✿ THE HOUSE ✿
Adra's house is a cozy stone cottage on the outskirts of Caissa, close enough to the sea that one can hear the breaking waves throughout the day.
This afternoon, there's light, cool rain falling intermittently, tapping in a rhythm at the windows and roof. Fortunately, the kitchen is warm, bright, and welcoming. Its counters and tables are covered with freshly prepared foods of all kinds, and there are plenty of chairs for visitors who might like to sit and relax.
A door from the kitchen leads out into the garden, which is not quite yet fully landscaped, but which boasts a promising array of flowers (orchids, roses, lilies, tulips, etc) and herbs. Adra's also cultivating strawberries, tomatoes, lettuce, and so on; the strawberries and cherries in particular are ripe for picking. Adra has strung enchanted, floating fairy lights all over the garden; they cast a soft, ethereal glow over the paths and carefully tended patches of greenery. At the garden's center, there's a clear pond filled with red and pink lotus blossoms.
Back inside, a visitor might like to rest in the den. There's a roaring fire in the hearth, and sitting near it for a short while offers a boost to the weary spirit. Soft, plush chairs and couches fill this room, making it ideal for lounging. The tables are covered with books borrowed somewhat indiscreetly from the library; they deal largely with the magic and history of Enprise.
Adjacent to the den is Adra's study. In here are half-empty bookshelves and antique rolling desk covered with neat stacks of papers, boxes of quills, and numerous pots of ink, each one in different, brilliant colors. His journal is somewhere here, too ...
Finally, down the hall one will find a half bathroom and, across from that, the door to the second bedroom--belonging to one Gilgamesh. The master bedroom, belonging to Adrasteius, is at the end of the hall. There's a full bath in there, but this room is definitively locked.
✿ THE SPREAD ✿
As usual, Adra's gone over the top in his preparations. For drinks, there's a sweet, refreshing punch; delicately pink and decorated with sprigs of flowers. There are pitchers of sparkling ice water, jugs of wine and spiced mead, and plenty of glasses to share.
Though Adra does not eat meat himself, he prepares it ably; there's a honey-glazed, roasted turkey in the center of the table, right beside a carving board heavy with seasoned, hand-carved slices of fresh beef. Red potatoes, bright with paprika and salt and glistening with pats of melting butter, are arranged in wedges around the turkey. There are woven baskets of steaming rolls, flaky and soft; platters of carrots and broccoli and asparagus; enormous bowls of belly-warming soup filled with thick wheat noodles, sliced egg, and shredded cabbage. At one end of the table, there's a plate of burgers, along with small dishes to fix them--bacon, crispy onions, sauteed mushrooms, and all the necessary condiments. He has plates of savory pies, filled with beef or pork or chicken; steamed and fried dumplings stuffed with meat and spring vegetables, plump and perfectly shaped.
The desserts are similarly extravagant: he has a plate of meticulously crafted flower and fruit cakes; some look like ripe, blushing peaches, others, he shaped into red orchids, lotus blossoms, or golden roses. He's made a chocolate tart so dark that its smooth, sugar-dusted surface shimmers reflectively in the overhead light. Cupcakes of all kinds are scattered here and there, as well as an extravagant, multi-tiered confection dripping with fudge sauce, encrusted with sliced strawberries and vibrantly colorful, fondant flower petals. There are loaves of warm banana bread; fruit tarts glittery with rainbow sugar crystals; and, under glass, an assortment of flavorful macarons baked to look like something plucked right from the starry sky.
But the most important thing about Adra's lavish banquet is this: all of the food is enchanted, laced with magic meant to inspire feelings of comfort and security. Eating it may conjure up familiar, welcome sensations or memories--nothing sorrowful or painful, and only as specific as you'd like. It could be something as simple as the feeling of a fuzzy blanket on a cold day, or as complex as a particular soothing memory. In all cases, the intended effect is meant to inspire calm and ease.
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I am the dough of my pie
That might not be the word a king would use to describe himself
screwing upgracing the kitchen with his presence, but Aisha can't help but smile at it. They do have a wager, after all. She won't fault him not not being prepared just yet, instead just peeking beside him at his latest attempt.Her smile is innocent, but her eyes are full of mirth.]
I've never tried making one of those.
[Apparently he hasn't either, but she's not going to be the one to say that.]
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Aisha, you were the certain someone in question. You can't be in here! Gilgamesh races to cover up everything he's done so far, which requires some pretty impressive arm reach, shaking his head from side to side furiously. Surprises should remain that way, and she's spoiling the whole thing by witnessing his culinary genius!
