Castle of Loch Ness

Strange was the relationship between Arthur and Merlyn indeed. And it would only become more strange as time went on. Arthur made a long list, comparable to that of an entire produce section in a grocery store, claiming to want the meal completed with things he couldn't find within the stores. Ah, but it wasn't just so simple, he knew now the full capabilities of one such as Merlyn and made his request as if he had full faith for it to be followed. Oddly enough Merlyn would complete his wishes but not without complaining about it. "No, Merlyn. You've done enough, Merlyn. I definitely don't suddenly completely understand the nature and necessity of magic in this magical world I ended up in~" she stated with utmost sarcasm. Oh... that wasn't entirely her kind of sentence either, there was a bit of extra spite in such a statement. No matter. A massive waste of Merlyn's stored energy would occur over the next few moments. She made a great deal of vegetables and fruits from her own memory. That staff she'd been using before appeared within her hand. She used her memory to create seeds and then used her staff to manipulate life magic pollenating and growing within baskets massive quantities of the asked for produce up to the point of peak freshness. Wine for the adults and juice for the children. Made and put into color coded jugs within cold storage. All the while she seemed to have a light of utter annoyance shining in those magenta eyes of hers. "There... no more kitchen nightmares for Merlyn~" she mused as she left hand in hand with Sir Hector.

But while Merlyn's kitchen nightmares would be ending with her production of Arthur's fixings. Both Emilia and Guinevere were just staring theirs. Apparently, Arthur did know how to give orders, specifically when it came to cooking. Or maybe it was just work in general. Whatever the case, Emilia was processing the directions she was given with her purple eyes blank for several seconds while her brain caught up to the words spoken. "Uhh... Roux and Rice. Got it." she said she'd inch off to begin. She'd set up several pots of water on back burners and salt them properly while setting up smaller sauce pans and melting butter into them to begin the roux. Each burner turned on with the smallest burst of magic through the matching knob. The first hints of magic would begin as she began stirring pots to add in flour but the spoons kept stirring at the same speed as she walked away from them. At the same time, Guinevere found herself staring at Arthur for a few seconds. Her own brain needed less time to catch up, but his directions were so full she'd still be processing the ending parts even as they started their work. "Chopping veggies and boiling them, I can handle that..." she stated getting started on the pots of boiling water and inspecting magical knives, while setting up cutting boards for use. There were other parts they hadn't quite caught yet, but the knew enough that they wouldn't necessarily slow him down while he had his tyrant fit in the kitchen.

"If you're going to complain about being underutilized, don't complain when there's an actual use for you, Merlyn," Arthur barked with sass to match the sorceress' own. At this exact moment, the necessity of Merlyn's magic could not be argued against. Only she could produce the rest of what these people needed for satisfaction, so it didn't matter if she exhausted herself doing so. Of course, he wouldn't have actually seen the mage endanger her wellbeing or anything, but she seemed fine from what she managed. Veggies and drinks for the masses were prepared, and Arthur had a few more words to share with the fleeing woman. "Thank you Merlyn; rest up." And with that, he was done making use of Merlyn for the time being. Even Arthur had to admit that she'd done more than enough; he even thought she deserved the first plate when dinner was done. Magic had to require energy as well, right? He did feel a bit winded after a few uses of Excalibur, and that wasn't even remotely similar to spitting on the laws of reality.

And so came the start of manual labor. Emilia and Guin prepared their stations, and Arthur rolled up his sleeves to wash up. A few potatoes were set in a strainer first, while he took up a spoon and dipped it into Emilia's pot. Arthur could be seen tasting the water for salt content, though he said nothing after doing so. It seemed he was... satisfied with the amount of salt in said water. With that out of the way, he began washing potatoes and passing them off to Guinevere. "Don't waste those peels, Guin; they'll make a good stock for later. Emilia, what do you think? Maybe we have some elders with no teeth who'd rather have a soup?"

