Room 724, Arms Hotel, Saturday [Early Evening]

[mistressofblack]

There were delectable smells coming from suite 724: delectable, delicious, divine cooking smells.

There was coq au vin keeping warm in the oven, the sauce just finishing simmering on the stove; roast potatoes, seasoned with garlic, cayenne, and fresh-cracked white peppercorns in a serving dish already on the table, and a spinach salad beside them

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[montecito_east]

Mary brought a lovely bouquet of flowers that she'd handwavily picked up earlier in that day. She was wearing one of her signature dresses, enjoying the opportunity to dress up a bit.

Arriving at Lulu's suite, she knocked on the door.

[mistressofblack]

Lulu hurried over the door, calling, "Coming!" as she moved. Her dress -- the one she'd picked out for the dance that evening -- wasn't her usual style, not quite, but it flattered her... assets nicely.

She opened the door, and smiled at Mary. "Hello! Come in, please, I'm just finishing up dinner."

[montecito_east]

"Something smells good!" said Mary, whose eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw what Lulu was wearing. "Wow! You look fantastic."

[mistressofblack]

"Thank you, Mary! You, too, of course, although really I expected nothing less. Can I get you something to drink while things finish up? Water, or a soda? There's pomegranate soda to go with dinner, but if you'd like something now I'd be more than happy to get it for you."

[montecito_east]

"Pomegranate soda? That sounds fantastic! I think I need to try some of that," said Mary, smiling. "Let me put these flowers in some water. There's usually a vase or two stored in the cupboard.

[mistressofblack]

Lulu poured a glass for Mary from the second pitcher she had in the kitchen -- she'd been unable to resist making one up for herself to drink while she was cooking -- and handed it to her. "Here you go," she said, as she moved to take the chicken out of the oven. "And, of course, you'd know where everything is better than I would."

[montecito_east]

"I actually moved around from room to room for a while, giving myself the chance to see how each floor plan worked," said Mary, taking a sip. "This is really nice! It must be refreshing on a hot day."

[mistressofblack]

"A good way to learn you property," Lulu said. "I approve. And yes, I find the lime is key for that. I wish I could get the ingredients while in Spira."

She finished up quickly with the chicken and turned it out into a serving dish. "Shall we?" she asked, nodding to the table.

[montecito_east]

"Not to mention I felt a need to start over fresh after George Michael moved out," said Mary. "Things worked out for the best, but it was hard to accept it at the time. But I've moved on and learned quite a bit about myself in the process."

She took a seat at the table. "It looks so good, Lulu! If it tastes half as good, it'll be worth it," she said with a smile.

[mistressofblack]

"It was my pleasure, Mary," Lulu said, setting down the dish of coq au vin and taking her seat. She served Mary first, and then dished out some food for herself. "Truly, you've no idea how much I've missed cooking in a proper kitchen."

[montecito_east]

"Then I'm glad to offer you the opportunity," said Mary. "Are there no proper kitchens back home?"

[mistressofblack]

"Not really. Our technology's not advanced enough," Lulu explained. "And while there are proper kitchens in some of the cities, I spend most of my time on the islands. And there are a lot of ingredients I can't get there. Although the reverse is true, as well; there are lots of things back home that I can't get here."

[montecito_east]

"I understand," said Mary, nodding. "Even in Las Vegas, we're dependent on technology to bring in fresh seafood from the coast. Until a decade ago, it was very hard to offer that kind of thing. Now, we have at least three or four supplies who can fly in fresh lobster."

[mistressofblack]

"Another thing to think of, perhaps, for Spira's future," Lulu said. "Most of our population is on the coast, or on islands, so there's not much call for transporting seafood -- but the reverse can be true, with working on agriculture inland and transporting it out to the coast."

[montecito_east]

"Shame you can't transport some of those incredible cookies to Fandom from Spira," said Mary, chuckling. "I've certainly missed them."

[mistressofblack]

Lulu grinned at that. "You'll just have to wait and see what I've prepared for dessert," she promised Mary. "I think you'll be more than pleased."