Solo Cooking for Dancers

[Sayana]

514 AV Fall 54 It was about mid-afternoon when Sayana arrived at the Rearing Stallion, earlier than usual. The tavern wasn’t so busy at this time of day but when she stepped into the kitchen in the back Remi was already beginning to prepare the evening meal. Jackpot. Sayana slowly tucked her things away in her allotted corner of the kitchen, knowing that they wouldn’t be stolen there, and watched the cook hard at work. Remi chopped vegetables with surprising speed and accuracy and every so often she stirred a small pot hung over the hearth with some delicious sauce thickening up inside. Not to mention the delicious smells coming from the small stone oven. Ever since Sayana got her apartment in Syliras, she had wanted to make better use of the hearth rather than simply burning wood on cold nights. So far she had lived off breads and other easy to find fresh foods from stalls and since she started work at the Rearing Stallion many of her meals had been provided courtesy of Remi at discounted rates. Perhaps it was Sayana’s absent staring or the bit of drool forming on the side of her mouth that caused the cook to look up. That’s when Remi’s voice shook the Eypharian out from her thoughts. “Are you looking for some tasty tidbits? Because I don’t got any. You’re more than a bell early, my dear. Come back later and I’ll see what I’ve got for you.” Instead of leaving Sayana replied, “Uh Remi? Do you think you’d have any time to teach me some cooking? Your meals are some of the best I’ve ever had and if I could make food like you…” “You’d leave me out of business?” Remi responded in a mocking tone. Sayana blushed faintly. It wasn’t like her to sound so shy, but it also wasn’t like her to ask for help of any kind. When the cook smiled, Sayana relaxed. “Go grab a knife,” Remi said. But when Sayana reached for the knife at her hip the cook added, “Not one of yours. I don’t know where they have been. Over there.” She pointed to her set of knives held in a wooden knife block. “Now there are potatoes, carrots, beets, turnip, and onions to be chopped up for the stew. I’ve got the first pot of stew going but I suspect we’ll need another before the night is through.” Remi explained and Sayana noticed the collection of vegetables piled on the wooden table in the middle of the kitchen.

[Sayana]

The Eypharian grabbed one of Remi’s kitchen knives and began cutting up the potatoes into “stew-sized” chunks. Or at least what she thought was an appropriate size. She took her time and made sure to keep her fingers out of the way so to not slice one off. As she worked, she curiously looked about the kitchen. She had been inside many times, but had usually just been in and out and never got a good look around. Remi had a large stone hearth with several hooks to hang pots. There was also a metal spit on which three birds of sorts were being roasted. Sayana guessed that they were chicken but one of them might have been a duck. Next to the hearth was a small stone oven with a lower chamber for the firewood and an enclosed upper chamber for things like buns and pastries. Sayana had cut up two potatoes by the time Remi looked over. “Girl, you gotta peel them first. They’ve been in the ground for goodness sake.” The cook scolded as she came over and grabbed a knife and a carrot. “But first try peeling a carrot. They’re usually easier.” She demonstrated it with several smooth motions creating thin straight peels to be later thrown out. But when Sayana tried it, hers came out sloppy and thin in some places but thick in others – usually cutting off more of the vegetable than necessary. As her patience dwindled she lost her focus and accidentally gave her finger a small cut. “Shyte!” She said in frustration and Remi looked up to see the Eypharian sucking on her finger. “Sometimes it takes a bit of practice,” the cook said kindly. “Take your time. But keep that tongue in check.” Remi added with a hint of disapproval. Sayana carried on with her peeling and chopping a little more carefully - and with less swearing. She primarily used her mid hands but after a while she took a break and switched to her highs. The cut wasn’t all that bad. Just a sliver upon her index finger. When she was done with the carrots she moved on to ‘fix’ the potato pieces she had cut up earlier. The small rounded pieces were much trickier and she resorted to many small straight cuts to rid the potatoes of their peels. After a while, Remi joined in and produced neat and rounded peels from the potatoes by rotating the vegetable as she eased the knife around it. Sayana’s eyes narrowed at the display of talent. Show off. But then she remembered her manners, especially since she was the one who had asked to learn. If she could just get the knife to slide smoothly… She gave a startled cry and dropped the potato onto the table. This time it was her thumb and she could see a faint line of red forming upon it. She used one of her sleeves to apply pressure on it but it still stung.

