Flashback [Orion Michaels] A Stranger Among Many

[Edreina]

Spring 8, 510 AV Syliras, Outside of the Rearing Stallion Don't look lost. Don't look lost. Don't look lost... Edreina repeated the mantra as she made her way through a throng of people. All of the smells, the sights, the dialectic shouts, they intrigued her... from a distance. Finally, she had worked up the courage to enter the city alone. Now, she regretted it. Shortly after docking, she had been approached by a duo of men who proceeded to yell at her in a foreign tongue. They were large, blue, and quite fierce. Akalaks, she thought they were called. Quickly though, she had realized her mistake in tying her boat to the stern of theirs. That was not done outside of the Anchorage. Quickly, she had run to amend the mistake, apologizing profusely though she wondered whether or not they could understand. After that, she had been approached by a woman trying to sell eagles crammed into slightly too tight cages. I hope that the entire city is not like this... She had commented silently, as she made her way towards the fortresses. But, as she stood among strangers, she suddenly felt very small. Like a tuna forced into a school of barracuda - constantly in fear of which one would strike. Perhaps her parents had been right to keep her from venturing away from the docks when they had stopped to trade supplies. No! This city was just like any adventure she went on. But, instead of having to avoid eel lairs and dangerous anemone, she had to avoid equally-sized creatures whose dangers she could not detect by sight alone. She had been walking for over an hour, mindlessly cruising between the open air streets and the winding corridors. Easy for a girl to get lost here... Before too long, her stomach began to rumble, and her nose became even more keen when detecting the smells of food. It took her only moments to navigate her way toward the smell, to find it flowing from a building adorned only by a simple red and white sign. It was past dark, and it sounded rowdy. On one hand, Edreina could enter and perhaps meet a few interesting people. On the other hand, Edreina could enter and quickly be attacked - she knew how untrusting some people were of Svefra. With a quiet sigh, Edreina pushed open the door, and stepped into the noise and dim light, bracing herself ever so slightly.

[Orion Michaels]

oocI’m sorry about how big this post was! He was a cook during the time and I hadn’t done any writing on preparing food! Thanks for bearing with me. I promise I don’t always do this. A busy, busy, day. That was the only way to define it in Orion's mind. In his time working as a cook there was one thing the blue eyed man had learned. People like food. A lot. And there was only one thing which they liked more. Food they didn’t need to prepare themselves. In to the tavern they would come in never ending masses and it would certainly keep Orion busy. He was but a humble assistant, though, so while the head chef was busy preparing individual, beautiful, tasty dishes, Orion had a less enviable but no less important task. He had to make ‘The Special.” A strange is-it-a-soup-or-is-it-a-stew combination of potatoes, carrots, onions, peppers, leeks, herbs, and if one was a lucky, they’d get a chunk of mystery meat. Orion would, however, contend that those who avoided it were the lucky ones. It was a cheap dish whose consistency was closer to paste than liquid but never quite reached either state. Quantity over quality was its purpose. No other way around it. Orion sighed as he looked at the piles of food before him. He needed to cut them up and get to work creating another wonderful pot of the meal, but before he could do that, he needed to prepare the water. He’d long since put water in the container, but that was it. The brazier was burning low, so to remedy that the young man tossed a few small logs in the flame to begin getting the heat going and dragged the metal pot over the flame to begin heating the liquid. “Let’s see…what was it…first boil the water….after it’s boiled, add the vegetables.” In order to do that he’d need to have them actually ready to go. Taking the chef’s knife in hand, he began to work. His knuckles were bandaged on his left hand from a few incidents from when he was learning how to properly use this specific style of knife, but he could only hope he was past that now. Grasping the tool by its bolster, with his thumb on the inside of the blade and his index finger on the outside and neither below the blade, of course, Orion began to work, slicing through potato and onion alike. The sharp instrument easily penetrated the skin of the food, as diligent, if slow, slices were made by his hand. The other hand kept the vegetables steady while he worked. Over and over again he sliced and diced while he made his way through green peppers and carrots alike. There was enough to chop up that by the time he finished them, the water was coming to a roaring boil. He added the chopped vegetables, scooping them handful after handful into the vat of bubbling liquid. “Alright, now to let those cook for a while. I can get the herbs and the meat ready while I do so.” Since they needed to get this meals out quickly, instead of allowing the meat to cook in the pot with the veggies, they would pan sear it and add it after the fact. He tossed the strips of meat on a pan being heated by another brazier and changed his focus to the flavor he’d be adding. “Alright, what do we have here…” Orion examined the two additions he would be using. A lovely variation in flavor these had. The bitter rosemary mixed with the tangy, flavorful, and spicy cumin seed to create a lovely battle for flavor on the palette. He filled the mortar with the seeds and took the pestle in his other hand. Placing the head of the small stone club he began to grind in circles around the bowl, keeping constant pressure and constant movement to take the seeds and turn them into find powder. Stone on stone scraped, thought he boiling veggies and frying meat did much to hide the sound. After a short while of working at it the cumin was finely ground and ready to be added. He tipped the container over into the pot and tapped the bottom of the mortar to make sure he got as much out as he could. Setting it down, he gave the mix a quick stir and turned his attention to the rosemary, but not before flipping the meat over. Knife in hand, he began finely chopping the herb, it’s bitter flavor not hidden by the aromatic scent it gave off. Once it was ready, he added it, stirred again, and waited on the meat. “After the meat is added, I’ll add a little flour to thicken it up, and then remove a little heat and let it go for a bit,” he said. Once the food was on the last stage, he was planning on going out to help clear some tables and mingle a little. The sort of stew would need to broil for some time before it could be set off to thicken. After a few more chimes, Orion picked up the pan by its handle and poured the strange meat it, juices, fat, and all. In it plopped, and after he set the pan down, there followed several handfuls of flour. “Give it a quick stir and…there we have it.” Reaching in with a pair of tongs, Orion removed a couple of logs to give it less heat, placing them on an area of stone just for that purpose. “And now we wait.” He strode out of the kitchen, looking to clear tables, but things would change. His entrance coincided with that of a particularly good looking redhead. Those deep blue eyes stood out in a crowd of plain ones, and he made his way over before any of the servers could do so. “Welcome, welcome. What can I do for you?” He bowed in greeting, flashing his pearly whites as he stood back up. “Follow me, I’ll get you seated, a drink, and a warm meal. How does that sound?”

