Second Floor Common Room, Monday Afternoon

[trigons_child]

Raven and Karla had A Very Important Mission: there were cookies to be made for Santakin Santa Claus! After all, they had promised the appropriate tribute in return for their ponies. Though Raven had never baked before, so she was relying on Karla's guidance in preparing them.

It might be wise to seek cover.

One thing was certain -- they would not be using the cookie cutters that Raven had found at 'Dite's Decadent Delights the other day.


[ooc: open as common rooms are, but enter at your own risk. :D (Cookie cutter link is kinda NSFW, but not graphic.)]

Comments

[glacial_queen]

Yay! Ponies!

"Don't worry," Karla reassured Raven, "baking is pretty easy. I never quite got the grasp of it at home, but I think the technology of this world is really helping me improve. Everyone seemed really pleased with my cookies last time."

It was because she'd accompanied them with pastries from J,GoB, but details.

"The important thing to keep in mind is that with baking, improvisation is key."

[trigons_child]

Improvisation made sense!

"Preparing food in Azarath was always done by those with the skill and the desire to do so," Raven said. "I never had need to learn. What kind of cookies do you think Santakin would prefer?"

[glacial_queen]

Karla couldn't help giggle at the name. And fervently hope Anakin never heard them use it. Ever. "Back home, the servants in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Circles--the menial servants--cooked. I tried to help but they stopped letting me."

After the third fire.

"As for cookies, I was thinking about oatmeal raisin?" Karla suggested. "They're healthy, cause they're made of oats! This way, Santakin won't get all fat like Professor Sun said he would. That just can't be healthy."

Plus, Karla doubted Anakin would handle a Santa-esque figure with anything approaching grace.

[trigons_child]

Raven would be mortified at being caught being so disrespectful if they were heard using the name. She'd die of embarrassment on the spot.

"I think that is a very good idea," she agreed. "We certainly would not want to jeopardize his health!"

[glacial_queen]

By 'health' Raven totally meant 'figure.'

"So oatmeal raisisn cookies it is," Karla said, nodding. "Well, the first thing to do is to gather all the ingredients together. This way, we see what we have and what we have to figure out a substitute for."

She listed the ingredients, referencing a recipe she'd found on the internet. "It calls for all the spices we can find," she noted. "Huh. Allspice. That's a handy notation. What's in the cupboards?"

[trigons_child]

Nuh uh! She totally didn't have a crush on Anakin. Especially not after last week and Max falling in love with her. It was totally improper...but wasn't he so strong and wise and dreeeeeaaaaamy?

Raven started looking through the cupboards, pulling out the spice bottles she found. She knew the difference between herbs and spices at least! "Ginger, nutmeg, mace, anise, paprika, and saffron," she said. "And here is the cinnamon and cloves. The cookies must need more of those to name them separately, but the bottles are almost full."

[glacial_queen]

"That's my thought," Karla said, with an approving nod. "I was up on the sixth floor and that kitchen's a bit better stocked, so I have a few more spices to add."

She had been up there scavenging for spices, not hiding out. Truly!

Bottles of peppercorns, tumeric, mustard, and ginger appeared on the counter. It was important to note that the bottle of tumeric was nearly empty. Karla had mistaken it for nutmeg the last time she baked. "I think this is everything," she said. "There didn't seem to be any fennel I could find. Or cumin."

[trigons_child]

"Do you think it will be all right without those two?" Raven asked. "Perhaps we can improvise, as you say, and use extra of another spice?"

[glacial_queen]

"Oh, good idea!" Raven was shaping up to be a marvelous baker! "You chose one and I choose one?"

Closing her eyes, Karla reached for a bottle. "Okay, an extra spoonful of...saffron," she said, opening her eyes to look at the bottle in her hand. "And yours?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin, of course, would have the good fortune to find them baking. Because he, clearly, didn't have enough embarrassment to go with.

"Oh!" He flailed about, trying to come up with something that didn't involve spanking or love. "Hello."

[glacial_queen]

Karla glanced up and nearly spilled the (totally non-dairy) creamer all over the place. "I--oh--Merlin!" she said, giving him a wan smile. "Hey. How...how are you?"

Which was Karla for One day I know I'm going to have to tell you but not now and I hope you can forgive me because it totally wasn't deliberate and I'm really, really sorry anyway.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"I'm--um--good." Awkward was the way they lived, it seemed. "You're looking... well."

[glacial_queen]

"Thanks. You are also looking...well."

Silence for a moment as Karla continued to pour the creamer into a liquid measuring cup. "Did they hurt you when they wrestled you away?" she asked quietly.

Whether or not they were bespelled was besides the point. Karla was still resentful of the way Francine and Arthur had reacted. And Arthur's belief that she could ever knowingly use a love spell on anyone.

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"Oh! No. No. Just--um, my pride, really," Merlin replied. "Are you alright?"

[glacial_queen]

"Fine," Karla replied, scowling down into her batter. "Just a fair bit humiliated is all. And feeling more than a little silly. I was...pretty busy those two days. I owe a lot of people apologies."

She glanced up and gave Merlin a slightly crooked grin. "I should probably come clean about the way I feel about you, huh? Just so we're clear about what was magic spell and what wasn't?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin had to give her a look for a moment there.

"...Um."

Oh god, Arthur and her were going to kill each other.

[glacial_queen]

"Merlin, I think you're a wonderful person and I count our friendship as one of the most important here," Karla said slowly. "I respect you as a person and a wizard and an herbalist. And we tease and joke about you being the Commander and me trying to woo you away. That will hopefully never, ever change, no matter what is currently going on with the island."

She took a deep breath and came closer, looking up into his eyes. "But teasing is all it'll ever be, I think. You are my friend, but I have no interest in you beyond friendship--and I don't see that changing. So, if I ever come up to you, spouting off about my undying love? I'm probably bespelled not besotted. Okay?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"...Had I been in my right mind, I think I would have said about the same as that," Merlin replied slowly. "I can assure you my feelings for you are friendly, or familial at the most."

[trigons_child]

"Hello, Merlin," Raven said, giving him a tentative smile and so not thinking about spankings and whippings or entirely inappropriate conversations in a church. "We are making cookies."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Biscuits were a perfectly safe topic of conversation!

"What kind?"

[trigons_child]

"Oatmeal raisin," Raven said, trying to wipe some cornmeal off her cheek and ending up with more of it in her hair. "But we did not have oatmeal, so we are using cornmeal instead. It is close enough, is it not?"

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

Merlin pondered it for a moment. Because he was clearly the person to ask this. "I think so. Corn is good as well. Have you added any nuts?"

[trigons_child]

"I do not think the recipe calls for nuts," Raven said thoughtfully. "Just the raisins. But perhaps they would make the cookies even better."

[bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com]

"I think they're delicious at least," Merlin replied, starting a little closer to peer at the batter. "I think there ought to be some of those pine nuts left."

NO, MERLIN.

[trigons_child]

"Oh, I like pine nuts," Raven said. Not that she'd ever had them in COOKIES, but.