@monogatcri &&. said... fortunately i don’t mind a smushed cake, so long as it still tastes like cake.
❝ it's not ... ❞ the wanderer starts to say, only for the reply to FIZZLE OUT on his tongue alongside his enthusiasm. he's always been an emotional creature, despite his best efforts to the contrary — a fact that niwa is no doubt well aware of. ( even better than most. ) though many things about him have changed over the years, that peculiar quality of his has remained — eternal as ren himself. it simply chooses to manifest in a slightly different way; where the kabukimono would have no doubt spouted a flurry of apologies and frantic promises to fix his mistake, the wanderer merely buries his face in his hands and groans softly into palms that smell nauseatingly of SUGAR.
that's just what he gets, ren can't help but think. pride was going out of his way to construct some elaborate dessert from fontaine — and the fall is the inevitable failure his INEXPERIENCE with the dish brings. he should have tested it first before trying to show off. he was too eager to impress niwa with his culinary expertise — and now the only thing he has is a mess to show for it. punishment for his sins on a much smaller scale.
another sigh, and the wanderer drags his hands down his face. he peers at the mess over his fingers — just for a moment. it's so annoying to look at, he finds himself squeezing his eyes shut once again. ❝ it's not just a cake. ❞ ren clarifies, voice somewhat muffled behind his palm. ❝ it's a souffle. ❞ a chocolate one — albeit with a ratio of cacao more centered to niwa's sweeter tastes. the center was meant to stay molten, like a rich sauce — cradled by an exterior layer of fluffy cake and garnished with berries bright as little jewels. that was his original intention; the plate before him resembles a crime scene. collapsed in on itself, somehow simultaneously undercooked and overcooked. middle too liquid, cake too dense. niwa may only see a dessert as a dessert, but ren cannot possibly serve something so despairingly under-representative of his baking capabilities. it's personal.
the wanderer shakes his head and pushes the failed dish to one side in disgust. ❝ forget it. ❞ he mutters. ❝ i'm starting over. ❞ second time is the charm, right? ( he knows optimism doesn't suit him. ) he simply needs to learn from his MISTAKES to ensure this rendition comes out as perfectly as he imagines. shooting niwa a stern look from the corner of his eye, ren says, ❝ don't you dare try to eat that mess. ❞