[Sayana]

“Alright, no more peeling for me,” the Eypharian said as she got up from the table. About half the vegetables were done and it had been… probably half a bell. “Is there something else I could help with? I’d rather like to have all my fingers when it comes time to performing. Just because I have more than most, doesn’t mean any of them are spares.” The cook gave a chuckle at her comment and then answered, “Well, I’m definitely running low on firewood in here. There’s a bunch stacked outside at the back.” “Firewood?” Sayana replied with a raised eyebrow. “But that’s not cooking…” “Listen, do you want to help out or not?” Remi asked pointedly. “You need a steady supply of wood if you’re going to cook anything good. Besides I can’t be running in and out while watching the pots.” “Sorry Ma’am. I really do want to help, and learn.” Sayana replied quickly and then scooted out of the kitchen to find said firewood. Like the cook had said, the wood was stacked neatly outside against the wall of the tavern. The Eypharian picked up many decent sized pieces and carried them amongst her arms and hands back inside the kitchen. “Can I put them into the fire?” Sayana asked as she stood with a surprisingly large amount of wood in her arms. “Only a couple pieces, dear. Put the rest in a neat pile next to the hearth. The trick to cooking is maintaining a constant temperature.” Remi replied. Sayana gave a faint shrug and did as she was told. After freeing her arms, she carefully placed two large pieces of wood into the fire so that they would hopefully burn slowly and ‘maintain a constant temperature’. It only took a few more trips to get enough firewood for Remi to be content. That was one thing that multiple arms were really good for, carrying lots of things. “Now what?” She asked as she unloaded the last of the wood in a neat stack beside the hearth. “Since you’re so set on cooking I’ll get you to tend the two pots on the fire,” Remi replied. “Make sure to stir them regularly, especially the sauce so it doesn’t skim on top, and keep their temperature constant. If you smell any burning, take the pot immediately out of the hearth using one of those hooks so you don’t burn yourself. Otherwise, you can adjust them to different heights depending on how hot the fire is getting. Just be careful the sauce doesn’t bubble over.” “Yes Ma’am,” Sayana said eagerly as she reached for one of the stirring spoons. The stew was already quite thick but still easy enough to stir. And it smelled delicious. She carefully moved on to the smaller pot that was hung quite a bit higher above the fire. Inside was a white creamy looking sauce in which bubbles were just barely breaking the surface. As she gave it a stir she noticed a thin film on top. Sayana glanced anxiously in Remi’s direction, but with a couple more stirs the film seemed to have dissolved away. Sayana added another piece of wood to the fire right under the smaller pot. Got to make sure all the pots are getting a constant amount of heat. “Sayana? Could you give birds a turn?” Remi asked. “I’m a little busy getting the next pot ready.” Sayana looked at the various poultry upon the spit and underneath they were looking nicely browned. She was about to reach out to grab the spit when she snatched her hand back. That would have been the quickest way to get some nasty burn on her hand. Instead she looked at some of the various tongs and poking sticks and found something that she could use to turn the spit without burning her hands. While she was distracted with the birds, the bubbles in the sauce were slowly but steadily rising. When Sayana was finished turning the spit she looked at the sauce with a look of horror. “What do I do? It’s bubbling up all the way to the top!” Sayana cried out in panic. “Take the pot off its hook and out of the fire,” the cook responded calmly. The Eypharian quickly obliged but even still, some of the sauce sizzled loudly as it landed in the fire. “Now once it’s cooled off a bit, you can put it back in the hearth but on a higher hook,” Remi continued. Sayana watched as the bubbles in the sauce slowly began to fall. She had never thought cooking would contain so much ‘action’ for lack of a better term. The pot was starting to get heavy with all its contents and awkwardly supported the hook in her hand. “I think it’s okay now,” she said mostly to herself as she returned the pot to the hearth but somewhere not quite so hot.

