Prompt: Oliver tries to show his appreciation for Fran's kindness.
Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2025 10:59 am
align="center"]
LOCATION: Day roomxxxCOMPANY:Alone for now xxxCLOTHING: x
"Speaking #AAAAFF""Thinking #749dc3" The past months had been rather awful. Falling for someone, only for the rug to be pulled out from under you, and then getting punched and beaten a few times will do that to you. But trying to be optimistic, Oliver was trying to focus on remaining positive. Some people had been kind to him despite his making it rather difficult to do so, and he wanted to start making those people feel appreciated for being there for him. The first one on his list was Francesca.
His idea of cooking for her seemed easy at first until he discovered her favorite food was shellfish. Having never made a meal for himself before, Oliver thought the matter would be rather simple, but he had ultimately found himself stumped; it was more difficult than just boiling water and throwing everything in a pot. The chefs always made it look so simple, cutting vegetables as if it were a basic addition problem. Before this event, he would have said it was easy as pie but now he had discovered how difficult cooking was.
It had been hard enough to convince the cooking staff to allow him into the kitchen, even more so once they discovered he had no formal training. Thankfully, some trained experts were willing to guide him along the way and help him find a more “realistic” recipe. Shrimp alfredo wasn’t exactly what he had in mind, but the nervous looks from the chefs as he started deshelling shrimp and throwing them into the pot told him he was doing something wrong. How was he supposed to know they needed to be deveined as well?
Despite it all, Oliver was grateful for the experience. He just hoped that Fran would appreciate the gesture he was attempting to make. Also, that she didn’t mind if some blood had made it into their meal, he was told it should cook out, but he wasn’t sure if the staff had just been lying to him in an attempt to get him out of the kitchen faster. Oliver had offered to stay and help clean the dishes, but they insisted he leave so the meal didn’t get cold.
Once arriving in the Day Room, Oliver was happy to see he was the first to arrive, so that he could decorate the room a bit further before her arrival. There was a small pounding in his heart that the prince chalked up to nerves about whether or not she would like the meal, and not thinking about how she had saved him from himself months ago. Wiping a small bead of sweat from his brow, he looked over his hard work, pleased with himself and the wildflower he had collected and placed in a vase on the table next to the large bowl of steaming pasta.
She started to make her way to the Day Room Oliver told her to meet him in after spending too long deciding on the right outfit. What the Windurian Prince was up to could not have been any small feat and she wasn’t about to insult him by wearing something just thrown together. Almost as importantly she wanted something with more coverage. Not because of the weather but because of the way her pheromones were firing off lately. Francesca felt confident it would not happen today, but if it did her outfit could at least protect Oliver from being infected and the both of them from an awkward situation. As if either one of them needed anything else going sideways in their lives. Especially him.
The smell of something rich and savory hit her and it only grew in strength the closer she got to the door. That only excited her more, plus she was admittedly hungry. When he first told her what he planned on doing she was intrigued. It was a friendly gesture she hadn’t expected and one that was very touching. After their first tearful meeting and all the chats that followed he was one of a few she could call a friend in this place. She of course agreed to it, but did not plan on showing up empty handed. Hence the bottle of wine in one hand. Fran opened the door and poked her head in before stepping in completely, calling out to him in a loud whisper. “Oliver?”
And there he was, standing near a tablet set with warm food and even a flower in the middle. Her bottom lip parted from the top as she looked at both him and the set up with surprise. The door clicked as she ventured further in and toward him. She’d always seen Oliver well dressed but he looked more on point today. The green looked good on him. “Hey there, you’re looking extra handsome today.” Francesca started as she leaned over to give him a gentle side hug around his arms.
She looked over the table and upon closer inspection saw the shrimp mingled in and over the creamy pasta. One of her favorite foods. Her head lifted to look back at him. “This looks… amazing. And I could smell it all the way in the hall. Is this really all over me?” A warmth spread across her chest at the thought of that. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had put something so elaborate together for her.
“Thank you, Oliver…” The corners of her lips tugged up to form a smile. “You didn’t have to, but thank you. This was very kind.”
“Nice touch with the flower too.” She reached out to touch the flower at first but spotted his hand along with the bandage that was around one of his fingers. “Aww, what happened to you there? Papercut?”
OOC: I took an etty bitty liberty with the bandaid, let me know if I need to change it!
ʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ: Utopia - Day Room ★ᴍʏ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀɴʏ: Oliver ★ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴꜱ: none ᴀʟʟ ᴅʀᴇꜱꜱᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ:sweater, skirt, heels★ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ: 'Wow, Oliver, you're a such a sweet heart.'
"Speaking #AAAAFF""Thinking #749dc3" Just as Oliver feared that it might be too much or that she might not show, her voice echoed in the room. It was soft but enough for him to turn around. ” Francesca!” His face lit up looking at her with wine in hand, ' Let’s not get too excited.' He reminded himself this was just a dinner. They were just friends. They couldn’t be anything more. She had been so kind to him already; it wasn’t fair to her to burden her with any of his baggage. Plus, he was engaged!