Oh? She probably shouldn't complain about being utilized properly after not being so for so long. Even so, she felt entitled to her frustration in the moment. She could have saved them so much time, and perhaps now that feature of her existence could be fully realized. Whatever the case, Merlyn was finally thanked and she had it in her to scoff mockingly. "At your service, Arthur~" she said before widening those glowing eyes of hers at Sir Hector. "Come on, let's go... before I explode or die of fright. I was thanked this day too. It really might be the last one~" she mentioned as if it was a truly funny outlook for her. She had Sir Hector could spend some time together while the cooking was done and though she'd wasted a great deal of energy. She'd been granted enough of it through her dealings with Sir Cador that she had no immediate fears. They even had a date setup for later, so it wasn't likely she wouldn't be fed today anyways.

At the same time, Emilia and Guinevere were being subjected to Arthur as the slave driver of the kitchen. In this case, Emilia's water was tasted and at the same time her heart was beating in her chest. Had she done good? Did she mess something up? The suspense was killing her, and he said nothing. Holy crap! This was like that moment while taking a test where a teacher looked at yours but didn't say anything, it only served to increase her anxiety in the moment. Ah, her attention was being broken, though her hands were still at work, the roux were reaching proper consistency but she was still waiting on the boiling of the water so she could add the rice. Question, about soup instead of stew for the elderly. "Uh... yes. I guess that is a pretty good idea as well. Though if the meat is tender enough it won't be a problem. A set could be made that way regardless, in case of children as well who might prefer their food a bit less chewy," she offered her honest opinion. At the same time, water was set to boil for Guinevere who'd salted her own water properly as well. She wasted no peels since Arthur mentioned it, and after peeling several potatoes set up magical knives to begin chopping them across cutting boards. Such uses of magic were minor but would speed along this process quite a bit. "As you like," she mentioned as she sat peels and the like to the side for stock. Yes, all the things the girls were doing would come together nicely.

Merlyn was fated to receive another shock this day, it seemed. Strange─ Sir Hector believed in recent weeks that Merlyn knew... well, quite literally everything. He would accompany the sorceress during her departure regardless, but this was a matter worth commenting on. Of course, he had to get over the minor stint of laughter first. "Did you really not see this coming? I thought the great sorceress could never be surprised, but how many times is this, just today?" he wondered aloud.

If Emilia became anxious by the simple tasting of saltwater, there would only be more worry to come. Progression occurred quickly by use of magical tools on Guinevere's part, so the blonde male was able to pass potatoes along more quickly than he initially anticipated. This also freed him to take up another spoon at random, quickly dipping it into the roux as its consistency stabilized. "Did you taste this?" he asked in an offhanded manner, just before the small spoon of roux entered his own mouth. Something was just a tiny bit off for the overly-refined palate of Arthur; there was a lack of kick, so to speak. There was no point adding a soup to the mix just yet, if the roux still wasn't absolutely perfect. "Come on. What's that missing?" he continued. Never one to waste a moment unnecessarily, he quickly returned to passing along potatoes, and soon enough, carrots. "How are those cubes looking, Guinevere? Nice and even, I hope."

The amount of shock Merlyn was feeling at these random instances of change in attitude were indeed something quite new to her as well. For the most part, futures that she saw were usually fixed, with just a little bit of variation from time to time. In the case of herself, she'd recently been not looking directly at things she would do, and instead had simply taking to nudging everyone around herself towards their happiest ending. Whenever she looked upon herself she saw death and sadness but never her own, no... she'd look for happy moments instead. Like the laughter of Sir Hector, even if at her expense, was worth hearing in the moment. Beneath her hood, the lady Merlyn managed to look just a bit flustered. "Oh a great sorceress... I am beginning to wonder about these high opinions of me, making a girl like me flustered is no easy feat~" she teased and flirted as she always would. But if they were conversing seriously she'd also answer that as well. "Truly, I did not...see this coming. If I am being perfectly honest, I don't usually look directly at my own future any more~" she mused with a subtle smile gracing those lightly pinkened cheeks. "Besides, a certain Spirit Knight advised me that a few unknowns in life were good for me. So, for the most part I've been only looking for danger around us... and not the more day to day activities. Well, only just a few day to day activities, you know... to keep us from having to work really hard to feed the masses and to know how many rooms we'd need and stuff like that~ Today, I have been surprised no less than three times. I am starting to think I should peek a bit more to make sure I don't end up embarrassed," she said softly as they headed towards the edge of the lake. She was truly going to feed the Loch Ness monster, she was now her new favorite pet.