[Edreina]

OOCTotally fine! It was nice to read! ^_^ Edreina smiled widely back at the man who had greeted her upon entry, stifling a laugh at the bow - unused to such behavior. Immediately, she was captivated by the man's confidence, the way he exuded it automatically drew her in. When told to follow, she did so immediately. It was comforting to know what to do instead of having to wander aimlessly as she had been doing for much of the day. The stressless feeling of being told what to was oddly relaxing, calling back to only a short time of go when she had still been at the beckon call of her father. As he led her into the noisy tavern, she silently admitted to herself that she found this land-strider to be quite handsome. His hair was the color of ink, but did not appear to be greasy as was common of city dwellers who rarely bathe in her experience. But his eyes, they sparked Edreina's thoughts. Sure, she saw blue eyes every day, every time she went anywhere, there were blue Svefra eyes peering at her. But, the color was where the similarity ended. Svefra eyes appeared to house oceans within, dancing in the light, moving constantly, endlessly deep. His eyes more closely resembled blue stone in the way that there were flecks of other hues of blue, like facets on the face of the jewel. They were hard, just beneath the happy surface; whether this was an indicator of some walled off secrets or just another aspect of them, she could not yet tell. The man led her over to a warm wooden bar lined with stools, some of them supporting patrons, others free. After an instant of consideration, she took a stool that had empty companions on either side. To her left, a rather ruddy faced, slightly heavy set older man with jiggling jowls brought on by age looked her over, from head to toe. The look suddenly made her feel very foreign, like a new species of fish being examined in the bare hand of a fisherman. It appeared as if he were calculating... something, though she could not tell what. His eyes paused, not upon her flecked face, but her exposed golden neck and the barest sliver of exposed shoulder and collarbone. The reason why, Edreina quickly attributed to her mark of Gnosis which she had an inkling was in that general area, though she could not pinpoint its location exactly. Blushing ever so slightly, she took her burnished copper hair - hanging slightly longer than she was used to, almost reaching her trim waist - and pulled it over to cover the exposed skin, diverting her eyes straight ahead. The man had begun to speak and - though she had missed the first few words - she found herself drawn in once more by him.