Or incredible lack thereof. Something just went up in smoke behind him, definitely.]
Damn cat! Get out of here, I'm making your dinner!
[See, at least he's honest about it. And maybe all the cuter, unintentionally so, in his frail attempts to shoo her away.]
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[Kitchen, she would have said, though it would have been wrong. But her bluster dies down a little at the thought of her dinner. Hey, she has a weakness. Everyone does. Aisha can't help but bounce on her toes a little, even if this looks like a trainwreck.
He still gets a good star for effort.]
Okay, okay... Where do you want me to wait? Or I could wash up around here, Aisha promises she won't peek.
[Unless she needs to help with the possible impending fire.]
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Fine, fine. I suppose since you're already stumbled onto the scene, you may as well stay.
[Truth be told, it didn't seem as though Aisha would be getting dinner out of this mess anytime soon. Staring at what he's done so far, or rather at what he's ruined, he's distinctly reminded that maybe, just maybe, he should've asked Adrasteius for help. Such was the plight of the stubborn King who tried to do everything on his own.
Gilgamesh starts cleaning up the counter. At least he's good at that much.]
I did not think undertaking a culinary challenge would prove so... taxing. I never imagined cooking to be so arduous an endeavor.
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That's what a challenge means, silly! Terran cooking is an art that has to be perfected with practice, from what Aisha's heard. Like magic.
I can't do either one, so you probably have me there.
[Eventually she knows she'll get it, even though her skills were laughable at the moment. Most likely it would be the same for Gilgamesh, so there was no need for him to be all down about it. This was pretty sweet, possibly moreso than if he'd succeeded right away.]
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[Almost anything. Kind of. Sort of. It's rare for Gilgamesh to feel regret, but looking over the mess he's made, and realizing Adrasteius would inevitably find out about it, has him hanging his head a bit more than usual. Still, he wasn't the sort of person to give up easily, and in this case, there's a backup plan.]
But perhaps I should consider a lesson or two. Solely for reminder's sake.
[Gilgamesh plunders the fridge, and... aha! There it is.]
I don't suppose your people consider themselves particularly astute chefs. I get the impression a slab of meat would do in most cases.
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[Does she believe it? It's hard to say, but Aisha doesn't sound mocking and seems to be content enough. She does bristle the slightest bit at his questioning, even if she gets why he'd think that.
Though she can't imagine a king would do much cooking for himself or anyone else.]
's not that, it's just that we don't make things so complicated. It does take practice, but I actually know something about Ctarl cooking. It would just be hard to find ingredients here, plus apparently humans can't eat it without getting sick.
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If you do not wish me to mistake your culture, then you must tell me more about it.
[Gilgamesh grabs the item in question from the fridge and goes to fetch a pair of spoons.]
I am an expert on humans and little else, as far as other species go. They certainly are a bit too sensitive in too many places, I would agree.
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[Of course she'd stand for her people, every time. Even again someone like the King of Heroes, who shines like he's been dusted with gold. But the moment passes quickly enough, and Aisha's back in good humor.
What is he getting, anyway?]
There's more than just us and Terrans where I'm from, I had to know at least basic etiquette for everyone. Learning was actually pretty fun.
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Gilgamesh sets the bowl in front of Aisha and hands her one of the spoons, taking a seat beside her and looking her way and... damn, those ears were seriously too much for a mere man to handle. Good thing he was a King, and therefore doesn't hesitate at all in reaching out to playfully flick a tip.]
Are you truly related to cats? Or is that simply a common misconception?
[True or not, she was a very attractive woman, and he wouldn't mind "learning" the ins and outs of that body.]
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You did good, Adrasteius. It's not bad for Gilgamesh either, as she's mewling in pleasure at this. Even the flick of her ear's met with a giggle.]
We revere them in our culture... but I'm not really sure, actually!
[Is she still attractive when she's digging into the bowl with her newly acquired spoon and starting to chow down? Because she's not a delicate eater, so that's a thing that's happening.]
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When I sat upon the throne of Sumeria, I kept lions as pets in the royal palace. Loyal beasts, very strong and very fierce.
[Gilgamesh digs in with her, though with considerably less gusto. Mostly, he's keeping a close eye on her.]
Is that what you are, Lady? Very strong, and very fierce?
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Remembers what she knows about royalty.]
Yes I am, King Gilgamesh.
[While she hasn't stopped, she's a bit more measured in her speech.]
Did you want to keep me as your pet? Because I don't think it would suit me, I'm not much for chains.
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I venture it doubtful you'd do well as a pet. And I would not want to chain you besides; I find much greater pleasure in the chase.
