ǫᴜᴇᴇɴ ᴇʟsᴀ (icicles) wrote in noexits, @ 2021-11-17 12:56:00 |
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Entry tags: | !log/thread/narrative, ₴ inactive: elsa, ₴ inactive: mobius m. mobius, → week 025 (npc invasion) |
NPC Invasion - Day 1
WHO: Elsa & Mobius
WHAT: A Krumkake Experiment - and they talk about memories
WHERE: The kitchen/dining hall
WHEN: Day 1, NPC Invasion
WARNINGS: Lol no
STATUS: Complete
Well. It was sort of quiet, at least? Certainly there were more spirits present, ghosts that brought a chill that felt like it was inside of you, radiating from the marrow of your bones - but it seemed like the more dangerous ones had been dealt with and the ones that remained were just more annoying. More there, really, and all Elsa could hope for was that she wouldn’t get slimed again while walking to the laundry room or what have you. She’d gotten to the dining hall and the kitchen alright, anyway - things were going well so far, so she’d count her blessings. It was time for a krumkake experiment, and supplies seemed to have been restocked since the latest reset - if everything turned out tasty, she’d definitely advocate for sharing krumkake (and that was pronounced kroom-kaka, which may sound unappetizing though the end result was anything but). Elsa had the very best helper too - Mobius, with his silvery hair and comforting face; she was very pleased to meet him. And had demolished all of the peppermint patties he’d gotten for her - now she was out to return the favor. “Can you taste test the filling for me? It’s safe, it won’t give you salmonella,” she teased, finding a frying pan for the batter to make the cookie part - it was supposed to be made with a special iron that gave the cookie pretty designs, but she had to improvise here. “I just want to make sure I put in enough vanilla.” Krumkake truly was best (once you tasted it you’d never go for a regular ice cream cone again) filled with mascarpone cream and fruit - but the process of making the cookie part could be a little laborious. Elsa didn’t mind, however. Even if she wasn’t exactly dressed appropriately for this occasion - she wore a turquoise blue dress, with earrings that matched the shade and her silver snowflake pendant. Her hair was in its usual woven braid and her shoes were pumps fit for a queen - bedazzled with an array of crystals (she'd designed them herself, they were actually ice crystals), though she’d also tied an apron around her waist so if she spilled batter on herself she’d at least have some protection. Mobius hadn’t known what to expect from Derleth when they returned from the 1980’s trip, but he was pleasantly surprised to find that it seemed calm enough. No monsters had jumped out, nothing had tried to kill him and his phone wasn’t blowing up with people worrying about some new danger. It was a sort of quiet that he appreciated, and could get used to. Although he was sure it wouldn’t last, Mobius wasn’t going to dwell on that. Since they were back in Derleth he was in his typical attire, a tan suit, button up and tie; although Mobius had removed the tie when he woke that morning and discarded the jacket when he arrived in the kitchen, leaving it laying on the first empty surface he had found. Mobius had made a point to roll his sleeves up to his elbows, wanting to keep it clean while attempting to help Elsa about the kitchen. “It would be my pleasure.” He chuckled warmly, moving around the kitchen to grab a clean spoon which was dipped into the filling he had watched Elsa prepare moments before. He had no idea what her country was, the food, culture or anything really but he could tell that this Krumkake was going to be amazing. A quiet hum left Mobius as he tasted the fulling, a hand raising briefly to make sure he hadn’t gotten any in his mustache before he wiped the spoon clean on a small, clean rag. “I can’t say I know what you’re going for, but that is definitely delicious. I can taste that vanilla I saw you out in for sure.” He paused, glancing towards the young woman. “Do you make this often back home?” When Mobius declared that the filling was good (or at least, fit for human consumption so she’d take it as a win), Elsa beamed brightly. “Oh yes, fairly often,” she replied, setting the bowl with the filling aside for now - they’d get to that later. “I have memories of burning my fingers in the kitchen, while me and my sister rolled out the cones - which we’ll do in a second, though we’re both a little less clumsy than children so we should be fine.” Those memories were positive, however; she and Anna would walk through the castle gardens eating krumkake stuffed with whipped cream and blueberries and raspberries, fresh ones - before everything spiraled downward, that is. She clung to the few positive childhood memories she had. She heated up the frying pan, making sure it was hot enough to sizzle when she let a water droplet fall onto it - and it seemed to be ready. The trick with not having a proper krumkake iron was to use a cake pan in the frying pan to press down onto the batter and help the krumkake spread out - you also needed someone to do the rolling part, so she’d put Mobius in charge of that. “Chopstick,” she handed it to him. “When I give you the cooked krumkake, roll it into a cone and then press the seam with this - some may fall apart at first but that’s fine, we’ll keep going. Then when we’re cool that’s when the filling goes in.” It didn’t take very long for the thin cookie to cool - and folding them always went faster when you had someone cooking, and someone else rolling. They’d give it a shot, at any rate. “So