The Midnight Sun

Kate grudgingly stand up and take the water and down it with one gulp, her hands were shaking as she extended the glass back to Artemis. She felt her heart skipping a beat when Naoki spoke about caring for her. Hihi! I should faint over more often!

As she was being examined by Naoki, Kate lay back and subjected herself to Madame's treatment. She had learned to take care of her illnesses by herself, so the situation was strange (if not unpleasant) to her. She would blink as the blindfold was removed. “See anything you like, doc?” Kate chirped and followed with a smirk. “I don’t mind you staring, but I really would like some food now."

When Naoki moved, so did Kate, seating up with effort. When asked about her condition, Kate turns her head away, pursing her lips. “I’m fine. Don’t worry. I don’t think I hit my head.” She rolled back on her back, setting her palm on her forehead and placing her legs on to the armrest. “But you know, it might have been my fault. I was too exited for the dinner and didn’t have anything to eat today. I already felt woozy when I walked in and, well… I might have been asking for this.”

She waved her hand on front of her face as to dismiss the whole ordeal as insignificant. “But never mind that. I was overreacting.” Kate let out a disgruntled wheeze. “Shame about the carpet, though. I guess we need to dine elsewhere.

Kate frowns and glares at the gloriously unceremonious table. It was far, far from a romantic dinner she expected. "Well, can't help it. We just have to dine here then." Kate burrowed her brows and her mouthed turned to an upside down V-shape. "That idiot..."

Pssh... Like hell I'm gonna let him to ruin my night!

Her voice gained a little more pro-active tone but was still a shadow of her pre-collapse self. "Yeah. I'm into this. Bring out the food, whenever." She'd cast another venomous look at the chair. Then she turned back at Naoki. "Do you wanna sit on top or below? Just kidding..." She slouched back, and attained a more comfortable position. "So while were waiting... How was your day?" Kate was planning on lying down until they would get their food. She'd kick off her heels and wiggle her toes as she'd listen to Madame. 

It didn't take Maelik long before he found himself once more in the throes of his exuberant love of cooking and going at the ingredients like a coked up superhero. He wanted to make it the best dinner either of the women ever had, not only so that they could experience a roller coaster ride of taste and texture, but also because he really really really reeeeaallly wanted to look good at what he did.

As such he chose only the richest of ingredients from his personal stores, in particular a fresh flank of elk, large and juicy and already marinated in a sweetened red wine with not an ounce of fat on it. But it would take more than a simple elk to satisfy the demon's craving for prime venison, it had to be special and Maelik made sure that it was something beyond extraordinary. He had taken extreme care in breeding a herd of the creature that he once acquired in a trade with a wizard, and in the Lord's opinion it was well worth the three days he spent bound to the decrepit old geezer before fulfilling his contract.
From there he started to introduce some of the more exotic species he found on other planes of existence into the breeding stock, celestial variants being his favorite. What was produced from decades of strict care and a frankly unhealthy obsession was an animal enthusiast's dream, an elegant six pronged giant with the unearthly grace of the heavens and the obedience of a trained slave. But above all of that was the naturally sweet taste that came with their flesh, something that years upon years of eating bales made from select grains and crushed fruit seeds naturally ingrained into the sinew of the meat.

The elk that this flank in particular came from was the cream of the crop, a true majestic beast that Maelik raised from birth up until the day it was at its physical peak before brutally and relentlessly brutalizing it with his bare fist until it became a nice tender corpse of unrivaled tastiness.

Reverently setting it down upon a counter he set the fire in the stove, making sure that it was fueled by apple wood logs before transitioning over to the side dish, stuffed peppers with chard and scallions. The first step being the hollowing of the yellow peppers with his trademark sociopathic methodicalness, leaving nothing but the thick rind of the pepper. After that he set to boiling rice and the chard on separate burners and then switching his focus to the scallion onions, swiftly chopping the stalk with a flashing knife sharp of purest silver sharp enough to shave lead. Once the rice was cooked he proceeded to fry it with the onion stalks, adding a bit of garlic powder to the mix and stuffing all the components into the empty peppers and replacing the tops before finally letting them sit in the oven at a medium heat to finish up.

After that he checked up on the elk and pulled it from the oven to fine tune the spices and sauces, lathering it with a fruit based meat sauce and placing it back in the stove for another minute or so to heat up the sauce and finish cooking the meat.

