He'd poked his head in near the tail end of it all. The crowd had drawn him, in his tentative explorations; he'd fallen quickly in love with all the new caves, each and every one of them. But this one, with its strange light and pristine white creatures, felt off somehow; and he'd been wandering it, pondering it, when he'd heard the voices.

And saw, now, the--brooms? Broom... creatures.

Wide blue eyes observed the chef himself come storming down, the kitchen master, and Oliver flattened back feathered ear-tufts warily before pricking them back up to listen. It was hard, past the cluster of other Gembound--most of them strangers--but he managed.

"Oh-... I'll bring you some food. I can grow it, I think," he offered softly.

He didn't think Cepheus would be the place for that--too perfect, and growing and uprooting plants here would probably mess up the garden. No; he'd head to that, uh, tunnel... with the trees, and alcoves and stuff. Surely one of them would be good for it!

One clawed wing-hand extended out, touched the ground--and a curling vine, ending in a small (too small, really) pumpkin plumped forth. "Like this," he explained, quietly, and left the fruit behind, turning to quickly scurry off. He wasn't sure what this was all about, but, well--the big tiger-looking thing wanted help, and Oliver liked to help others, so--he would.

(Oliver will return with fruit later!)

Some strange, four armed creature was yelling orders to help with some "Feast".

Remus had no idea what this Feast was about but what concerned him more was these orders.

Is this creature trying to order ME around? ME? Unspeakably rude. They didn't even know each other.

But soon after these orders were given, the plant creature started to walk away.

Why? Where is she going? Why does she never speak? Though, Remus also hadn't spoke this entire time.

He followed her out of the palace, but she was going to leave Cepheus entirely by the looks of it. Remus had no clue if she'd come back. Ever.

Sorrowful, and scared of what was outside of this room, Remus decided to look for some roots and things. He knew some places look. Maybe it would take his mind off of his feeling of...loss?

Remus is looking for fruits and roots in Cepheus

Relieved that the voice from the stairwell wasn't another mind game, Tema greeted the oddly shaped tiger and didn't particularly mind being ignored or pushed out of the way. She was rather big after all, and there were a lot of gembounds taking up his space. Even the creatures that were tidying the floors had become agitated by some of them.

"If anyone wants to join me, you're all more than welcome." Tema turned from her place beside the staircase to address the gembounds still left, hoping that a partner would help keep her in check around the black crystals that rest on the cave's ceiling. "I can carry things." She added with a gesture towards the satchel on her forearm.

She looked towards Catafay and the rabbit that Nedies had pointed out to try and gauge their interest specifically, guessing that they would have to make a lot of trips back and forth if they decided to help the tiger at all. She was also hoping to distance the rabbit from the tiger who had suggested they were food... Just incase.

In truth, the bear was ecstatic to have been dragged into this. Not only was she always happy to help others, but this task gave her a new purpose for a while. It was, in her mind, the perfect distraction.

@Catafay @Anselm (though others are welcomed to respond as well)

He came back a bit at a time--it took a couple trips back from Tunnel F, and in the meantime, Oliver hid his things away in a bush while nobody was watching. And then he made a second series of trips--from the bush back into the palace kitchen, where he carefully laid out his prizes.

He had grown them via magic, a series of pumpkins and bananas--some plump and ripe, others a little runty (magic was never reliable, was it?). But now he laid them carefully out, just a few of each, and cleared his throat before hesitantly calling out.

"Excuse me-? I have some, um. Fruit. And pumpkins," he said. -Did pumpkins count as fruit?

Oliver did not know.

Perhaps a Lesser wouldn't wander in on its own, but if someone was crying about their dead pet—well, now... that just wasn't conducive to a good work environment, was it?

Nedies turned away from his dishes anyways, holding a stack of plates in all (intact) hands. Four eyes regarded Attikias as he spoke. "Can I help cook? I can cook." A silvery brow quirked. The pointy-eared fellow elaborated some, and... well, those were concepts. Basics! He could work with that—"oooh, alcohol? Yes, that'll do. Bring some of that." Nostrils flared with a great sniffling and he sneezed abruptly.

A knife-tipped hand waved at the brooms at last, "away, you foul little things! You've done what you can." The bristly beasts weren't sentient, but they could get the hint; they all swarmed for the ceilings, vanishing through the kiln's mouth.

Something or another was proclaiming about going to hunt deer. The centauresque alien took that in mind, but it was currently on the backburner as he peered at Attikias. His gaze then shifted to Talys, considering rather deeply, "I'll teach you to make better desserts than just that." Sugar tuiles, caramel fluff... ah, the spectacle that could be. "G'won and get some grain then. We'll need flour for what I've in mind."

As for the both of those hand-creatures: "it'll be a while before I can do any cooking in this damned mess, so make yourselves busy and get out of my way."

The alien seemed wholly unaffected by Tsetse's grotesque appearance and every sound accompanying it. Instead, he was stroking the fur of his chin and huffing, "two, maybe three visitors..." He half-interrupted himself—"BUT! They're important. They've not known these delights for years and years. This Feast must be perfect." Nedies narrowed his eyes, as if that would be hinging on Tsetse putting herself to use.

Jasmedai, too, did not faze him. All he saw was a walking cabbage and, honestly, it looked like free food. "That's a lotta stuff you want me to do for you. And I'm not even getting anything in return." Perhaps, but—"OI!" Turning all the hired help against him? Nedies took a looming, stomping step, and took out ye olde wooden paddle. "You're the help. You'll get a reward if you help. Otherwise, GET OUT OF MY KITCHEN."

That's his shiny loopy stick, thank you very much.

