(no subject)
I really can't apologize enough for not posting these until half a month later, but wanted to make sure the recipients still received their gifts.
Title: Treats
Dedication: charisma_doll
Game: Suikoden V
Characters: Georg, Retso, Cornelio and Josephine
Pairings: None
Rating: G
Word Count or Media: 1219 words
Warnings: None
Summary or Description: "Queen's Knight Georg and his cheesecake."
Most of the shops and establishments in Dawn Castle kept late hours, to better accomodate the night owls in the Prince's army. The Prince himself turned in early whenever possible - in fact, he liked to rise at dawn - but not everyone followed his example. Georg Prime didn't return to the castle until well after midnight, when he made a quick report to Lucretia in the strategist's room, then headed down to the base level to see if the restaurant was still open. Halfway down the hall, he began to smell the delicious aromas wafting from Retso's kitchen, grilled fish, crab bowls and another scent, one that made him hurry along at a brisk trot.
The majority of the evening crowd had already moved on to the tavern below, those who hadn't started there in the first place, and only one table was still occupied. Shun Min, who was busy sweeping the floor, gave it a wide berth. Retso looked up and saw the Queen's Knight approaching, and he smiled.
"Sir Georg! We've been waiting for you!"
"You have?" Georg asked, surprised. He had only stopped by the restaurant a few odd times, and rarely saw Retso anywhere else in the castle. "What for? Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing like that," the chef assured him. "We recently acquired a new recipe, and Lady Miakis said you might like it."
"Miakis, huh?" Georg hadn't seen the young knight since she tearfully rushed into Lucretia's tent to apologize a few weeks earlier. He hoped she wasn't still beating herself up over that. "What kind of recipe is it, anyway?" But he could already guess.
"Cheesecake," Retso told him. "Lady Lucretia said that you would return tonight, so we started it this afternoon. It should be done in a few minutes."
Now how did she know that? a voice in the back of Georg's mind asked, but he was more concerned with the important stuff. Retso was easily the best cook he had ever met, surpassing even the chefs at the palace he had once known in the Scarlet Moon Empire. If he made cheesecake...
"Take a seat, and I'll bring it out to you as soon as it's ready," Retso told him pleasantly but firmly, and headed back into his kitchen. Georg obeyed with alacrity, moving with a speed usually reserved for dodging Wyverns, and anxiously waited.
Cornelio and Josephine had never associated much while living in Haud Village, but here in Dawn Castle they naturally sought each other out and supported one another as they struggled in a world filled with "mediocrities." They often met at the restaurant for a light repast after Cornelio and his elves were done rehearsing, since the food was "tolerable."
"The Prince is avoiding me again," Cornelio groused, nibbling on a biscuit. "Every time I politely request that he help me find more elves - to replace the ones he killed, might I add - he has some excuse or another! Repelling invasions from Armes, meeting with foreign dignitaries - bah!"
Josephine assured him that she understood completely. "As a gesture of goodwill, I designed a lovely costume for him to replace his current rags," she sniffed. "Do you know what he said to me? He took one glance at my drawings and said, 'This looks like a holly elf!' Natural themes are all the rage in every major capital this season, but do you think he can appreciate that?" Shula Valya had been thrilled when he learned that his younger sister received reports and letters from various courts, pleased that she was finally taking an interest in foreign affairs the way a member of their family should, until he discovered the nature of her research.
"I wish there were more of us with discerning tastes," Cornelio said gloomily. Josephine could only agree.
Georg listened absentmindedly to their conversation as he waited, and it seemed like an eternity before Retso finally emerged from the kitchen. Shun Min had finished her sweeping, and stood at her father's side as he laid a tray in front of Georg.
"This is my first time trying this recipe," Retso said, a little shyly. "I hope you like it."
If it tasted anywhere as good as it smelled, and Georg knew that it would, the chef had nothing to worry about. He resisted the impulse to grab his fork and dive into the cake immediately and looked down, admiring the elegant but slightly lopsided design created from fruit and sugared flower petals. Shun Min smiled proudly as he surveyed her handiwork. Slowly, he lifted his fork to his mouth and took a small bite, then another, while Retso waited anxiously for his verdict.