” I’m glad you could make it.” He smiled, accepting her hug, ” Thank you. Beautiful and charming as ever, I see.” Friends could call each other beautiful, yes? He never would call Willow beautiful, but that’s because she would punch him in the throat for making any comment on her appearance. And calling Michael or Haruka beautiful was just strange.
Maybe it was better for him to just not think about it.
Watching her look at the food, suddenly, all his hard work had been worth it. He hadn’t even gotten to the point of the meal, but looking at her admiring something he had made was something he never could have imagined wanting months ago. The phrase about hard work paying off had meant nothing to him prior to coming to Utopia, being a spoiled prince, but being here, Oliver had to start working, and it was nice to see it did pay off at times. ” I tried, I must admit this was my first time cooking. But it should be cooked.” Having never needed to cook before, it was a skill that he had underappreciated.
Here it was, the opening. She was thanking him, but it was he who needed to thank her, ” Consider it a thank you. When we first met, I was really down, and talking to you helped. More than you would ever know.” Partially because Oliver didn’t want her to know. It was shameful to admit just how far he had fallen that day. How much more he would fall before starting to finally get his s**t together, as his sister would so kindly put it.
Looking at her smile was enough for a smile of his own to start to form. ”The flower? I am glad you like it. I was surprised to see one so beautiful with the weather starting to cool, but it reminded me of you.” Oop. That wasn’t something he would tell Michael or Haruka for sure. ” Sorry, that was a bit cheesy, no?” He laughed it off, hoping joking about it would make it less awkward.
” My finger?” Another line popped into his head, but thankfully, he was able to keep that one inside his mind for the time being. ” Yeah, that. I cut myself a bit. But I promise no blood got into the meal! He shook his hands frantically, ” The chefs said they had never experienced someone with as terrible knife skills as me, which I had to assume is some sort of superlative.” He laughed more, happy he could laugh again. ” Let’s eat before the meal gets too cold.” He said, pulling Francesca’s seat out for her to take a seat.
The exhilaration he showed caught Francesca off guard but gave her no less reason to smile. It filled her with a good feeling that just her presence could create that natural effect in someone. Looking up at him, she pulled her chin back and crinkled her nose just as a warm tint crossed her cheeks. Oliver gave flattering remarks yet he was calling her charming! “There’s no way I was going to skip out on this.”
It was one thing that Oliver went through all the work of setting this meal up, but when she heard him say he cooked it, Fran’s brows raised in awe. “You made this yourself?” She felt kind of bad about being so surprised, but it wasn’t often she came across someone in their station that bothered to learn how to cook. But he did, and to learn he did it to make them something homecooked had her turning an admiring eye back to him. “You are– That’s amazing.” It was no small thing to her, and it felt good to be so cared for. A couple of beats passed before she could speak again. “I’ll believe you.” She gave a small laugh but meant what she said. It certainly smelled right, so she was hopeful.
Goddesses, she remembered that day. He found her crying after a nasty spat with Anika, but by the end of it he fell into a panic attack about his own challenges. That was the beginning of this beautiful friendship between them and here he was thanking her for it all. The fluffmop really knew how to make this whole thing more touching. The latter part of his speech had her wondering about what more there was, but she wasn’t about to ruin a good thing. Fran gave a nod of her head. “You helped me then too, you know. As... raw as that day was, I’m happy I was able to be there for you and you know I’d do it again.” She spoke softly.
Fran gave the taller man a playful once over while she stifled a matching laugh. “Oliver that’s twice you’ve called me beautiful so far. Is that how you sweep girls off their feet?” She could feel a blossoming sensation in her chest over his comparing her to the flower he picked for today. A quiet feeling, but noticeable nonetheless. She shook her head in disagreement. “I think since you sounded like you meant it, it’s sweet.” And he was sweet to say it too.
She made a soft hum. That reason made more sense since he was cooking, and she made no expression of concern about his blood getting into the food. “That happens. I cut myself sometimes too.” Fran looked down at her own hands, only to realize she hadn’t cooked in a long time. Not since taking her title. She had no cuts. “Me and my mom would take turns when I was old enough to cook so I got my fair share of them.” What she could make wasn’t half as exquisite as what the chefs there could offer but it tasted good enough for them. The realization was a little sad to come to.
“Superlative?” Fran repeated the big word with a raised brow. She’d never heard that one before. The rest of it she got though and she laughed with Oliver. “Of course you’re gonna be terrible, it was your first time. You’ll get better with practice.”
With a cheerful thanks she moved to sit in the chair as he pushed it back in. “Did you like cooking enough to want to do it again?” Fran put a knuckle under her chin as an idea was forming. “I was so-so at it but I could still show you if you want.”
"Speaking #AAAAFF""Thinking #749dc3" Maybe this was a mistake. Oliver was not ready for the two of them to start hanging out alone this soon. He wanted to say that he was, but looking at her, the way she looked at him. Like she was seeing all of his flaws and still wanted to talk to him. This was dangerous. After Ophelia Oliver had promised to lock his heart away, and here was Francesca trying to make him risk it all again.
