Eve "Grayscale"
Though they were now part of the same troupe and had been working together even before Ciradyl’s official initiation into Team Kirin, the fact remained that she didn't know every single one of her teammates equally; some were old friends spanning decades like Izayoi and some others were practically acquaintances, someone who just so happened to fight on the same side, and one black mage was undoubtedly in the latter group.
They had never talked to each other on a personal level and everything they did together always involved the other members to accomplish an objective or two. So perhaps, it was the ever fickle strings of fate that led the two white-haired Kirins to this moment.
This... peculiar moment.
"Ah..." The black mage perked up as she noticed the bard's presence, raising her head from the
bird she was munching on, back at the half-eaten hunted game, then returning to said bard. A momjentary silence fell between them, accompanied only by the constant breeze courtesy of a moving ship before Eve blinked with some sort of epiphany,
"I caught it earlier. Want some? We can cook it first if you'd like."There was a lightness now in Faye's step that had been clearly absent after Mizutani’s demise. Each drunken chorus of the sailors was accompanied by a magical melody drawn from Ciradyl’s exquisite violin. She had not been made aware but there had been many a brawl in the underbelly of the ship as to who would have the right to
woo her. It was nearly impossible to remember the last time she had enjoyed herself like this. Despite this, there was a lot to be desired when it came to the quality of the food.
Ciradyl had been walking through the ship looking a little dejected at this fact when she stumbled upon a peculiar sight. Her head cocked slightly to the side as she spotted Eve enjoying the raw meat of some kind of poultry. She had vaguely recalled that the monster had little need to eat so watching her
waste such a valuable ingredient by simply eating it raw. All she needed was to figure out a way to get her to part with some of it and get a few spices from the ship’s cook. The sudden offer this creature made caught her off guard.
”If you wouldn’t mind.” She declared after making a light cough to clear her throat.
She hadn’t planned on interacting with the weapon that much, if at all. The rest had seemed to more or less accept that a Valheim superweapon was walking amongst them. What made it worse is the seemingly lack of emotion other than a hate for her creators. That hate could evolve to humanoids and maybe all life in general. Besides, there was nothing that guaranteed Valheim didn’t possess a kind of switch and all they were waiting for was the right moment once they got into range. Despite this, her expression softened picturing Eve as almost a younger sister. It had not been long ago that her own emotions had been suppressed and it was only because she had experienced them before that they could be replicated when needed.
”Are you familiar with grilling this particular bird?”"Personal experience suggests that most sapients prefer their meat cooked," Eve explained matter-of-factly,
"Ah, except for certain kinds of cuisine where the rawness of the flesh is the point, such as Osprey's sashimi." But, enough of that, the point had been made and they weren't here to discuss the ins-and-outs of cultural cuisine.
Speaking about the Faye Bard, it seemed she had recovered from her neurasthenia. Good, she needed to focus to properly vanquish the true enemy, the festering source of her people's woes, Valheim.
However, for now, they could share this flying dodo, and unlike the rations Izayoi forced Eve to eat back in Atsu, this bird was ‘guilt-free’, she hunted it herself from the wild, a blast of arcane winds was enough to incapacitate it then it was simply a matter of plucking it off the sky.
"Yes, based upon my past odysseys with various adventurers, this species is a popular game, well-known for its succulent meat and savory fat." She'd then hand over the creature to Ciradyl,
"But I shall allow you to cook it in whatever manner you wish.'"There was zero revulsion in Ciradyl’s expression as she graciously took the raw meat from Eve. Her father had taught her to skin various game animals like this so she harbored no issue handling it.
”Perfect. Allow me to thank you with a delicious dish in return. I believe the cook of this vessel would lend me the kitchen for a short time.” It might have been her merchant blood but Ciradyl had quickly endeared herself to the crew that practically treated her like a celebrity.
”Good afternoon, Kazou. I have a favor to ask but may I borrow your kitchen?” Kazou had been mildly startled but after listening he soon smiled
“'Course ya can, Lady Ciradyl. Whatcha makin’?” His speech was coarse but friendly. Ciradyl moved further into the kitchen and laid the creature onto a dull, metal tray that had been laid out
”A poultry dish with some herb and garlic if you can spare spoke.” It had been a request but Kazuo must have taken it as an order as he nodded fervently “No problem! I’ll get it right away.” He said with strong conviction before taking his leave through a different door than the ladies had come from.
