An Attempt At Cooking

Neopia was usually on the move, full of bustling and hurrying as Neopets traveled from one place to another. However, this behavior remained well in check and for the most part a sense of calm loomed protectively over Neopia. This was also the case in a small Neohome belonging to a teenager, baby Gelert, rainbow Tonu, and Faellie.

     SeaZ0ne lived with her pets Puppy_Trix and Ramoose_, as well as the family's petpet, Trini. The four got along fine, but this particular morning all were in a frenzy as they tried to get ready for breakfast. It was going to be a challenge getting to their local diner before lunch hour began and breakfast was no longer available.

      "Trini, aren't you done yet?" Puppy called to the Faellie from outside the closed bathroom door.

     Trini mumbled something lost to a mouthful of toothpaste and the waiting Gelert grunted impatiently.

     Meanwhile SeaZ0ne ran frantically throughout the Neohome in search of matching white socks.

      "Puppy, have you seen a sock that looks like this one?" SeaZ0ne asked, holding up a knee length garment.

      "Hmmm," the Gelert recalled having seen something white under the rainbow sofa in their family room and went in search of it. A moment later she produced her owner with an ankle length white sock.

     SeaZ0ne held the ankle length up to her knee-high and exclaimed in dismay, "I can't where two different length socks!" So again she hurried off.

      "I don't see anything wrong with it," Ramoose said, sitting in the kitchen doing nothing in particular. While the others rushed about he considered himself perfectly presentable despite his mussed up mane and unbrushed teeth. The day hadn't really started until a meal had been eaten, he reasoned.

      "What's taking you guys so long?" Trini asked in annoyance, finally emerging from the bathroom.

     Puppy rolled her eyes but chose not to acknowledge the Faellie's comment and instead took her turn in the bathroom.

     By the time SeaZ0ne had found matching socks, Puppy had finished up in the bathroom, Trini had quit complaining (for the time being), and Ramoose had gathered his appetite, the four arrived at the diner just in time for lunch.

      "Arg," SeaZ0ne moaned. "Every time we try for breakfast we end up with lunch. Every time."

      "It doesn't help when Trini locks herself in the bathroom," Puppy commented, her usually level manner escaping her after the disappointing outcome of their troubles.

      "Well excuse me for wanting to keep my pearly whites pearly white." Trini directed her comment at the peppershaker as she inspected her teeth in the reflection it provided of her.

      "At least this is better than SeaZone's cooking," Ramoose said. He didn't mean for this to be an insult, it was simply common knowledge that their owner had not been born with a talent for cooking. Anything.

      "Let me guess," the Neofamily's usual waitress started, there to take their orders. "You were shooting for breakfast?"

     All four heads nodded.

     The waitress laughed good-humouredly. "You just missed it. What would you like for lunch?"

     Orders were placed and the waitress returned to the kitchen where she gave them to the chef.

      "I'm notorious for my bad cooking," SeaZ0ne moaned, dropping her head into her hands. "I've been branded Girl Who Can't Cook."

      "Don't take it too hard," her baby Gelert comforted her. "It's not like you don't give it a good effort."

      "Yeah," Ramoose chimed in. "Dinner last night was good. The potatoes were barely black."

      "Those were carrots," SeaZ0ne said.

     Throughout this Trini had remained abnormally quiet, choosing not to comment but folding a paper Pawkeet from her napkin instead. When she had finished she threw it into flight with a flick of her paw and watched as it plummeted straight into a neighboring diner's glass of water.

      "Oh, I'm so sorry," SeaZ0ne apologized immediately to the blue Acara who the water belonged to. Then, "Trini!" she whispered across the table. "Cut it out!"

      "She hasn't got any scissors to cut it with," Ramoose pointed out.

     Puppy_Trix was just about to explain to the rainbow Tonu that it was simply an expression, when their waitress came laden with plates of food.

     When everything had been set out on the table the Neofamily began to eat, relishing the taste of unburnt sandwiches and crisp but not overdone fries.

      "Mmm, this is good," Ramoose praised his cheese sandwich.

      "I don't see how it's any better than mine," SeaZ0ne said. "It's just cheese between two slices of bread." Their owner took pride in her cooking despite the fact that it was not often edible. Nevertheless, she took the teasing well and even took part in it herself sometimes.

      "But it's good," Ramoose replied.

     Trini rolled her eyes at the Tonu, who always enjoyed a cheese sandwich no matter who fixed it.

******

     After lunch that afternoon Ramoose began thinking about the fact that no member of his family could actually cook well.

