[Mari]

The Setting

The kitchen, as it should be called, is quite pretty all things considered. The smell of curry hangs heavily in the air, overshadowing all the other smells in the area. Plenty of stainless steel tools are available for whatever you need, as well as a very full spice cabinet. You shouldn't have much difficulty finding any of the ingredients you need to cook a given food here, as the party was arranged in advance. It seems that a lot of the restaurants money has been put into the kitchen area. The marble counters are quite nice.

What to Do

((This is a player driven event. Do what you want. Three things to keep in mind. One, this is in the middle of the life sphere. Party crashers who use this thread as an opportunity to show off how strong they are will likely be escorted out as a trophy. The second thing to consider is that I will not be doing a lot of NPC control. This is a glorified social thread, so feel free to assume control of NPCs if you need them. The last thing to consider is that none of my characters personally will be starting off in this area of the RP. That means don't worry about waiting for me to post unless one of them actually meanders their way back here.

Your characters can wander freely between the kitchen and the party area. Simply make it clear when you have left or arrived, preferably using brackets.))

[Rina]

Without missing a beat, Lemres walks on in, already in chef's uniform. As a lover of sweets, passing and making, this kinda feels like a second home. Catering for a friend is a bonus. Before getting started, Lemres browsed the available ingredients, making sure everything is well-stocked and in order, and knowing the exact location is pretty much a necessity when the rush begins.

"It smells of curry, but there's definitely enough tools of the trade to whip up some sweets for the party. C'mon Schezo, you need to know where everything is too!"

Upon getting called, Schezo came in, not exactly sure of himself being here. Sure it'll get him closer to Arle, but maybe hiding out in the kitchen would likely avoid him getting kicked out for...existing. At least Schezo himself can cook. Not as good at sweets than Lemres, (he's the master patissier here) but he knows a thing or two. Heck, even the Comet Warlock himself taught him some tricks long before this.

"Nh...Am I even skilled enough to cater to such a large crowd? I manage to slip by Arle's presence, but she'll likely have me exiled from this shop should she find out I'm here."
"You'll be fine~ Your skills are fine, but put a bit of heart into them, okay? Now I need to show you where everything is."

Schezo looked away, not sure if he could answer that. Regardless, he got dragged along with Lemres to be shown where the utensils, ingredients, and the appliances are, so he'd be in the know too.

...Why did I agree to this? Sure it's a well-masked reason to approach Arle's presence, but cooking?

[TartoonHand94]

"She won't banish you if the desert's good enough, Sheezy." Daisy teased as she came in lugging a big bag of flower. "They say the way yo a man's heart is through his stomach, but the way to a Woman's heart, is through her sweet tooth.~" she winked as she hoisted the bag onto the counter.
The apron and choice of gloves she was wearing were signs she meant business today.

"So whadaya say? I didn't spend the last months growing the party decorations and plotting out the floral arrangements for everyone to just starve while looking at them!" she cocked, cracking her fists. "Let's get to work, people! So that Arle and her friends can get to party! Chop chop!"

[Rina]

Just right when Lemres finished the kitchen tour, he got interrupted by the sudden appearance of Daisy. If she's here, then she's got to be one of the helpers in the kitchen, alongside Schezo. Good to see there's another one of them, the more the merrier!

"My my, well you're quite well prepared for this. My name is Lemres. May I have your name?"
"...I'm Schezo. Schezo Wegey."
"And of course! Let's get started! Roll up your sleeves, Schezo!"

Now Lemres is curious on what she'll bring to the table, figuratively and literally. Lemres' specialty is French pastries in particular, but he's ready for any other dessert planned out. By Lemres' request, Schezo rolled up his sleeves. Lemres is likely going to lead the pastry making.

"We've got cakes to be made. It isn't a birthday party without them!"

Without even skipping a beat, Lemres already got an oven preheated, with the pans prepped up and and sifting away at the flour for the dry portion of the cake. Schezo, on the other hand, is working on creaming the butter and sugar. Noticing that Schezo doesn't have an apron, Lemres slipped away to find one and tried to put it on for him while he's busy.

"H-hey! What are you-"
"You forgot your apron."
"......"

Schezo doesn't respond, just turning a tad red with embarrassment at what just happened and focused at the creamy mixture, adding eggs one at a time.

