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[desertpowered]

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[desertpowered]

Thank you. The green stone was supposed to be from space, or at least that’s what I was told when I bought it.

[It was a small joke. Paul himself is an extraterrestrial in terms of his origins in time and space. But he truly does miss where he came from.]

We had great seas where I was born and lived the first fifteen years of my life. I sailed on them a few times in my life. So in a way it’ll be a reminder of home.

Come, have a seat. We’ll enjoy the pepperoni pizza together.

[sisterimperator]

[ She caught the humor in his voice and flashed him a smile, even as she came closer to inspect the crystal. ]

Moldavite. A crystal used by witches and magick users to usher in transformation. An interesting choice.

[ Regarding the book - ] Let me know how you like it. If you're interested in learning other languages, the original text is actually in French, not English. You might want to read that as well.

[ Sister Imperator certainly wasn't going to say no to Pizza Hut, and so she nodded, following Paul to the table. ]

[desertpowered]

I didn’t know that, but it’s certainly an interesting coincidence. Especially since my abilities are…well, not magick precisely but easy to mistake for it.

[There are some special qualities, but science as far as it exists in Paul’s universe has changed to the extent that he’s not sure anyone has studied a substance like the Water of Life, or would even be allowed to.]

I could teach myself French. It would give me something to do with my time. I speak a few languages, including some that have never been used on your world and time.

[And Paul sets out plates for the pizza, taking his seat and waiting for the box to be opened.]

[sisterimperator]

Plenty of what was once thought as magic and science fiction has become fact. However, there is still a difference for those of us who know. With that said - would you say that your abilities can be explained by a heightened sensory perception of relativity?

[ Sister Imperator, realizing that that was her cue, opened the box. The familiar smell of pizza, cheese, and pepperoni greeted her immediately, and her stomach rumbled. ]

Go ahead, Paul. And if you like it spicy, there are packets of hot sauce you can use.

You know, it'll be interesting to show you some old texts. See if you can make anything of them.

[desertpowered]

That could be the case, though I'd prefer to keep the abilities I still have a secret. It's better that way, and safer for all parties involved. I wouldn't be surprised if there was an explanation of some kind or another - hallucinogens are known in your world, though the things I saw weren't those.

[Paul's stomach growls in turn, and when she opens the pizza box he decides to do something about it, snatching a slice right out.]

Ah, these should taste as good as they smell. Let me take a sample.

[With that, Paul snaps up the pizza slice in a couple of bites. He swallows with a satisfied expression.]

[sisterimperator]

Interesting.

[ Sister Imperator wasn't going to press if Paul didn't want to reveal his abilities. However, the idea of hallucinogens and spiritual practice was not unheard of, and she nodded.

Upon seeing him eat up the slice, she realized - ]

I should have ordered two, at least. Well, conveniently, they do have delivery. Do you have a phone?

[desertpowered]

I'm one of a kind here.

[Paul is wiping tomato sauce from his mouth with a napkin, and is going for another slice of pepperoni pizza when he hears Sister's comment. He gestures to a rotary phone in the kitchen.]

I have one, yes. You can use it if you need to. We'll split the pizzas - one for me and one for you.

[Paul wouldn't be above taking what Sister left if she let him.]

[sisterimperator]

[ The look she gave him was one of dry amusement. They were both well aware she couldn't finish an entire pizza, and Paul would have everything else. That was fine with her.

She headed to the phone to place an order. While she could have a Ghoul head to Pizza Hut to order it then take it to them, she thought he would enjoy seeing the human process of food delivery. ]

Do you want pepperoni or another flavor?

[desertpowered]

[That was, more or less, what Paul had planned. A whole pizza for him, and whatever was left of Sister's pizza. He may no longer have the full power of a Kwisatz Haderach but Paul's cunning is still very much present.

He nods, agreeing that he'd like to see the delivery process in person. Paul likes seeing how these things work, and learning so he can order a pizza for himself. He benefits strongly from observation.]

Hmm. Extra cheese with anchovies?

[sisterimperator]

If we're doing anchovies, then let's have onions, mushrooms, and olives as well.

[ Sister Imperator quickly placed the order, then headed back to the table before the pepperoni pizza ran out. She was sure that Paul would leave her her share, considering that he planned to have most of it, but the way he ate - well, he ate like a man who hadn't eaten in decades. ]

[desertpowered]

That sounds delicious. Consider me interested - very Mediterranean, and you know how I feel.

[While Sister is making the order, Paul devours another slice of pizza. He’s still chewing a third slice when she returns, nodding through stuffed cheeks to show that he kept his word. He’s very hungry, but he won’t take anything of hers until given permission.]

[sisterimperator]

[ She couldn't blame him. Deprivation and/or repression did that to a person, and the fact that Paul was stuffing himself to the brim after having lived off of Satan-knows-what in the desert was the mildest of outcomes.

But Sister Imperator finally took a slice of pizza for herself, enjoying the way the mozzarella stretched and pointing it out to Paul. ]

The highlights of cheese.

