Key snorted with laughter as he pulled some meat, cheese, and a creamy chive spread from the fridge. "Cardcaptor? Cardcaptor Sakura in French?!" He laughed louder, made a mental note to find that online somewhere so they could watch it together. So what if he didn't know French? Some memories were just worth the mild irritant of language barriers. "You surprise me sometimes, Pris. I can call you that, right?" he hummed. With a quick motion of the knife, he cut the sandwiches into little triangles that they could share. After putting a bag of popcorn in the microwave, he leaned back out into the living area.

"A character though? Hm...you might have to give me time to think on that. It would have to be someone perfect for me, don'cha think?" He shook his head, continuing to mutter to himself over the pop of the corn. "Nami maybe? Or a pokemon? Those are always so cool looking. I don't really know though..." He shook his head again when the microwave dinged. Those thoughts were for later though. Now he just needed to get his food and play games. Priscilla was going to have a blast watching this!

She nodded absentmindedly at Key's nickname for her, then Priscilla realized he wouldn't have been able to see her from the kitchen. A good thing too! Seconds later she was staring at her sketch trying desperately not to let her emotions get the best of her. A friend had just given her a nickname! She'd never imagined something like that would ever happen to her.

Hugging her sketchbook, Priscilla raised her voice so she could be well hear. "Oh definitely! Call me whatever you please."

"I'll certainly make you the most wonderful clothes ever. I promise." Priscilla whispered the last sentence, making the vow to herself. She didn't know how Key would react if she actually went up and promised him something like that. Besides, it wouldn't have been proper.

Key tilted his head, worried for a second when Priscilla didn't immediately reply. The reply came though and he beamed, not caring if she could see him or not. He just felt so happy to hear her own acceptance of his nickname like they really were best friends already. He knew it wasn't long enough for that, but he still felt like they might one day be real best friends. "Ah great! Pris just really suits you, ya know. It's cute," he added with only the barest hint of hesitation.

With his snacks in hand, Key headed back into the living area, wanting to actually converse face to face. And besides, he was excited to play his game with Priscilla watching. Dropping the plate of sandwiches and the popcorn bag down on his little coffee table, not minding the other clutter already there, Key found a seat again on the couch. "So, ready to watch me play?" he grinned, glancing over at Priscilla. He tried not to look at her sketchbook too much, but it looked like she already did a lot of work which made him curious as well.

She nodded.

Hesitating a second, Priscilla ended up holding her sketchbook out. It was imperative that she get Key's opinion about her first tentative design after all. "I would like to know what you think before you start though." After the wait he'd been through to play his game, she wouldn't expect him to be able to think about mush else once he started. Besides, it would mean she'd be able to revise the sketch whilst he amused himself.

The floor bothered her a bit. It was hard. Sitting on the ground wasn't her usual habit. Then again, having a friend wasn't something she was used to either. She ended up eyeing the snacks Key had brought with an air of perplexed curiosity. Would the popcorn taste good? It wasn't the high quality kind Priscilla was used to.

Key took the sketchbook, a little surprised but pleased to be offered a chance to see. He glanced over the design, a grin growing on his face even though he knew his face started to flush. He wouldn't normally wear such a thing and yet...yet it excited him, made him want to feel even more adorable than people already said he was. "I love it," he murmured, quickly handing the sketchbook back before he could flush even deeper. Was this the way new friends should react to each other? He couldn't even say anymore.

Starting up his video game, he used the distraction to fight his own excited embarrassment down. Once the start screen blazed the words 'Zombie Hunter' in bold red, a bullet crashing into the screen, he managed to glance back at Priscilla, smiling again when he saw her eying the snacks. "You can go ahead and take some, you know. I made them to share. I promise, it's all good! I might get lost in the game once I start, so if you've got anything else you want, you should say it now," he added.

The moment the book was back in her hands, Priscilla went back to sketching. It needed to be more defined. She wasn't sure yet about the color palate. Something sweet and adorable, purples and bubblegum pink perhaps? She would come up with a few different ones and let Key decide before going oit and getting the fabric.

Where was the fabric store anyway?

