2018-07-06 - Cooking Class: Pancakes I

Cooking Class: Pancakes I
Summary: A new, experimental program, a joint Sister Schools home ec class, convenes for their first lesson shortly before Golden Week. Pancakes!
Who: Utena Tenjou, Lera Camry, Fuu Hououji, Nori Ankou, Kasagami Araki, Steven Universe, Shizuru Fujino, Ye-jin Song, Usagi Tsukino, Niramo Umokeshi, Anthy Himemiya
Where: Ohtori Academy
OOC - IC Date: 07-06-2018 - 04-27-2015

<Pose Tracker> Utena Tenjou [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

The Sister Schools are constantly experimenting with format. One of the last uncrossed boundaries is that of the official classroom; this boundary is important, vital even, for the success of the program, since each school has separate entrance requirements, curricula, and expectations.

But there are some things everyone has in common. Or could have in common. Only the bureaucrats know how much wheeling and dealing went on to make this happen -- whose idea it was and what they stand to gain and all of that -- but the forward face of the idea, as it is first revealed to the student bodies of the three schools, comes simply as an official notification in the mail.

A small, random sample of Sister Schools students have been selected to participate in a joint home economics course -- and you are one of them! The first class will commence the Monday before Golden Week begins, with guest teachers Mari Cherie and Jean Paris.

(This part gets the parents, and some kids, excited; those who don't know the names do some quick Googling, and those who already do know well that these celebrity chefs are some of the most famous and skilled bakers in the world.)

---

Ohtori has an extensive and permanent home economics classroom complex. The cooking classrooms are on the second floor, with numerous identical sets of cupboards, ovens, ranges and sinks. Tiny kitchenette kiosks. Everything very high quality -- far beyond that of the average Tokyo apartment -- but also very functional. The kinds of things real chefs want, and use.

Jean Paris runs a finger across a faucet, and more fingers (from his other hand) through his salt-and-pepper hair. "Hunh, they don't skimp, do they?"

His partner Mari Cherie is a grandmotherly woman wearing pearls and a broad smile. "Won't this be wonderful, Jean. Now, then. Welcome, children!"

Their Japanese is impeccable -- and with such a nice, sophisticated accent, too. Western baking is incredibly popular in Japan, and evidently the Sister Schools have taken to importing their instructors.

"Today," drawls Jean, his eyes flickering over the assembled clump of students -- they have yet to be assigned their stations -- with a mix of impish curiosity and aloof disdain, "We are going to be making pancakes. The foundation of civilization, before ten a.m., anyway."

They launch into a brief, colorful lecture about the many different types of pancakes -- from heavy Swedish bakes to thin French crepes and everything in between -- then write the basic recipe on the board.

"Please split into groups of two and take your stations! There you will find the basic ingredients: flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, eggs, milk, salt -- and butter to fry with!" finishes Jean.

"Do please be careful with the griddles... they do get hot," observes Mari with a little smile. "Now, hop to it! Once you've made your basic everyday normal pancake, we'll start getting... experimental."

The class, which has mostly been kind of nervous and weirded out by their involuntary participation in this program, is more or less put at ease by all this. The soundscape immediately erupts into an amiable joining of partners and claiming of stations.

<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Pancakes!

When Lera discovered this class assignment, all told, she was fine with it. A cooking class, across the schools! This sounded exciting! And she did like to cook -- it was a side effect of living by herself, in her apartment. It was also a side effect of growing up with a mother who couldn't cook, after...

The thought of who she learned to cook from, she finds, doesn't bring the melancholy that it used to.

She claps her hands at the end of the presentation. She looks quite pleased with the presentation. "I-I never knew there were so many types of pancakes, y'know?" she exclaims. "This is exciting! In, um--" However, she isn't supposed to talk about Midchilda too openly.

Her expression screws up.

"--in America, we have... hot dog pancakes!" she declares. "Like, pancakes made of ground-up hot dogs with mustard and maple syr--" Then, her expression screws up further. "Oh--oh my God, ew, why did I start making this crap up, oh no, this was a terrible plan!"

<Hmmm. Is this what justice feels like?>

"BE QUIET SKY!"

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

True to form, Fuu takes fairly copious notes during the lecture on the assorted types of pancakes; this may be an unusual class but it *is* a class, and she has to assume that there will be tests on the material somewhere along the line. Granted, home ec is more likely than some subjects to have a more practical exam, rather than simply answering questions on paper, but you never know.

And when they're given leave to pair off and get cooking, Fuu barely needs to look around before slipping out of her seat and approaching Steven. "Shall we pair up for today, Steven-san?" she asks with one of her usual friendly smiles - although the smile does waffle rather badly when she overhears 'hot dog pancakes' being described. Granted, they MIGHT not taste all that terrible, but if even Lera is regretting it, now is not the time to experiment. Anyway, they have to start with basic pancakes, which should be difficult to ruin - not impossible, but difficult.

<Pose Tracker> Nori Ankou [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

Nori Ankou, to be perfectly frank, welcomed this as a sign of the return of normality after a period in her life mostly marked by DEATH, WAR, HORROR and EVIL BOOKS. A pancake is not going to do something horrible. Even if it catches fire and burns into a dense wad of fragrant carbon, you know, that's just life.

Anyway, Nori is in her uniform and is not super fashion forwards except that she did her hair up in a sloppy bun with a red silk ribbon to hold it mostly in place. This is for the obvious reason - not getting pancake squeezin's in her hairstyle.

"So, an okonomiyaki with mustard?" she says to Lera, apparently taking her deadly, lethally seriously. Nori's arms fold loosely. "I could see it. Or taste it... Still, be careful. She's not kidding; I can tell that <the griddle is hot>."

What was that? That was Nori speaking French*.

(* - Nori does not actually know French. A generous person would say she knows a fair number of French words and may have at some point seen a French grammar book. Or been near one.)

<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

~Not Long Ago, Kassie's Dorm~

One morning, there's a letter under the door. Kasagami, clad in a fluffy, loose fitting robe, rolls out of bed and spies the offending piece of literature offered her way. For a brief moment apprehension reigns, as does a few moments' groggy struggles for a letter opener. One quick trip for some orange juice to start her day?

Flick. Slice. Two fingers pinch, and pull out the notification.

Grin. "...Oooh. Maybe fortune, the Lord, and the Devil smile on me this morning. The way to a woman's heart is her stomach, after all!" She mutters to herself, before scrambling to get ready with a step that's more bouyant than it has been since a certain event.

~Now, Ohtori Home-Ec~

And so, clad in Ohtori High's uniform (the boy's one, at that), Kasagami Araki lays her coat on the first convenient chair, and walks right in to join her fellow students. She is...marginally less weirded out by this gather. She's used to being on top of such meetings, but Kasagami is nothing if not a survivor in both the social and physical sense. And besides, a swift google has the young woman excited. She's no gourmand, but Kassie has a fair amount of love for cooking for those close to her, and what better opportunity?

"Who would miss something like this, Jean-sensei, Mari-sensei!? For there's nothing more loving and romantic than waking in the morning and showing your love than with breakfast in bed!" Arms cross, almost hugging herself as she imagines laying a plate of exquisite blueberry pancakes off to friends, family, and loves.

Sigh. Then she takes a moment to walk over to a cooking station, grab the skillet, and begin to add a bit of butter to slick up the pan. She's peeking for ingredients, and taking a brief zen-like breath. She turns on the heat, and looks away, for a second tugging one glove.

Little ritual done, she offers a warm smile to others. "'Lighting the hearth and cooking for those you care for is an honor.'" She's well aware of her reputation right now, and yet her gaze swings for those adventurous enough to join her.

<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.

"By who?!"

A wild-maned man sits at the counter, looking up from a newspaper. "I have heard of them! The creme de la creme brulee! Masters of marzipan! The--"

"Please don't do that schtick, dad."

"Fine, fine." The man takes a hearty chug of coffee. "Well, cook up something fancy! Oh, and bring back something for your ol' dad if you can!" The father figure raises his glas towards his sone. A moment together the day before the event shared with his ston, Steven Universe.

"Hey, I will wow them for sure! I have been working hard in the cooking club!" His favorite club for sure. In fact, his cooking apron and a few of his favorite utensils were already set aside. They would probably provide them, but showing being prepard is always a good move!

---

Steven could barely contain his excitement all day today. Jittering, biting pencils, the works plagued him as each second dragged on to infinity. Until it didnt, and there was a bell. "AH! YES!" the boy calls, as he takes off.

There is nothing but a little poofy-haired blur through the halls of Juuban.

---

Steven is present, somewhere in the crowd. Still in his school uniform, though gripping his hamburger backpack close. He watches these two culinary masters speak with starry eyes, and hopes to learn so much from them! "A chance to make a better together breakfast...!" The boy says with stern determination. "Without evil scrolls," is tacked on quickly and quietly.

The gem child slowly turns toward Lera with a thousand yard stare. "I lived in America almost all of my life and where were those?!" he says, thinking of exactly how to replicate and when and WHAT KIND OF DAD WOULDN'T SHOW HIM THOSE.

However, Fuu gets his attention before he can start sending questions Lera's way gatling style. "Huh? Oh, hi Fuu! Yeah sure! Let's totally team up! I bet we can whip up some awesome pancakes together!" She was always such a good source of earnest cheer to Steven. It would be criminal to turn her away at this most sacred moment of improving breakfast skills!

