Note: sorry for long update. I had writer block. X_X
Warning: grammar and vocabulary error.
Dislaimer: none of the character below are mine, they are copyright of Masami Kurumada. I'm only borrowing for fanfic sake
It's Cooking Time!
Part 47
The last day will be tackled by both teacher and pupil of Aries. Shun should be sighing in relief but somehow, he felt a little sad that it would be over today. While the last dinner by Alderbaran was a meat feast. Shion and Mu had agreed to let the lighter side of Tibetian cuisine on the table today. Something that resembled like a family dish. Mu had gone to Tibet directly, first thing in the morning, taking care of the important ingredient. Yak meat, butter and cheese, also the chili, pickle radish and ginseng fruit, just to make it authentic. Shion on the other side had drag Shun to the morning market, buying the essential like potato, flour and mutton.
Since the morning, the dining room hadn't been re-decorated at all. The tables and chairs were left as it were. The fire pit had been taken down by the twin and had been back to it garden state, much to Aphrodite's relief. The bar was taken from the place for once, Shion took charge so no alcohol! Much to Dohko disbelief, and to know that lemurian had the best 'chang' on top of it! The man had been grumbling since morning when he had learned the news. If the host didn't want to provide alcohol then he would be the one who take care of it. Now he just needed to find another lemurian other than Mu and Shion. He chuckled lightly. He knew just who. "Shiryu! Let's visit Kiki." The poor lad couldn't do anything except obeying.
After some ingredients purchasing, Mu had been back to the kitchen, it was not long before both Shion and Shun appeared on it too. The mansion had been so quiet with only the cooks inside the building. Shion had immediately away from the room as soon as he dropped the ingredient and was quickly disappeared to Sanctuary. Everybody seemed to be busy tackling work inside Sanctuary and that included Athena and Hades, for whatever reason… The God had suddenly followed the Goddess into Sanctuary. Saying something about renewing sealing scroll between Athena and him. Shun was now watching Mu who was putting around 4 kg of flour into two biggest bowls they have.
"Do we need that much flour?"
"Taking in the calculation, I want to make around 300 – 400 pcs of momo."
"That much!?"
"Momo can be frozen for later use, don't worry so much."
"But warping 400 momos couldn't be done with 2-3 people?"
"Hm? Oh, don't worry at that." Mu chuckled mysteriously as he began with one bowl. He added salt into the flour then baking soda. Adding water gradually into it and stirring the thing as if it weights nothing. If normal person, they will probably be using commercial mixer… "Hand on experience, Shun. You tackle the other bowl."
"Yes, right away." An hour had passed when the dough looked slightly smooth. The pair leaved the dough to rest as they tackled the yak meat filling. Shun shaved and cut the potato before boiling it while Mu adjusted the spices used in yak meat.
"Is that cheese?" Shun asked as soon as he finished with crushing the boiled potatoes.
"Yes, we put it in when the potatoes cool down." He put the finished filling of yak meat into the refrigerator. "We will need to wait for later so I go and finishes my work inside the lab first."
"What should I do then?"
"Read a book. Or take a rest."
"Uh… all right…"
Later on, Mu was back and finally tackled the dough. Somehow, he took the dough out from the kitchen and into the dining table. The tables of course had been cleaned previously. He took trays with paper in it, pilling it up but put it aside. The Andromeda saint was to cut the dough into small thumb size of the already rested and smoothed dough. Then a lesson on how to roll the wrapper begin shortly. Minutes passed by before Shion appeared on the dining room. He was questioning on why they were making momo wrappers outside the kitchen.
"Don't worry, sensei. Not much chairs inside the kitchen." Was the only answer as Mu rolled another skin and stacking it up. Flour between the surface so it won't glue together. Just like Shun had predict, it was way toward afternoon when they finally able to make momo. Both Shion and Mu had been good at making the dumpling but he needed more time and even then, it was not looking too good. The meat filled crescent shape momo was placed one by one neatly on the tray.
Minutes ticked by as Shun worried about the progress, they still needed 250 more to make when Shaka suddenly appeared from the garden, looking at them before moving in, passing the place. Minute later, he was back and casually dragging a chair into the table they work and taking one skin. "Crescent meat, yes?" The Virgo asked as if he had done this multiple times.
"Yes, potato braid." Mu hummed without missing a beat too. Shaka took the potato filling and expertly making one that looked nothing like the shape that Shun had been making.
"Huh? How do you make that thing?" Shun asked in awe.
"… You can make momo? The last time you all done was a mess, flours everywhere." Shion was also questioning, quite surprised with the skill. Not everyone could made that casually.
"Shion – sensei… that was 14 years ago." Shaka almost, almost rolled his eyes even though his eyes were close… Mu just chuckled lightly. Ah, the memory of childhood when papacy tried to cure their boredom from deciding to stay inside Sanctuary when they were given a month holiday. A small break before they were sent out, scattered around the world.
"Oh, story time?" Shun looked quite eager to listen.
"We just gotten our gold cloth and would be on advance training but papacy had given us a little break. Mask, Shura and Aphro had opted to visit Europa, with a chaperon. Saga, Kanon and Aiolos were going around Greece. We decided to stay in Sanctuary."
"We didn't take interest in traveling around, but eh… we bored quickly." At the story there were a paused as Shion glared at the two. "Ahem, we were making momo as part of sensei's effort to cure our boredom."
"It was not going well though." Shaka smirked lightly.
