Cafeteria; Monday Lunchtime [ 01/02 ].

[geewhizfellas.livejournal.com]

Sure, going home for the holidays had been great and everything, but there had been one thing about Fandom High that Butters had really, really missed that he couldn't get while he was in South Park, either, and that was cafeteria food.

That's right, cafeteria food. He was one of the first ones down there at the cafeteria for lunch that day, bouncing eagerly from foot to foot as he got a great big red tray, a wee tiny little milk carton (with a straw, of course!), and his lunch for the day.

Because, admit it, there is always something just really awesome about Salisbury steak and tater tots.

[[ I just really wanted to do a cafeteria post. Open lunchroom is totally open! ]]

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[geewhizfellas.livejournal.com]

"Eeeeewww!" said Butters, amid giggles. "I wouldn't eat 'em, anyway. Er, no offense, m
Morph, but you look kinda icky. Where'd you get him, Jim? That Treasure Planet?"

[answer2bheard.livejournal.com]

"On the ship, actually," Jim replied with a little laugh as Morph made more chittering noses from inside the chip bag. "He was travelling with one of the members of the crew, John Silver, who was the galley cook?"

A beat.

"Kind of. Turns out he was the head of the pirates that overthrew the ship."

Jim still sounded kind of fond of the old guy, though.

[geewhizfellas.livejournal.com]

"There goes my idea that maybe he morphed into a gold coin and tricked you!" Butters said with another laugh. "Did the ship get overthrew while you were on it?"

[answer2bheard.livejournal.com]

"It did, yeah. Turns out most of the crew was pirates. So in the end, it was just me, Dr. Doppler, B.E.N., who we picked up on Treasure Planet, and the Captain."

Cue indignant chittering from the bag.

"And Morph."

Better.

[geewhizfellas.livejournal.com]

"And you all made it?" asked Butters, fascinated. "I remember when I was a pirate, we kept the French from attackin' because Craig had one of them light swords from Space Battles! Did you guys have light swords, too?"

[answer2bheard.livejournal.com]

"Laser guns," Jim replied, and then he fell kind of quiet. "And... not everyone made it. The first mate... There was a star, going supernova, and his lifeline..."

Inhale. Exhale.

"Mr. Arrow was tossed overboard. We didn't notice until it was too late."

[geewhizfellas.livejournal.com]

"Y-yeah," said Butters, quietly, morosely, respectfully. "It's hard out there with pirates. I mean, they shot nearly everyone in our crew. It may seem glamourous with all the Treasure and the rum and the jet emus, but it's s not a pirate's life for me, no sir! I'm real sorry about your friend, Jim."

[answer2bheard.livejournal.com]

Jim knew what a jet was, obviously. But an emu? Not so much.

He probably wouldn't have thought a jet emu was really all that weird if he were to see one, anyhow.

"Thanks, Butters. Either way, it's over, now. Mom's inn is being rebuilt with the money we managed to grab before the planet exploded," because of course the planet exploded, "and most of the pirates are behind bars, so they won't be bothering anybody again."

[geewhizfellas.livejournal.com]

"And I bet now they got food and shelter and they're better off," Butters said thoughtfully. "So it all works out. It's real bad that planet blew up, though. All that treasure! Maybe it wound up on some other planet, and maybe that planet really needed it because they were poor and now they're happier!"

[answer2bheard.livejournal.com]

"Now, there's a thought," Jim replied with a little smile. "I mean, the gold all melted, but... that mostly just means that there are probably a lot of meteors out there that are mostly... made of gold."

No, Jim. No going back into space to look for Treasure Asteroid.

[geewhizfellas.livejournal.com]

"Melted goal is still gold though, right?" Butters grinned a little. "It'll land somewhere and then people will be all rich and stuff. Boy, wouldn't that be nice if it landed here? I bet Ransom's bust the place for a gold meteor to land."

[answer2bheard.livejournal.com]

"I think it would have to go pretty far out of the way to land here," Jim noted, "but then, this is Fandom. I don't think it's totally impossible, either. And it would be nice to have a little more of the treasure, I'll admit..."

[geewhizfellas.livejournal.com]

"Soooooo," asked Butters with a crooked smirk, "how much treasure did you get?"

[answer2bheard.livejournal.com]

Aaaand that was about the point where Jim's face fell a little.

"Well, between the pirates, and the planet blowing up, and us having to steal back the ship...?"

Just spit it out, Jim.

"A handful."

[geewhizfellas.livejournal.com]

...

Butters looked across the table, eyes slightly downward.

"At least you're hands are kinda big...ish?"

[answer2bheard.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, well. Silver's hand is bigger, and he's the one who managed to grab that handful in the first place," Jim sighed. "It should be enough to rebuild Mom's inn, at least. Which is good, since the treasure map was the reason it was burned down in the first place."

[geewhizfellas.livejournal.com]

"...will you be able to at least add some really neat upgrades?" Butters wondered. "Like those beds that vibrate if you put a quarter in 'em or those neat toilet fountains or monkeys as bellboys?"

[answer2bheard.livejournal.com]

"... Maybe... something like that?"

His mom had been thinking of maybe getting a piano for the lobby. And that's... about as far as that had gone.

"It's all up to Mom, anyhow, so I would have to ask her to be sure."

[geewhizfellas.livejournal.com]

"So has your mom had the inn for a long time?" Butters asked, popping a tater tot into his mouth. "Does that mean you got to see all sorts of interestin' people passion's on through?"

[answer2bheard.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, kind of," Jim replied. "I mean, I grew up there, so she's had it as far back as I can remember. And... Montressor's actually kind of boring, for the most part. I mean, it's a mining planet, so mostly you just get miners passing through, or merchants who want to buy what's being dug up there. But now and again you see old spacers who have some interesting stories to tell, and stuff like that, too."