Two days remain until Foxglove and Steve visit the colony. Approximately 48 hours left to make the base as presentable as possible and prepare for their visit. Luckily, the grounds themselves have been made into a mostly presentable state on short notice thanks to the colonists' hard work. All left now are the finer details and the colonists' individual quarters.
Citria thinks now is time to take a break. The gentle breeze flows nicely through Citria's wooly coat and coaxes the giant mushrooms to a gentle sway. Overcast skies both are a reprieve from the punishing sun and a threat of a downpour. And yet the humidity remains a blanket trapping in the heat. Before closing herself in a cool room, she looks back. Not a single crack to be seen on the mycelium buildings. None of those pesky beetles threatening the health of the mushrooms. The debris on the roads are minimal - nothing that can't just be swept up the day they arrive. She nods. A job well done.
Inside the cool room, she sees Bloe, Irko, Antumbra, Ycthuthrheth's drone and trays holding glass domes with various unidentifiable substances inside. Her expression remains unchanged, but she gulps. She knows where this is going. And given the expression on Bloe's face, she knows too. Poor Irko doesn't know yet and will learn the hard way.
Upon Citria's entrance, the drone turns her way and Ycthuthrheth's voice cracks through the speakers. "Great to have you here, Citria! I was just testing out recipes to serve Foxglove and Steve when they arrive."
"I helped!" Antumbra chirps enthusiastically.
Ycthuthrheth nods. "And it was a great help. As you know, I'm not exactly carbon based."
Relief washes over Bloe's face, and Citria's stance loosens a bit. Maybe it won't be bad this time.
Irko claps her wings excitedly. "Ooh, I'm excited to try these out!"
Ycthuthrheth grabs the first plate. "We're thinking of having this as the appetizer. It's based off of ����� from my home planet, but made with ingredients edible to your kind."
Antumbra chimes in, "It's much more delicious than anything I ate back at Mount Obsidian!"
Ycthuthrheth lifts the lid. A sulfurous and oceanic steam hits Irko's, Citria's, and Bloe's faces, making their eyes water. Once their vision clears, they see balls of... something... covered in fish skin. Bloe and Irko look at each other concerned. With her expression unchanged, Citria reaches in to get one. Failing to hide their hesitance, Irko and Bloe grab one as well. They all look at each other, collectively and wordlessly decide it's best to get this over in one bite, and toss the fish skin covered ball into their mouths.
Crunch.
Not a solid crunch. The texture is mostly soft and fleshy. But as the beaks come to a close, a cacophony of tiny crunches play out, as if flesh turns to earth in the last moment.
"What do you think?" asks Ycthuthrheth, taking out a pen and paper.
Taking all the effort she could muster, Citria swallows the creation. "What did you use to give it that... crunch?"
"Clay!" Antumbra chirps.
In her signature kind and gentle voice that is free of judgement, Citria asks, "And why did you use clay?"
"I'd eat it all the time in Mount Obsidian! It's hard to find food over there, and it keeps me full."
Citria's stoic facade breaks to concern. "Dear flight mother, this kid needs help," she thinks.
Desperate to discuss this subject a different time, Bloe asks, "I've noticed that this has a distinctive smell, but not a taste. Why is that?"
"The air in the volcano makes everything taste bad, and the freshest foods often had no taste." Antumbra reaches to grab one and pops it in his mouth. "Much better than anything I'd find there!"
Wanting to change the subject again, Irko asks, "And why the fish skin?"
"Because fish are pretty and I wanted to make the food pretty."
Citria, Bloe, and Irko looked at each other, then in another wordless unison, reached to hug Antumbra.
"Thank you so much for the food, but we can take care of it," Citria affirms.
"We can also teach you about cooking later, if you'd like!" says Irko.
"You've worked hard and need a break. Go outside and play." says Bloe.
The interaction leaves Antumbra confused, but he shrugs and walks outside like Bloe suggested.
Ycthuthrheth's voice cracks through the speakers of the drone once again. "What is the verdict?"
The three look at each other again. They know they all think the same thing, they're just contemplating on who is going to break it.
Citria breaks her gaze from the rest and faces Ycthuthrheth. "Unfortunately, the appetizer is not suitable for the guests."
The droid's antenna droops. "Figures. Thank you for the feedback"