what’s your world like?” she asked curiously, ladling out some of the batter into the frying pan. “Should be, I can’t say I have much experience in kitchens, but I’m always excited to help.” Which was true enough, because this was some of the first, proper downtime that Mobius had gotten in, oh… years, and thankfully Derleth wasn’t trying to kill them as of yet, which meant that he could relax and take in Elsa’s directions. “I assume your sister isn’t here?” Was it a good or bad thing, to be alone but know that your sibling was out there, presumably safe? Mobius couldn’t really judge, given he believed he had no siblings. He plucked the chopstick from Elsa, and held it at the ready, listening to the instructions provided by the other. “So just roll and press the seam. I can manage that.” Mobius nodded slightly as he said it, shifting slightly in place as he considered the pan she had begun to warm, watching that droplet of water sizzle away into nothing more than vapors. It was hard to think of anything other than krumkake, desserts and how the kitchen was beginning to warm up with the heat of the stove so close to them, which was why he let out a questioning hum at the question posed to him. Mobius looked back around at Elsa then. “That’s a hard question to answer, because I know I’m from somewhere but I’m not sure from where, or when. Where I came from was my workplace, really. We lived and slept in the same building we worked in, which was all very bureaucratic; lots of suits, ties and paperwork, y’know?” That didn’t really answer her question, but as a variant with no memories of his life before the TVA, Mobius didn’t know how to answer it. “Although, judging by your clothes, you might not know. You’re from Arendelle, you said? I can’t say I’ve heard of that place.” “She’s not here, no,” Elsa confirmed, going for crêpe thickness when she pressed down with the cake pan - for her first try at the very first krumkake, she decided this one turned out very well after she flipped it over; they didn’t need to cook for very long, only about thirty seconds or else you risked a rather unappetizing burn. “She recently got married and - well, I know I don’t have to worry about her, at least. She’s very capable. Here, first one - “ The krumkake was passed over. It was highly possible Mobius would burn his fingers a little (not badly, and she thought it was actually kind of exhilarating racing the krumkake clock - but you had to be quick when rolling the cone; as it cooled, it hardened which probably sounded a little raunchy but it was what it was). If he did, she had ice at the ready - her magic was handy like that. “You worked all the time? They didn’t give you a choice?” Her brow furrowed. “That sounds awful. But yes, I’m from Arendelle - it’s a small seafaring kingdom. I was queen.” She didn’t say it like she expected anything - it was merely a fact, one that didn’t matter here anyway. “Have you ever thought about - trying to regain your memories somehow?” “Oh. That’s nice though, isn’t it?” That her sister had been married, and that Elsa didn’t have to worry about her at the very least. “I’m sure she misses you all the same.” Although he couldn’t help remembering a thought that had come to him shortly after arriving at Derleth — did people even realize they were gone, or was it just another situation like the TVA? Somehow their worlds were erased, or the memories of those around them. “Ah, my chance to shine.” He joked as the krumkake was slid his way, and quickly began to roll it as instructed; knowing it was hot, given it had just come straight from a pan, he was careful in using the chopstick more than his finger tips. While it came less than perfect, it wasn’t as solid a shape as she had described but it didn’t immediately fall apart like he had anticipated. “Not so bad, eh?” “Basically? We had down time. To sleep, eat, chat with each other, but it was mostly work. That’s the thing about the TVA, it’s a workplace after all.” He hadn’t ever questioned it until he met Loki, but he was realizing now that the place had been less than ideal. “I don’t miss it, if I’m honest.” “Ah, were you?” He pushed the shell aside then, to be ready for any others that Elsa might give to him. “I can see you as a queen for sure. It sounds nice too, a seaside kingdom. I’ve seen some of those in my line of work.” The memory question was something that had been asked of him before, and yet Mobius didn’t have a solid answer. “I’ve considered it, but what if getting my memories back changes who I am? I like myself, even with no memories of a childhood or family. So it’s a bit of an odd idea, if potentially changing who I am or being someoneI don’t like anymore.” They were working on a fine assembly line here - Elsa made the cookies, and she gave them to Mobius to roll, those would cool, and then the process continued. It all really did go faster when you had someone helping you - and the sooner they got it done, the sooner they could stuff their faces which was always good motivation. “I don’t blame you for not missing such a place,” she crinkled that adorable nose of hers (though it certainly didn’t have as much character as Mobius’s nose - she rather liked the crookedness to it). “And - well, that’s a good question. Something to think about.” She pondered his memory situation for a moment, as more batter sizzled on the pan - and, just in case, she reached over and touched his hand. Ice emitted from her fingertips, a soothing chill - because she knew what working with krumkake was like. “Technically, from one perspective, it may not matter,” she said. Whatever his