[His ankle nudges ever so slightly against hers. It would not be a mistake to see it as blatantly flirtatious, because it is.]
So the better question is... would you run, were I to pursue?
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Could you catch me if I did?
[There's no disrespect meant, and the way she asks it is rather soft, for her. A simple inquiry rather than the bold declaration it could be. Gilgamesh's ankle touches hers, and she doesn't move to stop him.
She smiles, her fangs gleaming.]
Surely it wouldn't be so hard, for a man that says he's perfect.
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[And that's all that really needs to be said about that.]
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She is not someone to be conquered, ravaged like the spoils of war. This wasn't up for debate.
The fact that he says he would to was just as jarring as it was attractive. Fangs cut into her lip, drawing a bit of blood before she goes back to lapping at her ice cream.]
You're just as forward without the skirt.
[She can't quite make that sound as casual as she wants to.]
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Did you prefer it on?
[The strong implication here being because I would wear it, if you wanted me to. Maybe Aisha isn't accustomed to people like Gilgamesh, or at least his sort of approach, but he's as free as she considers herself to be. Open and wild, untameable, unconquerable, untouchable. A man beyond men, just as he claimed.
He watches that drip, drip, drip of blood carefully. Notes the precise way it dribbles down her lip, and makes his interest known by the sharp way he stares.]
Or did you prefer me otherwise? A proper lady should always speak her mind.
[Was he encouraging fetish talk over dessert? Yes, yes he was.]
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Well, I don't mind either way! I want to know you, so whatever you think is fun will be good, you know?
[Of course she'd be drawn in to someone who did what they wanted. The sort of royalty that wasn't stuffy, or married to propriety. A new weakness, and maybe she'll be pissed off at herself for this later.
(It's doubtful, she isn't the type to look back.)
A glance up, and she catches him staring. Her tongue sweeps over her bottom lip, slowly, as she meets those crimson eyes. Teasing is easy, the only thing making this unusual is the fact she's going to act on it this time. Doesn't hurt that she likes the taste of blood.
Not as much as as ice cream, mind.]
Aisha doubts you'd look bad no matter what you wear. Or don't, for that matter.
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[To know him. Many had tried, anyway, and nearly all had failed, all save for one. He smiles a little bitterly to hear it, though he recognizes it isn't her fault. She's spirited, spirited as the sun itself shining upon him, and it was likely just her way to exude optimism and forthrightness. That was fine; he enjoyed that sort of company.
But would more could it be? She's a pretty face, with a sassy tongue, but what more could she offer? That remained to be seen.]
But I've no need for wishes, you understand. All I seek... it's already mine.
[A bold statement, with a bold smirk to back it up, and a bold pair of fingers wrapping around her wrist.]
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[A pretty face, a sassy tongue, a person who'd always try to be more than what she was. To know Gilgamesh may be impossible, but that sort of thing didn't phase her much. Who knew, with kings? Right now she'd just enjoy what this was.
Enjoyable.
His fingers wrap around her wrist, and she doesn't resist. They've made quick work of the ice cream, so nothing would be wasted. The Ctarl smirks back, a mirror of his boldness. She was flustered, she was out of her depth, but there was no fear here.]
I hope you treat the things you hold well. It's a sad king who can't handle what he seeks to conquer.
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[With the heated look in his eyes, and the way his grip tightens as if in challenge, there's no room for misinterpretation here. He's inviting her to his bed, and doing so without regrets, without hesitation; he may not truly know her people, not yet, but he thinks he knows the sort of courtship they might prefer.
The straightforward kind, that left you a little flustered, a little out of your depth, and more than a bit breathless.]
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[His challenge is well met. There's a bit of vulnerability in her eyes, the look of the inexperienced. In a sense she's putting herself in his hands, at his mercy. But knowing exactly what he wants makes it a bit easier.
What more this could be was so far off it wasn't even a thought in her head. This King of Heroes was still something of a stranger, might always be. But she wants to know how he is, and this way seems as good as any to find out.
(Something had sparked in her, when he'd looked at her the way he had.)]
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There's plenty of the party left for you to enjoy, so by all means, do so. Afterwards...
[He'll lean down and snap his teeth just short of biting one of those furry ears. Instead, he takes the chance to mutter into it, again in such a way that his intent couldn't possibly be misunderstood.]
...you are free to visit me within my quarters. And then I will show you what it means to earn a King's favor.
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[She bets his teeth are sharp. Her eyes slide shut when he speaks in her ear, so close. It's... yeah, it is. He's loud and clear, and she's so curious.
Wait, he lives here?
That makes things easier, at least.]
I'll see you then.