Priscilla shook her head and ended up grabbing a sandwhich. It would keep her hands busy while she thought. Besides, she felt a bit peckish anyway though the sight of garrish red on black made her want to go and sit anywhere else but there. "Zombies?" Like that disgusting mug she'd looked at earlier in the store? Priscilla was staring at Key before she knew it, surprise plain on her face. "Uhm ... I may need a pillow or something to ... Well I don't like horror stuff..."

Key tilted his head back, raising one eyebrow at Priscilla. A pillow? Did she need it to block out the view of his horror genre or to scream into or sleep because she couldn't bare to watch? He wondered, just a little bit amused by the thought of any one scenario. Priscilla really was the perfect picture of a lady, more so than he could ever manage. Which was probably natural, him not actually being a lady. "I can get that," he hummed after a second, unable to bite back his smile. He slipped away to his bedroom on the right down the hall, bringing out an extra bed pillow that had been sitting in his closet. He tossed it into Priscilla's lap with the smile still on his face. "I don't know how much it will help, but I promise this game won't traumatize you....too much." He just about giggled as he settled on the floor again, leaning back against the couch. He clicked the start button, though still kept one ear open for conversation.

The screen started the shift, showing clearly just what sort of action-heavy horror game it was. Though Key supposed in his eyes, the game was more murder mayhem than a true horror. Just him, a gun, and ten thousand zombies. And really, what could be more fun than that. As the game started up, his body language shifted, becoming more focused and sharp, his controller held ready in his hands. "This is definitely worth all the hype," he murmured, just before the first zombie ran onto the screen.

Relieved, Priscilla scooted back onto the couch while Key went to get a pillow for her. She took the few moments of solitude to look around the apartment again, taking in the nick nacks, all the stuff ... Basically anything to keep her eyes of the garish screen. The television was good quality, perhaps not as high as what her father had always insisted on having in the house, but it was acceptable even by her standards. She supposed that only made sense.

When Key returned, Priscilla snatched up the pillow and hugged it close. Surely she would need it, childish thought it might have appeared. It would be the best way to hide the screen from sight, while offering the same comfort a teddy bear might. The pillow smelled crisp, like it had come straight from a dryer. The clean scent helped calm her nerves a bit, even reassuring her as to her decision to accept Key's offer to live with him. She'd been a bit nervous about it, even if she hadn't thought about it too much.

"Thank you, Key. I hope the game doesn't ..." As the screen shifted, so did Priscilla's grip on the pillow. The more zombies appeared, the higher the it went until only her eyes peered over, wide and the skin of her face pale. Priscilla ended up squeezing her eyes shut tight and lying down on the sofa, using the pillow like it was supposed to be. It was the only way she could think of to completely block out the sight of all those oozing, groaning, falling apart, zombies.

The sounds still filled her ears, but the thought of leaving her spot never even crossed her mind.

Key half heard Priscilla's words, but they faded off and he couldn't even say if he simply ceased to hear or if she stopped speaking. Either way, his focus fully switched to the tv. It wasn't a look of glee or rage that he stared with, but utter conviction--the true face of gamer. Loading his gun, he took off running, shooting with a single minded determination. It didn't even matter that Priscilla sat behind him. After five minutes, he'd already forgotten about anything but the game. Every time he died, he only got more determined. The game lived up to it's reputation. In a mass zombie outbreak, as the lone hunter in Neo-Tokyo, it was really a race to see how long you could live. And as the hours passed, Key onto got better. He hunted. Murmuring 'die zombie, die' under his breath, he went looking for the danger as the lighting in his apartment dimmed with evening, finally turning dark all around him.

Still he didn't notice, continuing to play as night time descended. He had no idea for how long. It must have been hours, but the need to beat the clock gripped him hard. It was only when his character found himself trapped between two fallen buildings, every zombie he'd angered swarming from all sides, that he tossed his controller down in frustration. "I can't believe it! I only had two minutes left until the vaccine kicked in. I want to reach the next level!" he huffed. Turning, he saw Priscilla's foot first and blinked, returned to the real world in slow washes.

