[The Bean] Coffee and a Chat (Orin Fenix)

[Asen]

77th of Spring
515 AV
The Bean

As she was on her way to the Training Grounds, -- taking the 'scenic route' as she called it (she really just lost her way twice) -- a peculiar scent drifted past her nose. Now granted, this wasn't the normal stench of the city that filled the air and deadened your smeller. No, this was far more interesting, far more delicious. It didn't smell like cooking food, but it did smell warm and it drew her like a moth to a flame.

She turned a corner, following the trail of her new prey. Her crystal blue eyes were unblinking and unfocused, chin tilted upwards to better catch the tail end of the scent. She pushed through the crowed, offering halfhearted 'excuse me's and utilizing her thin frame as much as possible by slipping through tight spaces between the writhing bodies.

Her nose led her to a decrepit little shop, with a worn sign and broken windows. She scoffed. How could the Order allow such a poorly-maintained place to stay in business? Nevertheless, the delicious smell originated from inside the building.

When she entered the dilapidated structure, she realized exactly why the Order allowed it. It was cozy, and little snatches of conversation drifted through the air in between the mixed aromas of tea and that wonderful warm scent. Only a few people sat at the tables, speaking to each other quietly. The half-Dhani managed to get through without disrupting them too much.

She ended up at the bar, staring at the sign that asked her which beverage she'd prefer. Coffee... That must be what I smelled, she thought, catching the eye of the man with the impressive mustache. She quickly pointed to the 'Coffee' on the sign, and when the man behind the counter inquired gruffly as to what blend the poor girl was left speechless.

"Black it is, then," he said sourly. Asen stared at the steaming brown liquid before her, hesitant. Was it wise to drink something that was such an ugly color? It looked like sludge, but it smelled so good. She slid three silver mizas across the counter as reply for his demand for payment and shuffled her way over to and empty table, cup in hand. She pulled a chair out and sat down, placed the cup on the wood, and continued staring at it.

[Orin Fenix]

”No no no, you must let the tea leaves steep for at least five chimes my boy! Otherwise it loses all of its potency.” Orin nodded. He was trying to cram together quite a bit of information in a very short period of time. Despite having lived in Syliras for a season and a half, Orin had never been to The Bean. He’d been too busy with work and other endeavors to have made his way to the charmingly cozy coffee shop and tea house. Despite being slightly cluttered, both inside and out, with a lack of any coherent structure to its seating or design, Orin loved it. That was because the smells were divine. The aroma of coffee, which had one of the most unique scents Orin had ever encountered, sharp, biting and powerful, mingled with the various teas that the man in front of Orin concocted on a daily basis.

In sharp contrast to his establishment, Gard, the proprietor of The Bean was immaculately groomed. His mustache was enviable to Orin who couldn’t grow facial hair of any kind, beyond a patchy beard. His clothing was well kept and the man stood with a pride that was not at all arrogant. Judging by the number of customers in his store, Orin felt that the satisfaction Gard wore on his face was well-earned. Gard wasn’t his real name, which happened to be Hargard Astram, but Gard insisted on being called the nickname. Orin wasn’t entirely sure who had come up with the shorter name, but he liked it. And Orin loved the wildly animated man in front of him, since Gard, while normally a much more reserved and collected person, was completely transformed when in the presence of someone who loved the art of coffee and tea as much as he did. While Orin couldn’t say that he was as much as an enthusiast as Gard was, Orin’s talents lay close enough and he did have more than a passing interest in the subject, and Gard had seized upon that like a drowning man would seize upon a piece of wood to keep him afloat. Orin hadn’t even needed to coax Gard. As soon as he had mentioned that he’d like to expand his knowledge of tea and coffee, Gard had been more than happy to oblige. In fact, Orin had trouble keeping up with the stream of words Gard had thrown at him and he’d had to ask the older man to repeat himself more than once. A lot of the more technical details had gone over Orin’s head, but Orin had extracted some useful tidbits.

