A Farmer and a Sommelier on a date?

Casque rubbed at the bridge of his nose with a deep sigh. He did not want to go out and go on blind dates but his staff had been pestering him to just get out, meet new people and enjoy the experience.

Fucking hell he would rather be with one of his boyfriends than this but he was not given a choice. At least the Church of Sulfur made it easy to make arrangements. As much as he desisted that church, they did have their uses. That and he always did like an excuse to dress up properly.

Casque had chosen a lovely starred restaurant where the chef would prepare several courses in front of them to feast on along with a selection of wines. Did it help that he supplied them with his products? Perhaps. He was not ashamed of this fact.

He was currently seated at the table, waiting impatiently, hoof tapping on the table as he propped his chin up with the other; tail flickering. He had been told that his blind date would be a brown Angora Furred Greed.

That was when the door to the restaurant opened, the sound of hurried hoof steps on the velvet carpet muffled by strings as the live band had once again switched songs. A flash of brown fur appeared before Casque’s eyes as a bamboo woven basket was set on the table. “Sorry for keeping you waiting, I’m not very good at navigating the city, I got lost several times…I-” Before they could finish rambling, they finally looked back up at the bun opposite them and made eye contact, their silver eyes dilated slightly in recognition.

“Mister Casque?!” They exclaimed, their back pressed to the back of their seat as if trying to escape. “What a surprise! What are the chances that I’d be paired up with one of my business associates? And here I thought I’d be meeting a total stranger today… Oh, I’m unsure if that’s making me more anxious.” A nervous chuckle escaped Mckenna’s lips as they tried to be comfortable in their skin. “I’ve brought some freshly baked pie and some apple jam as a gift-” They said, pushing forward the basket before they looked back down at their lap again. With their bangs combed away from their face, it was much easier to tell where their silver gaze was focusing on.

Casque’s spirit motes twitched at the sound of hurried steps then a familiar voice reached his ears and he blinked while the other bun rambled; clearly recognizing them as Mckenna, one of his business associates. He waited patiently, his lips curling slightly upwards in amusement as they finished speaking.

“Hello. This is quite a pleasant surprise. My staff forced me to go out and enjoy myself and maybe make some friends much to my displeasure. Since it is you I feel some relief. Thank you for the pie and the jam. Your apples are always delicious so I look forward to those.” Casque reached over to slide the basket over to the seat next to him.

“As for navigating the city, I rely on my phone’s navigation system. Perhaps a little too much for my liking as it is easy to get lost in. Apology accepted.” It was hard to be upset with the other bun as they did seem anxious and Casque never liked being upset with such buns. Especially if it was someone he had worked well with prior.

“Usually I count on my farmhand or city friends to help me navigate, but they’re busy these few days, everyone’s dating everyone to check compatibility after all,” Mckenna explained, hugging one of their fluffy ears almost out of comfort. “You’ll be delighted with them for sure, they were freshly made after all!” While not a pride bun themself, the brown farmer bun always took pride in everything they did. They let out a light huff and puffed up their chest at the praise. “Well, I’m not familiar with this restaurant nor fine dining,” They began, scratching at their freckled cheek. “I’d leave the recommendations to you.” Their silver eyes wandered towards the cup of water that sat in front of them, eagerly snatching it up and downing half the glass to quench their thirst. The heat of the month, on top of having long, heat-trapping fur was not of help to them.

Casque only nodded “It is a busy month, what with Matentines after all….” he grumbled something about hormones being wacky under his breath then glanced at the flat top griddle briefly.

“I chose this place because the chef-” he nodded at the chef getting ingredients ready nearby “-will cook all dishes of their choosing in front of us. Basically, a tasting menu if that makes sense? They’ll be paired with wines. Take all choices off our hands and still receive an enjoyable experience. My treat regardless.” Casque had to clear his throat to cover a quiet laugh at the eager downing of the water. His Flora was looking particularly fresh due to his high water intake lately.