     Sure, Puppy_Trix could put together a fairly decent fruit salad, and Trini was excellent at pouring Neocereal, but SeaZ0ne always found someway to burn her culinary efforts and Ramoose…well, he couldn't say he had actually tried cooking before. He loved food, particularly eating it, but he had always been somewhat of a butterhooves and as a result had limited access to kitchen utensils.

     As the rainbow Tonu thought this over he saw no reason as to why he shouldn't start cooking. (Except for the factors that he wasn't allowed to many kitchen utensils and he was slightly butterhooved.)

     With this new idea firmly in his head Ramoose took off rather abruptly for the library.

     Puppy_Trix and Trini had been playing marbles in the hall when the Tonu strode quickly through their game and found himself rolled unexpectedly out the open door.

     Trini turned to give Ramoose a quizzical look and Puppy called after him to watch where he was going.

     At the library Ramoose stood and marveled at the walls of books for a moment before determining which section he should look for a cookbook in. Unfortunately his first guess turned out to be incorrect and he found himself rummaging through an assortment of guidebooks. Though there were many about petpets and petpetpets in regard to how to take care of them, none gave guidance on cooking. It was then that Ramoose noticed a sign in the next aisle over proclaiming it to be 'Cooking.'

      "Oh," he said once he had seen it. "Why didn't someone just say so?" Ramoose then proceeded to wander over and peruse through the titles.

     The titles of these books were utterly confusing and Ramoose realized that as much as he had eaten throughout his lifetime, there was far more that he hadn't. This surprised him at first, but he recovered to be quite fascinated by them.

     Ramoose spent the next two hours drooling over the meals pictured in the books. Whichever ones his stomach grumbled at he decided to check out from the library. In the end this turned out to be quite a few.

     By the time Ramoose returned home it was already half past five and the Tonu was eager to fix dinner for his Neofamily.

      "You cook?" SeaZ0ne asked when Ramoose told her his plan. "Since when can you cook?"

      "Since these books taught me how to," he explained.

      "And when was that?"

      "Today," Ramoose replied readily. He didn't see this as a disadvantage.

     SeaZ0ne did, however, and she refused to allow him to fix dinner.

      "At least give him a chance, SeaZ0ne," Puppy said, coming to Ramoose's defense. Trini nodded sternly in agreement and gave her a look that said, "How could it be any worse than your cooking?"

     SeaZ0ne sighed heavily, but finally agreed and made way to let Ramoose into the kitchen. She then retreated to her bedroom and allowed for Trini and Puppy to take her place watching Ramoose work in the kitchen.

     Neither Faellie nor Gelert knew what Ramoose was making and after he was asked the Tonu realized he didn't really know.

     When he began reading the cookbooks Ramoose found them much more difficult that he could have imagined. (He had forgotten to read the recipes before checking the books out.) What in Neopia was a dash? A dash of sugar, a hint of salt…Why would someone use salt and sugar in the same recipe? Ramoose figured the author had meant salt and vinegar. That sounded much more correct. What a strange mistake!

     The list of ingredients went on and on as did the time, and when Ramoose had finally finished he ended up with a rather flat chocolate pudding cake that tasted distinctly like vinegar. This was odd, because Ramoose had meant to make lasagne.

     Trini and Puppy had watched the whole ordeal, raising their eyebrows at one another as they saw the bizarre ingredients added. Despite this they chose not to question their companion. They wouldn't want to disturb any remarkable creation in the making.

     It didn't turn out to be much of a creation, but Ramoose was so proud of it that they didn't have the heart to tell him it was more of a vinegar pudding cake than chocolate.

     Trini came very close to announcing her disgust, but Puppy_Trix covered the Faellie's mouth just in time. All Ramoose heard was Trini's muffled voice.

     SeaZ0ne was also very supportive, probably because she was relieved to know that bad cooking seemed to run in the family. Besides, being supportive was a part of who she was.

     Nevertheless, as Ramoose ate slice after slice of pudding cake (which was good because everyone else claimed to be full) he glowed with happiness and began planning his next meal. After all, he had checked the books out from the library. That gave him a few weeks to use them.

     As Ramoose planned, his family thought about what they would order for breakfast the next morning. They wouldn't break it to him right away, but if they let Ramoose fix all their meals they were afraid they might starve.

     Puppy would have pancakes, Trini would have scrambled neggs, and SeaZ0ne would have an apple muffin….

THE END

Author's Note: I'm really pleased with how this story came out and I would love to hear what you guys think. I know it's been a while since I've written a story involving Trini and her family, but I'm glad I finally set aside time to do so.