"Hmm.... a light taste, uniform texture and a crust with just the right amount of crispness..." Georg said slowly between bites, eyes closed. Neither he nor Retso or his daughter noticed when Cornelio and Josephine's heads snapped up sharply to stare in his direction. "This might just be the best cheesecake I've ever tasted!"
"Really?" Retso cried. He could feel his cheeks burning but told himself that it was just the heat from the kitchen. "Sir Georg, I am honored!"
"The texture is perfect!" Georg continued, savoring it. "The crust is crisp, without being crunchy... and I can taste just a hint of vanilla. This cake is divine!" Georg Prime had tasted cheesecake made by the finest chefs in Razril, Sol-Falena and Gregminster, and none of their paltry offerings compared to the cake in front of him.
A sudden noise made Georg freeze, his fork halfway to his mouth. Cornelio and Josephine rushed over, gushing in their excitement.
"We had no idea that there was another one of our number in our midst!" Cornelio cried. Georg grinned, thinking that the composer was referring to Retso, who certainly deserved it.
"Such discerning tastes and vocabulary!" Josephine added, and Georg blinked when he realized that the artists meant him.
"I don't make it, I just eat it," Georg said quickly.
"My good man, some of the finest critics in the world have never picked up a brush," Cornelio assured him. Salum Barows, Haud Village's patron, was one such example, although even Cornelio sensed that it wasn't a good idea to voice such a thought out loud in the Prince's castle.
"I, ah, think I forgot something in Lucretia's room," Georg said, and fled the room as fast as his legs could carry him... but not without snatching the tray and its contents first.
"The poor man is overwhelmed," Josephine observed. "Once the shock of meeting some kindred spirits in such an unlikely place passes, he'll come around." Cornelio nodded sagely, and they parted ways for the night.
A few days later, the Prince rose at his usual early hour and set about his morning routine, which included emptying the comment box and sorting through its contents. He carried the papers back to his room and sat on his bed.
There was another pack of indecipherable blueprints from Babbage, and a note from Nikea, asking for more meat-based dishes. Then the Prince saw Josephine's elegant script and cringed, wondering what strange costume she wanted to dress him in next. He opened it and stared at a rendering of two matching Furball costumes. He wondered which poor soul the second one could possibly be for, since it was far too big to fit Lyon.
Title: Lizards Who Lunch
Dedication: Mithrigil
Game: Suikoden III
Characters: Lizards and Knights
Pairings: None
Rating: G
Word Count or Media: 1245 words
Warnings: None
Summary or Description: "The Lizard Clan walks the streets of Vinay del Zexay in broad daylight. Why?"
If there was one thing the Zexen Council loved it was pomp. They thrived on it - parades, dedication ceremonies, long speeches, the more opulent the better. Preparations for the latest banquet were underway for over a month, and the kitchen staff still grumbled that it was a rush. Officially, the Council wanted to thank the Lizard Clan for their help in the latest war against Tinto. But Lady Chris had attended more than her share of Zexen banquets since becoming a knight, and knew that the Council was just as intent on dazzling their visitors with a display of wealth, to set what they considered a favorable tone for any future dealings.
Chris smiled wryly to herself as she and Louis waited in the parlor for their guests' arrival. She shared enough meals with the Lizards at Budehuc Castle to know that they would be less than impressed with crystal goblets, fine silverware and silk tablecloths. Stone mugs, reed place mats and platters of fried crickets would have suited them much better.
A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door and Salome entered, looking a little harried. "Chief Dupa and his entourage are here, milady!"
"Already?" Chris asked, rising to her feet. Leo and Percival had certainly made good time escorting the Lizards from their hollow to the capital.
"Shall we go down and meet them?" Salome inquired, and they headed to the banquet hall together.
Leo wasn't sure what to make of the Council's newest ploy, but as the group crossed the Amur Plains he was forced to admit that he preferred to have the Lizard Clan warriors on his side. He had already grown to admire their brute strength during the Second Fire Bringer War, and the recent skirmishes with Tinto refreshed his memory. Leo also knew that even he would have some trouble picking up Dupa's massive polearm.
He glanced back at Percival, who left his family farm in Iksay to rejoin the Knights when news of the Tinto trouble had reached him, but didn't seem to be in a hurry to return to his homestead just yet.
"Aren't you worried about your fields?" Leo asked him, when his comrade arrived at Brass Castle wearing his old sword and armor.
