Chapter 65: Time on my hands.

Allowing my automation to do its thing, I find myself in possession of time to burn. “Should I go fishing? Hell no! Not after what happened last time.”

Lightly rolling a wooden ball between my fingers as I think. Dinner is simmering along so if I was to cook, it would a desert. I suppose I could use a meringue, but that doesn’t use up enough time.

Grasping the ender leet, allowing it to disintegrate into purple particles. I am inviting Cassie for dinner with me. While I wait for a reply, I head to my kitchen. Taking some iron, Redstone, and an exposed wire I produce a mixer. One thing about meringue dishes… without a mixer it’s a nightmare.

Taking some egg whites, I place them into a mixing bowl and turn on the device. Watching to spin round hypnotizing. I wait until the egg whites begin to turn a shade of white and foam. I then turn up the speed, listing to a loud whirring sound like a turbine. I slowly pour white sugar inside, teaspoon by teaspoon. I continue this process until stiff peaks form. As the last step, I throw in a dash of lemon juice.

I then take a very fine cloth. I lack a plastic bag or piping bag sadly. Onto a baking tray, I pip the meringue mixture in a spiral inside to out. I create them about a hands size. I then create a circular ring around the edge to create a crater. It was messy given the lack of proper piping tools but it worked. I place them in the oven at 50 celcius.

While they are cooking, I take a variety of berries. The majority being raspberries and strawberries as the base. I place them in a pan with a dash of water; rapidly heating them up. Once the water reaches a high temperature, I slowly add sugar. I continue this process until I find a roughly 1 to 1 ratio of fruits to sugar.

I allow it to slowly simmer until the fruit is completely broken down. The fruit should fall apart and the bottom is unburned. If the former is lacking it needs cooking longer if the latter is lacking it needs scraping.

I allow the mixture to cool somewhat before placing it into a blender and pureeing it. I then sift the remaining mixture. This creates a sweet fruit sauce; a coulis.

The final step is preparing chantilly cream. I blend some sugar until it becomes a fine powder. I then take cream and whisk it hastily but carefully. I am looking for the line between soft peaks and hard peaks. Reaching that soft shapable texture I lightly turn the sugar into the mixture before placing it into a fridge to rest.

With that done I have a dessert ready to go after dinner. A Pavlova; a personal favorite. Checking my mail, I now have a dinner date in 3 hours, awesome. Then it hits me… I need good clothes. This is not casual tea it’s an actual date. With haste, I quickly run towards my room; arms bundled with a variety of clothes and dyes for crafting.

I spend the next hour creating a messy pile of clothing. Haphazard disarray of indecision. Biting the bullet, I sift through the pile of rejects; accepting my fate. I end up wearing dark jeans with a dark purple tucked in shirt. Finishing it with a light jacket and a red bowtie for theatrics I accept my look.

Realizing I have a poor fashion sense, I accept I have already lost the battle. Quickly recovering from my moment of sadness I head back downstairs. I quickly prepare a room fitted with ghostly blue lanterns and decorated walls. I create some inverted sky blocks for the ceiling adding ambiance.

Finally, I plant a few strategic plants to tie the whole place together. Happy with how it looks I take a short break to read. Relaxing my mind and body. I check my meringues, finding them nearly cooked. I check by picking them up and knocking on the bottom. Hearing almost hollow sound I know they only need a little while longer. I intentionally made them thin and delicate to speed up the cooking process.

I don’t have 24 hours to make a gigantic meringue after all. Marveling at how creative the recipe is for meringue. They create a heavily aerated almost foam like liquid before drying it out. Leaving a delicate structure intact, light as a feather yet robust. Similar concept to aerogel.

Aerogel is a gel, which has its water replaced by liquid carbon dioxide. A carefully controlled pressure chamber makes the carbon dioxide move into a supercritical state. It is both a liquid and a gas. It then is carefully tuned to turn into a gas. Almost as if it was gas in the first place. Skipping the whole violent process of carbon dioxide changing from a liquid to a gas. Ingenius really. I can't believe I just compared a meringue to an aerogel a modern miracle of engineering.

This world has a bastardized version including a simple recipe. The thousands of hours of manpower and testing and a carefully calibrated and expensive process thrown away. It's honestly sad that people here will never know the actual difficulty in producing it.

Shaking away my mental rambling, I check up on my castle. Making sure all my automation is working as intended before refilling my polymer clay. I should see if the mayor has gotten me access to the end portal yet. Later though I have a date incoming. I head to my deco bench. I produce a few decorated props I feel will improve the date.

Looking at the clock expectantly, I place a telepad with the room. I head into town, knocking onto Cassie's door. My nervousness fades away as I look at the woman in a beautiful brown dress with crystal earrings. Her piercing emerald eyes hiding not a single glimmer of her usual nervousness. A façade? I don’t care.

Realizing I was staring I quickly avert my eyes. She just lightly chuckles. Feeling eyes on my back, suppressing a shiver of caution. “May I come in; I have a surprise to get to the date.”

She ushers me inside, knitting her brows slightly in confusion. “Of course,” slightly curiosity in her voice. I promptly place a telepad down once she closes the door.

“Step onto the pad and select ‘dinner date,’ it will whisk you away to the place I have prepared,” I say in false confidence.

