Fire. Bright and alive, eternal and ruthless. The feeling of being set ablaze from the inside out, not from passion and love or anything ridiculous, but like when a particularly nasty curse hits you dead in the chest.
And the force that was currently turning the cake in the oven into a glorified lump of charcoal.
Clicking his tongue, Asugi pried the oven door open and coughed as a cloud of black smoke poured out. Waving one hand in front of his face to disperse the smoke, he stuck the other mittened hand in to retrieve what was at one point supposed to be edible.
Setting the pan down on the counter, Asugi noted that the surface of the cake was a glossy black, winking in the light. Mocking him. Steam curled off the edges of the pan, as if warning that a single bite would be fatal. He wouldn't be taking any chances.
Bouncing up next to him was his partner in crime, though, he was sure that she was the one to blame for this sin against the culinary arts.
"Aren't I the best baking assistant ever?" Cocking her head slightly, Selkie flicked her ears in anticipation, waiting to be praised.
Ignoring the tail that was whipping around, Asugi carefully looked over the cake, deep in thought. Finally, he steeled his fingers, choosing his next words honestly but kindly. "I don't know how you do it but, every time we try cooking, this happens. At least you're consistent."
"Awww, well aren't you the sweetest?" Flicking a knife out of her robes, she flashed him a grin before twirling the blade in her palm, adjusting her grip. "Well what are we waiting for? Time to taste it!" Lifting the knife above her head, Selkie fixed her sights on the middle of the cake before bringing her arm down in the same way that someone cutting firewood brings their axe down on a log.
However, instead of slicing through the rock cake, the blade simply skid across the shiny surface, not even leaving a scratch on the treat. The pan flipped over, and her knife buried itself inches deep into the wooden counter. The two watched as the pan clattered against the floor before coming to a stop, the cake still face up and seemingly untouched.
Selkie frowned, brow knitting as she tried to tug her knife free while glancing at the offending pan on the floor. Asugi simply crossed his arms, leaning against the counter, gaze shifting from kitsune to the cake. Finally, he laid a hand on Selkie's shoulder, the other still struggling to free the blade from its prison.
"Don't give up your day job."