Orin was so focused on his task that he didn’t register the presence of a person coming up to order until they spoke. He’d been about to ask Gard about how exactly to brew coffee. However, they sounded awfully familiar and Orin twisted so he could get a look at their face. ”Asen? Is that you? What’re you doing here, I mean, not that a squire can’t be here of course, it’s practically your city I guess I just meant that it’s a weird coincidence. Or, maybe not, maybe you come here all the time and it’s not like there’s a finer place to visit in the city.” This last part was directed slightly at Gard, who beamed with the praise. Turning back to Asen, Orin launched into another stream of questions. ”You look great! Ah, I mean, not in a romantic sense I just was saying you made a full recovery from the attack and you look...healthy. Yes, very healthy. That was a crazy day wasn’t it? What did the rest of your patrol say? And I’m sorry for snapping at you, it was just a crazy situation and my blood was pumping, y’know?” Orin wasn’t at all sorry, since Asen had been behaving abominably. But it had crossed his mind that antagonizing a future Knight of the Syliran Order was probably not the best life decision. So Orin would make polite noises. And Asen did look significantly better than she had when they parted. Of course, considering that she’d been severely concussed that wouldn’t take much. A final thought popped into Orin’s head. ”Still got the necklace?” It had been a beautifully intricate oak tree, the symbol of the Syliran Order. At the time, Orin had thought Asen could use a reminder of just who the Knights were and what they fought for. They were noble and strong of heart and deed and Asen had been anything but. Some of it probably related to her concussion, Orin knew that now, but a concussion didn't change someone's fundamental character that much.

Hesitating, Orin shifted his gaze back and forth between Gard and Asen. Orin hadn’t actually purchased anything and Gard had been too distracted by teaching Orin to notice. Orin didn’t particularly feel like paying and he did want to keep learning about coffee and tea. So he’d have to word his next request very carefully. ”So, Asen, Gard was just teaching me the intricacies of his trade. It’s wonderful stuff, truly brilliant. Care to join us? I’m sure he would love to have another eager pupil, wouldn’t you Gard?” The man nodded and Orin shifted over to watch Asen’s face. Hopefully, the woman would agree to it. Once Orin had gotten as much from Gard as he could handle for today, Asen and Orin could grab one of the tables, which all happened to be occupied at this particular moment. So it wasn’t as if Asen had a choice unless she took her drink outside.

[Asen]

Asen hadn't noticed Orin when she walked in. She was entirely too focused on finding and consuming the source of that wonderful aroma. There he stood, however, in all his lanky glory. Making tea, of all things. As words poured out of his mouth, she took a sip of the steaming liquid she held. It was bitter, extremely so, and her face twisted up in mild disgust. Nevertheless, she liked its warmth and the feel of it as it slid down her throat. She could get past the taste.

It seemed like he was almost sucking up to the old man, claiming that the shop was the finest place in the city. I could name a few that're better than this, but I'll let 'im kiss up as much as 'e wants, she thought, watching the young man in mild amusement.

Blah blah blah, not romantic my arse, of course I look petchin' 'ealthy, that was almost what, thirty days ago? Thirty days is a long time to 'eal up. Blah blah blah, yes it was a crazy situation. I got a damned concussion, for Siku's sake. Probably could'a died, I think. Felt like it, anyways.

When Orin finished his babbling, the half-Dhani set down her cup of coffee and rested her arms on the counter. "Yeah," she said, "I still got the necklace."

Her fingers slipped into the neck of her shirt, lifting the silver pendant into view. The metal was warm from resting against her chest for so long, slightly foggy from both the heat of her skin and the fingerprints she had left on it.

"'Side from that, yeah. I did make a 'full recovery,' as you call it. By the way, thanks for dumpin' me into the 'ands of my patrol an' not even checkin' in later," she said with a chuckle. Her words were half jesting, half serious. It was almost rude of him to just abandon her in the hands of her fellow squires.

"But I mean y'know, no biggie. I was more or less unconscious the whole time, but whatever. I don't remember half of what 'appened after you got me the necklace. Thanks for that," she added, letting the oak tree pendant drop to bump against her chest.

As the young man continued talking about his new teacher and the 'intricacies of his trade,' the squire sipped at her coffee. It could use a touch of sweetness, but overall it wasn't bad. It did leave a weird feeling on her teeth, though, and it wasn't remedied by running her tongue across the smooth surface.

"I don't mind watchin', but I don't feel like learnin' much about it. I'll just sit 'ere an' drink my... coffee, yeah? It's called coffee?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.

[Orin Fenix]

Orin was pleased to see that Asen was doing well. And even more pleased to see that she was holding on to her necklace that Orin had found for her in the depths of the Aylasa Caves. However, he was more than a bit angry at her not subtle digs at Orin for what she thought was abandoning her. In fact, Orin had handed her off to her patrol because they, unlike Orin and Sylvette, had horses and time was of the essence in treating a concussion. Beyond that, Orin had put off getting his own wounds treated until he’d been absolutely sure to check in on Asen and give her squad leader a full report on what had happened. In fact, Orin had barely escaped from them, since the other members of the Order seemed convinced that Orin was directly responsible for Asen’s current state. That wasn’t quite true, although Orin himself did feel that he had caused the whole situation somehow. But Orin hadn’t been the one to give her a concussion. The Kriital had, and Orin had been properly grateful for Asen saving his life. So he didn’t need the accusations of either Asen or her friends to be haunting him. So it was best that he nipped this in the bud rather than letting it fester any longer.