A moment of caution and nervousness slips through her mask of confidence. She quickly steps upon the pad and doing as asked. Being whisked away with a light yelp. I name the telepad I just placed at Cassie's home for the convenience of return.

Stepping through the portal myself, I am quickly falling over as I walk straight into a confused women's back. We both fall over; she winces in pain before getting up and dusting herself off. I get up as well trying to keep a slight bit of dignity. We both say “Sorry” almost in sync. We just lightly chuckle before I guide her to her seat.

I grab a bottle of wine I grabbed on the way to her house, pouring us both a small glass. All those days waitering is coming in handy. I sit down, leveling my gaze at her gorgeous face with a hint of makeup. “Believe it or not, but you’re the first person to see this room.”

She just smiles cutely, admiring the night sky visible through the sky blocks. “How? were inside; I can feel the warmth of a building yet the sky is right there.”

Smirking, “Is it not better to leave it a mystery?”

She looks at me wordlessly. She pauses a moment pondering before speaking. “I suppose.”

We enjoy each other's company for a while before she speaks. “I notice you look different.” Pointing at her own eyes and rubbing her neck where my gills are on me.

A smile blooming my face, “Functionality over appearance I suppose. Makes my body far more useful don’t you think?”

She looks at me a moment, “I think the cat's eyes are charming.” I spot a blush creep onto her cheeks as she visibly shrinks slightly. Not a completely different person after all.

“Thank you. I have got to ask; you are normally rather nervous and shy. How did you get so confident, did you drink a willpower potion?” I jokingly say.

She just lightly taps her nose, “Secret.”

Flashback to 2 hours before the date:

“You can do this Cassie.” Lightly hitting her cheeks and shaking her head.

“It's just a date! That’s all, no need to be nervous.” She says as she plays with her face putting on a face of confidence.

Visibly deflating slightly at the failed attempt. “I can do this; I just need to have a straight back and not talk too much. It's that simple!” Rising up with a strong foundation. Smile blooming on her face. “Yes, I did it!” Jumping for joy. “Now just to practice for the next few hours, wait I need to do my makeup! And get dressed, so much to do!”

“I think you being so confident is rather attractive,” I say hiding the rising nerves in my stomach.

She moves her head down slightly covering the lower half of her face. “Thanks.”

Getting up from my seat, “Allow me to get dinner ready, hope you like it.”

“I am sure I will.” I hear in reply as I leave for my kitchen.

I return promptly with 2 large bowls of stew and some buttered bread. Setting them down on the table, the room is quickly filled with the potent scent of hearty food. “No need to be shy, please enjoy,” I say before eating a scoop of potato. I quickly start blowing air through my mouth trying to cool down the roasting hot food.

She just chuckles while looking at me. “I think I will wait a moment to let it cool.”

Managing to force down the hot coal called a potato. “Wise.”

We both enjoy the wine until the food has cooled some. “You know, I am surprised I managed to get ahold of you on short notice.”

“You were lucky, I had just gotten home from work and I get your mail.”

“What do you do anyway?” trying to keep my curiosity under control. Don’t bombard the pretty lady with too many questions.

“I am a merchant's assistant. I door all the bookkeeping and help source basic items.”

I nod appreciatively, “an admirable position. Do you enjoy your job?”

“Yes… well it’s a well-paid job and it's fun finding new sources for items but… it's boring. The bookkeeping is very boring. At least I don’t have to worry too much about customer interaction. That was the other job available in their merchant branch I work in.” Noting a shiver going through her body.

“I hear you, paperwork sucks. That’s life I am afraid. At least it pays well. I am sure you are on your way to a healthy retirement.”

She just smirks. “Of course, otherwise it wouldn’t be worth it.”

Noting the empty bowls. I didn’t even realize she had eaten her food. That’s some kind of magical skill. Collecting the bowls, “Allow me to prepare dessert.” Watching her eyes light up with green flames.

“I look forward to it.” She speaks.

I quickly head to my kitchen. Taking my fruit sauce, I create a small moat around the edge of the plate. I then place the meringue in the middle. Filling it lightly with fruit sauce and topping it with a Cornell of cream. I lightly decorate it with sliced strawberries and raspberries filled with fruit sauce.

Taking the excruciatingly detailed plates to the table. Suppressing a slight tremor in my hand as to not disturb the delicately balanced fruit.

Setting the plates on the table with care. I lift my hands in a flourish, “Fruit pavlova, hope you like it.”

She likes it! After taking one cautious bite is disappeared as if she was possessed. Between mouthfuls “It’s. wrealy gooood.” Laughing at her ladylike façade falling away in the face of tasty sweets.

“Finish your food before speaking.” Flicking a nonexistent bit of food off my shoulder jokingly.

She just continues eating lightly rolling her eyes. As she polishes off the plate, I see contemplation on whether to lick the plate. Right before she comes to a choice, “I suppose you want some more?”

And I am off to get more dessert for the suddenly rather gluttonous lady. Shaking my head, suppressing the chortle in my throat.

The rest of the night was filled with pleasant laugher and finished plates. And I am suddenly really low on meringues again. Sending her home with meringue as her prize. Clutched like a treasure between her hands.

“See you later, I had a great night,” I say completely honestly.

As she steps through the portal. “Tonight, was great, see you soon.” I make sure to quickly step through to remove the portal from her house. Resulting in a startled yelp of surprise. I just smile coyly before disappearing like a ghost.

Time to get some wyvern armor.