HLCRiseofthefirstnecromancer
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Chapter 15
🕑 Added 2023-01-30 02:34:57 +0000 UTC****Author's Note****
Hey Everyone! It's finally time for Drew and Amber to sit down, talk about plans, and have a nice date night! Also, just a bit of a heads up, while things in the chapter might get a little spicy, I want it to be known that I will not be focusing on romance or anything too nsfw. Also, there will be a very minor POV swap just during this chapter. I'm not a fan of POV changes when I read fictions, but I know they can be necessary at times to build character growth, or set scenes. That said, it will not be a common element in my story.
****End Author's Note****
Chapter 15
Drew made his plans of having a date night with Amber well known. He'd let Spock know while they were unloading the truck that was jam-packed full of purchases from today, and he'd also stuck his head into his mom's tv room to give her the run-down. As per normal, his mom had her feet kicked up on the couch when he poked his head in. The lights were dimmed, she had a lit joint in one hand, and a bowl of goldfish crackers in the other.
She was dressed in a warm zip-up nightgown, the kind that his nana used to wear when she had been alive. They were fuzzy, had pockets, and went down past her knees. On her feet were a pair of comfy looking plush slippers. Keeping her company was Freya, her mouth open, tongue out, and begging for the cheesy crackers that his mom loved so much. Much to Freya's chagrin, his mom always ignored her attempts at looking cute and pitiful, and instead was focused on her tv shows.
Drew was concerned about what his mom would end up doing when the TV finally cut out. Since retirement and moving to the house they currently lived in, she pretty much stayed glued to the tv. Any attempts to get her interested in other hobbies, or go out and meet people her age had been thoroughly and completely rebuked. Repeatedly. So with doomsday around the corner, the concern weighed heavily on his mind.
With dinner-time right around the corner, he quickly let his mom know the game plan and then went to his bedroom to change into some of his newly purchased clothing. When he emerged from the privacy of the master bedroom, he was pleased with how he was dressed for the first time in more than forty eight hours.
A sheen from his gray and black striped dress shirt pulled the observer's eyes to him, two buttons open at the collar to show just the top edge of his pectoral muscles. Fastened around his waist sat a black leather belt with a large silver buckle embossed with the depiction of a growling wolf. His legs were caressed in a gray-blue pair of Ariat bootcut jeans, and completing the ensemble, he wore a pair of matching gray-black Ariat ropers.
He'd pulled the majority of his hair back into a ponytail as he entered the kitchen to prep the dinner that he was planning on making for his wife. He rolled up his sleeves, washed his hands and started to collect the ingredients for the meal. The first step was to start melting a fair amount of butter in a small saucepan while he started chopping the onions. Once the onions were finely chopped, he poured a light drizzle of cooking oil and spun a skillet around lightly to drench it with the oil. He set the skillet on a low simmer and dropped the onions within.
For the next part he walked to the cabinet and removed a bottle of honey, which he used to fill a medium tupperware container. He removed the bacon-wrapped filet mignons from the butchers wax paper and gently set the meat into the container holding the honey. This was an important step, as honey contained enzymes that helped to metabolize the parts of the meat that would cause it to become tough. Additionally, it added a really mellow, yet slightly sweet flavor to the finished cut.
He strode outside and started up the propane grill, putting the settings on high and closing the lid to increase the temperature more quickly. He ran into his wife as he was walking back into the house.
"Hey Boo Bear! What do you think about a nice stay at home date night?"
"Well look at you, all dressed up! You clean up nicely with the new look. What did you have in mind?"
"I just started prepping to cook you a nice dinner, and I pulled an extra cut of meat for Spock so he doesn't starve. Everything should be ready in about forty-five minutes, after that I figured we could talk for a bit, then watch your favorite movie. Maybe we can have some fun later?"
"Ohhhhhhh... I like where this is going! That sounds great, I'm just finishing up, I'll go shower while you're cooking. Oh, and dear?"
"Yes Boo?"
"I don't want to walk straight tomorrow. So prepare yourself." She smiled seductively.
"Oh my! Okay!" Drew exclaimed as he quickly walked back to the kitchen, everything a bit tighter now.
The key to caramelizing onions was to do it slowly. Low heat was best, and to do it properly required time. He took a tablespoon of sugar and sprinkled it over the sizzling onions to add a bit more sweetness to them as they cooked. After thirty minutes of stirring the onions, he looked to the butter. It had all been melted for a while now, so he began to ladle out the white foamy milkfat that floated to the top of the melted mixture.
