Sayren's first day, and makes a friend out of a Monk.
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Known as the Celestial Seat, Nyka is a religious city in Northern Sylira. Ruled by four demigods and traversed by a large crevice, the monk-city is both mystical and dangerous. [Lore]
After leaving the employment office, Sayren rode Garel over to the southern quarter. As she traveled towards the region, she noticed how it slowly started to look more like farmland. Just where is she working at exactly? She remembered the man mentioned something about...
"The Bubbling Pot?" She mumbled to herself as she glanced about. Her eyes gleamed down at her instructions for a moment. Then her eyes drifted back up to see the building. It was a simple building. Definitely took up quite some space within the area. Taking almost a block of the street for its own.
She dismounted from Garel and entered one of the front doors. The place was spectacular. Busy with farmers, workers, monks, and so on, all lining up to the chefs to hand to their rations over. Sayren took a quick sniff of the air. The aroma was just amazing. So many mixes of spices, meats, and veggies. Being baked, roasted, grilled, and sauteed. She approached the counter once the line had shrunken, asking to speak with the head chef.
The man raised an eyebrow to her, "What's it to ya?"
Sayren narrowed her eyes, "Well, I had just left the Employment Office and the monks told me I was to work here now."
The man simply sighed as he placed two fingers at the bridge of his nose, muttering, "One of those..." He turned around and shouted over the noise of the hustling kitchen. "Rose! We got a fresh one!"
A rather small old woman returned the shout, hers was much louder, and much more intimidating, "Then tell them to get back here and get movin'! I've got customers to feed and your chit chatting your life away to her Nik! Time is movin' and none of you are movin' with it!"
Sayren blinked in reaction to the woman, my, tough woman wasn't she? She quickly left the front area and hurried towards the back door. And there the woman waited, in her 5'2" glory. The woman had her arms crossed as her eyes gave a quick examination of Sayren. "Alright, now, let's see what exactly the monks threw at me this time. Hopefully not more worthless garbage. Do you have any experience cooking?"
Sayren gave a small nod, "Yes, I do, but not much."
The woman nodded as she paced about with her hands latched behind her back, "Well, it's more than what the monks would throw at me normally." The woman glanced over her shoulder at something. Her eyes were definitely grazing about the cooks in her staff currently. Satisfied, she glanced back at Sayren, "So what's your name? And what exactly can I expect to gain from having you as an employee?"
Sayren chewed on her lip as she thought about it, "My name is Sayren WindDancer...I'm normally pretty nice to people. Honest. Always willing to work as well as learn so I could better my job."
Rose's fingers were tapping against her elbows. "You don't sound much different than the others I get here. What makes you different?"
Sayren now became determined, "Well, since I'm boarding at the Iron Fist School, I'm hoping to use the funds to help pay for my stay and living expenses. Since I'll be boarded at the school, I will be nearby, but also reliable, because that means I will at least be staying for a few seasons. If not more. And because of that, I will work harder than any other cook within this building."
Rose gave a smirk, "That so?" She gave a small chuckle, "Well you definitely have the words for it. You definitely seemed determined enough. Which is good, I can teach anyone how to cook, but I can't teach anyone determination, respect, and attitude. Follow these, and I'll try my best to help you."
Sayren gave a puzzled glance at the woman, "Does that mean?..." She trailed off, hoping the woman would say yes.
Rose raised an eyebrow, "If you are waiting on an invitation, none is needed, now get your ass in here." And she turned her back to Sayren. Realizing how grave a mistake that was as Sayren braced her with a hug. Rose narrowed her eyes, she's one of those...perfect.
"Thank you Miss-"
"Rose. It's just Rose. Call me miss, and you will be in for a wooden spoon to the forehead."
Sayren quickly backed away from Rose in complete understanding, "Of course mi-, I mean, Rose."
"Now, before I just throw you onto an oven, throw on an apron and one of the berets. Make sure to keep your hair tucked under the beret, so that way your hair won't fall into the food during the cooking process. I keep a clean and sanitized operation here. Do you know the meaning of cross contamination?" The woman began as Sayren had dressed herself with the beret and apron. Stuffing her hair within the beret and tying the apron off behind her. Sayren just shook her head.
Rose continued, "It's where you let old food and new food make contact. Not only that, but certain meats, veggies and so on. Fish is cooked separately from the normal meats. Mainly because it requires a different temperature setting for it to not be undercooked nor undercooked. Not only that, but descaling and deboning a fish would also cause risk to the customer if a station isn't cleaned properly. They could choke, or worse, have an allergic reaction to certain foods. Which, again, is why we keep everything cleaned and sanitized. After each station is used, it is immediately wiped down with rags and chisels. If not done so, quickly as well as thoroughly, it could lead up to burnt build up. Which will make the stove, or oven, less effective to cook. Are you getting all of this?" She stopped for a moment, glancing over at her clock, her staff, then back at Sayren.
Sayren's head was spinning. So...many...words. She gave a small nod, "Yes...I think?"
Rose narrowed her eyes, "Very well, sum it up. What did I just say?"
Sayren gulped as she tapped at her hips in thought, "Fish and meat is bad to cook at the same time. People could die. Keep everything clean, or people could...die?"
Rose didn't change her facial expression, her narrowed eyes just lingered on Sayren, "I suppose that'll do." Then she stepped around the kitchen, pointing over to the counters, "There, the customer brings you their food. They can make a special request, but normally, they just leave it up to us on what we make of it. You tell them how long it takes, ten chimes, twenty, but don't you dare let it go any further than thirty chimes, because then their meal is free for the extra wait. Because then that's a waste of my labor pay, and to other funds necessary to keep this place afloat. Am I clear?"
Sayren nodded once more, eager to begin cooking.
