WHO: Emi and Kai
WHEN: March 12th, Saturday afternoon.
WHERE: *~*~*~*~Supermarket*~*~*~*~*~
WHAT: There is nothing odd about running into someone you've only talked to online. Especially when you're running into them in the baking aisle.
(
Granted, I thought you'd be taller in person. )
And he stood correct: beneath the cardboard exterior lay his newest kitchen toy, untouched and unused, the metal gleaming from the afterglow of the table-side lamp. And much like a five year old on Christmas morning he clutched them to his chest and started bouncing around their flat with joyful exuberance.
Finally, it was time to make kransekage again.
He had hoped they'd arrive before he delivered his promised gift to Emi, wanting to avoid the messy appearance of using parchment paper guidelines. Appearance as much as taste was a key element in forming the almond ring tower; or to him it was in the very least, striving always for perfection with his crafts. And so with shiny new pans at home, a grocery list in hand, and determination in the back of his mind Kai was on a mission to get back into the habit of traditional Danish baking.
... If he could find all his ingredients, that was.
"Goddamnit, where the hell is the almond paste?" He muttered beneath his breath with a frown, taking a step back from the shelves to peer left and right down the aisle. Søren lacked a food processor or he'd just make the damn paste himself; and the packaging was completely different here in America versus back home, so he hadn't a clue where to search other than the spice aisle and its general vicinity. "Is it in a tube? A can? A pack-- Aha!"
He swiped up a couple of small cans from the lower shelf with a confident grin, doing a victory shimmy over his success. "Gotcha! Now for flour.."
Kai turned to the opposing shelf and took a gracious few moments to read over the labels while his mind wandered to what would happen when he returned home; the way the kitchen would fill with the smell of almond, perhaps sitting down with akvavit and a movie while they cooled, and enjoying the fruits of his labor with dinner after he made Emi's own confectionery creation. He didn't notice that he was taking away from other shopper's own needs to get to the flour bags until a small voice piped up from beside him, causing his attention to shift.
"Ah?" He looked to Emi with a slow blink, a momentary delay in his reaction before he quickly stepped back to collect his basket. "Oh, sorry!"
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Unless she opted to go on a baking spree, but Emi didn't have the time for that.
Giving him another quick and amicable smile, Emi moved on to the nearby shelf, eyes searching the various spices, in front of her. "Cinnamon, cinnamon-" She mumbled to herself, standing on her tiptoes to get a better look at one of the higher shelves. "Ah! Cinnamon, here we go."
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And as he did so the petite Dane overheard Emi in her search for the cinnamon, for a moment eavesdropping on her situation. "Looks like you're doing some heavy baking too, yeah?" He piped up with a grin. "If you got cinnamon with it you should really give cardamom a try. Brings out the flavor by ten fold."
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Now, it wasn't often that Emi found herself baking. Rather, she cooked more than she baked as she often found herself much more comfortable not working with bread or pastries. Though it wasn't as if she didn't know how, she did but she had her limits. Self-imposed limits, but limits nonetheless. Regardless, Emi felt rather confident in the abilities she did have, especially when said abilities revolved around making churros.
Which is why that, as soon as the cinnamon was secure inside her shopping cart, Emi began to consider making fillings for her churros. Dulce de leche, perhaps? She'd have to go back to get some cans of sweetened condensed milk, but she could do it. Ah, there was always chocolate. Or vanilla. Or maybe even a strawberry filling-
Too lost in her thoughts, Emi failed to notice the man from earlier suddenly addressing her. Blinking, she turned, temporarily confused before smiling sheepishly. "Yeah, I am. I have some free time so I figured I'd bake something today," Her eyes looked back up at the spices, considering his suggestion. "And cardammom? I don't think I've ever used that when making churros, but it doesn't sound so bad," Emi replied, giving the man a grateful grin.
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Maybe it would be one of those things he could take up making to get Søren off his ass about "more unique foods". Macaroni and powdered cheese was unique enough as far as he cared.
Even as he prattled on with ninth degree of questions the Dane leaned down to his basket, plucking from inside the bottle of cardamom he himself had picked up earlier. "Here!" He offered it out to her with a grin. "It's way the fuck up high on the shelf. I had to practically scale the goddamn thing to get this one, but maybe some attendant will come by."
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She broke off to watch him search through his basket, eyebrow raised in bemusement. That is, until she noticed him handing her a bottle of cardamom. "Ah? O-Oh, no, I can't- Are you sure you don't need it? I mean, I feel rude if I take it." She held up one of her hands, smiling sheepishly at the offering. "And yeah, these shelves are a pain in the ass..."
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"And really, it's no problem! I have part of a bottle leftover at home. I was just going to pick some up since this store tends to sell out really fast," He explained, nodding to the bottle to insist that she take it. "I'm always baking things with cardamom, but tonight is for kransekage. I can hold off until my next visit."
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"Ah? Oh, yeah. He's never had any before so I promised I'd make him some. We live in the same building, so..." She paused, expression confused. "Why do you ask?"
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"... Emi?" He asked slowly, afraid he might be wrong. When he thought he may actually be correct his smile blossomed bit by bit, slowly but surely coming to encompass his entire expression, reflecting outward in his eyes. "Min skat! It's Kai!"
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"Mierda, are you-?" She stopped to giggle, glancing away even as the smile remained. "Oh God, t-this is so weird," Emi murmured, lips still curved upward.
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She was just as he had imagined her. Small in stature, a bombshell of a lady, and with a warm and caring energy about her. When he finally had the sense enough about him to stop fidgeting around he looked her up and down, seeming to roll around in his mind whether or not it was okay to hug on their first meeting. "This.. W-Well, how the heck are you, yeah? It's great to finally meet you!"
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"Maybe it's just something to do with Liberty. Crazy shit like this happens sometimes," Emi replied teasingly, words unknowingly slipping back into its more colorful variations as she held out her hand. "It's nice to finally meet you too, Kai~" She chirped. "And I'm good, just, you know. Busy and getting ready to bake. And you querido~?"
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He took her hand for a friendly shake, the excitement fizzling down until it could only be visibly seen in his posture and the crevices of his expression. "So hey, here's for a crazy idea-- since we're both baking, wanna just bake together? I understand if you got things to do, though."
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She paused to consider the suggestion, hands slipping to grip the handle of her shopping cart, fingers squeezing it briefly in thought before she smiled in response. "I don't think I have much to do today. So baking together sounds good. And since we're practically neighbors, for now, we can go to either of our apartments."
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Kai tipped his head to one side as she responded and, with the words he was eager to hear, he gave a small bounce as another excited grin blossomed on his lips. "Great! I, er-- well, let's see. Søren is maybe not home, but either place is good with me.. if we do your place I can just run upstairs to fetch the kransekage forms."
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Absently tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, she returned the excited grin with one of her own, albeit it was smaller and a bit more subdued. But the spark of excitement remained as she pulled out her cell phone to check the time. "Well, if we go back to my place, you may have to deal with my grumpy boyfriend since he's home. I don't think John is, but just in case, it may be a bit crowded. But I don't mind."
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