—
Whenever Oliver returned with his goods, the kitchen looked completely refreshed. All the clay wares were put back into their proper places above and below the countertops. Nedies himself was stooped before the kiln, fanning flames and setting a few cast iron pots to boil above it.

Sunny eyes whipped around at the sound of another voice, but with more of a keen eagerness than before. (Cleaning the kitchen had either soothed him or worn him out enough that he could no longer be bothered to be angry about Jasmedai's attempt at rebellion.) Hooves clicked along the floor—and then a pumpkin was being hoisted up in one hand. It was of a reasonable size, sure, but perhaps... "is this one of the sugary sort or no?"

The bananas were left on the ground a moment. They could make for an interesting appetizer, but this was apparently an important priority.

Pinging for direct interactions @Attikias @Talys @Tsetse @Jasmedai

Talys had made his way back eventually. He'd gotten some help from the others in his little party, and had a variety of fruits to present, plus a few handfuls of brightly-colored flowers from Pegasus. "Hi!" he greeted brightly, grinning. He had bits of fruit staining his teeth. "I didn't know what grain was, but I got you flowers! Plus a bunch of different fruits." He sat down and produced the variety.

The first set were about the size of a large apple, with the texture of a blackberry. They were bright green and stained the fingers and clothes. The hard rind, reminiscent of a watermelon's, was bitter and cracked open to reveal an orange seed goop inside like the inside of a tomato. It was sour, but not unpleasant. The whole fruit was mildly poisonous, but not once it was cooked down. Maybe Niedies would recognize it, or maybe not. "This one is pretty good!" he said brightly. "Oh, it made me kind of lightheaded and itchy, though. Made my tongue go numb. The outside is nasty, but the inside is pretty good! It's sour."

The second set he produced were about the size and shape of Christmas bulbs, with a pale, rosy pink skin. They had the texture of a plum, and a very faintly sweet taste. They mostly just had a light, fresh sort of taste, like cool water. "These are a little boring, but I like them. They're kind of sweet, but mostly don't taste like much."

The third and final group of fruits he produced were about the size of small grapes. They came in bunches about the size of a star fruit, though a few had been picked off on the way. The fruits were white, but to any creature capable of seeing in the ultraviolet spectrum, they'd be a vivid blue. His eyes lit up when he produced them. "Okay, these are really cool. They kind of explode in your mouth! They're mostly liquidy, and are super hot. Here, try one!" he said brightly, holding up the weirdly spicy fruit, totally unaware of the fact that casipacin was highly toxic to the vast majority of animals. If Niedies didn't take the white orb from him, Talys would eat it instead.


[retrieved from this thread

Oliver stepped obediently back to allow the pumpkin to be taken. It was the sort of fruit he'd known as a pumpkin, but others had, recently, and through no fault of his own, come to know it as an "orange."

It was, in fact, a pumpkin; and Oliver nodded to it with uncertaintly in his gaze.

"It's, um--not sweet, no. It's like..." -How did one describe raw pumpkin? "...Unique? -There's--it's kinda slimy on the inside, with lots of seeds, but you can eat it all," he assured Nedies, hastily.

He wasn't sure on this whole "cooking" thing, or the concept of a kitchen, but-... "I'm sorry if it's--not good for using," Oliver added, worriedly.

The creature never responded to Anselm. Simply going about its business. Their ears flicked backwards. "Do you understand me?" Likewise, no reply. Disappointing. Anselm felt the vague sense of unease, a strange prickling at the nape of their neck, before they heard her voice.

"Kethri," Anselm said. They stiffened, turning to face Kethri, trying to show peak composure. Anselm had come to expect a reprimand for sneaking away. Risking being spotted by unsavories. But it never came. Instead, Kethri asked them to stay put. A reprimand for later, then. omething familiar. A small, high pitched sigh left their nose.

"Yes, Kethri." Anselm said. They were wary of pushing. Anselm stayed where they were, content to watch the other gembound. They'd find a new, albeit strange hobby in people watching. Considering their life consisted of the same two people. Anselm gave the humanoid a squinty eye'd look.

It took Anselm a moment to process that finger was pointed at them. At first, they felt a spark of fear. Rapidly engulfed by their anger. They ears became ramrod straight, their eyes cold. A foot lifted, the fur beneath prickling with growing heat, and the vague stench of burning hair. Kethri was watching. The foot pressed back down, only warm now, the magicka stifled. Eyes still frigid. "I am neither treasure nor food," they said, voice carefully controlled. It seemed like Anselm wanted to say more, but they stopped themselves there.

Anselm's glare was only broken to briefly glance at the bear. It still made them nervous, but maybe Kethri would be proud of them for choosing to assist. Or would she think them a fool? "Kethri?" Anselm said, daring to test. Their head tilted, grey eyes blinking doe-like at Kethri. "Grant me the possibility to assist?"

@Kethri

Kethri landed in front of Anselm and flared her feathers, looking like a very angry marshmallow, "He is my child! Do not dare insinuate you will eat him!"

An 'or else' hung off the end of that sentence.

Kethri snorted and turned to the rabbit, her cruel eyes softening. She smoothed down his fur and shushed his thumping feet, acting... strange. Maybe because they were around people, maybe because of a change of heart. It was Kethri, and you couldn't really know.

"Of course, my dear," she said, "I shall go with you. None of these heathens will have you for dinner, not under my watch."

She shot a glare at the tiger beast, offended and affronted, angry that he'd insinuate her darling Anselm was food. But back to the rabbit.

"Come," she said, "I'll even get you some sweet clover as a treat. We'll head to Pegasus and get some berries, maybe some vegetables. Others have the meat part handled."

Kethri carefully held him in her talons and took to the air, holding him against her soft chest feathers, flying out of the room and out of the palace.

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@Anselm