(Candidates/Weyrbrats)Chore-Helping in the Kitchen

[dragonmenta]

Orfinion hummed a little to himself as he chopped up some herbs for this evening's dinner. This was one of his favorite chores. Well he wouldn't really call it that. He had been helping out in the kitchens for as long as he had been at the Weyr. When he had first arrived he had been given tedious duties like washing the dishes and fetching things for the cooking staff. He had never minded though, he loved the smells of this kitchen. It had made him feel like he was back at Verilar when he was still homesick. He had traded with peoeple as much as he possibly could to get the kitchen chores. After a while, he had been permitted to help with some of the cooking and meal preparing himself. He was now almost as much a part of the kitchens as any of the assitant cooks. If he didn't Impress this time, he was going to ask if he could have a job there permanently.

He smiled at his baby Bronze firelizard Veryt for a moment. The little flit lay curled beside one of the stoves. Orfinion was always here early, but the other candidates should be along fairly soon.

[hrsegrl245]

Hanen was helping his mother wash the vegetables and fruits before they were chopped. She was a busy, plump woman with a hearty laugh and a lot of advice. Hava watched her son to make sure he was doing the chore correctly and went on to start making dough for the rolls. She was going to have Hanen make a stew for dinner. As always he loved visiting his mother, who despite her faults was a very loving person. She even liked his firelizard who happened to be sleeping on top of the large cabinet that held the herbs.

"Hanen, are you going to stand at the next Hatching?"
She always asked, not because that was what she wanted for him but because he seemed to be interested in it.
"I was thinking about it. Savath should lay a good clutch, she being a young Queen."
Hava noticed the other boy working chores. "And you, young man... do you hope to impress from Savath's upcoming clutch?"
The merry woman liked to include everyone in her conversations. It was odd that a kitchen drudge was always so happy, but Hava loved working at the Weyr and was never in a bad spirit, sometimes she could get a bit bossy but nothing others couldn't handle.

[shikura]

Kistanal started to the Kitchens. After that dreadful experience with the Butchering chore, she wasn't exactly happy to have yet another one. Shrugging to herself, she stayed alert for anything when she got into the Kitchens. She chewed her lip at what she saw. The girl only recognized two candidates. One had a flit, and one was helping a older lady clean fruits and vegatables. Licking her lip's as she wondered what they would eat later, Kistanal decided to help the candidate with the flit.

"Orfinion, right?" She drawled, eyeing the little fire-lizard wit ha mixture of envy and distrust. Shaking her head as she pulled her eye's away, Kistanal inclined her head politly.
"The other candidate-Hanen, I believe- already has some help. Do you need any? If- If you don't I can go help Hanen." Kistanal was hesitant. She was also amazed she had remembered their names. She just learned Hanen's name. And Hanen's helper-or helpee- was already asking Orfinion a question. Shards! Did she seem like she interupted? She shot a timid smile at the older woman.

[hrsegrl245]

Hava looked at the new girl. "Hello dearie, come on in. I'll get you started on your own chore. Have you ever worked in the kitchens before?" The plump woman smiled sweetly. She was a very motherly woman to begin with and seeing the girls uncertainty brought it out more.
"If you have not I'll be helping you...And what might your name be? I'm Hava, an assistant cook." She added in a merry tone. Meanwhile setting out some tubers for the girl to clean. "All I need you to do for the moment is wash these and once thats done, I'll give you another chore. "
Hanen watched his mother take over the situation as usual. She gave him a look to keep quiet and looked back expectantly at the other two.

[shikura]

"Oh!" Kistanal was slightly startled. "I'm Kistanal, but please just call me Kistana!" She watched the woman carefully. Then shook her head slowly.
"I haven't down much beside's wash things. I would be veyr happy if you could show me just how you would like this to be done." Kistanal smiled again. Her eye's flashed between Hanen and Hava, trying to figure out a connection. Ah, of course! They had to be related. Thye looked a bit alike, but then again Kistanal didn't want to be rude and wrong.

[dragonmenta]

((OMG! You know how much i am loving being able to see all da posts!!!))

Orfinion was interupted from his thoughts by a kind, plup looking woman. He had seen her a few times before, so she was probably one of the Assistants. "Oh yes. Well...I hope so anyways. I'm-" but before he could get out his name he heard another, thiss time familiar, voice from behind him.

He brushed a few strands of hair away from his eyes, "Hi Kistanel. This chore is much better than butchering. I'm fine, Hava can probably tell you what really needs to be done." He smiled at her. He wasn't sure how much he liked her, but he was always a pretty nice guy.

Looking back at who he now new were Hanen and Hava, "I'm Orfinion." He was usually quiet around adults, but the cook seemed an easy person to talk to. "I have seen you in the kitchens a couple times before." He then adressed her son, "Are you a candidate too?"

