could not stop thinking about a reader who likes to cook to show their love, so have a few hcs about that idea and a few surrounding ideas regarding β¨ le kitchen β¨:
the recipe book (if there is one, but i think it is a must-have for a home) is treated like sacrosanct. it has its own fancy stand and everything. if reader cannot find an answer to the inevitable question of what's for the next meal, i'd like to think they just take the recipe book, locate the beloveds and ask them to find a recipe for that meal.
spice rack? no, spice cupboard. there'd be too many spices in too many neatly labelled jars to fit on a mere rack.
i picture one of those old ovens in the kitchen. y'know, the antique ones that are woodfired? it just makes more sense in my head.
when preserves are made, they %100 are put in one of those cupboards where you can see the contents. seeing the hard work after spending hours making jam/marmalade/pickles/sauces makes you feel amazing.
if foraging is an option, and reader knows how to forage safely, foraged finds would probably get used alongside regular produce. of course, someone would be keeping watch to make sure no evil comes near, but most of the time, it's perfectly fine.
culinary greens growing in/near the kitchen. need basil for pasta sauce? just pinch some directly from the pot! (but reader would thank the plant afterwards, " 'cause it worked so hard to grow!")
reader asks Sleep for a hand when they're cooking/baking. the deity would definitely appreciate being included, and an extra set of hands (or shall i say vines π) are always welcome when you're in the kitchen. so it's not an uncommon sight to see reader doing something on the side while a vine carefully stirs a pot. it's also great, because nothing gets burnt while a deity is on watch!
Sleep making cookbooks appear out of nowhere on the counter, pages open to a recipe that immediately steals reader's attention. result? a very big portion given as an offering and a very happy reader eagerly adding the recipe to the recipe book.
calling a specific vessel for help depending on the task: ii gets summoned when precise timing and steady hands are required, ivy when it starts to get a little hectic or frustrating, iii if the recipe looks more like a science experiment than food, vessel when it's something that needs a lot of focus...
wearing matching funny aprons with iii. do i need to say more?
pass auf dich auf, ich liebe dich π
Oh, I love all of these! Especially once it's known that you show your love through cooking/baking, I can see the kitchen becoming a bit of a focal point for all the vessels. Sleep is definitely manifesting a proper recipe book, full of ideas that you've never tried and classic recipes that you make often. You'll also notice quite a bit that new recipes are added at regular intervals - especially if you try something new and end up really enjoying it.
The vessels also deeply appreciate being asked for their input on what you should make! They like being included in the things you enjoy, and that includes this.
The manor 1000% has an antique wood-fire stove. It just fits with the rest of the manor. Yes, there is electricity there, but overall, I think a proper wood stove would make the most sense.
I think the vessels would be fascinated by your skills, not just in foraging and preserving, but cooking in general. I think a lot of the time, you'll have at least one of them as an audience to whatever you're doing, or asking to help if you'll allow it (I know a lot of people have a very "do not come near me and just let me work" attitude when they're in the kitchen, which they respect as well). Sleep is more than happy to provide assistance though, whether that be grabbing something for you, holding something, or just being an extra set of limbs.
The others are also more than happy to provide assistance, mostly just glad to be of service in this scenario while you work. They may ask questions (particularly II and IV), to see why you're doing certain things, and what the purpose of them are. It's like learning a new activity to them. III, meanwhile, causes as much chaos as possible, and more than once has uttered the dreaded "What's the worst that could happen?" right before putting something in a stew that definitely was NOT supposed to go in there.
Be warned, almost anything sweet goes missing very quickly unless you tell a certain tall vessel to leave them alone. Even then, it's not uncommon to notice at least a little bit has been... relocated at some point.
YES please give me all the goofy aprons with III. You know he'd move them.