Besides, Orin was also sick and tired of acting meek. While he wasn’t cruel, his social ineptitude had made people assume he was stupid and while Orin tended to actively encourage that belief to avoid drawing attention to himself, it had gone too far. Orin also was getting the distinct impression that if he didn’t start standing up for himself soon, people were going to start walking all over him. Beyond that, Orin wasn’t the scared and lost boy he had been when he had first arrived in Syliras. Now, he was a young man with quite a bit of confidence in both himself as a person and his skills and abilities. So maybe it was time to drop the bumbling idiot act and show the world that Orin had some teeth, even if they were surprisingly well hidden.

Turning to Asen and leaning over with one elbow on the counter and his legs crossed, a feigned casual position, Orin raised one eyebrow. He’d already given Asen one lecture about manners and while a second one would probably be too much, perhaps a gentle reminder of the proper conduct of a knight and just a person in general was in order. ”Funny. That’s not how I remember it. In fact, if my memory serves me correctly, which it does, I came pelting back to Syliras as fast as I could on foot, dashed down to Soothing Waters where I had told your patrol to bring you as fast as they could, on horseback. I had your quite heavy armor with me the entire time and Sylvette as well, that Kelvic you had treated abominably, who, for the record, was also extremely concerned for your health and well-being. I returned your armor and waited with your fellow Order members until we got a positive response from the healer. During that time, I put up with the assumption from your patrol mates that I was the direct cause of your concussion which was not at all true, but I didn’t correct them because I felt your health was the most important issue at stake rather than placing the blame. Oh, and did I mention that I myself had an injury at the time? So you’re welcome and I’lll thank you again for saving mine and Sylvette’s lives. However, please try to get all your facts in order before you start mouthing off next time.” Orin sighed. That had come out a bit more forceful than he’d been intending. But work had been incredibly stressful lately and Orin had been lacking an outlet. It would probably be good for Orin to burn up some steam in The Fighter’s Pits rather than taking out his anger on a squire. ”I’m sorry I didn’t mean to get mad at you. I’ve just had a rough couple of days.” Still, Orin hoped that Asen with her rather volatile personality didn’t take too much offense at Orin’s words. She had reacted badly to far less vehemence last time Orin had interacted with her. Something about her just rubbed Orin the wrong way. And Orin wasn’t good with harmless jests at the best of times and this was not the best of times.

Rubbing his eyes, Orin turned to see Gard handing him a cup of tea. ”Here. Two silver mizas but I think you need it. It’s Lillian Root Tea and it will soothe the nerves and whatever is making you anxious.” Orin passed over the coins and sipped at the tea. It had a mild flavor and it was hot, so Orin blew on it. Curling his hands around the cup despite the heat Orin peered at the brownish liquid trying to see if he could determine the ingredients from taste alone. Failing, Orin turned to Gard. ”So, how do you make it?” Gard chuckled and patted Orin’s shoulder. Apparently he thought Orin was cute. ”It’s quite simple, actually. You know the Lillian plant, it’s pretty common around these parts. It’s got three broad leaves on each stalk of the plant and they’re fuzzy. Can’t miss it. We don’t particularly care about what’s above the surface though. The root looks similar to ginger. Dig it up, separate stalk from the root and then grind the root up and put it into a pouch. Then, as I said, put the pouch into hot water let it seep for five chimes, take the pouch out and you’ve got yourself some tea.” Orin nodded. He was trying to memorize those instructions. Orin was pretty sure he knew which plant Gard was referring to but it wouldn’t hurt to double check with Remi or Rondo. And this tea sounded wonderful if it really could relieve stress. Orin would’ve suggested they start selling it at The Rearing Stallion but Gard wouldn’t take too kindly to Orin stealing his recipes. And Orin wasn’t quite done picking the man’s brains yet. After all, Orin hadn’t even started learning how Gard made coffee quite yet and it sounded fascinating. If the aromas of The Bean were anything to go by, it tasted amazing as well. If Orin hadn’t pissed Asen off, maybe he could steal a sip of her drink.

[Asen]

Gods, he was almost pathetic. It seemed like all he really cared about was the tea or cooking or whatever he was occupied with at the time. He was such a pushover. Honestly, if he had really cared about her health, he'd have told his Kelvic to find her patrol sooner instead of rummaging around in the Caves before he finally realized the extent of the damage.

