Keyn had said, "Cooking's just like baking, just with different motions," and then Keyn had jumped right into the recipe before he'd fully read it. And when I tried to point out that there were a couple of key ingredients missing, he waved his hand and said, "No big deal, we'll just substitute."
So the cinnamon is actually supposed to be cumin, because they were both brown spices that started with the letter C. And we weren't supposed to used QUITE as much cayenne as we did, but to be fair we ran out of chili powder. Now, /I/ don't think there's anything wrong with substituting carp for the beef, but I've always liked fish.
Anyway so Ridael takes a look at his surprise birthday dinner and tries really hard to look excited and flattered, but he can't quite hide the laughter in his voice when he asks what it is.
"Green Curry Carp," Keyn says.
"Beef Pot roast," I say at the same time.
"Both." Keyn says, without missing a beat. "Thaeren said you liked both of them, so we made both."
So I'm a rogue, and being a rogue means I deal with poisons a lot, and dealing with poisons a lot comes with the added benefit of developing a kind of sixth sense when it comes to poisoned things. So Ridael raises the spoon to his mouth and I'm seized with this urge to slap it from his hands and take him to that nice Pandaren restaurant on the coast of the Jade Forest, laugh it all off before someone gets hurt. But I don't act on the impulse, and by the time I've made up my mind his mouth is closing around the spoon and I regret everything.
Ridael tries. He really, really tries. And I appreciate that about him, because the two of us are covered in spices, and I've got a nasty burn scar across my chin when the pot overheated and shot the metal top at my face, and Keyn's got about fourteen lines across his hands and fingers because he's not used to handling knives, and I know Ridael can see all of that. So even though my poison sense is going nuts he still swallows that spoonful and tries to smile.
He really, really tries.
"It's - " he says, and then stands up fast, excuses himself, and bolts towards the bathroom.
Keyn sprints after him, yelling about how he's a priest and he can dispel poisons but you've gotta unlock the door first, and why aren't you answering are you ALREADY dead?
I just sink down in Ridael's chair and hope I still have a boyfriend tomorrow morning.
