Tender is the Loin (SFW)

Anon makes Celestia some Tenderloin.

>"None of my chefs really know how to cook it, but... Well, I thought it would be something special I can do for you."
>You desperately try not to visibly salivate
>Standing in front of you is a long, delicious, non-butchered cut of tenderloin
>The entire fucking muscle
>You have no idea where she got it from
>You don't care
>It'd been a full year since you last had meat
>You've almost forgot the taste
>You turn to her
>"That- How did you-"
>She blushes
>"Magic, Anonymous. I thought it would make a good anniversary gift."
>You turn back to the meat
>Well, it wasn't even close to fit for consumption in its current state
>But it was just some TLC away from being one of your absolute favorite foods
>"You're amazing. I can't believe..."
>You try to control yourself
>"Thank you. So much."
>She nods in return
>"Tell me, Anonymous, how does one prepare this, uh, 'cut' of meat?"
>You try to remember an old Good Eats episode on the topic
>"Well, first, we have to cut off some stuff. Then you typically fillet it, and cook it, and then maybe pour some gravy and eat it with potatoes and asparagus."
>"I do like asparagus. Hopefully I'll enjoy how it pairs with this 'beef' as well."
>You turn away from the meat, back to her
>"Wait, what? You're eating this?"
>She nods, looking slightly embarrassed
>"Yes. I planned to. I figured that you would enjoy some company while eating, and I must admit, I am rather curious about the taste."
>You bite you lip, still a bit confused
>"Can you... Digest meat?"
>She nods again
>"Magic, Anon."
>Right
>You really should have guessed
>"Do you mind terribly if I assist in your preparation? I would hate for you to have to do it all alone."
>You smile at her
>"I'd be honored to cook with a Princess. Now."
>You look around the kitchen
>"Where's your sharpest knife?"
>She fetches you a wicked-looking knife from a nearby cabinet as you lift the cut off the counter and into the sink
>You rinse it off with cold water as a red liquid seeps from it
>"Is- Is that blood?"
>"No, actually. It's most like... Protein-juice."
>You turn off the water and let it drain
>"Now... Let's see.. Cutting board?"
>Celestia magicks a wooden board onto the table
>You would have preferred marble or plastic, but it would do just fine
>You place the knife to the side of the board, and turn it so the silverskin is facing upwards
>You turn the board so the large end is in front of you
>You slowly start to peel away the fatty membrane on top, working carefully
>Celestia watches you intently
>"What are you doing?"
>"This stuff isn't good to eat. It's... Well, not something that really hits the tastebuds correctly."
>She nods, looking slightly nervous
>You finish your work and grap the knife next to you. Now to remove the chain...
>You knife slowly sinks into the flesh of the steak. Celestia makes a small gasp beside you
>You immediately stop
>"Are you sure you want to watch this? I mean... I can see how this would be disturbing for you."
>She shakes her head
>"No, I- I understand that the animals on Earth are very different from those here. I shouldn't be so squeamish."
>You have no fucking idea how she's going to handle actually eating this
>You finish running the knife along the length of the steak, pulling away the chain
>"Is that also undesirable for eating?"
>You shake your head
>"No, it's amazing. It just has very little meat on it, so it typically isn't served. Most of the time the cooks eat it."
>You set it aside and turn the main cut over
>Carefully, you run your knife down the side
>"And what's that for?"
>You keep your attention on the cut as you respond
>"It's fat. Pure fat. Not really something that people eat. Now, some degree of fat is good -- You can see veins running through this meat, actually -- But pure fat is rather gross."
>"Hmmm..."
>Celestia still sounds a bit uncomfortable
>"It's... Kind of weird to be thinking about eating fat. I mean- I have fat. You have fat."
>You nod
>"It's... Different, I guess. We're omnivores. We're designed to eat those kinds of things."
>You finish removing the fat and turn to her
>"But- Could you, in theory, eat..."
>She's really struggling to say the next words
>You decide you might as well finish it for her
>"Other humans? Yes, but that never happens. It's considered to be a supreme evil."
>She blinks
>"I- I was actually going to say 'ponies,' but that's... Interesting to know."
>Well, fuck
>Whatever
>"Can- Could you eat a pony?"
>She looks apprehensive
>You consider lying
>No
>Not to her
>"Yes. I probably could. But why would I?"
