Chapter 19
Noise came from the kitchen and Yuri followed the sounds to find Lucian digging through cupboards, and Theo frowning at an open book as though it were a foreign language he was trying to decipher.
“I can’t find a recipe for a dough nut,” Theo said seeing them enter the kitchen.
The sun shone through the window over the sink and across the room from a wide seating nook that left few dark corners for Star to hide in.
The man hesitated in the doorway. Yuri grabbed a stool and set it at the counter near the pantry, which was the only section without a sunbeam bathing it, and Star slipped into it without a word.
“Biscuits?” Yuri asked Lucian.
Lucian paused and grabbed a tin, opening it to reveal a batch of leftover cookies. Shortbread perhaps, though when Yuri picked them up, he understood what Star meant about them tasting like sand.
“Did you cream the butter and vanilla?” Yuri asked as the bit crumbled in his fingers.
“Butter is a type of cream, yes?” Lucian asked. “I speak a dozen different languages, but this particular one of baking origin, I find baffling.”
Yuri smiled. “You can sit and watch if you’d like. I’ll make some shortbread dough while the donuts rise. We could probably use something more substantial like eggs rather than desserts. Even a loaf of bread and some peanut butter would provide some protein.”
“I’ll eat whatever you make,” Lucian said.
“Me too,” Theo agreed.
Star kept to his corner, arms crossed on the counter, head resting on them while his gaze followed Yuri.
“Anything I need appears in this house and is real, right?” Yuri asked Star.
Star shrugged.
“Don’t invite any of Michael’s carnivorous plants,” Lucian said.
“Barney’s world is a mess of sentient plant life and animals trying to win a game of survival of the strongest. Michael dumped his magic there and left it in chaos.
I’m not certain I should have been eating those fruits Barney kept giving me. ”
“It is a very strange world,” Theo agreed. “I love fruit though. Apples, bananas, strawberries, cherries. I’ve tried a lot. What are dough nuts?”
“Cake,” Yuri said, opening the pantry and finding it not only full, but well organized.
“I can help,” Theo offered. “I might not understand the recipes, but I follow directions.”
“As long as you’re not in the middle of a battle,” Lucian grumbled.
“Says the guy who is really good at almost dying.” Theo threw back playfully.
The noise, while light and playful, seemed to make Star shrink. Yuri patted Theo on the arm. “Do we have berries or fruit? Something you can harvest and bring me? I would love something fresh.”
“Sure,” Theo said and grabbed a big bowl. “I get berries for Lucian all the time.”
“Don’t go far,” Lucian instructed.
Theo waved at him and rushed out the door, leaving it open to the bright sunlight.
Yuri gathered bowls and ingredients, setting them on the counter beside Star. “Would you be willing to help knead?”
“I’ve never actually done it,” Star said.
“We’ll do it together,” Yuri said as he measured ingredients into bowls. Lucian kept a vigilant view out the window as though he feared Theo would vanish, but occasionally asked questions.
“Some recipes have weights, some have… cups?” Lucian asked, glancing back to find Yuri weighing everything.
“Imperial and metric. It’s complicated. I can do both, but baking is more accurate with weight. Does this world have a mixer? Creaming butter is going to suck without one.”
Lucian bent and hit some lever on the bottom of the counter near Star and a drawer popped open, a mixer on a tray slid out and up to lock into place at the counter. “This thing, right?”
Yuri glanced at Star who was carefully stirring the dry ingredients for the donuts. “Your mom had one,” Star offered. “You spoke about it sometimes when I visited you at the bar before the world fell apart. I tried to always erase myself from your memories, but I remembered.”
“Thank you,” Yuri said as he slipped around the counter and hugged Star from behind, kissing his cheek. “You’re amazing.”
Star’s cheeks turned pink. “It’s only a mixer.”
A magic mixer with all the attachments and power of an industrial. Yuri showed Lucian how to cream butter, and they let the machine knead the bread dough, while Star carefully followed Yuri’s instructions for the donuts.
“These donuts don’t have much for rise as they are cake style. I’ll show you the raised ones another time.” They rolled out the dough and cut the rings while Lucian crafted the new batch of shortbread and Theo cleaned the berries he harvested.