"How good are you at using the griddle? I am used to doing the old cast iron pan-flip style. Learning this might be important! Probably more accurate too."

The Crystal Gems don't talk about the pancake incident of '08.

The boy pulls out that little apron perfectly sized to him and is a starry, dacorative affair. light blues and yellow stars. Before he gets started though, he looks around the room and spies Kasagami, waving to her! Boy they had fu nthe other day. Good thing she is doing well still!

He wonders if she ate the whole thing yet.

Probably.

<Pose Tracker> Utena Tenjou [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.
<SoundTracker> La Vie en Rose - Daniela Andrade https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ba_WoSZXvw

It is the morning of Utena's second day back at school, and the dorm room door blasts open. It isn't just from the noise, though the sonic, it booms.

"UUUUUUUUUUUUUUTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACHAN!"

Wakaba essentially piledrives back into their lives, though the real reason she had to shouldercheck the door is that her arms are full. Full of a package.

She looks like she's about to throw it at Utena's head, so her best friend hastens to descend the bunk. "Wakaba," she says, face bright red with a welter of feelings, "I--"

Wakaba holds up one finger in a decisive shushing motion. "Nope. There's only one way you can make it up to me. Here."

She hands over her package. Utena glances at Anthy, bewildered, then opens the cardboard box carefully, pulls aside the tissue paper. Halfway into the process she realizes what it is, and tears through the rest of the paper eagerly. With a flap, the uniform -- HER uniform, black jacket and red shorts, but customized out of the high school version, instead of the middle school one, is revealed.

"Wakaba," Utena repeats, even more mistily. She swallows, hard, and kisses her on the cheek. "Thanks."

-`-,|@

"This one's doing better," Anthy says, and the 'at last' is in how relieved she sounds. She's kneeling on the other side of an antique rosebush. Its main stem has weathered to a dark beyond green, but up among the leaves and thorns a brighter shade of life can be seen. "Poor thing. It's not going to bloom this year. Maybe next year." A little shift brings her roommate into view between the recovering stalks, and Anthy's eyes are emeralds gleaming through brambles. "The soil on your side needs loosening, Utena-sama, so it can soak up what it needs more easily. The spading fork, there..."

-`-,|@

Utena watches with awe as Anthy bustles about the dorm kitchen, her hands a blur. Marvelous smells begin to arise almost instantaneously, and it's all she can do not to--

• GROWL*

Glaring down at her unrecalcitrant stomach, she laughs, nervously. "W-wow, Himemiya, Chu-Chu sure must be hungry"

And he is -- and winds up getting half of Utena's meal, as she gamely feeds him forkfuls until he's too round to walk. But Utena, with a shy smile, winds up asking for seconds.

-`-,|@

Anthy's got her long fingers curled up in the wrought iron embellishments atop an Ohtori Academy fence, and her attention caught up in the athletics on the other side of the barrier. "Go, Utena-samaaa!" she cries, and between Wakaba and herself they cheer up a girlish storm. They're surrounded by other girls who are cheering the same name, and by all rights should be entirely drowned out. They aren't. Somehow, every word Wakaba and Anthy call to their friend reaches her ears.

-`-,|@

"TENJOU-SAN! HIMEMIYA-SAN! GO STAND IN THE HALL!"

They were very late, and their skirts (and shorts) are grass-stained from their favorite spot under the tree. Wakaba ran ahead of them, but Utena and Anthy couldn't quite bear to break into an upbeat tempo. They moved forward but every step lingered.

Now, holding very full water buckets, they share a smile in the hall. And then Utena cocks an eyebrow...

When the teacher comes out to get them, she is annoyed by what she sees: Utena 4, Anthy 0.

-`-,|@

Blue-white strobes the sleepy lines of Anthy Himemiya's face. She peers into the broadcast lightning of the 24 hour shopping network, her chin propped up on the heels of her palms. Everything about her is gentle, from the relaxed slump of rounded shoulders to the way her hands smoosh into her cheeks. But when the girl in the long formless nightgown blinks up from the TV on the table to the bunkbed beyond it, and the pink-haired girl occupying the top bunk, her eyes are the gentlest part of her.

-`-,|@

Utena rolls over in her sleep, awakening slowly. For a long moment she stares at the darkness of the 3 a.m. bedroom ceiling, but then her gaze is drawn downwards by the light she sees there. It billows around Himemiya like food coloring in a water glass, except it's the opposite, since it's dark wherever it isn't touching. The network babbles on, white noise to her; it's something else she hears, a very, very tiny sound. Breathing. Snoozing.

In perfect silence created by only slightly exaggerated movements, she descends the ladder, steals Anthy's blanket off her bed, and carefully coccoons her roommate in it. And then she sneaks back up, casts one long, backwards glance, and slowly falls back to sleep.

<Pose Tracker> Shizuru Fujino [Ohtori Academy (U)] has posed.

Experimental, is it?

"Aren't you a little young for breakfast in bed with a date, Araki-kun?" Shizuru comments as she walks by, not in uniform as a graduate of the school and student of the University. She's dressed nicely, of course, appropriate to a fine school; a long skirt, a blazer, a violet blouse, pale except for the breezy red scarf she wears that sets off her eyes. Her engagement ring shines a little in the light; her Rose Crest hangs on a chain about her neck.

But from here, she comes to a stop beside Nori, and nods, slowly. "Yes, I see..."

"I'm quite interested in this pancake of yours," she says by Lera's shoulder, quirking a small smile. She looks up and across the room, at that, smiles at Cherie and Paris with a nod of greeting. "It's so wonderful for the Student Council to see our students learning," she comments, in her usual knowing way.

<Pose Tracker> Ye-jin Song [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

Ye-jin Song does not cook.

That said, she does like breakfast. She's also a fan of western food in general, and the promise of a class with the most prestigious chefs the world has to offer is enough to get her attention and get her in a (metaphorical) seat.

Ohtori's Vice-President is also dressed for the occasion, in apron and dainty chef's hat that's set at a jaunty angle on her head. The poofy white cap bobs as she nods her head knowingly to the lecture being given. Each type of pancake earns another somber nod, as if she's intimately familiar with all types. "Pajeon." She supplies to the list, smiling brightly at her own contribution.

When the lecture comes to a close and the recipe is drawn, she pauses. She glances down, to the station nearest her. Then to her instructors, then to skillet and ingredients, and then nearby classmates. Her face, set into a pensive frown, indicates that she has just discovered there is a problem.

She sets to rectifying it immediately. "Umokeshi-san." Her eyes fall upon the small, dark-haired girl nearby. "You're my partner." There's no indication that this is a choice. There is, however, a skillet extended in her direction. "You're a good cook, aren't you?" That part, at least, comes with a bright and toothy smile.

Ye-jin Song does not cook.

<Pose Tracker> Usagi Tsukino [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

Usagi Tsukino stands proudly in the classroom as one of the first students selected for this joint program. It's quite possible she was recommended just so that Juuban Home Ec teacher might be spared what's coming. She's certainly dressed the part though!

Her apron is vaguely heart shaped at the top with a lacy frill, in light pink, white, and dark pink alternating stripes. Her hair is tied back by a matching cap, though both her twintails stick out of it. Through the lecture she nods repeatedly - like she's getting it. Like she's really getting it. Then she glances sidelong at Kasagami. Putting a finger to her chin, "Mmm - well I guess she is kind of a romantic."

However after they write the recipe on the board she squats down beside her station, her fingers tapping at her phone.

Txt to Mako-chan: pancake tips pls

The activity bar starts to work at the bottom - a picture of Makoto Kino displayed right there showing incoming activity.

Reply: you mean cooking them right? not just eating

Txt to Mako-chan: cooking im in home ec

Txt to Mako-chan: wait you have eating tips too???

Reply: okay first off don't touch anything while you should help out maybe you should let your partner supervise everything you do

Usagi Tsukino slowly glances up and to the left at Lera as she talks about hot dog pancakes - "Oh wow - Americans eat such exotic food..." She's cut off by Lera immediately going in the 'ew 'ew why did I start making this up.' And Usagi quickly glancing over to Nori - "Or a yakisoba dog! ... with a pancake bun."

However she quickly looks back down on her phone and taps back.

Txt to Mako-chan: i think im on equal footing with her

Reply: wow really? wow.

Reply: okay. im going to text you some instructions to supplement what they're saying in class be sure to read them very carefully

Not too long after they pop up on her screen, and Usagi nods and nods as she follows along reading it.

Txt to Mako-chan: thx so much there's someone i rlly want to impress!

And then she pops up as she whispers sidelong to her. "No worries Lera - Sky! I've got this." She surreptitiously shows her a phone screen, with this gleeful expression. "Secret weapon. With Mako-chan's help we can't possibly mess up." Leaning backwards to look past Lera at Utena and Anthy, she slides the phone into her apron pocket.

Which is when Shizuru Fujino pops up, and with a nervous squeal she suddenly straightens up totally as the glamorous Shizuru Fujino shows up, "Aha - right! W-Well mayyybeee we're not gonna make that kind of pancake - but I'd feel honored if you'd try the one we're going to make Fujino-saa-" She starts sounding out that with an elongated a before falling upon the word, "-npai." Instead.

Laughing nervously, she declares to Lera. "First... let's prepare the wet ingredients." Usagi takes a measuring cup, and opens a carton of milk, pouring in about a half cup, then dropping it into a bowl. Then... she opens a carton of eggs. And starts cracking.

