Lyra had decided, this time, she would treat her friends to a proper feast. Nothing less than 'Earth's hometown delicacies' would do. And for a gathering of witches, what could be more fitting than hotpot? A communal dish, where everyone cooks together, chatting and laughing as the ingredients bubble away, perfect for turning an ordinary night into a celebration.
She ran through her mental checklist as she gathered ingredients:
"Beef, mutton, venison… check. Fish! Perfect for fillets; it'll go great with the hotpot," she muttered to herself, placing each item carefully into her basket. But some ingredients were missing. "No duck blood, no duck intestines, no beef tripe… Shame."
Still, Lyra wasn't discouraged. She could make a flavorful clear broth with beef bones and spice it up with 'red oil, Sichuan pepper, garlic,' and a touch of 'chili'. For variety, she would also prepare a 'slightly spicy tomato soup base'.
"If the base is rich enough," Lyra thought confidently, "no dipping sauce needed." She also piled in vegetarian essentials 'winter melon, mushrooms, Chinese cabbage,' and other fresh greens.
It was a good thing she'd brought 'two baskets', or she wouldn't have been able to carry everything back. She shifted her baskets, daydreaming briefly about the floating spell she hadn't quite mastered. If only she could make her groceries float all the way to her dorm… Instead, she trudged step by step, stopping often to catch her breath.
When Lyra finally staggered back to the dormitory, sweat beading on her forehead, she wiped her face with a sleeve, rolled up her arms, and got to work.
She might drag her feet when carrying vegetables, but the moment she started cooking, energy coursed through her like a spell in full cast. Cooking for her friends wasn't just a chore, it was an expression of care, and Lyra poured her heart into every step.
---
The scent of fresh ingredients drew the attention of her friends. 'Lilith, Vasida, and Sylph' showed up earlier than expected, eager, perhaps, to avoid another disaster like the last time Lyra hosted dinner.
When the three witches stepped into the kitchen, the first thing they did was check for signs of magical mishaps.
"You're not using magic this time, are you?" Lilith asked, arching a suspicious brow.
Lyra rolled her eyes and waved them off. "No magic today! I promise this time you'll get a 'normal' meal."
Lilith grinned, though there was a hint of relief in her smile. "Phew! That's good to hear." Then, tilting her head playfully, she added, "Need any help?"
Lyra wasn't about to refuse. She gestured to the mountain of ingredients on the counter. "You can wash the vegetables, chop them, or peel garlic. Take your pick!"
Lilith smirked, tapping the knife on the counter. "I'll chop. I'm great with a blade." She shot a teasing glance at Vasida and Sylph. "Better than 'some' witches I know."
"I'll wash the vegetables," Sylph offered with a grin. "I'm not about to get shown up by Lilith again."
Vasida wrinkled her nose at what was left. "Guess that means I'm peeling garlic, huh?"
Lyra plopped a heavy bag of garlic in front of her with a wink. "Yep! Here you go. Peel all of these."
Vasida's eyes widened in disbelief. "'All' of it? What are we even making that needs this much garlic?"
"You'll see," Lyra said with a grin. "Garlic's the soul of the dish! Trust me, we need every clove."
Lilith chuckled as she twirled the knife in her hand. "Garlic dishes? Was eating garlic some kind of tradition where you're from, Lyra?"
Lyra shot her a playful glance. "Let's just say, once you taste it, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it!"
Despite their skepticism, the witches got to work.
---
Lilith took to the chopping board with confidence. "How's this?" she asked, holding up a thin slice of beef.
Lyra inspected it with a critical eye. "Thinner."
Lilith raised a brow. "How about this?"
"A little thinner."
Lilith exhaled. "Seriously? Any thinner and it'll be paper!"
Lyra nodded with a grin. "Perfect! The thinner, the better, it cooks faster and tastes even better."
Though Lilith didn't quite understand why the meat needed to be so thin, she took the feedback in stride. Her knife skills were impressive, slicing each piece with precision.
With their tasks divided, the kitchen came alive with activity. Sylph scrubbed vegetables in the sink, humming to herself. Vasida peeled garlic slowly, grumbling under her breath about the sheer 'excess' of cloves she had to get through. And Lilith sliced meat with the care of a professional chef, stacking paper-thin slices neatly on a plate.
When the prep work was done, Lyra took over. She arranged the pots on the stove and started working on the soup bases. First came the 'beef bone broth', simmered to perfection with fragrant spices. Next, she tackled the 'spicy tomato base', stirring in just enough chili to give it a kick without overwhelming her friends.
