(no subject)

[sunbaked_baker]

It may be a quiet day in the bar, but there is definitely activity in the kitchens. Sunshine has an urge to make cookies. And not just any cookies, either. Lace cookies.

She has pomegranates, oranges, apples, and peaches to experiment with for flavoring said lace cookies, so the baker is quite content.

(ooc: Mun is heading to bed, but will be around on and off tomorrow to catch up on any and all new tags! I'm around! <333)

Comments

[herr_bookman]

And now she has a boy trying to nick one of her peaches, just for fun.

[sunbaked_baker]

A sudden spatula comes down (lightly!) on his knuckles.

"Not so fast." The baker is arching an eyebrow at the would-be thief.

Somewhere, slow Western-movie showdown music is playing.

[herr_bookman]

Autor jerks his hand back on a hitched breath, dropping the peach back onto the counter. He shakes his head rapidly, and glances at his clutched knuckles.

"Sorry," he says, gaze drifting off to the rest of the fruit. "Um. What are you making?"

[sunbaked_baker]

O...kay. Not the expected reaction. Sunshine lowers the spatula, looking at him in concern.

"Uh, cookies. Are you okay? Sorry if I startled you."

When her brothers filch either her baking or her ingredients, acting like they're criminals caught in the act has always been fun. Especially with Billy, with his love of Western movies.

[herr_bookman]

"Hmm!" Autor hums, and claps his hands behind his back, as if wrapped around a large book. "What are you making that involves pomegranates and oranges?"

[sunbaked_baker]

"Still cookies," she replies, still eyeing him. "Lace cookies flavored with fruit juice."

"Are you okay?" Rae asks again, not to be deterred.

[herr_bookman]

"Just a tap. Nothing to worry about," the boy says, leaning on the counter. "What's a lace cookie?"

[sunbaked_baker]

"Your reaction was much more would be considered normal for just a playful tap," Rae says, looking at him and seeking eye-contact. "I'm sorry if I upset you - it wasn't my intent."

[herr_bookman]

Autor stares at the floor, the counter, the shelves--until he clasps his fingers together and meets her halfway. "I know. Thank you. I don't fault you for it."

The boy wrinkles his nose amiably. "Don't let me deter you from cookies though," he says, and filches the peach again. "More than this will."

[lifethatisscratched]

There is a young Kanien'kehá:ka boy in buckskins and moccasins perched on an edge of the surface you are working on, Sunshine.

He's watching you work. How do you feel about this?

[sunbaked_baker]

Sunshine is stacking up a cooled batch of orange lace cookies and putting them in a tissue paper-lined tin for safekeeping while the other batches cook. She is wearing a bright blue tank-top with a faint peacock-feather pattern along the neckline, green jeans, and bright yellow flipflops. The top, nor the sunflower-dotted apron she wears over it all, doesn't hide nearly any of Sunshine's scars along her arms, shoulders, and upper chest.

It's when she turns to take the pomegranate batch out of the oven that she notices her watcher.

The red-headed baker startles - those moccasins must be quiet! But she also recovers quickly, offering a slight, wry smile. It is just a kid, after all. "Oh, hey. Hello there. I didn't see you."

[lifethatisscratched]

Ratonhnhaké:ton smiles and waves. "Hello."

It is, perhaps, small compensation for almost making her drop stuff.

"What are you making?"

[sunbaked_baker]

"I'm making lace cookies," she replies, taking the large cookie sheets from the oven and setting them on the cooling racks between the oven and a strange gathering of empty wine bottles laid on their sides.

"They're really thin, sweet-tart cookies flavored with fruit juices." Tugging off the oven mitts, she reaches into the tin of cooled orange lace cookies to lightly take one between thumb and forefinger. It is warmly golden in color and surprisingly delicate. Rae offers it to the boy. "Care to try one?"

[lifethatisscratched]

"Yes please."

Ratonhnhaké:ton takes the offered cookie and pops it into his mouth. He chews slowly, processing all the different flavors - then swallows. She wasn't lying!

"It really is sweet."

There's nothing like this in the valley.

