The motion of the knife against the cutting board and the scent of sea salt and chocolate was a welcome, soothing set of sensations for the Mer. Once a seasmith, then a chef, then a king, and now a demigod, still he found comfort in the familiar act of using his hands to create something new for the world, and especially for his friends within it. All that he had once been, he still was, the pieces of his past neither forgotten nor left behind but creating the foundation for what he had become, and was still becoming. Each piece still there when he needed it, requiring only a little dusting off and practice to renew the skills that he had learned from that portion of his life.
Maea's quiet voice did not break the silence between them so much as softened it, weaving between the sound of the waves running up the beach at the edge of the cafe and the far-off cries of hels and gulls alike, fishing over the ocean. Hadama hummed in quiet echo, turning his head to examine her work and nodding in approval and gratitude, a flicker of a smile lifting the corner of his lips. "Two more, please. Enough for ourselves. And extra, to give to our friends." If they were going to cook in Torchline's heat, they might as well make it worthwhile! But the conical thatched roof over the cafe was high and provided ample shade, and the breeze of the ocean was refreshing even in Longheat.
"We will need to choose our flavors soon," he decided after a moment of thoughtful consideration of their two piles of shavings, one a deep, rich brown that was almost black and one a lighter, warmer brown closer to the tone of his skin. The coldbox was filled with ice, refreshed regularly by those Mer and Abandoned with water magic - and occasionally by Hadama himself, in his hippocampus form - and currently held the cream until they were ready for it. The butter was currently softening on the counter nearby, but it was into the shelves that he reached next, pulling down several small bottles of extracts - including vanilla, coconut, orange, and raspberry, among others. After another thoughtful pause he added a small bottle of fine bourbon and a second of rum with a sly wink for his friend. "The vanilla we will use for any 'plain' truffles. But we have enough of each chocolate to chose up to three each. What are your favorites?"
Maea's quiet voice did not break the silence between them so much as softened it, weaving between the sound of the waves running up the beach at the edge of the cafe and the far-off cries of hels and gulls alike, fishing over the ocean. Hadama hummed in quiet echo, turning his head to examine her work and nodding in approval and gratitude, a flicker of a smile lifting the corner of his lips. "Two more, please. Enough for ourselves. And extra, to give to our friends." If they were going to cook in Torchline's heat, they might as well make it worthwhile! But the conical thatched roof over the cafe was high and provided ample shade, and the breeze of the ocean was refreshing even in Longheat.
"We will need to choose our flavors soon," he decided after a moment of thoughtful consideration of their two piles of shavings, one a deep, rich brown that was almost black and one a lighter, warmer brown closer to the tone of his skin. The coldbox was filled with ice, refreshed regularly by those Mer and Abandoned with water magic - and occasionally by Hadama himself, in his hippocampus form - and currently held the cream until they were ready for it. The butter was currently softening on the counter nearby, but it was into the shelves that he reached next, pulling down several small bottles of extracts - including vanilla, coconut, orange, and raspberry, among others. After another thoughtful pause he added a small bottle of fine bourbon and a second of rum with a sly wink for his friend. "The vanilla we will use for any 'plain' truffles. But we have enough of each chocolate to chose up to three each. What are your favorites?"
