partying hard and taking over the bathtub."

[glacial_queen]

"Is there anything else I need to know about them?" Karla asked. "Things they like, things to avoid...? I've never actually had a pet before."

She was a little nervous, honestly.

[carpe_demon]

"Just make sure the tank is filled with clean water, don't let them dry out, don't let them freeze," Drake said. "They're pretty low key when it comes to taking care of them. Don't worry!"

[glacial_queen]

Karla was going to worry. Just a bit.

"Clean water, no drying, no freezing," Karla repeated, nodding. "I can do that."

These frogs were going to be spoiled. Artisian, filtered water, warming spells, the works.

[carpe_demon]

"They're pretty quiet most of the time," Drake said. "But since they were created by Delirium, you never know what might happen."

[glacial_queen]

Karla was going to buy them a little froggy palace, honestly. "I'll take care of them," she assured him. "Promise."

[carpe_demon]

"I know," Drake said simply. "I don't even have to threaten you about coming back from the grave and singing Britney Spears, like I did Kennedy."

[glacial_queen]

"Who's Britney Spears?"

Oh, Karla, no. Just no.

[carpe_demon]

Drake grinned and snapped his fingers to conjure up a mike and music.

"With a taste of your lips
I'm on a ride
You're toxic, I'm slipping under
With a taste of a poison paradise
I'm addicted to you
Don't you know that you're toxic
And I love what you do
Don't you know that you're toxic."