It was his fault in the first place, right? He was the one who got himself attacked by the Kriital, he was the one who put himself in danger. Asen had risked her life to save them, and he didn't appear to be very grateful in her eyes.

As the cook leaned over the counter and arranged himself to look casual, a little smirk appeared on the cocky squire's face. She expected a bit of small talk, totally underestimating his emotions and reaction to her proddings. She raised the coffee to her lips, about to take another sip.

The bitter liquid splashed from the cup onto the counter as the half-Dhani stared slack-jawed at Orin. His barely contained anger radiated outwards from him and his words stung painfully, shame coloring the girl's face. He was right. She was completely out of line, and she needed to correct herself.

Asen lowered her head, setting the cup down. "No, you're fine," she mumbled, "I'm the one at fault 'ere. I'm bein' a total vagik, you don't need to apologize for tellin' me off."

The girl lifted her head and looked at the smartly dressed Gard as the moustached man handed Orin a cup of tea and explained it. She pressed her knuckles to her forehead and rubbed the skin, making a very quiet displeased noise. She was disappointed in herself, especially because her father would think so. Her mother even more, and she hated disappointing her mother.

She deserved the sharp reprimand. Another apology, no matter how sincere, still wouldn't be enough to make Orin like her more. The most it would do would be decrease how much he disliked her. Still, it couldn't hurt to try.

"Sorry, Orin. I en't exactly the smartest person, am I? You're right, I need to... to get all the facts 'fore I start talkin' shyke an' blamin' people for things they didn't deserve," she said. She wasn't trying to kiss up to him. She was just trying to apologize as best as she could.

He probably thought she was still an arsehole, though.

[Orin Fenix]

Under other circumstances, seeing Asen spill her coffee everywhere would've been hilarious and Orin probably should have been howling with laughter. However, Orin didn't realize quite the depth of the anger he was feeling. If he was being honest with himself, which he wasn't, Orin's rage came more from his own personal anxieties than any genuine annoyance he was feeling towards Asen. Sure she was abrasive and Orin didn't get along with her at all. Orin thought she was more than a bit of a bully. That was surprising because in Orin's experience while the Knights and squires were a generally stuck up, arrogant, insufferable lot with a holier than thou attitude they were also typically good people. Or they were at least good at feigning it no matter what their true nature was. Orin was honestly surprised that Asen's patron hadn't beaten better manners and a nicer temperament into her by now. Still, she was fairly far down on the list of Orin's stresses right now. But she was here and a readily available target in the way that many of Orin's other stressors wasn't. While Orin was willing to let go anything she said about him, her comments towards Sylvette in the caves still rankled. Orin just hadn't realized quite how much until this particular moment.

Orin took a sip of his slightly cooler tea. If it would indeed help calm Orin down then he should probably down it and get another cup. Still, it was a bit too hot for that and Orin wanted to see if he could channel his temper at worst or reign it in at best. Her stammered apology also helped Orin get a grip on himself. Taking another sip, Orin set his tea down before looking Asen in the eyes. Orin had noticed that staring people in the eyes made them incredibly uncomfortable. Though it might be petty, having Asen a bit off balance would probably help keep a lid on the squire's own rage. "Apology accepted. However, I'm going to give you a word of advice. I only ask that you think about it for a moment before responding. Do try your best. Maybe that had been unnecessary but Orin had been unable to resist the little dig. Still, the girl appeared to be Orin's age so she really should have been acting much more
maturely than she had been. Orin should've known better than to trust appearance to give an age after all the different races he'd met but she looked human enough. And Orin never really believed that he was a good person as much as he tried to avoid harming others. "Once, well once is a mistake and a forgivable one at that. Twice though? Twice is deliberate. Now, I'm an easygoing person so I'm willing to say everything is just fine even though you've offended me twice and hopefully you'll do me the same courtesy especially since I haven't been acting exactly kindly to you myself and we met under not ideal circumstances. But a lot of people won't be as open as I am. So it's for your own good that I'm telling you to think before you speak. Now I'm not a squire or anything, just a civilian so maybe things are different for you members of the Knighthood. But amongst us common folk we try not to offend people otherwise it gets a bit ugly. And nobody will help you unless they're forced if they don't like ya." Orin turned away to face back to Gard. He'd give Asen a few ticks or chimes even to digest what he'd told her. Orin wasn't an expert on people by far. But he was very good at not offending anyone with his words and actions after spending a childhood trying to be unobtrusive and concealing his natural exuberance for fear he'd get teased or hurt.

