Work Text:
There is a slice cake on the piano. It was rather misshapen. Icing slathered on with sprinkles chaotically coating it, hiding the burnt edges of the cake. A small dessert fork placed next to it. A letter underneath.
Orpheus opened the letter.
Emma's neat handwriting greeted him.
Dear Detective,
We made a cake! We hope you enjoy it. We worked really hard on it.
It is not the best but Lucky says it's edible!
Please take care!
Emma
Orpheus looked over at the cake. Then at the letter. Cake. Letter.
He paused to think.
Letter reconstruction begin
Emma stood in the kitchen. Tilting her head as she stared at the bag of flour. She frowned.
"Emy?" Lucky guy peered through the kitchen door. His brows furrowed.
"Lu- Lu! Help me bake a cake!" If her eye's were not buttons Lucky could have seen stars forming within them. Before he could respond she twirled round. Picked up the bag of flour and dropped it onto the table.
"Wa- C-Cake?? W-why do you wanna make a-a cake?" Lucky adjusted his glasses, moving towards Emma's side as he examined the flour. "Do you- you even know how to make one?"
"It's to celebrate! We've managed to avoid getting a bot match in our games recently!" Emma's smile radiated the room. Painting it all in a golden glow that warmed even the coldest of hearts. "I do not- but Me and Father made one before- I think I remember the recipe!"
Emma skittering over to the cabinets. Scavenging through them till she found what she believed to be a large enough bowl. Her memories of the cake she had made with Leo were foggy. They were scattered fragments that the ash had dirtied.
Her hand hovered over a bowl briefly. She closed her hand.
"Emy-" Lucky guy glanced side to side. He spied a book upon the desk. He tiptoed over and skimmed over the pages in the book. "There's a recipe for cake in here."
"What does it say?" Emma picked up the bowl and dropped it upon the table.
"Ah- Um. Need 1 and a half cups of flour. 2 eggs… 2 teaspoons vanilla extract… half a cup of butter… 1 cup sugar… half a cup of milk… um… 1 and 3 quarters of baking powder…" He places the book on the table.
Emma glanced over his shoulder. "Says here we have to prepare the baking tray and oven-" She scanned around the room. "I saw one over- here! In this draw-"
"I-I'll set up the oven-" Lucky examined the oven. "I think I know how this works…" he mumbled. He wasn't too- familiar with this oven. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I think-" How do you turn this oven on?
"I think you need a match for it Lu." Emma stood next to him. Hands behind her back. "I saw a box of them where the laundry is. Grease the baking tray while I get it." She handed him a stick of butter she had gotten from the pantry. Smiled. Then ran without giving Lucky a chance to reply.
Lucky stood in place. Awkwardly shuffled his shoes as he umm'd and aah'd. "I don't… know…" His grip tightened around the butter. He tilted his head.
He had never made a cake before- at least not on his own. Grease the tray? What did that mean? And he couldn't even turn on the oven-
Does he just.. slather the butter all over it? Is that what he had to do? Why did he have to do it- Oh should he even question it? Emma clearly knows what she's doing- he thinks. Oh who was he kidding she admitted herself she did it when she was little-
He squeezed the butter tighter and tighter until-
Pop.
"Oh no oh no OH NO OH NO-"
The butter shot out of his hands. "No no no no." Lucky lunged for the butter. Each successful grasp was met with the bitter sting of the butter shooting out of his grasp once again as he pranced around the kitchen. "Stop- No- PLEASE- AAAA-"
By pure luck, on par with his name, the butter never hit the ground, and by extra luck he managed to somehow grab the butter without it shooting out of his hands. Well almost. He slammed it down upon the table before it could escape. Rewarding himself with an exhausted sigh of relief.
Relief was shot away as quickly as the butter had shot away.
"Mr-" A reluctant huff. "Guy." Frustrated muttering. "What are you doing?"
Servais Le Roy stood at the door. His arms were crossed and his usually gruff expression looking even gruffer. His button eyes staring harsh judgement upon Lucky.
"A-ah M-Mr Le Roy-" Lucky nervously chuckled. "I'm ah. Baking a cake!" He laughed. His mind listed every curse he knew.
Servais raised an eyebrow. He looked over at the baking tray and the mangled butter. Then at the Lucky Guy who had been trying to maintain an awkward smile. "Mm." Was the response.
"O-oh it was Emy-I mean Miss Wood's idea aha- I'm her- er- Assistant! Yes."
Lucky prayed she would return soon. Servais scared him. A lot. He was also a bit of an asshole.
"I thought I had seen her leave the Kitchen. She was mumbling something about matches?"
"Yes! Ah- to light the oven." He let out an awkward chuckle. "She told me to- to grease the baking tray." He chuckled again. "I- I do..n't...know.. how." He whispered. He pushed back his glasses. Looking away to avoid meeting Servai's gaze.
"I can see that." Servais stated. "Take the butter."
Lucky looked over at the butter. He swallowed.
Servais sighed. He took off his coat. Placing it upon the chair. Taking off his hat as well. He adjusted his gloves. "Come now. It's simply butter." Lucky didn't move. His eyes had darted around the room nervously.
