This post is long over due [open]

[olblighty]

Characters: Arthur Kirkland, King Bradley, Leo de Alkirk, Tamaki Suou, Tear Grants, Ariane Emory, Sora Visitae, Franziska von Karma
Content: In which Arthur is making scones and tea
Setting: The Amestris Kitchen
Time: Sometime soon after this
Warnings: BAD COOKING

Comments

[notrueking]

Bradley wasn't quite sure how long it would take for the scones to cook; he knew cookies took... perhaps half an hour? Hmm. They were probably different, come to think of it...

In any case, there was going to be tea, so Bradley arrived a while before the scones would (probably) be done. ...but, er. What was that smell...?

"Ah, hello, Kirkland," said Bradley, giving the impression that he didn't think anything was wrong. "...er. How are things going?"

[olblighty]

Arthur made his way back over to the tea set after leaving the pot of "hot chocolate" to over boil. After removing the lid from the teapot, he peered in to see if the tea had seeped enough. No, needs a little more time.

As Bradley addressed him, Arthur stiffened up for a second before spinning around. He really wanted to give him a piece of his mind for startling him and how not to sneak up behind him, yet this was the Captain. He shouldn't speak to him in such an ill manner.

"Ah-- hello. I am glad you could make it." Arthur glanced over to the oven ignoring the smell that obviously came from it. "Everything is just grand, sir."

[notrueking]

The odd smell emanating from the oven (at least, that was where it seemed to be coming from) now seemed to have melting chocolate mixed in. Hopefully the chocolate would overpower it.

"I'm sure," said Bradley, his expression still one of seemingly sincere cheerfulness. "I see the tea isn't ready yet-should I come back?"

[olblighty]

"Ah-" Arthur glances back at the teapot. "No need for you to leave. It should be ready in a moment or two." That burning chocolate was really strong. Maybe it needed more milk? Arthur went to retrieve the milk and once again returned to the stove with the pot of chocolate to pour more milk in. Perhaps that should do it.

"I think the tea should be ready by now." Arthur shuffled back over to the teapot, removing the lid again to peer inside. Once replacing the lid, he turned to look at Bradley again. "How do you take your tea? Milk? Sugar? Honey?"

[keeptalkinfool]

Doumeki hadn't spent more than a couple days aboard the Amestris, but he had yet to explore much of the ship. He had been merely walking down the corridor when he smelled tea and something strongly resembling burning chocolate.

Following his nose, he wandered down the hall until eventually he came upon the doors that the scent had been wafting behind. Stepping into the room, he saw a blond fellow manning the stove. Things seemed to be bubbling and hissing in a pot, and a kettle sat freshly emptied into a teapot.

"Is something burning?" he wondered aloud, more to himself than anyone in the room.

[olblighty]

Arthur turned to look to see who had just spoken and turn to quickly glance at the pot of burning chocolate. "Of course nothing is burning!" Surely that smell is normal when it comes to making hot chocolate, right? Arthur made his way towards the boiling pot and peered inside. His face contorted at the smell of burning chocolate and milk and he quickly turned the flame off. Perhaps Sora wouldn't notice any difference.

"Er... maybe just a little..."

[keeptalkinfool]

It didn't seem like the man knew what he was doing, but Doumeki decided it was best not to comment for the time being. Instead he stepped around the man and gently shifted the oven door open. Plucking one of the scones deftly from the pile, he took a bite of the still hot treat.

The morsel of scone was chewy and resilient to his attempts to break it down. It took him a few minutes before he managed to swallow and speak.

"I think the scones are stale. I could barely get through one bite."

[olblighty]

Arthur looked on with dismay as Doumeki pulled a scone out of the oven. Forget how hot they were! He took one without asking! For this, Arthur's opinion of this man has gone down a notch. And now he's critiquing his wonderful food? But Arthur's food should be wonderful!

"What do you mean they're stale?! I just made them!"

[fangofjustice]

It was times like these that Leo cursed the keenness of his demihuman senses. His nose wrinkled in disgust as he approached the kitchen; what was that smell? That wasn't supposed to be food, was it? It was certainly coming from the kitchen, though, which meant...

Which meant Leo had a very bad feeling about this.

Nevertheless, he courageously pressed onward into the kitchen. Already he prayed that the taste of the tea would not be tainted by whatever was causing that smell.

[olblighty]

Nothing could taint the tea. It is absolutely perfect. Or at least Arthur believes it to be so. Arthur greeted Leo with a gentlemanly smile as he walked in. "I'm so glad you could stop by for a spot of tea. The tea should be ready any moment now and the scones shouldn't be that much longer. Please make yourself comfortable."

Arthur turned away to check up on the tea and he nodded to himself before he picked up the teapot and carefully filled the teacups with tea.

[fangofjustice]

Scones. Was that what that smell was? Maybe he could decline on those, at least until he could see if other people ate them without gagging.

"Just tea should be fine. My thanks."

[olblighty]

Arthur isn't worried about his scones, he believes for a fact that people will love his scones. "How do you take your tea?" Arthur poured a cup just for Leo and motioned to the condiments.

[mysterious_aura]

Initially, Tear intended to head to the kitchen after she finished her work, but it wasn't long before she noticed an odd smell every time she passed by the entrance. At last, she decided to investigate, in the event that an accident occurred.

In a moment, the young woman found herself coming to a sudden halt at the threshold, her heels clicking lightly with her abrupt movement. Almost instantly, the strange odor seemed to gain additional nuances she couldn't name, while she espied one Arthur Kirkland preoccupied by the stove. Even though her position aboard the ship was a quartermaster, she possessed sufficient experience in cooking to tell that the chef wasn't quite preparing things correctly -- if the scent was any indicator.

"Excuse me, but is everything alright?" she inquired, her expression and tone of voice as serious as ever. "It seems like you have your hands full. If you'd like, I can help."

[olblighty]

Everything was going just smoothly for Arthur. In fact those scones of his were almost ready, and that hot chocolate? Sure, it should be ready.... He thinks. It never occurred to him that the smell was coming from his cooking. Something else must be burning somewhere, it's not his priority right now. Yet he began to doubt the smell was coming from somewhere else when Tear offered him a hand. Surely his cooking was alright? Maybe she was just concerned that he was making all this tea and scones alone?

"Ah, no! Everything is under control. You don't need to worry!"

[mysterious_aura]

"Are you sure? It...smells like something's burning."

Tear didn't want to doubt his cooking skills, but she really didn't think that cooking should emit such an unusual odor. Not to mention, how could any chef mistake it for anything other than a sort of blunder? Then again, perhaps she was being presumptious. Maybe this wasn't Arthur Kirkland but, rather, one of the crew members or passengers attempting to cook. Sure, there were several tea cups sitting on top of the counter, but she couldn't rule out the possibility that the chef decided to step out.

Of course, if her speculation proved wrong, then there was always a chance that the cook was simply prideful. The type who wouldn't admit their slip up -- or, in this case, the fact that he carried all his eggs in one basket.

[myworknotme]

Something smelled amiss as Ariane entered the kitchen. Though she'd had a cook to do such things for her back at Reseune, she could still tell when something was burned. Was it burning? There was an undertone of something unfamiliar there, but it wasn't enough to distract from the potential pleasure of having some good, hot tea. Helped you to think, and she had quite a lot of planning to do.

She took the cup closest to her, and sat down on the chair the furthest from the rest of the people in the room.