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On a floured surface, roll dough to fit a 9-in. deep-dish pie plate. Trim and flute edge. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°. For filling, mix brown sugar, molasses, egg, flour and baking soda. Gradually stir in boiling water; cool completely.

Line unpricked crust with a double thickness of foil. Fill with pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice. Bake on a lower oven rack 15 minutes. Remove foil and pie weights; brush crust with egg yolk. Bake 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven setting to 350°.

In another bowl, whisk together first four topping ingredients. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add filling to crust; sprinkle with topping. Cover edge of pie with foil

I don't think this was meant for me.

But wait.

What's molasses? And 425 what? Where does one get brown sugar?

[ Baking skills are basic. But this does sound like a basic pie! Gaia could possibly handle this! ]

Oh! Oops, I'm so sorry. Well, now you have the directions without the ingredients. That may not even be all the directions, my Omni is definitely doing its own thing.

425 degrees in Fahrenheit; brown sugar I've always just gotten at the market but it's a different way of processing sugar and molasses is the viscous fluid that comes from refining sugar. So put sugarcane in hot water, put it to a boil and mash it around, then strain it with something very fine ... you have sugar crystals in the strainer and molasses in your dish.

I think it can just be purchased in Trench though.

You're not the only one that's having trouble with their omni. But it's alright.

I'll just have to hope to find that in the market. I've learned how to cook, but I wouldn't say I'm great at it.

I really haven't a clue what you're talking about with 'fahrenheit'. Other than some type of heat. Do you use a device to measure it? I've only a wood oven though I've heard there are ones that run on lunar power.

There is a farmer down the road that bakes pies. I suppose I could ask them.

I also have honey. Could that be used to substitute for the molasses? Because they're both sweet and thick?

That's a god substitution! You're a natural. I'm not sure how it would taste, but honey would certainly work.

And oh, yes, I'm sorry, it's a temperature! 425 degrees Fahrenheit is a measurement of temperature, where water boils at 220 degrees and freezes at 32. I know those numbers seem somewhat arbitrary, I'm not sure how they were decided.

I keep wondering if I should make soup for the Tower, because the Tower's illness is causing the Omni weirdness maybe, but do pthumerians even eat?

Hah! I wouldn't go that far.

[ Secretly she's pleased. What teenager wouldn't have some happiness at being called a genuis? ]

I suppose you can say that about any scale. I had a horrible time remembering all the names of the different moons here.

Er. Months.

[ There's a short pause. Gaia needs to jot down notes about what she's just been told so she can reference it later. ]

Er. Hm. I suppose they might in some way. I mean everything living has to sustain themselves? The question is whether or not the Tower would benefit from human food.

[ Given there's a whole group of zealots feeding peoples' blood, pain and misery to the Tower thinking it's going to help, Gaia also adds some honesty to that. ]

I suppose you can attempt to communicate with another Pthumerian that might be receptive to helping. I tend to avoid them. And there are people of Trench who might know if this happens around this time of year. I haven't been here quite a year yet so I don't know.

[ There's definitely a hint of reluctance to have much to do with Pthumerians in the way she phrases her words. Even if she is trying to be insightful. ]

People will understand what you mean when you say 'moons' as a unit of time, though. That was true where I come from as well: months was the proper language, but moons made sense.

I have yet to actually speak to a Pthumerian, I'm pretty sure the one who chose me would make me play a game of some kind to win the audience. I'd also probably lose the game, but it might be fun to try. Or extremely daunting. Or super dangerous.

Haven't been here a year either, but the months I have been ... it's been a nice change from home, at least. I hope it's been kind to you as well?

Edited 2022-12-01 02:57 (UTC)

Sorry, I meant the actual names of them here. November and May and July and all that.

Ugh. The Moss King? I remember that moon.

[ The living board game, the carnival prizes out of peoples' possessions. ]

If you can't appeal to another patron yourself, then maybe you can find someone to help reach out. Madam Generosity doesn't seem so bad.