[hrsegrl245]

"Well, Kistana if you'll just wash these tubers off, with this scrub brush, you should have no trouble, then I'll show you how we peel the skins..."
Hava went back to kneeding the dough for the bread.
Hanen went back to making the stew.
"Orfinion, thats a nice name. How do you like being a candidate? What color do you hope to impress? And Kistana, do you hope to impress as well?"
The cook always enjoyed hearing of younger peoples plans. It made her feel better to know who came to the kitchens for chores.
Hanen answered, " I was born here, so I've never actually been searched. I am planning on standing at the next hatching..."

[wolfbro86]

Josue dragged his feet on the way to the chore. He never liked working in the kitchens. They always got him scrubbing pots, or cleaning the ovens, or some other activity that he detested. Well, at least this time he would have some some company who wouldn't get him in trouble if he talked with her. His gold flit, Meri, was perched on his shoulder, looking at everything around her with interest. She wasn't up to flying yet, and it was rare that she was both awake and not hungry at the same time, but there it was.

Josue walked in, pushing through the doors and into the heat that was omnipresent in the kitchens. Just another reason he didn't like the place, it was always too hot in here for his liking. He recognized Orfinion right off, grinning and waving at the other candidate. Veryt seemed to be doing well...he was asleep. Josue didn't recognize any of the others, but that was no big deal. He just stood there, right inside the doors, waiting for someone to tell him what he should be doing.

[hrsegrl245]

Hava walked over to the newcomer now that she had started Kistana on her part of the chore. Smiling cheerfully she spoke to him, "Hello there. Here for the chore I'm assuming. I'm Hava, an assistant cook. What might I call you?" After her little introduction she looked around at what she needed him to do. Well he could make some bread, so she could do more complicated things.
"Ever made bread before?" She asked. If not she would show him how. Most of the cooks had the candidates do cleaning type chores but every once in a while it was good to brush them up on some cooking skills. Walking over to where she had placed on loaf already, she put it in the oven and waited for the boy to follow her to the ingredients.

[dragonmenta]

Orfinion smiled at the Gold flit with the latest arrival, "Hey Josue. How's Meri doing? Sleeping and/or Hungry most of the time i'm guessing?" He finished chopping and mixed his fresh herbs with a couple other kinds with his hands. He grabbed a slab of fresh herdbeast and began to rub the seasoning all over it, patting in well enough so the juices would mix and the meat would be come tneder, but not so hard to damage the cut. The smells around him were so nice. The kitchens were often bursting with eneregy, but at the same time they were one of the quietest places for him to be.

He smiled at the assistant cook, "Thankyou. My name is a bit long but if Impress that'll change. I want to Impress a Brown." He smiled, Impressing was the top thing on his mind...besides Verity of course. "So Hanen, what color do you want to Impress?" It was a stupid question really. Most boys always yelled out Bronze! and girls Gold! But Orfinion wanted to Impress a Brown , just like his father.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zylaera ran full pelt into the kitchens, "SORRY I-m la-a-te!" she gapsed. She had been chatting up some tanner apprentices and had lost track of time. She only realized Hanen was there when she pulled her head up from almost choking, "Well isn't this coincidence. We are always together on chores...I must say however, this one is much better then the last."

She grinned, thinking of the latrines they had to clena out last time. A small green head poked its way out of her long reddish hair. "I'm Zylaera. This is Sudi, my Flit. So what can i help with?" as outgoing as ever she smiled brightly at the others.

"I'm Orfinion," The strange boy stuck out a friendly hand. She took it happily. He was good looking. "And thats Veyt." She looked at his gaze which was pointed at a Bronze flit, "Named after my Girlfriend." Oh. Her smiled dropped the merest fraction but she wasn't fased for long. "Oooh...a likkle Bronzie. How cuutteee." She looked at Josue and smiled, somehow her eyes passed over Kistana, "And you are?"

[wolfbro86]

Josue looked at the woman as she approached him. Assistant cook, huh? Well, he'd have to make sure that he'd stay in her good graces. Being in with an assistant cook could snag you free handouts if you hung around the kitchen before a meal was to be served. Thus, he replied with politeness, despite his somewhat gloomy mood at being sentenced to do this chore. "Nice to meet you, Hava. I'm Josue." Well, it also looked like he'd be making bread. Much more satisfying than scrubbing three-day-old grunge out of pots. "I've made bread before, but it was a long time ago..." He followed her over to where the ingredients were, ready to help with whatever she needed him to do there.

As Orfinion called his name, Josue looked over, and smiled. "Yeah, almost all of the time. I'm surprised that she isn't doing either right now." The gold flit sensed that there were people talking about her, and started to preen, making Josue snort with amusement. She was such a little horror at times, so imperious, demanding his attention be lavished on her. He wondered if all queens were like that.

