(no subject)

[sunbaked_baker]

Sunshine is at a table, this evening, with trays of savory loaves (rosemary/garlic, sun-dried tomato, parmesan-cracked pepper, among others) and sweet teabreads (maple-orange, blueberry-pecan and cranberry-cream), decorative paper and baskets.

It's time to celebrate the return of the sun, and Sunshine wants to arrange some tasty gifts for the friends she's found here.

Comments

[ostro_goth]

The herbs and spices on the bread, Teja thinks, smell of home -- of Italy.

He does not come closer, but merely watches her as she works.

[sunbaked_baker]

Each basket is lined with decorative tissue-paper (blue, with golden sunbursts), then filled with one each of the different kinds of breads in a visually appealing way, and tied with a name-tag.

There's one for him, among those that have been finished.

[ostro_goth]

Still, Teja does not attempt to take it; they would be Christmas presents, and that means he will have to wait a few days.

[sunbaked_baker]

After a moment, she sits back from finishing up a basket for Demeter, and notices him.

Smiling and tucking a stray wisp of hair behind her ear, she waves. "Hey. Happy Solstice, Teja."

[ostro_goth]

"Happy Yule to you also, Sunshine!" Teja says, approving of her choice of the heathen holiday over the Christian one.

While Teja does not hold with religion at all, there are degrees -- and while Christians, to his mind, are actively evil, heathens as a rule are merely hopeful and traditional souls.

[sunbaked_baker]

"The sun's made its turn and is on its way back, and soon it won't be so damned cold," she grins, picking up his basket and offering it to him. "It's more than enough to celebrate."

[ostro_goth]

"There are piles of snow outside," Teja says, "and likely to be quite a while longer; but now, we have hope that eventually, spring will return at last."

[bannion_sight]

She has a lot of things to finish before her family arrives -- and as a result, Kim decides it's much faster to duck into Milliways for dinner rather than cook for herself.

She's headed for the bar when she notices the girl with the baked goods.

"... wow."

[sunbaked_baker]

This area of the bar does smell rather delicious.

"Hi," Sunshine says as she looks up, tucking behind her ear a bit of hair that had escaped her bandanna. She smiles at the look on the other woman's face.

[bannion_sight]

She colors a little in embarrassment, but smiles back.

"Hi."

A beat.

"There's no way you work here, is there?"

[sunbaked_baker]

"Only occasionally," she grins. "To supplement my income back home. I bake."

"These are presents for solstice, but usually I'm selling baked goods in the bar."

[bannion_sight]

"Your holiday baking outdoes mine by leaps and bounds," Kim laughs. "I'm lucky to manage cookies."

"I'm Kim, by the way. Kim Ford."

[sunbaked_baker]

"Nice to meet you, Kim. I'm Rae," she says. "And don't worry about your holiday baking. I bake professionally; I've got an unfair advantage."

[piesordeath.livejournal.com]

"Planning a party?" asks the familiar pie-maker. "Hi, Rae."

[sunbaked_baker]

"Planning presents, if not a party on such short notice," she grins, looking up at the sound of the family voice.

"Hey, Ned. Happy Solstice." One of the baskets, the one with his name on the tag, is picked up and offered to him.

[piesordeath.livejournal.com]

He raises his eyebrows.

"For me? Wow." He accepts it, smiling almost shyly. "Thank you. Happy Solstice to you, too."

[sunbaked_baker]

"Thanks," she grins. "I kind of forgot the time-difference so everything's a bit last-minute. It's still mid-November, back home."

[piesordeath.livejournal.com]

He nods.

"It's - ah. Well, we just had Halloween, so we're a bit behind, too."

[sunbaked_baker]

"I'll probably bring gifts when my world hits winter solstice too," she admits, laughing. "Anything to celebrate the coming return of the sun."

[reallyaduck]

"Miss Sunshine!"

Tasty bread: DUCK'S KRYPTONITE.

"Wow," she says, eyes closed and nose twitching. "That smells really good!"

[sunbaked_baker]

Sunshine laughs, grinning at the young girl. "Glad you think so. See anything that strikes you as particularly tasty?"

How about this basket over here, with Duck's name on it? >__>

[reallyaduck]

"It all looks really goo-oh!"

Duck's eyes grow big and round as a pair of Sunshine's own enormous cinnamon buns.

"Is that - that's my name!"

[sunbaked_baker]

"Is it?" Sunshine blinks, mock-surprised. "I hadn't noticed!"

"I guess it must be for you, then," she grins at the girl.

[reallyaduck]

"Really?"

Duck's face says: :O :D :O :D :O :D!

"Wow!" she says again, speechless for more than a few moments.

"Is this something for, um -" What was that word again? "The Criss-cross festival?"

[sunbaked_baker]

Sunshine laughs. "I don't know about that. I'm giving presents for solstice. Today's the shortest day of the year, when the sun starts coming back for spring and summer."

The return of the sun is very much a reason to celebrate for Sunshine, even if it's nothing more organized than that.