Ghee was a superior product compared to butter for his current goal, as it had a much higher temperature at which it still accomplished his goal. He opened up a can of smoked baked beans and put them on the stove and added some brown sugar while stirring them at low heat. After double-checking the onions and stirring them a bit more as they had begun to brown, he grabbed the filets and stepped outside with his meat thermometer and ghee.
After removing the filets from the honey and letting them drip for a bit, he opened up the top of the grill. He grabbed a marinating brush, and coated all sides of each cut with the ghee before setting them on the grill. What was the purpose of the ghee? It helped keep the natural juices of the filets within them at high heat, as the ghee was a layer of fat. He wasn't going to sear the steaks, as this specific meal had a different goal, to have the juiciest, most tender filets possible.
He set the thermometers in the middle of the meat and ran back to the kitchen to check on the onions. They were almost done, and the smell was heavenly. True caramelized onions were crispy, and very sweet, almost to the point that they were candy. Onions contained a ton of natural sugars, and by cooking them for a long time on a low setting, he was basically turning them into that candy as the sugars changed. He cut the heat to them until the final part was ready.
He set the table as Amber came out of the bedroom looking refreshed. She was well dressed in a red knit collared top with long sleeves, and tight, skin-fit jeans. Rounding it out were her pair of black knee-high leather heeled boots. She sat down at the table and called Spock over from where he was sitting on the couch with his nose deep in a book, to let him know food would be done soon. Drew poured everyone a glass of Moscato, along with a glass of water and set them on the table before running back to the grill.
After flipping the meat and reapplying more ghee to each cut, he expertly watched the meat and kept a close eye on the thermometers for the perfect temperatures. Amber preferred her meat 'almost' well-done, and Drew was grilling the other two to medium-well in order to have a slightly pink center, but a nice brown surrounding it. When the meat was done, he cut off the gas to the grill, kept the lid open, and brought the meat inside where he dished the three cuts onto plates. He started up the onions again and finished them. Adding a generous helping of the finished onions to the top of each steak, he finished out the presentation with the brown sugar baked beans and brought all three plates to the table as they were balanced on one arm.
"Wow, these look so good dear! My mouth is watering just smelling them." Amber said.
"Indeed, the smell is very appetizing." Spock mentioned.
"Happy to hear it, let's dig in!"
The meal was to die for. The meat simply melted in your mouth with each bite, and required almost no chewing. As soon as they hit the tongue, they'd begun dissolving. The onions paired well with the slightly sweet and tender filets, adding a satisfying crunch and a mouthful of sweetness with each raise of the fork. The brown sugar in the beans allowed them to compliment the other portions, and the light, crisp, and sweet wine finished the wonderful palate event.
With the meal done, and bellies full, Drew cleared the table as Spock collected his books and moved them into the guest bedroom to continue reading while the couple had their date night. Amber sat on the couch near the end table, while her husband finished cleaning the dishes and stove, and put everything into the washer. The kitchen wasn't sparkling, as Amber was far better at making it shine, but it still looked damn good by the time he had completed his task. He grabbed himself a Shinerbock beer, his first in three weeks, and sat down next to his wife on the sofa.
"I'm sooooo fulllll!" Amber whined.
"I take it that you enjoyed the food?"
"Yesssss. Stufffffeddddd." She continued.
Drew laughed.
"Well you did it to yourself, you didn't have to lick the plate clean. I barely had to wash yours, ya know?"
"I had to! You don't cook often, so I have to enjoy it when you do. Plus it was sooooo tender and sweet."
"Uh-huh, and now you're suffering for it." Drew chuckled.
"Yes, and it's all your fault for making it so good!" She pouted.
He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. The two of them sat there in a food coma bliss with their heads arched back against the cushions of the sofa for close to thirty minutes, just enjoying each other's company as their food began to digest. Not hearing anything, his mom shuffled out from her room to throw a french bread pizza into the oven while the shepherd followed her like she hadn't eaten in five days. Her shenanigan's would get her nowhere, as it was almost certain that his mom had broken down at one point or another and given her a cracker or four.
"So, this doomsday crap and stuff." Amber said with a sigh.
"Yeah, it's a real kick in the balls, isn't it?"
