My goodness! It feels like ages since I published anything! Sorry followers, but I have no inspiration currently to finish the stories you're following. My interests keep changing. And currently, my fan hype is Adventures of the Gummi Bears. You should watch it. The series is amazing.
As winter left the Bears homestuck, there was almost little to do indoors. The three youngest were already getting restless, thinking they may meet Chillbeard and Junior on friendlier terms. Gruffi was getting a bit grouchy with their winter guest, Gusto. Zummi could be found in the library more often than usual, daydreaming of the day the Great Gummis would return. All the while, Grammi had been trying to keep everyone together over this anxious time with making them do family activities and ensuring that they stay together during meals. Winter started shaky, but things seemed to quiet down a little after the first few weeks.
Grammi had begun heading to the kitchen to start cooking dinner for the family. Even though her cooking could upset an ogre's stomach, the other Gummis wouldn't complain during this time of year as long as they could eat something. What caught the matriarch off guard though was a spicy yet not very spicy scent coming from the kitchen. She was surprised by how nice it smelled and wondered who was cooking in there. Quietly, the orange Gummi entered the room. Her eyes immediately widened when she saw a certain guest of theirs at the stove, stirring something in one of the medium sized pots.
"Gusto?" she called in surprise. The artist seemed to have been startled when he nearly dropped the wooden spoon and turned around to the family cook.
"O-oh, good evening Grams!" Gusto greeted with a smile that only spoke that he was embarrassed by the situation. "Uh, I just thought I'd thank you all for letting me stay for the winter again. So I'm preparing this stew that was a special at my warren."
"A special, huh? That's very nice of you, Gusto. And it smells delicious. I'm sure everyone will love it." Gusto blushed, the fur on his cheeks becoming a light lavender. Grammi looked to his left for an odd reason. She seemed to be drawn to a worn down, leather covered book. Her attention was pulled more in to the writing on the pages. It was in a language she had never seen before.
"What kind of recipe book is this, Gusto?" Before the orange bear could reach out to it, the light blue bear quickly grabbed the book and held its closed off pages to his chest.
"S-sorry, this is very important to me. I've had this since before I was stranded."
"How is it important? And what's the language it's in?" Gusto seemed to relax a little and not clutch the book so tightly like his life depended on it.
"Well, my warren was the only colony that I know of that continued to write in this ancient language. We've been using it for centuries. Of course, we learned the modern language, but it's only for writing to others outside the warren. It's a tradition to learn the ancient literature in my old home." The artist held out the book a little so Grammi could see the cover. There was an elaborate symbol in a gold color on the front with a few letters in Gusto's native language. "This here belonged to my mother. She was one of the best cooks of the warren and very generous and kind. She would write down her biggest moments of the day and successful new recipes in this. When I went out to sea, she gave it to me to remind me I wasn't alone and to start my own writings. It's now… all I have left of her and home."
Grammi was a bit surprised. Gusto had never talked about anyone of his old family in the past year he's lived in Gummi Glen, but they barely knew anything about his past anyway. He had always made the snips brief and seemed to jump back onto his feet when he got sad over a memory so no one could question him. This time however, the artist was more open to her, sharing probably the longest conversation on his old home she's ever heard him tell. Grammi hoped that meant that they were gaining more of his trust.
The matriarch noticed the younger bear looking a little disheartened, probably remembering his time in his old warren. He didn't come back cheery like he usually did, leaving Grammi a little concerned. Her eyes went to the pot on the stove and she gave him an encouraging smile.
"Say Gusto, why don't I help you get the stew to the dining hall? It wouldn't hurt to have an extra paw on deck." The familiar smile came back to his face and he hugged the book subconsciously.
"Thanks, Grammi. It should be done in a few more minutes." Gusto then placed the book down on the counter and stirred the contents again.
Dinner came shortly once the steaming stew was brought into the dining hall. The scent seemed to have attracted everyone throughout the Glen because the others and Artie had quickly taken their seats. Once the bowls were passed out, everyone had been enjoying the family time and the meal.
"Well, I'll be bounced, Grammi," Gruffi commented. "This is pretty good." The matriarch chuckled.
"Oh no, it wasn't me who made this delicious stew," she admitted. "That was all Gusto." Said Gummi nearly drowned himself from the broth, but swallowed it easily and let out a small cough from discomfort. The others were looking at him with incredulous faces. "Yes, I was quite surprised myself."
"Gee Gusto, is there anything you CAN'T do?" Cubbi asked in a praising tone. "This is amazing!"
"How come you've never cooked for us before?" Tummi questioned, getting another serving.
"Well, maybe I can get him to help out in the kitchen more," Grammi said. The lavender blush reappeared on the light blue bear and he now wanted nothing more than for winter to end soon.