Cooking in the Kitchen

“Here.”

A metal wheel is pushed into Krvavy’s hands. She nods her thanks and wordlessly raises it up. Just a couple points of mana, stone shifting to her will, sees that thing secured in place. A quick, testing flick sends it smoothly spinning. Just as it is meant to.

“That was the last one. You’ve done a great job.” A faint smile graces Inanna’s lips, copper-orange eyes looking over the work that has been done. “All that is needed now is to feed the rope through the pulleys and to attach the lifting platform.”

“So I guess that means we’re done for today, huh?” Krvavy idly rolls her sore shoulders, heart fluttering just a bit as she meets that grey-skinned shortstack’s affectionate gaze. “I’m sure Thea would just love it if I went straight to putting the last finishing touches on her balcony, but that can wait a little longer. I think we’ve earned a break~.”

The Dwarf quirks her thick brow as that Drakling, crouched down to a height not quite equal to her own, reaches over and carefully cups her chin. “Mm. Do you now?” She calmly asks, her normally neutral tone tinged with a hint of amusement. “Even after everything that we did yesterday? Was it not enough for you have fucked me so thoroughly, with Khalia’s aid? Was it not enough to be forcibly ridden into unconsciousness by that frustrated and pent up Were-Beast, after it was clear that I could take no more?”

“Huh. Didn’t realize you were really paying attention to that last part. I mean... I hardly remember it...” Strands of crimson hair sway side to side as the Drakling softly shakes her head. “Anyway... All of that was enough. Emphasis on the ‘was’~.” Krvavy cheekily responds, leaning further and further towards that serious shortstack, the threat of a kiss so close at hand. “But that was all yesterday. New day, new lust. I am more than ready to spend some more personal time with you~.”

“Of that I have no doubt.” Inanna calmly states, remaining composed even as a black-scaled thumb gently teases at her dark-grey lips. “But your insatiable appetite was never in question. Can your body physically withstand your desires and your demands?” A tinge of concern underlines that question. “You haven’t fully recovered from Khalia’s ‘vengeance’: even I can tell that you still ache from trying to satisfy her hunger. Though I doubt that you have learned your lesson. It is only a matter of time until you subject her to such sexual torment once more, I would reckon.”

“Don’t you worry about me. I can handle a whole lot more than that~.” The Drakling’s nose softly bumps against Inanna’s own, the tip of her tongue flicking out to teasingly touch her prize. “Besides... we don’t need to go crazy~. It can just be a nice and relaxed break~. Some cuddling, a bit of groping, probably maybe a whole lot of rubbing~... Doesn’t that sound enticing~?”

Smooth, stone-grey skin brushes against the barbarian’s other palm as it slowly climbs the curve of a rather thick thigh. Those fingers gently grab at the perfect handle that is this Dwarf’s hip and –

“Oh!” That pleasantly surprised sound echoes across the kitchen. “Ah’m not interruptin’ anythin’, Ah’m Ah~?”

“Mm. Perhaps if you had arrived a few minutes later.” The Dwarf calmly replies, her copper-orange eyes twinkling with amusement as she steps back from her barbaric lover. “But as it is... no. You are not interrupting anything.”

Krvavy stifles a deep sigh as she gives Inanna’s lips one last gentle poke with her thumb before reluctantly letting that hand drop away. “Is the rope ready?”

“Not quite, my dearest love.” An apologetic smile plays at the Wood Elf’s lips as she gives that unfortunate answer. “Wit’ ‘ow long it ‘as ta be, it’ll still take quite a while until it is finished. And Ah’ll probably need ya ta carry it up ‘ere when the time comes. Wouldn’t ‘urt if Khalia ‘elped wit’ tha’ too... Ach, Ah probably should ‘ave started braidin’ it up ‘ere in the first place. It is already gettin’ pretty ‘eavy...”

“Would it be possible to simply secure one end to an arrow and send it flying up from the grotto?” Inanna idly wonders, her mostly emotionless tone sounding slightly thoughtful. “Or would the weight and resistance be too great?”

