Genau'Goeg stumbled out of the lake, picking her teeth with a single claw and belching mightily. She had polished off the entire deer roast before
she'd even hit the bottom of the lake. Her gigantic hunger sated, Gen could think more clearly as she looked around at the activity around her. Focusing
on Mag, she smirked a little - I am not as stupid as you think I am, Mag Flashlight she thought. Indeed, she had
recently memorized a few invention recipies, and was working on more.
Her capacity for learning was incredible, but her efforts had been and still were stymied by her lack of communication skills and her still child-like brain.
The only time that wasn't an issue is when she awakened the Warshade essence within her - an often painful and sapping experience. Her subconscious mind
still equated the presence she sought to help with the dominating powers of Karegu'Rhia, her former captor. Still, looking around at all of her friends
gathered in one spot, she felt a twinge of guilt. These people had done so much for her - raised her as one of their own with a gentle and supportive hand,
trained her into an effective weapon against the tides of evil. She wanted to do something more for them than just dispatching the occasional horde of
Cimeroran Traitors.
"Wake up, Iau..." Gen whispered. "Gen need help."
Yaaawwwwwnnnn...What is that incredible collection of aroma particles suspended in your nasal cavities? asked the
dormant warshade.
"...Gen thinks she knows what that means. It called barbeque. Many people cook over fire."
Yes, I see now. Flesh of various mammals, coated in a mixture of water, molasses, spices...and processed pork products
marinading in a high-quality malted beverage. The warshade's words were punctuated by flashed mental images in the back of Gen's mind, a sort of
alien-mind-meld-come-word-association game the two of them played. It reminded her a little of her "fast-track" learning on the Dra'nan
homeworld. She shook off the sudden nausea and reminded herself that this creature would never harm her.
"Gen want cook, too. Gen not just killing machine." She pouted a little and moved into the sunshine to dry out, her normally blue scales swirling to
black, her buckled leather armor seemingly melding into her skin and vanishing as purple patterns crawled across her body like snakes, coming to rest in her
familiar warshade colorations. She denied the warshade full control, however - she was going to need her wings for this one.
"We work together on this, okay?" she whispered to the warshade inside her head.
What did you have in mind?
Gen merely smiled before shaking off the remaining droplets of water and taking flight.
--
The look of shock on everyone's face was priceless.
Genau'Goeg came in low, bearing the burden of a brand new Weber grill, lighter fluid, and charcoal in her claws, her purple and black hide glinting in the
sun. She set up her own station next to Mag's, grinning toothily at him as she began to set up like a pro. After she had started the coals, she grabbed
the still shocked Mag by the shoulders and turned him towards the grill.
"Watch this. Gen be right back."
The wind from her wings was enough to send paper cups and plates flying in a white whirlwind as Gen climbed skyward and disappeared. About 5 minutes later,
she returned, several bags of groceries dangling from her claws. Mag backed up a little as she alighted on the grass and started digging through the bags.
"W...whaaaaat??" he stammered. Gen looked at him and flashed a sharp-toothed grin.
"Surprise." was all she said as she pulled out some giant portabella mushrooms, a jar of minced garlic and butter. She made a shooing motion at
him, and he realized he was standing in front of the grill. He backed up a a few paces, still dumbfounded. Gen threw 10 of the big, juicy mushrooms on the
grill and produced a small clear Pyrex bowl and a small barbeque brush from one of her shopping bags. She threw in a stick of butter and some of the garlic,
placing the bowl off to the side on the grill where the coals weren't as hot. The butter melted quickly and soon Gen was brushing the mixture across the
mushrooms.
Yes, that's right...just like you saw the others do with their meat... Iau'Nosi said reassuringly in the back
of her head.
Gen smiled and removed the hot Pyrex bowl from the grill with barely a flinch, placing it on a conviniently placed potholder on a nearby table. She smiled and
looked at everyone who had gathered around.
