ledbythewind | [Action]

[Richard is up early this morning, out and about before most of the rest of the household is even awake. He's not about to let his odd sensitivity to any sort of wind stop him from getting things done-- instead, he simply bundles himself up until he looks more like a walking pile of coats and scarves than anything else before making his way in to the center of town for a shopping trip. Of course, the downside of said bundle of outer layers is that it's a bit hard for him to see, meaning that he might occasionally stumble into people or objects before he even realizes it...

His first stop is the grocery store, where he can be found consulting a list and selecting ingredients. Okay, maybe making a black forest cake is a bit ambitious on his end, but he wants to give it a shot anyway. It SOUNDS delicious, if nothing else.

Then he heads to the item store to grab a few more things, even though he'd already picked out his main present some time ago. Perhaps a new toy for Tiger Festival as well...

Of course, then he realizes that his recipe calls for cherry liqueur, which requires a stop by Good Spirits to pick some of that up.

Finally, he heads back home to House 28, where housemates will find him in the kitchen baking something that smells very delicious and very chocolatey. The end result may be a little lopsided and the frosting job definitely leaves something to be desired (maybe he should've whipped that whipped cream a bit more, it seems a little runny), but at least it smells good?]

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[Richard glances up from the bowl he's currently attempting to make whipped cream in and smiles, bringing one finger up to his lips in a "shhh" gesture.

... which has the side effect of getting a small blob of that whipped cream on his nose, but details.]

It's Isamu's birthday today. Now that Sanji has gone home, I wanted to try making a cake for him myself. I didn't want to just pick something up from the bakery. It would feel too... impersonal.

I didn't know you even knew how to bake. [He feels like he's learning something new about you, Richard.]

That's the other part of the secret. This is the first time I've tried making a cake on my own.

[But oh, is he trying!]

Do you even know what you're doing? [He doesn't want to have to put out your fire, Richard...]

I'm following the recipe I found in a cookbook.

[Even he should be able to do that much... right?]

What kind of cake is it?

A black forest cake.

[Then, seeing the blank look on Asbel's face, he quickly explains:]

It's a chocolate cake with cherry filling and whipped cream on top. I thought it would be something a little more special than just an ordinary chocolate cake.

Wow, that sounds pretty impressive for a birthday cake.

[Asbel gives Richard a smile.] I'm sure he'll appreciate it.

It won't be made by Sanji, but...

[And here his face falls slightly. He'd usually left the cake-baking for Isamu's birthday to Sanji, but with the chef gone, the thought of just picking up a cake from the bakery didn't seem right.]

... I'm sure the cake will taste just as good, regardless if it's by his hand or by yours.

Thank you, Asbel. I just don't want him to feel forgotten now that so many of his other friends are gone.

With someone like you, I'm not sure how he could ever be forgotten.

What is that supposed to mean?

[He's not flustered. Nope. Not at all.]

You care a lot about him. That's all.

I do.

[But, of course, Asbel being Asbel, he probably won't pick up on just how much.]

So don't worry so much, okay? It'll all turn out just fine as long as you don't give up before you're through.

Thank you, Asbel.

[Somehow Asbel always knows just what to say to make him feel better about things-- it's one of the qualities he's most grateful for in his friend.]

Would you like to help me by taste-testing it? There should still be some batter left on the mixing spoon there.

[Something tells him he shouldn't do it. Something about being more adult-like.

But then he decides that's stupid.]

Ahh... Okay. [GONNA EAT CAKE BATTER YEAH!]

[And Richard will just nudge the mixing bowl towards Asbel-- sure enough, the spoon that's in the bowl is in fact covered in delicious chocolatey batter.

Taste away, Asbel!]

[Okay, okay fine, you don't have to tell him twice. Asbel picks up that bowl and carefully cradles it in one arm as he grabs the spoon. He shall protect this bowl! As for the spoon, well, he's gonna lick the fuck out of that.]

[Richard watches him intently, studying Asbel's face to gauge his reaction to the taste of the batter. It does taste good to more people than just him, right? Right?]

[He takes a moment to carefully taste the batter, savoring every minute detail of its texture and flavor.]

Mmm... This is actually pretty good, Richard...

You really think so?

[And oh, does he look proud of himself right about now. If Asbel thinks it tastes good, then surely Isamu will agree with him.]

I made sure to follow the recipe exactly as it was written. I didn't want to risk experimenting with anything the first time I tried making it.

If you followed the recipe exactly, then there shouldn't be any problems. It'll turn out great.

Then I suppose there's no need to offer you a taste of the finished product.

[Is he trolling, or is he being serious?]

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