"Yeahhhhh. I tried calling my parents, but they didn't answer. Big surprise. But I video chatted with my sister for a bit while ya'll were gone today. I'm not sure why, but she's taking my advice seriously. She said she was pulling the girls out of school and they are going to make the drive over here, she said that her husband was on-board as well."
"No shit? I'm surprised she believed you. What exactly did you tell her? Florida is a hell of a drive from here."
"Oh, I didn't tell her about the apocalypse, she'd never believe that shit. I told her you built them a house, and it's theirs free of charge." Amber smiled.
"That's evil." Drew chuckled.
"But it worked!"
"Yeah, because you offered them a free house! How are we going to pull that off?"
"I called that place in town that has mobile homes, you and I are going tomorrow to sign papers and pay the expediated delivery costs, it'll be done in time." She replied.
"Huh, that's not a bad idea, maybe we should tell Mark and Miranda about it."
"I already called and let them know, they're meeting us there tomorrow before they drop their stuff off here. I think they're going back into town to buy stuff after that."
"Look at you! You're so smart for thinking of that so quickly." Drew chuckled.
"Yeah, we decided that we're going to use the tokens tomorrow evening." She said.
"Oh? Have you thought about your choices then? Race-wise, you should probably pick something that's compatible with my race if we're going to have kiddos in the future still."
"Yeah, I'd still like to. Not right now, not with everything being up in the air, but down the road, yes." She said as she nodded her head.
"I was thinking the same. What about the classes?"
"Wellllllll...I've been thinking..." she replied impishly.
"Oh? Why do I feel like this is going to be something weird when you say it like that?"
"Okay, okay, but hear me out..." she started.
***********************************************************
Several hours later, well into the night, Spock had gotten up from his position on the guest bed. He'd spent his time during his friend's date night reading all of the precious texts that had been purchased for him. As he'd never truly owned anything before, and due to their nature as physical fonts of humanity's collected knowledge and culture, he treasured them beyond anything he'd thought was possible. He'd engrossed himself in his namesake's adventures as a crew member aboard a space traveling vessel. Of course, he was interested in the other books that he'd gotten, as he was deeply curious as to the backstory of the man his name came from.
Although, he'd found his body feeling strangely lethargic and unresponsive after the hours had passed, he decided some physical activity was most likely beneficial to his body's strange condition. He'd walked to the guest bathroom to relieve himself, and found himself in the kitchen shortly after, following a decidedly sweet aroma that was wafting from the general area. On the kitchen island sat a paper plate full of light brown circles dotted with darker bits of brown. The sense of smell was clearly coming from these food items.
He'd looked briefly around, but found no one that could claim these aromatic tan circles, and thus decided to indulge himself in sampling one. Carefully, he took one and bit off a small chunk. It was crispy on the outside, yet soft and warm on the inside, and slightly gooey? His eyes went wide and the flavors and textures hit his tongue.
"Sweet System's Central Processing Unit!!" He exclaimed to himself.
Losing all sense of self-control, Spock began to shovel the delicacies into his mouth with both hands. Carefully breathing between chewing and swallowing, he'd begun to develop a mighty thirst. Plate in hand, he opened the fridge to find a drinkable liquid. Although water was available, he was most curious if Earth's other foods and beverages had such a wonderful flavor. He grabbed a disposable white cup that the Wright's had asked him to use, and poured himself a helping of the white liquid held in a semi-transparent container with a red cap.
Cup now in hand, sweet circles in his mouth, he took his first sips of the liquid. Eyes wide from the explosion of smooth, flowing flavor he gulped down several mouthfuls. Soon, he looked down to the plate only to see that two circles remained. He'd eaten nearly the entire plate, and without ever considering his friends. Spock felt a slight guilt in the pit of his stomach, but it was only slight, because it was buried by the tasty tan treats and white liquid. Feeling somewhat ashamed, he placed the empty cup into the litter bin and brought the plate with him. He was determined to apologize for his grievous sin of gluttony.
He approached the door to the room his friends rested in, to apologize and offer the remaining treats as compensation for his lack of control. His perception picked up the sounds of his friends as he closed in on the door.
"Ahhhh! Just like that! Rearrange my fucking guts witch-boy!" A feminine voice cried out.
Eyes widened by the strange and morbid words, he raised his hand to knock on the door. Several beast-like grunts answered in response, along with a repeating sound that could only be described as similar to when he'd dropped the baked beans earlier and they'd landed back onto the plate. Clearly his friend's wife was in distress!