“Ah... Ah suppose it wouldn’t ‘urt ta give tha’ a try...? But the rope is pretty thick, so...” The tomboyish Elf shrugs and lets that thought trail off. “But Ah didn’t come up ‘ere fer tha’.” Beryl’s long stride swiftly brings her right to the ‘H’ shaped island in the center of this kitchen. She lifts up a woven basket full of vegetables, holding it high enough for both Drakling and Dwarf to see, before casually placing it down atop that counter. “Do either o’ ya know wha’ time o’ the year it is?”

“Nope.” Krvavy immediately replies. “Not at all. But I could try making a guess, if you’d like?”

Inanna glances at the Drakling, who has yet to stand back up. “It is the middle of summer.” She plainly states.

“Aye, indeed. In a literal sense too. It is nearly the solstice.” The faintest wiggle of excitement can be seen in that Elf’s long and pointed ears. “So ‘ow do ya feel about usin’ tha’ as an excuse ta ‘ave a little celebration? Nothin’ crazy, just a nice meal tha’ we can ‘ave together.”

“Mm... I would not be against that, but...” Inanna’s thick black brow furrows together. “How exactly would this ‘celebration’ be any different from our usual... dinner, I would presume?”

“We’d make it a good and proper feast!” The tanned tomboy dramatically declares, holding her arms up and out to sides, briefly striking a bit of a pose. “We’ll make lots o’ food and be much more creative too, sharin’ recipes tha’ we ‘aven’t tried before!” She leans forward, hands pressing into the smooth countertop. “It’ll be fun, aye? So... ‘ow about it?”

“Sure.” Krvavy nods, pale lips spreading wide as she meets her sweet berry’s loving gaze. “It sounds like a great idea~.”

“Wonderful~!” Beryl brightly beams, her blue-green eyes shimmering with joy. “But Ah can’t take all o’ the credit fer this. Or really any o’ it. This was Adeline’s idea. Not tha’ the girl’d actually ask fer something like this.” Idly, the Elf begins to unload her woven basket. “See, Ah was talkin’ ta ‘er earlier and... well, Ah don’t really remember ‘ow we got onta the topic, but she mentioned tha’ ‘er people would be celebratin’ the ‘Midyear’ around now. And while we can’t exactly ‘ave a whole week o’ festivities, like she’d be used ta, we can ‘ave a feast.”

“Mm.” Inanna slowly nods. “This will be a great chance for Adeline to really get used to the kitchen.”

“It’ll be a good chance fer all o’ us ta get used ta it.” Beryl corrects that Dwarf. “We can’t make Adeline do everythin’ on her own. We’ll all be chippin’ in, in one way or another.”

“We’ll definitely need to get more meat...” Krvavy absently comments, already imagining all of the food that they’ll make.

“Aye, Ah’ll ‘andle tha’.” The Wood Elf’s smile grows wider as she sees the hint of hunger creeping onto Krvavy’s face. “Ah should be able ta get wha’ we need in just a few hours. And Ah think tha’ Ah’ll even bring Khalia along ta get ‘er out o’ yer ‘air.”

“Oh,” the barbarian blinks in surprise, “so we’re doing this now? As in today?”

“Aye again, my dearest love~.” Soft, teasing laughter accompanies that confirmation. “It’s still pretty early in the mornin’, so we’ll ‘ave plenty o’ time ta get everythin’ ready fer a nice dinnertime feast~.”

“Mm. We may need some way to ensure that the food does not cool down before it is to be eaten...” Inanna idly muses, glancing over to the dining room and her workshop far on the other side of the cave. “I should have enough time...”

“Well, my dearest love, Ah’ve got ta go get ready fer a ‘unt.” Beryl glances in the direction of that distracted Dwarf, a teasing twinkle dancing around in her blue-green eyes. “It’d be a shame ta leave ya alone, so why don’t ya try wranglin’ Thea inta ‘elpin’~? The both o’ ya could ‘elp Adeline pick out ingredients in the garden, or at the very least ‘elp ‘er carry them all up.”