Taking another drink, Orin tipped his cup to Gard. "This tea is incredible, thanks for recommending it. And I might just stop in here more often for some of it if it's a stress-reliever too." The older man chuckled and gave Orin a grin that lifted Orin's gloomy spirits. Unfortunately he was called away for another order before Orin could ask him a further question. Orin noticed that somehow while he'd been admonishing Asen Gard had efficiently cleaned up the spill. The man was good at his job. Orin was fascinated by the craft of teas and he was eagerly awaiting Gard's return so that he could pick the man's brains about coffee. It was a drink that Orin hadn't really had any experience in, which was surprising. Still there was obviously time to learn especially if Gard was being so forthcoming with his knowledge.

Orin didn't have long to wait before Gard came back to them, and Orin immediately launched into a series of questions. "So, tell me about coffee. What is it? What does it taste like, I mean, I'll drink some myself at some point but I'd love your opinion. Does it have any special properties that I should know of? And most importantly how do I make it?" Gard laughed, and settled down for a long explanation. He'd placed himself where he could watch the door and his customers while at the same time chatting with Orin. "Slow down son, I'm not going anywhere and we've got time. First things first I suppose. Coffee is a bitter drink. A lot of people sweeten it with sugar and cream but just as many like it black, as we call it, and just drink it straight. It's most definitely an acquired taste. As to special properties, a lot of people, myself included, swear that it's a pick me up. If you're tired then it wakes you up a treat. That's why most people drink it in the morning right after they wake up although some places folks will have it as a dessert. Really depends I suppose. Finally the making of it is simple enough. Normally my beans come to me pre-roasted but you can buy them either way. So, you roast the beans and then the easiest explanation is you placed them in boiling water and let it sit for a bit. There are obviously subtleties and more complicated methods but that's the gist of it. Happy to tell you more though." Orin nodded eagerly. He was drinking in Gard's words and committing them to memory. It made sense and wasn't at all difficult. Although Orin had never made coffee before, all the techniques were ones he'd used while cooking so hopefully Orin would be able to master the art of coffee making as well.

[Asen]

Asen quickly redirected her gaze to the counter as Orin tried to stare her in the eye. She was well and truly ashamed of herself, and if her father saw her now he would give her a stern talking-to similar to the one Orin delivered, though with more emphasis on manners and probably a few good jabs at her pride thrown in.

Her only response to Orin's acceptance of her apology was a mumbled 'yes ser' and a hunching of her shoulders. Hopefully none of the other customers had overheard the cook's irritated -- anger was probably a better word for it, honestly -- scolding. She felt twenty-four again, kicking at a rock while her mother reprimanded her for letting people get under her skin.

Now granted, he was right about everything he said. But he didn't have to petching rub it in. That was just being a prick. Still, the half-Dhani lifted the cup of coffee to her lips and took another sip, ignoring the spilled liquid from before. She suddenly didn't feel like drinking it anymore, and gently set it down.

How old was he, anyways? Clearly younger than her, if he was human. While Orin talked to the barista -- Gard, was it? -- she examined him. Yes, fairly young. About her height, if she remembered correctly. And where was that little scrap of a girl, Sylvette? Tiny thing, she was, but bold. Weren't they bondmates?

The squire played with her necklace, running her fingers over the pendant as she stared. From her very limited knowledge of Kelvics and bondmates -- since she wasn't too fond of the former, she stayed away from them -- they were supposed to stay together. So where was she?

Asen twisted around to look about the little shop, peering into the darker corners for some sign of orange fur or bright green eyes. She couldn't see over the counter, so it- no, she. She could've been sitting by Orin's feet. It was unlikely, though. The Kelvic wouldn't have given up a chance to give the blonde a good tongue-lashing as well.

She turned back to listen as Gard explained coffee. She gave a little chuckle. "Acquired taste indeed," she muttered, poking the cup with a finger.

"Are you tryin' to get every single title that has anythin' to do with food, Orin? Aren't you a cook? You could probably teach me somethin'. Ma only taught me the basics. 'Course it's probably rude o' me to ask for cookin' lessons after I insulted that li- your bondmate, 'scuse me, an' insulted you an' all that shyke... Still, all I can do is not burn water," she told him with a rueful smile, "An' that en't very useful when I'm in the middle o' the woods an' starvin'."

