A pinch of salt (Tao)

[Soren Thundersong]

18th of Spring 511


"Maybe I can cook dinner tonight without burning it. What do you think Mika?" The whit fox gave a odd squeaking laugh as she layed down near his low bed. Soren shook his head. "Oh come on l. That last one wasn't as burnt as some of the others." The two had just returned to his apartment at the Solar Wind. His humble abode was a small single room on the bottom floor end closest to Surya plaza. Not having much money as it was, Soren had only lightly furnished the room. A small cupboard and shelves for food and cooking supplies. A table and chairs. A small washbasin and homemade hooks for his bow, quiver and cloak rounded out the room. While the room was little, Soren quite like his cozy home.

Soren put dwn his pack and washed his hands. "I'm tellin you Mika, fish is the way to go." She opened an eye and looked at him skeptically. He ignored the fox and reached into his pack for the two fish he had bought. Still wrapped in brown paper, he layed tem on the table and began digging in the cupboard. After a couple loud thumps and clunks he pulled out a well used pan. Unwrapping the freshly prepared fish he plopped one into the pan and stuck it right into the fire crackling in the hearth. Thinkin his job done Soren laid down on his low bed. Thoughts of perfectly cooked fish filled his mind as he drifted off to sleep.

Soren awoke to the smell of smoke. He sat up quickly and noticed his fish, charred to a black hunk. A light, gray haze started to fill the tiny room. "Shyke! I gott..woah!" Rolling out of bed, he started towards the hearth when he felt fur beneath his feet. Mika gave an angry growl and shot across the room. Off balance, Soren crashed to the floor, his arm hitting the pan. He heard a loud crash and sizzles as the pan flipped out of the fire, tossing burning wood. He slowly lifted himself up from the floor. The smoke was thicker now, more than just overcooked food. Soren coughed, his eyes burning. Thats when something was wrong. His poor defenceless cupboard had caught fire.

"Ahh can things get any worse." He to the door, yanking the handle. While being a well kept but simple apartment, it still had its problems. Like the door getting stuck....a lot. I'm gonna burn to death in this stupid room. he thought. Mika chittered and paced, obviously scared. Soren stepped up to the door. "If I break it ill fix it later." He tapped into his Djed, pushing the energy to his arms. Stepping up to the door Soren slammed his flux powered palms into the door, putting his full weight behind it. With several loud cracks the door gave way, splintering and falling off the hinges. He ran outside, Mika hot on his heels. "Help somebody please! Fire! My house is on fire!" He leaned over hands on his knees, breathing heavily. Mika walked in agitated circles around his feet as smoke billowed from his tiny home.

[Tao]

