gritkitty asked for a Radek story from Paper Moon:

ghi-fish in klur sauce

The feasting table was likely very old, and so deeply and intricately carved with abstract swirls and fine detail work depicting fish and birds that it was quite uneven. Had their wine not been served in low, widemouthed mugs, Radek may well have sloshed some on his plate, or far worse, on Elizabeth, who was seated beside him.

The mugs and plates were of thin, hammered metals that looked like they'd been pounded against raised carvings to make decorations around the rims of the plates and at the bottoms of the cups.

"The woodwork is truly lovely," Elizabeth said, grazing her fingertips against a carving of a long-necked bird.

"Yes. It is reminding me of my Grandfather Miro."

Elizabeth's fine green eyes widened with interest.

"Was he a woodcarver?"

"No, no; he was a banker," Radek explained, "But every Christmas and birthday when I was very small, he would make us maňásek, little jointed dolls on strings—what is the word? Like Pinocchio?"

Clasping her hands together, Elizabeth inclined her head and smiled. "Marionettes. He made you puppets?"

"Yes. My brother and sister and I would put on little show, for the holiday." His mother had built them a little box theater, with painted curtains. It is with his sister, along with all the puppets their dědeček had made them, and the solemn promise that she would not let his nephew touch them until he was twenty-one. Somehow, they had not burned up in the fire that had claimed their house when he was nine, and a little paint had mended them—he said as much to Elizabeth.

"I would very much like to see them some day."

Her voice was so warm, and the memory of the Vefin's extraordinary performance was so fresh, that he felt himself flush, and he ducked his head, feeling foolish.

Happily, Elizabeth's attention was diverted by Major Sheppard and Rodney's late arrival to the table. They took the two remaining empty chairs, looking rather sheepish under Jilan's sharply amused eye. When they were seated at last, Jilan got to her feet and gave a short speech welcoming the diners and particularly recommending the ghi-fish in klur sauce.

"It's an old recipe from my very old friend Tuvyk, who promises that it will delight the senses... and well please your lovers."

The diners cheered and Radek calmly resigned himself to a meal of aphrodisiacs. He was charmed to see that Elizabeth's cheek had colored noticeably and they traded brief, wry smiles as Jilan continued, "And as it is the fivemonth and both moons rise, today we eat west to east. Eat well!"

After a moment to observe the other diners, Radek saw that every person seated served the person to their right from the platters being handed down the table, and that the food was then carved into small bites. He served Elizabeth, who was at the head of the table, and who had no chair on her other side, Radek noted, as she was the evening's honored guest. As he carved her meal, she smiled at him behind her wine mug, and Major Sheppard worked diligently to make the fish on Radek's plate into pieces of uniform size and thickness. Rodney was doing the same for Major Sheppard, and complaining volubly all the while. Teyla carved for Rodney wearing a rather serene look, and Radek could see that Dandin was serving Teyla with every attention.

Raising his fork, he could see Elizabeth hesitating over her meal, studying her portion of ghi-fish with some concern. Radek also studied his plate: the white flaky fish in the thin sauce the color of pomegranate. Looking down the table, he saw Teyla lift her as-yet-unused fork and touch the tines with delicate ceremony to Dandin's before smiling and taking her first bite of the meal.

Meeting Elizabeth's eyes, Radek lifted the unused fork of his place setting to Elizabeth's own offered fork, feeling ridiculous and painfully aware of his own tragic infatuation.

"To the senses," he said softly. She nodded, the color still high in her cheeks; the tines clanged gently against each other and they settled in to dine.

When he felt Elizabeth's hand on his knee (a brief, warm, friendly squeeze) after he'd served her the second course (a jellied eel soup called rusk), Radek felt that perhaps his infatuation was not so tragic, after all.

END