Two pups, two muns

[cook_the_rude]

Today, Dr. Hannibal Lecter and a ten-year-old redhead known to be a younger version of Milliways' favourite baker are busy in the kitchen, making ice cream.

It's a slightly unusual kind, and involves grinding up gingerbread.

Comments

[sunbaked_baker]

The apron may be a bit too big on Rae, but she's willing! The ten-year-old's sleeves are rolled up and her hands washed, helping to carefully measure ingredients.

[cook_the_rude]

"We need five egg yolks," Dr. Lecter says, busily grinding gingerbread men to dust.

[sunbaked_baker]

"Five egg yolks!" she confirms, setting five eggs aside into a bowl before stepping down from her step-stool and returning the other eggs to the refrigerator.

She brings a small bowl back with her as she returns to her step-stool. "Do we need to save the whites, too, or just the yolks?"

Sometimes separating them is important, even if the recipe uses both.

[cook_the_rude]

"Just the yolks," Dr. Lecter says. "We can make meringues from the whites."

As you do.

[sunbaked_baker]

"I'll set the whites aside then," she nods, smiling. Ice-cream and meringues. A good way to spend the afternoon when it's such a dreary and grey and chill day outside. "You have to use the right kind of mixing bowl, or else the egg whites won't whip, right?"

She falls silent as she cracks the first egg and begins that careful back and forth to separate the yolks from the whites. She hasn't done it herself very often, yet, and it takes concentration. One must get all the whites away from the yolk... without breaking the yolk on the jagged edges of eggshell.

[cook_the_rude]

Dr. Lecter is watching her with pleased amusement. "You are doing very well, Rae," he says.

[sunbaked_baker]

"There's still some of whites... clinging," Rae says, her jaw set in a way familiar to those who know her adult self, as she tries to just get the yolk into the other half of the eggshell, using the broken edge to slip off the last of the whites into the bowl. It works! "Ha!" the girl grins triumphantly, slipping the lone yolk over into the other bowl.

One down - four to go. Reassured that it is possible, she starts in on the second egg.

"What else does the recipe call for?"

[herr_bookman]

Autor pops into the kitchen today, holding a clove of garlic and a few bunches of herbs. He sizes up the two immediately, beaming delightedly at Rae and then narrowing his eyes at Dr. Lecter.

The situation is obvious; they're clearly cooking something, and she's happy, and it's up to him to either ruin it by acting protective--where she won't understand him--or let them be.

"Rae," Autor says, smiling a little. "Do you mind if I cook something with garlic?"

[sunbaked_baker]

The question of garlic is forgotten the moment she notices who posed it:

"Autor!" This would be the girl hopping down from the step-stool, hurriedly wiping her hands on her apron, and catching the scholar in a hug forceful enough to rock him back on his heels.

"I got your gift! Thank you so much! I love it!"

[cook_the_rude]

"Do go ahead," Dr. Lecter says, waving his spoon at him in greeting.

[herr_bookman]

Autor hugs her tightly, wrapping his hands around her as best as he's able with his bundle of herbs and garlic in his loosely curled fist. That fist tightens momentarily when Dr. Lecter waves his spoon, as does Autor's back, but he loosens up enough to press a kiss to the girl's head.

"I'm so glad, Rae," he says, fanning his fingers over her shoulders. "I hope you can use the cookbook soon. What are you making now?"

[sunbaked_baker]

"We're making gingerbread ice-cream," she replies, smiling up at him. "It's going to be good. I'm helping."

Maybe it'll be the first recipe in her book!

"What are you going to make?" It shouldn't be a problem to make two dishes in the same kitchen, right, even if they are very different? That happens all the time.

[cook_the_rude]

Dr. Lecter is gently stirring through the mass that is going to be the ice cream. "This is a large enough kitchen for several meals being prepared at once, let alone two mere dishes."

[collects_strays]

There's a shadow lingering in the doorway to the kitchen.

It doesn't creep in any farther. At least, not at once.

[cook_the_rude]

Of course, Dr. Lecter will notice, turn, and smile at the shadow in the doorway.

"Hello, Will," he says. "Do come in. We are making gingerbread ice cream, my young friend Rae and I."

[sunbaked_baker]

The girl, who has been concentrating on preparing the eggs, looks up as Dr. Lecter greets Will. She offers a slight smile to the man.

Will. Now she knows his name, too.

"It's going to be good," she assures him, confident in the quality of the finished product, if not in the ease of preparing the ingredients. Chefs on TV make everything look easy, including separating yolks from their whites without breaking them on the jagged edges of shell.

[collects_strays]

After Rae speaks, Graham steps forward, into the kitchen. He doesn't move closer to them, keeping to the less populated side of the room. His hands are in his coat pockets, and he doesn't look directly at Dr. Lecter.

But he does offer Rae a brief flicker of a smile in return.

[cook_the_rude]

"Would you like to try when we're done?" Dr. Lecter offers, looking at Graham's face.

[sunbaked_baker]

"There's sure to be plenty," the red-headed girl on the step-stool adds her offer, her smile brightening with the success of removing the whites from another yellow yolk without breaking it. "It'll have crushed gingerbread in it, with swirls of ginger syrup and molasses."

For extra delicious gingery-ness.

Stepping down from her step-stool, Rae brings the bowl of separated egg yolks over to where Dr. Lecter is working.

[sidhe_king]

There is a watcher for this busyness, in the form of an ageless sidhe king dressed head-to-toes in black with sloe eyes taking in the motions made. He's waiting by the door, unobtrusive as he follows each human in their turns. Of course he'd be here today; it is the solstice, after all.

"Shall I take it this is your version of pushing back the year-ending darkness?"

[cook_the_rude]

"Whistling in the dark to make the sun come back," Hannibal says. "Yes, we are. Have you met Rae, nickname Sunshine?"

[sunbaked_baker]

"It's one way," the little girl beams at seeing the fairy king. There are many ways to drive back winter and assure the dawning of a brighter year - and she knows a number of them. Some involve trees, and cold, and sacrifice. Others involve family and friends, and food, and gathered warmth. And this is one of the latter.

"Dr. Lecter, Finvarra and I know each other. We danced, when I was little, and I got to meet his horse, Midnight, and even ride him once."

A big deal, to the city girl for whom that one encounter encompasses her entire experience being around a horse.

[sidhe_king]

"Indeed we do know each other quite well," he replies, bending his neck to nod to her, smiling. He doesn't mind the solemnity of other ceremonies himself; being out alone, in the trees and darkness and frosty air, warms him just as much as the company of friends. It's his love of half-shadow.

"A happy solstice to you both. Though if you'd like I can whistle for you."

[cook_the_rude]

"I am sure it would be inspiring to hear you whistling," Hannibal says. "But you can simply try some ice cream if you like."

[sunbaked_baker]

"Happy solstice to you, Finvarra," Rae smiles, sincere, and offers the king a curtsey that echoes the one a smaller Rae once gave him, wearing a fine dress instead of a too-big apron over her t-shirt and jeans. "Come try the ice cream with us - it's gingerbread ice-cream."