“Right, sounds like a plan.” Krvavy steps towards her Elf, leaning in and giving that tanned tomboy a quick, loving kiss. “Now go on,” she gently slaps Beryl’s bare butt, giving the firm flesh of those toned cheeks a nice squeeze. “If you’re going to be hunting with Khalia of all people, then you can’t afford to waste any time~.”

“Ach, my dearest love,” the Elf playfully scoffs, pulling away from her Draconic lover. “Ah don’t need ta get as close ta my prey as ya do yers. She’ll ‘ardly get the chance ta scare anythin’ away before they’re struck down by my ah’rows~.”

“Don’t underestimate how loud she can be~!” Warm laughter underlines that shout, a wry smile tugging at the corners of Krvavy’s lips as she watches Beryl leave the room. “And you,” she turns her attention back towards the Dwarf, squatting down in front of that significantly shorter woman once more. Her fingers gently caress Inanna’s cheek, drawing the shortstack from her thoughts, before greedily claiming another kiss. One that is, unfortunately, quite brief. “Looks like you got exactly what you wanted. But don’t think that you’ve ‘won’. We will have our break later, when I’m ‘fully recovered’. A little change of plans isn’t enough to keep me away from my beloved Dwarf~.”

The faintest bit of colour finds its way onto Inanna’s face. “I can hardly wait.” She simply states, her normally neutral tone tainted with anticipation. “But wait we must, my Ushumgal. Such a shame too. I had a wonderful idea for how we may have ‘relaxed’ together~.”

“Tsk.” The Drakling exaggeratedly clicks her long tongue, dropping her hands down to grope at the completely exposed tits that have been taunting and tempting her this whole time. “More ideas? Trying to get me all worked up, are you~? Well, I can’t deny that it’s working~. So you should get going before we end up wasting more time~.”

“Mm...” Inanna takes a moment to just enjoy that molesting massage, the puffy peaks of her massive mountains softly squeezed and pinched between strong fingers, her vast areola kneaded with tender care. “Right you are, my Ushumgal.” She slowly exhales, gently brushing away the barbarian’s hands. “My workshop awaits me.”

Krvavy’s knuckles sink into a lump of floury dough, kneading it into a more malleable state. Idly, she glances at the Halfling diligently working away by her side. “You’re looking quite happy~.”

Adeline freezes, her fur-tipped tail tightening its coiled grip around the Drakling’s much meatier one. “Eeeee...” That timid girl makes a soft squeaking sound as she slowly exhales, shuffling slightly as she stands atop a stable stepping stool.

“Ugh, do not distract the rabbit.” Thea groans from across the kitchen. “She is the only one of us who is any good at cooking.”

“Yeah, but we’re not exactly cooking right now.” Krvavy returns, smiling as she meets her feisty fiancée’s glaring gaze. “We’re still getting everything ready for when we actually start cooking.”

“Which is still part of the process!” That silver-blonde brat declares, pointing her small knife in the Drakling’s direction. “So stop distracting her!”

“If she was handling a knife, which I’m still not sure you should be, then I would leave her completely alone. But she’s just kneading dough.”

“Hmph!” Thea huffs and returns to carefully cutting some carrots into small diced chunks. “What are we even supposed to be making?” She asks after only a few seconds of relative silence.

Krvavy wants to tease her brat for being a little hypocrite, but Thea is asking a good question.

“T-tid-tiddly og-oggies!” Adeline suddenly blurts out.

Thea completely stops what she is doing, turning to stare across the kitchen with narrowed eyes. “What?”

“I-I-I... I’mstartingwithtid– withoggies!” The bunny-mouse girl hastily explains, spewing out words at a near incomprehensible speed.

“Just... speak like a normal person...” The bratty girl slowly sighs.

The Halfling takes a few deep breaths before trying again. “O-og-oggies! I-I am st-start-ing with s-small oggies! Tid-tiddy an-and herbies! Th-they woul-wouldn’t be tiddly wi-without b-b-beef!”

