Inktober prompt day 25: tasty.

"How is this supposed to work?" Asked Aleksander, now more or less reacquainted with modern society. Alina, holding a bowl as she stared at the Buzzfeed Tasty Shu Han video on her cellphone screen.

"It's not." Alina replied, mixing in the pancake mix and the eggs. "Can you pass me the cocoa powder?"

He did. She thanked him, and he kept looking at her, grey eyes analyzing every point of her modest kitchen. If he was trying to find an escape, tough shit.

Alina had found Aleksander a few days ago, living as a hermit in a cave while she hiked. They had had a stare down for what seemed like a small eternity, Alina had blinded and bounded him, and then dragged him to her apartment. He wasn't a prisoner, per se, but he also couldn't work out the electronic door, so he was stuck inside like an angry outdoor cat who had gotten trapped in a cage. After a bath, a change of clothes and a small case of identity theft, Aleksander was back to the modern era.

"So you're supposed to mix those and it'll result in… that?" He pointed at her mobile, the screen looping the video infinitely, showing the person pouring the batter on their rice cooker. Supposedly, those were supposed to become huge. Alina could barely wait until it didn't go right. "How?"

"I have absolutely no idea." Alina replied, cheery, and he kept staring. "What?"

"How can you live like this?" He gestured to her kitchen, white and blue and gold. Alina cocked her head. "Powerless. In the shadows. You once were the most powerful Summoner and queen alive. What happened to that?"

"So you kept up with my exploits while playing dead? Gee, I'm grateful." Sarcasm dripped out of her every word, but he did not wince. Alina, in turn, kept mixing the batter until it smoothed out. "You knew I didn't like being in the center of attentions. I'd rather live like this than be a queen again."

"Did your little fox know that, too?"

Alina ignored him, instead monitoring the video. She sent a small, threatening light aura around her, and eyed him through half-lidded eyes.

"Keep Nikolai's name out of your mouth, and I won't do anything harsh." Alina said, low and dangerous, and Aleksander smirked, the bastard. She turned off the light surrounding herself; if the neighbors saw, that would be hard to explain. "Ugh. Besides, grabbing power nowadays isn't as easy as before. Do you know how many layers of bureaucracy they've added since you've last been around, Aleksander?"

"No, but I'm willing to wager that I can win." Alina poured the batter on her rice cooker, following the video's instructions to program it. She giggled when Aleksander jumped slightly after the machine hummed its song, and he blushed, although Alina was sure that, if she pointed out, he'd deny vehemently.

"Sure you will, and I'll make sure to take you down." Alina set the bowl aside, putting it on the sink for later. She turned to face Aleksander, expecting him to be halfway through the kitchen, and instead finding him too close for comfort. "I'll make sure of that."

He licked his lips.

"I'd love to see you try, my Sun Summoner." He muttered, close, too close, but Alina wasn't that little girl from thousands of years ago. He probably expected her to blush and stammer; instead, she kissed him, his surprise a welcome addition to the kiss. Alina chuckled to herself; she didn't know Aleksander still could be surprised.

When they separated, Alina smiled at him, innocently.

"Now, how about you help me wash those dishes and we wait for this pancake to cook?" She hummed, and he looked at the rice cooker as if it were a bomb.

"I'm still not sure how that is supposed to work."

"I already told you it won't."