[Sayana]

“Now go grab a spoon, a different one, and see how the stew tastes,” the cook instructed. “Tell me if it needs any flavours or needs to be cooked for longer or whatever you think.” Sayana smiled at the thought – another chance to taste Remi’s delicious cooking. She went searching for a spoon and then managed to take a couple of lumps from the pot. Even after blowing on the stew, it was still very hot and she nearly burned her mouth as she tried to eat one of the lumps. The cook gave a chuckle and Sayana was forced to exert her patience as she waited for it to cool. “I think it needs more spice,” she said as she tasted the stew. “I like my food hot and spicy when I can – like curries. And it might need a little longer. The potato is alright but could be softer.” She put the spoon down and started to search the kitchen for spices. “Now I can cook the stew a little longer, but don’t start dumping tons of spices into it,” said the cook. “Just because you like it hot doesn’t mean that everyone at the tavern does.” Sayana stopped in her tracks and gave a sigh as she turned around. “Alright. Is there anything else I can do?” “I’d like you to check if it needs more salt,” Remi replied. “Take another spoonful of the stew and first try it without the salt and then add a few shakes and see how tastes.” Sayana had never thought much about using salt and usually preferred to try more interesting spices. But she did as she was told and took another spoonful of the stew. This time she was patient and actually let it cool. She gave it a taste and then sprinkled some salt on it and tried it again. She raised her eyebrows in surprise at the difference. It had first tasted like a hearty stew, but the second time it was flavourful. Almost like the salt had brought out all the good flavours from the stew instead of leaving it bland. “I think it needs more salt,” Sayana concluded and Remi couldn’t help but smile at the girl’s discovery. Remi came over to add some salt to the stew. She didn’t yet trust the girl enough to put in the right amount and not too much. “It’s probably almost time for you to perform. Why don’t you grab a bowl and help yourself to some stew, while I find some things to make it spicy for you.” Sayana brightened at the idea and ladled out a bowl for herself fresh from the pot. The cook came back with some ginger, a couple cloves of garlic, and a small jar with a white paste-like substance inside. “If you cut up the ginger into thin pieces and mix it in, you’ll get a nice burst of spice whenever you bite into one. Same with the garlic. Just make sure you peel it and chop off the end before you mince it.” Remi explained. But when she saw Sayana wince at the word ‘peel’, the cook added, “It’ll just flake off. You don’t need a knife to peel it. And lastly, if you’re still looking for something hot I’ve got a bit of horseradish kicking about. Just don’t use it all. I’d rather you use mostly ginger and garlic to get your fix.” Sayana thanked the woman and then went about cutting up the ginger and garlic. They weren’t quite the spices she was used to at home but when she took a bite of the ginger she smiled at the taste. After a few chimes her stew had cooled enough to eat but was now devilishly hot in terms of spice. And with that the Eypharian dug in, pleased with the results.

[Sayana]

After finishing probably her first real spicy meal in Syliras, Sayana set aside her empty bowl near a basin filled with water for washing. “I just wanted to thank you again Remi. I know I didn’t do all that much but I enjoyed it and I hope I was helpful.” Sayana said to the homely cook. “Feel free to come by early any time. I could always use an extra hand in the kitchen.” Remi replied. “Now shoo! And go what you do best.” Sayana smiled at the cook and then scooted out the door. It was nice having a motherly figure around. When the Eypharian came out from the back she noticed that there were several more customers than earlier. Sometimes she liked to think that they tried to come for when she started but more likely it was just a good time to socialize. She glanced around to see if there was a musician or bard that needed help getting set up but there didn’t appear to be any. Puzzled, she went to ask one of the barmaids about it. “Nope, doesn’t seem like anyone is performing tonight. Guess you’re on your own Say.” The barmaid replied. Sayana gave a brief frown and went to gather her instruments and apply some make-up. It wasn’t the first time she’d performed without a musician but by no means had she perfected it. And she certainly enjoyed the variety of music that the traveling bards brought with them. It was always a fun challenge to improvise to a song she didn’t know especially when it was from a completely different culture too. Once her hair was tidied up and her red lip pomade was on, she straightened out her skirt and ditched the red sleeves she wore. While they were quite well made and looked elegant, she much preferred wearing just her blouse and having a full range of movement in her arms. Her finger cymbals and shakers were readily available in her skirt pocket and belt accordingly, and she had her dagger along with a knife also sheathed in her belt should anything go amiss. With her tambourine in her high hands it was time to make an entrance. From behind the bar she raised the tambourine and began with a simple rhythm. Ta-ta bam bam bam, ta-ta bam bam bam With the tambourine raised high above her head, she slowly winded through the tables, chairs, and customers. Her steps were on the beat but they were not complicated and were rather like a stylized walk. Once she reached the dais she gave a long shake of the tambourine and made a flourish of a bow. Her heart pounded a little faster than usual since she didn’t have the comforting presence of a musician or even a simple drummer to improvise to, but she forced a bright smile onto her face and began her dance. The Eypharian started by playing a steady beat on the tambourine. It was not too fast, nor was it painfully slow. With a playful smile, her hips started to move sharply up and down to the same beat. Her hips stopped, only to be replaced by a sharp twisting motion of her collective shoulders. Then she began to move more freely about the stage. Her high hands always kept a steady rhythm as she strutted about the small dais showing off her most prominent features. For her first dance she always liked to be bold and make an impression. Or at the very least get people’s attention. It wasn’t a dance of symbolism or other meanings. It was, “look at me, this is what I can do”.

