necromanswers | Lup | IC Contact Page

Mm... sorry, babe, I can't do much to enhance food I've never had before. Haven't a clue what garula is.

[From that one context clue all she knows now is that it's presumably edible...]

Seafood I can handle, though.

[Most people might not agree but when you're friends with Ignis anything is edible.]

I will have to see about getting some upgrades then. Though I think catoblepas steaks would be a better option to start. Feels strange not having to slay the beasts to get their meat, though.

[He shrugs a little using the gesture to give her arm a little squeeze.]

Afraid I can't do anything about that feeling, but if you need help earning those upgrades, you've got no shortage of options.

[She winks, waggling her fingers- both to acknowledge the squeeze at her arm, and to bring attention to the fact that hey, they're doing that right now. How convenient.]

Actually, I might give some thought to that kind of thing myself. Transmutation is all well and good, but spell slots aren't infinite, and it'd be nice to get a taste of whatever counts as "home" these days.

[That playful waggle gets a raised brow, Cor's free hand reaching out to catch her hand. He pauses for a beat, almost precisely the span of a single step, drawing her hand up to kiss her knuckles before releasing her and falling back into the easy pace they'd set.]

What counts as home?

[He knows she has a wealth of experience and she's mentioned a number of different places or people but... he is curious, admittedly, about her home.]

[She blinks at the sudden grab, the faintest of pinks crossing her cheeks at his follow-up. Smooth, quite smooth. And he was unsure about how to do romance?]

Mm... I suppose Faerun is as close as it gets back in my planer system, but only because it's the longest we've ever stayed in the same place. I say home because "material plane where I temporarily exist" is too wordy.

[She tries to keep it light; they're on a nice date, and not everyone takes in in stride her sort of history, so she'd hate to ruin it.]

[It's... something Regis would do. That's entirely what this is.]

Ah yes, displaced Queen that you are. [A faint smirk, at least he has no troubles making fun of himself.]

But what feels like home? You've been so many places surely there's been somewhere that just... felt right.

Asking the heavy hitters today, huh?

[She doesn't sound bothered by it, though- and that impression carries through to the rest of her answer, even if the words might seem a little depressing.]

My whole life, home's never been a place. Been shuffled around too much, by circumstance, by the apocalypse... Taako's my heart and my home. Wherever he is, that's where I settle.

[Cor shrugs, looking a little sheepish. He doesn't mean them to be heavy questions. It would be casual conversation for most, or so he thought.]

I'm glad you're able to adapt like that. Many would feel lost without some sort of anchor. His Majesty has been that for me for many years.

[Family and Home both.]

[It's okay Cor, she gets it. The truth is they don't actually know that much about one another. Information doesn't magically share itself.]

Well, you know how it goes. Either you adapt or you die, most of the time. And I enjoy living quite a bit.

[Which might be ironic for her to say, but he doesn't have to know that part yet.]

Speaking more literally, though, it might be nice to cook with glowcaps again.

[He hums an agreement to that first part. Adaptation is a necessity of life, most certainly.]

Glowcaps? Is that a type of mushroom?

[Would it go well with gigantoad steaks? Clearly the most important question here.]

Yep. A kind of rare elven breed, useful stuff; finding them in caves is always a blessing. They act as torch, spell components, and conveniently, rations on the go. Cooking with them can give you a really cool, bioluminescent meal.

[And now she's envisioning a special at the cafe with them, ooh.]

Bio-luminescent risotto... that would certainly be interesting.

[It's too bad they're not something that would go into a desert. Glowing frosting or ice cream would be really neat.]

I can see you plotting already.

[Come on, Lup, come inside with him and tell him about your glow caps while he mourns the lack of funguar.]

Plotting, he says. As if my potato-beef gratin is some kind of foul deed.

[She's grinning as she follows him in, though. Don't tempt her! She can do all sorts of things with those mushrooms. How'd you like a glowing tongue, Cor?]

I never said plotting must be used for evil.

[She grins and he can't help an answering smile.

The house is largely one wide, open space so it's easy enough to lead her toward the kitchen, gesturing to one of the bar stools at the island for her to take a seat at.]

Do you mind chopping a few things for me to start with?

Not at all, put me to work.

[She removes her overcoat and hangs it up wherever is convenient, washing her hands before she sits. The seat she picks has her angled in a way that she can watch him as he works in the main area of the kitchen. If she's going to work for her dinner, might as well enjoy the show at the same time.]