The yolk falls in. Half the shell follows as it slips off her fingers.

There's the most intense sweatdrop on her forehead as she hastily cracks in two more getting in - yet again more shell. "I-It's no problem if you mix it well!" She declares as she picks up a spatula she starts to vigorously stir.

"Um- so... let's see." She uses her other hand to thumb her phone in her pocket and check the screen as she stirs vigorously, "Uh - it calls for cooking oil - but... there's none on their recipe. Think you can find some?"

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

Ah yes, aprons. Fuu digs in her bag for a moment, pulling out a folded bundle of cloth, and dons her own apron - nothing terribly fancy, but good enough to protect her clothes from splattering. And when frying is involved, that's more important than usual. She quickly hitches an elastic band to her glasses as well, to make sure they're not going to fall off, and heads up to a cooking station with Steven. His attention to Kasagami is followed, and Fuu inclines her head briefly in greetings en route.

An extra look at the recipe. "How shall we divide tasks ... Steven-san, would you like to start measuring out the flour and sugar, and maybe beginning to mix them?" she asks her partner. "And how are you with cracking eggs? We don't want to get bits of shell in the batter, after all, so if you're more confident in your egg technique than I am in mine ..."

Not that she *isn't* confident, but she wants to have a good sense of where Steven's skills lie. Not that this recipe will involve *that* many eggs. For now, she cuts about the right amount of butter for non-stick-ing the pan (is there a right word for that?), and lets that start heating up while she's measuring other ingredients - whether she or Steven deal with the eggs for the first batch of batter, dry ingredients tend to come before the wet ingredients ... at least as best she recalls.

<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

"You're--um. Don't worry about it, y'know?" Lera says with a terribly awkward laugh. She stumbles backward, before her eyes shift -- glancing sideways at Nori. Her head tilts, slightly, before she nods. Then, her shoulders slump. "...y-yeah. Something like that!"

Her awkward embarrassment is as a dim shadow to Kasagami's fiery spirit, and she leaps a little, with surprise. Her feet stumble, and then she rights herself. She turns her head, slowly, and stares at Shizuru. She laughs, waving her hands. "N-Nothing to be interested in! R-Really!"

She adjusts her apron -- it's a dark red one, which matches her orange hair and amber eyes -- and then looks to the side, as her saviour appears. She beams at Usagi Tsukino, before she nods. "Right...! Yeah, with her help..." She punches her fist into her palm. "We've got this, y'know?"

She watches, at first. She hasn't made pancakes before. Her traditional "American" breakfast is bacon, toast, scrambled eggs, and a few grilled tomatoes. So, her head tilts to the side, and she watches curiously -- before she looks at Usagi. "Oil? Okay... right! Oil!"

She runs off, to where the ingredients are. She skims, quickly, over a cabinet full of bottles -- and then she looks up, blinking at someone. Her hand grabs a bottle she looked at, and she pulls it away, before she hurries back to Usagi. "Here we go! Oil, coming right up!"

<Pose Tracker> Utena Tenjou [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

Mari Cherie giggles slightly at Kasagami's pronouncement, while Jean Paris looks faintly green. "Okay, kiddo, let's get you a group," he declares, before basically towing her over to Niramo and Ye-jin.

"You're on the student council, yeah?" he asks of the latter. "Casanova here is joining your group. Try to set a good example, kay?"

And then he wanders off to stare, disconcertingly, over Fuu and Steven's shoulders, as they get to work. He doesn't say anything -- he doesn't criticize. He just... watches, with a very faint, fleeing... superior... smile.

Mari Cherie meanwhile bangs a wooden spoon on a pot, lightly. "It should only take you five minutes to whip together a basic pancake!" she pressures, if cheerfully. "Hop to, hop to, so much to do! Make sure your griddles are on, they need time to heat up while you make the batter!"

<Pose Tracker> Niramo Umokeshi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

When the notice bearing the official mark of the Sister Schools was found in the mailbox, Niramo had a twinge of deja vu upon seeing the notification taking place at Ohtori. Is was very much alike when Kasagami Araki used to send out a large amount of her invitation to a party or gathering that she was hosting, but that was quite a while ago.

Even if she had long learned how to make a basic pancake of her own, the fact that it was going to be taught by the world-famous chefs Mari Cherie and Jean Paris was not something to pass up on! The fact that it helps her avoid her social studies homework for a little bit is only the syrup on the 'cake, after all.

A rapid scrawling hand was trying to write down all the details of the various pancakes that the world has created in a notebook. The Juuban student reminding herself that just because she could make a classical Western pancake does not make her a master at them. "Hard to believe I missed so many...maybe I should see about trying to experiment with some more of these when I get home..."

Lera brings up the 'American' pancake and it too goes down into the notebook, but Niramo was trying not to feel a little ill at the thought of mustard and ground up hot dogs in a pancake. "T-that sounds...interesting, Lera-san? Maybe we should follow the recipe Mari-sensei and Jean-sensei give us, though..."

Upon finishing up the last of her notes and resting it under an arm, Niramo turns to look toward Kasagami and starts to take a step forward, her intention of partnering up clean on her face. Unfortunately for her, those plans are quickly dashed by the interception by one Ye-jin Song. "H-huh? Oh, yes Ye-jin-san. I been learning how to cook from my mom since I was 7, so we should be fine!"

Taking ahold of the skillet and setting it back on the stove, Niramo moves over to the cooking station Ye-jin already has claimed for them and looks at the equipment...before frowning. The reason for this becomes known as Niramo looks around for a moment before finding a small stepping stool and moving it over to the counter.

With just how short she was, it's best to have a full view of the kitchen at all times, so a way to reach the high ground is needed.

"Now then, since we're working together on this Ye-jin-san, it's only fair that we take turns." Standing on the stool, practiced hands start pre-heating the skillet with slices of butter while also mixin together the baking soda, flour, salt and sugar into a large white bowl. Niramo makes an indent in the center before she cracks open an egg, some milk and a little bit of soft butter into the center before she starts mixing it all together. "If I make the indentation in the center of the mixture before adding our liquids, it helps to guarantee a smooth mix. See, it's already ready for pouring!"

Turning to Ye-jin, Niramo offers the bowl to her and smiles at the dance captain. Apparently she didn't get the memo... "Now then, pour it in gently and make four 'puddles' evenly spaced apart, that way we can have just enough room to cook each side later!"

<Pose Tracker> Anthy Himemiya [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

Utena reacted to the news of their unexpected extra class with a lissome shrug and a sunny smile, and seeing who else is in class with her has only intensified her enthusiasm. She snuck waves at all these folks she never gets to take classes with throughout the lecture, earning the occasional quelling look from Jean Paris, and she puts on the Ohtori home ec uniform with eager happiness, straight over her princely uniform -- the lace-trimmed white apron, the hair-covering white cloth. Not that it does much of a job of covering her hair, which is still really, really long ever since the night it all grew out at once. Having it tied up in a nigh-topknot high ponytail helps a little, but not enough.

"Could be a bit of a hairy situation," she acknowledges, and brushes it out of her way, over her shoulders and back, before setting to the sink and washing her hands. That much, she knows how to do.

She and Anthy walked over together to a station with the sort of natural adjoinment of siamese twins. They were never so much partnered up as just in a partnership, and this is just the latest expression.

It so happens that they're adjacent to the station with Usagi and Lera, and she gives them both a broad grin. "Nice," she says, as to the former's eager application of her skills. Either she hasn't noticed the eggshells or she thinks they give As for effort in cooking. "I suck at cooking, so you're totally in good company here... Himemiya's the best though, so I know we'll be okay."

She gives Nori a slightly wet salute (her fingers are still dripping from the sink) as she adds herself to the general environs. And also a slightly wet look -- only slightly, but there's something empathetic about it. It doesn't make her happiness ruined. It just makes it more quietly profound. "Ne, Nori-chan, you wanna join our group? We've got room."

-`-,|@

It's not so far to the cooking classrooms for Anthy Himemiya, Ohtori Academy resident, student, and renownedly weird fixture. She's in her orange and grey high school uniform, clean and crisp, but today it's covered by a frilly lavender apron. When Jean Paris announces their lesson du jour she claps her hands in delight, bouncing a bit on the balls of her feet.

She's with Utena Tenjou. This statement could be followed by an "again," or an "of course," or any number of other things -- it really depends on the Ohtori student whispering about it. The simple version suffices for Anthy, here in cooking class.

Firmly the more domestic of the two, the purple-haired girl sets about getting their cooking station into order after they arrive at it. Her hands demonstrate a deft familiarity with the tools of the trade, and her manner demonstrates an unusual (for Himemiya) attentiveness during classroom time. She takes time out from arranging their ingredients to lean over and give a friendly little wave in Usagi Tsukino's direction, right as she leans past Lera to look their way.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll make something good, Utena-sama," she says, demurring to the comment on her abilities. "But I'll be glad to help. You too, Camry-san!" The bespectacled girl is not stingy with her skills, it seems.

"Yes, please do," she adds to Utena's invitation to Nori, with a bob of her head. "With pancakes, it is easy to make enough for everyone, and for everyone to get a turn."

<Pose Tracker> Usagi Tsukino [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

"Oh! Thank you!" Usagi happily stops stirring long enough just to squeeze in some oil. Does she need to measure it? Nah. "That looks like about one tablespoon right?" She solicits Shizuru's opinion because of course someone on the Student Council would know!