"Mr Le Roy?" Emma entered the room. She tilted her head slightly. Holding a box of matches in her hand. "Are you helping us make a cake?"
"It appears I am Miss Woods." Servais responded.
"H-hey Emmy- What did you mean by.. Grease the tray?" Poor Lucky. He didn't know anything about baking cakes. Oh why did Emma want to bake a cake? Couldn't she have ordered one from Miss Nightingale?
"Allow me to turn on the oven while you show him how to Miss Woods." Servais held out his hand, and Emma delicately placed the box into his hand. Emma tip tapped to Lucky's side.
"Why is the butter-"
"Just show me Emmy please." Lucky whispered.
"Quite simply Lu- You take the butter- and just smear it across the tray like this. Father said it prevented the cake from sticking to the tray." Emma took the butter as she spoke and demonstrated to Lucky. Then stopped. "Now you try-"
"Thank you but i'd-" Lucky felt Servais's eyes upon him. "Rather not." Lucky adjusted his glasses. Why was he still here? Lucky hoped he would leave soon- "Y-you're doing so well! I-I'll ah- get the ingredients ready!" Lucky grinned nervously.
"Do you know what you need?" Servais questioned, closing the match box. The faint sound of fire emanating from the oven.
"O-of course! We have a cookbook r-right here-" Lucky slammed his hand down upon the book. "Fir.. first up!" He glanced over to the page. "Flour! 1 and a half cups-"
"What cups?" Servais frowned. "Tea cups?"
What did it mean by cups- Lucky panicked. He already looked like a fool- Aa. Aaa. He looked over to Emma for help.
She shrugged.
Aaa.
"Yes!" Lucky said, with the confidence that could only be matched by Emma when she dismantled rocket chairs. "Watch! I'll just-"
Lucky scrambled to the cupboard. He scavenged for a cup. Shoved it into the bag. Scooped out an overflowing cup of flour.
"Lu-" Yet Emma was too late to stop him. Lucky dumped the flour into the bowl. A large cloud of flour gushed up. Coating the front of his t-shirt in white. Lucky smiled. He screamed inside. But smiled.
Servais and Emma stared at Lucky. Servais appearing as if he had aged 50 years in a single second. Emma glanced away momentarily.
"That… I believe that was more then one cup." Servais muttered.
"Yep." Lucky responded.
"Yes. Well. Perhaps not a half-"
"Yep."
"We only need a little more-" Emma gently takes the cup from Lucky. She carefully scoops the flour, not to a full cup nor half. She carefully tips the flour into the bowl. "Like this!"
"Very well done Miss Woods." Servais stood next to Emma. He looked into the bowl. Lucky took Emma's hand. Gently squeezed it. She squeezed it back.
"A moment- It says to cream the sugar and butter first." Servais picked up the recipe book. Lucky grew pale. "Then add on the flour-"
"I'm sure it's fine if we put flour first Mr Le Roy! We just have to mix all the ingredients together after all-"
"Y-Yeah! We just throw it all in and mix it. Isn't that what you did with your father Emmy?" Lucky questioned. Emma nodded quickly.
"Yes! I'm certain that's what I did with my father when we baked the cake." Emma clapped her hands together.
"I'll follow your lead Miss Woods then. I'll find the sugar and I shall handle the measuring. How much do we need?" Servais said.
"1 cup!" She handed him the cup. Lucky let go off Emma's hand. "Lucky-" she gave him a smile. "Can you get the eggs?"
"Y-yes!" Lucky nodded.
Unspoken between them, yet all three were well aware neither of them had a clue upon what 'cream the sugar and butter meant'. None of them would ask and all three had decided moving past the step was the superior alternative.
Which Lucky agreed with immensely.
The three grabbed all the ingredients. Servais, as he had said, taking over the duty of measuring. Placing all the ingredients into the bowl.
Emma clapped her hands together. "Now we mix!" She picks up the spoon. She begins to stir the ingredients.
"Eh- How long do you stir for?" Lucky asked. Lucky was on one side of Emma. Servais was on the other. Servais had his hands crossed as they watched Emma stir.
"Till it's all mixed." She turned the spoon round and round. Round. Round and round.
Round
And Round.
Rooooound
And
Roooooound
"This is taking a long time." Lucky mumbled. He looked over at the cookbook. "'Stir batter till smooth…'" he looked into the bowl.
Smooth was not how one would describe it.
"Is there any way to speed up this process?" Servais asked. "Would two people stirring-"
The door opened. Freddy entered the room rubbing his temples. He stopped and stared at the three. The three stared at him.
"What are you all doing?" He asked.
"Baking a cake." Lucky responded.
"Why."
"To celebrate our recent success!" Emma smiled.
"Why didn't you just buy one?" Freddy raised an eyebrow.
"Baking one seemed like much more fun. We have a kitchen yet no one uses it. We have all the ingredients we could ever want yet we never use them." Emma talked. She still stirred the mixture.
"Miss Woods makes a point. I do not know what you and your group did before I arrived. But I have not seen anyone use this kitchen even once." Servais's eyes returned to the mixture, which was gradually becoming smoother and smoother. "Why are you here Mr Riley? Perhaps you wish to cook as well?"