[Cor does the same as her, jacket put aside, hands thoroughly washed, counter top wiped down again just in case. The trash can is slid over to sit next to the counter between them but still mostly out of the way. Then he's collecting the vegetable ingredients for her, onion, carrot, cabbage.]

Something of a crab salad base so... thin slices, matchstick if you can. [A pause and he chuckles to himself, shaking his head. Then he leans over enough to bump his shoulder lightly against hers. An apology without touching their freshly washed hands.]

Of course you can.

[Despite saying it is a crab dish it's not crab that he collects from the processor next but mussels. Compared to the show she's used to watching him shuck mussels is nothing but his motions in the kitchen are just as measured and precise as they are on the training field.]

Oh, good, I don't have to correct you now.

[She hums appreciatively and begins cutting, with the fine, precise chop-chop-chop sound and speed of a professional chef, working her way through the vegetables, separating each into tiny slivers as he'd requested.]

Haven't had crab for a while. We didn't often live close enough to the sea for it.

Insomnia is on a peninsula so we had an abundance of it.

[Had, past tense. Still they've spent plenty of time along the coast in the years since the fall. It might not be as common in the Night but it is still an occasional treat.]

I miss being on the water. Noctis and Regis both adore fishing too so it was a rare excursion but always a treat when we could sneak out and catch our meals.

[Mussels seasoned and in the oven to bake, next is the dressing... Though with how fast she chops he is definitely not going to be done with the rest of the prep before she's done.]

[That's okay Cor, if she finishes early it just gives her more time to enjoy the view.]

We're definitely lacking in quality beaches around here. The VR's a nice sentiment, but it can't match the real thing. Plus I've got nowhere to show off a bikini.

[You can't even sunbathe when there's no real sun, gosh.]

Taako likes fishing too, actually.

The VR... unnerves me, honestly.

[He has the sense to look a little sheepish at that. It's foolish and paranoid but he can't help it.]

Being unaware of one's physical body like that...

[Coconut milk, lime juice, orange zest, coriander, a sprinkle of crushed red pepper.]

How spicy do you like things? [Because if she can handle the heat he has a chile pepper here for mincing~]

Can't say I use it much, myself. If I need to lose my head in illusionary fantasies, I've got spells for that. Though there are also protection spells to get around the paranoia.

[That reminds her of another spell component she really needs to keep an eye out for... maybe Cor would enjoy the mansion.]

Spice it up as much as you like, I'll bet anything that I can handle it.

[A boast like that would be a challenge from... nearly anyone else. But Cor has learned to trust Lup at her word. So. Minced chili pepper it is. And then crab meat which is one of the simpler ingredients to get from the replicator. Even if the texture is still off ever so slightly. He's tried to explain it to the locals a few times, with little success.]

Protection spells, that would be good. The one time I did it Will had Arche lay on me and Arete was nearby just in case, as well.

[A slight head tilt, considering...]

So this magic you use... is that for the final dish or for certain ingredients.

[Cause this crab meat hmmm]

If you ever feel the inclination, hit me up. We've got options.

[She gives a thoughtful hum, sliding over the first set of vegetables to work on the next.]

It can go either way. I don't have unlimited spell slots, so our recipes tend to be a combination of transmutation and cantrips. Main ingredients get transmuted, minor ingredients are adapted for taste alone. [She pauses, then winks.] That's a trade secret, so don't spread it around.

[He will definitely keep the offer in mind. Protection spells would be very useful. As would... whatever the hell else she was talking about.]

I barely understood what you said so I'm certain your secrets are safe. [He chuckles, shaking his head a little as he rounds the counter, setting the bowl of crab meat in front of her and keeping the sauce near at hand.]

Do you want to spell the crab itself or should I go ahead and mix everything first. That's all this comes down to.

[Cor can't help chuckling a little bit. She gives him more credit than he deserves, his understanding of her spellwork is minimal at best. ]

[She grins, laughing lightly - after all that sword training, finally she gets to be the master of her own field and show him up - and brushes the vegetable flakes off her fingers, reaching into the bowl to press her hands lightly against the synthetic meat. There's a gentle flare of arcane energy, and seconds later her hands lift up to reveal a bowl of similar, but distinctly more authentic-looking crab.]

Bam, it is done. It's easier with individual ingredients like this, for future reference. Trying to reassemble the matter of multiple different things just tends to make one big mush. Great for smoothies! Not so much for salad.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject