Keep Meg & Amy From Cooking Party

[kitchen_maid]

There are streamers over the door and glitter is flung generously (if randomly) about over countertops. (To be on the safe side, the girls have used edible glitter, like that on the cookies they handed out as invitations.)

There are large signs posted above the stoves and ovens with picture of Meg and Amy and the words "NOT ALLOWED" in large and bright red letters below them.

It can only mean one thing.

There's a party in the kitchen, and someone has got to keep these girls from cooking.

Comments

[kitchen_maid]

"Modern? They're not that new. I'm a dishwasher, some of the time."

Amy is very confused.

[balletrat]

No - it's a machine, *Meg says, giggling.*

You put dishes in, and then water and soap comes and then you take them out and they're clean - it's like magic! Only, not magical.

[kitchen_maid]

"Oh! Oh, Meg, that's marvelous. They really do come up with terribly clever things, don't they?"

[balletrat]

It almost makes me wish I'd been born a hundred years later, *Meg agrees, with a grin.*

- almost. 'cause, you know, then we're here, and we get the best of both worlds. Or all worlds! So.

[kitchen_maid]

"I think I'm very happy to have been born when and where I was. And I'm happy to have made my way here. I never really had friends before Milliways, you know."

[balletrat]

Me neither, *Meg confesses, with a small smile.*

- I mean, except Christine, you know? Everyone else was - I mean, we were friendly, but we competed. Kind of hard to become real friends with someone when you know that sooner or later either you'll edge them out of their place or the other way around.

[kitchen_maid]

"Very hard, I should think," says Amy. "It's also hard to become real friends with someone when they're not supposed to call you by your name. It fact, it's almost impossible."

[balletrat]

- well, it depends what they're supposed to call you, *says Meg, a little wryly,* but yeah, I think I see your point.

[kitchen_maid]

"'Your Highness' tends to be the sort of form of address that doesn't inspire confidences," says Amy. "I'm much happier to just be Amy."

[balletrat]

*Meg gives her a mock-considering look.*

- yeah, *she says, after a beat, and grins.* Amy definitely suits you better. It's the freckles.

[kitchen_maid]

A bright grin.

"It's a good name to go with freckles, isn't it? Far better than Amethyst."

[balletrat]

Amethyst suits you, *Meg says, firmly,* about as much as Marguerite suits me.

Which is to say, not at all. I don't know what our parents were thinking.

[kitchen_maid]

Amy giggles.

"Amethyst Alexandra Augusta Araminta Adelaide Aurelia Anne," she says. "My parents were thinking that names should be long and ridiculous. My sisters and I all have seven names. And some of them are truly awful. Like Araminta."

[balletrat]

Marguerite Cheryl Giry, *Meg admits, ruefully.*

Which - isn't seven names, I know, but still. It means 'daisy'. Do I look like a daisy to you?

[kitchen_maid]

Amy considers this.

Carefully.

Forehead all wrinkled and everything.

"No."

[balletrat]

That, *Meg says, loftily,* is exactly what I thought. Merci.

[kitchen_maid]

"But of course," says Amy, because the fact that she doesn't speak French means she can't say "mais bien sur."

"But Meg and Amy suit us terribly well, so I guess we should be glad we have good nicknames."

[balletrat]

*Someday, Meg will teach Amy French. And then the world really should fear.*

At least our parents left us that, *Meg agrees, heaving an enormous sigh.*

- and honestly? It's kind of a good thing I'll never have kids, 'cause I'd be so tempted to name them something awful -

[kitchen_maid]

"Oh?" says Amy.

She'll have six. She doesn't know that yet.

"Like what?"

[balletrat]

*Meg considers this seriously for a moment, before announcing, solemnly:* Eglantine.

[kitchen_maid]

Amy giggles.

"Eglantine," she says, solemnly, "is one of my sister Emerald's names."

[balletrat]

. . . . my sympathies are with your sister, *Meg says, very seriously indeed,* and I really hope she has a nickname that isn't 'Eggy'.

[kitchen_maid]

"She's just Emerald," says Amy. "Well, she's Emerald Evangeline Edwina Elinora Eglantine Edythe Elyse, Grand Duchess of Bertinberg. But we call her Emerald."

[balletrat]

. . . . . . . . you could just call her 'Eeeeeee', *Meg suggests, hopefully.*

[kitchen_maid]

Amy giggles.

"Well, yes, but that would seem to make me 'Aaaaaaa,' which I don't like at all."