Percival waved that aside, saying that Barts had offered to watch them while he was away. Leo nodded knowingly, figuring that if anything, Percival would have a massive surplus of produce when he returned. Barts's methods were unorthodox - Leo stumbled upon the farmer singing to his tomato plants more than once - but they somehow worked. Leo extracted a promise not to try to foist any extra zucchini off on him later, and before long it was as if Percival had never left to begin with. Now Leo marveled yet again at Percival's ability to be at ease in virtually any company as the younger knight chatted amiably with his Lizard neighbor about the best place to play the Lottery, a pastime their vice-captain abhorred. If Salome was here he would have raised a suspicious eyebrow at Percival's knowledge about prizes.
The streets of Vinay del Zexay saw many unusual things over the years, but this was the first time in Zexen history that an organized force of Lizards had ever passed through Seigal Gate. Now a band of twenty fierce Lizard warriors marched down the main thoroughfare led by their chief, a striking figure in a feather headdress, head and shoulders above most humans. Many townspeople were gathered along the side of the road, as if attending an impromptu parade. Some bold people smiled, including Elliot and Melville, who were running errands for Elliot's father. They waved as furiously as they could with their arms full of bread and Leo waved back.
"We should invite them to the banquet," Percival murmured in Leo's ear.
"I wish we could," Leo replied. He was very fond of the Saint Loa Knights and admired their pluck, although he felt slightly hurt that neither of the boys chose to emulate him. "But the Council would never stand for it... Well, here we are!" He stopped and gestured grandly at the gigantic brick structure that dominated the center of Vinay del Zexay, with its burbling fountain, intricate stonework and hundreds of mullioned windows. Leo looked at his audience expectantly and was disappointed - he'd hoped that at least the windows would get a rise out of them, since glass was quite rare in the Grasslands. But the Lizards were never a group to tell white lies, and Dupa always said what he thought.
"The Great Hollow can hold ten of these with room to spare!" he declared after a moment's inspection.
"I beg your pardon?" Leo asked a little stiffly. The Council Hall towered over all of the surrounding structures, which were mostly houses. "Our headquarters has over twenty - "
Percival swiftly stepped between them. "Everyone's waiting for us," he reminded them, pointing to the armored guard standing by the entrance. "We don't want the food to get cold, do we?"
"I guess not," Leo admitted, casting one last look at the windows as they ascended the shallow flight of stairs and entered the hall. This time the Lizards did pause, taking in the two sweeping staircases and the lush red carpeting, and the gleaming marble floor. Two flags emblazoned with the Zexen crest waved above their heads. Leo reflected that for many of the Lizards, the only Zexen-style structure they had ever entered before was the delightful but dilapidated Budehuc Castle. Others only knew Brass Castle, which was sturdy but utilitarian. An official greeted them immediately, summed them up in a glance and directed them to a room where they could freshen up a bit first, since they were still splattered with the guts of countless wild boars and blade bunnies.
By the time they entered the banquet hall, the council members and their wives were already seated.
"Ah, thank you for accepting our humble invitation," one of the council members said, covering the lavishly laid table with what he hoped was a casual sweep of his hand. His reelection depended on the outcome of this little gathering. He’d taken the precaution of asking Lady Chris for advice on how to deal with the Lizards earlier, only to promptly disregard it, she noticed with some annoyance. "Please, make yourselves at home."
The Lizards took their seats, ducking to avoid whacking their heads on the low doorway. The Lizards' hands dwarfed the dainty silver cutlery, and after the wine was poured most of them drained their goblets in one gulp without meaning to. Discreet servants darted back and forth, refilling cups, and soon had to run down to the cellars for more wine.
Conversation wasn't as awkward as Chris had feared, although the officials couldn't quite hide their shock when their guests proved to be familiar with the great literary classic, "Imperial Love."
It was almost midnight when the banquet finally came to a close.
"We hope you and your men enjoyed yourselves," the council member told Dupa. He silently thanked the Goddess that nothing had gone amiss, although the wine stores were now significantly lower.
"In the Grasslands, we believe in returning hospitality," Dupa replied. "We of the Lizard Clan would be honored if you came to visit the Great Hollow in the future. What do you say?”
Lady Chris imagined the Council members sleeping on the stone slabs that served as luxurious beds in the Great Hollow and couldn't suppress a smile.