The corner of Thea’s eye twitches. “That does not help in the slightest!” She heatedly hisses back.

Adeline flinches, whimpering just a little as she shrinks into herself.

“What’s an oggie?” Krvavy gently asks, shooting an unhappy look at her fiancée.

“I-I-it... it’s a-a p-pas-pasty...” The bunny-mouse girl nervously answers, squeezing down on the mound of slightly greasy dough in front of her. “T-ti-tiddy ones ha-have ext-extra p-p-potatoes. H-herbies hav-have herbs l-like p-par-parsley, ch-chives, and cow-cowleeks a-all mixed w-with clot-clotted cream, b-but... ch-cheese w-w-will h-ha-have t-to do in-instead...”

“Can’t say I’ve ever had anything like that before.” Krvavy shrugs her shoulders as she makes that honest admission.

“R-really...?”

“Inanna filled you in on my past, right? Sorry that I didn’t do that myself, but... You’re handling that weird info rather well.” The Drakling idly shakes her head. “Anyway, yeah, I’ve barely had anything that could really be called a ‘pastry’, and they were always sugary dessert things. Not actual food.”

“Wh-what d-d-did you e-eat th-the-then?” Adeline shuffles nervously atop her stool, quickly turning her gaze down towards the dough to avoid looking Krvavy in the eyes.

“Mostly just cheap processed junk.” The Drakling replies with a shrug. She doesn’t like thinking about her past life as Leanna, let alone talking about it, but she wants to coax Adeline into feeling a bit more relaxed and comfortable. So if she has to talk about this, then she will. “Things that really only needed to be heated up before they could be eaten. Quick and simple, but not very good by really any means.”

The bunny-mouse girl doesn’t seem to know what to say to that, so she just stares down at the mound of dough in front of her.

“I’ve been eating a lot better since I got here.” Krvavy continues, resisting the urge to reach out and pat the Halfling’s head with her floury hand. “Which is kind of funny, really. We don’t really have much variety here, though the garden has been helping with that, while back there... Well, there were a lot more options to choose from, at least when it came to flavours. But I was fine with just eating the same few meals over and over again. It was safer than feeling like I’d wasted money if I tried something that I really didn’t like.”

The soft tuft of fluff at the tip of Adeline’s tail gently brushes across the black scales lining the top of the Drakling’s much meatier one. “I-I-I h-hope y-y-y-you en-enjoy th-the f-f-fo-food th-that w-we m-make t-toda-today...!”

“Oh, I definitely will.” Krvavy reassures the adorable, tiny, and timid blonde. “Everything that I’ve had in this world, even the most basic and bland stuff, has been better than what I used to eat. I really don’t miss the constant taste of chemical preservatives...”

A fairly comfortable silence blankets the kitchen as Krvavy trails off, disturbed only by the sound of Thea’s knife clicking down onto her cutting board.

But, of course, the quiet doesn’t last forever. It doesn’t even last for all that long, as the silver-blonde brat’s growing boredom forces her to try to get a conversation going. “What else are we going to be cooking beyond... beyond those ridiculously named pasties?”

Adeline abruptly freezes, stopping partway through shaping the crust of one such pastie. “I-I-I... C-cott-cottage pie a-and... h-ho-hogg-hoggan...” She nervously states, clearly expecting to get ridiculed over the second things silly name.

“And what are those?” The barbarian asks before her brat can say a word.

“Cott-cottage pie is... mince w-with ma-mash and p-peas on t-t-t-top.” The Halfling takes a deep breath as she resumes her work. “A-and ho-hoggans are... fl-flatbr-bread buns w-with meat and veg-veggie fil-fillings.”

“Oh, so that is why you had me make a different kind of dough than what you’re working with...” Krvavy idly muses, looking at the floury lump on the counter in front of her. “Which I’m pretty sure is about as kneaded as it can be.”

“Hmph!” Thea’s huffed sigh is sharp enough to make Adeline flinch. Again. “So our ‘feast’ has a grand total of three dishes?”

