angels in the architecture

[tryingitall]

Who: Balthazar and open!
Where: The library, the kitchen, and assorted other mansion locations.
When: Monday
Rating: Probably PG?
Summary: Balthazar is in need of distraction. I have two scenarios here, but feel free to bump into him in the halls in between locations, if you're so inclined. I'm game for other ideas, too.



He finds it somewhat vexing how difficult the library is to locate on any given day. He's found it once before, although he wasn't especially motivated to peruse the contents then. Why bother, when he could ask his closet for any book he has in mind?

The flaw in this theory, Balthazar eventually realizes, is there are books out there he doesn't know he wants. Books about art history, for example. Having latched onto the idea of setting up a miniature gallery in his rooms, he's determined to follow through, but he needs more information. Examples. Ideas.

After a couple hours of wandering the halls, he finally finds the place and ducks inside with a grumble of relief. Now, of course, the problem is how to find what he's looking for within the library itself. No one ever taught him the Dewey Decimal System, if indeed that's even how the place is organized. But he has all the time in the world, so he'll begin at the beginning and wind his way through the stacks for as long as it takes.





When he began walking again, he wasn't aware he was headed for the kitchen, but once he arrives there he decides to stay and experiment. Angels don't need to eat, but Balthazar has developed a taste for one or two things aside from alcoholic drinks. Certain sweets. Well-brewed tea. Vegetarian dishes spiked with fiery sauces and spice. There's a cookbook open on the counter, possibly left behind by someone else, and he finds himself thumbing through it as the kettle heats. It's mostly baked desserts, and he's about to lose interest when one page catches his eye.

'Fried cheesecake bites'. Fried cheesecake? Fried cheesecake. It sounds like the unholy offspring of Sara Lee and a county fair funnel cake vendor.

He's not sure if he'll like it himself, but he's willing to bet Death would. Assuming he could somehow pull off the dish. After the recent TV land fiasco, it might be smart to make nice.

It can't hurt to try, anyway. He scans the ingredients list with a frown and goes for the refrigerator.

Comments

[ex_alighthouse135]

She's amused by the remark on his reputation, since he's been nothing but nice both times Elizabeth has spent time with him.

"That sounds like a grand idea. Where do we start?" She looks at the recipe book curiously. They'll need to get out the necessary ingredients and supplies.

[tryingitall]

Elizabeth strikes him as too sweet to snark at. It's easy to be nice when one is around nice people.

"The crust first, I suppose," he answers. "I'm not sure what they mean by 'shortdough'. It looks simple, though. Flour, eggs, butter, and sugar..."

[ex_alighthouse135]

"That does look simple enough. I'll get a bowl!"

She scampers over to a cupboard and brings out a mixing bowl and a spoon. She also gets a couple more things, like a sift, measuring spoons and a measuring cup.

[tryingitall]

"Why does the flour need to be sifted, anyway?" Balthazar asks, watching her. "Shouldn't they do that when they package it in the first place?"

Belatedly realizing that sounds lazy, he adds, "I mean, I'm sure it's not a difficult chore. I'm just curious."

[ex_alighthouse135]

"It's just being cautious. If it sits a long time in the package, it might clump up. You don't want to bite into a ball of flour when you're having a snack."

See? She's ready quite a bit about cooking already! Or maybe she's just as cautious with cooking as she would be with research or experiments. If they're going to make something, she wants it to be perfect.

"Okay, I think we're ready to cook."

[tryingitall]

That makes a lot of sense, and he brightens a bit, nodding in understanding. "I see. I've mostly only made muffins from mix before. Do you want to direct me here? Oh, and do we need to turn the oven on to heat up?"

[ex_alighthouse135]

"I think we'll need the fryer for this recipe." If they're going for the fried cheesecake bites. Though frying cheesecake is not something she would've considered before.

"I'll read the directions and you put everything into the mixture, okay?" That way they can work as a team. And if the idea is acceptable, she'll instruct him on how much of each spice or ingredient goes next.

[tryingitall]

He scans the page, then nods. "It says to lightly bake the crust first, but you're right."

Moving down the counter, he pulls a medium-sized home-kitchen fryer out, dusting it down and picking up the manual with a frown. "That sounds fine, just give me a moment to read--ah. All right, it doesn't take much time to heat the oil after all. I'll mix and pour."

[ex_alighthouse135]

Elizabeth waits for Balthazar to sort everything out. She certainly doesn't want to get in the way, but she'll help however she can. When he needs something she fetches it for him, and when he needs the next step she reads it promptly.

"That looks good so far."

[tryingitall]

They make short work of the crust, and he sticks it in the oven to bake, then pauses to note with dismay that his jacket is dusted with flour. "...I didn't realize this would be so messy."

Not that it's difficult to clean up or anything. A snap of his fingers and his outfit is pristine again, except they're still cooking so it won't stay that way. "Am I supposed to melt the butter or not, love?"

[ex_alighthouse135]

Elizabeth about offers to dust him off, but with a snap of his fingers the flour is gone and he's clean as can be. She's a bit startled. "Oh!" Well, that's a handy trick!

"Yes, you should melt the butter and stir it. Looks like it's coming along well. You're really good at this."

[tryingitall]

"It's an angel thing," he explains with a lopsided smile. "Cosmic dry-cleaners, trousers pressed while you wait. In the old days we used to use it to purify dirty water and make salted land fertile again, but there's less call for that these days."

Which is not to say there's no longer infertile land or polluted water, just that Heaven's policy is more hands-off now. He puts the butter in the microwave briefly, then stirs it to a smooth consistency. "You flatter me. I think I'd have fouled it up already without the direction."

[ex_alighthouse135]

"I wish I could do that." It would be nice to be able to do such things with her own clothes.

She smiles and shrugs, "I'm just reading the directions. You have a real knack for it." She reads the next part, which will have the cheesecake balls coming along nicely. They'll be ready to fry soon, she thinks.