[Orion Michaels]

The young man led the Svefra to the bar, where she picked out a seat of her own. She seemed cheerful, and honestly, somewhat relieved, to have him approach her. Always a good sign, and one he'd not waste if he could avoid it. "Kind of a quiet one, aren't you?" He tilted his head slightly to the side in question. "Not that I'm complaining. It gives you the cute and mysterious vibe. Are you here to make all the guys fawn over you?" He teased her, winking playfully. Maybe he could get a rise out of lovely redhead. Orion paid little mind to the patron giving her the once over. The men here liked to look, but they knew not to touch. Not if they wanted to remain in the tavern. They'd find themselves out the door, or at worst, they'd be apprehended by the knights. Besides, Orion couldn't help but appreciate her as well. Her blushing only endeared her to him even more. "Oh, don't be so shy, Miss...." He paused for a second, and when she didn't say anything back he laughed before continuing. "This is where you introduce yourself. I'm Orion, and obviously, I work here." "So, what can I get for you, ma'am? You need a drink? The ale is a bit of an acquired taste, but I like it alright. Or are you hungry? I make a mean..stew...soup..thing. It tastes good, at least. Or you can just let me ramble on like a fool until I feel embarrassed and blush. Whatever sounds good to you." He shook his head, somewhat taken aback by his own rantings. Why was he so nervous? A pretty girl didn't do that to him normally. Was it her, or something else? Was it her eyes, those eyes which were like portals to the ocean itself? Or maybe it was just the fact he was making pot after pot of the daily special. Surely there was something mind altering in that.

[Edreina]

A wink? The gesture made Edreina's eyes widen on their own accord. Was he flirting -the thought colored her cheeks ever so slightly - or was this part of his entertaining barkeep mentality? He was speaking, but she could not bring herself to reply, dreamily lost by the way he speaks, quick to smile and laugh. Laugh... Oh! It was her turn to introduce herself! Stupid stupid stupid... "My name is Edreina! Edreina Whitewave..." The reply is rushed, for once she is embarrassed by the slightly-rasped, musical quality her voice carries for it seems so very out of place in this rough tavern - or, maybe her embarrassment stems from the way she let herself become lost in this stranger's appearances. She didn't have a high, bell-like voice as many singers and younger women did, years on the sea, inhaling salt mist saw to that, but nor was her voice low and rough like some of the other, older Svefra women she encountered. His description of a meal he had obviously prepared sparks a quick laugh in Edreina and a soft smile that lingers for several moments. He is certainly an interesting one... "You don't strike me as one to blush..." She said before she could stop herself, blush brightening at her own boldness. Normally, in this situation, she would be quick to answer with few words, preferring instead of watch others and eavesdrop on interesting conversations than carry on one of her own. Emboldened by the smile that greets her remark, Edreina decides that yes, he was flirting with her - how unusual. Perhaps... perhaps she should play along. But, how did this crystal-eyed man bring out such an unfamiliar side in her? Realizing that she had not continued on the thought, she clears her throat quietly and leans onto the bar, sliding her hand into her hair so that she can lean against it just slightly, head tilting, instinctively drawn toward this stranger. With the shift, her hair became liquid copper for an instant as it settled between her nimble fingers. Turning her ocean-mist eyes upon the stranger once more, looking up at him from beneath her thick lashes - What in the name of Laviku are you doing, Edreina? - she says in a voice more brave and... low? (Why would she do that in such a crowded place...?) than normal: "The stew... soup... thing," she smiles once more, full lips parting to reveal pridefully kept teeth, "sounds like it is worth a try... Just promise me that it isn't poisoned, alright?" This time, it is she that winks boldly, deciding to return playfulness with playfulness. For the first time in her life - that she is aware of - she returns flirt with flirt.

[Orion Michaels]

A grin spread across his lips as her cheeks flushed, as though she had never been encountered with a little harmless flirting. white, freckled skin changed hue to match her hair, and Orion couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't be so shy. I'm mostly harmless. No need to be so flustered around me." Orion had developed a bit of a reputation as a playboy amongst his peers. This game he played was far from an uncommon one. Find the prettiest girl at the bar and ensure he was the one taking care of her, allin the hope that she would someday return the favor. It was such a spectacle to watch that his coworkers couldn't even get upset. It proved to be entertainment at work, and as long as he didn't drive off customers or ruin business, what was the harm in letting the man have a little fun, especially after what he'd been through? Orion was certainly thankful for the loose leash. "Edreina, Edreina, Edreina," he repeated three times, committing it to memory, or so he hoped. It never turned out well to forget a woman's name. That was something Orion could attest to. Whitewave? That's a Svefra name if I've heard heard one. It wasn't the first time a Svefra had caught his eye, but usually it wasn't for a good thing. They were a troublesome people. Loud and unrestrained. He'd helped in escorting more than one or two from the tavern in his time, and man it could get annoying. Orion couldn't deny that he was grateful that this one seemed different. A little more reserved. A whole lot of good looking. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Whitewave." And boy was it. Any negatives he held were washed away with a beautiful smile. "What do you mean I'm not one to blush," he challenged, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the bar top, crystal eyes dancing with amusement. "Do I make you nervous, Edreina? I do apologize if that is so. I just can not help myself around a pretty girl," he stated, hoping to get another rise out of the Svefra woman. It was an interesting sight, or at least she was. Uncertainty, embarrassment, and a growing confidence were all mixed on her freckled face. She was a careful one with her words, he was sure of that. "Poisoned!?" He let out an exaggerated gasp, bringing his hand to his mouth in feigned shock. "I would never. My cooking is superb, I promise!" He leaned in even closer to the redheaded woman, leaving less than a foot between their faces. His voice dropped into a low, seductive tone in order to match hers. "Besides, between you playing with your hair, blushing all the time, and winking at me, why I might start to get the idea that you're attracted to me. Why would I poison that?" Orion flicked his tongue along his front teeth in order to tease, and turned away, heading to the kitchen to gather her food.