He blinked as another person came running into the room, even later than he was. He nodded a greeting after a moment's hesitation, introducing himself. "I'm Josue, and this is Meri." He indicated the gold hatchling on his shoulder, who was looking at Zylaera, and her fire lizard, with considerable interest. When she saw that it was a green, though, her interest faded, and she seemed to sniff haughtily as she laid down on Josue's shoulder, her tail wrapped part of the way around his neck to keep herself secure.

[hrsegrl245]

Hanen grinned a bit akwardly at first. Daze was getting a bit mad that Hanen made her stay on the cabinets, his mother insisted that she cause no more trouble and that he deal with it. He could imagine how angry Fortin would be if the flits started to misbehave. "Yes it does seem that way. Personally I don't really have a preference. I don't think I'd be impressed to a green do to, my errrr preferences, but really even a green dragon would be wonderful to be bonded to. I'm not sure that I am even suitable to the dragons. We Weyrbrats are not really searched."

Hava smiled at the incoming girl. She gave Josue verbal instructions on how to make the bread. "Please remember to knead it thoroughly. Then it can be place in that blowl to rise..."
Alright another recruit. "Zylaera are you? I'm Assistant cook Hava. Enough socializing till I get you started on a chore."
Hava lifted a crate off the floor with already washed sweet roots. "Now I want you to dice these appropriately, otherwise they will lose some flavor." Hava showed the girl the angle and thickness they were to be cut into. "When you are finished chopping them take them over to Hanen, he will be adding them to the stew. Orfinion, if you will place the herbs you are cutting on the drying rack when your finished that would be good."
Looking to see who else needed instruction she went back to Kistanel. "Let me know when you are done washing those tubers."

Hava went to another counter inthe large kitchen. It was a meat counter. She began to take cuts of herdbeast and place them in a dish with some herbs and a oils. Then she let them sit and came back to check on the candidates and Weyrbrats.

[dragonmenta]

Orfinion nodded to Hava. He handed the meat cuts to another kitchen boy to work with. "Sure, i'll be done with them soon." He set about copping another little bundle, making the cuts fine without being miniscule. He wasn't really fast as it, as he didn't want to chop up his fingers, but he was quite efficient.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zylaera smiled, "Hey Josue." She took the crate of sweet roots gingerly, removing little bundles of them and then setting the leftovers in the crate on the floor for later. She began to imitate Hava's cutting style but probably didn't pay as much attention as she should have. "Oh yes...the joys of being a Weyrbrat. How is it being a Candidate?" She began to stike up conversation, humming a little to herself as she worked.

She passed a few handfuls of sliced root to Hanen and continued with her job.

((she'll prolly end up chopping herself or something ))

[shikura]

To Hava she res’onded with a affrimative nod and a grin. “I really hope. A Green or a Gold,
y’know?” To Hanen she nodded wit ha bigger grin, then set up a mini work station and started
washing. She was still shuddering at the though of that last chore she attended.

Kistanal continued working hard on her chore, trying not to seem there. She wanted to be the
center of attention deep down, as always, but instead sulked while washing vegetables. But the
arrival of Zylaera finally made her get frustrated. She wanted friends. And she wanted them
now/ She wasn’tgoing to be all shy and let them come to her. She furiously washed each
vegetable, forming a plan.

As the candidate was observing the Flit’s out of the corner of her eye, Kistanal started to slow down
on the foodstuff, cleaning it more carefully. She even went over a few, recleaning them. When Zyleara simply stated
‘And you are?’ Kistanal immeiatly jumped in. She felt a little hurt by the girl’s way of putting it, but welcomed the
sudden conversation starter. With a little hint of smile that played on her lip’s, Kistanal introduced herself, brushing
back her curly hair with a slight hand.

“I am Kistanal, Candidate. But please call me Kistana.”

[wolfbro86]

Josue started kneading the bread dough, listening to Hava's instructions on how to do it properly. As he kneaded, he spoke with Zylaera. "Eh, being a candidate is all right. Judging from the chores, I don't see how it's all that much different from being a weyrbrat." He grinned, punching down the dough and kneading it some more. "Exept that Candidates also have to go to lessons on how to handle a dragon once we get one." The thought of that made his grin widen. He had already Impressed a gold flit, and that had been wonderful. Josue could feel that small mind in a corner of his own, constantly in contact with her. How much more incredible would it be to Impress a dragon? A real dragon, a companion who would never leave you, and who you could have conversations with any time of the day or night? He wrestled with the dough, probably a bit harder than really necessary, but thinking about the day that he would Impress...and seeing as how Savath had just recently Risen, there would be a clutch on the Hatching sands before too long.