Catalyst was relieved to be freed of Ursa. It had been freezing. And this, comparatively, was like being in the jungle. The temperature was pleasant, though the purple grass had given her pause at first. She'd seen gembound gathering food for this... 'Nedies' character in Ursa cycles ago. She'd stayed hidden of course. But it...intrigued her. Given her caveman lifestyle of eating raw meat and huddling by a fire with furs. Just what was Nedies doing with all that food? Why did one need many food for one food? And what was a 'feast'?

She decided that, for Mother's sake, she'd investigate. Mother would surely appreciate more food. Only, investigating was harder than she'd thought. She knew that Cephus was not in Ursa. But not which direction. She'd visited multiple caves looking for Cephus, starting with Leo, then Gemini(where she'd found and picked up a strange, colored sheet of leather), a brief jaunt to Pegasus, and a brief look at and immediate, intense rejection of Tunnel G.

Finally, she'd made it to Cephus. But coming here was not the only trial. The blistering cold of Ursa she would not miss. But this cave? It was just strange. The ground inside the massive building was glassy and hard, like crystal but not. But...worse. It felt WEIRD on her feet, and her claws made a loud tip-tap that went against the Mother ingrained instinct to be silent.

Catalyst lifted her legs overly high as she stalked the palace, looking as awkward as raptorially possible. She paused, sniffing the air. Her nose had caught the scent of food. But different. Stranger, like there was something more to it. She followed the scent to strange room of strange stone slabs topped with wood, and strange, clay shapes. She poked her nose through the door, observing it all. She reserved some caution, in the chance it could be an ambush. The attempted assault still had her on edge. "N-Nedi-ess?" She hissed, struggling to pronounce the new word.

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Cepheus'll have you know: its residents—both permanent and guest—required the absolute heights of luxury. The good nature of this nest's Masters and their associates would fall to pieces without such lavish amounts of food and drink. Nedies worked around the clock, wholly committed to his Master-given programming to just cook. Whatever order was made, he fulfilled. Even if... there was really only Isra, Eggbert, and miscellaneous visitors nowadays.

One must keep their skills sharpened, much like the knife he currently teased along the edge of a whetstone. A hand was set upon the elegant blade's handle, and another upon the blade so that it lay flush. There was just the slightest sound of grinding as Nedies worked. This spared him a trip to the Blacksmith, of course—lonely old sop he was. This whetstone had been a gift, regardless, in exchange for catering some sort of thing in Leo—which, mind you, had been a Herculean feat of food preservation and presentation—

Claws clacked against the stone, unfamiliar amid the other footsteps of the Palace, and Nedies's hand slipped. The knife let loose a series of high-pitched ti-ti-tings! as it fell out of his grasp and onto the floor.

"Damn it all," he grouched, brushing off his apron and slithering from his bench-like stool. Four eyes narrowed behind his bifocals as he knelt to pick up the poor thing, catching a chip in his own reflection. It was still functional—and Nedies was not known for being heavily particular about the state of his toolkit—but it was still a shame.

So, with that sour attitude in mind, the centauresque alien scowled at the beast poking her head through his door... brandishing a chipped (but freshly sharpened) knife. It was no thing that he recognized, and thusly he did not turn the blade away or set it down. "What is it? I've got something to skin before it all goes to rot."

He sniffed involuntarily, and immediately recoiled at the decayed odor filling his skull. Maybe it was already going bad.

@Catalyst

Catalyst jerked back at the knife brandished in reflex, and the short motion was enough to set her claws scrabbling at the smooth, glossy floor. Damn this. She swallowed a hiss of displeasure at the unwieldy, unnatural flooring.

But she wasn't leaving without completing her mission, ice floors be damned. She dug her killing claws in the grout between tiles, finally stabilizing herself. It was just the one gembound. Not a trap, nor an ambush, at least.

Catalyst sighed. "Ah, you are..Nediesss I presume? The one taking food." She said. She leaned her head into the room cautiously, yellow eyes darting about the bizarre settings before settling on Nedies. This entire pale monolith had felt alien, and Nedies most so, wearing hides more complex than her cuts of thick furs and brandishing a weapon instead of claws.

"You you are the food maker, mmm? I, ah, don't need much, and I won't take much time, I just have a few simple questions." Her eyes brightened, and there was a slight tilt of the head. The signs of a clever thought forming. She could take this Nedies' food, investigate it for safety, and see if it nourished mother more than simple lessers.

The best course, she had learned through trial and error, was kindness. The raptors lips curled slightly upward in a grin. "Ah, but food going to rot would be a waste, do you need help? I am willing, if you would hear my, mmm, questions after?"

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apologies for the delay!

Let someone work in his kitchen?!

...Well, maybe. Certainly Catalyst's claws were sharp enough (Nedies thought, looking her up and down), and he was-

"No, no! That won't do. I have no idea if you are even--sanitized!" He turned back to the knife, lifting a damp cloth to quickly wipe it down. The movements were swift, skilled. But still-...

He glanced over his shoulder, eyeing Catalyst closely. "But there's something you could help me with. A new dish. I'll make it; you taste it." And he hoped she knew what a gift this was. Millennia of cooking from the same ingredients meant that actual innovation was hard to come by. This--this would be something new, new ingredients--well, newish--sourced from who-knows-where. He'd had this set of fruits frozen for some time, and it hadn't aged well, and-...

"Well. I make it. You taste it. You tell me how it is! Here," he added, lobbing the cloth to Catalyst. "Clean your claws and we'll get to work. Meanwhile... ask your questions! But do not get in the way, please."

A master chef needed his working space.

@Catalyst