Candlehead's Cake Catastrophe
The sun was rising in Sugar Rush, the warm air spreading across the land in a promise of another beautiful day. Inside the upper stories of the Candle Wick Café, a young girl rested soundly underneath her many layers of comfy, soft quilts, all of them decorated with some sort of cupcake or another wonderful sweet.
"Mmmmm….chocolate covered French-fries…." She drooled in her sleep, squeezing her mint-chip stuffed pig, the thing squealing loudly.
*COUGH COUGH!*
A roaring COUGH echoed the halls of the café but the girl was undisturbed.
*COUGH! COUGH COUGH COUGH!*
"Meiji!"
"*snrk*What?"
Again, the child was not disturbed, her dreams filled with too many good and tasty things to worry about.
Downstairs however, things were a little different.
"Meiji…." Fussed a small woman with mint-green hair "Just go into the living room and lay down for a bit. This is SOOOO stupid!"
A large man with chocolate-brown hair lumbered by, his face not looking too happy…nor health.
"Castalla….I got this." He grumped, brushing past the woman with a tray in his hand but Castalla leapt up and took the big man by his arms "Nrrugh."
"Oh, no! Not today Meiji." The woman scolded, trying with all her might to pull the man back "I KNEW doin' all those late night runs were gonna be bad for ya, ESPECIALLY with tha downpours we've been havin'!"
"It is our business, CASSIE."
"Don't call me that. Ya know outta ALL the nicknames I can be called, THAT-!"
"Look sweetie. We started the Café up to show everyone our skills RIGHT?"
Castalla nodded, her long thick pigtails flying about "Yes, of course we did! I mean who could forget that night when Candicus came in and we had to use molten fudge to blast his a-!"
"I wanna make sure we keep on top." The man said, sniffling again "There is a LOT of competition, a LOT…..an' I am happy that the Royals consider us top-shelf enough to have us cater to them for all events they hold so please understand me. THIS IS THE REASON I HAVE TO KEEP WORKING."
"Meiji…" Castalla said, eyeing "Ya a COLD. How does that help in ANY way?
"I don't catch colds. I don't catch fevers. I DON'T GET SICK." Meiji grumped LOUDLY, obviously very sick "I DON'T GET-!"
MALVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN TA MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?!
Bernie, oh my god shut up!
Meiji's face was red with fever but it turned even redder with anger.
"I don't catch COLDS…." He growled "But I do catch ANNOYANCES."
BLA BALA BLAU BLUB LU BLLBLBULBULBUBLUBBLLUB!
Being as big as he was came to a lot of advantages for Meiji, even if the café and the apartment that housed it was small and tight. He could EASILY reach his large arms up and pound on the roof.
*BOOM BOOM BOOM!*
See now you disturbed the neighbors!
LIKE I GIVE A HOOT WHAT MEIJI THINKS!
BERLINGOTS!
"Hey, HEY!" the man shouted "We gotta kid sleeping in here! Shut the heck up Gob dang it!"
More stomping was heard from the next apartment, the utensils on the wall shaking and clattering loudly.
"BERLINGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTS!"
OH, I'M SORRY! AM I DIS-TUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURBIN' YA!
"Is that lil ball of dough tap-dancin'?!" the man growled "SHUT UP GOB DANG IT!"
"Meiji!"
"Mmmm, mama? Papa?"
Berlingots was STILL tap-dancing upstairs but Meiji and Castalla turned around, their little daughter coming down the stairs.
"Hmmmm, I wan' pancakes."
They had waffles instead.
"Daddy?"
Meiji glanced over at his daughter, his head starting to hurt "Yeah, Candlehead?"
"Ya look a lil sick…." The girl said before stuffing another waffle in her mouth.
Brilliance.
"Your mother as gone on about me with those worries but I'm telling you BOTH." The big man shuddered "I. AM. OK-!"
COUGHS.
LOTS OF COUGHS!
Meiji began coughing once more, feeling dizzier. There was no doubt about it, not matter how much he try to deny the fact, he was SICK and in absolutely no condition to go about getting things ready for the Royal Party.