[Sayana]

Despite all the dancing Sayana had done, none of it was ever a fixed choreography to be learned, memorized, and performed. Instead, all her dancing is improvised on the spot. In some ways it is harder since her mind is always active and trying to come up with the next move, but in other ways it’s easier since she doesn’t have to memorize long choreographies or worry about blanking out on the next move. The trick to improvising was to always have an easy move to fall back on, or better yet a few moves. It was at that moment that Sayana skipped a beat on the tambourine – and in that moment of silence her heart also skipped a beat. Even though her mind was racing, she managed to keep the panic from her face. Instead put on a seductive smile and simply did a single belly roll starting from her chest and rolling through her abs to her pelvis. It completely contrasted from the earlier high energy dancing, but somehow the unexpectedness of it seemed to make up for it. In any case, Sayana used the ‘mistake’ as a transition point meld the dance into smoother and more sensual movements. Here and there she would pause for effect, or to buy herself time to think, but even if her body stopped her arms would often make up for it, flowing and twisting around her body. By this point she only used the tambourine sparsely for effect, emphasizing a chest pop here and a hip drop there. As she found herself running out of moves she started picking up the beat again on her tambourine. With each step she bounced and danced across the dais with spins here and there. Speeding up the tempo, her feet moved faster until she was turning again and again in the middle of the dais. She stopped in a dramatic pose and the world kept spinning for a moment or two as the audience clapped for the end of her first dance. She’d have to work on that, the spinning, but as long as she could keep the dizziness away and at least be able to stay still in a pose while it cleared, it wasn’t that big of a deal. She made a sweeping curtsy and blew some kisses towards those watching. Since tonight there was no musician maybe it was time to try something a little different. She hesitated, knowing that she had next to no skill in this area. But then again, there was nothing like a good challenge. “Now, today I’m going to tell you a story,” Sayana began as she turned towards her audience. Afraid that she wasn’t loud enough over the bustle of the tavern she raised her voice and reiterated, “I’m going to tell you a story about a raindancer.” She paused as she recalled the memory. She had only been about nine at the time and was still running wild about the streets playing with the other children. That was when the traveler had come. As her pause extended, her audience became restless and she remembered that she was still on stage with an audience. “Yes, a raindancer,” she said trying to cover up her blunder. “I was only a child when he entered the city of Ahnatep asking for food, drink and hospitality. It was clear that he had been traveling across the deserts and probably a long distance too. However…” The Eypharian paused as she strived for a dramatic effect. “This man was a Benshira.”

[Sayana]