"Oh?" Shun couldn't really imagine his seniors as kids. He really wished they had photos of something.
"I survived four days before surrendering. I forced them to Milos island for two weeks, under Milo's father watch that's it." Shion grumbled flatly, remembering whatever that bunch of little kids had done inside Sanctuary years ago.
"That more like escaping responsibility." Milo walked into the room, with hand towel wipe on his hand. "I go with the normal shape, bad at braid." He said also casually dragging a chair and taking a skin. "Meat on normal yes?"
"Yes."
"… how often had you done this?" Shion asked minute later when he saw both Milo and Shaka's dumpling were both passable.
"We met every year after we were separate. We had done this several times. Sometime we missed you." There was an easy pause. Shion blinked his eyes, he was worried before. That: his 'kids' might not be bounding as much after he died but it seemed he was worry for nothing. And the part about missing him, no, he won't cry... he cleared his throat, shifting his eyes somewhere. "Good to know that the bound had not severed even if I died, I can go in peace then."
"You are not going to die this soon, Shion sensei…" Milo said warily. "Even if Dohko sensei acted as if it was nothing. We could feel it. It also bad for Mu."
"Sensei…"
"No, I'm not going to die that fast, rest assure… now back to momo." Minutes tick by before both Camus and Alderbaran also came to the dining room. They dragged the chairs closer and begin with the warping. Camus went with braid while Alde went with the normal crescent. Mu and Shion finally switched to the braid shape. The former Aries saint smile gently when he saw them, chatting leisurely while making dumpling.
The last time he was doing this activity was years ago, the kids just barely 7 years old. It was more like a flour war instead of making dumpling… his heart was filled once again with this warmness but it was suddenly replaced with a frown. "Wait, what happen with your work inside Sanctuary?"
Camus was avoiding his eyes, Shaka let out a small smirk, Milo had just whistle innocently and Alderbaran grinned. Shun looked around suspiciously, though he was happy and relief with the help.
Elsewhere inside the Sanctuary…
Saga was cursing at the pilling of scrolls on his side of his desk. Who would had thought that both Shaka and Camus would pull something like this! When he got his hands on them! He will make sure they both will be pulling an all nighter for days! Aiolia was groaning inside his office's room; for losing in 'stone paper scissor', he was trying to finish the report both him and Milo's part before the event this evening! Deathmask surprisingly ok with supervising the new guy, Seiya alone as long as he got the premium brazil wine that Alderbaran had just promised him.
Saint
Seiya
Toward the end of activity, Saori who had just got back home and was curious with the activity of the momo's making also began to station herself around the table too. Once she settled, Mu gently guiding her into making a momo. After all, the making of dumpling was always been an activity that you do with family. And they, even if had a different personality, different ages and position are… family. Shion watched the interaction, his mind though had travelled far off onto the past.
...
"Oi, that momo is so bad!"
"No, it's not!"
"It is bad, Degel. To think that you not good with your hand like that."
"Kardia! Shut up. Don't encourage Dohko." The Aquarius man groaned as he pinched the opening. As soon as that thing was pinched, the filling spilled over the skin. Dohko grinned even wider.
"Look, is this good, Shion?"
"Princess, yes, it is good but the filling is too little." Shion smiled as he took another warping.
"Please drop the honorific, why can you call me Sasha like Kardia does?" She said a little sad.
"Um…" Shion looked a little loss, he didn't want to mean disrespect. They are her saints, but still, the lady is Athena.
"So, is that mean, I'm ok with calling you Sasha, too?" Dohko spoke first while grinning, trying to lighten up her mood.
"Yes! I insist!"
"You all can call her Sasha but only me can carry her." Kardia letting out his tongue while moving his hands onto the 8 years ole kid and scoped her up. The girl squealed lightly.
"Kardia! Manner!" Degel groaned.
"No, no it's ok. But Kardia, my hands full with flour! Looks now your shirt and neck are dirty."
"A little flour won't hurt me." He grinned as the child chuckled. Shion had watched on in envious. Kardia always like that, and it was prominent the goddess also closed to him. He heard about the accident at the tavern. Maybe because of that incident too, that both Kardia and Sasha grew closer than anyone. The man seen Sasha as a child being alone in a new place and with new people, and not as the goddess. His attitude also never changed even after knowing who she was. On the other side, maybe the child also grateful for that.
"Shion?" Sasha said between the chuckle.
...
"Shion?" The man blinked; Athena was looking at him in worry. Her hands were smeared with flour here and there.
"Yes, princess." He said unconsciously before realizing his mistake.
"Princess?" Shun paused from making the momo. The others also looked at him weirdly. In this era, they never referred Athena as princess, it was always Athena – sama or Saori – sama or Saori – san.
"Sensei? Are you all right?" Mu asked in concerned.
"I, ah sorry. I was… distracted."
"Are you sure, papacy?" Milo's hands had also stop from making the momo.
"Yes, I was having a little flashback." He said, unfortunately it was not a good thing to say too as Mu stiffen.
"Flashback as if life flashback?" Camus asked carefully.
"I think you need to lie down or eat something, papacy." Alde suggested it quickly.
"Papacy. If you die so easily like what happened 14 years ago. I'll personally drag you back from Hades' domain." The Virgo murmured. And yes, if he could bring back Ikki, he could bring Shion back just fine.
"I'm not!" Geez! How many times he should say that? He won't die that easily, at least not without reason! But… he grateful, the 'kids' had grown up just fine.
To be continued…
