Cooking Up a Storm (Part 1 of 3)

Posted on 26 Jan 2019 @ 11:41am by Commander Scarlet Blake & Lieutenant Aria Rice & Lily Blake
Edited on on 27 Jan 2019 @ 2:48pm

1,908 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 17 - Crystal of Life
Location: USS Galileo-A - Blake's Quarters
Timeline: MD -175, 1255

[ON]

Aria Rice smiled as she walked down the corridor, her high heeled boots going up to her knees, her red jeans tight and the black top belted. She had put red streaks in her hair and was carrying a bag with her...with some facepaints, a top with unicorns she had gotten for Lily that she thought she'd fit and a black little tutu to go with it. Because why not? Oh! And striped socks. Because rainbows are amazing.

She rang the chime and rocked on her heels, almost overbalancing and catching herself, not even looking up as whoever passed her from behind sniggered before going on his merry way. Fair enough, she supposed it looked funny. She didn't care though. Aria's skin was thicker now than it had ever been and she didn't care what people thought anymore.

An excited young girl opened the door, an 'oooo' sound escaping her when she saw Aria, clapping her hands. "Red Princess today!" she laughed warmly, covering her mouth with it.

"Well of course, because I know you like me in red!" Aria smiled warmly and reached for her, hugging the girl close. "Mmm! Missed you, Lily! Missed you so, so, so much!" she pulled back and touched her cheek. "Ready for us to have fun in your quarters?"

Lily was still giggling from the fierce hug, nodding eagerly as she kept a hold on her to try and make her carry her...but with the things Aria was already carrying, it would prove hard...only making the girl's giggles swell into outright laughter.

Aria laughed warmly with her, smiling as she kept bent over her even as she carried the things. "Okay, let's get me hobbling inside..." she said playfully, reaching to gently tug on Lily's hair. "Guide me, gigglebox!"

"Lily Blake..." Scarlet watched the pair struggle inside, setting her hands on her hips at the sight of them, coming to a stand still in the middle of the room. "It doesn't look like you're being a helpful girl..."

Aria smiled warmly and knelt, dropping the stuff on the floor. "That's fine, I am here now and I brought stuff for an adventure!" she declared and winked to Lily.

"It's very unfair...you both go on all your adventures just as I'm going out," Scarlet teased but with a small smile, shrugging her jacket on.

Aria smiled as she stood, moving to Scarlet. "We'll be here when you get back," she said and touched her arm, searching her eyes. "I'll make sure there's something nice to eat for you."

"Will it have three inches of purple icing on it?" Scarlet teased, but fondly as she shook her head, doing the jacket up and tugging it neatly in to place.

"Oh no. Oh no, we would never, ever, ever do that..." Aria said innocently and looked at Lily before she winked over the top at it. "Go and be professional, Scarlet! I'll make sure everything is good here. Hold the fort down! Not build one, obviously..."

"Most certainly not with the sofa cushions and mattresses and blankets and sheets..." Scarlet replied lightly, her eyes playful as she leant to first kiss Aria's cheek and then Lily's. "Be a good girl. Don't get into too much trouble. Don't let Aria get into too much trouble either..." she kissed the tip of Lily's nose before leaving quickly to keep to time.

Lily jumped up, running for the sofa and grabbing the cushion to pull off. "I get this, you get the mattress!"

Aria laughed before she moved to her, her hands gently going to pick her up. "How about...we get some cupcakes on first and while they cool we build the fort?" she suggested, her eyes shining. "You must be fancying something sweet and sugary by now after all!"

Lily paused, considering it very seriously for a moment before nodding firmly, touching her hair. "Can we make it this colour," she touched the red in her hair.

Aria nodded as she watched her, considering it. "So we do them with strawberry icing...so that means either vanilla or chocolate cupcakes," she said seriously before she suddenly grinned.

"'nilla," the girl decided with a firm nod, holding onto her with ease as she smiled gently. "Mummy says you make the best cupcakes. Do you make them with secret magic?"

"I do...it's a simple magic though," Aria said as she picked her up, smiling as she carried her. "A very simple magic...I whisper good things to them when I stir. We can do that together..."

"Oh! I like that idea, I can do that too," Lily assured as she was set down on the kitchen counter top to sit, settling there. "How is Princess Aria?"

Aria smiled warmly as she got what she needed out, watching the girl. "Princess Aria is awesome! Because she has you to spend the evening with," she winked before she let out a soft breath. "I missed you, Lily. And your Mummy. And loads of people here. What about you? How is the Dragon-Princess?"

"Happy on a ship," she admitted with a soft smile, leaning closer so she could watch what she was doing with open curiosity. "Always going somewhere new."