There was a rather awkward silence. Her dramatic attempts were wasted on her ignorant audience. Not one of them seemed to realize the significance of the fact that the traveler was Benshiran. “Like he was Benshiran, you know?” Sayana said as she broke character. “Not an Eypharian. An Eypharian would have gotten hospitality in a moment’s notice if he had come from a long journey.” Some people shrugged at the explanation and most still didn’t get the significance. “Anyways, when he came asking to quench his thirst and have something to eat, the Jackal Guards looked down at him and said that he was a measly Benshira and not worthy of their precious water. And the Benshira answered, ‘I can bring you rain.’” This time her pause was better appreciated because even though much of her audience had never been to Eyktol, they could understand the importance of water and rain in a vast desert. Sayana smiled at her audience and began to pace across the dais as she continued her story. “The Jackal Guards were suspicious yet also curious. But they needed proof. The Benshira revealed something on his skin. He said it was from the goddess Makutsi herself. They were still skeptical of his claim but reluctantly gave him some food and water. But they wouldn’t let him fill up his water bags until he held up his end of the bargain. And so he began.” She clasped her high and low hands behind her back so that she might mimic the raindancer with just her mid arms and began to walk slowly in a circle. “Makutsi, Makutsi, hear my prayer,” she whispered. Her mid arms began to flow like water, gesturing into the circle and then out of the circle. Rippling, twisting, and cascading through the air. “Makutsi, Makutsi, hear my prayer,” she said again but this time a little louder as she sped up her pace. She turned to face into the circle and continued to sidestep as her body undulated like a reed being pushed by the flow of a river. Her hands reached high and low as if calling up the water from the ground and summoning it to the skies. “Makutsi, Makutsi, hear my prayer!” Sayana cried out and then stopped and stood in the middle of the stage facing her audience. As a child she had tried to mimic his dance, trying to call forth the rain herself. She tried day after day attempting to get it just right and fiercely hoping that she had not missed any details. But her efforts were in vain and the intricacies got muddled after too many iterations. Yet it created a lasting impression of the dance that she could still recall today. “He took out a magical staff,” Sayana continued with less intensity and mimed picking up and holding a large bamboo stick horizontally in front of her. “And as he tipped it to one side you could practically hear the sounds of rain.” She mimed turning the staff on its end and with one of her low hands behind her back, she grabbed one of her shakers and attempted to mimic the sound of rain. Although it was a poor rendition, the sound surprised the audience because the shaker was hidden from view. “And he stood there with such pride. Not weak and humble like you’d normally expect for a Benshira.” Sayana continued and mimed placing her hand firmly on the top of the staff gazing about at the audience. “And yet he danced with such joy.” Following along with her story she kept her right hand on her imagined staff and danced with light energetic steps around and around the staff. By this point people could see the shaker behind her back, but it didn’t matter so much and with her other low hand she took a second shaker from her belt to intensify the sound of the rain. She recalled the pure joy that she had seen on his face and tried to match her own expression to it. She danced simply but passionately around the pretend stick. Finally she stopped, and this time for good. “‘The rain will come,’ the Benshira told the Jackal Guards.”

[Sayana]

“The Jackal Guards laughed thinking it was all just some kind of hoax. The skies above were as blue as can be without a single cloud, and Syna beat down upon the city streets. The guards tossed the man out onto the streets. They had already wasted enough food and water on the lowly traveler.” “One bell passed…” Sayana took out her finger cymbals and made them ring out once. “A second bell passed…” She gave another ring of the cymbals. “And then a third, a forth, and a fifth passed,” she continued and emphasized each with her cymbals. “By this point Syna had gone down and it was growing dark. And that’s when I heard it, the soft patter of raindrops.” She shook one of her shakers gently trying to gain the effect. “At first I thought it was the Benshira with is magic staff but when I ran outside to go find him I felt the cool drops of water from the sky. And that’s when I danced.” She twirled about on the dais in a jovial way. Her mid and high arms reached above as she remembered the sheer wonder she had experienced that day long ago. She released her low arms from behind her back and shook the shakers as she spun about. The rain had been so soothing and cool, just like the Benshira had promised. And while it had only lasted ten chimes or so, the rain had still come. Finally her euphoria died down and she turned to face the audience. “And that is my story of a raindancer who brought rain to the city of Ahnatep,” Sayana concluded. “What happened to the Benshira?” Someone called out. “I don’t know,” Sayana admitted. “I was only a child at the time but I think he either filled up his water bags from the rain he brought or went to the Jackal Guards to ask them to fulfill their promise once the rain had started.” Some of the people of the tavern seemed to have enjoyed her story, while others found the ending rather predicable since she had started off saying she was going to tell a story about a raindancer. It had been much easier for Sayana because she was simply recalling a story of her past. In fact, the experience had made her question a lot of the Eypharian prejudices against other races and had led her to believe that even the lowly Benshira sometimes had something to offer.