Title: Treats
Dedication: charisma_doll
Game: Suikoden V
Characters: Georg, Retso, Cornelio and Josephine
Pairings: None
Rating: G
Word Count or Media: 1219 words
Warnings: None
Summary or Description: "Queen's Knight Georg and his cheesecake."
Most of the shops and establishments in Dawn Castle kept late hours, to better accomodate the night owls in the Prince's army. The Prince himself turned in early whenever possible - in fact, he liked to rise at dawn - but not everyone followed his example. Georg Prime didn't return to the castle until well after midnight, when he made a quick report to Lucretia in the strategist's room, then headed down to the base level to see if the restaurant was still open. Halfway down the hall, he began to smell the delicious aromas wafting from Retso's kitchen, grilled fish, crab bowls and another scent, one that made him hurry along at a brisk trot.
The majority of the evening crowd had already moved on to the tavern below, those who hadn't started there in the first place, and only one table was still occupied. Shun Min, who was busy sweeping the floor, gave it a wide berth. Retso looked up and saw the Queen's Knight approaching, and he smiled.
"Sir Georg! We've been waiting for you!"
"You have?" Georg asked, surprised. He had only stopped by the restaurant a few odd times, and rarely saw Retso anywhere else in the castle. "What for? Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing like that," the chef assured him. "We recently acquired a new recipe, and Lady Miakis said you might like it."
"Miakis, huh?" Georg hadn't seen the young knight since she tearfully rushed into Lucretia's tent to apologize a few weeks earlier. He hoped she wasn't still beating herself up over that. "What kind of recipe is it, anyway?" But he could already guess.
"Cheesecake," Retso told him. "Lady Lucretia said that you would return tonight, so we started it this afternoon. It should be done in a few minutes."
Now how did she know that? a voice in the back of Georg's mind asked, but he was more concerned with the important stuff. Retso was easily the best cook he had ever met, surpassing even the chefs at the palace he had once known in the Scarlet Moon Empire. If he made cheesecake...
"Take a seat, and I'll bring it out to you as soon as it's ready," Retso told him pleasantly but firmly, and headed back into his kitchen. Georg obeyed with alacrity, moving with a speed usually reserved for dodging Wyverns, and anxiously waited.
Cornelio and Josephine had never associated much while living in Haud Village, but here in Dawn Castle they naturally sought each other out and supported one another as they struggled in a world filled with "mediocrities." They often met at the restaurant for a light repast after Cornelio and his elves were done rehearsing, since the food was "tolerable."
"The Prince is avoiding me again," Cornelio groused, nibbling on a biscuit. "Every time I politely request that he help me find more elves - to replace the ones he killed, might I add - he has some excuse or another! Repelling invasions from Armes, meeting with foreign dignitaries - bah!"
Josephine assured him that she understood completely. "As a gesture of goodwill, I designed a lovely costume for him to replace his current rags," she sniffed. "Do you know what he said to me? He took one glance at my drawings and said, 'This looks like a holly elf!' Natural themes are all the rage in every major capital this season, but do you think he can appreciate that?" Shula Valya had been thrilled when he learned that his younger sister received reports and letters from various courts, pleased that she was finally taking an interest in foreign affairs the way a member of their family should, until he discovered the nature of her research.
"I wish there were more of us with discerning tastes," Cornelio said gloomily. Josephine could only agree.
Georg listened absentmindedly to their conversation as he waited, and it seemed like an eternity before Retso finally emerged from the kitchen. Shun Min had finished her sweeping, and stood at her father's side as he laid a tray in front of Georg.
"This is my first time trying this recipe," Retso said, a little shyly. "I hope you like it."
If it tasted anywhere as good as it smelled, and Georg knew that it would, the chef had nothing to worry about. He resisted the impulse to grab his fork and dive into the cake immediately and looked down, admiring the elegant but slightly lopsided design created from fruit and sugared flower petals. Shun Min smiled proudly as he surveyed her handiwork. Slowly, he lifted his fork to his mouth and took a small bite, then another, while Retso waited anxiously for his verdict.
"Hmm.... a light taste, uniform texture and a crust with just the right amount of crispness..." Georg said slowly between bites, eyes closed. Neither he nor Retso or his daughter noticed when Cornelio and Josephine's heads snapped up sharply to stare in his direction. "This might just be the best cheesecake I've ever tasted!"