No. That wasn’t fair. She was just being a friend. It was Oliver trying to make it something more—the one with ill intentions. Her laughter wasn’t something she could control, no matter how infectious it could be. ” Amazing? Me? No, I am just trying to keep up with you.” That was the truth. Francesca had overcome more than enough adversity since her arrival, but she handled each day with stride and a smile on her face. Her sister was able to make Syena look docile, which Oliver was sure was impossible before seeing Anika in action.
Was it bad of him to mention the day they had met? It didn’t paint the best picture of Oliver, surely, but it made Francesca look like a saint! She had helped him so much that day. It really helped him put his life into perspective. ”Raw, yes. That is a good way of thinking about it.” Embarrassing would be another one, but the prince that the girl did not feel the need to say that aloud for his sake.
For a moment, Oliver thought he had been caught, but thankfully, the princess was quick to brush his compliments aside. She had probably been used to being called beautiful by her suitors and strangers, the same. ” Sweep you off your feet? Oh, if I were trying to do that, you’d know.” Where was this flirtatious energy coming from? The unbridled confidence he was feeling was exhilarating! ” I do have some moves you know,” He laughed at the thought, what moves did he have to offer a girl like her?
It was strange hearing Francesca talking about her life prior to royalty. Mostly because Oliver didn’t remember much of his home before he was a gift to a grief-stricken mother. Had his birth mother cooked with him when he was small? Was he kind enough to assist in the kitchen? It was reassuring that a few cuts were nothing to be too scared of when it came to cooking; it even made him want to try it again.
” I am glad I am starting at such a level. I was worried when the chefs were looking at me so strangely.” He chuckled a bit, remembering the looks on their faces as he attempted to manage in the kitchen. ” I wonder how often our personal chefs cooked to get where they are now. After trying my cooking, you’ll have to let me know if I have a shot of getting to the pros.” What even was he saying? There was no way he was going to be able to go back in that kitchen. Not with how much urging they were doing to get him to leave. But it was still fun to entertain the idea.
” I found it quite enjoyable, actually. I was surprised.” Maybe that was because he had someone to cook for. But still, the idea of something he made turning out this good was comforting. Taking his seat, he started pouring himself a glass of wine, offering it to the woman, ” I would love that. It would be fun to cook with someone next time. I’ll try not to hold you back. I am sure you are better than you give yourself credit.” he spoke with a smile on his face.
Oliver’s glow seemed to be a little brighter these days, compared to when they first met. It was an exciting thing to watch and be a part of, but Francesca believed his on-going transformation was in large part brought on by his own efforts. She believed him to be kindhearted, not only from what he put together for them that day but before that, when she was having her private pity party a couple months ago. It wasn’t lost on her that his show of care was made absent of her own ability to sometimes compel such acts from others, but that was a dangerous train of thought Fran did her best to avoid.
Today there would be no room for negative thinking. They were both swimming in the same shark-infested waters when it came to their respective blood-thirsty siblings, and in their vulnerable states found a friendship. That was what she wanted to celebrate with him. Fran made a grin to his complement and shook her head in light disagreement. “Well then Oliver, I think we’re pretty even then if that’s the case.”
She shot him a curious look in return for that little confident quip he made about his flirting skills and laughed a little. “Oh, really.” Fran wasn’t doubtful but dared not to ask him to demonstrate. At least, not until Oliver said he had moves. Now she was curious. “What kinda moves you got? Wait, let me guess. Do you tell the girls things like ‘Did it hurt when you fell from heaven’ or do you pull off the mysterious vibe—“ Fran paused, giving her best half-lidded, veiled gaze, “kind of like this?” She couldn’t see him doing either one, and her face relaxed back to normal with a small laugh. Whatever they were, they had to be good.
Listening to him talk about being a beginner when it came to cooking reminded her of when she’d see beginners in theater. All those fresh faces having to learn the process and skills as they went. In that, Fran didn’t know if she could ever call herself a beginner, truly. Being the daughter of a Prima Donna and practically living in a theater did that. But as far as cooking, she knew she’d started somewhere and didn’t imagine it being too different when it came to leveling up. “A lot, I bet. Probably every day to get it perfect.” Looking at the bowl of shrimp and pasta, she crinkled her nose and flashed him a grin. So far it looked promising. “Oh, I’ll let you know. If you weren’t a prince, do you think you’d try your hand at being a chef?”
“It can be sometimes. More fun than doing dishes that’s for sure.” As Oliver worked on the wine, Francesca worked on making him a plate. He certainly sounded like he enjoyed it, and she enjoyed talking about it with him. Fran thought on all the people she’d met so far and wondered just how many of them had set foot in a kitchen and gotten their hands dirty. It made her want to do it herself, just to see if she could manage anything as decent as she’d made before making the leap to princess. She accepted the glass of wine and offered him the plate before working on one for herself. He was too sweet to encourage her. Fran smiled back at him. “I would too. We can do that but it has to be something you like next time. What would you want to make?”
Fran loaded up a fork with both a bit of pasta and shrimp and took her first bite. It was still warm, and the blend of the creaminess with the shrimp was hitting home for her. She even swooned a little, and finished her bite before speaking up. “You really crushed this, Oliver. This is great!”
Reply
