Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Ah, of course." Relieved that it was only that, he smiled his teeth bare. Guessing at what people wanted of him wasn't something he felt very comfortable with. Either his instructions were clear and he was not to deviate from the plan, or he was meant to stay put and not budge until told otherwise. He hadn't been required to show initiative often at all, all things considered it had even been discouraged.

After taking a second to take in every detail of information regarding the situation, using all his available senses, the hybrid quite confidently stepped up to do as she'd asked, happy to help out.
What a unique day this was, with all its ups and downs and confusion and almost exhausting levels of so many new experiences. It came as quite a surprise to himself that he was managing so well, not having antagonised Uzi or Eli or even Kell yet.

While Uzi filled the cups he was holding, left-handed and using the index blade of his right hand by manner of an underset, he was well aware of where everyone here was. The Essentic's sun-filled phantom so close to him, Kell around at a safe distance, and this Eli-person who seemed so ridiculously unbothered by him showing up here... Oh, he wasn't complaining, hell no. Something in him was having a hard time containing this odd joy he felt suddenly, the same part of him that wanted no more than to be accepted, be with them, safe and sound and warm, like her.
For a brief moment he almost got so trapped in this feeling he lost focus visibly, but weight of the cup resting on his claw tilting over had him correct his balance quickly. Whoops, that was embarrassing. As if to add more awkwardness his stomach decided it was time to complain a little more as well, and Francis just barely didn't chide it for being noisy.

Mother Iris, he was starting to feel so giddy now. Maybe he was just dreaming all of this up? No, dreams had colours. At least he thought the blurs and vortexes his nightly escapades revealed to him were colours, one can never be entirely sure after all. This was all real, all happening.

Again with that... that uncanny homelyness! Was he really being asked how he liked his food now? Fran's response came slightly delayed, as he had to chug back his initial reply before it came out all wrong. Somehow, answering 'If it has any taste at all I'll be overjoyed', while completely truthful, was not the message he wanted to convey here.

For a moment he was quite at loss over what to say if not that. He had the theoretical knowledge to know what sort of protocol he was expected to answer with, but...
You're really asking me? For serious? It was almost too much to bear suddenly, how awkward, eep. Shy Fran is shy. At least the impression that it would be much more silly to cower from this than to just do as all people would and reply at least kept him from derailing into complete silence.

"Could I... try it the way you have it?" he eventually asked in return, speaking softly, as if he was treading very carefully to avoid making a scene or sounding rude.

Little did he know that it did make him sound like the world's saddest little creature ever. No matter if his response was in essence a quite sensible one you could easily tell that there was more to it.
Something much like a little orphan being granted candy for the first time and trying to be dignified about it.
Baw.