12 Days of Ficmas Day 2: Peppermint
Ao3 link!
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The smell of the Manson’s kitchen wafted through the open window despite the December chill. Though the location might change over the years, from her childhood home with her own grandmother, to her cozy first home with her late husband, to the lavish mansion she lived in with her family now, Ida Manson was always in the kitchen in December more often than not.
Hanukkah was at an end, but Amity Park celebrated Christmas and she could never resist baking things for her family and friends no matter what they practiced.
For the third time in two weeks, babka was baking in the oven. One was cinnamon, warm and spiced like her grandmother had taught her to make all those years ago. The second one was chocolate, rich and swirled for her granddaughter’s sweet tooth. Of course two babka could hardly curb that appetite.
Christmas marketing was mainstream and every time she went to the grocery store, it was impossible not to notice the displays covered in ingredients and blown up photos of their featured recipes. Even the kosher section had an end-cap featuring reindeer cookies.
Ida wasn’t immune to charm and she did love peppermint anyway...
As a result of the combined obligation to fill her granddaughter with sugar and the temptations filling the aisles, Ida was busy.
Donuts were rolled out and shaped all over one of the marble counters waiting to go in the oil currently heating on the stove in a good heavy pot instead of the new-fangled digital deep fryers they had two of for some reason. Once those were cooked and cooled they would get stuffed full of custard and rolled in chocolate curls or iced and dotted with crushed candy canes.
Ida had just pulled out the peppermint brownies that would be slathered in cream cheese frosting and more of those little white and red specks of holiday cheer.
Lastly, one of her favorite things, the mighty slabs of chocolate bark that took up the entire kitchen island were ready to break. Parchment paper lined almost the entire 80x40 inch marble surface and was generously coated in dark chocolate. She had planned ahead, then deviated from the plan, and the four quadrants of barely separated chocolate "rectangles" were studded with fixings. They were embedded with candied orange peel (homemade of course), finely chopped dried fruit, roasted nuts, pretzels, precarious drizzles of white chocolate, and of course, a generous section was covered in peppermint candy.
The smell of everything mingled in the air and poured onto the street all day. People slowed and hummed pleasantly as they walked down the sidewalk all bundled up now warmed from the inside. If the scent didn’t make them stop, this next part might.
With a heft and a mighty cry, Ida Manson lifted one of the large chocolate slabs and slammed it onto the counter where it shattered.
CRACK
The sound was deafening and sudden, but then it was over. She smiled at the varying sizes of chocolate bark then reached out to take another slab in her hands.
“Hello!? Is everything- oh.”
Ida looked up and there, sticking his head through the window of her massive kitchen, was the ghost boy of Amity Park. His name was Danny.
“Ah, you could smell it couldn’t ya?” she grinned at him waving the second slab in the air.
He floated in more and more until only his foot was sticking out into the December air and he didn’t even seem to notice.
“I actually-”
CRACK
Ida slammed the second piece of chocolate down and bits of decadence went flying.
“I was coming to investigate but now I know that noise wasn’t a noise , but a wonderful sound .” he blinked at her then put a gloved hand on the back of his neck nervously before starting to babble.
“What I meant to say was like… Ya know, a sound is good while a noise is bad or potentially dangerous and the connotations are different so like if the noise was someone getting hurt that was bad but you were just making chocolate and.. chocolate is… is good.” A little pink tinted his cheek as he started to float away.
He looked tired. His hair was a bit unruly, his shoulders were tense, this boy looked sad.
His butt was just about out the window when Ida brushed her hands on her stained apron.
“You’re right about that. Now why don’t you come down here and have some, deary?”
Green eyes blinked at her owlishly. Obviously he wasn’t used to being offered anything even though he was just a kid caught in the cold.
“I-I really can’t, I-”
“Pish posh. Now come choose a piece, I’ve got plenty.”
“I don’t eat. I’m a ghost.” she could have believed him if it weren’t for his voice or his face or the way his hands moved.
“You’ve got a mouth, don't ya?”
Danny seemed stunned for a second then came inside seemingly dragging some of the outside with him. It grew colder as he very slowly flew down to her level instead of flying above her. Perhaps it was a sign of respect, perhaps for just a moment he was forgetting he was supposed to have all these superpowers.
“Thank you.” he said politely and Ida beamed as she gestured at the broken pieces. Some of the shards were no bigger than a nickel while others mirrored her handbag. It was to be expected, but it was fun to look at all the different bits.
Danny reached forward and picked up the tiniest piece that had a tiny speck of peanut dust on it and she slapped it out of his hand.
He drew his hand to his chest in surprise, betrayal just barely starting to color his expression when she pointed again.
“You pick a proper piece. Do you know how hard it is to work hard when you’re my age? This is art! You wouldn’t do that to a poor old lady now would you? Take a lackluster piece as if I had microwaved a Hershey bar and spilled it.” she shook her head and started pawing through the pieces on her side of the table.
He blinked at her processing the words then nodded. Obediently, he reached out and carefully selected a piece with a healthy amount of peppermint. He looked to her for approval and when Ida took a bite out of her own piece, he took an experimental bite.
Green eyes widened.
“This is delicious.”
“I know. Have some more.”
There were no arguments or attempts at being polite as the kid snapped off piece after piece with his teeth and ate the entire thing. The whole time he stole glances as if she would slap it out of his hand again remembering he was supposed to be a ghost or something. She smiled and he twitched his gloved fingers like he would lick them if she wasn’t watching.
“Um… thank you. I’ll let you-”
“Did you like it? Best you ever had, eh?” she did lick her fingers for crumbs.
Danny’s mouth twitched like he would smile before the expression fell and he answered honestly.
“I never had it before. My folks aren’t good cooks. And they especially don’t cook Christmas stuff.”
Ida smiled at him.
“Tell ‘em it’s not too late. It may say Christmas on the tin but it’s good stuff year round. Especially when you get to share.”
He nodded but she could tell he would not be passing the message along.
“Thanks again for the chocolate.”
“Of course. I’m glad you got to try it. Busy night?” Ida leaned on the counter resting her body against the stone.
“Not really. Pretty slow this time of year with the Truce and all.”
Ah, that would explain a lot.
“Good.” she slapped the table and the poor boy jumped in his seat in the air.
“Here. Help a helpless old woman break up her bark?” she pouted at him with an exaggerated lip. After a long moment, that finally got a little smile out of the boy.
“Yes ma’am.”
“None of that nonsense, Danny, you call me Grandma Ida.”
His face blanked with shock and his eyes, so expressive, grew large.
“I’m Phantom .” he said with his lying voice, face, and hands.
She grinned but innocently lilted her voice.
“Danny Phantom. That’s what I said, wasn’t it?”
Danny relaxed a bit and she turned back to the island.
“Now come on, we don’t have all night to do this part. That oil is gonna start screaming soon and I’ll show you how to fry donuts.”
“Yes Grandma Ida.” The boy said picking up a large piece.
“And lemme tell you, if you ever wanna make this, it isn’t actually art. This stuff is stupid easy to make. I’ll walk you through everything then you can make it any time you want.”
Danny smiled back.
“It probably wouldn’t be as good.”
“Darn tootin’ it wouldn’t be as good! But it’ll tide you over until you get your scrawny behind back here for more!”
That smile he gave was bright and wonderful.
“Yes Grandma Ida.”
“Good boy. Now slam that down and we’ll get to work.”
CRACK
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Do not expect this length for the rest this one just spoke to me. Thanks Grandma Ida!