The gentle smile Faye normally wore changed slightly with the muscles in her face relaxing and the edges of her lips curving higher. Servants had been in charge of preparing her meals since she assumed her position in the resistance so she hoped she would not disappoint her mother.
”Have you ever cooked before, Eve?” Ciradyl inquired as she bounced around the kitchen gathering various utensils and cookware she would need. After gathering the right tools, she took a sharp knife and began shearing the skin of the creature before carving filets out of its flesh.
"Affirmative." After handing over the partially-eaten game bird to Ciradyl, Eve simply followed her toward the ship's kitchen. There, as Ciradyl claimed, the cook was indeed willing to let her borrow his tools and utensils. He was even helping her with the ingredients, definitely a helpful fellow. In the meantime, noticing that certain things were already prepared, the black mage decided to sit down somewhere out of the way, observing in relative silence.
That was until the Bard struck a conversation with her specifically,
"Yes, though I'm usually tasked with preparing the campfire or heating the kiln, but it looks like neither would be needed here." No doubt her pyromancy would've proven incredibly convenient for such endeavors, mundane utility was still utility.
”I will have to remember that when I prepare our meals on the road.”Kazuo returned a moment later with all the requested herbs and garlic, then immediately joined Ciradyl in preparing the dish, though that was when his experienced cook's eyes noticed something... peculiar about the animal,
"Pardon, M'lady, but has something be takin' a chunk out of this ‘ere bird? Where did ye get it if you don't mind me askin'?"Ciradyl cutely tilted her head at his bizarre question.
”Oh, Eve here caught it and was having a light snack before she offered it to me.” There was no hint of a joke in her voice. Kazuo stared at the Faye with wide eyes before looking at the small form casually sitting close by
“Ah, are ya feelin’ alright Miss?” He asked hesitantly while Ciradyl continued to work happily. Pans were placed on the stove and everything had been prepared.
”That should be everything. Now to wait for the stove to heat up.”..........
.....
...
The two white-haired ladies of Team Kirin sat across from each other with the completed dish before them. A heavenly aroma drifted from the well-seasoned bird and its crispy accompaniments with a larger portion given to Eve.
”It has been some time since I cooked for myself so please give your honest feedback.” It was said that the way to a man’s stomach was through their stomach but she wondered if that applied to artificially created super weapons?
Even Eve had to admit that people don't usually cook partially-eaten game, one would think hunters and adventurers alike would prepare the creature first
before taking a bite out of it, alas, what's done is done. Besides, now that the Pseudoloon could take a good look at what Ciradyl and Kazuo made, there was no indication that the meal before them was made from an... 'incomplete' animal. They had done an excellent job all things considered.
"I see..." The shorter white-haired girl's red eyes roamed all over the roasted dodo while taking in the sweet aroma wafting into her nose. She might not strictly require sustenance other than ether, but she still had enough Sollan parts to be able to enjoy food for the pleasure, and this one certainly looked pleasurable. Without further ado, Eve began using the provided utensils to calmly and quietly enjoy the slices of seasoned bird meat, a picture of demure elegance, a far cry from her barbaric display earlier.
Chew, chew, swallow, then a pause...
"It's delicious, Ciradyl." Eve quipped with such a straightforward tone that the Faye might not be used to, here sitting before her was an entity so utterly distinct from Esben, there were no innuendos to be found, nor the need to read between the lines. Even if words weren't enough somehow, then the small subtle smile on the horned girl's face and the fact she immediately resumed her meal would be proof enough.
The stark contrast from earlier had Ciradyl holding a fork in her hand and her plate untouched. Where had these manners originated from? How does one go from devouring like a beast to gracefully enjoying a prepared meal? These questions floated in her mind as she awaited a review on her cooking.
”Thank you. I am glad that my skills are still passable.” She had taken a moment to reply because the Pseudolon’s words were spoken so earnestly without a hint there might be a hidden motive. Ciradyl found herself unable to prevent some of her frustration bubbling to the surface of her expression.
Her irritation at a certain SEED agent passed as he began to eat herself and found Eve’s review to be accurate. Despite its mangled start, the meat had been cooked well enough that it was still tender. A few of the seasonings did feel a bit off but nothing that would ruin the overall taste. A dreamlike haze filtered over her eyes as she looked back at Eve. There was something about this that made her feel, just for this moment, Eve was her little sister. Her logical and emotional thoughts never did tend to agree.
