Pumpkin carving (Backdated to before the event)

[champagnedelis]

Characters: Francisca and YOU
Setting: The Kitchens 
Format: Either
Summary: Since it's October and there's a surplus of pumpkins, Francisca decides to make some Jack-o-lanterns.
Warnings: None 

Francisca sits at one of the large tables in the kitchen, several pumpkins around her, some hollowed, others still waiting to be disemboweled. There is a large bowl of steadily increasing amounts of pumpkin entrails, and several sharp knives to the side ready to carve.
She hums as she works, a small smile playing on her lips as she recalls brighter days when she helped make these lanterns with America when she was visiting.

Comments

[myblueskies]

Romeo had spoken to France about Jack O Lanterns already so when he entered the kitchen and saw her he smiled. "Hello Miss France!" He ran up to the table where she was.

[champagnedelis]

Francisca glanced up and beamed when Romeo ran to her, quickly setting down the spoon she'd been using and drawing him into a hug. "Salut, mon petit," she greeted, smiling and stroking back his hair. "Have you been well?"

[myblueskies]

Romeo wrapped his arms around her with a smile. "I'm good miss! Are you making those lights? Are you okay? Can I help?"

[champagnedelis]

She chuckled and dropped a kiss to his head, absently noting that he'd grown a bit taller. "Ah, oui, these are they," she answered, pulling one of the finished ones closer to them, its eerily grinning face to Romeo. "If you want to help there's plenty left to make," she says with a fond smile.

[myblueskies]

Romeo's face broke into an even bigger grin, "That's so cool!" He peered at it and nodded excitedly. "How do you make them miss?" He bounded over to the sink to wash his hands; knowing she wouldn't let him start until he had.

[tohko_amano]

Tohko wandered into the kitchen, looking to clean up some stuff, when she saw a woman cutting up pumpkins. She was cleaning up her mess, so Tohko didn't have a problem with it, but since she had never seen someone carve out a pumpkin, she walked up to her.

"Miss, why are you cutting up these pumpkins?"

[champagnedelis]

Francisca glanced up at the girl and gave a polite smile. "In the spirit of the month. Have you heard of Jack-o-lanterns?" she asked, taking a small fruit knife and using the tip to lightly draw out the design of an eerily grinning face.

[tohko_amano]

Tohko smiled. "I've never seen them, but I've read about them in stories! They're usually used in Halloween...oh. So that's why you're making them. Sorry. We didn't celebrate Halloween back home, so actually seeing a jack-o-lantern is a bit odd." Tohko explained nervously.

[champagnedelis]

She smiled and nodded, taking the small knife and stabbing into the pumpkin along the traced lines until the eyes and mouth have been made. "I used to make them with my... children," she answered, shrugging and putting the lid back on the finished lantern. "I thought the children around the tower might like them."

[tohko_amano]

Tohko nodded. "They probably will. I can't remember a story where people didn't like jack-o-lanterns. May I help? I've never made one, but it could be fun."

[thebigsister]

What are you doing?

[The question, innocent enough, comes from someone who for once seems to be dressed for the occasion. The tall, lanky figure peers at the pumpkins curiously, head tilted at an odd angle.]

[champagnedelis]

[Glances up at with a curious look and smiles.]

Making some Jack-o-lanterns. [Grabs one of the finished ones and holds it up to show.]

[thebigsister]

Jack-o-lanterns?

[That head tilts some more. Eleanor sounds genuinely confused.]

What are those?

[champagnedelis]

"Just that - lanterns. Quite popular in my world around Halloween - which should be soon here," she answered, taking the lid off the lantern. "You put a candle in here and the faces light up - quite eerie at night time. They were originally meant for scaring off spirits, but are more of a novelty these days."

[fuhgeddaboudit]

"What're ya doin'?"

A metal girl in a school uniform with an axe fixed to her shoulders approached, leaning over to inspect the pumpkins curiously.

[champagnedelis]

Francisca glanced over at the girl and smiled in greeting, taking in her appearance with a calm look. "I'm making Jack-o-lanterns for Halloween. Would you like to try making one?"

[fuhgeddaboudit]

"Sure!" Labrys replied eagerly, a bright smile crossing her face.

"Except...I dunno how, or even what they are."

[champagnedelis]

"They're just lanterns made out of vegetables," she chuckled, lifting a finished one to demonstrate. "We put a candle in them at night and the faces glow. Very easy to make."

[faithstaynight]

Would it be too weird to call the resurfacing memory of something that only happened a little over two months ago "nostalgia"? Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, this just feels all too familiar for Jeanne; she had met Francisca this way, hadn't she? Walking into the kitchen and spotting the nation as she putters about. The thought brings a smile to the Servant's face, and she approaches, curiously looking at the gutted pumpkins.

"Ah... so this is what you were talking about earlier, is it?"

[champagnedelis]

Francisca smiled at the now-familiar voice and didn't look up from the pumpkin she was hollowing out. "Oui, these are the Jack-o-lanterns. When they're finished I'd like to space them out around the tower though it will be a nuisance lighting them all each night. Perhaps I should keep them to the dormitories..."

Setting down the gutted pumpkin, she smiled up at Jeanne. "Would you like to try your hand at one, ma belle?"

[faithstaynight]

"I could help you light them, if you truly wish to do that," Jeanne said. It might be a bit of a pain for most people, running up and down the tower every night, but not for her; with her agility and endurance at the levels they were, running from the top to the bottom floors of their prison was nothing at all.

"I would be of much more help in that area than here, I think." She chuckles. "Despite what some may think, I do not think I have enough finesse with a blade that is not my own sword. I fear whatever it is I attempt to create will look quite miserable."

[champagnedelis]

"Oh nonsense, these little things are meant to look miserable usually - I made them with my children often," she chuckled, passing a hollowed pumpkin to Jeanne with a small knife. "You simple draw out a simple face and then cut out the shapes, like so."

She got another pumpkin and demonstrated the process. "It's not about perfection, simply about enjoyment and making the faces a bit creepy."

Hope you don't mind a late tag. ;w;

[mostremaining]

Gilbert spotted Francisca while going through the cafeteria to stuff himself on the day's offerings (which mostly meant he was going to go through an utterly ridiculous amount of pumpkin seeds). "Hey, jack-o-lanterns!" he said as he approached. "Man, it's been forever since I got to make one of those. My brother always said it was too much money for too much mess, or something like that, so he'd never let me make them."

Never too late! \o/

[champagnedelis]

Francisca glanced up and smiled in greeting, combing her hair back from her face. "Sounds like my neighbours. Though my children enjoyed them so much I couldn't help but make them yearly. Would you like to join?"

Yay~

[mostremaining]

"Your neighbors, huh? You must be used to people like my brother, then. Good thing I'm not like him then!" Gilbert laughed heartily and took a seat by Francisca. "I'd love to! But... I can't really think of any cool designs for Jack o' Lanterns. Huh. Any ideas?"