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-Meteor-
“Should the Vow of Resolve really be spending her precious free time cooking with a mere traveler from Eorzea?”
“Stop being ridiculous. You know that my time is best spent helping the people, regardless of the size of the task. And you’re not just some random traveler – you’re my best friend who helped me during the Rite of Succession!”
Meteor and Wuk Lamat were currently in the kitchens of Tuliyollal’s palace. The two had been discussing one of their favorite topics: food. Wuk Lamat was always up for a good meal, and Meteor happened to specialize in the culinarian arts. Their love of food helped them form a close bond during their time together, and especially when it came to the Feat of Repast. Xibruq Pibil was a dish that was as culturally significant as it was delicious, and seeing the look of happiness on the Third Promise’s face made Meteor pleased as well. She had promised Wuk Lamat that she would make meals in the future for her, and the two had been reminded of that promise in this most recent conversation.
The Vow of Resolve had led Meteor to the kitchens, and had identified an area where they could prepare the meal without getting in the way of the kitchen staff. Always wanting to be helpful, Wuk Lamat offered her services, and, despite her joking protests, Meteor was happy to spend more time with her.
As the two washed their hands, Wuk Lamat asked, “So! What dish are we making today?”
Meteor smiled. “I was thinking some Tacos de Carne Asada. I know how much you love your tacos, and I’ve been perfecting this recipe lately, so I’d like to hear your thoughts.”
Wuk Lamat grabbed a nearby towel and dried her hands off before passing it to Meteor. “Sounds delicious!”
Drying her hands as well, Meteor replied, “I’m glad you think so!” Leaning in closer to her friend, she added conspiratorially, “And since we’re making it ourselves, we can stuff them full of as many meats and vegetables as we want.”
Wuk Lamat laughed. “You really know the way to my heart, don’t you?”
Blushing a bit, Meteor pulled away and gave a nervous chuckle. “W-Well of course I do! We’re best friends as you said.”
The two women moved over to the larder and picked up what they needed. Returning to their prep table, they spread out the ingredients.
Looking over their items, Meteor nodded. “Okay. I was thinking I’ll start preparing the tortillas while you can slice up the rroneek chuck.”
Wuk Lamat flexed. “Leave it to me! I can slice up anything!”
Meteor smirked. “Just not with your axe, okay?”
The other woman huffed good-naturedly. “I would never! I’ve got a knife right here.”
The two set about their work. Having made this meal hundreds of times for Rhodina at the Nexus Arcade for various rewards, Meteor could cook this in her sleep. So she opted to watch Wuk Lamat when she could. She wanted to make sure she wasn’t struggling, but she also wanted to watch her in action.
Wuk Lamat always gave 110%, no matter the task. At the same time, she was humble and kind to others. She was a born leader, yet she also had a goofy and unserious side that Meteor found adorable. With all of this, Meteor couldn’t help but develop a bit of a crush on her friend.
As she prepped the tortillas, Meteor glanced over at Wuk Lamat to see how she was faring. The woman was slowly slicing up the rroneek chuck, and Meteor had to hold back a laugh at how uneven and large the chunks were.
“May I offer a suggestion, Lamaty’i?” Meteor moved over and gently took the knife from her hands. “You’ll want to make sure to cut out all of the fat and gristle so that the meat itself is tender.” She carefully sliced off the tough parts.
“I see!” Wuk Lamat watched her. “I thought that the meat was already prepared enough to just start cutting it up for tacos.”
“It’s definitely prepped enough to be usable. This will just make the end product more delicious.” Finishing up, she handed the knife back to Wuk Lamat. “You’ll want to make sure that the pieces are slices rather than chunks, so that it will marinate and cook more evenly.”
The Vow of Resolve nodded. “Alright. I’ll work on that. Thanks for your help, Meteor!”
Meteor nodded in return. She made sure to wash her hands after touching the raw meat before returning to her original task.
By the time Wuk Lamat had finished slicing up the rroneek chuck, Meteor had finished creating and cooking up the tortillas, and was almost finished the marinade as well. She looked over to her friend to see that she had much improved, and all of the meat was of a uniform size and thickness.
“Great job, Lamaty’i!” Meteor clapped Wuk Lamat on the back. “It looks as good as any professional chef’s work.”
Wuk Lamat gave a bright smile. “You flatter me. I’m just following your direction.”
“Regardless, you really have improved. Now then,” Meteor put the last finishing touches on the marinade, “put those in a bowl and I’ll pour this on top. We’ll have to let it sit for a few hours, and then we can grill and assemble.”
“Got it.” The Vow of Resolve placed the slices into a container, and Meteor poured the marinade on top. Placing the lid on the bowl, she placed it in the ice crystal box to stay cold.
“And now we wait.”
A sudden growling rang in the air. Realizing what it was, Meteor added, “Don’t worry. It shouldn’t be too long.”