The oily mixture seperating out from the egg and milk mix in layers as they speak- floating up the smaller fragments. It looks like significantly more than a single tablespoon. It's seperating out as they speak.

"And now the dry ingredients." Grabbing a bag, she pours a goodly amount into a sifter and starts patting it down into a seperate bowl. She then puts it down and takes a second bag, pouring in a significantly smaller amount, putting them back down side by side - before sprinkling in some sugar.

"And now just whisk these together!" Usagi declares as she hands over that duty to Lera.

Thumbing her pocket again to check the phone, she goes back to the first bowl which is beginning to look more like the exxon valdez disaster. With an expression of intense consternation she begins to stir it more and more, harder and harder, there are crunching and grinding noises as she does so.

Checking her phone again, she realizes her mistake. The oil was supposed to go - "Ah!"

Usagi Tsukino puts the frying pan on the griddle pouring in a dab of oil in the pan as she turns on the heat. This goes without disastrous fanfare as the pan starts to heat up. Then slicing off a hunk of butter, she puts that in the wet bowl instead and mixes harder.

She looks so relieved that she caught it. "This is really going to work out." She whispers to Lera as she looks past Lera again and Utena and Anthy cooking together and tries to wave - surreptitiously. But it more looks like a gesticulation than actually being discrete at all.

And then she lets her tone get louder. "Alright, now we just have to mix the wet and the dry together into batter." Taking her bowl, she upends it into Lera's soundly. Then taking a ladle - stir - stir - stirs...

... why is the surface bubbling?

Usagi doesn't seem to notice at all. She's just humming - making these happy sounds - by her expression she barely seems to even be paying attention. Is she daydreaming?

<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.

<Pose Tracker> Nori Ankou [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

Nori turns her head to look at Kasagami when she speaks and -

It feels hollow. "Mm," she answers the king-in-waiting then, looking back down to her own griddle.

What do I know how to cook? Nori thinks.

Inside of her head gears turn as she remembers things that she cooked that didn't involve boiling water. Mother cooked things back home, she thinks, with a sense like poking her tongue in a space that used to have a tooth long ago: But they were mostly from the company, weren't they? Her lips purse. What have I cooked?

Snails, she thinks. Her lips purse more tightly.

Oh how hard can this be, she tells herself. She cracks the egg first and starts to sift in the flour a moment later, realizing when Niramo speaks that she probably botched that up. OR DID I, Nori insists internally as she works the whisk.

The insistence is weak. Until -

Someone speaks. Her eyes turn to the side. Nori-chan, she thinks. She smiles at Utena with a slightly crooked gentleness, and says, "I would love to... Utena." Her bowl and whisk are gathered up as she moves forwards. Her eyes rest on Himemiya.

Did something change? Nori wonders.

"Himemiya," she says to the violet-haired girl, more formally. "I think I have erred in my operations. Is there hope for this, or have I created an omelet with bread?" ("Bonjour Usagi-chan," she adds tangentially.)

<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

Kasagami's entire body tenses, and she darn near slams butter-spreading spoon and hand into vaguely hot plate. One hand goes to her side. Empty, of course. A good flashing eye falls though. %r And then smirks. "...Don't be ridiculous, Shizuru-san. Love is best experienced while you're young and burning in your heart! That way you have the time to find the one to truly share yourself with! Everyone at Ohtori should be blessed with those heartaches and joys." Comes the young woman!

Eyes close for a second, and she thinks of Setsuna!

Kassie briefly looks to Usagi and winks! She strikes a dramatic pose...only to end it as she scrambles to start cooking. Can't get behind! Fuu too gets a look in turn, all grin and perhaps even challenge! She knows she's overmatched at the moment, but never let it be said Kassie isn't dedicated.

Yet before she can really try to play the solo artist, yoink! She's being dragged over by Jean. At first her mouth kind of dangles, then one brow scrunches even as her boots vaguely drag along the ground while she's pulled by the collar. She's more thoughtful than anything during this process. "...Casanova? I don't think I've ever been more insulted by a compliment in my life. It seems I have much to learn of cooking and love!" For her words, she sounds oddly happy. She happily allows the grand cook to deposit her next to one part friend, one part frenemy(??).

And then she pauses as Niramo takes charge! One can practically feel the senpai radiance of the Duelist. Leeeean.

"Seems like you've done this before. I'm at your service for today, NIra-chan." Smile! Proud of her Juuban kouhai!

Call her distracted though. A look as a familiar pair enter. Pink and purple. Kassie looks away almost instantly, but pauses. One hand waves where last she saw whisps of pink.

And she does her best to ignore purple in the room.

<Pose Tracker> Shizuru Fujino [Ohtori Academy (U)] has posed.

Usagi's squeal and greeting receives a magnanimous smile from the older girl, who watches her with the perfect mixture of amused indulgence. "My, I can hardly turn down such an invitation as that," she answers simply, thus ensuring step one of plan: do no work, get pancakes anyway. Lera's stare, meanwhile--Lera could swear that there's a sparkle of mischief in Shizuru's eye in reply to it as she looks.

She starts to move on from them, and then Usagi asks for help.

"Oh yes," she answers blithely, without even looking at Usagi's measurement because instead she is looking at two figures:

Utena Tenjou and Anthy Himemiya. Her eyes linger on both of them for a long few moments, considering each in turn before she nods in greeting as if everything were entirely normal. She doesn't even remark on Nori's familiarity.

Instead, the other purple in the room stops near Kasagami. "My, my. Young love..." She sighs, theatrically. "And what is our dear Vice President making?" she asks Ye-Jin pleasantly over Niramo, who also gets a smile.

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

Nothing seems to particularly faze Fuu as she performs her tasks - not even a faintly disapproving teacher looming over her shoulder. "I have to admit, Paris-sensei," Fuu states good-naturedly, "I hadn't realized just how fundamental a breakfast staple pancakes are, so your lecture shed quite a bit of light on that. Certainly I didn't know how many varieties there are; it sounds like comparing them all directly could be quite interesting. Possibly not best done in a single buffet, though."

She takes a moment in between ingredients to wash her hands (belatedly, but she hadn't used her fingers for anything, and the heat *should* kill any stray germs in the batter, right?). After drying her hands *very* thoroughly, she gets back to work - whatever work is left. If the measuring is done, she'll crack an egg or two if that still needs doing; if it's all down to stirring, she'll take a turn at stirring the batter, and making sure the melting butter is covering the whole griddle ...

<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

"I'm, er, good at... other types of cooking!" Lera says, with an awkward scratch at the back of her head to Utena. "But not so much with pancakes..." She beams at Utena and Anthy, waving her hand at them both. "S-So we'll definitely take you up on the offer to help!"

She turns, then, and looks back at Usagi. She grins at her, and leans over and whispers back to her. "I think so, too! I'd like to learn to make these, y'know?" She looks down at the frying pan. She sees the bowl, and tilts her head, as it begins to...

...bubble?

"Is it supposed to do that?" she asks, as Usagi stirs the mixed contents. Still, at the same time, she reaches a hand out. Her fingers find the knob fro the heat -- and she turns it up a little. The griddle needs to be hot, she reasons. Then, she leans back to Usagi, and whispers: "It's nice to see them back to being friends again, y'know?"

Her eyes shift, to where Nori, Utena, and Anthy are, likely, doing a better job.

COIN FLIP: Nori Ankou flips a coin. It lands on heads!

<Pose Tracker> Nori Ankou [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

Nori winks at Lera when she sees Lera looking at her. There is no greater context.

or is there?

<Pose Tracker> Ye-jin Song [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

If there was a chair, Ye-jin would already be reclining in it while Niramo works her magic. Sadly, she had to stand. She's also completely uninterested in the actual process of making their pancake, and so her gaze turns around the room.

"Oh, Shizuru-senpai is here." Ye-jin waves her hand toward the older girl from across the room, beaming briefly. She takes short notice of Anthy and Utena upon their arrival, paying more attention to the former as she sets to work. Lera's excitement and Usagi's studious working at their own station gives her further pause.

"Niramo-san. This'll be a perfect pancake, right?" She can't be shown up by her classmates, after all. Especially not by people who don't even go to Ohtori!

Her concerns are abruptly interrupted by Jean Paris and the Kasagami he's dragging with him. Her head tilts quizzically, as if she doesn't quite understand the question or request being asked of her - until Niramo hands her the bowl of batter. Then, she beams again.

"Kasagami-san," She says. "You're just in time!" Without further preamble, Ye-jin pushes the bowl into her new partner's hands.

And once she's pawned off her work, she turns to address Ohtori's previous Vice-President when Shizuru moves over. "How nice to see you, Shizuru-senpai. I'm just making a pancake." She definitely said 'I'. "I'll make sure to save one for you." She touches her forefingers and thumbs together, giving her senpai an 'OK' sign.

<Pose Tracker> Utena Tenjou [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

"I read somewhere that the batter is supposed to bubble, yeah," Utena chimes in encouragingly towards Usagi and Lera. She's definitely thinking of 'after it's been on the griddle for a while and it's time to flip it' but not... very clearly.

With a prickle on the back of her neck, she senses Shizuru's attention, and gives her a friendly wave before paying attention to her actual partners.