“That's so generous of you! Thank you so much, Mister Casque.” Mckenna isn’t one to turn down a free lunch, especially one blessing one’s olfactory senses as much as this place is. A tasting menu offers a larger array of food than conventional eateries where one is limited to what they have ordered. Setting aside their glass, they browsed the menu until it came time for Casque to request food, wanting to know what they could expect for lunch. The air conditioning did help them keep cool and whatever hormones they had in check, thank Murmur for heat suppressants. “So Mister Casque, any new wine you’ve enjoyed lately?” Mckenna asked, wanting to at least try strike up some conversation instead of sitting in silence.

As much as Casque despised taking heat suppressants; finding the taste disgusting, he did prefer to avoid problems with his hormones thanks to the season. It also kept him far more calm and his sharp tongue in cheek. He did tell the chef to get started with the first course, with mushrooms prepared three ways; one glazed in sticky sauce, one stuffed, and the third being mushroom dip. It would take the chef a while to prepare the dishes for them but it would be good to start them off.

“I’ve been producing a lot of ice wine lately due to the season and we ended up putting granita using those on our menu which has been popular and easy to make. I am looking forward to spring as we can start making apricot and grapefruit flavors. However, I am more eager for mulberry. I should bring some of those by the farm for you some time once we start to produce them. Have you been trying new recipes with your apples?” Casque was always happy to talk about his wines and especially food.

“I see!” Mckenna nodded enthusiastically, they were now resting their elbows on the table and leaning forward, showing interest in the conversation. “Well, winter’s not the best for any farmer, but I’d love to try your new wines of course, they are the most exquisite!” The brown bun replied, clapping their hoofs together in glee. Peeking from behind Casque could the angora see the chef hard at work whipping up the perfect lunch for them.

“Right now, I have been perfecting my apple jams, I got loads of apple and other fruit preserves since I started storing all my leftover fruits. The same goes for the pumpkins, we can’t let those go to waste either.” The brown angora continued to ramble. Maybe this blind date would not go so badly or awkwardly as they’d imagined it’d be, after all, it is clear that Casque and themself have something in common to bond over. “I have been making lots of apple pies recently since I started making apple jams again, I know that apple jams are versatile but I love baking pies… something so indulgent about having a slice with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.”

“Winter is rarely the best season. Too cold and most just want to stay in.” Casque frowned a bit before puffing up at the compliment “They're both fantastic for drinking and putting in food”

He had to grin fanged at their shared love for food and at Mckenna’s ramblings especially. “nothing beats an excellent pie! I always struggle with those but I think it's due to the crust. They're especially best fresh from the oven. I'm also fond of strudels especially when I can get pre-made puff pastry. The filings potential are endless” His mood was already improved.

“Apples are quite versatile and they work well with wine in baking”

“Strudels are a nice pastry too, I should do something like that soon perhaps, I’m sure Eden’s sick of constant pies.” The angora bun laughed, it was clear that they were enjoying their time with Casque for sure, even their once tense posture evolved into a more relaxed one. The brown bun had their back against the cushioned seat, “You know Mister Casque, I’m surprised that you and I never really had a one-on-one chat before today, it has been nice to chat with you in a more casual setting!” They responded honestly, “Besides wine making, do you have any other hobbies?”

Casque snorted in amusement “Having a dish over and over again even if with some variety can get rather tiresome.” His tail was still, a good sign of his calm mood, and he smiled slightly. Casque’s amethyst eyes blinked at the question then he nodded “Gardening and cooking. It’s relaxing and I do like to experiment in the kitchen” He barely stopped talking as the chef set their plates down so they could start preparing the second course focusing on pasta. “Herbs and some vegetables are staples, and we do have fruit growing on the property but we frequently outsource for those since most of the property is taken up by grapes. Still, I like being in the kitchen when I can. What about you?”

