El Dramaturg wakes up with a start.
How long had he been asleep for?
The early morning light had long passed into the late afternoon's orange glow. He had only wanted to rest his weary eyes for a moment--- and that moment somehow extended into a half-day's rest!
But rather than take heart in having rested well, the man hurries, and scrambles, and panics.
For you see, the man has taken on a weight far heavier than a human being should be able to bear--- he juggles the heavy loads of dramaturgy, housekeeping, and even preparing all the meals for his girls in an impossible circus act!
An ordinary human being should have long collapsed at this point.
But he would not give up his burdens to anyone---
"Who would understand my girls, other than myself?"
That was his rationale for continuing to be the pillar of this house.
He feared that if he stepped back for a moment--- the house would draw its red curtains for the last time.
It already happened in the past.
It might happen again.
"Girls! Sorry, I overslept! Dinner will be late by half---"
The man skids into the main foyer to see an impossible sight---
A giant dog-like creature, made entirely of ink and magick is resting on all fours, head leaning against the bannister. It opens a single red eye, blinking once at El Dramaturg.
Yawning silently through its long crocodile snout-like mouth---
--- the beast goes right back to sleep!
"Oh no." The golden-masked one mouths to himself. "She's here."
"Miss Delulz! We have some bad news! A bad friend of ours has arrived at our house---"
When the man bursts through the doors to his argyle-tiled sanctuary, the Theatre House Delaroux [1] kitchen, he was greeted by an amazing sight.
The kitchen, normally off-limits to the girls, is crowded with people. All the actresses of the house have gathered here; Lumi, Ablam, Mistrál, Piaccta, Hikari. Even Chibi dashed past him when he opened the kitchen doors with a platter in hand!
The girls are gathered near the central tabletop, where a dazzling array of dishes have been laid out:
First, a plate of "Hearth-Bread Rolls", baked in the scent of fresh pastry and golden brown, the crisp sound of the crust being broken apart by Hikari to be shared with a joyous Lumi reveals the soft, steamy, and impossible pure-white insides. A mark of good skill that does not go unnoticed by El Dramaturg!
Next, a spread of "Veronan White Bean & Rosemary Bruschetta". A simple, rustic dish that spreads creamy cannellini beans across Hearth-Bread and generous amounts of fresh rosemary. A dish that is elegant, yet simple to make! So simple that Piaccta is adding the final drizzle of olive oil on a dish straight from her hometown! Mistrál looks on, helping herself to Piaccta's finished product!
Then finally, the warm scent of a pair of stews; a rich, dark-chicken and root vegetable stew in one pot, slow-cooked and bubbling like gravy with the hint of thyme. In another pot, a bright seafood stew, clear, light, and tenderly cared for with tomato, saffron and soft white fish. A face new to the house is spooning a second helping of the seafood broth for Ablam, who readily receives it with a bowl in both hands!
The young girl wears an unbuttoned black chef's jacket, with a worn olive-green shirt underneath. She has her hair tied up in a messy low ponytail, her hair forever escaping in a loose fringe across her forehead. She rolls her sleeves up to her elbow, clearly the author of the culinary canvas spread before everyone today!
"You... aren't Miss Sachiko."
"Who's that? My name is Julienne!" The golden-eyed chef asks, and replies in the same sentence!
"... ... auburn hair, auburn eyes, front twintails," El Dramaturg yanks repeatedly at a pair of imaginary twintails before him,
"Never heard of that person! ?"
"... really, really, shiny forehead?" Upon mutual recognition of the family friend's most distinctive trait, the two share a laugh and a common understanding! Continuing on, Jules explains,
"Head-maid Kotori rushed me here on her personal mount — she said it was an important favor for her family friend! ?”
"... But I don't need help." The golden-masked one blurts out.
"Darling, you absolutely need help. Fixing up a new menu every single night is simply not sustainable."
From the shadows of the kitchen corner, Miss Delulz emerges as if she had been listening to the whole conversation from the start. Despite the tasting hubaloo in the kitchen, the only people who paid her mind were her distraught theatre partner and the incoming new chef.