>You try to smile softly, desperately hoping that you don't accidentally give a serial-killer grin
>"Ponies are my friends. Besides, I'm fine with beans and vegetables. And, uh, the species of animal that most closely resembles ponies on my world is known to be rather gross tasting."
>She nods, still uncomfortable
>You had a feeling that the taste of this would probably ease her fears
>"You still okay with me cooking this?"
>"C- Certainly. Yes. I do want to try it, even if it does seem a bit... Strange."
>You nod and turn back to the steak
>"Now... The most important part. I have to remove this stuff."
>You turn the meat so the silverskin is facing up again
>"It's connective tissue. Sort of like a tendon. When cooked, it tastes... Well, horrible. So I have to remove it..."
>Carefully, you make several incisions, exposing all of the tissue
>You slowly slip your knife into the tissue, perpendicular to the cut
>You pull it tense and slowly glide your knife down to the end, then flip it over and pull the other way
>It smoothly slides off
>You set it aside
>Celestia slowly leans in as you make another cut
>"So... Methodical. Precise."
>You nod, continuing to slide your blade slowly down the meat
>"This cut of steak is considered one of the heights of luxury. Certain foods on Earth are reserved for special occasions, for the rich and famous and the royal. The tenderloin is among them, along with some types of seafood, and maybe a few other dishes. Personally..."
>You pry the next strand free, going to work on another one
>"I think the Tenderloin is king among them. Or maybe Lobster. Do ponies eat lobster?"
>"The- The sea-bug?"
>Celestia's nose scrunches in confusion
>"That's considered a luxury? It's so... Gross-looking."
>You try to not laugh as you pull off another strand
>Not a good place to lose your concentration
>"Yes, it is. But it's actually quite good."
>She shrugs, continuing to watch you work
>"Perhaps we can try it another time."
>"Yeah. Now..."
>You turn the meat over, silverskin completely removed, then turn back to her, knife loose in your hand
>"How do we cut this..."
>She looks at you, eyes slightly wide
>Not in a frightful way. More of an inquisitive one.
>"There's multiple ways to prepare this kind of meat. We could roast it, sear it, probably make it into burgers if we mixed it with a tougher cut..."
>Her brow is lowered in confusion
>It's honestly kind of cute
>"Uh- Let's just say there's a lot of ways to make it. However..."
>You grasp your knife slightly tighter
>"I think that Filet Mignon is probably the best fit for one's first time eating meat, and for a princess."
>She nods, relaxing somewhat
>"Prepare it, then."
>You smoothly slice off the side muscle, then turn back to Celestia
>"Do you have a slicing knife?"
>She nods. Without even looking behind you, she magics it out of a knife-holder on the counter opposite the room and hands it to you
>"Thank you. Now, to fillet."
>You slice off the tip and place it next to the chain. You briefly ponder portion sizes.
>It's really consistency that matters
>And you were cooking for Celestia, for God's sake
>You had to be as accurate as possible
>"Do you have a ruler?"
>"A... A ruler?"
>"Yes. A ruler. I need to cut this into pieces with equal size."
>You hear the noise of magic behind you. In seconds, there's glowing white lines in regular intervals along the meat in front of you
>You nod
>"That's... Quite helpful. Maybe make them around... an inch and a half, with the very first one being three inches?"
>The size adjusts to your specification
>You cut the three-inch piece off and quickly butterfly it, then turn to Celestia
>"Would you like to try?"
>Her ears flatten against her head immediately after you ask
>"I- I'm not sure I should-"
>She swallows.
>"I can try it."
>You feel the knife being gently taken from your hands as you step out of the way
>Celestia stands over the meat, a single bead of sweat moving down her brow
>"Just smoothly cut through where you have marked. It won't give much resistance."
>She does
>The blade is shaking slightly, and her wings unfurl about an inch when the first cut hits the board with a *plop*
>Soon, however, the tenderloin is fully butchered into beautiful Filet Mignon steaks
>Celestia looks at you, squinting slightly in concentration
>"How'd I do?"
>"Like the finest French chef, Celestia."
>"Now. We need to make the rest of this meal. Do you have any peppercorns?"
>She opens up a nearby cabinet and places a jar of them on the counter
>"Sea Salt?"
>She does the same
>"Okay. Cool. Now, we need a bowl..."