There were some days when it seemed like the city was absolutely still and not a single thing was stirring. As one moved away from the active center of Surya Plaza, the glowing streets became quiet but for the whistle of the wind. Tao had never really liked those nights much. The silence was oppressive, even spooky, without the occascional burst of music or background chatter. However, on a night such as this, he would have definitely preferred the silence. A thousands times more the silence. He had been not a step away from his apartment, the smelling of burning fish billowing out from a nearby building. Someone had moved there recently, and as a chef-in-training it never ceased to bug him at how many creative ways the person could burn a meal. He had debated going over to their home at some point and taking away their saucepan once and for all, but it was only a passing, silly, thought. Wrinkling his nose in disgust, he pulled out his keys, hoping that the smell would not linger too long. Fish and seafood had a particular odor to it, and when it was burnt, it was utterly foul. He had been raised to appreciate the handling of food, and it was one of the few things that pressed on his nerves. Just as he had opened his own door, with plans to lock himself in and cook dinner himself, there was a loud sound from behind him, the crunch of wood splintering, and the panicked cry of a man speaking in Common. He whirled around to see the apartment where the horrible smell had been coming from, smoke billowing out the completely destroyed door. He... he set his kitchen on fire?! Tao dropped his bag and ran straight for the scene, knowing that there was no one else in sight and that a fire could easily wipe out all the apartments in the block. The man who had been inside was collapsed on the ground, coughing. Tao didn't have time to see if he was okay, nearly tripping over a small white creature (a cat?) as he made his way to the door, pulling off his jacket to hold to his mouth. Fire was a diaster he could handle. In the kitchen, the fire was an untameable ally and unrelenting monster if it got loose, and so from the moment he could hold a ladle, handling flames had been beaten into his head. The smoke was thick as he entered, making his eyes water, but the flames themselves were not large, not eating at the wood in ceiling or the floors yet. The source is probably the heath. Tao realised, rubbing his eyes to keep them clear. A stray ember appeared to have hit a cupboard on the wall nearby, the lacquered wood a delicious source of fuel. The heath fire was contained by the stone built around it for just such an emergency. The cupboard was not. He turned to the wash basin, in the same place as his own, and luckily filled with dirty water. He grabbed the closest thing that would hold the liquid – a bowl sitting close by – and unceremoniously tossed water onto the flames. It seemed that the fire had not had enough time to spread, and were quickly doused by firefighting attempts. The smoke was still billowing out strong, clogging the apartment with thick black clouds. That was much more dangerous than the fire itself; if it spread, it could swiftly choke the people around the small home in their sleep. The source was the heath fire, which he dared not throw water on. The smell of fish had been strong only moments before, and with fish came oil, and oil and water never mixed. Sucking in a breath of air, he dropped to his knees on the stones and smother the fire with his jacket, patting the flames out carefully so that no embers would go flying and set the wooden house alight. Holding his breath, he took a hold of what he presumed to be a frying pan, now a twisted hunk of metal with a burnt hunk of what once was fish in the side. He took a hold of it with his jacket, lifting it up and dragging it out the destroyed door, throwing it down onto the street, taking the worst of the smoke with it. With the worst of the emergency past, Tao sunk down onto his knees, his lung choked with smoke and protesting at the punishment. A harsh, racking cough shook his entire body, tense and trembling with exertion. That was close. He thought, clutching his ruined jacket with one hand. Thank god it hadn't spread. Luck had certainly been on his side; he knew that if the fire had been any worse, he wouldn't have been able to do a thing.

[Soren Thundersong]

Soren only just saw the black haired man run into his house. He started to protest but was plagued by another bout of coughing. Mika cowered near him, fur dirty from the smoke. She had a natural animal fear of uncontroled fire. After a time the man came running out, the smoking pan in his hand. he hucked the peice of burnt metal out into the street, dropped to his knees and clutched at his ruined coat. His lungs finally clear, Soren was able to speak. "Hey are you ok?! that was amazing!"

He moved to the young man, helping him into a sitting position. "Hold on. I'll be back." Soren went back into his apartment, most of the smoke gone now. the small amount left gave the room a light gray film. Grabbing a wineskin he came back outside. Crouching down he handed it to his savior. "Here take a drink. Its water by the way, why i didn't think of it before is beyond me." The man seemed ok, though the smoke could have done more than Soren knew.

Now that the crisis was over Soren stepped back to look over the young man. He reconized him as one of his close by neighbors, a quite one. He was slim, not much bigger than Soren, his hair cut short, wearing simple slightly loose clothes that could only be called comfort wear. "I'm sorry for any stress I caused you, Is there anything I can do for you in return."

Soren gave a friendly smile. Mika strode foward, circled the man and seemed to inspected him. Approving of him, she sat down beside him, fluffy tail curled around her feet. "Ah I guess i should introduce myself. I'm Soren thundersong, a Drykas of the Diamond clan. This is Mika, my devoted friend the white fox." Soren bowed low to the man.

Turning, he sighed. His door was spread across the ground, in large splintered peices, the hinges pieces of twisted metal now. How am i supposed to fix that. I guess I used to much force. Oh well. He started picking up the pieces and stacking them beside the open doorway. "Perhaps I can hang a blanket or something hmm. That wont work very well against theives though." He chuckled at his own joke. "I'm sure i can find someone in Surya plaza to help me."