All that remained was the traditional addition of bread, in this case a batch of dinner rolls with the butter cooked into the swirls of the roll itself accompanied by the thinnest hint of some sort of jam used sparingly in the baking process.

Surprisingly it only took the chef extraordinaire only a mind boggling twenty minutes to create the whole thing, putting his special knowledge amassed from ages of study and utilizing his magic to maximize efficiency to do what most other chefs could only dream of doing.

When it came time to choose the plates that would cradle his food babies to their destination Maelik went with a neutral porcelain dish and took painstaking care in placing the food out in three equal portions and not allowing even a stray drop to mar the aesthetic perfection of his masterpiece.

And when the stars all aligned and the time of prophecy came to pass, the imposingly large monster from the nightmares of both child and adult alike skipped happily up the stairs with a cheery whistle on his scaly lips. He'd continue along until finally stopping just short of Naoki's door, doing his best to approach silently and listening at the door to find a good time to enter as he did not wish to ruin the mood once again. Besides, he had confidence that his magic could keep the food piping hot and perfectly preserved until such a time that it would be appropriate to step foot inside.

The demon was almost salivating at the thought of the reception his food would get, and this time he hoped to see the whole thing go down in person.

"Then again," he thought, "it may be detrimental to the overall experience if I was lurking in the corner and staring at them the whole time so it may just be best if I make myself scarce after that first bite. Yes, that would most likely be the best course of action... Maybe I should go and get some clothes made up or something? Or maybe go out and try to find a girl? Or perhaps I should just go and absolutely gorge myself on a cartload of cakes...Mmmm, caaaaakes."

Artemis's gaze follows Naoki's gesture, landing disparagingly upon the rude table Naoki sometimes took her meals at. That wouldn't do for a romantic dinner, not at all.

She silently excuses herself with a small bow, and retreats to the main office. With the intention of taking a moment to place Kate's used glass in the appropriate location, she heads for the door to the right of Naoki's desk. The door opens to reveal a room of approximately equal size to the office. The far wall is lined with shelves holding labeled boxes; the others sport tasteful tapestries, paintings, and other pieces of art. On the right-hand wall, an unobtrusive door of dark wood, with a silver doorknob. In the center of the room, an assortment of richly-upholstered couches and chairs circle a square coffee table. Under a protective lacquer finish, the top of the table is adorned with fantastic designs, swirls and geometries and patterns carved into the wood and covered with vibrant paint and gold leaf. The striking cobalts, brilliant crimsons, verdant greens, and lustrous golds and silvers lend contrast to the otherwise dark hues of the room.

Artemis surveys this room with a critical eye as she places the glass on a tray on the bar. None of the small tables in the suite were of a suitable form to hold a dinner on. But perhaps… Inspiration strikes her. She slips out of the suite, and disappears downstairs into the storage area. Several minutes later, she returns, bearing a pile of cushions and an embroidered indigo blanket. Depositing her burden on one of the couches, she surveys the room for a moment, before setting to work. The couches and chairs are pulled back to give more space in the center of the room. The few books and other implements on top of the coffee table are removed, and the blanket spread in the center of the room, underneath the table. Plush cushions are piled on opposite sides of the table, in lieu of chairs. A trip to loot the abandoned private dining room sees the table set, the centerpiece positioned, the light in the room dimmed to a romantic candlelight, and the bottle of Medanese Gold occupying a place of honor on the bar.

Satisfied with her preparations, Artemis returns to Naoki’s bedroom.

“Excuse me, Madame,” she interjects. “I took the liberty of making preparations for your meal in the sitting room, in hopes that you would find it a more satisfactory location.”

Reiea nodded to Kevin in acknowledgement and quietly said, "Thank you." She rose from her seat at the bar, made her way to the back, and ascended the staircase.

On the right, scarred door. Despite the more than simple instruction, she still repeated the direction to herself and looked to the left and right sides of the hall before finding Mr. Cresno's office.

Conscious primed herself for the next few moments. Alright. You can do this. Just take the sword... With the utmost reluctance, Reiea grasped the hilt of her sword, knuckles white. Just... Knock with the sword. The first few inches of the blade slid from the scabbard–

No! conscience interjected. We don't need to be violent about this. Put down the sword and knock with your hand.

Reiea's body hardened, and she glared straight ahead at the door. And what? Fall into his office, sobbing and asking to pay him anything to find that loser? I'm not a weak girl. I'm a woman.