"Really?" Retso cried. He could feel his cheeks burning but told himself that it was just the heat from the kitchen. "Sir Georg, I am honored!"
"The texture is perfect!" Georg continued, savoring it. "The crust is crisp, without being crunchy... and I can taste just a hint of vanilla. This cake is divine!" Georg Prime had tasted cheesecake made by the finest chefs in Razril, Sol-Falena and Gregminster, and none of their paltry offerings compared to the cake in front of him.
A sudden noise made Georg freeze, his fork halfway to his mouth. Cornelio and Josephine rushed over, gushing in their excitement.
"We had no idea that there was another one of our number in our midst!" Cornelio cried. Georg grinned, thinking that the composer was referring to Retso, who certainly deserved it.
"Such discerning tastes and vocabulary!" Josephine added, and Georg blinked when he realized that the artists meant him.
"I don't make it, I just eat it," Georg said quickly.
"My good man, some of the finest critics in the world have never picked up a brush," Cornelio assured him. Salum Barows, Haud Village's patron, was one such example, although even Cornelio sensed that it wasn't a good idea to voice such a thought out loud in the Prince's castle.
"I, ah, think I forgot something in Lucretia's room," Georg said, and fled the room as fast as his legs could carry him... but not without snatching the tray and its contents first.
"The poor man is overwhelmed," Josephine observed. "Once the shock of meeting some kindred spirits in such an unlikely place passes, he'll come around." Cornelio nodded sagely, and they parted ways for the night.
A few days later, the Prince rose at his usual early hour and set about his morning routine, which included emptying the comment box and sorting through its contents. He carried the papers back to his room and sat on his bed.
There was another pack of indecipherable blueprints from Babbage, and a note from Nikea, asking for more meat-based dishes. Then the Prince saw Josephine's elegant script and cringed, wondering what strange costume she wanted to dress him in next. He opened it and stared at a rendering of two matching Furball costumes. He wondered which poor soul the second one could possibly be for, since it was far too big to fit Lyon.
Title: Lizards Who Lunch
Dedication: Mithrigil
Game: Suikoden III
Characters: Lizards and Knights
Pairings: None
Rating: G
Word Count or Media: 1245 words
Warnings: None
Summary or Description: "The Lizard Clan walks the streets of Vinay del Zexay in broad daylight. Why?"
If there was one thing the Zexen Council loved it was pomp. They thrived on it - parades, dedication ceremonies, long speeches, the more opulent the better. Preparations for the latest banquet were underway for over a month, and the kitchen staff still grumbled that it was a rush. Officially, the Council wanted to thank the Lizard Clan for their help in the latest war against Tinto. But Lady Chris had attended more than her share of Zexen banquets since becoming a knight, and knew that the Council was just as intent on dazzling their visitors with a display of wealth, to set what they considered a favorable tone for any future dealings.
Chris smiled wryly to herself as she and Louis waited in the parlor for their guests' arrival. She shared enough meals with the Lizards at Budehuc Castle to know that they would be less than impressed with crystal goblets, fine silverware and silk tablecloths. Stone mugs, reed place mats and platters of fried crickets would have suited them much better.
A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door and Salome entered, looking a little harried. "Chief Dupa and his entourage are here, milady!"
"Already?" Chris asked, rising to her feet. Leo and Percival had certainly made good time escorting the Lizards from their hollow to the capital.
"Shall we go down and meet them?" Salome inquired, and they headed to the banquet hall together.
Leo wasn't sure what to make of the Council's newest ploy, but as the group crossed the Amur Plains he was forced to admit that he preferred to have the Lizard Clan warriors on his side. He had already grown to admire their brute strength during the Second Fire Bringer War, and the recent skirmishes with Tinto refreshed his memory. Leo also knew that even he would have some trouble picking up Dupa's massive polearm.
He glanced back at Percival, who left his family farm in Iksay to rejoin the Knights when news of the Tinto trouble had reached him, but didn't seem to be in a hurry to return to his homestead just yet.
"Aren't you worried about your fields?" Leo asked him, when his comrade arrived at Brass Castle wearing his old sword and armor.