Emilia was indeed already anxious. She didn't do well under pressure. Normally she rose to such occasions but they usually came with internal freak outs of major proportions. A quality of being too young and spending a lot of time alone... well before more recent times. When asked if she tasted the roux she managed to look shocked. "Well, no... I didn't know whose taste I should be seasoning it to..." she mentioned meekly. Why did she volunteer for this? She should have gone with Merlyn... cleaned rooms or something. Her heart, her poor heart was beating in her chest rather furiously as she continued working. A small tasting spoon would make a quick round in one of the pots. It lacked a bit of spice, "A little more spice? I wasn't sure if it would be too much.." she mentioned content to add a bit more before stirring each pot. A new tasting spoon would be taken and she would seeming be satisfied after her addition. In the meantime, Guinevere chopping her vegetables seemed to be as calm as ever. She wasted nothing and all her cubes were perfect. "Yes, all even so they cook at the same speed... soup and alchemy potions aren't too dissimilar, " she said with the same amount of grace and attitude she had about everything. Of course, she could be at least confident in her knife skills because of her usage of them, and because Nerys was just as tough as a potions expert.

Merlyn could wonder all she liked about the opinions these knights had of her. It seemed they all thought quite highly of the sorceress, and of course Hector was no exception as the second knight to have an impression. "Yes, of course. Great sorceress may even be an understatement, to be perfectly honest," he spoke earnestly. Perhaps Sir Hector even had the highest opinion of Merlyn, among the Knights of the Round Table. She freed his companion, Dagonet, and honored Hector's name even while knowing his death would only be temporary. "There's no need to be flustered, Lady Merlyn. I speak only my honest opinion, which I believe is shared by everyone else here. Though, the thought that you would be flustered by my words, is refreshing."

The flirty behavior of Merlyn was notably clear. Though Hector wasn't much of a flirter himself, he seemed to react positively on the receiving end. It was interesting to note that Merlyn refrained from viewing her own future, and even peered less in general as of late. Sir Cador was right; there was a certain excitement to being out of the loop, as it were. Hector could appreciate this─ especially considering the fact that Merlyn seemed to be having an alright time. Hector could only hope such a thing was allowed to last, as well as wonder how his own contributions to a pleasant lifestyle would weigh in. "You would peek to avoid embarrassment? It must have been a long time since you've felt such a thing," he said nonchalantly as they made way for the lake.

Emilia hadn't tasted the roux; that much was obvious. Had she done so, perhaps she would have been privy to the lack of seasoning found within. At least she realized what was needed after actually taking a sample for herself. "More spice, good. A dash of masala in each set should be fine. Not too spicy for the kids and sensitive tongues, but not flavorless either. Understood?" he spoke. Even as a veritable slaver in the kitchen, Arthur's intentions were fair. He wanted the dish perfect for those who would eat it, but also generally acceptable. Alas, those who were cooking at present would also be consuming. He would make note of that as well. "As for taste, don't be afraid to season for your own taste a bit as well. If you're going to cook something, you should want to eat it too, right?" With that said, Arthur was passing a handful of carrots to Guinevere. It was high time he took a lump of meat from the flying bison's hide, and a single glance in Guin's direction proved that yes, her cuts were coming along nicely. "Beautiful. Get those carrots done─ Emilia, make sure that roux is nice and thick. I'm switching to meat. Salt please," he concluded as a chunk of the bison's leg was sliced off rather cleanly. A large slab of meat would soon be sitting on a countertop, freshly rinsed and without skin or hair in sight. Ah, it even came with a spectacular layer of fat; he'd have to make bison steak eventually.