[Sayana]

But now it was time for something more lively. Something to get the patrons roaring and the ale flowing. She tucked away her instruments except for the tambourine and began to clap steadily with her mid hands. With extra enthusiasm she skipped about the stage continuing her energetic clap trying to get people to join in. Maybe a couple patrons got it, but not enough. “I won’t start dancing again till you start clapping with me!” She called out and soon more people joined in. Audience participation was always a sure way to get people engaged and in this case it also meant that she didn’t have to worry as much about providing her own music. Once there were enough people clapping along with her, she switched to the tambourine to keep up the beat in her high hands above her head so that her mids would be free. Then she began. With a bright smile her whole body seemed to bounce with each beat as she pranced about the dais. She spun and twirled making large movements with her mid and low arms while her highs kept time with the tambourine. She stepped to the back of the dais, then turned around and strutted forwards with a chest shimmy all the while beaming. When she was quite confident that the audience would continue clapping on the beat, she decided to add in an extra rhythm with her tambourine. Clap, clap, ba-ba-bam. Clap, clap, ba-ba-bam. Then she started incorporating the new rhythm into her dance. With her hips: clap, clap, twist-twist-twist. And her head: clap, clap, slide-and-slide. And her chest: clap, clap, up-down-up. When she ran out of sharp movements she started mixing and matching. A couple slides of her hips and then a chest pop. Then a couple of shoulder twists and a hip accent. At last she went back to keeping the beat on the tambourine but gradually began to speed up the tempo. Her feet moved faster as she danced across the dais – sometimes just stepping with an undulating body and other times doing a spin or two to reach the other side of the platform. Faster and faster. Her hips were almost like a jiggling blur at times and her arms moved swiftly up and down, in and out, gracing the outline of her body. Spin, spin, spin, spin. Ta-ta Ta-ta Ta-ta Ta-ta… Bam-bam! She finished in a flourish looking and reaching for the sky with her mid arms.

[Sayana]

It was definitely due time for a break, even if only a small one. Sayana gave a bow and announced, “I’ll be back on stage in a few chimes. Got to grab myself a drink. And if you’ve got a silver, then I’m doing some personalized dancing.” With a wink she jumped lightly down from the dais and headed directly to the bar for a well-earned mug of ale. The Eypharian thanked the barmaid who provided the drink and gave a grateful smile. Not only did the Rearing Stallion provide Sayana her wages, but it also included ale on the house to the entertainers. After chugging down half the mug, she felt a little more refreshed and began to meander through the tables. A wink here, a coy smile there, and sometimes a suggestive shimmy of her chest. Some people smiled favourably at her flirtatious actions while others scowled at her forwardness. These people she didn’t mind, but it was that occasional person who didn’t seem to even notice her who got on her nerves. “Oi! We got a silver over here!” A man called out. She took another long swig of her ale and headed over to his table. “So who’s the lucky bastard with the silver miza?” She said with a grin as she leaned over, mid arms on the table, and her cleavage not so subtly in view. The man who had called out pointed to his friend across the table and his friend subsequently reddened in the face. “We all want what we can’t have. But I’ll give you a treat.” She replied with a wink. There were five of them crowded around the table, all young and probably squires based on their clothing. Only one of them was a woman, and although she might have expressed some curiosity towards the Eypharian, she wasn’t exactly pleased either. Sayana set down her mug and tambourine and picked up the silver coin knowing that anything extra she earned would first go to Kevith. With her finger cymbals, or zills as she liked to call them, ready upon her fingers she combed her fingers through her hair and almost fully turned away – except for a sly look over her left shoulders at the squire ‘sponsoring’ the dance. She then slowly turned in a circle, showing off her hip with each step accompanied by her zills. Ching and ching and ching and ching. She then made eye contact with the squire before alternating her instrumentation and her dance moves. Ching-a-ching-a-ching A chest shimmy. Ching-a-ching-a-ching Vibrating of her hips. Ching-a-ching-a-ching A belly roll. Ching-a-ching-a-ching Bounce bounce bounce of her hips in a circle. The young man seemed to be enjoying it, and same with his friends for that matter, so she decided to take it one step further. She reached out with her lows, took the squire’s hands and placed them gently upon her hips. He seemed a little hesitant since much of her stomach was bare but he didn’t protest. Then she stood almost still except for her hips that alternated up and down. She managed to produce a timid smile on the squire’s face as he felt the movement of her hips – and that was good enough for her. She gave a couple of large twists of her hips to shake his hands off and then bent down to give him a kiss on the cheek. “There’s your silver’s worth,” she said with a smile and picked up her tambourine to before leaving. It was time to get back on stage. For the night was still young and there were many dances and drinks to be had.