Cake’s here!
"Ooh! Fondant, the cake we ordered is here! Come down to the living room!"
"I'm coming, Streusel! There's no need to rush. And what happened to eating in the dining room like civilized people?"
"That would mean I would have to wait longer to eat this! You always insist on setting the table no matter what it is we're eating!"
"It's important to exercise proper manners, Streusel--"
"Manners waste time."
"Well. You've certainly laid all your cards on the metaphorical table."
"Blah, blah, blah. Can we eat now? I'm positively starved!"
"Oh, fine. I've been craving dessert as well."
[A Short While Later]
"Mmmmm! Oh, ye Gods! This is so good, Fondant! Don't you think so as well?"
"Oh, yes. It's very good. Of course, it pales in comparison to anything I've created, but forgive my hubris, would you? My business has been very successful recently."
"Oh my-- The frosting, it's just so-- Ahhhhhh! I love it, I love it!"
"It's certainly professionally made, I'll give it that. I adore the minimalist design of the whole ordeal; Silver frosting on top of a bread-crust colored pound cake. Sometimes the basics are the best, wouldn't you say?"
"Yeah! Although... this jelly is givin' me mixed feelings."
"What makes you say that? Does it have an odd taste?"
"Look at how runny this jelly is! It's nothing to do with the taste --it tastes exactly like strawberry-- but it's just so runny! Is jelly supposed to be like this when it's warm?"
"No, it's not. Hmm... you know, this might be strawberry jam instead of strawberry jelly. I've certainly heard of the practice of using jam instead of jelly, but it's quite uncommon, at least around here."
"Aren't jams and jellies the same thing--"
"Oh, certainly not! The two are very different, I'll have you know. Jellies are quite a bit stiffer than jams due to their pectin content. Jams are typically looser than jellies."
"Wowie zowie. You sure know your stuff."
"Of course I do, Streusel, I'm a baker. It's my job to know everything related to the craft. Although, now that you've brought up the general topic of oddities with this cake..."
"Yes?"
"This texture is rather odd. I don't think I've ever felt or seen something quite like it."
"Hey, yeah. You're right. This texture is kind of weird. It's like sponge cake mixed with soap bubbles and ice-cream. Just by looking at it, you'd think it'd be light and airy, but it's all heavy and slippery. Weirdest thing, that is."
"That is certainly a colorful way of describing it. I would've gone for a cross between cheesecake and ice-cream cake. While we're on this topic, the frosting has an odd texture to it as well. It feels oddly like hair when I drag a finger across it."
"Yeah... that's a little off-putting. It makes me think this frosting might actually have hair in it."
"That's absurd, Streusel."
"Is it, Fondant?"
"Yes. Patently absurd. Now, are you going to eat this slice?"
"Of course! Why wouldn't I?"
[Another Short While Later]
"You know, I've been thinkin'... about Delilah."
"What about her, Streusel? The village guards said they would comb the entire woods for her should they find anything that would suggest she's out there."
"W-Well, yeah, but... I wasn't thinkin' about her being lost specifically, Fondant."
"Hmm? Go on."
"You know how when she would space out, her skin would get all shiny and slippery, kinda like this cake?"
"That... That is certainly a... strange... comparison to make. But to answer your question, yes. I do recall Delilah's skin gaining an ice-cream-like luster whenever she slept or lost focus."
"And do you remember when we got really curious and felt her up while she slept?"
"Don't tell me you still feel guilty over that, Streusel. She forgave us, remember? It's like she said: 'Curiosity is curiosity.' That certainly wasn't my proudest moment. I can't believe I let my curiosity cloud my thoughts like that..."
"Yeah, yeah! Le-Lemme finish, dang it!"
"Oh. My apologies."
"When we felt Delilah's skin, didn't it feel kinda like this cake? You know, like cheesecake crossed with ice-cream cake?"
"Hmm. Yes, the feeling is actually quite familiar, now that I think of it. Delilah tended to keep her hair in this same silvery color, didn't she? She said it's her favorite color."
"Yeah, yeah, she did. Weird..."
"..."
"I miss Delilah, dang it."
"..."
"I really miss her."
"I miss her too, Streusel."
"She'll come back, right, Fondant?"
"I'm certain. Now, finish this cake so I can clean. Looking at all these crumbs is driving me round the bend!"