"It's later this week anyway…." Meiji fussed, his nose stopped up so much that he could even taste his mint-tea "I-I can hold out until then?"
"Really?" Castalla asked bemused "With all the orders we hafta fill up anyway? You're gonna be BURNT out by the party!"
"I will no-NAH-NAH-!"
Here it comes.
"NAAAAAAAAAAAH-CHO!"
Sneezes?
Coughs?
Yup, a cold.
"Yup, I knew it." Castalla said, getting up from the table and taking Meiji by his ear "Sick. Bed. NOW."
"B-B-But Castalla!" the big man whined as he was dragged up the stairs, leaving Candlehead alone in the kitchen. She could hear the voices of her parents disappearing as they got further away and soon….
She was alone.
She sat in the front dining hall of the café, looking out the window as more and more people strolled by. This was a point of view the girl was used to but it did feel a little odd to see the way they were moving about, watching the people move outside of the glass, a few little candy kids looking in.
"I wonder if this is what a cake feels like from inside tha oven….."
A few moments later, Castalla arrived back from the bedrooms, shaking her head but she was smiling all the same.
"Big stubborn chocolate drop."
"Hi, mama!" smiled Candlehead "Is papa gonna be okay?"
"He'll be fine, if he keeps his big butt in bed."
"But mama, ya know that Mrs. Malava Maimai Chococada Muttonfudge is tha one with tha big butt, not papa!"
CANDLEHEAD.
"Look dearie, I really need ta go to tha store to pick up some medicine for your father so can you do mama a big, big, BIG triple-chocolate cake favor?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"Make sure your papa doesn't take ONE step out of that bed. Ya now he's a stubborn as a chocolate boar so if he even dares ta try ta-!"
"I am on it, mama!" Candlehead beamed, saluting her mother "Papa won't get outta his bed, no matter what!"
"Good girl!" Castalla sang, kissing her daughter on the forehead "Until I get back, the café is gonna be closed so don't let anyone come in for purchases. Its fine if Taffyta, Malva, or Bernie come in from the back since they are tha only ones with a key but no one else, okay?"
"But what about everythin' else?" asked the girl with big eyes "We still have a lotta things ta get done."
"I know we do, cupcake but just wait till mama gets back okay?"
"Yup-yup-yippe!" said Candlehead "Ya can count on me!"
"I know I can!" smiled Castalla, finally leaving the café and Candlehead in charge. The little cake-headed racer had never felt so proud in a single moment. There she was, in charge of the Candle Wick Café for the first time in her life!
Well…..
KIND OF.
More than anything, Candlehead was in charge of making sure that it was SECURE and that her father was rested. The girl quietly lopped up the stairs and went to her parents' bedroom, only to find Meiji sprawled on the floor mattress, his long legs spilling out from beyond where the thing ended.
"Mmmm, yes your majesties…..I DID bake Bernie in tha pie. Yes, I would love ta be knighted for that…."
"He's fine…." Candlehead tittered as she went back to the kitchen to clean up the plates. She whistled a happy tune to herself but as she finished with the last dish she noticed something on the wall.
It was the invite to the grand party that was supposed to be taking place later that week. Candlehead could not wait to go, having another chance to see her friend Rancis and possibly have another chance to spend time with Princess Vanellope but the more she thought, the more worried she became.
"Mama and papa usually work together ta make tha best meals and dishes…." The girl murmured "An' with papa sick, that means that mama will have ta work TWICE as hard to cover!"
What a sad predicament that would be! Castalla had the work ethics and energy of one million humming birds filled up with the most sugary of nectar but she could only handle so much on her own. She and Meiji were always the perfect team as it was only together they had managed to gain so much popularity and love with their sweets. If either one of them were split up, it could not only mean bad things for the café but the KINGDOM as a whole!
The Sugar Rush kingdom would lose its sweetness.
"Oh….I can't let mama or papa down on this…." The girl said, her head hanging low "I…I hafta do somethin' for 'em!"
And that was when Candlehead's mind was made up.
She was going to bake!
Meanwhile, Castalla had made her way to the local pharmacy, trying to find the correct medication for her husband.