“I’m sure that there will be more than that.” The Drakling shakes her head and glances at her fiancée, a slight bit of disappointment in her emerald eyes. “But if you’re going to complain, then why don’t you try making some stuff as well?”

“I am not a chef.” The noble girl curtly returns. “And even if I was, we are limited by time and ingredients. We can not make anything that would need hours to prepare and even more time to settle, like kholodets, or anything that is simple but requires something that we do not have, like a proper vinegret.”

Krvavy quirks her brow. “So you don’t even have any suggestions? None at all?”

“Ugh, fine.” Thea rolls her eyes and places down her knife. “We should be able to make some cutlets, depending on just kind of meat what the Elf brings back. We could probably make some holubtsi as well, though I do not know how to roll them properly. Pirozhki are also an option. And if we are going to have even more bread, then we might as well have something to dip it in. Borscht, maybe? It is different enough from our usual stews. There, happy now?”

“W-what ab-about y-you?” Adeline abruptly asks, catching Krvavy off guard. “I-is th-there a-an-any-anything that y-y-you w-want to m-make?”

The Drakling immediately opens her mouth, but stops just short of saying no. Something about the Halfling’s big hazel-brown eyes gently staring at her with genuine interest makes her take a moment to actually think. “Uh... Maybe pizza?” She uncertainly shrugs out.

“And just what is that?” The bratty girl asks in a decidedly non-bratty tone.

“It’s... I suppose that it is technically a pie.” Krvavy gently bites the inside of her cheek. “Pretty much just disk of dough covered with tomato sauce, cheese, meat, and really anything that you could think to put on it. We do have tomatoes, right?”

“Y-yes!” The tiny blonde quickly nods her head, looking rather happy with the Drakling’s suggestion. “H-how do you m-make the s-sauce?”

“I haven’t a clue.” Krvavy admits with a shrug. “I’ve never made a pizza before. I don’t think that I’ve ever even ‘cooked’ a ready-made one...”

Thea rolls her eyes. “I am sure that the rabbit can figure it out.” She dismissively states, carrying a bowl full of diced carrots across the kitchen and over to Adeline. “There. What is next?”

“P-p-po-pot-potat-toes!” The Halfling shakily stutters back, growing increasingly nervous with the grumpy brat standing so close to her. “P-peel th-the pot-po-potatoes!”

“I’m done with this dough, so I’ll handle that.” Krvavy quickly takes on that responsibility. Having to safely peel a bunch of potatoes might be a bit much for her little princess.

Thea nods, not bothered by that tedious task getting taken off her hands. “Do we have any cabbages?” She glances over to the countertop covered in the various produce grown down in the grotto garden. “We will need it for the holubtsi.”

“N-no-not y-yet...” Adeline shrinks slightly into herself as she mutters that response. “W-will l-lett-lettuce d-d-do...? O-or b-beet-beetroo-root lea-leaves...?”

“They’ll have to.” Krvavy gives her fiancée a pointed look as she rises from the short stool she had been sitting on, brushing her hands together in a futile attempt to get flour off of them.

“Yes, they will...” The silver-blonde noble girl gently sighs, already heading off across the kitchen.

“Oh, wow~!” Beryl can hardly contain her excitement as she crosses the threshold into the kitchen, ears wiggling and waggling away. “Ya three ‘ave done so much already~!”

“Of course,” Thea rolls her eyes as she mixes some chopped onions into a bowl of diced carrots, beets, and potatoes. “We have not been sitting around twiddling our thumbs for the hours that you have been gone.”

“Put tha’ down right ‘ere.” Beryl ignores that brat in favour of giving the Were-Beast following her an order, tapping a finger onto the empty counter off in the corner of the kitchen far away from everything else. “We’ve ‘ad a wonderful ‘unt!” The gutted carcass of a big sicklehorn sheep roughly thumps into that slab of polished stone... followed shortly thereafter by a similarly gutted goat. “Perhaps a bit too wonderful, really...”

