- “Alrighty~!” - Fauna lets out a loud huff and looks at the ingredients sorted on the kitchen table. She grabs a larger bowl and fills it with the warm water carefully, putting some of the yeast into it, then sliding it to the side and letting it activate. - “Snail, can you bring me that towel?” - Fauna points to a piece of cloth hanging off by the door.Snail stretches out and hops off the couch, then onto the door handle and bites onto the towel, pulling it off the hook with a few tugs. He then hops off the door handle with the cloth firmly in his muzzle and with a quick trot he hops over and onto the kitchen table, setting the cloth down in Fauna’s reach. - “There mew go!” - Snail plops his fluffy butt down on the table and licks his paw, only to then wipe his head with it.

From one of the compartments beneath the table, Fauna pulls out a wooden cylinder and unscrews the top revealing the salty insides. She grabs a big bowl from a different shelf under the table and puts it in front of her, pouring some of the water into it and adding some salt, bit by bit as to not add too much.Fauna then reaches over to the pack of flour she used to coat the paddle and throws a healthy amount into the bowl. With one hand she starts to gently mix the dough and salty water mix together while the other one reaches to grab a piece of the sourdough. With a smile, humming a gentle melody she throws the sourdough into to mix and begins kneading the dough. Snail follows suit, kneading the table with his paws.

She grabs the rim of the bowl and begins rotating it in place, while the other hand expertly navigates the rubbery dough, folding it onto itself and then pressing it down with her knuckles, rotating the bowl, folding it again only to press it down. After repeating the motion for a few more times. Fauna exhales while wiping her forehead with the hem of her dress. With a light smirk she then grabs some more flour into the bowl and continues her work, rotating the bowl, folding the dough and pressing it down, making sure to gather all the lose flour from the sides of the container.Snail is now pacing in front of Fauna, looking into the bowl with his curious peepers while she grabs the yeast from the warm water and puts it into the bowl with her free hand while continuing to knead the dough. Letting out a “Shuu…” every now and then, she continues her careful work, making sure that not a piece of flour is left on the side of the bowl.

Once satisfied, Fauna grabs the cloth piece and covers the now autolysing dough. She then cleans off her knead hand in the warm water, rubbing her reddish knuckles. - “Careful now. I’m about to open the oven.” - She boops Snail on the nose and using the iron rod opens the oven. The warm puff of air from inside the oven sends exudes the smell of floury produce that’s close to being done.- “Not yet~.” - Fauna closes the door and moves back to the dough. - “Bring me some butter please.” - Fauna uncovers the bowl and continues kneading. Snail meows and hops over the table and jumps under the cupboard, with a puff of condensation from the chilled compartment, he hops out and onto the table. Fauna grabs the stick of butter and sets it closer to the oven, while still in hands reach, letting it melt a little in the parchment.

For another couple of minutes, Fauna kneads the dough, carefully folding it, pressing down on it only to rotate the bowl and continue all over again. The smile never leaving her face and a the soft melody she hums permeates the kitchen along with the smell of freshly baked bread. She sets the kneaded bread to the side and grabs a different bowl of the same size. With a quick motion, Fauna uncovers the stick of butter and drags it along the bumpy surface of the fresh bowl before ultimately plopping the bread dough into it. She then dips the cloth in the warm water and wrings out the excess water and with a singe motion she covers the dough to let it rise.

- “And now the finished product~.” - Fauna pushes Snail’s butt with a giggle. He swipes his paw at her but misses, turns around and sits down, acting cool. She opens up the oven and nods. - “Done!” - With a spring in her step, Fauna hops over to the paddle and slides it under one bread loaf, carefully pulling it out. The shining, brown crust huffs and puffs, steaming up the area and filling it with a filling smell. After pulling out the rest, Fauna sets the paddle to the side and props her hands up on her hips, looking over her creation with big eyes. She wipes off a bead of sweat from her temple with her wrist before sliding off her apron and throwing it onto the cupboard.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Snail’s ears flick and he takes a look at Fauna. She looks at him, watching his tail swoosh back and forth. - “Hungry?” - She doesn’t need to say more, Snail lets out a loud “Meow!” in response and goes over to the edge of the table. Fauna grabs his food bowl and sets it in front of him, afterwards reaching into the small fridge set in the cupboard and pulls out a tuna fillet. The now drooling cat is licking his whiskers back while she cuts the fish into smaller pieces and then throws them into his food bowl. Like a starved lion, Snail submerges is entire head in the pile of fish that was prepared for him. After a short while of mleming sounds and purrs he surfaces with the largest piece pierced by his small but mighty fangs.