"Now, let's see….he has sneezes and coughs, aches and pains, but I am not sure if the additional grumpiness is from is COLD or just Meiij being MEIJI."
The woman was about to look again when a head of golden-blond hair struck her sights.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" she squealed, so loudly that a few panes of glass shattered.
The figure twitched, caught right in the middle of a trap.
"REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESE!"
The aforemention man turned, a pained smile on his face as Castalla CRASHED right into the Royal page.
"OH! I ALWAYS LOVE BUMPING INTO YOU!" Castalla said loudly, people looking on in shock as the only other candy human was being squeezed to death before all.
WHY?
"MMMPRGH!" growled Reese, not at all in the mood to deal with Castalla "Y-You said that yesterday."
"What are you doing out in the village?" Castalla smiled "I would have thought a page such as yourself would be really busy gettin' things together, especially with tha party comin' up!"
Reese blushed red in a nice tasty combo of humiliation and anger "I just needed to pick up a few things! That's all."
"Oh, you mean like that hair dye?"
Reese wanted to die.
"HEY! I'm pretty busy at the moment!" Reese smiled wide, the grin as fake as could be "So, I have to get going now and-!"
"Wait, I need some advice!"
Reese stopped, not sure if it were another trap or something honest "Advice? From me?"
"Yes, Meiji has a cold and he really want ta be at his all for that party comin' up. Do ya have any clue on which medication would be tha best for him?"
Reese adjusted his glasses as he looked at the wall of pills and tablets before him "Well, I think-!"
"Ya see-!" Castalla interrupted "He is bein' a coughy an' carbby but I don't know if its tha cold or if he's just mad that Bernie was tap-dancing too hard again. So should I get THIS box or this box? I mean THIS box has those lil faces printed on tha tablets but I don't think I should let Candlehead near 'em since they look like candy an'-"
"Castalla, those ARE candies." Reese said, slapping his forehead.
"Oh? OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!" the woman smiled "Those are for ME! I forgot! WHOOPS!"
No wonder Reese was going grey.
Back at the café, Candlehead was gathering her ingredients and her supplies, ready to get the baking done.
"Okay…." She said, fire in her eyes "LET'S GET COOKIN'!"
Things started off simple enough as the little girl read the list of sweets and treats that were going to be needed for the party.
Bon-Bons
Tarts
Pies
Cookies
Brownies
All the Sugar Rush classics.
"Heh, I got this…." And indeed she was correct. Even for a girl her age and size, Candlehead was an expert in the kitchen already and she knew EXACTLY where each utensil, where each spice was kept and how each machine worked. Within the hour she had made a batch of her famous reverse-mint cookies, the things such a soft, sweet mint color with dark chocolate chips and a pillow texture.
"There! That's one batch done!"
The bon-bons were next.
"Now, I know Queen Milka REALLY has a taste for the ones wit pop-rocks…." The girl laughed to herself "So why not make things a lil INTERESTIN?"
Candlehead stood on a step-stool in front of the bon-bon mixer, a massive bowl with a massive paddle and whisk. She turned the device on and poured in the cream and chocolate, making sure that it was fluffed and whipped to the correct texture.
"An' now…." Candlehead said, taking too large bags of Pop-rocks under her arm "Ta add tha explosive!"
The little rocks crackled and popped, letting out beautiful sparks of light when they did as well as a sweet, fruity scent. When they were poured into the mixture, they were swallowed up and buried in the fluff but Candlehead made certain they were folded in too hard that they would go off too soon.
She wanted to save THAT for when people got a taste.
"An' now…."
On to the coating!
The inner fluff of the bon-bons were then dropped bit by bit onto the rolling belt where they were coated with a perfectly measured coat of dark and milk chocolate. Candlehead had made certain that the special bon-bons were laced with the colors of the Royal family, her mind just going off into space as she daydreamed of what the King and Queen would say when they bit into their treats.
"Ooooooh! I know this is gonna be great!"
By the two hour point, Candlehead had gotten more work done than she had thought yet her mother still had not come home yet.