Suddenly his stomach grumbled loudly. "Ehh hehe...Sorry." Soren rubbed the back of his neck, a sheepish grin on his face. "So. what now?"

[Tao]

OOCHey, just pointing out that Tao didn't have Miruku until the 24th Spring, which is a bit of a contradiction with our timestamp. You'll just need to edit out the mention of his cat, is all. The other man had more time to recover than he did, and was back on his feet by the time Tao was unable to stand. He felt a pair of hands grab him carefully and sit him upright, giving his lungs a chance to clear. Even as his coughing subsided, his whole body was still shaking, despite the fact that the danger had passed. A wineskin was pressed into his hands, and he could hear the sound of someone talking but couldn't focus on the words. He uncorked the skin and took a gulp (Water! He had never been so happy to taste water!) to clear his throat and wash the awful taste out of his mouth. Breathing heavily, he rubbed at his temples to ease the dizziness and get some focus back. It's fine. You're fine. He told himself sternly; he was not going to pass out over some little kitchen fire! Nearby, the man who he had saved watched him carefully, like he was unsure if he was going to faint from the exposure. “... I'm okay.” He managed, his voice barely audiable thanks to the smoke. He grimaced and took another heavy swig of the water in the wineskin. The tight feeling in his chest finally began to let up, letting his breathing return to a normal speed. Still a little lightheaded, he turned to glance at the door, splintered and in pieces; no doubt the man had panicked when the fire started, even if it was not as serious as it appeared. The small white (now grey, thanks to exposure to the smoke) cat – no, no cat had a tail as bushy as that, it was a fox of all things – approached him, inspecting him warily for his sudden intrusion on her territory. The man was speaking again, and this time, Tao managed to listen as the man introduced himself as Soren of a clan of some sort, and the fox as Mika. He nodded his head in response to the man's bow, not wanting to trust his legs with standing just yet. “I'm Tao.” He replied, his voice raspy, but at least at a reasonable volume and not hurting him as he spoke. “Tao Kuroya... of, um, no clan in particular.” He didn't know what else to say, though it felt like he should; any other person would probably berate the man for his inability to handle one little fire. His father would have been more angry at the waste of the fish than the damage to the house. Speaking of, the melted frypan was still smoking in the middle of the street. That was going to be an interesting tale for the Shinya. Soren began to clear away the mess that he had made of the door, wondering aloud about how he was going to fix it up. Tao had no clue how to help the man with the damage that had been done to his house. He had skills in a few very specific areas, and carpentry was not one of them. By Zintila, firefighting was not one of them. “... Well, you can't stay there. The smoke needs to clear, and that will take a while.” He commented, continuing to rub his forehead, easing the headache that was threatening to start. He realised the implications of the sentence a moment later; the man was effectively homeless for the evening. ...Damnit. I can't just abandon someone stuck like that. He realised with a soft groan. Not if he has nowhere to go. “... If you want, you can stay with me.” He said quietly, putting the offer on the table. “You can watch your home until the smoke clears and you can assess the damage.”

[Soren Thundersong]

Soren listened intently as the man introduced himself. Tao, as he was called, muttered on about the smoke needing to clear, then, to Soren's great surprise offered to let him stay with the quiet man. "I...Tao...thats very generous of you. Thank you." Mika perked her ears up. The prospect of a new place to visit excited her. A nagging feeling he had seen this man before tugged at Soren. "Hold on, just a second." He slipped into the cloudy room and grabbed him soft leather boots, and his pack. He didnt know how long he would have to stay out of the house, plus Soren had to find a carpenter as soon as he could.

Soren flopped down beside Tao, and began tugging on his boots. "I promise I wont be a bother, Mika either. She usually just sleeps by my bed." She nipped him, as if chastising a child. "Hey, stop. Fine I wont express graditude to Tao for saving us!" Mika jumped up and chittered at him, her fur puffing up. "Ok, ok, I know thats not what you meant. Calm down." Suddenly Soren remembered they had company. Most people considered his chatting with Mika odd. He glanced nerviously at Tao.