[Coolshaymin]

Viridi walked into the Kitchen just in time to notice Schezo getting put into an apron. Of course, Viridi could not help but give a brief laugh at that mixed with his embarrassment. "Yeah, we wouldn't want the chef to forget that, now would we?" Viridi teased, taking a brief break from checking on things to add to humiliation. THIS was one of the guys Arle was so worried about? Well, he was one of the lower threats at least.

"Nice, decorations, by the way, Daisy. You really do have an eye for the natural touch. Anyway, how is the cooking going?" Viridi complimented. Of course the Goddess of Nature would find pride in floral decorations. She was mostly here to check on things for a moment. She wasn't really keen on leaving Arle alone too long though this did give her time to talk to the other guests.

[Rina]

"......."

You come in just to incite mockery for my negligence?

At LEAST he didn't get called that word. As Schezo attempted to shrug off the snark and focus on the cake, Lemres showed up to give a quick report on how everything's doing.

"We're doing quite well, miss~ Preparations are going smoothly and I'm quite honored to be creating Arle's birthday cake. Oh! And I prepared these in advance, as a little sample of what I could do for the guests."

With a little magic, Lemres carefully lifted a cute platter tower of pastries that he personally made and directed them to Viridi. While he could have made them here, a handful of them needed to be made in advance due to their preparation procedure. There's cream puffs, tarts, chocolate eclairs, and a rainbow of macarons!

"Careful with them, okay? I wouldn't want any of my creations to be wasted~"

There's also a little card that tells which colors are what flavor...

Red	Yellow	Green	Blue	Purple	Pink
Raspberry	Lemon	Matcha	Blueberry	Grape	Strawberry

Lemres turned to Schezo to whisper him a word of advice.

"Maybe you should personally cook Arle's plate of curry so she'd gain your trust."

But Schezo gave Lemres a dirty look that says "there's no way she'd eat it if she found I cooked it." Lemres simply smiled it off and insists he do it anyway.

[Mari]

((It's been another 7 days. Viridi and Daisy have been removed from the posting Que. Just you and I, Rina.))

And just at that moment, Raffine happened to walk in looking rather gorgeous in her evening gown. She stopped to acknowledge a familiar head of hair, smiling at Schezo without remark. She would have gone over to flirt say hello, but she hadn't entered without purpose. There was a solitary table in the back reserved for Arle's presents, at which Raffine set down a solitary gift with Arle's name on it. It was only then that she turned around to acknowledge the boys.

"I didn't know you were a cook when you weren't too busy rescuing damsels, Prince Schezo~" Raffine remarked light-heartedly, though something quickly occured to her. "...Or perhaps you're learning from Mr. Lemres here?" she asked, turning her attention upon the familiar.

[Coolshaymin]

"Do I look like a waitress to you!"

Viridi outburst for a moment in response to Lemres asking her to take out the snacks. She gave it some more thought after her initially very childish reaction. She was leaving anyway and it was for Arle... But did not really justify the host being the one to do it.... Other than being the host. "..."

"Well, I guess I am done here anyway. I suppose it would not hurt to carry them back out. At least you came prepared I guess."

Viridi relented before taking the snacks and walking out as Raffine entered, not really paying her much mind.

*Viridi has left the Kitchen*

[Rina]

"...I can't really help it if I'm busy cooking..."

That backlash didn't really sit well with Lemres. He's busy trying to cater and that's how you treat him? C'mon, he wouldn't even try anything cruel! He'd love to come out and serve it himself, but there's food to be made! The fact he's helping Schezo out kept his hands tied too. At least Raffine's presence brought his mood back up. As for Schezo...

"Oh!"
"Guh..."

Both of the guys turned to Raffine, who happened to come in to drop off a present. Lemres is delighted to see her again, but Schezo feels...less than comfortable.

"Oh it's good to see you again! And yeah, your prince can cook, and I'm helping him with making a birthday cake Arle will remember fondly."

"I can speak for myself, Comet Warlock! And don't go calling me a prince like her!"
"'Like her', you say? So is she the only one that is allowed to call you-"
"I'M TRYING TO FOCUS!"

Lemres couldn't help but tease him a little bit, just to make him loosen him up. No harm done or intended. With the batter ready to bake, Lemres wanted to put it in the oven for him so Schezo has some free time.