And one could have one imagined why.
By now, Castalla had dragged Reese throughout the square, the peanut-butter man wanting nothing more than to escape his cruel fate but Castalla had him in an iron grip.
"Okay, maybe if we go ta THIS place, they might have what we need?"
"We just CAME from here!"
"We DID?" blinked Castalla.
"MRS. HANABI!" Reese said, puffing his chest out and trying to look as 'royal' as possible "You….dragged us out of that place thirty seconds ago. We just walked in a COMPLETE circle!"
"So…does that mean they'll have tha medicine in stock NOW?"
AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURGH.
Candlehead had a whole new stock of fresh cookies and pies set up for when her mother was to come back but as time went on, Castalla did not show up. The café was to have opened HOURS ago for the breakfast crowd but now it was ticking painful near lunch.
Candlehead was hungry, per the norm.
And she knew the people of Sugar Rush would be hungry.
"Ooooh, what should I do?"
Open?
Keep the café closed?
OPEN?
KEEP THE CAFÉ CLOSED?
She was so nervous, co conflicted!
Ducking down like a little moue, Candlehead lopped up the stairs again and checked on Meiji. His slumber was a lot more peaceful this time and he wrapped himself tightly in his blankets.
"I'm sure daddy wouldn't mind. He hates when we lose business anyway…."
The girl's mind was made up.
She was going to open the Café!
The girl rushed down to the opening of the store and flipped the sign and no sooner had she done that did a few candy people begin to file in, all ready and all hungry.
"Okay, line up!"
Even if Candlehead were only a child, even if the other children did see her as a dizty….the girl could cook and knew her way with money like a pro. She was by herself at the counter but she lined everyone up in order and made certain that they got their muffin, roll, coco, or bread. Every gold coin was counted, every bill was in order.
Castalla and Meiji would not have been prouder.
"This is so much fun!" Candlehead squealed to herself as she went to the back of the kitchen to get another crate of milk "I…I hope when I open my own café, I can run it just like this….w-with a lil help of course."
The girl was blushing…
But WHOM about?
"I say, is there ANYONE here in charge?"
*DING DING DING*
A big voice blasted from the front of the café, the girl squeaking as she nearly dropped the crate.
"Ah, comin'!"
Candlehead was all a smiles as she skipped into the front but she skidded to a halt once she saw who was before her.
BIG DANGO YOKAN.
Oh, boy.
"A-AH!" Candlehead fidgeted before the large man "Mr. Dango Yokan, it-it is so nice ta see ya."
Dango laughed loudly as only a massive ham such as himself could "Aw, ain't that sweet. It puts such pride in mah heart ta see that young girls like ya today still have their manners about them! Maybe I should have ya teach Sakura a thing or two! Lil lady seems ta be takin' too much from her mother, if I must say so mah-self. HAW-HAW-HAW!"
The meaning of the comment went in one ear and out the other, Candlehead smiling blissfully unaware.
"Is there somethin' ya want, sir?"
"Now I do, I do think I am feelin' a lil puckish for whatever is tha special of tha day!"
"Tha special?" Candlehead smiled "Oh, that's our starberry tea with peach an' a cranberry cheesecake muffin!"
"Then I'll take twenty-dozen of 'em!"
The girl froze in her tracks; what Mr. Yokan wanted?
"T-Tw-twenty?"
"TWENTYY-DOZEN, young lady!" Dango repeated, his voice so loud that it shook the entire café but then he noticed the way the young girl was looking at him. He stooped down, perhaps getting a might TOO close to Candlehead "Now, that ain't gonna be a problem is it, Ms. Hanabi?"
"E-eh? NO?"
"Well that's WONDERFUL!" Dango declared again, putting a hand on his chest, the other candy people looking on in awe "I KNEW that tha Candle Wick Café was THEEEEE place ta come for all mah needs! Ya know, I have ah shoot goin' on about lat'ah today an' I am SOOOOO glad that of all tha places ta come ta, THIS was tha first one ta come ta mah mind! HE-HAW-HAW! That's ah complement, young lady! Ah complement!"