”What are your plans after Valheim is defeated, Eve?” Ciradyl asked before taking a sip of wine.
Almost as if Eve was in some sort of mimicry mode, the shorter white-haired girl too took a sip of wine like the Faye, albeit she was holding the glass with both hands as if it was a cup, meanwhile, her mind was already pondering Ciradyl's question. This was indeed something she had been musing about ever since the encounter with Cid, and also a topic she had discussed with Esben once. While a few things remained similar, there were changes as well.
"I want to live, because that's what mother sacrificed herself for, I aim to fulfill her wish. However, if there are still more of my kind left, then it's my duty to euthanize them, because they are abominations who should not exist-..." All of the sudden, Eve paused, her body went rigid as her brows frowned deep as realizing the utter hypocrisy she had just expressed shook her to the core.
"I-..."A soft thud sounded off the table as she set her glass down, hearing this for the first time. The muscles in her fact twitched as memories of her own mother’s last moments fell on her.
Abominations. That was indeed the best word to describe them yet the way in which Eve said it projected a sort of…self-loathing. They were her spiritual siblings in a sense but that didn’t feel like the reason.
”To begin, there is a stark difference between living and not being dead. They are the same on the surface but the minute details make all the difference.””I have to wonder if that would be honoring your mother’s wishes, to exterminate all the others like you. It would be a different matter if they were mindless weapons capable of nothing but mass destruction.” Warm, gentle eyes fell on the pseudolon where there had once been suspicion and ignorance.
”Are you such an exception that giving such mercy to the others is unthinkable? If so, I am grateful for the circumstances that brought you here.”"..." The gray-haired girl's sudden inability to participate in the conversation was palpable now. She could've concurred that Ciradyl just made the distinction between surviving versus thriving, but... nothing, the words couldn't even form. All Eve could do at this very moment was staring wide-eyed at her own hands on the table, her
abominable hands. It was as if time itself slowed down to a dead crawl as the world around her shriveled into nothingness. She was alone, lost, belonging to neither the material plane or the divine pantheon, and only her fellow mutants were in the same boat, so if she exterminated all of them, then wouldn't she be
truly alone?
Then, perhaps as a testament to Ciradyl's mythical voice, the Faye's words managed to pierce through the miasma choking the Pseudolon's mind, at least enough to get her to stir slightly, showing that Eve heard what was being said.
"..." Her lips pursed as she slowly set the utensils down. The Bard's musings brought feelings of discomfort to the shorter girl, as if she was exposing the cracks in what Eve thought to be an iron-clad belief.
She... couldn't disagree, as much as her heart wanted to, as much as her hatred for Valheim and the chimeras they made begged her to. If she had a mother, then who could say she was the only one? Maybe... there were other runaways like her or those who weren't as lucky as her and failed to escape or succeeded only to be recaptured? Yes, she'd
love it if everyone else except her were mindless weapons capable of nothing but destruction, then she'd indeed be the exception, it'd make things so, so much simpler.
Alas, though she sincerely hoped she'd be proven wrong, she couldn't admit in good faith that she was definitely the exception that proves the rule. After all, it'd only take a single other sapient False Eidolon for the glaring incompatibility of her two wishes to surface.
"... ... ..." Eve fell silent for a good long while, her eyes fixated downward, then after what seemed like an eternity, she turned to the side,
"I... I need to think..." Then promptly left the table, though abrupt, there was no hint of hostility in her tone.
The look in Eve’s eyes tugged on her heart strings yet she waited in silence to hear her reply. She nearly lifted a hand to stop her and bring her into an embrace but stopped just short.
”Very well. I hope we will talk again.” There was nothing else for Ciradyl to say on the matter. Ciradyl wanted nothing more than to bring Eve into her arms, stroke her hair, and tell her everything would work out in the end. Her parents had never graced her with a sibling and unlike Izayoi she had no child of her own. That made it difficult to know such an action would be appropriate. It had surprised her so see such emotion run underneath her muted expression. The Faye had falsely assumed the capacity to feel such concepts were beyond the scope of her creation. A small idea began to form in her mind as she watched Eve walk away. There had to be something she could do.
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