Between Ovens and Possibilities (The Warder, part 4)
Author : Rue
Universe : City of Eternity
Prompts : Star Fruit 2 (Two can play that game), Apple Pie 11 (Home-cooking), Dark Chocolate 27 (Projection), Cotton Candy 28 (Putting it all together)
Type : Fill in the blanks, What happened in-between, Retrospective
Character(s) : Wan Long
Notes : 1 story ends T_T
She cracked the eggs and mixed it with the sugar, the butter was cut into small pieces, and then placed with the chocolate to melt on top of a boiling water. pour the flour and cocoa powder, and mix, mix, mix. Like magic rituals, the exact rate of the recipe was slightly intimidating. This hot, for this long, for the best brownies; still moist but not too wet, soft, yet fluffy. As if it was the only path to a soft, rich brownies. Slightest difference meant failure or death.
While her hands worked; she talked dearly with herself. About old times. About her own hesitation.
About Er Rai and Margritte. Such a long way they had been through. Did she remember their early meetings? All decorum and detached politeness? She certainly did-- Wan Long vaguely remembered the dinner Er Rai gave in his apartment. Trays of dim sum; adorably shaped dumplings, him in a red shirt that reminded her of marriage wear. An act of one man that rivaled the most lavish of banquets, if it was judged from how calculated and precise it had been.The Dragon's Maiden was well-versed in that language, as much as she hated that fact. Er Rai brought her security.
And yet, Er Rai was honest about it. Wan Long couldn't help remembering Axel at this point. His spontaneous acts. This baking idea too had been his to begin with, hadn't it?
Different facets of the same act, honest as they were. An elevation of the ego that did little for the recipient; more about the actor; how impressive, how kind, how brilliant. Not to say she didn't feel good; but since when was feeling good and liking something were synonymous?
But she trusted the psion and his military conduct-- if Er Rai was to lie, he will tell her. That was a certain kind of comfort Axel couldn't give, with his burning passion and hasty resolve. And for all that it's worth, she didn't want him to. Her lover was a very persistent and earnest man. Axel's well-intentioned act brought her hope-- that one could still do good just because. She wanted to see them succeeded.
The baking tray was then covered with a baking sheet, the batter poured. Almonds were sprinkled on top. And now it's the modern oven's job. The light turned on, giving her access without opening the oven.
Wan Long wondered next; will Margritte appreciate that part of Er Rai? They were so similar and yet so different; Er Rai's stoic candor to Margritte's composed restraint. Her actions spoke more than her words-- a well-trusted tool for the merchant, Wan Long had deducted. But Margritte had her own weapons, her own power. Were they not enough? No; of course not. A woman like her were hard to satisfy, harder to please. And yet there was the red-haired woman, waiting in his room, taking care of the wounded Er Rai. Had she changed? Had Er Rai changed her?
Then again, there had been an aroma of chocolate too in his apartment last time; and no cake in sight. And it was messy. A far cry from the man she'd seen, or the spotless apartment she'd been into.... Was it a mask she oversaw? Or perhaps had Margritte too, changed him?
But the person she was once had changed. Er Rai too had changed. So was Margritte, Axel. Melvil. Heion. Wan Long used to believe time, death, and change were the only constants in her life. Then Eternity prove that the first two were fallible. But change never changed. Even in the place beyond time and space, things changed. People changed.
Wan Long poured a glass of water, then sat and waited. Both the batter and her own feelings bubbled, slowly hardening. She knew she had known this feeling, the reason for her hesitation. Name it and release it.
Perhaps it was a fear of change. Or it was a fear of the realization. Naming it made it real, ordinary; like ghosts, gods, or miracles.
Only now had she looked back-- only now had she realized how far their distance had become. And it was not just a result of one. In a way they were very similar, once. The walls of composure and restraint; the coldness in their heart.
The oven finished its job and announced it with a ding. Mittens on, she opened the oven; a batch of heat and a promise of chocolate bursting towards her. Taken out, left to cool; it was brown and tough, and yet
It was not love, she thought. It never got the chance to be one. She smiled. She cut a slice of the freshly baked brownies, bringing an aroma of chocolate close to her nose. Heavy, rich; slightly burnt. Slowly, she took the brownies.