“Yeah, that sure is a lot of meat.” The Drakling doesn’t even bother to mask her amusement, which only grows as she spots a couple hares hanging from Beryl’s belt and a bunch of birds dangling from Khalia’s loincloth.

“Aye, we ‘ad some good luck and got a bit carried away.” Beryl sounds just a little sheepish as she begins to unload those smaller carcasses. “These two probably would’a been enough on their own, but Ah wanted ta get a bit more variety. So ‘ere are two ‘ares, a single plump pheasant, a single grouse, and three quails. Everythin’ ‘as already been cleaned, wit’ all but the best organs tossed out, but not skinned or plucked yet.”

“Great!” Krvavy’s smile widens as she sees the joyful pride filling her precious puppy’s face. “We’ve been waiting on the meat for, well, quite a few of the dishes.” The barbarian tilts her head towards the island counter, which is covered in half prepared meals.

“Oh, but we ‘aven’t just brought back some meat!” That tanned tomboy straightens up, proudly puffing out her perky chest. “We also did a bit o’ foragin’,” she pulls a pouch off of her hip and holds it high. “We found some nice fresh mushrooms, ones tha’ are perfectly safe ta eat, and somethin’ even better! Khalia, if ya would?”

The Were-Beast’s shaggy tail excitedly wags behind her as she turns her body to the side, revealing a large log-like jug strapped to her back by some vines.

“What is in there?” Thea asks with a sigh, not caring for the Elf’s theatrics.

Unbothered by the brat’s attitude, Beryl carefully takes the crude jug off of Khalia’s back and places it onto a different counter than the one that the many carcasses are on. “Would ya care ta guess~?” She playfully asks, meeting Thea’s glare with a smile before deciding to be generous and freely give the answer away. “It is ‘oney!”

“H-honey!?” Adeline abruptly gasps, her big hazel-brown eyes going wide with excitement. Her cheeks redden a little as she shrinks into herself, embarrassed by that sudden outburst.

“Aye, but it’s not the best ‘oney, Ah’ll admit. It is a bit woody. And might ‘ave some bits in it. But it is still quite nice. Would ya like a taste?” A few vines holding onto the top of the log-like jug shift, unsealing its lid.

The Halfling hops off her stool and hurries across the kitchen, making it over just as Beryl dips a freshly grown spoon into the jug. “Mhhhmh~!” The tiny blonde happily moans as soon as the sugary liquid passes her lips, her tuft tipped tail twisting around the Elf’s legs.

“Glad tha’ it ‘as yer approval~!” Beryl gently laughs as she places the lid back into place, before sweeping her curious gaze across the various bits of food covering the kitchen island. “Looks like ya all’re makin’ quite a feast~.”

“Yup.” Krvavy makes sure the ‘p’ in that word pops as she idly stirs a pot of melting tomatoes. “And it isn’t all just Adeline’s recipes, even if she is still doing a lot of the work to actually make everything.”

“Oh? So both ya and Thea ‘ave added dishes o’ yer own?” Without looking, the Elf reaches behind her back and smacks Khalia’s paw-like hand away from one of the carcasses. “Ah can ‘ardly wait fer it all ta be ready, my dearest love~!”

“Do you want to make anything yourself?” The Drakling slightly twists a dial, lowering the stovetop’s temperature just a bit. “We have a lot already, but this is a feast, so it wouldn’t hurt to have a bit more to eat.”

“Ah’d love ta, Ah really would, but Ah don’t think tha’ there is really anthin’ tha’ Ah could add.” Beryl slowly sighs, looking a little disappointed with herself. “Most o’ the recipes tha’ Ah know are either borin’ but practical and convenient, or require ingredients tha’ we just don’t ‘ave.”

“That is a poor excuse.” Thea rolls her eyes at that. “We do not have everything needed for what I am trying to cook, but we are making do with what we have and substituting what we do not. Surely you could do the same?”

