Just Desserts

Writers: Eimi, Yvonne
Date Posted: 1st April 2006

Characters: Kiomo, Thalia
Description: Kiomo and Thalia discuss desserts for the dinner they're planning
Location: Garnet Valley Hold
Date: month 10, day 19 of Turn 3

"I have brought klah, and desert samples," Kiomo said as he slipped
through the door with a tray filled with different types of goodies.
"The cook said she could make any of these for the night of the
Weyrleader dinner, so... we just have to chose one."

"Choose..." Thalia's eyes widened as she caught sight of the tray,
and a craving for sweets that she didn't know she possessed kicked
in.
"My goodness! I thought that you were simply bringing recipes!"

"I seem to have a way with the kitchen staff," he chuckled. "They
cooked them all up for us."

"Remind me to ask what your secret is," she said, although she
already had a pretty good idea. Men who looked the way Kiomo did
usually had a "way" with the kitchen staff.

"Where shall we start?" he asked as he poured them each a cup of
klah.

"With the crumble," she said decisively, reaching for a fork. "I
don't care if some people think it's poor man's food. I like
crumble."

"Poor man's food?" Kiomo asked with a chuckle as he picked up a fork
of his own. "I don't know if _everyone_ would agree with that
statement."

"Perhaps not, but it's a sentiment that my mother certainly
embraced." Feeling slightly guilty, Thalia spooned a helping out for
Kiomo, then one for herself. "Unless it had spun sugar decorations or
pastries of some sort, she thought it plain."

"Ah, but rich in taste," he sighed appreciatively after reluctantly
swallowing his first bite. "If that is how a poor man eats, I would
love to be one."

"Perhaps." Thalia delicately moved a forkful from her plate to her
lips. "You did receive my proposed menu amendments, didn't you? I had
no idea that the Weyrwoman didn't like white fingerroots until
yesterday."

"Yes, I did. I think the changes are fine. I think the idea of a
Tussilago Salad would be just fine," he said with a nod of approval.
"We will have to get some from the hothouse, but it might impress our
guests."

"Perhaps. River Bluff Weyr _is_ a hothouse..." She scooped up a
heaping forkful of crumble to console herself. "And the fish
course... I'm still debating on using fresh or salted fish. I'd
prefer fresh myself, but my mother always said that it's best to try
and impress guests from away using local specialties, rather than
things that they can get at home." Salted trout wasn't her favourite,
but soaked enough maybe it would lose its bite...

"That is true. I have to say I am not that knowledgeable about local
delicacies yet." He hummed appreciatively at a bite of klah and
red-fruit cake. "But I have to say you do make good desserts here."

"I think so too." Thalia helped herself to a bite of an iced cake
dotted with ground nuts, then pushed the plate toward him. "What do
you think of that?"

"Hmmm... That does look delicious." He took a small bite. "The
frosting with the nuts is perfect."

"It is quite good, isn't it?" She reached across the table - since
they seemed to have abandoned good manners - and stole a small bite
of the redfruit cake. Delicious. "That's also good. I don't think
there's going to be much of a worry about tasteless desserts!"

"Hey, now that was mine," he said with a pout, but his eyes sparkled
with humor. "Just for that, I'm going to steal a bit of your
'poor man's crumble'."

"Good! I certainly can't eat it all by myself!" Well... she
_could_... **But I'm fat enough as it is without binging on
desserts!** She'd never known that a baby added so much weight. "But
since we're trading..." The fork flashed, and another bite of
redfruit cake was stolen.

"Oh, _now_ you've done it," he laughed as he lunged for the
nut-frosted cake.

Thalia laughed and whacked his knuckles lightly with her fork.
"Manners! Really!"

"Well, now, charming _and_ violent," he laughed as he pitifully
rubbed at his 'wounded' hand, "what a dangerous combination."

"I hardly think tapping you with a spoon could be considered
violent," she said primly, and reached for her mug of klah.

"It was a _fork_" he reminded her with a smile as he cut himself
another piece of redfruit cake.

"I stand corrected." Thalia lifted her mug to her lips to hide the
faint blush that crept across her cheeks for her mistake.

"So which one of these should we pick then?" he asked, changing the
subject despite the small smile that curled up the corners of his
lips.

Thalia suppressed a sigh and put down her mug. "Either the nut cake
or the redfruit cake, or maybe I can persuade the cook to do both and
the Weyrleaders can choose."

"I'm sure they could be convinced," Kiomo nodded. "I can ask them if
you like."

"They _did_ make you all this..." Thalia glanced at the tray, then
down at her plate. They'd eaten most of it, and she could feel the
cake pooling around her thighs and belly. "Maybe it would be best if
you asked."

"All right. I will do that when I return the tray."

"Thank you." Kiomo smiled, and Thalia suddenly knew that he'd get
_exactly_ what he wanted...

Last updated on the April 30th 2006

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Just Desserts