The Strudel That Wasn't
It was a rare occasion that Helena Kyle set foot in a kitchen with intentions other than clearing out the fridge. It was an even rarer occasion when she didn't set something on fire. But today was going to be different. She would show them all that she COULD cook, even if it was just a Toaster Strudel.
Her project started out successfully enough. It wasn't that hard to put the thing in the oven, but knowing when to take it out was an art. Helena knew this from experience. One second the strudel looked like it needed a few more minutes, the next. it was burnt to a crisp.
She watched it suspiciously, daring it to burn in the slightest. At one point Alfred had thought about coming into the kitchen, but when he saw Helena he turned tail and fled. He had seen this before and had no desire to witness it again. Or the heart to try to digest it again, he had eaten enough charcoal to ward off poison berries for the rest of his life.
Dinah was unaware of the danger she faced when walked into the kitchen for a snack.
"Hey Helena, whatcha doing?" Dinah asked, completely oblivious.
"Shut up, I'm watching the strudel." Helena was tense.
Dinah was beginning to feel that now was not the best time to push Helena's buttons, but she couldn't resist a little bit of teasing.
"The strudel is that interesting, huh?"
"Dinah, go away before I decide to hurt you."
"Oouu, tense are we?"
That quickly ended Helena's toaster vigil. She chased Dinah around the clocktower. They hurdled over anything in their way. Except computer equipment, even without Barbara being home they knew what would happen if they smashed something. So the computer equipment was spared, if the cut- glass lamp wasn't. Dinah quickly decided that the safest place right now would be the kitchen, so she made a beeline straight toward it. She almost knocked over a very shocked-looking Alfred.
By the time she was back in the kitchen Helena was relatively calmed down. Enough so that she collapsed on the chair next to Dinah's.
That was when Dinah smelled it.
"Ugh, what is that smell? It smells like something is burning!"
Helena leaped up and was beside the toaster in 0.09 milliseconds.
"MY STRUDEL! Not a-gain! My strudel." she was practically in tears.
Dinah decided to take it upon herself to cheer Helena up.
"You know, there will always be other strudels, Helena." Dinah tried to keep a straight face, but the hilariousity of what she had just said was just too much. A giggle escaped.
Helena didn't even look up. "My strudel."
Then Dinah realized, this was not just any strudel.
"This was important to you, wasn't it?"
Helena looked up, "I guess it was. But now it's just another failed cooking attempt. Every time I try to redeem myself at cooking, something goes wrong. My first attempt was a cake, then cookies. Now I'm all the way down to a Toaster Strudel. Next time I'll have to try microwave pancakes. And Dinah, what do I do when I screw that up?"
Dinah considered this for a moment. She knew the answer, but she also knew that the answer was not what Helena wanted to hear. "Ask Alfred for a scone?"
One very black strudel sailed across the room, and hit Dinah straight in the face. Apple goo oozed out all over the place.
"Nope, I'm gonna try again, and guess who's going to be my taste- tester?"
It was a rare occasion that Helena Kyle set foot in a kitchen with intentions other than clearing out the fridge. It was an even rarer occasion when she didn't set something on fire. But today was going to be different. She would show them all that she COULD cook, even if it was just a Toaster Strudel.
Her project started out successfully enough. It wasn't that hard to put the thing in the oven, but knowing when to take it out was an art. Helena knew this from experience. One second the strudel looked like it needed a few more minutes, the next. it was burnt to a crisp.
She watched it suspiciously, daring it to burn in the slightest. At one point Alfred had thought about coming into the kitchen, but when he saw Helena he turned tail and fled. He had seen this before and had no desire to witness it again. Or the heart to try to digest it again, he had eaten enough charcoal to ward off poison berries for the rest of his life.
Dinah was unaware of the danger she faced when walked into the kitchen for a snack.
"Hey Helena, whatcha doing?" Dinah asked, completely oblivious.
"Shut up, I'm watching the strudel." Helena was tense.
Dinah was beginning to feel that now was not the best time to push Helena's buttons, but she couldn't resist a little bit of teasing.
"The strudel is that interesting, huh?"
"Dinah, go away before I decide to hurt you."
"Oouu, tense are we?"
That quickly ended Helena's toaster vigil. She chased Dinah around the clocktower. They hurdled over anything in their way. Except computer equipment, even without Barbara being home they knew what would happen if they smashed something. So the computer equipment was spared, if the cut- glass lamp wasn't. Dinah quickly decided that the safest place right now would be the kitchen, so she made a beeline straight toward it. She almost knocked over a very shocked-looking Alfred.
By the time she was back in the kitchen Helena was relatively calmed down. Enough so that she collapsed on the chair next to Dinah's.
That was when Dinah smelled it.
"Ugh, what is that smell? It smells like something is burning!"
Helena leaped up and was beside the toaster in 0.09 milliseconds.
"MY STRUDEL! Not a-gain! My strudel." she was practically in tears.
Dinah decided to take it upon herself to cheer Helena up.
"You know, there will always be other strudels, Helena." Dinah tried to keep a straight face, but the hilariousity of what she had just said was just too much. A giggle escaped.
Helena didn't even look up. "My strudel."
Then Dinah realized, this was not just any strudel.
"This was important to you, wasn't it?"
Helena looked up, "I guess it was. But now it's just another failed cooking attempt. Every time I try to redeem myself at cooking, something goes wrong. My first attempt was a cake, then cookies. Now I'm all the way down to a Toaster Strudel. Next time I'll have to try microwave pancakes. And Dinah, what do I do when I screw that up?"
Dinah considered this for a moment. She knew the answer, but she also knew that the answer was not what Helena wanted to hear. "Ask Alfred for a scone?"
One very black strudel sailed across the room, and hit Dinah straight in the face. Apple goo oozed out all over the place.
"Nope, I'm gonna try again, and guess who's going to be my taste- tester?"