*KNOCK KNOCK*
"Mrs. Wright! You sound distressed, are you okay!?"
"GO AWAY SPOCK!" Two voices answered in unison.
"Are you certain? Do you require aid? It sounds as though a beast is ravaging you!" Spock was abundantly panicking.
Silence, followed by the sounds of two people with great laughter and mirth.
"We're fine! Go away!" Drew called out, while chuckling could be heard.
Well, as long as everyone was okay. He could apologize tomorrow, so he slid the plated treats under the door and began to walk away as the baked beans sound picked up tempo. Earth was truly a strange place.
****Author's Note****
Sooooooo... What did ya'll think??? Too nsfw? Enough humor? A truly wonderful and peaceful date night?
****End Author's Note****
Comments
SilverbladeTE
Just joined your Patron...loving the story! :) "ravaged by beasts"....buhahah! :P
Andrew Kluttz
Thanks! I'm glad you're liking the new cover art :)
Ahtu Nyarlathotep
When it comes to the relationship, that is character interaction, and something I've actively encouraged. My worry was the cooking bit overtaking precisely such sections of the story. You seem to have greatly misinterpreted my take. I agree with keeping essential relationships in the foreground(though perhaps still without putting them ahead of the premise itself). To quote the author in his response: My hope was simply to avoid turning a lionshare of the story into a description of a cooking show.
Robert Hinshaw
PS: Where did you get the new cover on RR? It's awesome!
Robert Hinshaw
See I disagree about the cooking bit, I quite liked it. I worry that there won't be solid story arcs about the husband/wife relationship--as in situations or problems that create conflict involving their relationship. One of the strong parts of Ilona Andrews' series is that even after the main characters get together, they continue to have believable conflicts and resolve them in ways that make sense (usually more sensibly than actual married couples). I like the solid relationship vibe you're placing this relationship on, but I don't want it to descend into blandness as the story goes, where the wife/husband relationship could just as well be left out. Anyhow, this is more preemptive worry since I'm enjoying it so much now and don't want to see it fly off the tracks.
Andrew Kluttz
Haha thanks! Try cooking like that sometime. It actually turns out really nice, as that's a real recipe I use IRL.
Andrew Kluttz
I'm glad that I was able to portray that Spock was almost about to walk in haha. I thought about it, but with his child like innocence of human society, I figured it'd be better to leave that out rather than creating the need for a very awkward conversation yet lol.
Andrew Kluttz
Thank you so much for the feedback! The story will definitely not be turning into a cooking show, no worries haha. I do apologize if it broke immersion, going back and looking at it, I could see why it might be slightly annoying, especially with the talk being so short. If it helps, the talk was short to build a bit of suspense over what Amber's idea was.
Ahtu Nyarlathotep
Perfectly SFW, and the talk was interesting if a bit too short for my taste. What I will honestly say I found a tad annoying was how long the excerpt about the cooking was. I think that could have been cut down to the essentials at maybe 1/3rd of its length, leaving more space for character interaction and story progression. It was like reading an exceedingly elaborate cooking recipe. I love good food, and I often cook quite a bit. But I'd have been fine with a description of the essentials of the cooking, and the tastes/textures involved. It was not as fun to read so much of the chapter being about cooking a meal, when there was interesting story elements and character interactions to get to. Spock's interactions with food was a bit more interesting to read about, as he is new to the world, and is trying to interpret how it all works. His every little interaction with even mundane things are character progression. This is hardly a big issue right now, as you've only done it this once. But I wanted to make my perspective on this sort of thing clear right now, and hope that this doesn't become a common theme. I do not want the cooking of elaborate meals to be taking up a lionshare of the story. It will detract from it unnecessarily.
I absolutely loved it. I could’ve swore Spock was about to walk in on them. Hahaa The character building, and story enrichment is great, but I am so excited to see more, “ kingdom building” and everyone else’s characters / how the system falls onto humanity. You are doing an amazing job. Keep up the good work, and I look forward to more of the story.
Drew
Yeah I'd say SFW enough if that's what you're going for and man the first half was making me super hungry. Great food description lol
X Blade
lol
Andrew Kluttz
Thank you for the feedback :)
ReadingObsessed
It's your story, friendo. Make it as PG as you want it to be. If you're looking for feedback then I'd say it's still within what I'd categorize as SFW.
