Re: Easing Through Eaulir - 119 4A

by **Nara-pyon** Mon Oct 12, 2015 8:16 pm

"Just wait for the rest," Lashrael grinned. "It only gets better."

Sure enough, once everyone had finished with their flatbread, the next course was brought out: a spongy lemon cake with guava sauce in a separate pan to slather to their individual tastes. For those who preferred their lemon flavour in a custard, there was also a lemon pie - without the mirangue which would normally be found on top of it in Gaia. There was, however, more of the whipped-cream-like topping for it.

"The last dessert I ever shared with my family," Lashrael smiled after she had explained to everyone what it was. "I was actually surprised that I remembered it."

by **Kara Winters** Mon Oct 12, 2015 8:44 pm

Lin smiled at that, "It looks lovely."

It really did, though Lin wasn't familiar with gauva at all.

"Is lemon a favourite of yours?" Miyuki asked.

by **Nara-pyon** Mon Oct 12, 2015 9:01 pm

"One of them," Lashrael smiled, "though Mother preferred it most of all our family. I actually prefer the guava sauce, though it goes best with the lemon cake. My personal favourite is next. I just thought that similar tastes would do well together as a single course. Which reminds me ..."

She rose from her seat and checked on some of the things still on the counter, and after a moment returned to the table with a smile and a nod.

"Yes, they are ready," she grinned.

by **Kara Winters** Mon Oct 12, 2015 9:48 pm

"What is ready?" Miyuki asked curiously.

There was more? There was already so much in the ways of dessert.

by **Nara-pyon** Mon Oct 12, 2015 9:57 pm

"Next," Lashrael grinned in reply.

"Give up, Miyuki," Kaito grinned. "She hasn't given any clues in the past three days, she's not going to spill it now when we're minutes away."

He had an idea what one of the things might be, but even he wasn't sure.

"Just finish your cake and pie," Lashrael laughed. She was clearly enjoying herself.

by **Kara Winters** Mon Oct 12, 2015 10:25 pm

"I can't help it," Miyuki replied with a pout.

Still, she did as Lashrael asked anyways, having a bit of lemon cake. She took a small bite of it before trying it with the sauce. The slice wasn't big, because she wanted to try the pie as well.

by **Nara-pyon** Mon Oct 12, 2015 10:41 pm

Miyuki wasn't the only one who wanted to try some of each: most of the group was eager to try both. Thankfully, Lashrael was as skilled at rationing as she was at preparing the food. She first cut the cake and pie into slices and served everyone so that they would each get what they liked. Only then was the whipped-cream-like cream passed around so that everyone could help themselves to that as well.

"Save some of the cream for the next course," Jassin cautioned them.

"I wouldn't worry about that," Shiro chuckled. "The sauce is good, too - I think it might be the first to run out."

Kaito was sniffing the air between bites. He was quite certain he recognized some of the smells that hadn't been identified yet, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it ... it was driving him mad.

by **Kara Winters** Mon Oct 12, 2015 11:06 pm

"It just might," Lin agreed as she tried the pie.

She loved custard, but wasn't used to so much lemon. Normally the flavouring was used in tea and cookies back home when she was growing up.

"I really like the tart taste with the sweet," Miyuki murmured, "This is great, but it's hard to imagine there's more after all of this."

by **Nara-pyon** Mon Oct 12, 2015 11:15 pm

"What kind of sauce did you say it was?" Daenis asked curiously, ever eager to learn more about cooking.

Lashrael smiled. "Guava. It's a fruit very common in climates like this. We happened to come across a patch the other day when we were out with Shoneah."

"Happened to?" Earendil grinned.

Lashrael laughed. "All right, we were looking for it specifically."

by **Kara Winters** Mon Oct 12, 2015 11:18 pm

"Is guava in any way cultivatable?" Miyuki asked.

She would ask that about really everything at dinner, because once they left, they wouldn't be able to have it again. Besides, it was better to grow instead of stripping an area clean anyways.

by **Nara-pyon** Mon Oct 12, 2015 11:21 pm

Lashrael half-grinned at Miyuki, though her expression was confused. "Culti-what now?" she asked blankly.

"Cultivatable," Shiro chuckled. "Can we grow it in our gardens?" Turning to Miyuki, he added, "I don't see why not. Guava are common enough in Gaia, too, in the right climates. Wren, are you up for a bit more work?"

"Always," Wren grinned, glancing at Khetal.

"I must admit, I would like to learn more about the plants in this area," the researcher admitted.

by **Kara Winters** Mon Oct 12, 2015 11:23 pm

Miyuki shrugged, "I wouldn't know, didn't spend a lot of time in Gaia, and most of it when I was really young...."

Lin chuckled at this, because it was true.

"I've never had it growing up, I've heard of it, but never had it until now," Lin admitted.

by **Nara-pyon** Mon Oct 12, 2015 11:26 pm

"Then the next time we go out, we'll see if we can't find a sapling or something to transplant," Lashrael grinned.

"Perhaps we can do the same for the ... other trees we used to prepare the meal?" Jassin suggested.

Lashrael nodded. "Probably. Let's see how they like it first."

"What is it?" Kaito asked, his tail flicking back and forth with agitation. He was still having difficulty identifying those smells!

Lashrael looked around again. Most had finished their lemon and guava desserts, and she rose to clear away what was left. "All right, give us a minute," she smiled as Jassin stood to help her.

by **Kara Winters** Tue Oct 13, 2015 7:12 pm

"I know you're normally really curious, but this really seems to be driving you nuts," Eron commented.