>There's one on front of you shortly
>"Awesome. Do you have a hammer? I need to smash some of these peppercorns into coarse pieces so I can put them in this bowl..."
>Celestia smirks, and magicks about a handful of peppercorns into the air. As you watch, they are broken apart, and placed in the bowl.
>"Thank you. Could you possibly coat those fillets with a bit of salt?"
>She sprinkles some on, casually leaning up against the counter as she does so
>She'd relaxed quite a bit ever since you stopped cutting into the meat
>"Cool. Now..."
>You grab a steak and carefully pat it down into the pepper, coating both sides
>"Hey, Celestia. While I do this, can you get started on the mashed potatoes?"
>"Can do!"
>You hear her humming as she fills a pot up with water. As you continue to coat the steaks, you can hear potatoes being rapidly peeled, then tossed casually into some water.
>"Okay. Those just need to cook. What next, Anonymous?"
>You finish up the last steak and look up. You're greeted with steam.
>"Is- Is that water already boiling?"
>She grins
>"Magic!"
>Should've guessed.
>"I need a steel pan, on a burner. Preferably stainless steel."
>Almost immediately, Celestia retrieves one and puts it on
>"Awesome. Turn that to low."
>The flame light up as Celestia magically turns the knob
>"Okay. Let's melt some butter in that. Maybe add some olive oil..."
>You hear a fridge open as she magically whips some butter into the pan. It starts to sizzle nicely.
>"Mmm... Awesome."
>You let the butter melt, then raise the heat. You retrieve the steaks and bring them over to the pan
>You gently place one onto the pan, pepper-size-down
>They sizzile slightly, and soon the room smells of beef
>"Mmm... That's..."
>Celestia shudders slightly beside you
>"Why... Why do I like this so much?"
>You try to stop your own mouth from watering
>"Probably the magical changes to your body. For omnivores, that smell is... Irresistible."
>You shake out of it
>"Now. You said you like asparagus?"
>"Very much."
>"Go steam some, if ya could. I can handle the steak."
>You turn them over and watch Celestia as she works. She's adorable when she's busy.
>Humming some song slightly
>Lightly trotting everywhere
>Smile on her face
>You eventually remove them from the pan, and holler to Celestia
>"Yo! You got something to keep these warm while I make the sauce?"
>She just encases them in magic and goes back to her business, cleaning off some very thick stalks of Asparagus
>You turn your pan over into another pot, removing all the fat and leaving semi-burn steak residue behind
>Perfect seed for a sauce
>Now... Let's see...
>Cognac next, right?
>"Celly!"
>"Yes?"
>"Ya got any Cognac?"
>"Uh- Yes! In my private reserves! One moment-"
>She flashes out of existence, teleporting somewhere else. With another flash, she's back in the room, bottle in tow
>"Will this do?"
>She hands it to you
>The bottle is marked "Naponyian"
>Probably the equivalent of Napoleon-grade in your world
>A bit over-doing it, but it'll work
>You turn the heat up as high as possible, waiting until the pan is at near-dangerous temperatures
>That should do it
>Now...
>"Celestia?"
>"Yes?"
>She turns away from a pot she's working with
>The steam in the air has caused her hair to go all frizzy
>"I need some fire."
>"Fire? What for?"
>"To make this sauce."
>Celestia trots over to you
>"I can light whatever you like, Anonymous."
>"Okay. Cool. So..."
>You measure out about a third of a cup of Cognac and hold it over the pan
>"Now. When I pour this in, light it on fire."
>"On fire?"
>"Yep."
>You pour it in
>Very quickly the steam it gives off turns to flames
>Celestia admires it, head tilted slightly
>"Can I have a wisk?"
>Wordlessly, she magicks one over to you as the flames die down
>"Thanks."
>"Anytime."
>She hums as she trots back to her asparagus
>You scrape off the residue from the steaks as the sauce lightly steams
>Soon it's a harsh, almost black color
>Now...
>"Celestia?"
>"Yes?"
>"Heavy cream?"
>You find it on the counter next to you
>Fucking magic
>You wish you had it
>You pour the cream into the pan, about a cup in total
>You stir for about eight minutes, bringing it to a boil
>It slowly becomes a delicious, thick brown sauce
>You taste it
>Fucking
>Perfect
>You add another small hit of sauce, then toss the steaks back in, breaking them out of their little magical heating bubble
>You hear Celestia walk up behind you as you coat them
>"Well. This is finished. How's the potatoes and asparagus?"