It was bittersweet.
Universe : City of Eternity
Prompts : Star Fruit 2 (Two can play that game), Apple Pie 11 (Home-cooking), Dark Chocolate 27 (Projection), Cotton Candy 28 (Putting it all together)
Type : Fill in the blanks, What happened in-between, Retrospective
Character(s) : Wan Long
Notes : 1 story ends T_T
She cracked the eggs and mixed it with the sugar, the butter was cut into small pieces, and then placed with the chocolate to melt on top of a boiling water. pour the flour and cocoa powder, and mix, mix, mix. Like magic rituals, the exact rate of the recipe was slightly intimidating. This hot, for this long, for the best brownies; still moist but not too wet, soft, yet fluffy. As if it was the only path to a soft, rich brownies. Slightest difference meant failure or death.
While her hands worked; she talked dearly with herself. About old times. About her own hesitation.
About Er Rai and Margritte. Such a long way they had been through. Did she remember their early meetings? All decorum and detached politeness? She certainly did-- Wan Long vaguely remembered the dinner Er Rai gave in his apartment. Trays of dim sum; adorably shaped dumplings, him in a red shirt that reminded her of marriage wear. An act of one man that rivaled the most lavish of banquets, if it was judged from how calculated and precise it had been.The Dragon's Maiden was well-versed in that language, as much as she hated that fact. Er Rai brought her security.
And yet, Er Rai was honest about it. Wan Long couldn't help remembering Axel at this point. His spontaneous acts. This baking idea too had been his to begin with, hadn't it?
Different facets of the same act, honest as they were. An elevation of the ego that did little for the recipient; more about the actor; how impressive, how kind, how brilliant. Not to say she didn't feel good; but since when was feeling good and liking something were synonymous?
But she trusted the psion and his military conduct-- if Er Rai was to lie, he will tell her. That was a certain kind of comfort Axel couldn't give, with his burning passion and hasty resolve. And for all that it's worth, she didn't want him to. Her lover was a very persistent and earnest man. Axel's well-intentioned act brought her hope-- that one could still do good just because. She wanted to see them succeeded.
The baking tray was then covered with a baking sheet, the batter poured. Almonds were sprinkled on top. And now it's the modern oven's job. The light turned on, giving her access without opening the oven.
Wan Long wondered next; will Margritte appreciate that part of Er Rai? They were so similar and yet so different; Er Rai's stoic candor to Margritte's composed restraint. Her actions spoke more than her words-- a well-trusted tool for the merchant, Wan Long had deducted. But Margritte had her own weapons, her own power. Were they not enough? No; of course not. A woman like her were hard to satisfy, harder to please. And yet there was the red-haired woman, waiting in his room, taking care of the wounded Er Rai. Had she changed? Had Er Rai changed her?
Then again, there had been an aroma of chocolate too in his apartment last time; and no cake in sight. And it was messy. A far cry from the man she'd seen, or the spotless apartment she'd been into.... Was it a mask she oversaw? Or perhaps had Margritte too, changed him?
But the person she was once had changed. Er Rai too had changed. So was Margritte, Axel. Melvil. Heion. Wan Long used to believe time, death, and change were the only constants in her life. Then Eternity prove that the first two were fallible. But change never changed. Even in the place beyond time and space, things changed. People changed.
Wan Long poured a glass of water, then sat and waited. Both the batter and her own feelings bubbled, slowly hardening. She knew she had known this feeling, the reason for her hesitation. Name it and release it.
Perhaps it was a fear of change. Or it was a fear of the realization. Naming it made it real, ordinary; like ghosts, gods, or miracles.
Only now had she looked back-- only now had she realized how far their distance had become. And it was not just a result of one. In a way they were very similar, once. The walls of composure and restraint; the coldness in their heart.
The oven finished its job and announced it with a ding. Mittens on, she opened the oven; a batch of heat and a promise of chocolate bursting towards her. Taken out, left to cool; it was brown and tough, and yet
It was not love, she thought. It never got the chance to be one. She smiled. She cut a slice of the freshly baked brownies, bringing an aroma of chocolate close to her nose. Heavy, rich; slightly burnt. Slowly, she took the brownies.
It was bittersweet.