Now what was Candlehead going to do? Filling in the lunch rush was one thing but having to put in SO MANY orders at once
Now she was starting to see what working as a team was so important.
But Big Dango was a top customer, the most famous movie star in possibly of all the Sugar WORLD and if she were to let HIM down? Oh, the disaster that would come! Dango would tell his wife, then his wife would tell the Queen then the Queen would tell the King and then King would relay the message to other people around the world and-!
Disaster.
That's what it would be.
"Ahaha….." the little girl ducked behind the counter "I'll….I'll have your order out shortly….hopefully?"
"Thank ya so much!" Dango laughed again, making himself comfortable in one of the chairs "Now…WHO WANTS AN AUTOGRAPH?"
Me!
No, Me MEEEEEE!
Candlehead rushed to the back of the kitchen and went all about, looking for the ingredients she needed.
"O-okay, flour! Salt an' sugar! Cranberries of course!"
Tea?
Where were the tea bags?
"Oh NOOOOOOOOOO!" the girl hollered "I forgot! I wasn't supposed to put starberry tea on the board because we're-!"
OUT.
O-U-T.
OUT.
Things were starting to look bad for the little baker but she could not give up, especially when she had an ACTOR to please, one that everyone knew was NOTORIOUS for always flapping his mouth.
She HAD to bake….
And so she began.
She needed a LOT of muffins to fill the order so the muffins were the first on the list.
"M-Milk, eggs, butter an' berries-!"
Then she got the water boiling for the tea.
"We need a HUGE drum of it…." The girl gulped "An' we don't have starberry so maybe…maybe gemberry would work just as well?"
Work, work, work….
The huge mixing bowl sputtered and putters as Candlehead threw ingredient after ingredient but she knew she was being timed and as she worked, she could hear other customers in the front end waiting.
"Hey, can I order something?"
"B-Be there in a second!"
"I need ta get back ta my job! I don't have all day!"
"JUST A MOMENT!"
By now, Candlehead was covered from head to toe with baking ingredients and things were getting worse. She had left the cream cheese out too long and it was starting to melt all over the floor! The flour and milk hadn't mixed correctly and it formed into a thick, inedible past rather an a sweet, silky batter.
"AH!" the girl cried "AH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I NEED-!"
"I say, is there anythin' wrong in thar lil lady?"
Candlehead rushed to the front counter, nearly slipping on the butter and cream-cheese mixture in the process. She gazed up at Big Yokan, laughing nervously.
"Y-Yes, sir! Just give me a moment on those muffins! Th-they're gonna take a while!"
A while?
This was going to take more than a while but Candlehead needed more time. She needed something to keep the other customers occupied, entertained, anything!
Entertained?
"MR. DANGO POCO YOKAN!"
It only took a second but the man…BLUSHED?
Candlehead and her habit of saying EVERY NAME.
The big man cleared his throat and looked down at the small girl "N-Now, Miss Candlehead. It is not proper behavior of ah child such as yourself ta go about-!"
"Do ya think ya can redo that scene in that movie!?"
"What…what movie?"
"THA MOVIE YA WERE IN!"
"Which…movie?"
"Ya know….THAT one!" said the girl, flubbering about "Tha one with…with tha THING where ya do tha thing with tha other thing an' there was a guy who talked loud an'….an' things!"
Dango stood up, tapping his lip for a moment but he brightened up "Ah, ya mean one of MAAAAH favorites! Darkness Over tha Shugah Minds Part Twenty Four!"
"Yeah, that's it!"
Dango wasn't going to pass up a single opportunity to miss out on this, the man standing right in the middle of the packed café as he began his act.
"This is your CAPTAIN speaking!" Dango began, making his voice sound more like the character he had portrayed in the film "And we are about to hit light speed! Buckle in and prepare-!"
And with that, Candlehead was gone.
"GAAAAAAAAAAH!" the girl screamed as he noticed that things had only escalated even further into a mess, the dough of the muffins swelling up to a massive ball of goo and water and cheesecake mess all over the floor!
"No, no, no! It wasn't supposed to go like this!"