[Orin Fenix]

Gard smiled, presumably at the eager expression on Orin's face. Probably the man didn't often get to show off his expertise. Orin knew the feeling. Most people didn't care at all about how good ended up on their plates. And the subtleties of taste were lost on the general public. They couldn't tell the difference between a good dish and an exceptional one. Of course Orin didn't often make dishes of the highest quality since it wouldn't be worth it at The Rearing Stallion. When someone came to a tavern they expected tavern fare. Orin was happy to provide it but he was itching for a clientele that expected more of a chef. Still Orin wasn't quite ready to stop working at The Rearing Stallion. Even if he felt that he'd learned all he could from Remi, who was lovely and accepting of everything Orin did, and Rondo, who wasn't, Orin didn't have the mizas to strike out on his own. Still the idea of continuing to work under Rondo's thumb and Remi's eye was grating. Especially because Orin was getting the sneaking suspicion that he'd surpassed both of his mentors. It didn't make sense for Orin to still be an assistant cook if he was better than both of his bosses. But there was nothing Orin could do about it. Remi had made it abundantly clear that she was in charge and since her husband ran the tavern there wasn't much Orin could do about the situation short of leaving. As for taking Rondo's place Remi was too afraid of really offending the man even when he treated Orin horribly. So Orin couldn't expect support from that realm. All that was to say, Orin well understood that Gard might find himself underappreciated by his customers. Orin was more than happy to make up for other people's lack.

Seeing that Orin had settled in for a further explanation, Gard scratched his head as if that would dislodge the knowledge Orin was seeking. "Well now. Let's see. I mean, there really isn't all that much more now that I think of it. Basically, the only big difference is whether or not you filter the grounds. That's the grounded beans. There are special pots that'll do it for you. Or, you could filter it normally using anything that separates solid from liquid and won't add a weird taste. I'm sure you can think of more than I can. Beyond that I would say that there are different types of beans that you can use. They have different flavors. Also the ratio of beans to water helps determine how dark the roast is. The darker it is the more flavor it has and the bitterer it gets. That's about it. I could show you the beans but I'd have to go get some from storage. Hold that thought, looks like I have a customer." Gard hurried off to deal with the new arrival leaving Orin and Asen to sit in awkward silence.

Orin looked at the woman. She was twisting and turning in a most undignified manner. Not that Orin cared much for propriety it just looked silly. She peered all around Orin and Orin followed her gaze. Hesitantly, Orin asked, "Are you looking for something? Dropped something maybe? Can I help you look?" It seemed the most reasonable explanation for Asen's behavior. Still Orin would have thought she might have mentioned if she'd lost anything. She hadn't said a word since Orin's reprimand. He was beginning to feel a bit bad. Not that he regretted saying it since it had been something she needed to hear and something Orin needed to get off his chest. Still, perhaps Orin could've been a bit more tactful. After all most of his annoyance came from sources other than Asen. Maybe a small apology was in order. "I'm sorry for sounding so harsh before. I could've put it a bit more tactfully. That's not exactly my strong suit though." Orin's words were stiff. He didn't really think he'd done anything wrong other than getting a bit angrier than the situation called for.

When Asen finally started talking again beyond a muttered comment or two, she did so with a vengeance. Orin tilted his head to look at her a bit incredulously. He was perfectly happy to share what he knew. He just hasn't expected Asen of all people to want to learn. Not that Orin didn't think everyone should cook at least once so they'd properly appreciate where their food came from. And farm for that matter, even if Orin personally hated farming. Orin scrambled to redirect his thoughts to the new conversation topic. He wanted to make up for his earlier behavior by being especially kind and enthusiastic now. It wasn't a hard adjustment. Teaching cooking was one of Orin's favorite activities. And if Asen was at all serious about learning hopefully Orin could make it fun for her as well.

Turning to face her squarely Orin grinned. When he spoke it was without a trace of the annoyance he'd shown earlier. Orin was in his element and just like Gard had shown his mastery of brewing coffee and tea Orin would show his cooking prowess. It wasn't showing off. Orin was just supremely confident in his abilities. Gard returned just about when Orin started to reply to Asen. The man seemed content to listen for now. "Well now, if you want to learn about cooking I'd be happy to oblige. And I can teach you a bit too Gard. Now, Asen, if you can boil water then there are tons of dishes that you can make with nothing more than a pot of water. You can boil vegetables, which might not be the tastiest way to prepare them but it works in a pinch. Of course you can eat many of them raw as well. Boiling is basically how you make soup as well. Well, simmering really. It's really easy to simmer you just take it to a boil and then take the pot a little farther away from the heat so it's still hot but just short of boiling. If that makes sense. You leave a bunch of ingredients in a pot and let it simmer for a while and you've got soup. I can teach you specific recipes and how to make stock which is a base for soup too." Orin realized he'd gotten a bit ahead of himself. Taking a deep breath Orin chuckled. "Didn't mean to overwhelm you there I just got excited. What I meant to say before I got off on my soup tangent was that there are lots of dishes that just call for boiling waters. If you'd like I can share some of them with you. Or we could focus on something else." Orin smiled at Asen tentatively. Maybe he could salvage something from this after all.

