A Complete and Utter Disaster
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 22nd March 2007
Characters: Daigoro, Cinale
Description: Diagoro's surprise is not quite as he had intended
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 2, day 3 of Turn 4
Notes: Follows "A Sweet-Smelling Nest"
Cinale had thought that being married to the Hallsecond of Vintner Hall would have prepared her for anything. But nothing--absolutely nothing--could have prepared for the ghastly sight of her precious kitchen when she walked in after a long day's work of cooking and baking at the Hall.
Her domain was a complete and utter disaster!
Every inch of counter-top space was covered with mixing bowls, wooden spoons, forks and every other type of utinsele Cinale jealously hoarded.
Various, multi-colored dishcloths were thrown over backs of chairs. Her usually pristine, white sinks were overflowing with even _more_ mixing bowls, discarded eggshells and...was that flour? As her disbelieving eyes followed a trail of gooey mess from the sink to the floor, she saw that shoe-prints--shoe-prints that suspiciously looked like her husband's--had tracked spilled flour all over the kitchen.
Finally her gaze came to rest on a flour-covered Daigoro, and her horror swiftly turned into amusement. He was bending over the open oven door, trying to carefully grasp something inside with a dishcloth--her _best_
dishcloth! Didn't he know that he was supposed to use oven mitts for that? All of a sudden, a smell filled the air.
Cinale couldn't think of a polite way to describe that smell.
It seemed she wasn't the only one who found the smell offensive. Three fire-lizards who were perched up in the rafters overhead began to scold Daigoro, and it was Fey who was the loudest. The little green took wing, spraying...cookie crumbs?...all over the place as she backwinged to land on Daigoro's shoulder, still chittering at him.
"Off me now, troublemaker," Daigoro said, trying to carefully shrug the green off. "These ones are much too hot to roll in."
Tilting her small head to the side, Fey studied the questionable cookies for a moment longer before launching herself obediently from his shoulder with a disgusted huff. Those bad-smelling lumps weren't worth the effort! The green suddenly veered to the right when she saw Cinale, giving a pleased bugle to see that her lady was finally home.
Biting back a chuckle, the cook finally came into the room, knowing her cover was blown. "Baking are we, Daigoro?"
Startled as he pulled the tray from the oven, her husband almost lost his hold of the tray. Forgetting for a moment just how hot that tray was, Daigoro grabbed at it to steady it. Yelping in pain he turned towards her, juggling the tray full of cookies in one hand as he shook his other furiously to try to stop the burning. "Faranth's Shell, you don't sneak up on me like that, woman!" he cried as he slid the tray onto the one free space left on the table. It was then that he realized just what a state her usually immaculate kitchen was in. "You're home early, are you?" he asked, feeling very much like the apprentice caught in the middle of a little mischief by the Hallmaster.
"Not that early, love! Now run your hand under some water." Grabbing his wrist, she pulled him over to the sink--ignoring for the moment the tragic mess--and stuck his palm under the cold stream.
"I was planning on having it all cleaned up before you got back," he muttered apologetically as he let her tend to his wounds.
"Well, that's nice to know," she chuckled, leaning up to kiss his flour-dusted lips. "I thank you for that, but now, since I'm home, I'll help you."
"It didn't look like this before," he assured her, still frowning guiltily.
A brow rose. "Well I know that, hon. I never leave the kitchen in such disarray." Disarray was almost too polite of a term for how her kitchen looked. Again, Cinale glanced around. "What exactly were you trying to do, Daigoro?"
"I was just trying to surprise you with some cookies. Jielta was kind enough to teach me. But then when I left to find something to cover the plate with, those little..." he stopped himself before he said 'flying tunnelsnakes', "troublemakers decided to use the cookies as their own personal nesting ground, so I was hurrying to try to get another batch done before you got back and... Well, it took longer than I had expected." Not to mention he wasn't quite sure he remembered the recipe! He knew he was whining and that it was particularly unmanly of him, but he was having a sharding terrible day and was in desperate need of a little sympathy. "I really was going to have it put back before you got home. I know how careful you are to keep your kitchen clean."
Her expression softened. "You were going to surprise me with cookies?
That's very sweet of you, hon." Even if his experiment did look--and smell!--a bit...questionable.
**Going to...** As in, he didn't quite succeed? Well, even he wasn't going to be able to pretend that his solo attempt had gone well. "The first batch was perfect..."
Touched that he'd worked so hard just to try and surprise her, Cinale smiled up into his face and wrapped her arms tightly around him. "It's okay, my love," she told him softly, wishing that bruised look in his eyes would go away. Gently she nuzzled the side of his neck. "The fact that you went through so much for me...I'm touched."
"Really?" Well, at least she appreciated the attempt, if she couldn't really appreciate his handiwork. Wrapping his arms around her he felt himself relax a little. "I can't really vouch for how these ones taste... I really should have written the recipe down the first time."
Grinning, she leaned up to kiss him on the lips. Now would not be the time to mention that she had a whole stack of recipes tucked away in this very kitchen--including a dozen or so for different kinds of cookies. She'd mention it to him later when he'd be able to laugh with her. Cinale leaned back, gently running her fingers through his silvering hair. Right now, a bruised, male ego needed to be soothed. That was her first priority. "You're so good to me, Daigoro," she murmured, brushing the tip of her nose against his. "Taking time out of your day to do all of this for me. I know how busy you are..."
That brought a small, pleased smile to his face. "Well, it wasn't _that_ busy..."
"Even still, hon, even still." She brushed her thumb against his cheek, wiping away some of the flour. "You're so thoughtful." **And such the sweet romantic.** But she didn't say that to him. Cinale wasn't sure how he'd take her light-hearted teasing at the moment--especially since that particular comment probably wouldn't help in the rebuilding of his manly ego. And so she kissed him again, letting her mouth linger over his for a moment longer this time, giving him the opportunity to take it a little further if he wanted to.
Her teasing kisses makes Daigoro almost forget the mess he was standing in the middle of. Leaning into her he kissed her soundly, grateful for her appreciation. Maybe the intention to make her happy was really enough. And now, well, he was sure there was one way to show his love for her that he _knew_ she liked...
Last updated on the March 22nd 2007