[ video ]

[hostage]

[Hooray, Jesse is finally awake and home after his half-week holiday with hookers and meth. This of course means he's looking extra groggy, red around the eyes, and not exactly the most cheerful. Which makes the following message a little dissonant:]

Hey, so... - Hey, hi, I'm Jesse. If you're new.

Anyway, um, I know I talked to a few of you earlier about maybe some baking lessons? I was thinking probably, since in a couple weeks we'll have a whole 'nother shipment of new guys, we'll practice making cookies for 'em.

Some of you saw me this last time, right? I had like this whole setup with a tent? I was thinking we could do that again, but bigger this time. Or if you don't wanna be out in the cold all day, we could set up in the lobby downstairs, like right when people come in to find their units? I dunno. I'm just thinking out loud.

Anybody into that, though? Like on the 28th or something we get together and make some cookies? Assuming nobody bombs us or anything.

Comments

[hostage]

Yeah? My mom, too. Is a good cook, I mean. Never won awards or anything, but I bet she could, 'cause everybody at the church potlucks was always like... wowed. But me, I'm all fast food and nuking TV dinners. And cookies, now, I guess. I bet all the microwave radiation's given me like a super stomach, though. Couldn't poison me if you tried.

[reconnaissance]

There wasn't a lot to do around Wirrawee. Making jams and preserves for local competitions was about as big a thrill as my mum could get. ( a wry little smile. Wirrawee has changed an awful lot since then.) I bet your mum would've gotten on with that lot like a house on fire.

They were good cookies. ( delicious delicious sugar. Ellie has referred to herself before as a "diabetic in training." Sugar is no obstacle. ) Maybe one day I can cook you p some wichetty grubs with a nice bit of snake steak and some honey ants for dessert.

[hostage]

Wow, that sounds... disgusting. Please tell me that's not like Australian cuisine. I thought you guys ate kangaroos.

[reconnaissance]

Well, of course everyone'd rather tuck into a good bit of 'roo, but bush tucker ain't half bad, I hear. Some of it doesn't sound too good, but I think honey ants are actually meant to be really tasty.

Anyway, yeah, you can get kangaroo. Problem is, where there are kangaroos there are drop bears, and those things'll tear you're head off. We have to make do with vegemite and vita-wheats in drop bear season.

[hostage]

Vegemite and vita-wheats. Right on.

[He has no idea what those are, but they're better than drop bears, clearly.]

[reconnaissance]

If I ever get any over here I'll share it around. Give you a bit of the Aussie experience, yeah?

[hostage]

Totally. I'll try anything once.

[reconnaissance]

Careful. I might try and hold you to that.