Oh, right. He wasn't alone. "Pris?" Key questioned. When he turned though, he saw her laying on the couch, arms still wrapped around the pillow she slept on. "Geez, if you were going to sleep, you should have just said something. I'd have stopped playing, you know..." he sighed. Pulling the throw blanket down from its spot over the back of the couch, he let the cloth settle over Priscilla's form. He couldn't believe she fell asleep here like this, but it made a gentle smile ghost over his face. She was cute wasn't she?

Eventually the day's events had caught up with her. Despite the zombie noises, Priscilla fell asleep. Running away from home had taken it's toll. She didn't dream, or didn't remember any, and slept the whole night through with barely a twitch. Dead to the world, the young woman didn't even realize until morning that a blanket covered her.

When sunlight woke her, she sat upright with a jolt and a gasp. The room looked strange. Clutter, video games, it was all unfamiliar. Then she started remembering yesterday's adventure. Priscilla glanced at the blanket she'd thrown off, and smiled a little at the thought that Key had slipped it over her the night before.

Seeing as she'd woken up first, Priscilla decided to go and try to make something in the kitchen. She wandered over, tugging her clothes into order and patting her hair into place, and started rummaging through the fridge. She found a few boiled eggs and put them into a bowl. The oven top was an option, but she was afraid she'd burn the things trying to warm them up in water. She would probably end up boiling her hands.

The microwave looked simple enough. There were buttons with times already picked out for you, and one of them was for re-heating things! Excited, Priscilla stuck the boiled eggs inside and pressed the reheat button then stepped back to wait.

The last thing she expected was a loud explosion!

Priscilla screamed, then cut herself short, turning to see if she'd woken Key up. Now what was she suppoed to do? She glared at the microwave.

That night, Key dreamed of zombies. He only had two bullets left, but damned if he wasn't going to put them in zombie heads. He was chasing the monsters though the halls of a vaguely remembered elementary school when a scream shook him from the dream. Key shot up in bed, still lost somewhere between the blurred lines of reality. "Zombie? Where's the zombie?!" he yelled, already jumping out of his room and running toward the noise. He found Priscilla in the kitchen, looking caught in the act of something that irritated her very much. Key looked around, trying to ascertain the location of the noise. Not seeing anything, he paused, actually taking stock of the situation.

"Um..." He glanced down at his cotton shorts and too big Wicked t-shirt. "Did I miss something? I thought I heard a noise..." Key trailed off again, embarrassment rushing over him due to his ridiculous reaction. He really did hope that he didn't dream up that explosion. But then, what was Priscilla doing in the kitchen? He looked around the room in suspicion again, noting an unusual eggy odor.

Priscilla pointed accusingly at the microwave. "That thing made the boiled eggs I put inside explode!"

She turned to Key, a hint of red sweeping over her cheeks. "I wanted to make breakfast... Or try to anyway." But that had turned into a disaster, one that had made Key run out of his room yelling about zombies.

His attire made Priscilla all too aware that he was indeed a male, making her turn even redder then before. He was still cute, adorable, but in an undefinably different way. Cothing really did transform people ..

She wanted to see Key in a tailored suit, one with a ruffled undershirt and lace spilling from the sleeves, a ribbon holding back his hair and shiny heeled shoes on his feet. She wanted to know what he looked like wearing a mad hatter-esque outfit, complete with stylish top hat.

Key opened his mouth and closed it a second later, baffled by the words coming out of Priscilla's mouth. Boiled egg? Microwave? Oh god. He dropped his face into his hand a second later, not sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. The sound that came out was half way between the two, shaking his shoulders in a little hiccup. "You put boiled eggs in the microwave? I'm really going to have to teach you everything aren't I?" he managed. Lifting his head again, he revealed a smile now solidly in place. Shaking his head, he pulled open the microwave to look at the mess inside. "There's a rag in the drawer next to the stove. Wet it and pass it to me, will ya? I'll clean this and then we can really make breakfast. Want me to teach you how to make pancakes?" Pushing his hair back behind his ears, he gave Priscilla another smile, clearly not made or particularly embarrassed by his ruffled state.

Blushing, she went to the drawer without a word. For a moment she stared at the tap, not having much experience with any kitchen equipment at all. Even the sleek silver spout was different, a novelty. Priscilla ended up shrugging and shoving the cloth under the torrent of water; she handed it dripping wet to Key, not thinking that it might have been a good idea to wring it out.

