Night 65: Earthspirit, Mystery Cake II
The Late Night Diner is a part of Rhodes Island's canteen. That goes without saying – to whom had anyone ever heard of a diner in the boiler room?
As the name implies, it opens around midnight. There are only a handful of customers at a time.
Operators off their night shift could take an order and bring back to their quarters. Night owls could sit dining-in while leeching off the Diner's wi-fi. The Doctor would come for instant noodles from time to time.
Drinks are in the cooler. Anyone burdened by their own thoughts could take one and chug it down, anytime.
Menu? No such thing exists. What the Chef prepares is what you get. It all depends on his mood of the day.
Welcome to the Rhodes Island Late Night Diner. In here, you might even meet a familiar face or two.
"Miss Earthspirit, fancy seeing you here at this hour." The Chef, wiping down the counter, raised his head and greeted his customer. "I thought your schedule would be a lot more...regulated than those workaholics."
"Only for my work schedule." Earthspirit shook her head, and ordered a cup of hot black tea. "My daily life was not as rigid yet it's also packed. Still, I would have time for occasional late tea breaks. Got any sweet treats for tonight?"
"Maybe, I need to check." The Chef said, opening the fridge. "There are simply too many Sankta coming for sweets in summer months. I can never hold enough for them, it seems, and I might just have only the ingredients for an ice-cream sandwich left. By the way, Provence and Adelle didn't come along for the...tea break?"
"Adelle needs her rest, it's too late for her." Earthspirit replied. "As for Provence, I have to idea what she's up to lately. I haven't seen her for a few days already. Maybe she's been busy with parcels again."
"Looks like you Messengers work in different ways." The Chef returned from the back with an oblong metal box in his hands. "The one I treated last time was a girl no older than 18. Lively, likes sweets but worries about her figure. Here."
Along with the box placed on the counter was a cup of steaming Liethanian black tea. Though just as as he turned his back, Earthspirit called to him. "Um..boss, what is this?"
"It's your order. Sweets, with black tea. Sugar and lemon on the side, no milk per Liethanian tradition. What's the problem?" The Chef, turned around by the inquiry, folded his arms and looked at her.
"Was there any chance some prankster sneaked into your kitchen and switched your sweets into..." Earthspirit showed the content of the metal box to the Chef. "...a small box of succulent? Is this really safe to eat?"
"Heh. Last time someone asked this question, what I served her was a brick of Yan hotpot base..." The Chef took the fork from Earthspirit's hand , pried a "leaf" off the succulent and crushed it on the counter before her eyes. "...-shaped cake. The kid was livid. Take a closer look. Is it really a box of plants?"
Earthspirit leaned in closer and examined the crushed remain on the counter. She then discovered that the "leaf" was actually a white chocolate biscuit. The biscuit was shaped into the form of a succulent leaf, then baked and coated with white chocolate. It looked just like part of a living plant. The other "plants" inside the box were also delicate and life-like. Other than biscuits, there were ones made directly from coloured cream squeezed from a piping bag.
Earthspirit took a piece of biscuit and sent it into her mouth. The center was crunchy and light, while the white chocolate gave it a creamy texture and sweet aftertaste. It was as if chewing on a piece of cloud.
After a few biscuits, she looked at the base of the cake - the soft, dark "soil". She glanced at the Chef with hesitation, then cut into it with a small spoon. When the "soil" touched her tongue, the grainy texture swayed in between her tooth, she tasted the thick aroma of coca. When she looked into the box again, she saw that beneath the "dirt" was thick layers of chocolate sponge cake. Between the layers was smooth cherry mousse and liqueur-soaked cherry pulp. The rich coca intertwined with the distinct sweetness of the cherry, like a waltz with a duet, and made her felt as if she was once again striding on the stone-paved streets of a Liethenian town with a happy skip in her steps. A sweet, cheerful feeling that would almost made her stand up and twirl.
"Liethanian sweets had always tasted great, though their form are often way too old-fashioned." The Chef poured another cup of black tea for her, and said. "The 'soil' was made with sugar, coca powder and hot butter. They were mixed together then baked into shape. They said you are too focused on your work, and you won't even notice if someone put a block of dirt in your meal box. Too bad the sweets can not last till work-time tomorrow, so I have to serve it to you tonight."
"They?" Earthspirit raised her eyebrow.
"Adelle and Provence. Adelle especially. She asked me to prepare this for you. She said she had to go to New Seista for an off-board assignment and can't make it in person to thank you for all your help, therefore designed the cake for you...and she had asked me to tell her your reaction." The Chef answered with a smile. "She said you'd surely be surprised when you see it."
"That I am." Earthspirit replied in kind and nodded. "That girl, I swear she keeps everything in mind. Ah, Provence would come by in a few days. Would you serve one to her then as well? I don't think Adelle had told her about it yet."
"It'd be my pleasure. I think it'd be better received than the hotpot base cake." The Chef said with a smile, and gave her a thumbs-up.