Sir Hector only seemed to feed further into the flustered state that Merlyn currently maintained. How? Well, to put it simply the earnestness of his statements were quite overwhelming. She joked around a lot, was seemed to be at least partially dismissive since she considered herself so far outside of 'human' norms. "You really think that," she almost whispered. "It might be a vast overstatement, I'm just a magical little monster who fancies herself a sorceress~" she mused, though she still liked his words. Never had she been happier her face couldn't be seen, she was quite sure she was a terrible shade of red. Flirting with Sir Cador was a matter of smoothness meeting comedy, having someone be so earnest in their appraisal of her was an entirely different sort of interaction. Sir Hector even claimed there was no need for her to be flustered but that he was simply making his honest opinion known. A gentle smile appeared on Merlyn's face and she took those words to heart though she truly couldn't help it. "The Sword Saint is a man whose, honor is without question, so compliments from him are very different. Even across ears as old as mine~ If you find such a reaction refreshing, Sir Hector... look forward to a veritable spring~" she teased and complimented. He seemed to like that she flirted with him, and she had no intention of stopping unless he stated some distaste at her actions. He also went on to question her desire to look into her own future to avoid embarrassment. A wide grin crossed her face as the reached the lake's edge and she could only smile. "Sir Hector, I can say with absolute certainty that it has been a virtual eternity since I last felt embarrassed. And I would without question peek into the future and choose different actions to avoid it~" she said with a knowing smile. "That being said, what is immortal sorcery without a few happy perks, for the sorceress~" she teased. Soon enough those wrapped innards would be lowered into the surface of the lake only to watch as it bubbled beneath as the Loch Ness monster came up to claim its dinner.

At the same time within the kitchen, Emilia was beginning to understand a bit more about Arthur. Though he seemed to have exceedingly high standards. He was seeming a bit more like a strict teacher who only gave occasional praise than a complete slave driver. Masala for the Roux and that would be balanced enough? Alright, she'd remember that for later. And also the bit of about cooking to her own taste as well... she would be eating so she supposed that was fair. "Hai, I understand..." she mentioned happily as she went back to seasoning and taking care of the pots on the stove top. It was about time to begin cooking rice so she'd do that, even as Arthur moved on to getting Guinevere more veggies. This time carrots. She looked at them before beginning to peel them and getting them ready for chopping. His earlier instructions mentioned that he wanted them cubed, but she needed a bit of clarification. "You said you wanted the carrots cubed, did you mean like squares or like oblique cut?" she asked in a straight-forward manner. While both were technically the same, the angled oblique cut gave more surface area to the carrots besides the texture of these reminded her mandrake roots and that is the cut she was taught for making those best used in bigger batches of potions. She'd await an answer while she peeled them at the same time, Emilia moved some salt into the area Arthur would be moving the meat to, for the sake of him having it to use.

"Yes, of course. I really think that," Hector confirmed. He didn't really get how Merlyn could ever disagree with such an assertion; her abilities spoke for themselves. Hell, she moved a four-ton bison through space in an instant, and proceeded to produce a marketplace's quantity of vegetation from nothing thereafter. No mere run-of-the-mill mage could claim such feats. What then, Merlyn was just a magical monster who liked to call herself a sorceress? Hector laughed so quickly at the notion, he nearly snorted. "Haha! Is that all? Forgive me, but I've never met a monster so very human─ though visual aspects may have you viewed as an angel instead. Besides, if you consider yourself some sort of monster, rest assured, you are not alone here. I have died a few times in the past few hundred years. I'm afraid we share a state of immortality, though I have no inclination to cover myself. Cursed with immortality, but never blessed with irresistible good looks. That makes me more of a monster than you, don't you think?" he questioned, thinking a second time after watching Merlyn toss the bison's innards into the lake. She did manage to do something about the Loch Ness monster, and now casually fed it as if it were a pet left out in the yard. "Though, as far as feats are concerned..."

Understanding shared, Emilia was back to her work after offering Arthur the salt he requested. "Thank you my darling," he said quickly and in the most casual manner, proceeding to crack salt over the giant slab of meat. As for Guinevere's question regarding the cut of the carrots, he had another idea that looped back to the earlier potato peelings. "Obliques. The tips are too small though, so chop them off. We'll use them in place of baby carrots for the appetizer. We'll do the same with extras from the onions. Oh! Toss those peels in a pot."

