"Oh?" Steven asks, as he slips off his shoes near the door and slips on his house slippers. He sniffs the air. "It smells good," he says, after a moment. "Did you have to make substitutions?"
He's almost certain Thace did, given that he's assuming this is a traditional Galra recipe, which is what it sounds like. But part of being a reporter is asking those leading questions that you're pretty sure you can guess the answers to and early training shows.
Thace makes a soft warbling sound to welcome Steven home, leaning towards him, even though he doesn't abandon his task. Steven will come over, he's sure.
"Quite a few. I'm fairly certain the taste isn't the same as if it was artavok meat, but the closest species on this planet would be Tyrantrum, most likely, and well..."
Thace lets the silence speak for him. He'd never even consider trying to kill a Pokemon just for accuracy.
"I decided pheasant had the best flavor, but goose was better for size of the organ meats that are meant to be included, so I mixed."
Of course Thace wouldn't. He loves the Pokemon of this world as much as if he were from this world. And even if he didn't, Steven suspects, Thace would still balk at eating what were essentially companion animals.
(Steven would have too, once, when he was still human. Before Arcadia.)
"Well, birds were dinosaurs once," Steven says, coming over to the stove to get a better look. "I think it would work."
The stew, thick and filled with finely shredded meat, is bubbling away at a full boil, and then Thace picks up two goose livers and drops them into the pot.
"A couple minutes for them to warm up--The recipe said fresh from a still warm carcass, but I'm improvising-- and it will be ready. Will you get some drinks for us? The fruit and nut salad is in the fridge too."
Thace leans in to nuzzle against Steven's cheek as he pulls a second dish--fish, it looks like--from where it had been kept hot in the oven and starts serving it on plates.
Of course there's fish. Thace loved fish. Steven chuckles and heads fridge-ward, to grab the salad.
"I'm assuming non-alcoholic for you?" he asks. "Otherwise, I've got a nice white from Olivine that would pair well with the fish, from what I can see of it."
Thace thinks for a moment. "I think, a very small glass of the wine with a larger one of the sour Berraid. I can think of nowhere safer in the universe to be, after all."
Berraid is one of Thace's newest finds. It claims to have all the health benefits of Berries, distilled for human consumption, but really it's mostly 3 parts sports drink and 1 part Berry tea. It does come in flavors that are strongly reminiscent of the concentrated flavors of some Berries though. Thace's favorites are sour, bitter, and spicy.
Anyway, with the fish plated, Thace carefully picks out the livers, spoons up bowls and lays the livers to rest gently on top. They're still mostly raw.
"I hope you like this. I found it when researching old courtship practices. Partners would feed each other the liver as good luck for their partnerships."
"For your novel?" Steven asks, curiously. He refrains from getting a Berraid for himself—Thace might enjoy them, but they're not what he'd choose to mix with wine.
He's not bothered by the liver being all but raw. Since Arcadia he's preferred his meat on the rarer side anyway—and he is finally in his normal body again.
"Ah, that particular stint of research came well before I joined the fleet. I was lonely and maturing..." 'And a nerd' he doesn't say, although Thace is both pleased and a little embarrassed at the interest. "But I did make sure to include it, and other things I discovered later."
Thace has set their chairs and plates very close together, and then sets the bowls down in between so everything is in easy reach. "Most of the records I found mentioned spoons actually, so some of the broth was included. Spilling some was a poor omen, but a quick thinking partner could catch them before they got too far and turn it into another show of trust and care."
Thace is definitely blushing as he says that, for all that it's hardly visible under the fur. The romantic way to catch a dribble of soup is probably easily inferred.
Even if every day with Steven is like a fantasy come true, this is a very specific fantasy he'd very frequently indulged in as the Galra equivalent to a teenager. Easy to feel like he still is one now, in this moment.
But that's part of the thrill. "As will I."
Temptations aside. Thace carefully picks up his spoon. "Ready? Would you like to go first or shall I?"
Steven's amusement is a pleasant prickle all up and down his spine. Thace loves when he can please his partner so. He meets Steven's eyes and doesn't look away as he deftly scoops up the liver and scrapes the bottom of the spoon lightly over the edge of the bowl as he lifts it. He means not to spill, and if a drip happens, well--
"I'm eager to know how you like the taste too, of course."
Thace is, well, eager to lean in and capture that drip. More of a kiss than just a lick, honestly, and he's equally eager to turn that into a deeper kiss when Steven is done swallowing down the stew and liver. Definitely a thrill to taste his handiwork on Steven's mouth.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
fingersandteeth) wrote2022-02-21 05:11 pm
Re: during fourth wall
He's almost certain Thace did, given that he's assuming this is a traditional Galra recipe, which is what it sounds like. But part of being a reporter is asking those leading questions that you're pretty sure you can guess the answers to and early training shows.
no subject
"Quite a few. I'm fairly certain the taste isn't the same as if it was artavok meat, but the closest species on this planet would be Tyrantrum, most likely, and well..."
Thace lets the silence speak for him. He'd never even consider trying to kill a Pokemon just for accuracy.
"I decided pheasant had the best flavor, but goose was better for size of the organ meats that are meant to be included, so I mixed."
no subject
(Steven would have too, once, when he was still human. Before Arcadia.)
"Well, birds were dinosaurs once," Steven says, coming over to the stove to get a better look. "I think it would work."
no subject
"A couple minutes for them to warm up--The recipe said fresh from a still warm carcass, but I'm improvising-- and it will be ready. Will you get some drinks for us? The fruit and nut salad is in the fridge too."
Thace leans in to nuzzle against Steven's cheek as he pulls a second dish--fish, it looks like--from where it had been kept hot in the oven and starts serving it on plates.
no subject
"I'm assuming non-alcoholic for you?" he asks. "Otherwise, I've got a nice white from Olivine that would pair well with the fish, from what I can see of it."
no subject
Berraid is one of Thace's newest finds. It claims to have all the health benefits of Berries, distilled for human consumption, but really it's mostly 3 parts sports drink and 1 part Berry tea. It does come in flavors that are strongly reminiscent of the concentrated flavors of some Berries though. Thace's favorites are sour, bitter, and spicy.
Anyway, with the fish plated, Thace carefully picks out the livers, spoons up bowls and lays the livers to rest gently on top. They're still mostly raw.
"I hope you like this. I found it when researching old courtship practices. Partners would feed each other the liver as good luck for their partnerships."
no subject
"For your novel?" Steven asks, curiously. He refrains from getting a Berraid for himself—Thace might enjoy them, but they're not what he'd choose to mix with wine.
He's not bothered by the liver being all but raw. Since Arcadia he's preferred his meat on the rarer side anyway—and he is finally in his normal body again.
"Do we feed it with our hands or will forks do?"
no subject
Thace has set their chairs and plates very close together, and then sets the bowls down in between so everything is in easy reach. "Most of the records I found mentioned spoons actually, so some of the broth was included. Spilling some was a poor omen, but a quick thinking partner could catch them before they got too far and turn it into another show of trust and care."
Thace is definitely blushing as he says that, for all that it's hardly visible under the fur. The romantic way to catch a dribble of soup is probably easily inferred.
no subject
"I'll try not to spill, then," he says, very amused by Thace's bashfulness.
no subject
But that's part of the thrill. "As will I."
Temptations aside. Thace carefully picks up his spoon. "Ready? Would you like to go first or shall I?"
no subject
no subject
"I'm eager to know how you like the taste too, of course."
no subject
It's a good stew--well seasoned and just the right level of spice. And the liver goes very, very well paired with the rest.
no subject
no subject
no subject
He opens his mouth obligingly.