Unlike Casque, the end of Mckenna’s tail swayed slightly, showing their interest in whatever the other bun said. “Oh, I hear you,” they nodded. “I have an herb garden planted right outside my kitchen, and it makes it easier to add herbs to my cooking. Likewise, most vegetables we eat are either grown here or traded at the farmer’s market.” The brown angora bun explained, reaching for their water cup again to take yet another tentative sip. “Apart from taking care of the plants, I love taking care of my imps, I have so many of them it’s hard to keep track…” The angora bun chuckled to themself, “But they do keep the Remils away which I am thankful for. I also enjoy my fair bit of reading as well, mostly about imp-keeping and gardening but I do enjoy an odd cookbook sometimes.”

Casque nodded, leaning forward a little once imps had been brought up “I’m quite fond of my imps though two of them find it funny to embarrass me frequently especially around certain dolls. I have…” Casque tapped his chin with a hoof, mentally going through them “Eleven and counting. One of them tends to stay in my personal residence while the rest roam the property to their liking. I’m not one for literature unless it’s about food but I do appreciate a good book from time to time” he shrugged. “I presume you don’t like Remils?”

“Oh, that’s just like my Ebi, always the playful impup. I guess we’d be more inclined to keep imps given the amount of land we have.” Mckenna replied, a smile forming on their face again as they fondly remembered their most loyal companion. “Remils and corvats are fine actually, but sometimes they’d break in to nibble at crops. The worst thing is that imps don’t even need to eat and they are just doing it to mess with me.” Mckenna lamented, throwing their hooves up in despair, “My imps do their best to keep strays away but it’s always difficult when they do appear.”

“I have two Guysts. They’re troublemakers. I managed to tame them before they could cause havoc in my residence. My Gargowl was a big help thankfully” Casque lamented as he glanced over at their still steaming hot plates of mushroom dishes, and the chef working on their second course.
“Looks like our first course is ready. Those are mushrooms prepared three ways; one glazed in sticky red wine sauce, one stuffed with cheese and herbs, and the third being mushroom dip with toasted baguette slices. The chef is working on pasta for the second course it seems. Let’s dig in!” Casque was near salivating.

“That's nice,” Mckenna responded, perking up a little more at the sudden smell of food. When the chef appeared with their first course, the Angora bun could not help but clap their little hooves together in glee. “Oh, these look delightful! I love a great mushroom dish!” They said, taking a moment to ponder which to start with, peaking at Casque in a not-so-subtle way before copying the first dish that he decided to try. Cutting apart a forkful of red wine-glazed mushrooms, blowing at it to prevent scalding their tongue before taking a bite, immediately melting at the exquisite taste. “Mmmm…This is delicious! I’m so glad you brought me here, Casque, the food here is simply divine!” The brown bun’s silver eyes twinkled at the next course, they were going to be spoiled rotten today.

Mckenna and Casque’s conversation did not end, even after talking for almost three hours throughout their meal. The envy bun having the courtesy to bring their supposed blind date back to their orchard is an additional kind gesture on his part. “You didn’t have to take me home as well, but I appreciate it!” The greed bun was stroking their fluffy ears as they made their way towards their farmhouse with Casque tagging behind. “Thank you for the lunch as well, and for hanging out with me all afternoon, I had a lovely time with you!” They nodded, almost shyly. “I’d love to go out more sometimes if you are interested, something casual like this again, it’s nice being around a friend who understands me so well.” The angora bun rifled around in their thick fur to fish out their keys. “Since you’ve treated me to a meal, how about having some dessert inside?” They asked, pushing the door leading to the farmhouse’s kitchen open.

“Well if I could help reduce your anxiety a little by helping get you home then that’s all good” Casque was rather content, having rather enjoyed the meal and conversation. He was going to have to thank his meddling staff later. As annoying as it would be.

His spirit motes perked up and moved through his wooden antlers at the mention of some dessert.
“Why the fuck not? It would be the perfect way to wrap things up with. We do need to do this again I believe” Casque unintentionally let his crass language slip but he barely cared because hello? Mckenna’s delicious desserts? He followed the other bun right inside.