[sunbaked_baker]

Lace cookies are mostly sugar and butter and juice, only given tangible substance by the small amount of flour that goes into them. They are crisp, a burst of flavor on the tongue in the moment before they dissolve. The orange ones are Sunshine's favorite - their bright, citrus sweetness reminds her of the moment the sun breaks the horizon in the early mornings.

"Like it?" Rae smiles.

[lifethatisscratched]

Ratonhnhaké:ton smiles back and nods. "It's tasty."

A half-beat, as he twiddles his thumbs and looks around the kitchen.

"My name is Ratonhnhaké:ton."

[sunbaked_baker]

"Pleased to meet you," she says, deciding it's probably safer not to attempt his name. With a thin spatula, she begins lifting the fragile, soft cookies from the cookie sheets and draping them on the curved sides of the empty wine bottles to set. "My name is Rae Seddon. Have you been coming to the bar very long?"

[damncompass]

Joshua smells apples, and is not in the Warehouse, so he follows his nose toward the kitchens.

"Ok, so those both smell and look amazing." Joshua knows not to touch, but he's examining a batch of the cooling cookies.

[sunbaked_baker]

The first batch of orange lace cookies are softly golden in color, curved and stacked in delicate rows in a tissue paper-lined tin. The apple lace cookies are still cooling, draped over the sides of empty wine bottles to give them their curved shape, the paler sweet-tart lacework crisp and flecked with cinnamon.

Sunshine looks over from juicing pomegranate seeds through a colander, smiling. "Feel free to try one, if you'd like. Just be careful - they're not for the heavy-handed."

[damncompass]

Joshua wants one of the apples ones SO BADLY, but he gently takes one of the orange ones.

"Don't worry, I've done fiddly science for years. I'm used to not squashing everything in sight, unlike some people I work with." He grins at her, expression changing to one of utter delight as he takes a bite. "Woah. Alright, so, I think I need some of these." He'll probably hold out for the apple ones, though. "Maybe this'll help Pete at least a bit."

[sunbaked_baker]

Sunshine chuckles at his look of delight - that's why she bakes.

"How many are you thinking? I'll have forty-eight of each, once the pomegranate and peach lace cookies are made, but about ten of each are already spoken for."

[damncompass]

"Hm. Well, I know I want a dozen of the apple ones." He thinks for a moment. "Maybe another dozen of the peach ones? We had peaches last week and Pete snarfed them down pretty quickly." That sounds good. Apples and peaches.

"I'd offer a hand if you need one, but it looks like you've got everything well in control here." Another smile. "At least I could offer a bit of conversation if it's not too distracting."

[sunbaked_baker]

She grins, amused. "Not too distracting, no. You're welcome to stay, though I might put you to work cleaning dishes."

Shame on her, pretending to be a cheerful baker while issuing threats like that.

"A dozen each of the peach and the apple should be fine. What sort of help is Pete in need of?" Not that she even knows who Pete is.

[damncompass]

"Hey, I've been doing dishes for years. I dare say I could wield a towel with more than a bit of dexterity." He's obviously in a good mood today.

However, at the mention of Pete, he sighs. "Pete's one of the guys I work with. About a month or so ago, his partner..." Joshua pauses, realizing what he said. "Work partner, not romantic, anyway, his partner Myka got affected by one of our Artifacts and tried to kill him. He forgave her for that ages ago, mostly because Artifacts do that sort of thing, but she ran. He's been acting like a lost puppy ever since. Nothing is breaking him out of it. We don't want to push Myka to come back, because it wouldn't be right if she truly didn't want to or wasn't ready, but..." He shakes his head. "It's getting old. Pete just... he's not himself, and it's getting to us all."

[sunbaked_baker]

Sunshine considers what he's telling her as she strains the last of the pomegranate pulp from the juice, leaving it clear and a dark purple-red. She then adds just a couple of tablespoons of orange zest, and moves to mix sugar and flour for the next batch of cookies.

"It's good that you all aren't pushing her to come back," Rae replies, pensively, stirring the sugar and flour until well-mixed. "Having gone through something like that, Myka probably blames herself more than Pete would blame her for what happened. She'll have to be able to forgive herself before she can accept anyone else forgiving her. It's bad that Pete isn't acting like himself, but it's good that he's giving her space and time enough to cope."