"What can I do to help?" she asks Himemiya and Nori, broadly. "I'm good at stirring!"

<Pose Tracker> Anthy Himemiya [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

Their newest group member comes forth, bowl and whisk in hand, and is met with a smile and then an owlish peering -- or rather, her bowl gets the second. "Oh, let me see! Hmm." Anthy uses a couple of blinks to consider, and: "This looks just fine," she smiles. "As long as you stir it up very well, that is what matters."

She's taken up her own pancake makings, and between evaluating Nori's pancake mix and bobbing little hellos to their station-neighbors Usagi and Lera, Anthy is hardly looking at what she's doing. Still, her batter is already well on its way to smooth, the ingredients melding and clinging to the whisk as she whips it around the bowl.

To all appearances, Anthy Himemiya doesn't notice the arrival of Kasagami Araki. She's too absorbed in pointing out a broad dab of flour that's made its way onto Utena's cheek. "How did...?" Her puzzlement is almost wondering.

"Utena-sama, if you take this--" she hands the bowl to Utena, who seems quite eager to stir, "--I'll take care of that." And she's wetting the corner of a paper towel in the sink, returning to smudge away the rogue flour. This may be a repeat procedure.

To Lera she gives a helpful little addendum to her roommate's advice: "If it starts to bubble, you might want to flip it."

<Pose Tracker> Usagi Tsukino [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

What is going on in Usagi's head right now?

BGM Change: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx178XZ7_gA

Rose petals fluttering - soft lighting. A Utena Tenjou in a tank top - hair glistening with sweat as she leaves the basketball court. A hundred girls cheer her name, but as she pushes through because something has attracted her attention, "Oh - Usagi. Is that for me?"

She's staring down a high stack of flapjacks, oozing syrup that the girl is holding. As Usagi stammers, "O-Of course! Um - After all... it's only nine forty nine in the morning." Utena takes the plate, stabs a fork into the syruped goodness, as she eats - eats- swallows.

The whole crowd breathless - but really only the two of them exist right now. Utena stares down at the smaller girl before putting a hand out to take hers, "So thoughtful. Usagi... Bonjour."

-=-=-

"Bon-jour?" Usagi blink blinks as she's snapped out of her daze to look straight at Akamira herself, "Oh! It's - It's French!" Suddenly flustered between that and the day dream, "Ah! Um - Ah- wow..." She murmurs at Lera, "...a model is saying hello to me in French... this is what it must be like to go to school at Ohtori every day."

But then - "Is it supposed to - what?" She asks her partner, before her eyes dart down to the mixture - before looking sideways at Utena, "Oh! I mean - of course it's supposed to. See? Utena would know. It just must be... mixing very vigorously."

Before nodding with a smile as Lera looks in that direction, "I know right?"

Taking the bubbling batter mix - Usagi pours some of it onto the frying pan. Then more beside it. In these uneven circles. There's a hiss as it starts to bubble more and more violently. ... the leftover batter bubbling almost as violently.

Usagi gives Lera a reassuring pat on her shoulder, "Don't worry. Don't worry. I've had Mako-chan's pancakes before. In just a few minutes we'll be digging into something so delicious that we could die from sheer bliss!"

And that's the moment the frying pan erupts into brown foam that starts covering their kitchen station like a volcano erupted and is showering them in a seething bubbly brown lava of batter - punctuated by Usagi's shriek.

The remaining batter in the bowl erupts similarily not long after.

The brown foam takes it's toll, spreading over the kitchen station and washing over the two girls. Who - are thankfully unharmed since the batter didn't get long to heat.

The two are just covered in mess - and Usagi is rendered utterly speechless for a few pregnant seconds.

Sailor Moon and Lera Camry's close range combination cooking attack.

Spiral Pancake Volcanic Disaster!

<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

"Is it?" Lera asks, looking sideways at Utena. "That's a relief... I'm used to making, like, cupcakes and stuff!"

Which, typically, do not bubble that much during the preparation phase. She smiles confidently, but then less confidently. "Um, actually--" She looks at Anthy, head tilted.

A PRELUDE TO TRAGEDY

"--it's not on the griddle yet and it's bubbling?" she says, but the wheels of fate are in motion.

The gears of destiny grind on, and Lera turns her head, to look back at Usagi. Her mouth opens, as it pours onto the griddle, and she has a little tweak in the back of her mind. Which, of course, when the foam erupts from both the griddle and the bowl. It surges up around her; it coats her, head to toe, and amber eyes blink from beneath it. That is all of the Midchildan that can be seen.

The bottle she picked up, however -- the "oil" that Usagi requested -- tips off. The label on it has text spelling out one half of the cause of this disaster: "APPLE CIDER VINEGAR."

<Pose Tracker> Nori Ankou [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

"You could stir mine - though I know you'd have to use both hands... Should we combine them? Does that defeat the purpose?" Nori muses to Utena. Encouraged by Himemiya, though, she keeps on m i xing the flour in the bowl.

"You seem to be doing wonderfully," Nori murmurs to Utena in the aftermath of her cheek being dabbed by Himemiya. (Utena's cheek, of course.) "I think I'm going to try to make a shape. I think the texture's right for that."

"Mais oui," Nori calls over her shoulder. "Ou beni lecole nou an avec visite, Usagi!" After this Nori spoons up batter, pours out a long strip...

There is a shriek behind her.

"Utena, Himemiya, should I look? I feel I should not look," Nori says, staying leaned over.

<Pose Tracker> Utena Tenjou [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

Utena holds very still when Anthy dabs her face. It's a good thing the flour on her cheekbone wasn't mixed with the rest of the ingredients, or she might have cooked it, though it's more of an unfurling rose color, rather than the beet-red of humiliation.

"Thanks, Himemiya," she mumbles, her tongue a little clumsy over the syllables, her blue eyes gazing deeply into Anthy's green for a moment before it's too much like staring into the sun and she has to blink away. Down to her stirring task.

She's energetic, but not very good at keeping the flour at the top from making a cloud as she stirs it into the wetter substances at the bottom.

In short order she is basically a ghost, with two blinky blue eyes.

About to apologize, there is, instead, an explosion. Instinct takes over, and she rips her wooden spoon out of the batter bowl.

"GET BACK!" she yells -- before trying to beat the blob to death. With the spoon. THERE WILL BE NO YOUMAS TODAY, GOD DAMN IT ALL TO HECK.

With each mighty whack it releases more air from the mixture. SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK SMACK! Prrt-prrt-prrt-prrt-prrt!

"I got this, Nori, no worries!" she calls over her shoulder.

<Pose Tracker> Niramo Umokeshi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Niramo smiles as Kasagami, her smile bright and cheerful as the pancakes she's hoping to make by the end of the class and gives a quick nod. "Glad to have you with us, Kasagami-san! I made pancakes plenty of times, it's a favorite snack of mine, but, um...a very good friend of mine has been making sure I don't try to devote all my cooking progress to sweets alone!"

Blinking as Ye-jin just gives the bowl to Kasagami then proclaim that she alone was making pancakes, Niramo just gives her senpai a silent eyeroll before motioning to the skillet. "Well, again, four 'puddles' of batter then wait two minutes, then see if they're firm enough to flip over. We have to cook each side equally, after all!"

Anthy and a pink-haired woman is what her friend and teacher is focusing on, and Niramo frowns slightly as she notices that Anthy doesn't even seem to notice that Kasagami was in the room. In fact, she can't remember the last time she saw Anthy be around Kasagami. Was she one of those that left Kasagami behind when she lost that Duel? Maybe, but they had seemed so close before...

Shrieks rising from a nearby station has Niramo quickly turning on her stool, spatula in hand and already halfway in a crouch before her mind catches up to her instincts. It wasn't a monster attack like she had thought, but... "Wha...h-how did you...I..." Words fail the short ravenette as she just stares at the doused duo and tries to puzzle out just what could has caused this.

<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.

Listening Fuu talk to the teacher so eloquently is always so enlightening every time she does it! Seeing Fuu wash her hadns, he quickly follows suit. He almost forgot! That isn't good for hygiene!

Of course, when the griddle is prepped, Steven passes over that batter for her to stir, and watches the cooking surface closely. "I wonder how much those are! Do you have one?" he asks Fuu politely. Despite how important watching how to cook is, the boy can't help but let his eyes wander, with all the commotion and cooking going on, especially with people he knows!

Seems like Niramo teamed up with Kasagami and... is that the nice lady from the cruise?! Anthy is with Nori and the pink haired girl he has seen ber, and the the young lady with the hot dog pancake idea is with a girl he has seen somewhere before... But where... Oh! She goes to Juuban! Hard to miss that hairstyle.

"Uh oh!" Steven says, giggling a bit at that bubbling concoction. And then it detonates. Steven is speechless, before erupting himself. "That was awesome!" A look back to his partner. "Should we make more to help them? Can we share meals? I don't know the deal with this, if we have to make our own or what." Would be awful if that was it for them! Maybe the teachers can give them more ingredients. "I'll be right back though."

Steven looks ot his trusty earth-saving cheeseburger backpack, reaches a hand inside as if the world depended on it, and out comes. "Pow! Cleanup tooooooowels!"

He makes hsi way over to the poor group, offering them up. "Here y'all go! Maybe the ywill help!" Being sticky and covered in battle gets old, quickly. Better to get it off now than later. Especially when it is wetter. That poor ponytailed girl will pay for it later if she doesn't get it out now.