Candlehead zipped around the kitchen, trying her best to put a lid on things and hoping that her father wouldn't at all wake up considering the noise that was all around. The kitchen was binging and banging, Dango was acting as loud as ever and if she didn't do anything soon-!
"CRITICAL! CRITICAL!" the girl cried "WE HAVE REACHED CRITICAL!"
It was even beyond that.
The kettle from for the tea was positioned right under the tin where Castalla and Meiji kept the popcorn kernels and the steam from the boiling water was causing it to heat up, hotter and hotter and hotter!
What happens when you mix heat and steam to popcorn kernels?
A CATASTROPHE.
The kernels began to EXPLODE, POP POP POPPING everywhere as Candlehead ducked and covered. The things shot through the kitchen like BULLETS, hitting everything.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUURGH! I NEED PAPA!"
Popcorn was going everywhere and soon a wayward kernel hit a bottle of Rocket Soda off the shelf, the bottle tumbling into the box of pop-rock bon-bons that Candlehead had prepared only hours before. The top cracked off, spilling the contents inside the box and-!
And….
And…..
Dango was still acting his heart out, the crowd looking on with intrigued eyes.
"Its….its like we're watching the movie LIVE!" said one awestruck fan.
"I AM THE CAPTAIN OF THIS SPACE FLYER!" Dango said "AND IF THERE IS A BOMB HERE!? I SHALL THROW MY BODY ON IT AND TAKE THE BLAST FOR HONOR AND TO PROTECT MY CREW!"
*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*
KIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
In the moment of the explosion, Dango LEAPT off his feet and clung to the ceiling fan, the thing slowly spinning him around as he hung on for dear life.
"W-What in tha world was-?!"
"CANDLEHEAD?!" shouted Meiji as he came rushing down the stairs.
"CANDLEHEAD?!" shouted Castalla as she bolted in through the door.
She had returned.
Castalla looked at Meiji….then she looked at the crowd in the room and Dango still hanging from the ceiling fan.
"Oh! OH!" the woman cried out as her mind came back to her "Honey, you're up!"
Meiji was surprised that his wife was greeting him as if him being up was the only surprise going on. He turned towards the kitchen and notice thick smoke billowing out of the door and some sort of 'batter' oozing out onto the floor.
"Candlehead? CANDLEHEAD?!"
The entire kitchen was a mess with dough, sweets, and various other things, but in the middle of it all lay Candlehead, dizzy and even messier than the equipment around her.
"Oh my GOBS!" gasped Castalla as she saw her daughter laying in the middle of the muck "Baby, are you okay?!"
"W-What?"
"The kitchen!" gasped Meiji, snorting loudly a second later "W-What happened to our kitchen?!"
Candlehead knew it.
She was in trouble now.
"Oh, sweetie! I told ya take keep tha cafe close until I came back, remember!" said Castall sadly.
"THIS IS GONNA TAKE DAYS TO CLEAN UP!" bellowed Meiji, looking all around.
"Dear, calm down." Castall said as she got up and shook the box of cold tablets before her husband "You're sick so-!"
"Forget about me bein' SICK! LOOK AT ALL OF THIS!" the man roared, fuming like Candlehead had never seen him before. She shrank down, terrified to see her father so angry and she knew he was angry because of what she did.
"Did….did your mama tell ya NOT ta open up?!" Meiji yelled as he looked down at Candlehead.
"Y-Yes, but-!"
"AND YOU DISOBEYED HER?!" the man cried, putting his hands to his head "AAURGH! AURGH! I-! CANDLEHEAD!"
The girl was near to tears, shivering but she didn't go back to either of her parents, instead she started to back away to the door.
"I-I didn't mean it! I just wanted ta help out an'-!"
"I say, is tha ordah up?" Dango said, having crossed over the counter and opened the door to the kitchen, looking over at the two owners of the café in a clueless manner "Your daughter said we could have some of your lunch special an'-!"
"DOES IT LOOK LIKE THA 'OH-DAH' IS UP?!" Meiji growled as he rushed Dango "For GOBS sake man, look around ya!"