While Snail devours his food, Fauna takes a step aside and walks over back to the couch, flicking the Oven’s touch screen to turn the oven off. Afternoon sun shines through the windows, streaks of light pass through the still lingering cloud of flour that’s slowly dissipating throughout the house. Fauna sits down and leans back on the couch once more, slowly exhaling and decompressing on the soft cushions. The quiet munching of Snail, the smell of the freshly baked bread all permeate the room. Floury dust begins to coat the kitchen area while Fauna closes her eyes and leans back her head, taking a deep breath through her nose.

After a only a few minutes Snail finishes his meal, the room goes quiet except for the light snoring coming from Fauna. That’s his moment to strike! Snail quietly begins his mission to reach her lap. With the extreme effort of jumping onto the couch he makes it in the nick of time. He hops onto Fauna’s lap, kneads it a little to soften it up and with a content fur, curls up and purrs away into his own quiet slumber. But not all residents of this quiet estate were fast asleep.

With a loud honk, Fauna and Snail are roused from their nap. Still not entirely there, Fauna begins to get off the couch, Snail still half asleep holds on for dear life to her dress before ultimately falling off and shaking himself awake. Fauna opens the door, her eyes half open try to focus on the brown blob in front of her.- “Wakey wakey! I’ve arrived for the bread!” - Mumei sticks her finger into Fauna’s cheek and quickly pulls it off. - “You’re drooling!” - Fauna pops awake from Mumei’s words and quickly uses her wrist to wipe off the remnants of her sleep.

- “Sorry! The bread, come in!” - Fauna lightly slaps her cheeks and welcomes her guest inside. - “Coffee? Tea?” - Fauna offers and walks over to the counter where she left the three loafs of bread… or was it four? Fauna stands in front of the fresh bread, tapping her chin with a hum.- “No drink for me, I have to dash soon-ish if I want to make it into town before nightfall.” - Mumei hops onto one of the cupboards with her butt and bumps her feet on the shelves underneath lightly. Her brown coat turning a vibrant orange under the afternoon sun.

- “I’m missing one…” - Fauna leans over the bread, Mumei joins in and leans over Fauna from behind. - “I baked four, the smiley one is gone…hmmmm” - The two ladies look at the spot where the bread clearly once sat, drag marks and a set of tiny feet lead from it to the half open window. Mumei tilts her head while Snail hops on the cupboard and sniffs the tracks.- “You’re the cat, what pulled this heist?” - Mumei asks Snail, lightly pulling his ear. He looks at her with a grumble. - “I’m a house cat, I don’t hunt things. I’d probably die to a mouse if I tried catching it.” - Snail tries to bite Mumei’s hand but she quickly pulls it away. After missing his mark, Snail turns around and sits his butt down, acting like nothing happened.

Fauna leans up, bumping her back into Mumei’s chin who grabs onto it, letting out an “Ow!”. - “Sorry! I’m going to bag these up for you and not hold you up further, ok?” - Fauna grabs a wicker basket and puts the three loafs into it, covering them up with a piece of embroidered cloth. - “Just remember to bring it back next time.” - She hands the bread to Mumei who happily takes the basket over into her “capable” hands.

- “I will~! Let me know who stole your bread when you find out.” - Mumei begins to walk off towards the door. - “I’ll see you two later!” - And with that, the brown blob is out of the house, leaving Fauna and Snail with a mystery to solve.