Lost And Still Missing

5: A Little Mending

"What are you doing?" Norma asked with a giggle, watching the young man with a pink apron in the kitchen, glancing back at her as he flipped a pancake into the air, and then flawlessly catching it right behind his back.

"Well... what does it look like I'm doing?" he replied as soon as he heard the pancake flop back onto the frying pan, internally sighing in relief that he didn't screw up that one on accident.

"Wow, I'm impressed," Norma remarked sincerely as she leaned forward against the opposite side of kitchen island, wearing a light yellow sundress with a watermelon pink jacket over it.

"And well, I dunno... showing off your pancake-flipping skills?" she added, raising a brow at him.

"Excuse you, but I am making y'all pancakes out of the goodness of my heart," Once-ler said as he neatly placed the pancake onto a readied plate. There were actually a lot of plates, each with a good lot of blankets of 'cakes on them already.

It was raining outside; quite the downpour even. A bit of faraway thunder and lightning as well from time to time. That would explain why there were a large number of animals taking shelter and making themselves cozy in the Once-ler's little hut as well.

"Oh boo-hoo you grandma wannabe, are we some part of your charity story now?" Carmen remarked in her usual apathy. Though it had a higher tint of scorn laid about, "If the rain wasn't as bad as it is, I would've much preferred running back to town and accidentally slipping on my ass than finding shelter in here," she added, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes coldly. She was standing straight and stiff in her place, as if not wanting to touch anything within his house other than the floor and the air.

"Gee, thanks, I am soo warmed up by the fact you find my company so uplifting," Once-ler replied with about as much sarcasm, grabbing two plates with his hands; handing one out to Norma, and the other one to the little baby barbaloot who seemed to have taken a similar liking to Once-ler as it did with Norma.

"Pleasure's all mine toothpick," Carmen shot back still. To which Once-ler then shot a pleading pout at Norma, as if to say, "Please make her stop."

Norma only giggled at his childish demeanor, patting him lightly on the back as she grabbed a fork from the nearby drawers, then returned back to her place and took a slice out of the pancakes, her eyes perking up as she took a bite. "Mm! Thish ish really good! Hey Carmen, come and taste thish! It'sh sho delicious!" she exclaimed, looking back at a still seemingly unmoving blonde, glaring back at her with her signature stoic expression that by now the redhead could immediately read as a solid "no."

Norma just ends up just giving her a rueful frown before turning her attention back to the plate of warm food in front of her, "Suit yourself miss grumpy-pants,"

"Hey, you really like it?" the young man asked as he got back to the opposite side of the counter after he had finished serving the animals their shares and even grabbing a couple stools for him and Norma to sit on. He then grabbed his own fork and his plate of his favorite breakfast meal. Though he obviously eats it at times other than breakfast.

Norma nods accordingly with a little hum, making herself as comfortable as she possibly can on the stiff wooden chair, "My compliments to the chef! I gotta say, I'm pretty jealous though,"

"Jealous?" Once-ler implored, raising a brow.

Norma raised her hand, palm open, chewing and then swallowing her mouthful before replying, "Yeah, like, I don't actually get to cook much; well," she paused, lowering her head, "Not at all really," she added, quieter and quicker.