Last edited by Sayren WindDancer on September 8th, 2013, 1:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
After Rose continued her explanations, she placed Sayren at the counter near the customers. She wanted to see just how Sayren would interact with them, whether she knew Rose was watching or not. The first man to approach was a monk. Of the Southern Quarter obviously, he seemed like a gentle man. He had placed before her a loaf of bread, a small cut of beef, and a random assortment of veggies. From what she could see, his plate had carrots, celery, and a cob of corn. What an odd mix of food she wondered. Seemed so fresh too, must've been because he was a monk.
"Hello sir," She greeted, "Is there anything in particular that you would like to be made with this?"
He offered Sayren a small smile and shook his head, "Nah. But many thanks for asking, are you new around here?"
Sayren nodded, "Yes, I am, was sent here from the Employment office a few bells ago."
The monk chuckled, "I'll be fine as long as the food isn't burned."
Sayren chewed on her lip uneasily, she really hoped she wouldn't burn her first customer's food. "I will try my best, what is your name sir?"
"Zarko," The man said, "Zarko Jankovich. About how long will it take?"
Sayren glanced down at the plate once again. She remembered Rose said Beef some times took some time to cook depending on the thickness of the cut, however, this cut seemed rather thin to Sayren, the carrot could use some chopping before cooking as well as the celery. "Uhm...about...fifteen? Twenty chimes?"
Zarko laughed, "No worries, just do what you can with it. I'm sure I'll be pleased. Besides," He leaned over to the side and called out, "The ol' crone knows how to cook some good food fer a man!"
"Man? Huh?" Rose shouted back, "I don't see a man, jus a boy in robes that about to get himself and a Drykas pummeled by a wooden spoon if he doesn't shut his yack and let her do her job!"
Zarko waved the woman off as he brought his attention back to Sayren, "Don't worry about her, her bark is honestly worse than her-" A wooden spoon had flung across the kitchen and into Zarko's face. Making him backpedal a step or two.
"You're holding up the line Zarko! Step to the side and let your food get cooked!" The woman snapped.
Zarko rubbed his face as he whispered to Sayren, "Still accurate as petch with a spoon...Alright, I'll leave you be." And he walks away as Sayren took the plate over towards the kitchen area.
Rose quickly made her way beside Sayren, her eyes every now and then leeching over towards her grandfather clock. "Nik! Get your ass movin'! You have two chimes left before that order is free! Claus! How about some meat with those seasonings!? You think I'm made of Mizas here!? Spread it sparingly or else there's no food to give to the customer."
While the woman barked, Sayren had already made her way to cutting up some of the veggies. She felt uneasy, she could tell Rose's eyes were glued to every action she made. Then Sayren froze as a finger tapped on her shoulder, "Yes Miss Rose?"
Rose had her hands placed behind her back as she glanced at the table before Sayren, "Have any idea what you're gonna make?"
Sayren shook her head, "Figured I'd just...cook it up?...Warm up the bread a little maybe?"
Rose shook her head with a sigh, "Oh hun. Lemme show ya a trick." The woman had cut through the bread in half with one knife, placing the two pieces so that the outer sides were faced down. Then she placed the veggies in a pan with a slice of butter and fired up the stove beneath it, "Another quick hint, if you start the stove first, the pan will be nice and hot by the time you get finished with chopping up the veggies." Sayren nodded, taking the advice and thankful she wasn't being reprimanded.
The woman then fired up another pan beside the veggies, placing the small cut of beef onto it with some...odd sauce, "This is Beef broth, it helps make the meat not so dry since most meats handed to us is dried already. It also thickens the flavor for the meat as well."
It wasn't much longer before the woman had cooked up the meats and veggies, placing them on the the two pieces of chopped bread and placing them together. Sayren blinked as she examined the creation, "And...what...exactly is this?"
Rose chuckled, "Gonna have a field day with you aren't I? This is a sammich. It's quick, easy, and the bread helps soak up the broth you use for the meat, so it stays dry, but the meat is still tender and juicy. Now go get that monk's ass over here."
Sayren nodded as she brought the plate out over to the counter, "Zarko?"
Another tick later and the monk arrived at the counter, licking his lips, "Ah, one of Rose's famous sammiches. Looks nice and tasty."
Sayren nodded, "She gave me a few pointers, it should be about seven silver mizas."
The monk placed a gold miza in her hand, Sayren's eyes widen as she tried to reason with the monk, "But sir, this is too much-"
The monk chuckled as he grabbed his plate, "The rest is for you. Just take the gratefulness when you can, not many people around here offer it unless you really amaze them. And by the way, what is your name?"
"Sayren, Sayren WIndDancer."
He rubbed his chin as he repeated her name a few times, "I'll be sure to remember it. We'll meet again."
And with that, the monk left. And Sayren had a decent start to her first day on the job.
Lores: Epic Eatery: The Bubbling Pot, Rose Is Terrifying, Rose No Like Touchy, Cross Contamination And How To Avoid It, If You Poison The Customer You Will Be Food, Zarko Jankovich The Incredibly Ethnic Gentlemonk, How To Fix A Sammich, Monks Don't Have Money
Items and Consequences: Nil.
A delightful, cleverly written little short. I had fun with it. One minor point of contention, that you might have seen in your lores- monks have no money. They aren't even allowed to touch it, with the exception of the monks of Laat. As such, Zarko would be getting his meal for free. Other than that though, it was a lovely thread! Keep up the good work!
If you have any questions or concerns about this grade, please PM me. A happy you is a happy Balderdash!
I had fun with it. One minor point of contention, that you might have seen in your lores- monks have no money. They aren't even allowed to touch it, with the exception of the monks of Laat. As such, Zarko would be getting his meal for free. Other than that though, it was a lovely thread! Keep up the good work! 