Oh... Sir Hector confirmed such things did he. Did he understand what this amount of honesty could do to a woman? Merlyn imagined the answer was no, he didn't understand. Women were all different, not all of them liked the same things, but if someone enjoyed a earnest companion, choosing Sir Hector would please them eternally. "Hm, I would say that is surprising but, the honesty of Sir Hector knows no bounds~" she mused. Only after this did she hear his laughter. He thought her speech about being a monster funny? Ah, well he would think that, as far as states of being were concerned Sir Hector was likely the closest she would have gotten to true understanding. Of course, he had an ability she once coveted and that was simply the ability to die. But, that didn't matter for now... she was slowly building up her ego again, a little less crazed than she had been when she'd thought the end was more worth chasing than the potential journey. "Well, blessed is a strong misnomer~" she mentioned of herself. "One could instead say that being this attractive is a predatory adaptation~" she stated. "Modesty is an active adaptation. Watching everyone literally fall all over themselves all the time would ruin my appetite~" she mentioned as if she hadn't spoken of her lack of real food. Her words were very clear. It was obvious that no one truly understood what she was until she mentioned it. "And I don't find you monstrous in the least. Immortality in any form can be daunting though so I quite understand what you mean," she mentioned happily."But I'd be remiss to let Sir Hector believe that he is anything but irresistibly good looking~" she continued flirting. Ah, her feats were kind of amazing huh? "Well those exact feats are why I usually choose not to actively act against anyone. I can't taint everyone else's accomplishments all the time~" her words continued even as she fed her new pet. How strange this must have looked to others, but oh well... Merlyn was indeed a strange individual.

Emilia was starting not to be as anxious about this kitchen experience. After coming to the realization that Arthur was more like a teacher she could actually deal a bit better with the exam style toughness of the cooking experience. She was Japanese originally, and cram school hadn't been absolutely terrible considering the pay off at the end. What though was her current payoff? Well, it was thanks from Arthur. That felt weird to her. Arthur had never been mean to her, but in a moment like this such words were oddly motivating as well. Yes, sweetness seemed to win over the lass known as Emilia. "Hai hai." she managed finally after several moments of thought finally burying herself back into her work. Beyond this, Guinevere managed to chuckle knowing what was going on in the head of her closest friend. Ah but she was doing important things. Oblique cut carrots with the tips saved for appetizers. "Aye," she mentioned seeming to take the set of instructions easily. She put the potato peels into one of the pots of boiling water. Soon after she'd be back to directing the magical chopping of carrots with oblique cuts while gently turning them to make sure they were sized the same. She'd continue following Arthur's instructions while he prepped his meats and made friends with Emilia over their currently shared hobby.

"Oh? I suppose honesty is something I can never tear myself away from. Thankfully, Queen Kolin seemed fine with the fact that I served her only due to a sense of duty. Though... that may have been a bit misleading on my part," Hector explained, having served the queen of Zuria only because Sir Cador ordered that he do so. Ah well; that wasn't worth any additional thought at the moment. Sitting in good company, it was a knight's privilege to keep spirits as high as possible. Merlyn described her physical appeal to all men in her vicinity as a predatory adaptation; what a strange way to put it. So then, it truly was a natural part of her existence which enchanted the minds of men. "You mention your appetite while talking of how the act of seeing you drives men mad. I understand now," he said. Merlyn was a succubus; that much was now clear to Hector. He didn't think much of it. In fact, his strong sense of duty and need to be alert kept him from falling under the spell of her existence previously. Perhaps there would soon come a time when the sorceress could have so little an effect on more observers. "Others should know, shouldn't they? I doubt any among us will think negatively of you. Maybe the knowledge will help everyone resist the desire that comes with seeing your face. They can be the judge of our debate then, no? Though I've only seen the Lady Merlyn once, I can hardly claim the title of irresistible with an image like that in my memory. Many thanks regardless, but there is no real comparison. I count myself lucky to be a different gender."

Emilia seemed to be bucking up a fair bit. Good, good; a happy kitchen would always be a healthy kitchen. Arthur knew motivation was a key factor in marvelous work being done, and everything was running smoothly at present. Moving on, once Arthur was done seasoning the slab of meat, Arthur went about moving it onto a set of four active burners. He could have chopped it first, but his intention was to cook it only partially before finishing it with Emilia's roux. "Everything's looking good, ladies! I couldn't have asked for better kitchen partners; keep it going! Emilia, how's that roux looking?"