Percival waved that aside, saying that Barts had offered to watch them while he was away. Leo nodded knowingly, figuring that if anything, Percival would have a massive surplus of produce when he returned. Barts's methods were unorthodox - Leo stumbled upon the farmer singing to his tomato plants more than once - but they somehow worked. Leo extracted a promise not to try to foist any extra zucchini off on him later, and before long it was as if Percival had never left to begin with. Now Leo marveled yet again at Percival's ability to be at ease in virtually any company as the younger knight chatted amiably with his Lizard neighbor about the best place to play the Lottery, a pastime their vice-captain abhorred. If Salome was here he would have raised a suspicious eyebrow at Percival's knowledge about prizes.
The streets of Vinay del Zexay saw many unusual things over the years, but this was the first time in Zexen history that an organized force of Lizards had ever passed through Seigal Gate. Now a band of twenty fierce Lizard warriors marched down the main thoroughfare led by their chief, a striking figure in a feather headdress, head and shoulders above most humans. Many townspeople were gathered along the side of the road, as if attending an impromptu parade. Some bold people smiled, including Elliot and Melville, who were running errands for Elliot's father. They waved as furiously as they could with their arms full of bread and Leo waved back.
"We should invite them to the banquet," Percival murmured in Leo's ear.
"I wish we could," Leo replied. He was very fond of the Saint Loa Knights and admired their pluck, although he felt slightly hurt that neither of the boys chose to emulate him. "But the Council would never stand for it... Well, here we are!" He stopped and gestured grandly at the gigantic brick structure that dominated the center of Vinay del Zexay, with its burbling fountain, intricate stonework and hundreds of mullioned windows. Leo looked at his audience expectantly and was disappointed - he'd hoped that at least the windows would get a rise out of them, since glass was quite rare in the Grasslands. But the Lizards were never a group to tell white lies, and Dupa always said what he thought.
"The Great Hollow can hold ten of these with room to spare!" he declared after a moment's inspection.
"I beg your pardon?" Leo asked a little stiffly. The Council Hall towered over all of the surrounding structures, which were mostly houses. "Our headquarters has over twenty - "
Percival swiftly stepped between them. "Everyone's waiting for us," he reminded them, pointing to the armored guard standing by the entrance. "We don't want the food to get cold, do we?"
"I guess not," Leo admitted, casting one last look at the windows as they ascended the shallow flight of stairs and entered the hall. This time the Lizards did pause, taking in the two sweeping staircases and the lush red carpeting, and the gleaming marble floor. Two flags emblazoned with the Zexen crest waved above their heads. Leo reflected that for many of the Lizards, the only Zexen-style structure they had ever entered before was the delightful but dilapidated Budehuc Castle. Others only knew Brass Castle, which was sturdy but utilitarian. An official greeted them immediately, summed them up in a glance and directed them to a room where they could freshen up a bit first, since they were still splattered with the guts of countless wild boars and blade bunnies.
By the time they entered the banquet hall, the council members and their wives were already seated.
"Ah, thank you for accepting our humble invitation," one of the council members said, covering the lavishly laid table with what he hoped was a casual sweep of his hand. His reelection depended on the outcome of this little gathering. He’d taken the precaution of asking Lady Chris for advice on how to deal with the Lizards earlier, only to promptly disregard it, she noticed with some annoyance. "Please, make yourselves at home."
The Lizards took their seats, ducking to avoid whacking their heads on the low doorway. The Lizards' hands dwarfed the dainty silver cutlery, and after the wine was poured most of them drained their goblets in one gulp without meaning to. Discreet servants darted back and forth, refilling cups, and soon had to run down to the cellars for more wine.
Conversation wasn't as awkward as Chris had feared, although the officials couldn't quite hide their shock when their guests proved to be familiar with the great literary classic, "Imperial Love."
It was almost midnight when the banquet finally came to a close.
"We hope you and your men enjoyed yourselves," the council member told Dupa. He silently thanked the Goddess that nothing had gone amiss, although the wine stores were now significantly lower.
"In the Grasslands, we believe in returning hospitality," Dupa replied. "We of the Lizard Clan would be honored if you came to visit the Great Hollow in the future. What do you say?”
Lady Chris imagined the Council members sleeping on the stone slabs that served as luxurious beds in the Great Hollow and couldn't suppress a smile.