<Pose Tracker> Shizuru Fujino [Ohtori Academy (U)] has posed.

Shouldn't Shizuru have classes or something?

Regardless she nods pleasantly to Ye-Jin, looking her right in the eye. Her vaguely amused expression stays the same at that 'OK' as she answers, "My, I'll look forward to it then. We do have to keep up our standards, don't we?"

She hasn't looked back much at Utena yet, though she lingered with a look at that friendly wave with one of her own.

As Shizuru putters about the Council table, she very quickly sidesteps such that Kasagami is between her and Usagi and Lera's concoction, without so much as a blink before she gets out of the way as soon as she hears Usagi's shriek. ...She glances over, of course. It's--

It's Utena coming to the rescue, of course, which Shizuru rather prefers to the intimate moment of a moment ago. "Ah. How surprising."

She slips around behind Anthy, "Do be careful, Himemiya-san."

<Pose Tracker> Anthy Himemiya [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

It is quite a thing, to look up into the cloudless crystalline sky while still inside the confines of a classroom. "Of course, Utena-sama."

When Anthy Himemiya commented on Lera and Usagi's bubbling pancake batter, it was sight unseen and with the assumption that Lera did not mean, "like a cauldron."

Clearly, mistakes were made all around.

She stops post-cheek-dab, on her tippy-toes to better close the gap between herself and the much taller Utena Tenjou's befloured cheek, and says, "Oh, my," as the whole thing erupts.

She's quickly behind the valiantly spoon-wielding Utena, and perhaps this will protect her from errant splatter.

"You should not look, Ankou-san," says Anthy Himemiya, which is the sort of advice this girl is naturally inclined to give.

Her bold and pink-haired protector guards the front, but... Anthy does not move otherwise, but there's something to the flicker of long eyelashes to show she hears Shizuru. She remains close to Utena, and says nothing in return.

<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

Somehow Kassie feels like her back is burning. For a brief moment she crosses her arms. A glance back to Shizuru.

"...Don't mock love. It can be a cruel, twisting weapon, or a balm to sooth the most gaping wound." She scowls briefly. She shakes her head, pulls out the cloth keeping her hair in place, and lets long raven locks spill gloriously behind her. A fire hazard to be sure, but she trusts in her partners.

She trusts in one of her partners, to be exact.

Suddenly bowl in her hands. She tilts her head, and locks of hair obscure one eye. "Checkmate for now, YJ-chan. This batter, like thine cup, shall not and yet runeth over as required!" Yeah, she's stretching tha metaphor way too far. But it's Kassie, she's going for it!

And her hand is whisking like a madwoman. Bowl down, tilted at an angle over the sink, she's aiming to fluff this batter into absolute paste! Just the kind of well mixed thing to be worthy of sharing with friend and love!

She glances back. Grin. "That's the spirit! A batter crushed into submission shall be above all other batters! Not one step back!" Encourages Kassie to Utena as she begins the martial batter beatdown! How could a would-be King do less before a Prince?

An eye tracks to Nira! One boot slams down! And then she begins to pour those four puddles of batter. A reach into a pocket, and she times her phone. Kassie looks serious here! When Nira's distracted?

"Hey! Nira-chan! Concentrate!' Offers the young woman suddenly!

<Pose Tracker> Usagi Tsukino [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

It's pandemonium for a moment - as Utena grabs a wooden ladle to jump in the defense of whatever cooking youma they've spawned. "Um - ah! We're okay! We're okay-! Don't worry! Don't worry!" Usagi frantically flails underneath the gooey mess that's covering her.

Whereas most of the classroom gawks and stares. And Nori - Nori chooses not to look. This is a wise decision.

"It's just... our pancakes..." She moans, taking a towel from Steven. "Oh! Thanks Steven! I'm a real mess right now." Completely forgetting she's never met Steven as Usagi Tsukino. Maybe she heard it somewhere on Juuban campus? That must be it. Starting to wipe herself up.

"I don't get it! I followed the recipe exactly..." Usagi sniffs at her arm, then looks at the bags too.

"Uh... Oh."

The second component of this tragedy is revealed by the position of the bags. Usagi says lightly, "Which one - did I pour in first?"

One is the baking soda - the other is the flour.

With that much baking soda substituted for flour... and vinegar from Lera's accident poured in.

It may become clear to other people in the room what happened.

<Pose Tracker> Utena Tenjou [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

Huh? (Type "help" for help.)

<Pose Tracker> Utena Tenjou [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

Jean Paris gives Fuu and Steven a merry little grin, the grin of the devil himself, and wanders off. Mari Cherie, meanwhile, has approached the NiramoYe-jinKasagami quadrant and is watching their cookery intently. "Yes, very good. Timing is everything with these, you know, dears."

<Pose Tracker> Ye-jin Song [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

"That's nice." Says Ye-jin, of Kasagami's proclamation. That's all she says.

A moment later her head snaps up when Lera and Usagi's pan explodes into a fountain of batter, her eyes widening briefly at the disaster. Moreso when Utena joins in and sets up spoon on the attack. It takes Ye-jin a moment to process this. Eventually, though, she has to raise a hand over her mouth to cover the titters of amusement at such a misfortunate event.

"Ohoho..."

<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

"Um, that might be--" Lera starts to reach for the towel that Steven offers. But while Usagi grabs hers, Lera catches something else. She catches a perfect swing of a wooden spoon -- and then her hands come up.

Using a technique learned in Belkan Swordfighting Club, back on Midchilda, her hands come together, and--

CLAP!

--catch the spoon between them.

The moment of utter coolness is ruined a moment later when Lera trips with the movement, and falls flat on her rear, and then wails.

"Aaah wait, don't, I'm not a monster, I'm just covered in pancake foam!" Lera yelps as Utena flies at them with a wooden spoon gripped in hand. She waves her hands -- and the effect, really, is that it looks like an amber-eyed mound of living brown foam is waving its arms furiously in Utena's direction as everyone watches.

<Pose Tracker> Nori Ankou [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

"It sounds like they're having a good time," Nori says to Himemiya as she traces out a couple of the less energetic hiragana on her griddle.

"Fujino," she says to the passing upperclasswoman, presently.

<Pose Tracker> Utena Tenjou [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

Lera stops Utena from further brutalizing the cookware.

She slowly deflates as it dawns on her that this is not actually a monster of the day, and gives the praising Kasagami a somewhat wry, self-effacing V for victory, albeit over her shoulder. It is a broad enough gesture that it can also capture Shizuru's, ah, weighty expectations.

(The batter also slowly deflates. It is fair to say that the two of them do it in unison.)

"Oh! Uh, thanks, Steven," she chimes in after Usagi. While she wasn't in the initial blast radius, she's made enough of an additional mess with her efforts that she's at least as gooped up as the two original victims.

"Sorry," she says to the group. "I kinda overreacted.... Himemiya, maybe if we all combine what's left our ingredients we can salvage some pancakes?"

Her smile, through a face creamy with batter, is all the whiter for it.

"What do you think?" A slight, lilting emphasis on the third word. It comes of admiration. Of faith. Anthy can make this all work out in the end if anyone can.

"Nice catch," she adds in a mutter, under her breath, at Lera. It sounds like she's genuinely impressed, whatever happened afterwards. She offers the other girl a hand up.

<Pose Tracker> Usagi Tsukino [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

As Lera catches the spoon mid-savage of the cookware, Usagi looks astonished as she grasps it out of the air like a blade. "Whoa!"

Utena says she overreacted and Usagi quickly chimes in. "Ah - no! I mean you were leaping to everyone's defense right!" And by everyone she of course hopes that it was 'her' defense - but she's willing to accept herself as being part of everyone. Usagi quickly says - "It was... very dashing." She says as she enfolds her gooey hands together over the towel and looks down with a pink flush.

Then keeps dabbing herself off - "You two wouldn't mind? I think... our station is a wash." As in needs washing with a hose. She hopes that duty won't fall on them here at Ohtori but - let's be real. It absolutely will.

Plan serve Utena pancakes is also a wash - but she's hopeful of the idea of being served pancakes by Utena and Anthy?

She decides that's just as good as she looks over at the two.

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

That was, thinks Fuu, a rather impressively sudden explosion.

She's mostly thinking this from below countertop-level - not *under* the counter, but having reflexively ducked down there at the sudden eruption. So is the mixing bowl, cradled in her arms. But as that seems to have been the high point of the current excitement, Fuu rises back to her feet, gently sets the bowl down on the counter again, and resumes stirring. "I'm not sure if we have quite enough to spare," she admits ruefully, "but I'm sure we can at least spare *some* for them if needed."

She nods approvingly as Steven pulls out some towels to help clean up with, and - making sure that the batter's been stirred evenly - checks the griddle as well, before carefully pouring some batter onto the now-buttered griddle. Just one pancake for now; she wants some work to be left for Steven to help with on his return. Besides, one pancake should be enough to judge if they got the recipe right ... probably.

The pancakes after that might have to be cooked more quickly, admittedly - or rather, do more than one at a time.

More immediately, it's something of a relief that they *don't* have a pancake monster to subdue, *that* would certainly eat into their time available for cooking. "How *did* you manage to do that, Usagi-san, Lera-san?" she wonders aloud while cooking, her voice gentle and friendly. "I'm sure the Infinity Special Effects Club would love to learn that trick ..."