"I've seen your meal schedules you make for your girls! They are exquisite --- yet reek of impossible perfection! ? Let me know if you would like any changes--- to better fit your taste!" Chef Jules shows off a small blackboard, detailing a less varied, yet tasty and more achievable meal schedule.
So that's why the chef from Conditorri is here.
Miss Delulz has always watched out for her dramaturg, she must have called in a favor from an old friend.
The golden-masked one silently approves the professionally made schedule, and yet, he can't shake off the awful feeling that he was being replaced in his own kitchen---
"But... but the girls like it that way. If not a brand new experience every meal---"
At this moment, El Dramaturg feels a tug on his sleeve,
"Mr. Ixxxxxxxx! Try Piaccta's bruschetta! Piaccta made it herself!"
Our little sunshine princess seems to be oblivious to all undercurrent, and just wants her dramaturg to give her hand-made meal dripping with cream at the sides, an honest go!
Not one to let this girls down, he took the bread and bit down---
(crunch)
With the fresh, savory crunch---
--- a flood of memories come flashing back into his mind!
The golden-masked one recalls a candlelit night, and the pair of expectant bright purple eyes before him.
A boy and a girl are seated across each other, the remnants of a burnt, dried-up steak topped with blackened garlic is presented on the table. Behind the girl, a mountain of used pots and pans stack up high in their tiny kitchen sink, a testament to the chaotic effort that went into making this steak!
Despite all that, the boy still put a dining knife across the steak...
... and ate it!
"Could do with less fire, more seasoning, Rina." was the dramaturgical analysis.
The purple-eyed one blinks her pretty, mischievous eyelashes, thinking it to be praise for her first cookout!
If this were a test, it would be one straight from purgatory itself.
Yet, the boy did not flinch, even one bit!
If his tastebuds were in screaming in pain, his face did not show it!
Instead, he would make a grave promise to the girl before him---
"From now on, I'll handle the cooking for you."
"Really? All the time now, Reroo?"
"--- hah."
Before he knew it, the boy had returned to the present. The savory bruschetta in his hands was long gone, and all he was left with was a sense of warm fulfillment.
A long time had passed since that memory.
Everything has changed.
His reason for cooking... has also changed.
He wasn't cooking for one anymore, he was cooking for a house.
Of course he needed help.
He just didn't realize it.
... But she did.
Across the new chef's cries of “? Initiating flavor burst! ?” to the girls' laughter, he looks to Ablam and Mistrál eagerly pulling Jules away to bring out desert, he gives Piaccta headpats worth of praise for her finishing touches on the Chef's bruschetta.
If the girls like her, Chef Julienne [M] can't be half-bad.
"Did you... plan all of this, Miss Delulz?"
The girl with the pretty purple eyes shrugs cheekily, looking exactly the same as she did on that long-forgotten night.
Perhaps that was all the answer he ever needed.
El Dramaturg rustles in a nearby redwood drawer; and he pulls out a clean kitchen-cloth, emblazoned with the gilt-leaf initials: "R.R".
"Jules, catch!"
When the boy passes the cloth over to Julienne, the girl catches the gift with gratitude!
It was acknowledgement.
And...
Proof, that she belonged.
And so, our theatre house welcomes a new face in Chef Julienne.
The story of Hell's Theatre... continues!
"W-what do you mean the Citrus & Honey Curd was for desert?? I thought it was just for me!" - Eclair Baudz
Glossary
[1] Theatre House Delaroux - A theatre house in Bitsborough, as small and humble as my oshi is kind and child-hearted.
[27] Conditorri Cafe - A continent-wide chain of cafes run by the major faction, Conditorri Cafe. A faction founded by mercenaries after the Princess Wars, a place where members of different factions can come together and enjoy good food.
Characters
[M] Chef Julienne - The new chef at Theatre House Delaroux. She carries her Conditorri professionalism to the kitchen, and brings with her a blend of warm and practical cooking. She tends to speak in dramatics and emojis.