Realizing that focusing on cooking too much might drive Asen away, Orin searched for another conversation topic. Of course that was when Orin realized that despite feeling as if he knew Asen seeing as they'd been through a harrowing experience together, Orin knew absolutely nothing about the squire. Perhaps a few questions were in order. "So Asen, what's your story? I can't remember if you told me or not. You from Syliras originally? And what made you join the Knighthood? Hope you don't mind me asking you just seem like such an interesting person." Orin managed to keep his words from getting away from him. And he'd thrown in the compliment because in Orin's experience flattery was never unwelcome. And in this case it was true. Orin hadn't met anyone quite like Asen. She seemed rather belligerent and uncouth for a squire. Hopefully her heart was in the right place. Everything else was fixable. It just wasn't Orin's place to fix it.

[Asen]

"Vegetables... an' soup? Wait, what about simmerin'? You're gonna hafta repeat that, an' way slower," Asen told the cook. There was no way she'd be able to remember all of that, she just didn't learn that way. She was a hands-on type of woman, theory didn't work well with her.

"My story? You wanna know my story after you just told me off? Alright then," she said. The half-Dhani took another sip of her coffee, then pushed it towards Orin. If he wanted to drink some, he could. She laced her fingers together and pursed her lips. How was she to begin?

"First off, I en't that interestin'. Second, I'm not from Syliras, nah. D'you honestly think I'm from this stuck-up place? Please. Anyways, I'm from Riverfall. 'S where I was born, 'course. My da, he's a Dhani -- did I tell you that already? I can't remember -- an' my ma was a human. Probably told you that, too," she thought out loud.

"I used to fight a lot when I was little, especially in my twenties and early thirties. Da didn't exactly like that all that much, an' Ma was disappointed too. They sent me off 'ere, to live with Ma's little sister. She's about my age, but she's human so she's old by normal standards. Tough, though. Managed to get me outta the house in half a season, that's a record."

She paused to take another drink of her coffee, then pursed her lips. What was next? Ah, yes. He'd asked about her reasons for joining the Order. "My aunt told me about 'em, the knights. Seemed interestin' enough, so I signed up. It en't too bad, to be honest. I kinda like it. 'Sides, it's how I met you, ennit?" she told him with a small smile.

"An' what about you? What's your 'story,' as you call it?" She wasn't the only interesting person in the conversation. That, and it was rude to not allow him to have his turn in speaking. (But it's not rude to insult his bondmate? Okay.)

[Orin Fenix]

"Ah I'm sorry I just got excited there for a tick. I'm happy to go at a pace you're comfortable with." Orin took a moment to collect his scattered thoughts. Any previous annoyance he might have been feeling towards Asen had dissipated as soon as Orin got the chance to explain his art. It wasn't really showing off and it wasn't a pride in his abilities in his chosen craft, though hints of that might shine through now and again. Mostly, though it was a genuine joy of sharing cooking knowledge. Orin was a firm believer that food brought people together in a primal way that transcended culture, race, gender and any of the other boundaries that might normally separate people. After all, almost everyone ate, and those that didn't Orin had discovered still could enjoy the subtleties of taste. And everyone needed sustenance of some kind. Orin was well on his way to discovering how each specific race and group ate, or how they continued their existence short of that.

However these thoughts weren't helping Orin teach Asen the basics of cooking. When he was ready he gave Asen a shy smile. Alright, here goes nothing. Boiling water is the basis for many dishes. Whether you actually boil the food, or whether you bring it down to a simmer or are steaming the ingredients, knowing how to boil water is fundamental. And if you can do that, you can do a whole lot more. Simmering is just a fancy word for a cooking technique where you bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat just slightly. That way you aren't exactly boiling the food but it's still being cooked well. You can boil almost anything and it will technically be edible but it won't be very tasty. But in a pinch throwing a handful of vegetables and maybe some spices into a boiling pot of water and then stirring it for a few chimes will give you something palatable. I hope you already know how to stir but if you don't it's just moving the water and what's in it around in a circle with a spoon. For the simplest dishes doesn't matter how you stir it as long as it's a steady motion, not too fast and not too slow. Simmering takes longer but it also doesn't leech out as much of the flavor from the food you're cooking. Finally steaming is putting just a bit of water in the bottom of a pot or pan, separating it from the food you're cooking somehow, covering the storage container and then letting the steam do all the work of cooking the food. Following so far? If you're confused about anything please ask. Also, it's a bit easier for me if you're looking to learn a specific cooking technique. Normally with a new cook I personally would have them make soup first since it's hard to get wrong. Also it's what I began with. But I'm happy to tell you anything you need to know." Orin had given a much more thorough account then he'd been planning to. But Asen had been so confused by his earlier pointers that Orin wanted to err on the side of caution. If he had gone too far in the opposite direction, so be it. Better that than risk alienating Asen by moving too quickly again.