Wuk Lamat chuckled sheepishly. “I understand that, but I don’t think my stomach is willing to wait any longer!”
-A Few Hours Later-
“And here were are!” Meteor pulled out the bowl and lifted the lid off of it, and saw that the meat had turned a darker shade of brown, obviously absorbing the marinade.
“So now we grill it, right?” Wuk Lamat hovered over her shoulder, watching with sparkling eyes.
“Yes. And when that’s done, we can add on these roasted peppers and onions that I just finished up with.” Meteor turned towards the prep table and picked up the bowl of vegetables that were currently sitting there.
“Aha! I was wondering why you went back to the kitchen a few minutes early.” Wuk Lamat ruffled her hair. “I was having so much fun hanging out with you that I got lonely when you left.”
Meteor blushed. “I like spending time with you too.” Clearing her throat, she made her way over to the grill with the marinated meat in hand, Wuk Lamat following behind her. “Now, would you like to grill while I supervise?”
Wuk Lamat nodded. “Of course! I can’t wait to smell it once it hits the grill.”
Meteor picked up some tongs and placed the meat on the heated surface. She could tell just by picking it up that the meat was going to be juicy and tender. She also noticed how much they had sliced.
“We may have gone overboard on the amount of rroneek chuck we prepared.”
Wuk Lamat laughed, taking the tongs from her. “We’ll just have to stuff the tacos to the brim! And if there really is too much, we can always hand some out to the palace staff. I’m sure they’ll love eating something that they didn’t have to prepare themselves.”
There it was again. Wuk Lamat’s kindness for others. “Agreed. And I’m sure it would be an honor to taste something prepared by the Vow of Resolve herself.”
Wuk Lamat laughed, a booming sound that made Meteor’s heat skip a beat with how joyous it was.
The meat cooked for a few minutes, a delectable aroma wafting into the air. Under Meteor’s careful instruction, Wuk Lamat flipped the meat after a few minutes, ensuring that it was cooked but not overdone.
By the time it was finished, even Meteor had to admit that she was ready to devour these tacos. She couldn’t imagine how much Wuk Lamat was holding back.
“Now we’ll just have to let the meat rest for a bit, and then we can assemble the tacos.”
Wuk Lamat groaned. “More waiting?”
Meteor laughed. “Only for a few minutes. It’ll be a lot juicier that way.”
Once the time had passed, Meteor started to assemble her tacos, letting Wuk Lamat assemble her own.
“That’s one of the things I love about cooking,” Meteor explained as they worked. “You can make a dish just to your liking. It’s an art of self-expression that you can eat afterwards.”
“I see what you mean.” Meteor looked over to see Wuk Lamat stuffing her tacos with as much meat and vegetables as the tortillas would allow. She held in a chuckle at that.
Before long, the tacos were complete. Wuk Lamat suggested eating them at the ledge overlooking Tuliyollal, and Meteor agreed.
By the time the two women made their way there, the tacos had cooled down enough to eat. Sitting down with their legs hanging off the edge, they took their first bites.
“Mm! This… is… DELICIOUS!” Wuk Lamat exclaimed. She took a few more large bites. “So tender. So juicy. So flavorful!” She continued to compliment the dish in between mouthfuls.
Meteor laughed at her friend’s obvious enjoyment. Her first few bites had been delicious as well, but she had to admit, she was more delighted watching Wuk Lamat’s reaction.
“That’s something else that I love about cooking.” Meteor looked out over the landscape of the city below, a slight breeze blowing by. “Making something and sharing it with people you care about. It just… makes you feel so happy.”
Wuk Lamat made a noise of understanding, continuing to devour her tacos.
Once the two had finished, Meteor turned to look towards her temporary sleeping quarters at the For’ard Cabins. “Well, this was fun, Lamaty’i. I’m going to head back and get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
Meteor flinched as a delicate thumb came in contact with the corner of her lips. She turned to face Wuk Lamat as the latter smiled at her. “Lamaty’i?”
“You had some food leftover. We can’t let it go to waste now, can we?” The Vow of Resolve brought her thumb to her mouth, licking off the excess. “Delicious.”
Meteor was at a loss for words. Did she just…?
Wuk Lamat stood up. “Don’t let me keep you. I’ll see you tomorrow, right?” She offered a hand to the other woman.
Meteor took it, pulling herself up. “R-Right.” The two looked at each other for a few moments, not saying anything.
“Well, see you tomorrow!” Wuk Lamat suddenly exclaimed. She leaned over and gave Meteor a quick peck on the cheek before pulling back blushing. Before the Warrior of Light could respond, Wuk Lamat turned on her heel and quickly made her way back to the palace.
Smiling to herself and placing a hand on her cheek, Meteor murmured, “See you tomorrow.” She made her way down the stairs, her smile staying on her face for hours afterward.