paradisa | (no subject)

[ Anypony wandering into the kitchen will find a certain purple pony in there, measuring out flour and sugar and eggs and stuff like that. The kitchen's received the same icy makeover as the rest of the castle, but it still seems to all be in working order, and that's all that matters to Twilight.

Some things to note: she's wearing science goggles and a labcoat; she's spending an awfully long time in measuring out the ingredients; and the entire kitchen is a mess. Like disaster area level mess. Like whoa dude, what in the heck happened here?

Twilight happened, castle. Twilight happened.

The journal happens to be open next to her, and the page is already covered with egg yolks, flour, sugar, food coloring, and other very, very messy ingredients. Go Twilight!

She looks over to a butler!penguin next to her, who's holding up a recipe for her. ] All right. Next is.... creaming the butter and mixing it in with the sugar... [ Aaaand there's going be more sugar and butter getting onto the journal pages, castle.

Yep.

This is going well.

Happy birthday, Twilight. ]

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[and here's a blue pony pausing at the threshold of the kitchen]

...I never realized that the act of baking required eye protection.

[ Twilight looks over, giving Luna a smile. ]

Hello, Luna!

Why wouldn't it require eye protection, though? Really, cooking is about deliberately mixing measured ingredients and chemicals in order to provide the right kind of reaction and mixture to provide suitable taste and texture. Eyewear is appropriate for that, wouldn't you say?

[she steps carefully into the room, trying to avoid the spills]

Rarely doth one cook with harmful ingredients, however.

Oh-hh-h, well, even benign ingredients can cause unexpected reactions if you fail to follow the directions exactly. [ Which is why she's measuring everything so exactly and following the directions precisely. ]

There is an allowable margin of error in such things, methinks.

[pretty sure none of the royal chefs have ever worn that stuff]

Well.... yes.

But I'm not very good at this, so I figured it would be better to be safe than sorry.

[the penguin gets a passing glance as she looks at the recipe]

I suppose I cannot disagree with that. Cupcakes, Twilight Sparkle?

[wait, something about a birthday...]

That's right!

I'm going to share them with everypony.

[a chuckle] That is certainly one way to celebrate a birthday.

[...

...] 'Tis thy birthday, is it not?

[just checkin']

Yes! Yes it is.

Did Spike mention it? [ Or Cadence? Either way, she doesn't think she mentioned it... unless she did and she forgot. ]

Many happy returns, Twilight Sparkle.

He did, in lieu of mentioning his own birthday.

[He's got her present, of course, all wrapped up prettily for her (spoiler: it's a book) but this makes him pause]

...Twi. What are you doing?

[Twilight, you know you can't do things normal ponies do, that's why he's here]

Spike!

[ The penguin looks over. COMPETITION?

Twilight ignores it. ]

I'm baking cupcakes for everypony. [ Isn't that obvious? ]

[Spike is eyeing that penguin. Why does she keep finding birds to take his job. WHHYYYYY. Did she want him to be a BIRD? IT THAT WHAT IT IS?!!!!!]

You can leave, Flippers. I got this.

[Oh wait, Twilight is still here]

But it's your birthday?

[ The penguin glares at Spike... then scoots closer to Twilight.

Who is, of course, oblivious. ]

But I couldn't think of anything I'd rather do on my birthday than share with my friends.

Aaaand besides, without Pinkie around, somepony needs to make the cupcakes.

[OH IT IS ON. Spike snorts a little]

Seriously, it's cool. You can go.

I guess, but I can help you with that. [Still glaring at the penguin, he walks over and hands her the present that's COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY BOOK SHAPED] Happy birthday, Twilight!

That's all right, Spike, you don't have to-

[ AND THEN PRESENT. Oh, oh, what is it? ]

Oh, wow, thank you, Spike! [ She'll take the present with her magic and... ] I wonder what it is? [ REALLY, TWILIGHT? ]

It's what I do. [And he has to stop the penguin from stealing his job. HE'S WATCHING YOU PENGUIN]

...It's a shovel. [Sarcasm ho]

[ The penguin glares at Spike... but then it waddles over, shoves the recipe into Spike's claws, and waddles away, doing the universal "I'm watching you" sign... with its flippers.

Twilight, naturally, doesn't notice any of this, too busy unwrapping her present. ]

I don't see how it could possibly be a shovel, it's much too-

Oh! It's a book! [ She can't read the title, but she's sure it's one she'd enjoy, too! ] Oh, thank you, Spike!
[ NOW PREPARE FOR A HUG ]

Edited (what a glaresd?) 2012-12-18 01:12 (UTC)

[Spike keeps hold of the book, GLARING the penguin down as it leaves. YEAH BRING IT ANY TIME BIRDIE]

You're welcome! I hope you like it.

[Awww yeah, HUG TIME]

[Walking in aaaaaaand]

Whoa! My bad, didn't mean to intrude on anyone's--pony's mad scientist moment. I'lllll let you be.

[sloooooooowly backing out]

Mad... scientist?

I'm just cooking.

Yeaaaaaaah, they don't exactly make aprons in labcoat.

Well, I don't actually own an apron...

Not exactly hard to get in a castle that gives you anything you want.

(And here Cadence was preparing to bake a cake for Twilight already. Of course she'd remember this day of the year, but seeing her already attempt it means she's just going to jump right in.

This isn't the first time she's seen Twi treat baking like a science project, either. She laughs)

You've always enjoyed being precise with your measurements. Should I get you a science kit?

Oh, no. I already have my own laboratory set up.

But what does that have to do with cooking? [ She says as she measures out a beaker full of vanilla extract. ]