"I've never even thought of making pancakes before ... Honestly I would like french toast, or crepes wrapped around berries and fruit, topped with a dusting of cinnamon." Just thinking about it made her stomach grumble, and for a moment she forgot about the kinds of outfits she wanted to make for Key.

Key winced at the water dripping all over his floors, but they were a cheap wood that he could just throw a towel over later granted no one slipped now with their bare feet. Using the rag, he set to cleaning up the egg with more seriousness than he usually cleaned. He was more an artistic type after all. House chores never got done on time, but he really did hate the smell of egg ingrained in his kitchen. After wringing out the rag and rinsing it so he could give the microwave another good once over, he looked over his shoulder to raise an eyebrow at Priscilla.

"Sometimes I forget just how sheltered you really are," he chuckled. "Well, I don't have much of anything to cook with since I'm no good with food. There's a box of pancake mix in the pantry though and I don't think you can mess that up." Chuckling again, he draped the rag over the divider in the two-sided sink so it could dry. "And besides, pancakes are the bomb!"

At the mention of pancake mix, Priscilla turned to the cupboards and started opening doors until she finally found the box. She stared at it, puzzled and doubtful. Would it really taste good, and would she be able to make it?

Leaving all the cupdoard doors open, she started rummaging again to try and find easuring cups, a pan, and cooking spray. She at least knew what everything looked like, because of the times when she'd watched the Food Network channel. Then she started measuring, and ended up putting way too much powder into the mixing bowl, and putting in not enough water til the mix was a gloopy mess. Pancake mix ended up on the counters and floors, and when Priscilla decided it was time to do something else ... She ended up with pancake mix in her hair and all over herself. The weight of it had surprised her, she'd fumbled the bowl and the mix went flying everywhere.

She didn't even dare turn around to look at Key.

((I just had an idea and went with it, I thought it would be hilarious to keep going with the hopeless cook thing. Alright?))

Key really wondered if he should stop her. As Priscilla started looking through the cabinets, he already had a bad feeling. Was it the overall earnest degree to which she tried or the way she fumbled a large mixing spoon just pulling it out of a drawer. It was bad really. And yet, he could only watch, too unsure how to interject and take the bowl away before a catastrophe happened. Maybe say he meant that he should make the pancakes and let her watch to know how they were made. However, as globs of mix landed on Priscilla, he knew it was already too late. Stepping toward her, Key reached out with awkward hands that weren't sure yet of what to do.

"A-ah...um, mab-" he started before some of the mix splatted right on his face. Key stopped short, right behind Priscilla who just somehow managed to fumble the bowl's contents everywhere but in the bowl. For one solid second, Key opened his mouth with not a single sound coming out. Then he laughed, almost falling over from the sheer force of it. "What is this?" he gasped. "I don't even know what's happening anymore!"

Priscilla turned right around and tried to look as dignified as possible as she stared at Key with embarrassed defiance. "I wanted to surprise you alright, that's why I'd put the eggs into the oven, then they exploded!" She sniffled a bit; her whole body slumped. "And then I though for sure I could make those pancakes. You've been so nice to me, taking me in and putting up with me. I just wanted to make something for you and give something back. That's all!"

She would have turned away, stomped out of the kitchen ... But then she caught some of her reflection in the overturned pancake bowl. Distorted as her face was by the metal, she couldn't help but let out a bark of laughter at how ridiculous she looked.

"Microwave, not oven," Key pointed out as he straightened again, still grinning, but in control of his laughter. The way Priscilla pulled herself up with defiance made his gaze soften with fondness. She really was like no other girl he had met before, or boy for that matter. A product of her upbringing, or whatever, he just loved that look that was half dignified and half embarrassed. "Thank you though, for trying. I mean it," he murmured. She looked on the verge of running away before even she burst into laughter, the sniffle from a second earlier still an echo. Smiling back, Key used the edge of the cupcake print hand towel hanging from the oven to wipe a smudge of pancake mix from Priscilla's face. "You'll find something that you can do. I'm sure of it. You just need to practice. Laugh at it," he added with a chuckle. "And then try again."

