Anyone's welcome to say they joined up with Warrior en route from Hydra!

This journey had been a trek. Not only because of its distance, but because the package that required transport was so darn heavy! Even for Warrior it had become problematic, not because of its weight (he could carry many times as much without issue) but its resulting unwieldiness. Carrying the damn thing in his teeth had wet and dented the corners. He'd tried to put it on his back, but it kept sliding off.

He'd resorted to magic, as much as possible: lifting it with his mind, then winging forward as fast as he could to gain as much ground as possible before the magic grew tiring. It was stop, go; rest, fly; carry-in-teeth-when-tired, and the horse finally reached Cepheus with an exhausted sigh.

Anyone who'd joined him--even helped him carry the thing--would've been welcomed. But he was here at last, and it was time to deliver. He started his trudge into the palace, peering around at the grandeur of the place. It was such a strange opposite to Hydra's harsh, but natural, landscape.

Warrior shook his mane out, then clicked in across the marble on his hooves, making for the kitchen and the lost gift's owner, Nedies.

The package floated a little ways ahead.

They had seen the horse on the way, a little package floating in front of him. And oh that was exciting! Because Arcturus had just been thinking about the gift giving season, how much he wanted to have people to give gifts to and have fun with! And here was someone, with a gift, on their way to deliver!

The starlit feline had swooped over quickly at that thought and trotted next to Warrior for the rest of the way to Cepheus, chatting happily and offering him a snack from their trail mix. He didnt know who Nedies was, but he felt in on the journey as well, since a touch to the packaging relayed the need of delivery and who they were looking for.

Climbing the steps of Cepheus, he continued to chatter happily to Warrior - if the horse was growing weary of his overly delightful presence, Arcturus was, so far, oblivious. "Oh, I love the palace, theres so much fun stuff to do! Have you ever been? I spent a lot of time in the library learning how to read! Oh and also the movie theater is so much fun, theres always different stuff to watch but sometimes its the same. And they have free snacks! Oh maybe if we're delivering to the cook he makes those snacks? Thats pretty cool!" And so on and so forth.

@Warrior

The Lost Gifts - Nedies

Everyone always asked, 'Where is the chef!?' and nobody ever asked, 'How is the chef?' He was working, toiling, bustling with the help of his myriad Lessers: hastily preparing the stew, the roast, the hot chocolates and the sweet cakes piled high with icing. It was exhausting work, but some of the traditionalists still wanted their holiday feasts, even miles beneath the surface of a foreign moon. And, well, it was his job.

It was in one of his few spare moments--where the harried cook slumped upon a centaur-designed chair--that the Gembounds arrived to his kitchen. He was fanning himself with a napkin and panting, and his eyes shot to them knowingly. He nodded. "Put it there--that corner-! I suppose now I have to take a break," he muttered, but really, he seemed pleased. He pointed his onyx, knife-like finger at the corner in question. A teensy, tiny little tree with a few red baubles on it was perched on a shelf; beneath were three gifts in packages, labelled and magically designated the same way the lost packages had been.

Nedies opened his with excited speed. The heavy box the Gembounds had carried all the way from Hydra contained a gorgeous set of cast-iron frying pans, brand new and very well-made. (No wonder it had been so heavy!) "Beautiful!" he cried, and brandished one like a sword.

The boxes, meanwhile, for the Gembounds were thankfully a little lighter. Warrior's was a woven wreath with cloth berries and leaves, probably intended to hang around his neck. Arcturus received a beautiful little crown perfectly fitted to his head, golden spines with--as with Warrior's wreath--little berries and leaves, though these were made of metal, and painted to fit. And Alcina's gift was an odd one: a set of faux-fur straps in bright white, intended to be wrapped around the tail, with red cloth and a big silver bell hanging from the end.

Nedies regarded the Gembounds for a moment, and the spirit of the holidays seized him. "Sit," he said, abruptly. "There's plenty of food for everyone. Though--I wouldn't come back here, after," he warned Alcina, with a wink. He quickly began to lay out a table for them, piled high with roast meats, stuffing, vegetables and stews, slices of cake and plates of dressed salad, among many other delightful concoctions. Steaming mugs of cider, hot chocolate and cooler cups of milk were placed around the table, so they'd all have as much to eat as they desired. This beautiful feast set out, Nedies turned and began shuffling in a cabinet. "You know, this might be the best time to give out the first copies of my book!" he beamed.