"I'll take it from here, you take a break and have a little chat with your princess."
"I am not her-"
"Don't keep her waiting~"

Lemres carefully poured the batter into a pan and carefully slid it into the oven to bake. With Schezo having free time to take a breather from getting teased, he walked over to Raffine.

"Y-Yes, I can cook, is something the matter with it...?"

[Mari]

Raffine glanced betwixt the two boys. Had she missed something? It seemed like they knew each other. ...Well, she supposed Lemres got around. Yet, that still didn't explain the conversation. Why was she the subject of Lemres' teasing? ...Hm.

"What's the matter is that it's quite intriguing~! They say every lady should have a hobby, and I assume the same is true of a gentleman. Is cooking yours?" Raffine asked, quite eager to see exactly how good Schezo was at cooking. She had, after all, been starving to death until quite recently. An appreciation for food had been earned through days of suffering.

[Rina]

"It is, although I learned how out of necessity from living on my own. I personally don't think I'm too extraordinary."

Schezo scratched the back of his head, fully aware that he's not some restaurant chef by any stretch of the imagination. Lemres is clearly master of sweets, though there's also regular meals to be had, and Schezo can handle that front. What can he cook? Well, certainly something different from Lemres' side of things.

"Aside from curry, I know how to make cobbler and, pardon my pronunciation, poulet de provencal, to name some off-hand..."
"I didn't know you can speak French, Schezo!" Lemres called out as he's preparing the creamy frosting.
"I-I'm not fluent!"

[Mari]

Raffine gave Schezo a knowing look in response to his modesty. It was perhaps for the best that he had been upfront with his abilities, as she would have been inclined to ask him for a demonstration if he hadn't. Still, she couldn't help but notice that he'd said... curry. Now, Raffine wasn't 'close' to Arle per se, but she knew the other girl well enough to name her favorite food.

"Au contraire, Prince Schezo~ I don't know if you know Ms. Arle very well, but I have heard her speak very longingly of curry. Tonight, you could be an extraordinary chef." Raffine offered, attempting to encourage Schezo a bit. "Perhaps I'll have to try your chicken at another time~" Raffine went on to muse aloud, as she considered her next words. "Speaking of food though, if you're in need of a hand to carry it out I believe I could fulfill that desire~"

[Rina]

S-She suggested it too!?

Schezo was taken aback that Raffine was suggesting he make curry for her. Are we sure it's not "Let's tease Schezo!" day too?

"Oh, I do know Arle quite well. She's from my home world, quite fond of curry and... you weren't the first one to suggest that."

Schezo motioned to Lemres, who noticed the Dark Wizard refer to him. He's got the frosting whipped up, and just waved back as if to answer 'Yep, that was my idea~' Schezo realized how much time has passed, and seems a bit rearing to get started on the curry.

"...I better get started with the curry, then. Perhaps I'll see you on the party floor...?"

[Mari]

Raffine smiled and shrugged slightly. She secretly wanted to be close to Schezo. Y'know, ever so subtly. "Ah! So you're from off world as well? ...I suppose we will. Are you sure you don't need a third pair of hands to help deliver goods~?" Raffine replied, eyeing Schezo with interest. She honestly didn't want to go back out there. The closest thing she had to friends were right here in the kitchen, unless of course you counted Rider. But then, Rider was with Amitie and she was still dealing with conflicting feelings there.

[Rina]

...She's right. Lemres is busy with the cake, and I'll be busy with the curry.

Schezo's pretty much in a deadlock right now. On one hand, he's bothered with Raffine's advances. On another, he doesn't want to deal with Arle. It came down to one of the lesser evils, and frankly, he'd rather deal with Raffine.

"I suppose you could assist in helping get the food out..."
"Like the curry~!"
"L-Lemres!"

Well...there's no going back on his word now. Time to get cooking. Schezo began preparations by finding the flour and butter to make the roux base, and the main ingredients that comprise the dish. Potatoes, carrots, onions, the meat, and of course, the curry spices. Though, how spicy does Arle like her curry? He never really asked, so it's time to guess... Schezo began cutting up the veggies and meat to cook up. Once preparations are done, he got the pot nice and moderately hot for the oil to caramelize the onions.

As for Lemres, he's working on the cake decorating. The cake itself is quite fluffy and in two layers, iced in a lovely shade of blue, Arle's favorite color. He's taking a piping bag to decorate, starting with the edge. If it weren't for the fact he's, well, a famous warlock, he could easily pass as a professional patissier.