"Sorry about that. Though I don't speak fox..or any animal for that matter, i can understand her. Mostly by tone and how she reacts to what myself or others say or do." He said this for Tao's benafit. "I found her when I was seventeen, in the Cyphrus grasslands. No one but Talkinum, my strider, is as close a friend to me as she is. Even though she acts like a mother sometimes." He grinned sheepishly. Tao offered his home to me. Now he's gonna think I'm insane.

Then Soren realized where he had seen his new friend. He jumped up as if stung. "You workl at that fancy resturant. The Floating Comet...or something like that. I've never been inside, but I'v walked by many times. It smells amazing there. I've seen you serving...or something. Heh. Noticing he was babbling, Soren quickly shut his mouth. A red tinge creeped into his face. Mika laughed, a squeaking sound.

Soren bowed again. "I'm sorry. I speak out of turn. And probably too much." Picking up his pack, he held out a hand to help Tao up. "Lead the way." Mika stood and stretched, he fur mostly back to white, having been cleaning herself during Soren's bumbling mess of conversation skills. She stepped over and joined the men, walking to Tao's house.

[Tao]

Soren accepted his offer with a clear look of relief on his face, scrambling back inside a moment to grab some overnightly supplies, his fox perking up with interest at the movements of her owner. He eyed the small creature warily, wondering just how much she understood. He had very little experience with animals, and they confused him more than anything else. The man returned quickly enough, perhaps wary considering his warning about the smoke. Sitting himself down beside him, he began to pull on a pair of shoes, striking up a conversation with the fox as though it were perfectly normal. The white fox seemed expressive enough, squeaking and chittering at him like she was scolding him, her fur puffing up to make her seem large and aggressive. Tao couldn't help watching the scene with a bit of fascination, wondering exactly how they knew how to talk to each other without speaking a similar language. It was possible to be that close with even an animal, then. He had to wonder what that felt like. As if remembering his presence, Soren glanced over, a sheepish expression on his face, apologising for the strange behaviour. Tao merely shook his head, smiling politely. It didn't matter to him that the man spoke to his pet. Some of the words slipped past his understanding, though. He had never heard of a 'strider', before, and the Cyphrus Grasslands was a familiar name, but that was all. He didn't have a chance to ask for clarification, however, as Soren suddenly leapt to his feet in surprise, staring at him like he had grown horns. Tao shrunk back a bit in surprise as he began to babble, mentioning the Fleeting Comet and seeing him working there before. “Oh, uhm.” He replied, surprised at the claim that had come out of nowhere. “Well, yes, I do work there. Not as a server, though. I'm just a chef. My Lhavitian isn't good enough for me to be serving.” He accepted the hand up, pleased that his legs did not immediately collapse under his weight, and began to lead the way back to his house across the street. The man who had inadvertantly become his companion for the evening was certainly strange, but seemed nice enough. “Don't worry about it. I'm not really talkative enough for you to be speaking 'out of turn'.” He replied, smiling shyly. It would be nice to have a bit of company, I suppose. It does get lonely. “... So, are you new to Lhavit? And cooking for that matter?”

[Soren Thundersong]

Soren and Mika followed Tao as he led them across the street to his own apartment. He was slightly distracted, the fire still on his mind, when Tao spoke. "What? Oh, yeah, im fairly new in Lhavit. About two or three weeks now I suppose. As for the cooking, you dont exactly learn good cooking when you live with a tribe of warriors." He laughed at this. "See I spent half my life with the Akalak. I dont know if you kn ow much about them but they have a total warrior mentality."