There was something about the scent that was familiar but Eron couldn't place it neither.

by **Nara-pyon** Tue Oct 13, 2015 7:24 pm

"Because I know it's something good!" Kaito whined. "I just can't tell what!"

Shiro just grinned. Undoubtedly because he had figured out what was driving his brother so crazy.

"Well if it's as good as the rest has been," Daenis smiled, "then I look forward to it."

by **Kara Winters** Tue Oct 13, 2015 7:32 pm

Lin laughed at that, "Well it won't be long now."

And she could wait, though she wasn't sure about Kaito.

by **Nara-pyon** Tue Oct 13, 2015 7:44 pm

Even as Lin spoke, Jassin and Lashrael brought two massive bowls to the table.

"This is my favourite," Lashrael murmured, setting her bowl down. "Chocolate trifle."

"Chocolate!" Kaito slammed one fist into his other hand. "I knew I knew that smell!"

Jassin laughed. "Well, this is three layers of chocolate and three layers of vanilla - I'm more partial to the vanilla than the chocolate, myself."

Most of the group looked as mystified at the mention of chocolate and vanilla as they had at some of the dishes Daenis had made in the past, but Lancaeriel's eyes glowed brightly.

"Earendil and Daeron," Shiro spoke up, looking at his cousins, "chocolate is poison to Dark Elves. You'd best avoid this."

Earendil blinked and frowned in disappointment. "I guess you know that from your mother," he murmured wistfully.

Shiro nodded. "Yeah."

"Pity," Daeron murmured sadly. "It smells so good."

Cael looked alarmed. "Does that mean me, too?"

"And what about Kyrie and Khetal?" Wren asked.

Lancaeriel brushed her hair back from her face. "To my knowledge, it is only Dark Elves of the Southland, the Firstborn," she murmured. "The Secondborn are safe."

by **Kara Winters** Tue Oct 13, 2015 8:17 pm

"I don't think I've ever had chocolate," Miyuki murmured thoughtfully.

Lin nodded, "Not a surprise, even at home we don't actually have a lot of chocolate. In part because of Elnara, but also because about half the family finds chocolate a bit too much as a sweet. I think mainly we've only had it as a drink."

And never as a cake or other baked good.

by **Nara-pyon** Tue Oct 13, 2015 8:34 pm

"Oh, the guava sauce is sweeter than the chocolate," Lashrael assured Lin.

"Then again," Shiro murmured, "without Gaian sugar refining, the chocolate here can't be like Gaian chocolate, either."

"Only one way to find out." Without hesitation, Kaito dug into his the moment he was served. It took him only a few seconds to decide that Shiro had been right in his guess, that it wasn't as sweet as Gaian chocolate, but that it was still delicious.

"Shall I bring out the next one right away, then?" Jassin asked Lashrael as an aside. "For those who can't have the chocolate, I mean?"

Lashrael looked at Earendil and Daeron, who were just relaxing while the others ate. "No, I think they're fine," she murmured with a smile.

Earendil was enjoying himself just watching Lin eat - and besides, it meant he had a moment to digest a bit better before the next course. "Well?" he asked her, grinning. "Good?"

by **Kara Winters** Tue Oct 13, 2015 8:55 pm

Lin smiled wildly as she ate the trifle, "It is delicious. It's been a long time since I've had chocolate."

Miyuki sniffed it and tasted it and was pleasantly surprised. It was tasty, and it was kind of sad that her uncle and father couldn't eat it without getting sick.

by **Nara-pyon** Tue Oct 13, 2015 10:16 pm

"Then I'll try to make it more often," Lashrael smiled. "And not just for myself. And maybe Daeron and Earendil can decide on their favourites, too, so that I can make them at the same time."

She didn't believe in not having something just because someone else couldn't. That was life. That was all.

"When was the last time you had it?" Earendil asked Lin curiously.

by **Kara Winters** Wed Oct 14, 2015 9:36 pm

Lin had to think about it, she much more preferred mochi with locus paste or ice cream than she did chocolate.

"Probably whenever the last time I spent a long time at home during the winter," Lin replied after a moment, "I like hot chocolate, which is a drink. Sometimes the whole family would be sitting together having hot chocolate with whipped cream and shortbread cookies."

by **Nara-pyon** Wed Oct 14, 2015 9:50 pm

"We generally save the chocolate drinks for cool nights," Lashrael spoke up, "though we do have ... a different drink for after the final dessert."

"Just one more," Jassin added.

Shoneah laughed. "Good," she grinned. "As delicious as all this has been, I'm afraid I'm getting ... rather stuffed."

by **Kara Winters** Wed Oct 14, 2015 11:07 pm

Miyuki nodded in agreement, "But this has been amazing!"

"And we'll sleep well tonight," Holly chuckled.

It had been so long since she really had a huge feast in this fashion.

by **Nara-pyon** Wed Oct 14, 2015 11:40 pm

"And dream like mad," Shiro chuckled softly.

"Just don't do this too often," Rose grinned, "or we'll all get fat. Because I don't know about anyone else, but I'm not entirely sure how well I'll be able to move after this meal is over."

Jassin pushed himself away from the table and went to the counter again, and after a moment returned with the final dish: a steaming mango cobbler large enough for everyone to have a fair-sized piece. That left just one thing on the counter, a tall metal pitcher from which steam was also rising.

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