Some Things Just Can't Be Understood

"That's okay, I made the mess." Pheobie pointed out. "I don't mind cleaning it."

Maple started cleaning dishes anyway.

"I can't have you doing everything around here. I'll get lazy."

"I highly doubt that" Pheobie smiled.

"You'll get all your other work done. Besides, I like cleaning"

"Well I have no other work to do at the moment," answered Maple lightheartedly. "And something tells me if I decide to be lazy now those three will never let me hear the end of it."

"Well I don't see them helping me." Pheobie replied. "So I guess that means you get a reward." She smirked. "How about I make some cookies? You get a nice big cookie for being helpful, and the other boys don't. That'll teach 'em"

"Well the reason they wouldn't let me hear the end of it is because I always accuse them of being lazy, though they really aren't," Maple explained. "...But a huge cookie all to myself sounds wonderful. Will it be like a cookie cake?"

"It can be. What kind would you like?" Pheobie smiled. "Do you want it in a funny shape?"

"Hmm," Maple mused. "Well it's the wrong time of year for Santa Claus...ah, we can always have the usual circle and say it's sun-shaped or moon-shaped or basketball-shaped or whatever.

He felt a cold ache in his bones and muscle. He had gotten carried away earlier with the GS. Self-modification wasn't too far from injecting yourself with corruption, just that its effects were more controlled. It made him concerned about Pheobie, a newbie who has just set off some massive unknown code.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked. " I ask because the GS can be rough on some people, especially if they're not used to it."

"Just More energetic than usual." Pheobie replied. She looked thoughtful, still trying to think of a good cookie shape. "I can make it shaped like the ship"

"You know I was thinking about that earlier," Maple admitted. "I think there's a ship-shaped pan around here somewhere."

He shuffled around the cabinets, still feeling a little cold and stiff. It didn't alarm him because a more serious corruption would feel much worse. He knew from experience. He'd just would take a nap later.

He wondered vaguely about what Pheobie said. Moreenergetic than usual? Corruption usually made people feel sluggish. Probably that was a sign that she had little to no corruption, which was good.

Pheobie helped, finally finding the pan under the sink. "Hey Maple... When's your birthday?" She asked, innocently enough.

"Ah..." he paused. It was sad that he had to think for a moment when his birthday was, he mused. "May 15th. Ways off. I'll be 26." He paused. "I feel old."

"That isn't too bad. I'll be 20 in August." Pheobie smiled. "I just wanted to know so that I can get you a present when it gets to that time of year. Since I'll be tagging along with you now, and all"

"Ah, true enough," Maple replied as he went back to finish the dishes. So there wasn't such an age gap after all. That was nice to know. He nearly tripped while going over to get a towel, and saw that it was the cat.

"Hi furball," he greeted, slightly annoyed." You'll get wet if you stick around here."

As if to prove his point, he shook his wet hands and splattered some droplets on the cat. It blinked and shook its head a few times, and then growled at him.

"Kitty, Maple. Play nice" Pheobie warned. "Or no treats for either of you"

"I warned him," Maple protested lightly, but left the cat alone afterward.

The cat then went behind Maple's legs as Rolly happily trotted in, wanting to play with the kitty. He gave a couple of high-pitched barks, while the cat gave a hiss.

"Ah, is that the problem?" said Maple. "Shoo mutt. No doggies in the kitchen. Dog hair does not serve as a good seasoning."

"No Rolly" Pheobie scolded lightly. "Leave Kitty alone"

She began getting out the ingredients to make cookies. "What kind of cookie do you want Maple?"

"Chocolate chip of course," answered Maple, glancing down at Rolly. "No, you can't have some. Chocolate is bad for pups like you."

Rolly whined and fell onto his back, as if wanting a belly rub.

"Your cuteness does not affect the chemical compounds of chocolate," Maple pointed out.

"Go find your master, Rolly. Go find Dalios." Pheobie urged. She began mixing the ingredients.

Rolly let out a whine, and then ran off. Maple was a little surprised to see the Corgi mix actually listen to someone. Not even Dalios could control him that well, and he was an animal master.

The cat, now much more content, purred and leapt onto the counter.

"Off!" said Maple, putting the cat back down. "Cat hair is not fine cuisine either."

Pheobie poured a saucer of milk and set it on the floor for kitty. "There you go" she smiled.

The turned back to her dough. "Could you find the chocolate chips?"

"Chips? Right, chips, chips..." he muttered to himself, walking over to the food storage area. He wandered around for a while before he finally found some...that were about three years past their expiration date. He came back empty-handed. "On the other hand, non-chocolate chip cookies will be fine too."

"Couldn't find any?" Pheobie asked. "I can use them so long as the pakage is still sealed if you can find some. Chocolate never goes bad. It's like a natural preservative"

She was kneading the dough by hand.

"Really?" asked Maple. "Well, I actually did find some earlier, but the date on them's three years past the recommended date...but you say it's a natural preservative...I'll bring them over and you can look at them and see if they're still good or not."

He hunted down the bag of chocolate chips in question and then returned to the kitchen with it.

"Check the bag. Make sure its sealed still. Feel it and make sure the contents are still firm. Then open it and make sure they look and smell okay. Some times the package rips and the chips go bad." Pheobie stated. "They only stay good if they're air tight."