life had been, it was clearly gone - destroyed, roots having rotted and anything beautiful about whatever it had been blown away. “But we all have parts of ourselves we don’t particularly like. At least if you knew, you’d get the option to make peace with whatever’s there. The decision would no longer be made for you.” But then she shrugged, flushing a little pink. “Hard for me to speak definitively on though - I don’t mean to sound like a know-it-all.” It wasn’t her life. There was something cathartic about the process; the more that Elsa passed off to him, the better that Mobius was finding that he could fold them without so much as scorching his fingertips. He would have to save Loki and Sylvie one or two of these, if Elsa didn’t mind. Mobius offered Elsa a smile then, and a small shrug. “It’s all good now though, that’s the important thing.” Because he had more freedom, and friends in Derleth. Which might have seemed sad in any other situation, but Mobius was always trying to look towards the positives. The sudden chill as her fingertips touched against his surprised Mobius, and drew his full attention for a moment. She had mentioned that before - hadn’t she said something about creating ice rinks during their 1980’s stint? - but it was still quite impressive to see. “Thank you.” “You know, that is very wise of you, I guess that’s why you’re a queen, huh? I suppose it can’t hurt to see what I was before, like you said I can make my own peace with it.” She made a good point, which meant that Mobius had something to think on even more than he had been before. “I had someone offer to try and help me figure my memories out, and I might take them up on that now.” Mobius set aside the latest scone-type pastry, and then raised his hand to wave it through the air, a dismissive gesture. “You don’t sound like a know it all! Really, what you said is very true and I appreciate your insight.” “Of course,” Elsa smiled kindly - it was a warm expression, soft embers and something of a contrast to her (literal) chilly exterior; sometimes she could push people away. Be stone cold. For so long, she held herself back and squelched everything she dared to feel - but she didn’t need to do that anymore. That was the path she had been on, and David was right - alone in an ice cave was where she’d end up if she did push everyone away. They had a whole set of krumkake cones now. “You did wonderfully,” she complimented - and now was the time to spoon in the filling. She had two spoons, and the bowl, so they could share and split up the cones - she handed Mobius one of the spoons to get started. Yum. Honestly, she couldn’t wait to share these with everyone. “Hopefully that offer was easier than restoring memories in my world,” she added, wiping a little bit of the filling off the edge of her thumb. “There are potions to do it but the ingredients are hard to come by. Or, naturally - True Love’s Kiss.” So fairytale, wasn’t it? It was good that he had taken Elsa up on this offer - to make krumkakes together. The conversation was something which he likely wouldn’t have had with others he spoke to regularly, and perhaps because he didn’t know Elsa, he was able to more freely discuss this sort of thing and take her input. Not that Mobius ever really shied away from being honest about his memories, or lack thereof. “Thank you. I had a good teacher.” Mobis said jokingly, grinning as he glanced towards Elsa. The chopstick was laid aside on the counter, and Mobius pulled a pile of scones closer to himself, rocking absently on the heels of shoes, the spoon going to dip into the filling. “I appreciate you letting me help. This is definitely something new for me.” “Oh?” Mobius had to fix his attention on spooning the filling into the scones, carefully so as not to accidentally waste any of it. He was concentrating as he did it, but listening to Elsa all the same, interested in what she was saying. Perhaps it was because he worked in the TVA for so many years, and had seen so many worlds, whatever the reason, Mobius enjoyed learning about other realities, other worlds and their cultures. Maybe because the TVA lacked any besides work culture. “True Love’s Kiss? Is that actually… real?” “Anytime,” Elsa laughed a little, flushed from the heat of the actual cooking and from the compliment - she was talented at baking, sure, but she hadn’t ever really baked with anyone prior to arriving in Derleth. Now she’d gone that route a couple of times and she enjoyed it - Mobius especially was good company. Plopping another spoonful of cream into one of the cones, she nodded. “Oh yes, it’s real - it doesn’t work all the time, because love is complicated as I’m sure you know...” Not that she knew from firsthand experience or anything - she’d never even really been on a date before; dating was a little odd when you were a Queen, however. Difficult to do - especially when your royal advisors kept reminding you that you needed to get married, as soon as possible. Ugh. “But in general, it can be used to either wake someone up from a sleeping curse, or restore lost memories.” He spooned another spoonful of the filling into a scone, although while working Mobius made a point to glance towards Elsa; watching how she was handling the Krumkake, just to be sure he was doing it correctly. After all, it was something he had never seen before, although it looked like another pastry he had seen in the past during one of his visits to a Midgardian variant event. While his scones did not look quite as neat as Elsa was managing, Mobius thought he was doing a good enough job filling them up, after all, they