"Now hold on, I say now HOLD ON MAAAAAY-GEEE! Your daughter PROMISED that she could fill our order before we had ta go on a shoot!"
"Ya believed a NINE YEAR OLD KID could handle how many of those stupid orders at once?! ARE YA REALLY THAT DAFT?!"
"DAFT?!" Dango shouted back, bumping Meiji with his chest "SUUUUR, I may be ah GENTLEMAN but if ya keep behavin' in such ah mann'ah before me I SHALL SHOW YA WHAT DANGO YOKAN CAN DO!"
Meiji might have had a cold but he wasn't going to let DANGO of all people get him.
"Ya raccoon-eyed, egotistical non-good excuse for a hack! I'm gonna-!"
"STOP IT! STOP IT!" Candlehead wailed, all the adults, all the customers,, turning around and looking at her "I'm sorry daddy! I'm sorry mama! I'm sorry Mr. Dango Poco Yokan!"
All three of the adults looked on.
"I-I just wanted ta help because papa was sick, mama had ta go out an'….an' I didn't want business ta go bad while they were out!" the girl sniffled, big tears coming out of her eyes and snot dripping from her nose.
Meiji looked down at his sniveling child, calming down if just for a moment.
"Baby?"
"I-I wanted ta show ya guys that I could run a café like ya two! A-An' things were workin' out fine! I didn't know that I was gonna get so many orders so soon! I didn't know I was gonna make so much of a mess! I'm sorry! I'M SORRY! I JUST WANTED TA MAKE PAPA FEEL BETTER AN' MAMA PROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH-!"
Candlehead wailed so loud that a few people a few buildings away could hear it and inside the café?
The adults had never felt so awkward in their lives.
Castalla looked at Meiji, Meiji looked at Dango and all three looked at Candlehead. She was just crying and crying away before them.
"Oh for land's sake…." Dango said, blushing deeply as he reached into his pocket "Dry your eyes, child."
Candlehead took the handkerchief and blew into it…and blew….and…..
*SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRFT!*
The look on Dango's face said it all.
"….Keep it. C-Consider it a gift."
"Oh, baby…." Castalla sighed "We….we need ta talk."
"We will…." Meiji said as he walked around the room "But AFTER we get everything sorted out."
"Meiji, don't do this." Warned Castalla "You're sick, ya need ta be in bed an'-!"
"An' what kinda father would I be ta leave all this work for YA two ta sort out?" the man began, handing Candlehead a mop "This is tha Candle Wick Café. We always work together ta make things their best?"
Candlehead sniffled again as she looked up, realizing that maybe her father wasn't as mad as she had feared he was.
"Dango?"
Dango cleared his throat and stood up tall "Yes, Meiji?"
"Give us an hour. I will have what you ordered out."
And indeed he did.
Candlehead continued to clean but she watched as her father worked on the large order that Dango had given him and in no time flat, the muffins, the peaches and a large vessel of tea were prepared for the crew.
"Hope this is enough." Meiji said, looking on the slightest bit tired "An' there are a few more in there, no cost."
Dango beamed "Sir, thank ya so much for comin' through with mah needs! This shall not go unreward so enjoy tha bonus on ME!"
BONUS?
Dango gave Meiji a roll of bills as big as a PORK ROLL.
"Thank ya Dango!" Castalla waved "We'll be sure ta check out tha movie when its out!"
"Thank ya so kindly, Mrs. Hanabi!" Dango bowed, loading everything up in the limo outside the cafe "An' now I must take haste! We cannot waste any more time of tha day!"
And with that, Dango was gone but there were still so many customers to be taken care of.
"Dango is so sweet…." Castalla said, her hand still waving as they watched the man get driven away. Meiji's grin was big….but it was as fake as a wooden nickel.
"He is such a jackass."
Castalla's reply to that was a sharp jab in the side.
The day went on and more and more people came in. Candlehead was working as hard as ever as once the cleaning was done she was in the kitchen baking with her parents.
"Do we have plenty of sugar?" asked Meiji.
"What type?"
"Brown!"