Being a woman, countered conscience, does not mean acting like a brute to get what you want.

No. Just stop. I'm going to show this old man what I'm made of.

Conscience flailed. What has he done to you?!

He's probably some old patriarch! shouted conscious, unconvincingly. Reiea bit her lip and drew the sword in one motion. She beat on Mr. Cresno's door with the pommel of her sword and steeled herself for the response.

Drude nodded in assent. This is satisfactory.

Looking back at the paper, the Terms regarding his payment were adjusted according to Reese's offer.

Then the lunatic knocked. Drude metaphorically rolled his eyes. The being cared overmuch for a door. All the same, Drude readied himself for combat, should the woman be wishing it.

Maelik ducked through the door frame and followed Naoki over to the table, the euphoria of his earlier fantasies still evident in the form of a heat blush reddening his black face scales. The area was a bit tighter than the demon expected but for the most part he suffered no inconveniences in maneuvering around, keeping enough presence of mind to not bump his tail or wings into anything.

Peering over at Kate he made a quick assessment of her well being and other than the haunting resemblance she bore to his first wife (minus the horns and the surplus of vitamin bitch) he concluded that she was in good enough condition to eat. Hell she even seemed to have slipped into a more comfortable demeanor than before.

"I'm pleased to see that you're doing well my dear, I do hope that Hassle didn't cause you too much trauma. I shall be doing what I can to assist the Madame in salvaging your night via delectable treats to stuff your face with. I apologize beforehand that I couldn't find the butchered dragon I originally intended to be served but knowing me I probably already wolfed it down."

He bent over to begin placing the dishes in an orderly manner as he spoke, paying especially close attention to the symmetry of where the plates sat in relation to each other, flashing his best attempt at a charming smile the whole time.

"Of course I'm only joking, dragons don't make for good meat stock. In fact, the last time I killed one I was terribly disappointed in how atrocious it tasted."

Having doled out two out of the three servings Maelik righted himself and took a few steps back to appreciate the view.

"For the enjoyment of the most adorable pair I've ever seen I present my prized elk bred specifically for occasions such as this with stuffed peppers and buttery fresh baked dinner rolls. Please pardon my lackluster exposition of the meal but I find that there is no truly good way to describe something like this without taking a bite." Holding his platter up high Maelik gave yet another short bow and backed off even further, this time in the direction of Artemis.

"And what kind of gentleman would I be if I excluded someone? Especially if that someone was another dazzling light of beauty and composure? Forgive me for my gall but I took the liberty to include the ever faithful steward in my portion planning." He said to the butler in as suave a tone as he could manage, motioning to the not quite empty platter.

"If you'd like I can bring in another table for you to sit at as well? Or would that be too cramped?"

Reese gave an approving nod at the voice wafting from the door. Manners were an integral part of society, and it was nice to see people using them.

His focus shifted back to Drude. "I think we're more or less done here, until the Madame is slightly less busy. That being said, feel free to stick around. People with swords give me the heeby-jeebies."

The comfy chair he sat in spun to face the door. "Do come in."

Reese regarded the bottle of Avalon Drude had brought him as Reiea (presumably) entered. He decided against offering it, remembering seeing the young woman take a meal downstairs in one his mirrors. Ah well. Natural congeniality and charm would simply have to do.

As Ulciscor passes by with his platter, Madame Naoki’s - apparently pointy - nose detects the aromatic waves of scent emanating from the victuals he carries. The flame of her appetite, once nearly doused by Hasdrubal’s incursion, now rekindles and roars at the smell.

Heading back into the sitting room, Madame Naoki carefully seats herself on one of the cushions, knees folded, adjusting her skirt to cover her legs after doing so. She eyes the now revealed entrées. Elk, with stuffed peppers and rolls. And how appetizing it looks! Ulciscor must be taking advantage of some subconsciously pleasing ratios, or have enchanted the dish to appear unnaturally enticing. Naoki has doubts about how, exactly, it looks as good as it does. Surely, this could not be simply skill; there must be some trickery at play. However, she cares not. See, she gets to eat this. If it tastes half as good as it looks, she probably wouldn’t mind, even if it was poisoned.

She begins to reach for her fork, before remembering her table manners. It would hardly be polite to dig in before Kate had even sat down. Replacing her hand in her lap, Naoki decides that she will wait patiently for Kate before beginning, no matter how enticing the dish may be. She shifts on her cushion impatiently, attempting not to salivate visibly.