He looked back at his apartment. The amount of smoke still flowwing out surprised him. Turning back, he spoke to Tao. "A chef you said? How did you learn to cook?" Soren enjoyed Tao's company. the young man was quiet, generous, and thoughtful, well atleast thats what Soren thought. Mika seemed to like him too, which surprised Soren. She was friendly with most people, but never truly trusted them, as she did with Tao. He had noticed Tao seemed slightly worried by her.

Soren tugged on the straps of his pack nerviously. "Tao...do you think you could teach me to cook. Atleast enough so i dont burn anything.I'm not trying to impose so if its not possible then thats ok." Secrectly, Soren would be greatly disappointed if he said no.

[Tao]

OOCOh man, I don't know how I missed updating this! I'm really sorry you've had to wait this long. Next time, give me a nudge or something so I don't be so stupid, okay? D: Tao pushed the door to his apartmnet open, quickly glancing about to assess the mess. He was generaly a tidy person, as working in a kitchen gave anyone paranoia about cleaniness. But even with that in mind, he would often leave the place quite a mess as he was dashing off to work. His bed was made, at least, and though his desk was covered in paper and a couple of books, the floor was clear and it didn't smell too stale. He dumped his bag by the door out of habit and went to quickly open the window. The glow from the buildings outside shone through like sunlight, making the room a little less cramped looking. “Er, come in.” He called to Soren. Quickly gathering up and stuffing some loose clothing under the low set bed. The man had been chattering at him all this time, petting the fox in his arms. It was hard to keep up with all of the questions, and he wasn't thinking too carefully about his answers. “I'd think that warriors would know basic cooking skills, along with hunting. I mean, when you're travelling you need to look after yourself, right? Warriors are always on the move, aren't they?” He commented, making his way back to the door to close it behind the pair. It felt.... highly unusual to have someone else in his home. It had been a place only he had frequented since he had arrived. He'd forgotten what it was like to share that space with someone else. The thought saddened him. Though his attention was still focused on his own little home, Soren still seemed to be acting friendly. No, Tao realised, He's not acting at all. He's just nice. That's all there is to it. Hanging his bag on the hook behind the door, he quickly moved to clear off his desk, shuffling the papers out of the way. Most of them were covered in scribbles, either on Lhavitian, new recipes, or just notes about the customs of Lhavit he felt prudent to remember. It was interesting for him, and a good way to spend the time. He only wished there were more books on the history of the city; he'd buy them in a heartbeat. Soren asked him how he had become a cook, finally tearing his eyes off the smoke plume coming out of his house. It was surpring how close they lived to each other, practically across the street. “My father was a chef.” He replied, tucking the papers out of sight under his bed as well. It was becoming a useful storage place. “I practically grew up in a kitchen. My family owned a restaurant.” Finally pleased with the state of the room, he got back to his feet, stretching his arms in front of him. “It's about all I'm good at, though. Even that stuff with the fire was just because fire safety is one of the most important things a chef should know.” He shrugged and smiled a little awkwardly. Talking about himself was always a little uncomfortable, and it nearly always involved thinking back to the past. The thought of it all still put a knot in his chest. “But you were part of the Akalak? That sounds amazing.” Tao was a little taken aback by Soren's sudden request. He turned to his heath, grabbing a piece of firewood to get the fire started as he thought it over. He didn't believe he was the sort that would be fantastic at teaching; what if something didn't make sense, or he gave him the wrong instructions and he killed himself? Could he get in trouble for that? On the other hand, He added, taking his flint and tinder to the dried leaves crumbled on top of the logs. On the other hand, he wouldn't nearly burn his house down trying to cook a fish. The second one of the sparks caught alight, he went to get back to his feet. Still a little light headed from the smoke, he lost his balance and fell back down onto his knees. Shaking his head, he took a couple more deep breaths, sparking another cough. He quickly covered his face with his elbow, sighing as the attack eased. “Looks like I breathed a little more smoke than I thought.” He groaned, carefully getting up to his feet, using the stone of the heath as a support. He glanced back at Soren and smiled again to show he was okay. “It'll pass. Anyway, I guess I can teach you some things. It's not too hard.”