<Pose Tracker> Niramo Umokeshi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Kasagami is quick to bring Niramo back to task, her thoughts broken out of the exploding mystery behind her. "Huh? Hai, Kasagami-san!" Offering Steven and Fuu a quick wave with her free hand, Niramo turns back around to focus on the pancakes! Kasagami seems really serious about these pancakes, but should they be worried about if the mess behind them is going to expand?

Watching the edges of the pancakes with a careful eye for the tale-tell hint of golden brown, the tips of Niramo's ears redden as Ye-jin starts to laugh at Usagi's and Lera's misfortune. While she has only really met both girls briefly, they always seem so bright and cheerful, and they didn't deserved to be laughed at. It was a novice mistake that anyone could make...well, if both novices were not paying attention in the slightest. Maybe they were just too eager? "Ye-jin-san, we do need to focus..."

Feeling the eyes of Mari Cherie herself watching them all carefully, Niramo only glances at the timer on Kasagami's phone once before nodding to herself. Her spatula dips down, slides under one cooking baked slice of perfection without disturbing the others.

A quick flick of the wrist to one side and with a wet smack, golden brown faces the ceiling as the gooey side sizzles under the intense heat.

The movement is repeated quickly for the other three, and the Juuban student resists the urge to wipe away a twinge of nervous sweat on her forehead. It wasn't being under the watchful eyes of one of the most premier chefs to ever be known, not at all. "Kasagami-san, get a plate ready when you can, we still have a little batter left for a few more pancakes!"

Unknown to Niramo however, there was bits of brown, sizzling batter resting on the back of the cloth napkin she was using to hold her long hair into place.

<Pose Tracker> Shizuru Fujino [Ohtori Academy (U)] has posed.

"Ah, forgive me," Shizuru says to Kasagami, her voice warm but her eyes right on Kasagami's. "Obviously I would never want to mock your sincere feelings." Her gaze lingers, before she looks to Ye-Jin and Niramo in turn, listening as she does to talk of batter, and...

Of course. 'Come together, and share'. It's a very gallant solution, and Shizuru gently claps her hands together once. "Such team spirit," she remarks, glancing then to Usagi again. ...She can see what she's after.

She certainly doesn't argue that for her. Instead, as Anthy does not move, notices Anthy's simple response, and she smiles behind both of them. In silence.

<Pose Tracker> Usagi Tsukino [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

Usagi answers Fuu almost immediately, holding up a finger that still has a brown smudge in the air and saying with complete pride and certainty, "I have absolutely no idea."

Then holding up both her hands to the side in her own version of a shrug, she smiles, "I must have switched some ingredients but otherwise - it's a total mystery!"

Someone who pays attention to elementary school science could figure it out.

... ... ...

Usagi hasn't paid attention in science class in ten years.

Usagi takes Shizuru's remark as an intense compliment - but is instantly struck by having no idea how to respond to it. Yet someone like her - she has to say something right? "Ah - yes! Isn't it great how we can all come together in a tragedy to..." She trails off, "... make certain noone goes hungry!"

Usagi - you're not combatting a famine. It's just a minor home ec disaster.

<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

Kassie opens her mouth, then closes it. One eye twitches. Yet she somehow manages to not give into the desire to strangle YJ. A small breath, and out. Just like mom taught her. Calm! It's not a lesson that has exactly sticked yet.

Before she can get truly angry, the elderly Mari joins them, and she suddenly straightens herself. One arm before her chest, a small bow, and then she turns to the source of the gourmand's attention. Hmm.

"Timing, huh? ...I wonder if dreams and love must be slowly raised as bread, or swiftly sizzled upon the world's skillet?" She ponders to herself. Hmm.

Sniff. Philosophy dies as her stomach growls all around. Cue Kassie distracted. The 'V' from Utena invites warmth that swiftly fades! For a second Kassie looks away half in shame, half pleased! And all entirely awkward for the young woman.

It's Niramo's turn to bring her attention, and Kassie swiftly nods! "Never let any batter go unused! Even if it's a mini-pancake, such is delicious, golden, well-fried glory to be devoured by Knights and Kings!"

She's going quickly for a plate! It's held with one hand, then she takes one step, and lays it upon the countertop with only the slightest of pause to prevent breaking!

"Nira-chan! Yj-chan! Let out golden crispy shields of delicious batter be neither under or overcooked!" The other hand is going for maple syrup in a container! As though pancakes can be without delicious sugary molasses.

A glance back. She pauses, and her hand nearly slips.

An eye narrows, but she can't find it in herself to hate Shizuru.

"...Never. Of course. I'm clearly mistaken, I would expect nothing less of the former Vice President of the Student Council."

<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

"Th-thanks," Lera says, a little breathlessly up at Utena. "Nice swing, too." She accepts the hand up -- fingers tight around the other girl's hand, as she is helped to her feet. She takes the towel, belatedly, and starts wiping herself off -- and then she looks to and fro for a moment. Enough of the goo drips away that, in the end, Lera is more of a besodden high school student than a foam monster.

She stands up, wiping a little more off herself, and looks sideways at Usagi. She flashes a sheepish grin at her. "I-I think, um, yeah, that's... that's gonna be a lot of cleaning, huh?"

She looks back at Utena, then Anthy. Her expression could be described as hopeful.

<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.

"Always willing to help fellow cooking enthusiasts!" Steven adds, handing some over toward Usagi and Lera. It takes about ten seconds or so for that look of curious suspicion to cross how face. How did she know his name. Wait. That's it. It makes sense! He has finally become known enough that upper grades know his name! awesome. Good impressions are everything.

Some more are passed on to Utena as well! "No probs!" The boy does look around to the rest of everyone. "I bet that could work, yeah!" Maybe if they pool successfully made pancakes the breakfast can still work! "Oh, whoops! Totally forgot!" The boy adds quickly, hustling back over toward Fuu. "Sorry about that! Need help with cooking? I should probably try at least a little one or something."

"Maybe we can divide them up or something?"

The thought of poor Usagi and Lera going without pancakes is a grim one to the Gem Child! They deserve breakfast confections as well! What will they do?! "A-Are we able to get more ingredients for them somewhere?" Steven calls otu to the teachers of the lesson.

He would go to the store if he had to! He has a portal jockeying Lion, he would be back fast!

<Pose Tracker> Anthy Himemiya [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

"Isn't cooking class fun?" Anthy says to Nori, by way of agreement. "They're working up an appetite for these pancakes, too. Are you making fancy ones?"

She pops right up by Utena's batter-spackled elbow when the danger is past, considerably cleaner than her counterpart. "Thank you, Utena-sama. Oh, your uniform..." Clearly Anthy is already doing laundry in her head. "I'll take care of it," she says, sounding pleased instead of put out.

The question gets a pondering look in return: big eyes, mouth in a little 'o'. Then her lips flatten and curl to a smile."Yes. Yes, I think we can do that."

A pause, then. It's much easier for her to speak to everyone else all at once if she just... speaks to Utena, and so Anthy does, keeping green eyes firmly locked on blue. "...We'll need to add a few more eggs, and flour. Oh, but please check the label and make sure it is flour," she adds with a bit of delicacy. "Then..."

On go the directions, given plainly so that a non-cook can follow, uttered to the little pancake-wearing crowd near their station with a little smile and a lack of eye contact. Only Utena receives that last. Followed, they should result in a rescued batch of hearty fluffy pancakes. As for the extra cleaning... well, Anthy knows no tricks for that but good old fashioned elbow grease.

<Pose Tracker> Ye-jin Song [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

"Mmm?" Ye-jin turns her attention back to her own station when Niramo makes her request. She does give a bright smile to Mari Cherie when the instructor scoots over to observe them, but seems to have no real anxiety about her presence.

"I'm paying attention, Niramo-san. You're just handling it so well, I didn't want to interrupt you." She's not above making placating complements, at least. "I'll pour the next ones, okay?" As Kasagami moves to get a plate she'll take over the bowl, prepared to do work only now that she's being actively watched.

She does comment, off-hand: "Let's try to be calm, Kasagami-san. They're just pancakes--even if we made the best ones, of course." The Vice President smiles brightly, emphasizing the second part.

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

Fuu pokes at the edge of their first pancake with a spatula, partly making sure it's not spreading further (it isn't), partly seeing if it's solid enough to flip yet (it isn't quite there yet). "The school *should* have additional ingredients on hand," she replies. "It's more a matter of whether somebody can retrieve additional supplies for this class. - Can you reach well enough to pour the next set of pancakes after this one is finished?" she transitions into a question. No need to go to the store; she's comfortably certain of *that* much.

She does understand where Steven's coming from, though. That was not only incredibly sudden, ir was also a surprisingly large eruption for the amounts they're working with.

She tests the pancake again, then flips it; if her hand isn't exactly 'practiced' at this form of cooking, she at least has a good handle on the basic principles involved.

<Pose Tracker> Nori Ankou [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

"Only the shape, I think," Nori tells Anthy. "I suppose I don't know how to flip them, but I'm being a little... flexible, I suppose." And NOW she looks because the disaster seems past.

She nods along with Usagi in her invincible ignorance. Makes sense to her, she thinks. How COULD you tell something like that had happened? She also blinks slowly at the manifest appearance of Utena - how did she get that all over herself? Nori wonders. (She herself has some dabs of flour and batter here and there, but she has been going leisurely for a reason.)

((That reason is fashion.))

