🥪 A Simple Lunch Together

A normal afternoon with Facty, Lightbulb, and Martian.

The kitchen is nicely heated from the sunlight flowing in through the window, stretching across the countertops in lazy wisps. It's a little after noon, and the three of them have been debating what to eat for the last few minutes.

Facty has taken charge of setting up everything, placing the bread beside a cutting board, sliced cheese on a small plate, and the tomatoes and lettuce to be washed.

Facty 📚: Alright, we have bread, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and eggs. We can make sandwiches, and if anyone wants an egg, I'll fry a few.

Lightbulb 💡: Sandwiches sound great! We should make them all extra large with everything inside!

Facty takes a look at Lightbulb.

Facty 📚: What's with all the big stuff with you?

Lightbulb 💡: Because it's more fun.

Facty 📚: Or it falls apart the second you pick it up.

Lightbulb 💡: That's a problem for future me.

Facty lets out a sigh, though a small smile tugs at their lips. They turn to the sink and wash the tomatoes.

Martian 👽: Why does bread come in a bag if we're just going to take it out?

Lightbulb 💡: To keep it fresh?

Martian 👽: Then why not keep it in the bag until we're ready to eat it?

Facty 📚: Because we're making sandwiches, Martian.

Martian 👽: I know. I'm asking about the bag.

Lightbulb slowly closes the fridge door.

Lightbulb 💡: I don't think I have the energy for this conversation.

Facty 📚: Neither do I, and I haven't even finished washing the vegetables yet.

Martian stares at the piece of bread for a few more seconds before setting it down.

Martian 👽: Alright.

Everyone assumes that was the end of the conversation for a few seconds.

Martian 👽: Still seems like an unnecessary amount of packaging.

Lightbulb laughs under their breath, shaking their head as they finally find the mayonnaise.

Lightbulb 💡: You know, that's a fair argument.

Facty looks over their shoulder.

Facty 📚: Please don't encourage them.

The three continue preparing lunch, occasionally passing ingredients and exchanging comments. Soon, the smell of toasted bread and freshly cooked eggs fills the kitchen.

Lightbulb 💡: Wait. Are we making plain sandwiches or are we actually cooking?

Facty 📚: We're making sandwiches. The eggs are optional.

Lightbulb 💡: But we could toast the bread. And fry the eggs. And put cheese on top.

Facty 📚: That would be an egg sandwich.

Lightbulb 💡: An upgraded egg sandwich.

Facty turns to them.

Facty 📚: You're describing a normal egg sandwich.

Lightbulb 💡: You're really committed to ruining my fun today.

Martian 👽: What's wrong with a normal egg sandwich?

Lightbulb 💡: Nothing. That's the problem.

Facty shakes their head and turns on the stove.

Facty 📚: Alright, fine. I'll make a few eggs. But nobody is putting the entire refrigerator into one sandwich.

Lightbulb 💡: No promises.

They hear the sound of an egg cracking against the side of a bowl. Facty adds a little oil to the pan before carefully sliding the egg into it.

Martian 👽: It changes shape when you cook it.

Facty 📚: Yes. The heat changes the proteins in the egg.

Martian watches the white start to turn opaque.

Martian 👽: Can you make it change back?

Facty 📚: No. Not by simply cooling it down.

Martian 👽: So cooking is permanent.

Lightbulb 💡: That's a very dramatic way to describe making breakfast.

Martian 👽: It's lunch.

Lightbulb 💡: You know what I mean.

Lightbulb begins assembling an enormous sandwich with mayonnaise, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and yet another slice of cheese. They press the top piece of bread down and look proudly at their creation.

Facty 📚: That's a lot of mayonnaise.

Lightbulb 💡: It's called flavor.

Facty 📚: It's called having to wipe mayonnaise off the counter later.

Lightbulb looks down at the small smear of mayonnaise beside the cutting board and quickly wipes it away with a paper towel.

Lightbulb 💡: See? Problem solved.

Facty 📚: Thank you.

Martian makes a much simpler sandwich with cheese, tomatoes, and lettuce between two slices of bread. They pause before closing it.

Martian 👽: How do you know when there's enough filling?

Lightbulb 💡: When it starts falling out, you've done a good job.

Facty 📚: That is absolutely not how you're supposed to judge it.

Martian looks down at their sandwich, deciding to keep it together.

Martian 👽: I'll keep mine together, then.

Lightbulb 💡: You're missing out.

Soon, the food is ready. Facty turns off the stove, Lightbulb brings three glasses of water to the table, and Martian carries their sandwich over.

Lightbulb 💡: Alright, lunch is served.

Facty 📚: You say that like you've spent the last hour cooking.

Lightbulb 💡: I provided moral support.

Facty 📚: You ate a slice of cheese while I was cooking.

Lightbulb 💡: ...and?

Martian sits down with their sandwich, taking a few bites before nodding in satisfaction.

Martian 👽: This is good.

Lightbulb immediately brightens.

Lightbulb 💡: Thank you! Finally, someone appreciates my culinary talents.

Facty 📚: They're talking about their own sandwich.

Lightbulb pauses.

Lightbulb 💡: ...Still counts.

Facty laughs quietly and sits down with their plate. Finally, nobody is bustling around or deciding what they need to do.

The three settle into a nice rhythm, eating and chatting between bites. The conversation drifts from food to the weather, their plans for the day, and whether there are enough ingredients left to make something for dinner.

Martian occasionally asks questions that cause Lightbulb to laugh, while Facty tries to stop the conversation from straying too far off-topic.

It's not anything special, and that's part of the reason the afternoon is so nice.

Nobody has somewhere important to be soon. There is no need to rush or make complicated plans. Everyone can spend a little time together simply because they feel like it.

After a few minutes, Facty notices that one seat at the table is still empty.

They look at you and gesture toward the empty seat.

Facty 📚: Come sit with us! There's still plenty left.

Lightbulb shifts their plate a little, clearing more room on the table.

Lightbulb 💡: You have to try the sandwich. I need an honest opinion from someone who isn't Facty.

Facty 📚: My opinions are perfectly honest.

Martian 👽: How can you prove that?

Facty slowly turns their head to look at Martian. Lightbulb starts laughing again, nearly choking on their drink.

Facty 📚: Can we please get through one lunch without questioning everything?

Martian 👽: I wasn't questioning everything. Just that one thing.

Lightbulb 💡: That somehow makes it worse.

Facty rubs their forehead, though this time, they smile as well.

The afternoon stretches before them, warm and unhurried. There is food on the table, water within reach, and a few crumbs on the plates. The kitchen can always be cleaned later.

Everyone has settled in, and conversation is waiting for someone else to join them.

Facty 📚: So, what do you think? Are you hungry, or have we somehow talked about lunch long enough to make you lose your appetite?