Orin had to physically bite his lips to prevent himself from responding angrily to Asen. He wasn't going to point out now that Asen had been the first one to take offense. She had been complaining about Orin's treatment of her when she'd been the one in the wrong at the caves. And maybe Orin should've stayed with her but he didn't think it would've been good for either of them in the mood she'd put him in after insulting Sylvette. But Orin let the comment slide since he had no interest in making an antagonist out of Asen. He just took the gift of her coffee and took a small sip. Flavor bloomed in his mouth. "Gard wasn't kidding! It's definitely an acquired taste. Thanks for this" It was hot and dark and strong and bitter all at once. Orin couldn't decide whether he liked it or not. He wasn't in the mood to order one of his own though and he couldn't keep drinking Asen's so he'd revisit the question another day. In exchange Orin pointed at his cup of tea. "Would you like a taste?" It was probably bad manners to share in this way but Orin didn't really care about propriety except when it came to how it affected his work as a chef. Thankfully Orin hadn't had to really learn the rules of a formal banquet, feast or a meal quite yet but when the time came he would have to figure it out.

Orin really wanted to object to Asen's assessment of Syliras as stuck up but he carefully refrained. It wasn't that he didn't agree with it. Orin didn't mind but he would say that in many cases the citizens of Syliras were a humorless lot, the Knights especially. Of course Orin included himself in that category. In Orin's case it was more a lack of ability, a fear of social situations and being incapable of letting loose or cracking a joke than an unwillingness to do so. But it was the principle of civic pride that made Orin want to correct Asen even if she was in the right. He didn't, though. Instead, he swallowed his pride and asked about Asen's home as calmly as he could manage. "I've never heard of Riverfall. What's it like there?" Orin felt a pang of envy that he quickly crushed. So many of his friends and acquaintances were from some exotic location and Orin longed to see at least one if not all of them. But the thought of leaving Syliras frankly terrified him. Maybe one day he'd get to see the world but it didn't seem likely to happen any time soon.

Orin would've asked about the fighting but he was too surprised when Asen referred to twenty and thirty as young. She didn't appear all that much older than Orin himself, so it didn't make any sense that she'd talk about those ages as if they'd happened a long time ago. Orin was nineteen. She had to be late twenties at the very oldest. Then Orin remembered a passing comment Asen had made earlier about her father being a Dhani. "Wait hold on a second. What exactly is a Dhani? And do they age differently compared to humans? I mean I kind of guessed it might be a bit slower from your comments but I just wanted to know for sure. Anything else I should know about you and Dhani? Or should that be Dhanis or the Dhani or what? The plural I mean." Orin might have been a bit too eager with his questions but he couldn't help himself. It all seemed to fascinating. There was so much that was a mystery to Orin and he wanted to learn it all before it was too late.

Orin didn't laugh at the mention that Asen's ain't got rid of her as quickly as possible. Although he did mutter under his breath, hopefully inaudibly, "Can't imagine why." Clearing his throat and taking another sip of his tea to cover up his slip Orin smiled at Asen. "I'm glad being a squire is working for you so far. You'll forgive me if I would've preferred never to have met you or at least met you in a different fashion seeing as the Kriital wasn't exactly fun for anyone involved." It was definitely true. Orin shuddered and unconsciously touched the place on his arm where the bird's vicious beak had sliced through skin and muscle. Asen had come aware from that encounter severely concussed but luckily Orin knew the symptoms, having recently had one himself, and had gotten her to help and safety as quickly as he was able. It hadn't been enjoyable at all. Asen's inquiry about Orin's own life brought him out of his dark thoughts. "Me? I've got nothing to say really. Grew up in Mithryn, moved to Syliras last season, and I work at The Rearing Stallion as an assistant cook. And that's it. No family or anything, just me. And Sylvette I suppose but that's...different." Orin immediately regretted bringing up his bondmate. Not because he was ashamed of her at all. He loved Sylvette fiercely, as a kind of surrogate family member, even if they fought all the time. Orin had also fought with his father so that wasn't anything new for him and his arguments with Sylvette never came to blows and always resolved peacefully. No, he hadn't wanted to bring it up because Asen had some weird aversion to Kelvics. And Orin hadn't wanted to bring up that whole issue again.