Each Gembound was handed a simple flint-and-steel fire striker, and a little tome of parchment bound in twine and leather. Luckily, the book featured a whole lot of pictures, along with its text, for those who couldn't read! The following recipes were within the book:

Nedies' Glorious Stew - A long-simmered stew of gravy and meats, various vegetables, spices and herbs.
Snow Cake - A white cake with red berries and a thick white icing. The recipe explains how to get sugar from various sources, and combine that with ground grain, eggs, dairy (and where to get that, or what to use as a replacer) to make a big cake!
Corn Dogs - A Palace special, this one's all about spiced sausages served hot in a breaded batter, then fried.
Nut Salad - A vegetarian meal rich with nuts, beans, and a variety of greens. Comes with a dressing recipe!
Blacksmith's Tea - Several different recipes for tea, including black, green, herbal and fruit teas.
Chaos Fries - A recipe for sliced, salted and fried tubers. There's nothing particularly "chaos"y about them except for the fact that they're mixed tubers.
Valkhand's Pick-Me-Up - Several recipes for mixed drinks, all alcoholic. Most are fruity; some are dry. It is also basically a crash-course in wine-making.
Order Candy - This recipe describes how to extract sugar from various resources and use it to make clear rock candy. Given the cubical shape and dry crunch, it seems to mimic Clearstone. As a joke, probably.
Juiced Mice - Hey, don't knock it until you try it. This recipe describes how to prepare bite-sized mouse snacks, then dip them in a sugary berry goop. A little weird, but delicious for carnivores.
Popcorn - Corn. Heat. Salt. Oil. YUM.

---

This is one of six Lost Gifts threads in the Holiday 2023 event! Characters who posted in the original Nedies' lost gift thread (or here, before this post!) may post here to react, and then post in Update Me to claim their rewards!

Gembounds have received a Recipe Book, a Firestriker, and may claim the Technique Cooking in Update Me!

Cooking
Medium Intensity Manipulation. Using any available cooking-related implements, the user may prepare a more flavorful and nourishing meal from raw ingredients and seasonings of their choosing. If a source of heat is needed, it must be created before cooking.

@Warrior @Arcturus @Alcina

Perhaps, if she knew the recipient was in the Palace, she would've thought twice. But Nedies and the other hurried sous-chefs are more than kind to her. She'd definitely done her best to help Warrior with carrying the package, balancing it on her back with one claw as she staggered along with the other three.

At least, by the time the two of them and their new helper in Arcturus made it the kitchen, the box was only slightly doinked.

Even in what was a den of the Chaos Masters, seeing Nedies's excitement at unwrapping their gift warmed Alcina's heart. She'd helped someone, lit up their day when they needed it. And maybe, just maybe, the caves would see that the Hive only wished well, if she could help in little ways like this.

She picks up the cookbook, flipping through a few of the pages. Maybe some of her family would enjoy these meals, something to share in just like the link. And the jingling tail bell - something she wasn't sure she'd wear often, since secrecy was paramount - but surely it would have its uses.

After strapping on the bell and giving it a playful jingle, she'd sit and enjoy some of the deliciously cured meats and a large cup of cider. "Thank you, Nedies," she'd tell him once she was finished, before packing up her new gifts and making herself scarce.

Besides, her family is waiting for her.

exit Alcina (but you can say things to her before she leaves)

Warrior stayed for awhile. He wasn't in a rush to leave, and was tired from the journey, and anyway... there was something nice about all of this.

Something nice, something warm, about making new friends (however briefly), and sitting in a cheerfully busy kitchen, giving and receiving gifts--and the feast! Admittedly he was a little large for the space (to say nothing of Alcina!) but he found a stool big enough to settle his rump on, hind legs awkwardly trailing on the floor while forelimbs held him propped toward the table. There he nibbled and grazed on a big salad--and then a slice of cake, getting icing smeared across his face.

"This is delicious. Thank you," he said earnestly. "I've never had anything other than... well, grass and things, before." The entire concept of combining tastes into other foods was fascinating. Admittedly, he had no hands to cook things with... but maybe telekinesis could work for that? He considered this for awhile, crunching away as he did so.

The gifts were something else. The wreath he shrugged over his head, working it carefully past his gemstone, to lay around his neck. Neat. The book and firestriker would be harder to carry, but he'd manage. "It was good to meet all of you," he said.

He'd hang around for awhile longer--making cheerful small talk, and helping around the kitchen--until it felt like he might overstay his welcome. Then, and only then, would he thank Nedies again (and say goodbye to the other two) before at last wandering off.

exit Warrior!

Arcturus was absolutely delighted by the bustle of the kitchen and quickly found himself a chair when the feast was offered. Glowing eyes gleamed at all the food presented before them and he didn't hesitate to dive in. Ah, how he loved the palace! How he loved the holidays and the spirit of celebration! He indulged in the fine meats offered and licked up every last bit of the cake frosting.

When the gift was offered to him, he took it cheerfully, pulling the wrapping open and admiring the crown. "Oh, its beautiful!" He set it upon his head and decided that he simply would not be talking it off. It gleamed bright in combination with the golden lights of his mane.

The cookbook, as well, was received with overwhelming gratitude. He flipped through the pages, excited to go and try these out for himself. Oh, he could see it now - the smell of the simmering stew, the chatter of friends...nothing brought people together like food. He smiled up at Nedies and bounced forward to offer a hug. "Thank you! I'm going to go and make some of these right now! I'll bet Meissa is going to love the cake!"

He, too, stayed for a time, chatting with the other two and Nedies as well, sipping on that delicious hot chocolate, before the party grew weary. He would be the last to leave, always the last to be worn by socializing, before he thanked Nedies one more time and left the palace, eager to go find his friend and show what he'd received - and maybe make her some of the treats in the book!

*exit