We may never find our reason to shine. But here and now this is our time

[miniworth]

Who: usedrage and miniworth
Where: Goldenrod Hotel's Kitchen
When: Thursday, April 21st
Summary: Two little boys practice baking to be able to help out at the Easter event this weekend. And by practice, I mean that there will be a big mess of two eleven year olds trying to figure out the complicated art of cooking something more than toast and sandwiches. And Cubones eating all the whip cream while they discuss decorations.
Rating: G

It had sounded like a good plan - at first. Buying the ingredients and borrowing the kitchen had been no difficult feat; Ken knew his way around the department store well, and Miles had always been a persuasive speaker, and they'd even attempted to comb Ken's hair down to make a good impression on the chef and hotel staff they went to talk to. It had been fairly simple.

They weren't completely sure what compelled them to help with the Easter festival, less sure what compelled them decide helping out with the feast. Cooking was not the forte of either boy, and there were things they were much more interested than in baking cake. Eating was a lot simpler than cooking. But it had sounded like a good idea - at first.

Their Cubones were seated on a nearby counter with some snacks while Miles, climbing onto a stool, opened up a cookbook on the steel countertop. He was wearing the apron he had in his bag since day one of his stay in Johto, sleeves rolled up and determination on his face. He wasn't sure how this was going to end up, but if he signed up for it, he was determined to pull through with it.

He could do some cooking, at least. Having a busy father who usually didn't come home from work until ten o'clock did that to a kid. But cake - cake he had never done before. Even looking at the cooking instructions, they were much different and more complicated than that of the omelette he'd once tried to make and barely managed not to burn.

....It had sounded like a good plan at first.

Comments

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

It seemed like such a good idea. After talking about how neither of them could cook, why not take a step in the right direction? They were asking for help and... baking a cake seemed easier than cooking a dinner.

To be fair he wasn't big on this holiday, he didn't really get it. (Bunnies and eggs and all that...) But if Miles wanted to help out, who was Ken to say he wouldn't, too? It was a cold day, so he had donned his turtle neck sweater. Rolled up sleeves aside, he put the bag of ingredients on the counter. Flour, sugar, eggs, oil, cocoa, butter--looking at everything he bought, Ken was suddenly very unsure of their upcoming task.

"So... um. What are we supposed to do first?"

[miniworth]

Miles wasn't particularly interested in Easter, either. He and his father were never religious, and he'd never been into the American tradition of searching for plastic eggs, either. However he'd grown to appreciate the many events and festivals held in Johto, and... helping out seemed like a good idea, at first.

He'd eaten German Chocolate Cake while living with the von Karmas. He wasn't big on sweets much, but out of all the cakes listed in the book he'd flipped through, this was the one he was most familiar with. At Ken's question, he responded with a tilt of his head and narrowed eyes. His confidence in their ability to perform this cooking task successfully was dwindling. Steadily.

"We need to preheat the oven, and... "

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

Ken was almost too short to preheat the industrial oven, but if he stood on his tip toes and reached just enough, he could turn the dial, thank god the stove wasn't on. Then, he turned to the cabinets to search for a suitable mixing bowl.

With at least one task successfully completed, Ken returned to look over Miles' shoulder at the book. The recipe might as well have been written in Greek.

[miniworth]

There were instructions to coat cake pans with butter or vegetable oil, a task that sounded simple enough. Without the stool, Miles would be much too short to do any countertop work, so he knelt on it as he grabbed for the aluminum pans from their groceries.

There were also instructions to melt chocolate. They'd just have to boil the water and pour it into the bowl without scalding themselves.

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

When Ken read that, he turned from Miles again and heated the stove, grabbing a pot and filling it with water. He was curious--wouldn't that make the chocolate really watery...? But if the book said it, the book had to be right...

Right?

[miniworth]

Miles is so unsure. Putting the chocolate directly in the water sounded more like a recipe for bad hot chocolate, if anything. But the book definitely said to...

He probably should have asked someone for tips, but he gave Ken a determined, but nervous, nod.

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

"So what comes next? I know we have to mix everything together..." But was there an order? What way, exactly, was this all supposed to be done?

[miniworth]

"Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt, into a mixing bowl."

Now, does Miles know how teaspoons and cups work?

...No.

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

He blinked stupidly at the bowl. "How much of it?" He'd seen enough of his senpai cooking to know at least that you couldn't pour a whole bag of flour into a cake.

[miniworth]

A small shrug, and Miles pressed the cookbook towards Ken to show him the list. He knew what they meant, but he had no idea how to measure them using the tools in the kitchen.

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

"We can guess at this, right?" What was the difference between TSP and TBSP?

[miniworth]

"I-I think so. As long as it tastes okay." He is so confused, Ken. So confused.

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

The feeling of 'this was a bad idea' began to gnaw at Ken's stomach as he... "estimates"... how much they might need. There was definitely too much salt in there, though neither boy would recognize it.

[miniworth]

Miles manages to measure out the cups properly, though he's still at a loss about the spoons. This was definitely a bad idea...but there is no turning back.

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

It was around this time that Ken realized the water was boiling. Nemesis saw this as a beautiful opportunity, purposefully knocking one of the measuring cups onto the ground with her tail.

[miniworth]

The clattering of cup hitting floor startles Jason, who knocks his bone club very suddenly into the extra bag of flour the boys had bought.

It explodes in his face, and then he is clinging to Miles, who is staring at their mixture with wonder. Was there supposed to be this much...?

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

Ken can only faceplam at this, picking Nemesis up and taking her off the counter. "Go play with Polydeuces."

[miniworth]

Jason is taking Miles' apron away to go curl up on it and stay away from that bag of exploding white dust while Miles sets the bowl down.

"... So we put the water over the chocolate?"

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

"Is that what the book says?" Miles. You should know Ken doesn't know how to bake, at all.

[miniworth]

Someone tell them why they chose to bake. Miles tilts his head at the book, scrutinizing, and then nods.

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

"I really hope the book is right..." He is very careful when he brings the pot over to the bowl because he doesn't want to get burned.

[miniworth]

Miles holds the bowl carefully as Ken pours in the water, eyes on the cookbook.

Beating butter and sugar? He can't even make heads or tails out of that sentence.

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

Ken takes the book for a second to look for a glossary.

[miniworth]

In the meanwhile, Miles will go get the butter and sugar, another bowl, and a mixer.