would all taste the same. Laying the scone aside, he wiped a bit of the filling from his fingers, and nodded. “I might have heard that a time or two before.” About love, but like Elsa, Mobius had no personal experience, though he wouldn’t consider himself entirely ignorant to the whole thing. “That’s very interesting though… I suppose it fits, given the sort of life you led. A kingdom, being queen, all that.” Mobius lifted the spoon again, although he paused to look towards Elsa. “Did you ever know someone personally that had managed to get their memories back one of those ways?” Elsa paused - because she had a slew of memory-restoring anecdotes, but she didn’t exactly want to ramble about everything. However, since they were talking about it... “Not in one of those ways specifically but there’s actually a lot of memory magic in my own kingdom,” she spoke carefully. The krumkake were all mostly full now - and they looked beautiful, some perfect and not-so-perfect (but the flaws just made them interesting) cones, full of cream and bits of cut-up fruit. She found a long plate to sort of stack them on, slender hands artfully arranging the newly-created dessert. “There’s a race of rock trolls in Arendelle. They have purple stones, magic ones, which are used to restore memories - memories that have been erased or otherwise lost. My mother, she’s used them before. It’s a long story, but - “ She glanced up at Mobius. “If I ever discover one here, I could help you?” There had been items from her world that showed up, mysteriously and in a way she couldn’t explain - and she even arrived with her snowflake pendant, which granted wishes. It didn’t seem too far out there to believe that something else would cross over as well. “Rock trolls?” Apparently she came from a very unique, and interesting place. But then again, the world that he inhabited in a sense had superheroes, and aliens from other realms that regularly invaded Earth, which Mobius was certain that Elsa would be just as intrigued by. Those were all stories for another time though, and which he was sure that they would get around to talking about at one point or another. After all, it wasn’t as if he was alone from that type of world. There was Loki, Natasha, Sylvie, and many more were continuing to pop up in Derleth as time went on and that was something Mobius was sure wasn’t going to stop any time soon. Her question distracted from the thoughts swirling through his mind, and Mobius considered the younger woman for a moment, light-blue eyes flickering along her features. The spoon had been abandoned now that they had finished their task at hand, and Mobius had rested his hands against the edge of the counter. His fingernails tapped softly against the counter, a quiet noise in the otherwise silent kitchen. “I’d be willing to try. What’s the harm, right?” Because being scared of the unknown was not getting Mobius anywhere. “They’re humanoid,” Elsa chuckled a little, aware that just dropping rock trolls into a conversation could be strange. “Stone skin, with mossy hair and large noses and ears. They live in their own valley and are sort of mysterious but we have something of a family history with them.” That was also a story for another time. “But right - I’ll keep my eye out for those stones,” she promised, and she hoped that she could find one somehow. Elsa felt for him - she too had her memories erased at one point, portions of them, all thanks to family drama that she really didn’t have much of a choice about getting pulled into; it was frustrating and completely not fair, for something that powerful to get into your head and take away what was rightfully yours. Good or bad. So she commiserated. She understood. She wanted to help, if it would be in her power to do so. Once she tidied up a little (not wanting to leave a sticky frying pan for the next person and all), she was ready. “How about we deliver some of these?” she suggested, picking up the plate. “I’ll let you have the first pick though. Whichever ones you want.” “That’s really interesting.” And he meant it too, because Mobius had seen a lot but never anything like that. What else did Elsa’s world hold, besides magic that seemed to be accessible to many? “It seems like your family must have quite the history in your world.” “I appreciate it, really. If there’s ever anything that I can do for you, feel free to ask.” Not just because Elsa was offering him help, but because he had found that he enjoyed her company and she seemed kind. If there was ever anything Mobius could do for those he liked, he would do whatever he could. Which had been partially why he had been pruned back at the TVA during the whole ordeal with Sylvie and the other, other Loki variant. “I’m happy with whatever we have left, really! Let’s go deliver them. I was thinking we could drop some off with Loki.” Mobius followed Elsa’s lead then, although he paused to grab up the jacket he had discarded earlier, tugging it on after quickly rolling his sleeves down. “If he even likes these sort of sweets. Doesn’t hurt to try?” “I taught him how to make flangendorfers and he liked those - so it’s definitely worth a try,” Elsa agreed. And it seemed like Loki could use a nice treat - he was looking to have a very emotional start to the week, though she hadn’t wanted to butt in. Yet. Maybe later she would just gently check on him. “Oh...!” She scooted back on glittering heels, untying the apron from her waist and hanging it up on a hook in the kitchen. There, now she was presentable. “Alright, let’s go. Everyone should be able to enjoy krumkake whenever possible.” |