Nori turns herself a bit to speak to others while she carefully raises and lifts her elongated pancakes. Or are they more like crepes? Nori has no idea. She just winged that mother. "Thank you for your help, Steven," she tells the boy, then looks to Lera as she speculates.

"Probably," she tells her. "But that's life for you. A series of messes."

She smiles afterwards.

"You can see how involved our student council is with our daily affairs, too, eh, Usagi?" Nori then asks Usagi, with a tone suggesting somewhat questionable authenticity in the sentiment thus described.

Usagi Tsukino (Usagi) pages Utena Tenjou, Nori Ankou, Lera Camry, and Anthy Himemiya: Totally okay! <3

<Pose Tracker> Utena Tenjou [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

"I got you," Utena promises to Lera and Usagi, as to the cleaning, on the heels of Anthy's agreement. "Food before suffering though, ne?"

Partway through following Anthy's instructions with heartfelt intensity -- around the time she needs to put the latest round of batter on the griddle, which is the same time Nori is clearing her own creations off of them -- she reads the hiragana out loud.

"Tomo..." A tiny grin, "...dachi," she sounds out, it's a little misshapen ('tomotachi') but the meaning is clear. "Nice," she compliments Nori, her enthusiasm briefly taking her into English.

She doesn't stay there for long.

"Okay," she mutters nervously, "Himemiya, please tell me when to flip them, or better yet, everyone else should flip them, everyone take a turn, we have enough spatulas for everyone..."

In the end they have enough pancakes too. One each, shiny and golden (except for the first one which, as kitchen witches know, always comes out badly; Utena insists on taking that one).

<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

"Food before suffering," Lera agrees, with a sheepish grin. She looks at Nori, and nods her head cheerfully.

It is only a little while longer, then -- and with Anthy Himemiya's expert guidance -- that the pancakes are served and prepared. She looks down at one and grins, and then cuts into her fluffy, golden brown pancake with a fork. She lifts the piece up, staring it over for a moment, and then takes a bite.

• chomp*

She sighs, then, and melts down a little -- leaning against a cleaned column. "Ooooh, that's good," she says. "That's as good as pancakes from a diner! You're a natural at this, Himemiya!"

<Pose Tracker> Shizuru Fujino [Ohtori Academy (U)] has posed.

"Of course," Shizuru replies to Kasagami, and leaves the matter of 'love' at that with only a hint--just the barest upturn of her eyebrow--to suggest the ice behind her statement. She remains quiet as Anthy begins instructing the others, smiling blandly to Ye-Jin as she 'supervises'. She really only comments again when--

"We do try," she adds to Nori about the student council with a smile. "And indeed, I think it's an admirable effort," she compliments Usagi effortlessly, elegant just in how she stands.

...From there, of course, she waits. She waits, and--

Shizuru Fujino reaps her pancake bounty while having done precisely none of the work. Just as intended.

<Pose Tracker> Niramo Umokeshi [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Niramo waits until the sizzling lowers to an minimum before she sliding one pancake after another onto Kasagami's waiting plate. A quick smile falls upon those four precious slabs of moist deliciousness, then Niramo adds a dollop of oil to the pan to coat it again before motioning towards Ye-jin. Despite being the youngest of the three working there, she feels at home in the kitchen and ready to offer advice in the future.

There would just be enough batter left over for two slightly smaller pancakes, and the smell of cooking batter would start to mix in pleasantly with the cooling pancakes. "Don't you worry, Kasagami-san! While I still have a lot to learn, sweets are a bit of a specialty of mine. They shall be neither too runny or blacked with ichor with my watchful gaze!"

A mild blush as Niramo glows from the complement from Ye-jin, the Juuban student knowing all too well that a real compliment fron Ye-jin was rare and honest. "Well, thank you, Ye-jin-san, but I just don't want you missing out on learning! Besides, when else can you say that you learn from two experts of their art?"

Ye-jin's last comment has Niramo holding back a laugh, not wanting to distrub the flipping of the last two pancakes. "Kasagami-san is calm. She's just...has a very interesting way of showing it. And these are not just pancakes! The proper pancake can transcend space and time, filling your tastebuds with manna on Earth and, for just an instant, transport you to a new plane of existance!" A finger is pointed at Ye-jin before Niramo realizes that she said that last bit out loud, and while in the same classroom as two legendary chefs.

"...um, that is to say, anything can taste great if you put enough care into it."

<Pose Tracker> Utena Tenjou [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

"Very good, very good!" Cherie almost sings as she flits about the class, seeing pancakes come off griddles.

"Kinda mediocre," Jean suggests, "But not bad for a bunch of kids, I guess?"

"Mister Paris," Cherie gasps, shocked and slapping him on the shoulder. "Behave yourself."

Jean grunts. "Aight." He slogs over to the front, about to unveil a whole new table of -- something lumpy, probably more ingredients -- when the bells chime the end of the class (and the day, for logistical reasons relating to traveling between campuses, it's the final period of the afternoon).

He pauses and glances at Cherie.

"Looks like we're out of time," he announces. "Guess we'll save all of these surprises for next class!"

He lets go of the tablecloth instead of ripping it off, and it droops. The teachers don't seem likely to hustle everyone out, though they will guard their bounty if anyone tries to approach them.

<Pose Tracker> Usagi Tsukino [Juuban Public School (10)] has posed.

Food before suffering causes a small sound of discontent from Usagi. But - she knows she has to clean up after that. She was just hoping that French Maids with an Ohtori spin on their uniform would come in and do it while she wasn't looking.

Usagi tries to reassure Steven, "Don't worry! Utena, Anthy - and Nori are sharing with us!" She says - until she catches Himemiya's tone on making sure it is flour and looks a little flustered. Not upset per se - just flustered, because she definitely just did that.

As Utena sounds out that, Usagi's eyes are drawn that way. "Huh? Well of course we're all-" And then down to the flapjack batter where the hiragana are. "Oh - Oh!" She looks between Nori and Anthy, "You two wrote that out? That's such a cute thing to have written on your breakfast!"

Nori's question though causes her to blink, as despite how she usually is - she does catch that tone, Usagi puts a finger to her chin and thinks as she looks between Shizuru and Nori, "Well... let's see... it doesn't seem like such a bad thing most of the time. Like - two thirds of the time it sounds great even." Where she's getting that number from?

Usagi is soon enough happily chowing down on her pancake, a dab of maple syrup at her chin, chewing extra long even before swallowing. "Mmm - it's so good - my stomach is giving you both an A plus!"

Usagi catches Jean's comment, then leans over and says to the others, "Where do they get off saying something like that - this pancake is a little piece of heaven." She points her utensil down at it before looking thoughtful, "I guess there always is the mean one on cooking shows though..."

<Pose Tracker> Anthy Himemiya [Ohtori Academy (10)] has posed.

"Use the widest spatula you can find," Anthy suggests for Nori's fancy pancakes. And speaking of flipping pancakes...

Competence confers efficiency, and Himemiya acts for a while as a batter-oriented air traffic controller -- pancake traffic controller? -- as she does her best to oversee the flipping of a few sets of pancakes. She's unimposing to serve as a central tower in the air(cooking)space, and her voice is a bit quiet, but it all does work out in the end. Throughout, she sticks close to Utena Tenjou.

Near the end, she picks up her bowl again and pours out another handful of pancakes. Most of the stack gets wrapped in a tidy little napkin-tied bundle for Chu-Chu, but one perfect golden-brown circle of fluffy goodness gets handed to Utena on its own plate, after she eats the cursed First Pancake.

The mysterious benevolence of kitchen witches defies mortal ken, sometimes.

<Pose Tracker> Kasagami Araki [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.

Kassie opens her mouth. "JUST pancakes!?" She starts, then deflates.

"Well of course. How could our combined strength be less than any other sugar-flour-egg-yolk mixtures fried to perfection! Such would be a travesty otherwise!" Kasagami is briefly stuck between hating Ye-Jin and being oddly motivated. A sucked breath.

Shizuru isn't helping. She can feel the ice upon her. For a second, she feels happy at the sensation. Yet then something else takes over.

"Maybe I'm a Casanova, but I feel like everyone should at least feel that sensation once in their lives." Mutters Kassie, just low enough as she peers at Shizuru.

Niramo only boisters her. "Understood! I'll have you as the sweets master then!" Pause. She actually blushes. "...Hey. Don't go too far." Kassie, calm? She is at once beaming, and at once peering at Niramo. Her gaze softens.

"Only when I have to be." She admits.

And then Jean and Mari fight, and one insults their cooking. "I wonder if that's love?" She then digs down with a knife enough to chomp a piece of pancake as they're all ushered out!

<Pose Tracker> Steven Universe [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.

"Ohhhhh," Steven replies with to Fuu. "Makes sense." The boy reaches for the bowl. "Yeah, I got it!" He heads his way over and has the bowl at the ready! "I take it you can tell how well it is cooled by how fluffy it is cooked and brown on the sides?" he asks. That is how the flip method does, but it could be different on here.

A look over to Nori from his watch. "No prob! Being covered in goop isn't fun." Yeah no it isn't regardless if you are able to eat it or not. Especially if you can get stuck in place by it.

Oh! "Well, that is good then I suppose!" If Usagi and Lera had their share, then everything was fine! And speaking of fine, he is totally ready to finish making these pancakes with Fuu! "I think we make a good food team."