Barrel shrugged.

"He [i]can[/i], he's just lazy. Same with Shock. I don't mind, though. They got their things, I got mine."

He beamed at the compliment.

"Huh. Never thought about it that way."

Barrel finished off another stuffed toadstool, though this time, he took a bite out of it instead of shoving it in his mouth to give himself a moment to think.

"So. Um. Do you cook much?" he asked, to try to make further conversation, "or do you mostly just help your aunts with potions?"