[Edreina]

Edreina felt her face redden at the title "Miss Whitewave", what an un-Svefra idea, to be called "Miss"... It was so absurd to attach a title such as that to her name that Edreina had to fight an incredibly unladylike snort. "Do I make you nervous, Edreina? I do apologize if that is so. I just can not help myself around a pretty girl." Boy, he sure could hit a nail on the head. Though, the nervousness was not his presence alone but his behavior. Edreina had never been one to notice a boy's flirting, nor reciprocate. Perhaps that now, removed from the distracting beauty and mystery of Laviku's realm, she could notice such advances. The word pretty strikes Edreina ever so slightly, causing her liquid eyes to meet the crystalline ones with a sense of unsureness, as if she did not really know how to properly accept the compliment. Edreina had always been referred to as odd or exotic... but rarely pretty. Sure, her parents and siblings would shower her with compliments such as beautiful, but they did not count. Then again, perhaps she had been called pretty before... and once again this was the first time she noticed it. When his voice dropped to match hers, his took on a slightly different tone, one that reminded her of thunder from far off, promising something exciting to come, though one could not tell what right off. "Besides, between you playing with your hair, blushing all the time, and winking at me, why I might start to get the idea that you're attracted to me. Why would I poison that?" I am as transparent as a tidepool... Edreina thought, mortified, fingers tugging at the end of her hair in a worried manner. Something about the way that he had run his tongue across his teeth had given him a... hungry?... look. But hungry for what? She sighed quietly and adjusted her posture slightly, a forward arching of her back and realigning her shoulders. Edreina was not quite aware of the fact that this shift in posture made her figure more feminine, only that it was more comfortable when leaning upon the bar. Looking around, her clothing adds to her feeling of alienation. Women are dressed in nice gowns or at least skirts along with underbusts while she was sitting there in a man's trousers and a loose fitting, breezy top. Well... they were just lucky she had put on proper clothes at all. Judging by the looks on their faces, she was not the first Svefra to come into the tavern, but it appeared as if they were somehow surprised by her. Probably expected me to storm in, demand copious amounts of drink, then start a fight as those Oceangems did seasons back... she mused ruefully, unconsciously running a finger over her lower lip.

[Orion Michaels]

Orion couldn't help but chuckle at how she never replied to anything he said. Just when her pale white face would begin to recover from a dose of embarrassment, he'd say something to turn snow into fire. It did something to make ocean blue eyes stand out even more, though. The cook went into the back to grab a bowl of the..stuff..for Ederina. He thought it kind of brave of the young woman to risk it based off of his less than adequate description, or maybe it was foolish. No matter, it was her risk. He made sure to not include any of the meat. No need to scare her away when she got a bite of that. With a full bowl of the mystery surprise, Orion came out of the back, warm meal in hand. He walked swiftly up to the Svefra and sat the food before her, offering her a utensil with which to consume her food. "There we have it, Miss Whitewave. Is there anything else I can get you? Water? Maybe something a little stronger? A attractive companion? Desert?" He flashed her his smile again. "Don't you worry. I'll leave you to your meal. It must be awfully hard to eat when you keep getting embarrassed by me. I'm just the worst, I know," he teased, turning to go and clear off nearby tables of their used mugs, plates, and bowls. Orion didn't bother the girl any further. He didn't really want to get scolded by the head chef for slacking. He was already not doing the job he was hired on to do, but at least he was working. Occasionally while roaming the floor he looked over at the redheaded woman and try and catch her eye to give some little flirtatious look or toss a teasing wink her way, but unless approached by her, he'd continue working diligently. Sort of.