"Candlehead, can you get some for your father?" asked Castalla. The girl was happy to oblige and as the hours went on she found herself going this way and that, sometimes even having to run to the market to quickly fetch a replacement ingredient or another item.
She was on her feet all day and by the time the café finally closed?
SHE WAS EXHAUSTED!
"Ooooooh, tired!" the girl moaned as she flopped on the couch but a massive crash fell next to her, her father being the one to cause the noise "OH, PAPA!"
"Auuuuuurgh." The man groaned, panting heavily, the usually stern grumpy look on his face gone "Me too."
"Papa?"
The man turned his head, his daughter looking at him with such sad eyes "Yeah?"
"I'm sorry…."
Meiji groaned, his throat hurting and his eyes watering. He knew that Candlehead had caused SUCH trouble with her attempts to help but even with that he could not stay mad at her. He felt that she had learned her lesson and as she was fixing what she could, he had taken notice in how fluid she was when baking, all the attention to details she put into ever order to make it just right.
But she also added her own Candlehead twist.
He had watched as the girl prepared cupcakes and tarts, sandwiches and snacks with her own little flavor to it and how the customers would react. They have never looked so happy to take a bite out of their orders, their eyes lightening up and their smiles widening.
Looking at them, Meiji was reminded of why he loved cooking and why he loved food in general.
But most of all, why he loved his daughter.
She was a little ditzy, maybe a little clumsy.
But he wouldn't change a bit of it.
The big man reached over and pinched his little daughter on the nose "Next time….just wait until your mama comes home, okay?"
Candlehead nodded, her pig tails going everywhere "O-okay."
Meiji wanted to sit up but the floor felt too comfortable at this point "Auuuugh, maybe Castalla was right. After this, no more late runs."
Really?
"Okay, RAIN. I can take….but if it hailin'? Maybe not? What do ya think, Candlehead?"
No reply.
"Baby?"
"Snrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrk!"
Meiji looked over and saw that his daughter had fallen asleep, the busy day just enough to take all that energy away from her. The big man smiled, seeing Castalla walk in with a tray of soup.
"Is she out?"
"Yup…" the big man said as she sat up, taking the soup and sipping it "Maybe we could use her help for that party. I know tha Queen would LOVE those pop-rock bon-bons."
Castalla grinned "How many, mister?"
How many?
During a break, Meiji had 'said' he was going to check on something.
But in reality, he had shut himself up in a closet and eaten an ENTIRE box of the things.
"Uh. ONE."
Te family then rested upon the floor, such peace about them.
And then...
Briiiip!
Candlehead opened a sleepy eye, seeing that her phone had gone off.
"H-Huh, what?"
C-Butt?
The girl read the messages sent to her, her eyes growing wider. Someone was waiting for her but her parents.
They were still asleep, still unaware of what was happening.
"Aw, I'm sure they'll be okay..." the girl smiled as she placed a blanket upon the two, lopping up the stairs once more. While her parents slept, they had no idea of the events that would soon befall them, all thanks to a photo and a misguided message on a cell phone.
The next morning Meiji awoke feeling better, Castalla still by his side and Candlehead clutched in her arms, the girl having returned from whatever adventure she had snuck away for only hours earlier. The entire family had spent the night in the living room and much to his hope, the Muttonfudges were quiet. He heard the familiar ringing of the paper bon-bon delivering the news of the morning, the big man walking to the door and taking it.
"Hmmm, hope tha weather is going to hold out…." He yawned "I don't want tha party ta be a-!"
He stopped.
The photo.
The photo on the front page.
"Meiji?"
"Daddy?"
Meiji couldn't move, his eyes wide in shock as he held the paper before him, not even noticing the sounds of his wife and daughter walking up to him.
"Dear, are ya okay? You're not feelin' icky again are ya?"
Silence.
Candlehead took a look, her eyes going just as wide as her father's "LOOK!"
"What is it, baby?"
"It's Mr. Berlingots Muttonfudge!" the girl cried out "An'-!"
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
During those early hours of the morning, Meiji laughed a laugh so loud that even at the edge of the kingdom's border it could he heard. What was he laughing at?
Soon, everyone would find out.