Hm. It's... I wouldn't say it's been pleasant. But I have made a place for myself. And I've met some people who are nice enough. There's someone from my world here now, so I have someone who can relate to where I'm from. That makes it a little easier.

I'm sorry your home life had been bad enough that this was a nice change. I can't imagine what that's like.

[ This coming from someone who lives in a world only recently on the path of recovering from being swallowed by a stasis of eternal Light and still at risk from dangerous life-force hungry beings that were once people. ]

I guess what's important is that you can adapt. Were things really bad on your world?

That's the one. He's a little more ... intense on the games and gambling than I would ever be, but I guess he likes me anyway.

My home life was pretty bad for a while—but it was mostly like that for me, not everyone, though I guess things weren't exactly awesome, either. I worked as a consultant to solve some murders (mostly against my will, though they paid me well), and got targeted by a few killers, but also had people trying to study my magic while I was learning to control it, blah blah blah. But. Extreme poverty and climate change were happening too, so I can't say it was not bad for everyone.

It's good to have friends, I think. People being able to connect makes this place better for everyone to some extent. I'm sorry it hasn't been pleasant for you though.

That... sounds like a lot. All that, the murders, the killers and people trying to study you. That all happened at once? I could certain see why you'd want to have an escape.

[ Maybe the solving murders and getting paid well wouldn't be so bad. But Gaia flinches on her end, thinking of being put under a microscope while dealing with everything else. ]

Thank you. I'm probably complaining more than I ought. I have been fortunate about avoiding Beasthood and not all the times are bad.

Oh, I'm Gaia by the way. I suppose I should have introduced myself earlier.

[ Username matches real name. But Gaia hadn't seen any reason to not identify as herself when she got here. ]

I'm Sarah! I forget to give my name to new people on a near-daily basis, I swear it. It's so easy to ... not remember. I can talk about so much without getting around to that.

It did happen all at once, but it was manageable. I'd rather be in Trench making pie. It's always fine to complain to me, though, I like to think I'm a good listener.

I suppose there's something to be said about having a lot to talk about without ever needing to know someone. Well it's nice to meet you, Sarah.

If you'd rather be in Trench doing anything, I'd have to wonder if it was really manageable. I guess I can't really say much on the matter though.

[ Gaia can't call her experiences before Trench any more manageable than what Sarah mentioned after all. ]

It's nothing huge. Just there's been a couple of people from my world before but they weren't around long before returning to the sea. Nara'a's been around a few months now but I'm always wondering if I'm going to wake one day and find him gone as well.

Doesn't help that he's the type that tends to run off and help with every fetch and carry task or world ending calamity people present to him.

That is ... a good point, I guess.

There are worlds worse than Trench, though. I've seen at least one of them. I'm perfectly content to remain here rather than go to that place at the very least. Going to the sea, that's maybe someday. Going back to where I called home before here, I don't feel the desire, even if I'm not sure I belong here, yet.

I talk a lot when it's not face to face and I forget to have my guard on and my Omni is sending other people pieces of my pie recipes. I think my funny little guy of an Omen is trying to get me to make new friends.

Worse than Trench. Ugh, even the thought gives me chills. Sorry to hear you experienced that.

[ She's not sure she can imagine. Certainly doesn't want to. ]

It's weird, thinking of the world I came from but feeling like I belong here. Or that it's natural somehow. Though I'm not really sure what I don't like about the strangeness if I'm to be honest.

[ Hard to say if it's weird thinking there was a place before or weird because it feels natural to be here when she knows there was a place before. Gaia is sure she doesn't like the strangeness of the feeling regardless of the root. ]

When you say guard, do you mean when you're not consciously wary about talking too much? I feel like I've been caught out a few times like that. Especially with these Omnis. Even when I feel like it's better to talk in person, I still find myself getting drawn into conversations occasionally on the network.

Perhaps it's something about this method. I've heard other people think networks like these are normal but it's not something my world had.

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you wanted this recipe, right? | text misfire | un: inocciduous

who wouldn't want molasses pie!

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