Priscilla wanted to run and hide so badly. She'd never made such a horrible mistake before. No one had ever let her. And she was an utter mess! Would the mix even get ouf of her hair? And what about her clothes?

Key's voice wrenched her from her thoughts, made her smile. He really was grateful that she'd tried, wasn't he? "I ..." She trailed off, freezing, as Key cleaned a bit of pancake mix from her cheek. Priscilla could feel her skin going pink, the heat of some emotion she didn't want to think about staining them. Her mouth fell open, she was so surprised! Dignity went right out the window as her mind went completely blank.

No one had ever touched her face like that, or smiled at her like Key was ... "Uhm .. uh .. yes?"

"That's right. Are you ready?" Key chuckled softly, not sure what to do with Priscilla's response. Or really, lack of a response. All she seemed able to do was stammer. Setting the towel back on the counter, he turned the bowl right side up again and started measuring a new set of pancake batter. He would leave the mess for later and just focus on getting breakfast started. Then afterwards, maybe a quick shower. After a slightly chuckle, he kept resumed his more serious aura. Taking one of Priscilla's hands, he maneuvered her so that she stood in front. Key kept a gentle, guiding hand near hers as he handed her the mixing spoon again. "Now, it's like this. Let me show you the right motion so it all stays in the bowl," he added, just a mint of sass creeping into his voice again.

She was too shocked not to go along with Key's maneuvering her. Priscilla had to admit she kind of liked having him so close, teaching her about cooking and just living a normal life in general.

"Like this then?" Steel straightened her spine, filtered into her voice, as she decided that she would conquer pancake making! No more would the mix be splattered over the kitchen by her hand! Priscilla decided she would become the absolute best at making pancakes. She'd decided to be the best equestrian there was, and had ranked near the top 5 regularly.

Now, with Key's hand there to steady hers, she set to mixing the better as best she could without making a mess.

"Just like that," Key encouraged. A smile pulling across his lips, he lessened his guiding touch less and less until he dropped his hands entirely. Priscilla didn't even seem to notice, she was so engrossed in her activity. She didn't need his help now though. With the confidence and right start, she managed just fine really. Finally, he stepped to the side to ready the skillet. "Look, it's done. Pour about a fist sized amount in the center. Just keep your hand steady. Same as before." He flashed another smile, realizing just how much fun he was having making breakfast. Breakfast, of all things. He felt glad once again that he picked her up.

Barely breathing, Priscilla took a hold of the bowl and started pouring some of the mix out. The gloop ended up spreading more then she'd first expected it would. This pancake would be as near a real cake as a pancake could get. Would it even cook alright?

She turned to Key. "Don't we need something to flip them with? I mean on the food network when they made stuff in pans they used spatulas to turn stuff with ..." Her hands started trembling a bit, and the young woman put her bowl aside on the counter before she could make another mess. As if the quickly hardening pancake batter already in her hair, on her face and her only set of clothes wasn't enough.

"Clothes!" Gasped Priscilla. "I only have this outfit ..." She glanced at herself as the smell of the pancake cooking started to waft through the kitchen.

Key laughed, the gentle mood around them not quite ending, but shifting rather. He pulled out a spatula from a drawer to the right of the stove. "I'll take care of the flipping part if you'll just keep pouring the batter after we finish each one." giving the pancake a test, he decided that it needed another few seconds. Turning back to Priscilla, his eyes widened slightly at her outburst. "Ah? Well, you can borrow some of my clothes, though I don't know what will fit," he laughed. "Considering they're tailored to fit a rather...flat female figure." Though if it was skirts or a loose top, their sizes probably weren't so different as to be impossible. Mostly it was a problem of the curves. "We could go shopping after we eat, I guess. If you're fine with that, that is. I know you're kinda trying to hide out."

Flipping over the pancake, he stared at it for a second, wondering just what he was doing. He decided to help Priscilla on a whim, but he was getting attached already. But her father was looking for her still and someone else was meant to marry her. It was a mess, he decided. But he wasn't quite ready to go back on his promise to help out either. Even if it was just shopping for clothes.