"First round mushy-rooms done soon. Gen make lots more." She motioned to the bags, overflowing with giant portabellos. "Eat up!"
she'd even hit the bottom of the lake. Her gigantic hunger sated, Gen could think more clearly as she looked around at the activity around her. Focusing
on Mag, she smirked a little - I am not as stupid as you think I am, Mag Flashlight she thought. Indeed, she had
recently memorized a few invention recipies, and was working on more.
Her capacity for learning was incredible, but her efforts had been and still were stymied by her lack of communication skills and her still child-like brain.
The only time that wasn't an issue is when she awakened the Warshade essence within her - an often painful and sapping experience. Her subconscious mind
still equated the presence she sought to help with the dominating powers of Karegu'Rhia, her former captor. Still, looking around at all of her friends
gathered in one spot, she felt a twinge of guilt. These people had done so much for her - raised her as one of their own with a gentle and supportive hand,
trained her into an effective weapon against the tides of evil. She wanted to do something more for them than just dispatching the occasional horde of
Cimeroran Traitors.
"Wake up, Iau..." Gen whispered. "Gen need help."
Yaaawwwwwnnnn...What is that incredible collection of aroma particles suspended in your nasal cavities? asked the
dormant warshade.
"...Gen thinks she knows what that means. It called barbeque. Many people cook over fire."
Yes, I see now. Flesh of various mammals, coated in a mixture of water, molasses, spices...and processed pork products
marinading in a high-quality malted beverage. The warshade's words were punctuated by flashed mental images in the back of Gen's mind, a sort of
alien-mind-meld-come-word-association game the two of them played. It reminded her a little of her "fast-track" learning on the Dra'nan
homeworld. She shook off the sudden nausea and reminded herself that this creature would never harm her.
"Gen want cook, too. Gen not just killing machine." She pouted a little and moved into the sunshine to dry out, her normally blue scales swirling to
black, her buckled leather armor seemingly melding into her skin and vanishing as purple patterns crawled across her body like snakes, coming to rest in her
familiar warshade colorations. She denied the warshade full control, however - she was going to need her wings for this one.
"We work together on this, okay?" she whispered to the warshade inside her head.
What did you have in mind?
Gen merely smiled before shaking off the remaining droplets of water and taking flight.
--
The look of shock on everyone's face was priceless.
Genau'Goeg came in low, bearing the burden of a brand new Weber grill, lighter fluid, and charcoal in her claws, her purple and black hide glinting in the
sun. She set up her own station next to Mag's, grinning toothily at him as she began to set up like a pro. After she had started the coals, she grabbed
the still shocked Mag by the shoulders and turned him towards the grill.
"Watch this. Gen be right back."
The wind from her wings was enough to send paper cups and plates flying in a white whirlwind as Gen climbed skyward and disappeared. About 5 minutes later,
she returned, several bags of groceries dangling from her claws. Mag backed up a little as she alighted on the grass and started digging through the bags.
"W...whaaaaat??" he stammered. Gen looked at him and flashed a sharp-toothed grin.
"Surprise." was all she said as she pulled out some giant portabella mushrooms, a jar of minced garlic and butter. She made a shooing motion at
him, and he realized he was standing in front of the grill. He backed up a a few paces, still dumbfounded. Gen threw 10 of the big, juicy mushrooms on the
grill and produced a small clear Pyrex bowl and a small barbeque brush from one of her shopping bags. She threw in a stick of butter and some of the garlic,
placing the bowl off to the side on the grill where the coals weren't as hot. The butter melted quickly and soon Gen was brushing the mixture across the
mushrooms.
Yes, that's right...just like you saw the others do with their meat... Iau'Nosi said reassuringly in the back
of her head.
Gen smiled and removed the hot Pyrex bowl from the grill with barely a flinch, placing it on a conviniently placed potholder on a nearby table. She smiled and
looked at everyone who had gathered around.
"First round mushy-rooms done soon. Gen make lots more." She motioned to the bags, overflowing with giant portabellos. "Eat up!"