>"Equally finished. Shall we eat? I already have the royal dining hall prepared."
>You nod, then take the steaks out of the pan and place them on a plate
>She does the same with the mashed potatoes and asparagus behind you
>After pouring the sauce into a gravy boat, you face the door with her
>Together, you enter the dining hall, food in tow
>You both quickly get plates set up
>Mashed Potatoes next to a portion of Asparagus
>All framing the main course
>The best-looking steam you'd ever made
>Celestia nervously sits down next to you.
>You grasp your already filled wineglass (must have been the palace staff), raising it
>"To a wonderful year in a wonderful kingdom, ruled by a wonderful Princess."
>She blushes, and taps her glass to yours with magic
>You sit back
>"Go on. Try it."
>She eyes the food
>Her mouth is dipped slightly downwards, but it's still watering
>She cuts off a small piece of steak
>The fork trembles as she brings it up to her mouth
>She opens it
>And takes her first ever bite of steak
>You can see the relaxation spread through her body
>Her wings flare out slightly, muscles holding them in relaxing
>Her posture worsens
>And her eyes slowly move to a half-lidded state
>"Oh... Oh... Woooowwwww...."
>She cuts off another bite, savoring the taste
>"I- This is-"
>Another bite
>"This is better than cake."
>You smile, taking your own bite of steak
>It really was fantastic
>You don't talk with her during dinner
>She's too into the food
>Every bite sends a very small shudder down her spine
>You both take about half an hour to finish, savoring the taste
>Celestia smiles at you over the table
>"That... That was the best thing I've ever ate."
>You can feel yourself blushing slightly
>"It was quite good, but, then again, it was made by a Princess."
>"Oh, hush. I was barely involved."
>"I still couldn't have done it without you."
>She fidgets slightly in her chair
>"I- Thank you."
>"No, thank you. You're the one who magicked up some tenderloin for us to eat."
>"You cooked it!"
>"With help."
>She just nods in return
>"I hope your one-year anniversary was satisfactory."
>"Very."
>You take a sip of wine
>"This has been the best meal I've had since I got here."
>"I thought it might be. I just... Wanted to give you a taste of home. I know it's hard."
>The room is suddenly very quiet
>"Hard to... Not fit in."
>You take another drink
>"Your subjects have had infinite kindness towards me, Princess. They've really made me feel like..."
>Your voice trails off
>You wanted to end that sentence with 'like I belong'
>But, really, that would have been a lie
>Celestia gives you a knowing look
>"They are very kind ponies, yes, but I am well-acquainted with being an outsider."
>You smirk
>"Really? You are a princess."
>"Exactly."
>She ruffles her wings slightly
>"I am an Alicorn who controls the sun. I am not, well, a typical citizen."
>"Although you are royalty."
>"Yes, but... I do sometimes feel as if I do not belong, and that's with all my power."
>You nod
>You knew the feeling
>They were kind to you
>Very kind
>But you still felt different
>Magic didn't work on you unless you wanted it to
>Dragon's fire barely felt like a breeze
>You could fall from heights that should have reasonably killed you
>All around you were reminders that you were from off-world
>Another world with different rules and workings
>Of course, everybody was nice, but you still felt some distance
>"Yeah..."
>You avoid Celestia's gaze
>"Yeah... I know the feeling."
>"However, tonight..."
>You look up at Celestia
>"Tonight, I felt... I mean, you were so casual with me, Anonymous. Nobody does that. They're all scared of offending me. But you..."
>She takes a deep breath
>"You weren't. I'd- I'd like it if it could be like that more."
>You arch an eyebrow
>"If I could- Be with you. More."
>Celestia stares at the floor
>You feel your face break into a smile as you go tomato-red
>"I'd like that."
>She looks up with bright eyes
>"Really?"
>"Yes. Maybe we can have dinner again next monday?"
>"Yes! I'd very much like that. It's a date."
>You make a noise of surprise as you drop your fork onto the floor
>"Like- Like a 'date' Date?"
>She blushes
>"I- Guess. The meat we had today was delicious, but..."
>Her smile turns mischievous
>"You're not a bad piece of meat yourself."