Bean Tasting
Ellie popped the bean into her mouth. Arg! She almost wanted to spit it out. It definitely wasn't the ham bean, like she had guessed. It was nasty, tasted like something uncooked and something that had been rotting itself out in a sewer. Ellie looked at the paper, did this one even not a rating. She could tell by Mikeys face that they had the same opinions on this repulize bean. Zero. No hesitation. This bean was a zero for sure. Ellie marked it down then listened to Mikey describing it. The way he described things with such detail and imagination made Ellie laugh. A real, full on, bending over laughing
"No, no. I swear I didn't know! It's just the way you were describing it and all those guesses... With all this detail and... It just made me laugh. You're really funny you know. I think it's a rotten stewed sewer fish surprise though." Ellie said, a smile on her face.
"You sure you want me to choose again?" Ellie looked at all the beans laid out in front of them, "What if I guess wrong? I could go for the one I know it is for sure though I guess. Like there is only one purple one, so it has to be sugared violet I think. Nice and sweet, I hope."
There is four of them so she places two in Mikey's hand and two in her own hands. Ellie places one in her mouth and chews. Slowly. Very slowly. Like she doesn't trust if she got the flavor right. But she did. It was a yummy sweet bean she treated herself and Mikey to after the other herendius one. Ten out of ten she wrote.
"Finally, a good, tasty bean. I like that one." Ellie said greatfully.@Mikey Forville
word count: 300
Bean Tasting
Banner by Hazel Nelson
Mikey was turning the violet bean over in his hand, lifting it up to the light as if it were a gemstone instead of something that could kill him. “Sugared violet, huh?” he said, pretending to be suspicious and narrowing his eyes. “Are you sure it’s not secretly ‘old shoe polish’ or ‘grandma’s perfume’?” He smiled and put it into his mouth.
The effect was instant, his shoulders dropped, all the tension was gone, and his face was glowing. “Thank you for that,” he exclaimed, dramatically leaning back as if relieved. “It’s actually really good! Sweet, but not in that awful fake way. Ten out of ten. He was amused, seeing her writing her own score next to his, her handwriting flowing across the parchment. “You know,” he said, cleaning his hands with his robe and “I think we’ve not only survived the worst, but we’ve also earned something nice.
With a slight movement he leaned towards her to touch her shoulder gently, his smile coming back. “On the other hand, you have this whole thing figured out like a scientist. Organized, labeled, charted, Ellie Randensmith, the undisputed queen of confectionary chaos.” He indicated the bean piles. “Anyway, I am astonished. You have more courage than I do for sure. You ate that hay, bogie, and that… sewer-fish thing willingly.” He was making that face again. “In fact, you should be given a medal for bravery.”
The teasing in his grin was replaced with a soft and heartfelt one. “Anyway,” he said softly, “this was brilliant, Ellie. You are always coming up with the weirdest and funniest ideas, and then, in an uncanny way, they always become the best part of the week.”
He took one more bean from the heap, this time it was a vibrant blue one, and held it out to her. “OK, just one more." His eyes were shining with humor and kindness and he smiled. For science.”
Reducio
@Ellie Randensmith
Bean Tasting
She watched as he examined the bean carefully then made a comment about it being old show polish or grandma's perfume, "I'm pretty sure this is a sugared violet bean. I could be wrong of course but their is only one purple bean" She laughed, "You know, I could suggest having a grandma's perfume bean to my uncle... if you want, might make a good laugh."
Mikey pretty much summed up the game of bean tasting in a sentence, 'I think we’ve not only survived the worst, but we’ve also earned something nice' because their was good beans and bad beans, and the way Ellie played, you had to eat a bad bean to in a sense, earn a good, sweet flavored one. Sorta like life Ellie supposed, you had to get through the bad to reach the good. "You're right, that's what this game is all about, getting through bad, to reach good I guess. And in the case of the so call "ham bean", Ellie did finger quotes, "You never know what you will get!"
Ellie laughed, "Thanks! Charts and labelling things has sorta been something I like to do with things a lot. You know, I think you need a title for bravely join me as we try beans. So if I'm the queen... you must be the knight! Mikey Forville, bravely facing the every flavor beans with Ellie! And honestly, I've done this so much, I don't mind the strange flavor anymore." Ellie smiled, "Although, they still taste nasty of course! Thanks for saying that, it makes me feel good, and less stupid for going and trying all the beans on random days."
His comment made her feel so good, that he enjoyed doing this sort of thing with her. Hanging out like this in the courtyard some random Tuesday after class, with silly games like tasting and rating the every flavor beans, it mentor alot to her that someone wanted to do that with her, and enjoyed it. "They are really fun. I think hanging out with you anytime is the best part of the week. You have the nature that makes you so much fun to hang around with. I'm really glad that we are friends and that Fate brought us together during the sorting."
Ellie nodded, looking at the blue bean Mikey had selected, unsure as to what it was since there were so many blue beans "Ok, last bean. What flavor do you think it is?"@Mikey Forville
Word Count 414/200
Bean Tasting
Banner by Hazel Nelson
Mikey cupped the blue bean in his palm and turned it over slowly, as if he were contemplating a piece of interesting history rather than something that might kill him. “Hmmm,” he muttered under his breath, peering at it suspiciously. Do you want me to say something reasonable or should I feign confidence? He pinched the bean between his thumb and forefinger. "It is going to be like blueberry or something nice, after all. "But given that... I don't even know what all we've eaten today, I guess it's not really a stretch to think it might taste like mop water," He smiled at Ellie, a very despairing smile. "Okay then. My official guess is blueberry. And if I'm wrong, I guess I will let you know.”
Before he could have second thoughts, he popped the bean into his mouth. He stood extremely still for a few seconds. Then he relaxed his muscles completely, and a sigh of relief escaped him. "Oh, thank god," he laughed. "It’s good. Really good. Sweet and cold somehow? Definitely blueberry. No horrible aftertaste, no questioning the direction of my life choices.” He lifted a finger into the air. "Eight out of ten. It loses one point for giving me trust issues before I even got it into my mouth.” He smiled at Ellie as she marked down the score. “Okay, this one, we need a new category for, ‘Emergency Happiness After Disgusting Beans.’ “I think we probably should have a whole section on your chart for that.”
He gazed at her with amusement as he sprawled on the ground, resting his hands behind his head as a pillow. “And if I’m honest,” he added, in a lower, more heartfelt tone of voice, “I’d do this with you any day. Even the awful flavors.” He poked his fingertip gently into his chest. “Sir Mikey, that is, when the queen feels like it.” He scanned the last beans resting on the paper with his eyes. “So,” he said, half-smiling now, “What's the rest of your afternoon looking like?”
Reducio
@Ellie Randensmith