"I am here for the wine Mr Le Roy." Freddy retorted. He walked past the three. "We may not be losing as badly as we had before. But our last few matches ended with me being chaired after kiting for 3 ciphers." He huffed. "I'm a decoder. Not a kiter." His eyes focused upon Servais and Emma. He turned his back to them and picked up a bottle. "Everything in this god forsaken manor has this mark doesn't it-"
"I wouldn't trust it." Servais interrupted. He kept his trembling hands low. "Perhaps you should have something else."
Emma looked over at Servais. "Didn't you have a glass earlier-"
"Trying to keep all the wine to yourself are we Le Roy?" Freddy frowned. Turning his head to look at Servais.
"And that is why you should listen to me. It tasted rather off. It's expired."
"Why haven't you thrown it out?"
"I was. But then I got pulled into a game and it slipped my mind."
"Was that what you were doing before our game earlier?" Emma chirped in. Looking up at Servais as she stirred the batter.
"Exactly Miss Woods." Servais nodded. He hid his shaking hands behind his back.
Freddy and Servais exchanged looks. Freddy kept a raised eyebrow before looking over at Emma. "You've stirred that batter enough. Put it in the tray."
Emma blinked. She looked at the batter. "Oh. You're correct Mister Riley-" she placed the bowl down. "Have you made a cake before?"
"Once." With Martha. He pushed back his glasses.
Lucky picked up the baking tray and placed it in front of Emma. She picked up the bowl and carefully poured in the mixture into the tray. Once done she clapped her hands together. "And now! Into the oven!" She picked up the tray, walked over to the oven. Lucky scurried in front. Opening the oven for her so she could slide it in. He pushed it closed once it was in.
"Bake for 40 minutes." Servais read aloud the final part of the recipe. Freddy stood next to him looking down.
"How are we going to tell when it's ready?" Freddy asked.
"By looking at the clock?" Lucky responded. He crossed his arms.
"Lucky none of the clocks in the manor work."
"Oh." Was Lucky's only response. "W-well- we could- ah-"
"We could tell the time via the position of sun in the-" Emma began before looking outside. Night. Which it always was inside the manor. "Oh." She looked over at Servais. "Mr Le Roy-"
"I'm afraid I do not have a solution Miss Woods." Servais shrugged.
"Did you all really make a cake without coming up with a plan for timing how long it would take to cook?" Freddy questioned. Were they all really so foolish? He supposed it was to be expected from them all.
"We'll just check on it every so often! Easy-" Smoke appears around the four. They looked at each other in surprise as they disappeared.
The kitchen was empty. Nobody entered. Only the crackling of the flames filled the room.
Emma dashed towards the kitchen. Emma ran behind her, reaching out to grab her arm. "Emma! I haven't finished-" in the other hand she held a roll of bandages. There were bandages and plasters on Emma's face.
"The cake!" Emma yelled. She had thrown the door open.
The cake stood on the table. Slightly burnt around the edgers. The baking tray in the sink. Washed and cleaned.
Emily took her hand. "Emma-" She caught her breath. "If you had given me a chance. I would have explained I had already taken it out." She took Emma's arm and began to bandage her arm. "I wasn't able to take it out before it burnt unfortunately."
Emma watched Emily bandage her arm. "Oh." She responded. "Thank you." Emily let go of her hand once she had finished. Lucky ran up to Emma.
"Emma- Don't run off like that!" He looked towards the oven. "Is the cake-"
"It's alright Lucky. I had gone looking for you all later when I found the oven was on." She slipped the roll of bandages into her bag. "Why were you all making a cake if I may inquire?"
"To celebrate!" Emma clapped her hands. "We've been doing well in our matches recently!"
"Emily would you like to help us decorate it?" Lucky asked, tilting his head slightly. He looked at Emma. "I-I'm assuming we're decorating-" Emma nodded.
"I should go ensure Mr Le Roy and Mr Riley are alright first." Emily said. "Please be careful. The cake should have cooled down but your injuries are fresh."
"We will Emily!" Emma took Lucky's hand. "Oh Emily do you think we can send some of the cake to the detective and my father?"
"You should ask the postman." Emily smiled. "I believe he can."
"Wonderful! I'll have to save some cake for his efforts. Lu let's go!" Emma holds Lucky's hand and pulls him into the kitchen.
Orpheus returned to the room he was always trapped in.
A spectral form appeared in the room. His appearance was too faded to see clearly. But, but, Orpheus could see he didn't have button eyes. A tiny little spectral dog was next to him. Orpheus didn't know the true name of this postman or his dog.
Something told him he would eventually.
The postman handed Orpheus a letter. As quickly as he had appeared he vanished.
Orpheus opened the letter. It was from Leo Beck. The letter was long. Skimming the letter Orpheus could deduct it was simply a letter written by a proud father gushing over his daughter's cake. Orpheus smiled.
He put the letter away. He picked up the plate and took a small piece of the cake.
It wasn't excellent. It wasn't terrible either.
It was nice.
It was something nice in the manor.