“Sadly, no. There are a lot o’ things tha’ grow only in my peoples’ ‘omeland and are very unique from wha’ ya’d find elsewhere in the world.” The Wood Elf turns back towards the carcass covered counter, pulling a thin knife from her belt. “And even the dishes tha’ require ingredients tha’ aren’t exclusive ta my people are still out o’ our reach. Would ya know ‘ow ta make stuffed mandrakes wit’ wha’ we ‘ave on ‘and?”

“Mandrakes?” The bratty girl’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise as she stares across the kitchen. “I thought those were... poisonous? And murderous.”

“Aye, they are. Though the more mundane ones are much safer. They don’t scream.” The corner of Beryl’s mouth curls upwards into a slight smile as she glances back at that brat. “But their poison isn’t too much o’ a trouble if ya can counteract it by stuffin’ ‘em wit’ just the right ‘erbs and berries. Makes them inta quite the delicious treat~.”

“Ugh, whatever...” Thea grumbles and pushes away the bowl that she was mixing her vinegret in. “Can you just get to cutting the meat already?”

“Sure, sure.” The tomboyish Elf idly returns, already skinning the sicklehorn sheep carcass. “Wha’ ‘ave ya been waitin’ on the most, my dearest love?”

“Me? Nothing specific.” Krvavy shrugs, smiling slightly as she sees her fiancée’s brow furrow for being passed over like that. “But Thea wanted to make some cutlets, so we could use whatever bird would work best for that.”

“Probably the grouse. It ‘as got quite a lot o’ meat on its breast.” Beryl replies after just a moments thought. “Khalia.” She sternly addresses the Were-Beast. “Pluck its feathers. And be careful ta not make a mess. We’re in a kitchen, remember.”

“C-can... c-c-can I-I h-have som-some mut-mutton...?” Adeline works up the nerve to quietly speak up.

“O’ course, sweetie~.” Beryl warmly smiles over at the tiny blonde. “But Ah should say tha’ it’ll probably be a bit more like venison than the mutton ya are used ta. This was a wild animal, after all.”

“Th-that’s ok-kay.”

The Elf extracts a good cut of meat from the sheep carcass, placing it onto a wooden tray that the Halfling brought over just in time. Her friendly expression grows a lot more stern as she turns back to the countertop to see Khalia trying to sneakily steal away a snack. Again.

“Oh, good. I’m not too late.” Inanna approaches just before Beryl can verbally scold the Were-Beast, pushing a cart laden with metal domes. “These are a bit crudely made, but should still sufficiently preserve the heat of anything that they are placed over.”

“You could have taken a bit more time.” Thea states, staring at a particularly lumpy looking dome. “We have hardly even started cooking.”

“Perhaps.” The Dwarf shrugs her shoulders as she stashes her cart over in a corner near the unfinished lift. “Though I would say that it is better to have these ready before they were truly needed. And I also wanted to have enough time to make some food myself.”

“Tha’ so?” Beryl cocks her head but otherwise remains focused on her work. “Ah’d’ve thought that we’d be missin’ the right ingredients ta make a proper Dwarven dish.”

“You would be right, for the most part.” The grey-skinned shortstack plainly states, making her way over to the sink so that she can wash her hands. “But that doesn’t mean that I cannot improvise. I want to give you all a taste of Dwarven cuisine, even if it ends up being a mere shadow of the true experience.”

“Would you look at that.” Thea snickers slightly, speaking in a rather bratty and almost mocking tone. “Our Dwarf is putting the Elf to shame.”

“Ach, girl.” Beryl clicks her tongue, playing up her annoyance just a bit. “If ya want me ta try cookin’ somethin’ tha’ badly, then Ah will, alright? Just don’t expect anythin’ too special.”

“I would never.” The silver-blonde brat smugly declares, standing around with nothing to do as she waits for the grouse to be plucked and cut apart.

“You might want to start with something that doesn’t need meat.” Krvavy offers a suggestion as Inanna climbs onto a stool and begins to look over the various ingredients that cover the countertop. “We have a bit of a waiting line forming.”