Aria smiled at that before she started weighing butter and sugar. "I like ships too. Happiest on them..." she said before she leant close and kissed her hair. "In our flying castle! And this is a very shiny castle, smells all...new!"

"Flying castle..." the girl smiled at the prospect, biting her lip as she imagined them floating on big, fluffy clouds as they drifted along. "We don't have to put our hair out the window into space though, do we?"

"No...I think it is too cold for my hair!" Aria laughed warmly, her eyes gentle as she creamed the butter, humming. "You know what I love about this flying castle? That it has you and your Mummy on it. Bestest thing ever if you ask me!" she met the girl's eyes before she chuckled. "Okay, now we add everything else in!" she said and let Lily add in the rest of the ingredients, her eyes warm. "And the best thing ever...vanilla bean paste!" she took the little pot and the spoon, taking out some and let it run into the now smooth mixture in the bowl. "Is your Mummy happier here too?" she asked Lily, looking at her with a small smile.

"I think so..." Lily was smiling, but looking to her hands with a great deal of concentration as she tried to wipe sticky vanilla off on a cloth. She gave up and finally licked it off instead....only to make a face at how strong it was. "She doesn't like the sun in the morning."

"Oh, I can relate, because after enough shots of te..." Aria stopped herself before she stirred the mixture again. "Err...grown up juice, I sort of feel the same. But...hey, here there's no sun! Just the lights which we can dim..." she smiled gently and looked at Lily before she reached out to touch her cheek. "Want a drink, sweetie?"

Lily nodded quickly to the offer, smiling as she leant in close to the bowl to smell the cake mix. "Grown up juice?" she said with a soft laugh, taking the spoon to give it an extra mix for luck.

"Alco-froll..." Aria said with a small grimace, shaking her head. "When you are older, I'll warn you of all the dangers of it. But for now...nevermind," she chuckled and got the cupcake molds out, starting to divide the mixture up. "So red icing for these ones?" she checked, even if it was too early to start on that. But she was happy to talk about it because it made Lily smile. And she had filed away the thing about the sun and Scarlet for herself, for later. She wanted to make sure those she loved were alright, even if they never told her anything.

"As red as a...." Lily stopped, frowning as she searched for an adequate red thing to compare it too. "Oh! Your tall, spotty, sparkly shoes..." she smiled as she remembered the shoes that Aria owned. The ones that had caught her eye. The ones Aria had just lifted Lily away from in time to save her breaking her ankles trying to walk in them.

Aria laughed and nodded, putting the cupcakes in to cook before she picked Lily up. "Ah, that red! We can do that..." she said and smiled, swinging her around. "I got a present for you..." she sang softly.

"Oh!" Lily laughed loudly as she grabbed on to her tightly, the promise of a present distracting her from the spoon and bowl she'd had her mind set on to lick. "What's it? What's it?"

Aria carried her to the bag she had brought and knelt, putting her on the floor. She took the wrapped present, her eyes shining. She knew she would love the black tutu and unicorn top. She had wrapped it in sparkly rainbow paper too, because...it was her little Lily and Lily deserved awesomeness!

"But it's not my birthday?" Lily whispered with excitement, biting on her lowerlip as she felt over the paper, feeling the bumps of the glitter with awe.

"Lily, it's a welcome to the new ship present," Aria said as she sat down, watching the girl with warmth. "Because we are living on the same ship again and I missed you."

"Okay," her smile brightened at the reassurance, feeling over the present to try and guess what it was, starting to sing. "Happy not a birthday to the new ship, happy not a birthday to the new ship, er..." she paused, trying to work out how to go on with the song. "....er....happy not a birthday but sort of a birthday....happy new ship day to the birthday ship..."

Aria laughed warmly as she clapped at the song, her eyes shining. "Yay! Happy birthday to the ship!" she sang before she watched her with warmth. "Want to see what it is?"

"Yeah!" Lily ripped the paper in one excited movement, positively grinning when she saw the face of a unicorn looking up at her from where it was printed on a sparkly shirt. She pulled it out with a warm smile and laughed out loud with joy as she saw the black tutu underneath it.

Aria's eyes were warm as she watched her, seeing the joy. "Do you like it?" she asked with clear hope, taking a deeper breath. "I just saw it and thought of you so I simply had to get it..."

"I love it!" the girl rushed forward for a tight hug, closing her eyes with warmth. "Can you help me put it on? Please?" the last was asked a little more shyly. She wasn't always good at asking for help.

"Of course!" Aria said with a warm smile, hugging her tightly. "Of course I will, Lily...it is a bit tricky at times, I know it too...should see me struggling with my uniform in the morning!"

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

Lt. Jg Aria Rice
Security
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Vansen]

CDR Scarlet Blake
First Officer
USS Galileo-A

Lily Blake
Civilian Child
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

RSS Feed