"Vasida, pass me the garlic!" Lyra called over her shoulder.
Vasida slid the bowl of freshly peeled garlic across the counter with a huff. "If I see one more clove of garlic, I'm going to turn it into a curse."
Lyra chuckled. "You'll thank me later."
Now came the critical moment: frying the 'red oil base'. Lyra heated the pot until it sizzled, tossing in chili, Sichuan pepper, and the peeled garlic. The kitchen filled with the rich aroma of spices, making Lilith, Vasida, and Sylph gather around the pots, noses twitching with curiosity.
"Is this the bone broth or the tomato soup?" Sylph whispered.
"Looks like both…" Vasida murmured, squinting at the two bubbling cauldrons.
"Are we making some kind of soup feast?" Lilith wondered aloud.
"You're sure you don't need mushrooms or potatoes?" Sylph asked, half-convinced something was missing.
Lyra waved a wooden spoon at them. "Relax! Trust the process. The base is just getting started."
The witches exchanged skeptical glances, but they said nothing more. Lyra clearly had everything under control or at least, she 'seemed' to.
---
"Ready for the Feast"
As the soup bases simmered and the spicy red oil thickened, Lyra set the table with a variety of meats, vegetables, and seasonings. Everything was arranged meticulously, each plate a small masterpiece of preparation. The broth bubbled gently, releasing mouthwatering aromas that filled the dormitory.
Lilith leaned back, satisfied with her knife work. "Alright, this better be the best hotpot I've ever had."
"It will be," Lyra promised, beaming with pride. "Just wait until you taste it."
Vasida eyed the piles of garlic with a mixture of dread and curiosity. "If it's not, I'm officially done with garlic for life."
Lyra laughed. "You'll love it. And if you don't, well, at least you'll have an unforgettable dinner."
With everything finally in place, Lyra lit the burners beneath the hotpot and gestured for her friends to gather around the table.
"Alright, witches! Let's eat!" she declared.
As they dipped slices of meat into the bubbling broth and sampled the garlic-rich concoctions, even the most skeptical among them couldn't help but grin. The laughter, the conversation, and the delicious food made it clear: this was more than just a meal; it was a night to remember.
And this time, Lyra knew she had redeemed herself.
The moment Lyra tossed the fiery red peppers and Sichuan peppercorns into the sizzling pot, a wave of 'pungent heat' exploded from the kitchen like a magical storm. The air shimmered with the overwhelming scent, attacking their eyes and noses with a spicy, numbing assault.
Lilith staggered back, coughing as she tried to cover her nose and mouth. "'Lyra… cough, cough, what kind of magic attack is this?'" she wheezed, blinking furiously against the peppery haze.
Amid the swirling smoke, Lyra stood at the stove, calmly flipping her spatula like a seasoned chef facing the apocalypse. "Relax. It's not magic. This is just what happens when you fry red peppers and Sichuan peppercorns in hot oil." She gave the pan a confident stir. "Trust me, it'll settle down soon."
Vasida poked her head out from under the dining table, where she'd taken cover. "'Phew!' So it's not a curse?" She stood up, wiping her brow dramatically.
Sylph, still squinting through the smoke, pointed toward the stove with dawning horror. "Lyra… did you; did you put the 'entire basket' of red peppers in the pot?"
Lyra gave a casual glance toward the now-empty basket. "Yup."
Vasida's jaw dropped. "'The whole basket?'" She and Lilith rushed toward the stove in disbelief. As they peered into the pot, all they could see was a sea of glistening, bright red oil, flecked with chilies and peppercorns. Their hearts sank.
"Oh my witch... What 'is' this?" Lilith whispered, her voice filled with dread.
"'Soup base,'" Lyra replied cheerfully, as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. She tossed in a handful of garlic for good measure, filling the room with an even stronger aroma.
Vasida staggered back, as if struck by the sheer absurdity of it all. "'This can't be food. This has to be some kind of deadly potion, right?'" she cried, pinching her nose.
Lyra chuckled, unbothered by the panic around her. "Relax. If you can't handle the spice, I've made two other bases, one mild, one tomato. But the spicy broth is 'the heart and soul' of a real hotpot." She stirred the cauldron-like pot with pride. "This is the good stuff."
---
When the smoke finally cleared, the little witches found themselves sitting around a table brimming with ingredients. Plates of 'thinly sliced beef, mutton, venison, and fish' gleamed under the soft glow of the kitchen lights. Beside them were stacks of 'mushrooms, winter melon, Chinese cabbage, and chrysanthemum leaves'; all laid out with precision and care.