I admire your restraint. It is hard to resist pizza.

[desertpowered]

[Sister was right about the nature of Paul’s appetite and the kind of food that the Preacher survived off of in self-imposed exile. He enjoys taking advantage of abundance after so long without it.

He looks over the mozzarella admiringly, then takes a bite out of one of his own slices. That done, he makes a pleased sound as he chews and swallows. Clearly Paul Atreides likes mozzarella.]

Mmph. It’s very good.

We made a deal and I keep to my side of bargain.

[sisterimperator]

[ If Paul wasn't vegan or lactose intolerant and disliked mozzarella, Sister Imperator would have been more shocked by this than anything else he'd have told her to date. And that included being the Emperor of the known universe and having his eyes burned out. ]

You're a trustworthy companion.

[ Her tone was light and in jest, but she meant it.

She bit into her slice with relish. ]

You'll find the history of pizza interesting. It was brought here by Italian immigrants, and then it took on characteristics of its own as an American dish. I'm sure certain dishes and cuisines lasted into the future and made their way to space too.

Was pizza one of them?

[desertpowered]

[There are many surprising things about Paul, but his fondness for mozzarella likely isn’t one of them. Especially going by the way he’s eating another piece. Paul was once Emperor of the known universe, once a blind wandering preacher, and now has a developing taste for Earth food.]

You’ve earned my loyalty. It’s not something I give easily.

[Paul looks a little surprised by the hot sauce he added and looks for a drink.]

We didn’t have pizza, exactly, but we did have access to the ingredients that made it up. There were bread dishes as well. Pity I can’t reintroduce it.

Mind if I get a drink? Is there anything you would like to have in particular?

[sisterimperator]

[ She heard the ring of truth in his words and nodded graciously. Sister Imperator didn't go out to make allies with political might in mind - she didn't believe in such things when she was touched by the Devil himself. But a friend, regardless of station - that was nothing short of a miracle, and she appreciated having one in Paul. ]

Not at all. I'll have whatever you offer.

[ Rule #3 of the Eleven Satanic Rules of the Earth: When in another’s lair, show him respect or else do not go there. She'd accept whatever hospitality he offered, of course. ]

[desertpowered]

[Paul was someone who'd dealt with people who wanted to use him in the past, and it left him with a distaste for flattery and manipulation. So friends who don't want to do those things with him are what he's looking for now. Paul had relatively few people who he called friends, especially when friendship changed into fanaticism.]

Lemonade it'll be, then. It's been chilled to keep it fresh.

[Paul gets up and returns with two glasses of chilled lemonade, one for himself and one for Sister.]

[sisterimperator]

[ It probably helped that Sister Imperator was already a zealot but for Satan. ]

I do enjoy a good lemonade.

[ It was orange juice adjacent, and citrus seemed to really tickle her palate while she was pregnant.

Just then, the doorbell rang. ]

Ah, that'll be the pizza.

[ She stood to open the door, receiving the pizza and paying for it. Once again, it smelled fantastic. ]

[desertpowered]

As do I. Life in the desert teaches you to appreciate things.

[Paul is still delighted by easy access to water, and more elaborate forms like sodas and lemonades.]

Yes, the pizza. I can smell it from here. It smells delicious.

[Enough for Paul to abandon the pepperoni slice he has his eye on. He licks his lips with a hungry expression.]

I can't wait.

[sisterimperator]

[ Sister Imperator laid the box on the table as well and opened the lid. Ah, nothing like fresh pizza. ]

Here, since this was your request - go ahead and have the first slice.

[ In the meantime, she took a sip of her lemonade, enjoying the tartness and the sugar added into it. ]

[desertpowered]

[Paul picks an anchovy off the pizza and delicately pops it into his mouth before swallowing. He sighs in satisfaction.]

Ah, thank you. I do love seafood. It reminds me of home.

[The rest of the anchovies are plucked off, one at a time, before the rest of the slice joins them in Paul's belly. That done, he's biting into the second.]

[sisterimperator]

[ Sister Imperator took a slice of the newly arrived pizza as well, biting into it with relish.

She watched with amusement as Paul singled out the anchovies first. ]

You could get those by the can, you know.

[desertpowered]

[Paul finishes the second slice, anchovies and all. Not as good as Caladan seafood, but then again nothing is.

He thinks he can finish at least one pizza, and at least eat all the anchovies.]

There's an idea. It'll be a little like home. The moonfish of Caladan were delicious.

[sisterimperator]

[ She didn't begrudge him the anchovies. Thankfully her pregnancy cravings mostly had to do with oranges and Chinese food, so he could have all of it.

But nevertheless, she took another slice of pepperoni. ]

Moonfish?

[desertpowered]

Species of fish native to my birth planet. They were one of our biggest imports to other worlds.

[Paul thinks as he continues eating his pizza. It’s very tasty, he thinks, even without the anchovies. Earth food isn’t as good as Caladan food, but it also isn’t at all bad.]

We were famous for our seafood, our wines, and our rice cakes.