[Edreina]

Edreina nearly missed his offer for company, but, as her lips prepared to form the word 'water', the blush rising into her cheeks became physically palpable, stilling her tongue. Closing her mouth again quickly and pulling the bowl close, Edreina chewed on her lower lip, and encircled the bowl in long, thin fingers. The warmth of the bowl seeped into her nervous-cold hands, forcing her to relax ever so slightly. Say something, idiot, her mind commanded. "Don't you worry. I'll leave you to your meal. It must be awfully hard to eat when you keep getting embarrassed by me. I'm just the worst, I know." Just as she was about to speak, he read her mind once more, it seemed. Yes, her stomach had been bubbling for the past several chimes - since he had first mentioned food - but her mind wanted nothing more than to indulge in his company for awhile longer. Once he was safely out of her sight, Edreina picked up a spoon and dipped it into the...food... and filled it with some of the broth - a pale, watery affair that had her raising a brow. Shrugging, Edreina raised the spoon to her lips and blew on it for an instant before sipping it cautiously. Not bad... Edreina was surprised to find that the stew-type-thing had a bold, rich flavor that had her stomach purring happily, but insisting on more, instantly. As she continued to eat, Edreina was surprised to find qualities in this land-strider's food that always seemed to be lacking in Svefra cooking. The stew had an element of what could only be described as earthiness as Edreina consumed it slowly. Where the food consumed on Svefra decks always had a taste that harkened back to its oceanic roots, this food did the same but it made her think of rolling green pastures, forests, babbling brooks, all the things that she had read about in stories about the solid world. Near the bottom of her soup, Edreina looked up to see Orion backing through the kitchen doors, arms laden with mugs and other dishes. A small smile touched her lips and she raised her spoon in salute to the chef who had prepared her meal. When he emerged once more, her bowl was emptied, and she sat with her arms crossed upon the bar, chest resting upon them. "Can I get a water, please?" She asked quickly upon his approach, before he could dazzle her once more into silence. She also pushed her empty bowl away from herself with one pale, slender digit, signifying that she was finished eating. Deep down, Edreina knew that she probably should have left something in the bowl, to give the impression of dainty feminism but her Svefra mind with its waste-not, want-not mentality simply would not allow such behavior.

[Orion Michaels]

At this point Orion wondered if she was a selective mute. She got tongue tied every time he opened his mouth, so if there were much of anything she actually wanted, well, he'd never hear it, on account of his inability to stop flirting with the young Svefra woman. To top it off, she was reacting most positively. If she was trying to or not, everything she was doing was accidentally seductive. Biting her lip, tracing her finger, looking around so nervously. The ideas it gave the flirtatious cook were far from proper.. "Can I get a water, please?" Orion perked up at her request, flashing his pearly whites in reply. "But of course, Miss Whitewave. Looks like someone had quite the appetite," he teased, retrieving her bowl and turning to walk away slowly. Orion shot glance back and spoke. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Even if you're just being kind, thank you. I think I would have died if a lovely lady such as yourself would have hated my cooking." He turned back towards the kitchen and went to retrieve some water for the redhead to wash down the stew with. Obtaining it from a barrel of (practically) fresh water, Orion quickly returned to the most intriguing woman in the bar, setting the drink before her. "Anything else I can get for you? Another bowl of my amazing stew..soup?" He really needed to find out what the 'special' really was. "Or maybe," he said, leaning up to her ear and whispering. "You'd like to meet me after work for a little fun. I can show you around Syliras, and you can fall for me. It'll be something right out of a child's story." "Orion! Stop flirting with the customers! Get back here and help me!" A rather rotund man had exited from the back room. He was the head cook, and a man who was less than inclined to put up with Orion's slacking. He had a kitchen to run, after all. Orion's face instantly lit up, as he gave Edreina a sheepish grin. "Uh oh. Busted. You've gotten me in trouble, you temptress you. For shame." He bit his bottom lip as he turned and made his way back, as his boss had ordered, shooting a suggestive look back at the woman on more than one occasion. "Sorry boss, I jus-" "I know, Orion. You just want to get your pants off. Save it for after you're done cooking. And as a courtesy to me and the other guests, wash your hands. I don't know where you've been." "Ah...yes sir." Back to work it was, but Orion's thoughts would be lost in oceanic blue eyes as his mind wandered, and as his mind wondered, wondered if it would meet the silent Svefra again.