Baking with the Kitchen Chronicles court
©ESR 2026

Storm stood at the stove with the calm confidence of a man who had made pancakes a hundred times before.

“I only need ten seconds.”

The Queen looked innocent.

Jaguar looked dignified.

Benny looked…orange.

Storm turned around to grab the maple syrup.

Ten seconds.

Exactly.

When he turned back…

“…”

He blinked once. Very slowly.

“Benny.”

The little orange cat looked up from the countertop. “…Yes?”

Storm followed the trail of batter.

Counter.

Cabinet.

Floor.

One suspicious paw.

Then…the ceiling.

“…How?”

Benny looked up too., “…I don’t know.”

Jaguar quietly observed, “It appears to have exploded.”

“I know it exploded.”

Storm pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m asking how.”

Benny thought for several seconds….“Umm…Physics?”

Storm sighed then noticed something else. 
Every spatula.

Every whisk.

Every measuring spoon.

Every bowl.

Every utensil.

Had been arranged in perfectly parallel rows.

The pancake batter itself…had somehow become…perfect circles.

Not approximately. Absolutely. Perfect.

Storm slowly turned toward Jaguar. “…Did you…”

Jaguar looked mildly offended,“The edges were uneven.”

“So…”

“I corrected them.”

“With what?”

Jaguar glanced meaningfully toward one claw. Storm stared. “You used your claw as a compass?”

“It was effective.”

Then…Storm smelled chocolate. He looked toward the skillet.

The Queen immediately stopped whistling.

Storm looked at the batter.

Then at her.

“…Love.”

“Yes?”

“Why…” He gently lifted one pancake. “…are there chocolate chips inside these?”

The Queen smiled sweetly. “I thought you might enjoy a surprise.”

“You put chocolate chips…in my perfectly plain pancakes.”

“They’re happier now.”

Storm looked at Jaguar. 

Jaguar looked at the pancake.“…She may be correct.”

Storm looked betrayed. “You too?”

Jaguar nodded solemnly, “They are more symmetrical with chocolate.”

Benny raised one paw, “I helped.”

Storm closed his eyes, “…Of course you did.”

“What do you mean?”

Storm pointed upward, “There is batter on my ceiling.”

Benny looked genuinely curious, “…Is that where pancakes come from?”

The Queen laughed so hard she had to lean against the counter.

Jaguar actually made a sound that could generously be described as a chuckle.

Storm looked around his kitchen.

Perfectly organized utensils.

Chocolate chip rebellion.

Ceiling batter.

One very smug Queen.

One very dignified Jaguar.

One orange disaster.

He sighed the sigh of a man who had fully accepted his fate.

“…Everyone.”, Three faces turned toward him,“…Out.”

The Queen grinned, “Even me?” 

Storm walked over. Wrapped an arm around her waist. Kissed her forehead.

“…Especially you.”

She giggled, “Worth it.”

“It usually is.”