But there was one problem: everything was 'raw'.
Three large pots sat in the middle of the table, each bubbling with a different broth. One pot shimmered with a deep, oily red, the spicy broth, so thick it seemed almost alive. The second pot held a clear, light broth, and the third sat somewhere in between, its tomato soup base gently simmering.
Lilith stared at the spread in disbelief. "'Everything's raw,'" she muttered. "How exactly are we supposed to eat this?"
Vasida shot a suspicious glance toward Lyra. "'This is your hometown specialty?' What kind of world serves raw food as a delicacy?" She crossed her arms. "Your fried rice was good, but… this? This feels like a prank."
Sylph sat silently, already planning her escape. "'Maybe if I sneak out before she serves me something...'" she thought.
Lyra, unfazed by their doubts, picked up a pair of chopsticks and confidently dipped a slice of beef into the bubbling red oil. The meat sizzled on contact, quickly cooking to perfection. With a flourish, she placed it onto a small plate and pushed it toward Lilith.
"There! It's done! Go ahead, try it!" Lyra grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
Lilith blinked, staring at the glistening piece of beef as if it were a dangerous spell waiting to explode. "'Did I offend Lyra recently?'" she wondered. "'Was it because I didn't buy her cards at full price? Is this revenge?'"
As Lilith hesitated, Lyra, tired of waiting, grabbed another piece of beef, dunked it into the boiling red broth, and popped it into her own mouth. Her expression brightened immediately. "Mmm! This is 'exactly' how I remember it! Spicy, fragrant, and absolutely perfect!"
Her enthusiasm was so genuine that it gave the others pause.
"'It really does taste good…?'" Lilith thought skeptically, watching Lyra eat without a hint of hesitation.
"Come on, it's delicious!" Lyra said between bites. "I haven't had proper hotpot since; well, not since the old world. I had to adjust the recipe since some spices aren't available here, but it still tastes amazing!" She gestured toward the spread. "You've got to try it! Just dip the meat in the broth, it'll cook in seconds."
Lilith took a deep breath, summoning all the courage she could muster. 'Well, if Lyra's eating it and hasn't burst into flames…' With a determined look, she picked up the beef with her fork and cautiously placed it into her mouth.
The moment the flavors hit her tongue, her eyes widened. "Oh... oh witch!" she gasped, the shock of the heat and spice making her sit up straighter. But after the initial kick, the rich, savory flavors settled in, leaving her speechless.
"Well?" Lyra asked, grinning knowingly.
"It's… actually good!" Lilith admitted, still catching her breath. "Spicy as anything, but good!"
Vasida and Sylph exchanged nervous glances. If their fearless senior was eating it, then they had no excuse.
"Your turn!" Lyra declared with a triumphant smile. She dunked slices of fish into the tomato broth and served them up, one for each witch. "It's all about experimenting! Just dip it, cook it, and enjoy."
Vasida hesitated for a moment longer, but the scent was too tempting. She picked up her piece of fish, blew on it carefully, and took a bite. A slow grin spread across her face. "'Okay… maybe this isn't a prank.'"
"It's actually good, right?" Lyra said with a wink.
Sylph, seeing that everyone else had survived their first bites, finally gave in. She dipped a slice of mutton into the clear broth, cooked it just enough, and took a cautious nibble. "Oh wow... it's really good!" she admitted, surprised.
---
Soon, the little witches were diving into the feast with enthusiasm. The table buzzed with laughter and conversation as they experimented with the different broths and ingredients. Even the fiery red broth, which had initially terrified them, became a favorite, though only in small doses.
Lilith wiped her brow after another spicy bite. "'This broth is lethal... but I can't stop eating it.'"
Vasida reached for more mushrooms, muttering, "'How does something so spicy taste this good?'"
Sylph, now fully invested in the meal, dunked a piece of cabbage into the tomato broth. "'I think I've been converted to hotpot life.'"
Lyra leaned back, satisfied as she watched her friends enjoy the meal. "See? I told you it was worth it."
By the end of the night, the witches were full, happy, and pleasantly exhausted. Lyra had redeemed herself, and the spicy hotpot had become the stuff of legend; a meal none of them would ever forget.
"Next time," Lilith said, rubbing her full stomach, "you're cooking 'all' the dinners, Lyra."
Lyra just grinned. "Deal."