Fall 14, 516 AV
The Almond Blossom
Jay wiped his brow and took a deep breath. He adjusted his grip on the tray and stood a little straighter, looking over heads and hairstyles. At the moment, nobody was signaling to him, everyone had food on their plate and liquid in their glasses, so he relaxed a little in his corner.
It wasn’t his first day, but he was still fairly new to the Almond Blossom, a Rivarian restaurant known for its fine dining experience. The food was exquisite – after his first meal of leftovers, Jay had converted himself. The Kelvic had always eaten fairly cheaply, either hunting for himself or wolfing down stews from the next inn. He had neither the means nor the experience to spend more on food. After starting at the Almond Blossom, however, he’d learned there was food, and then there was cuisine. It was a word he’d asked Orin about – surely it was better not to pepper their superiors with stupid questions.
Now he knew there was not only various kinds of meat, soup and bread, he’d seen plates of cheese, fruit and meat tastefully cut and arranged. He’d seen dishes cleverly put together, fish and rice with ingenious sauce, meat and potatoes with vegetables and another ingenious sauce. Oh, the sauces! If he’d known what awaited him before applying, Jay probably would’ve done so only to get his hands on the leftovers. Surely he’d already put on weight.
That hadn’t changed anything about his stomach though, on the contrary. As he stood quietly, Jay could feel hunger stirring again. Food wasn’t supposed to look so pretty, perhaps that was it. Before he could follow that line of thought, however, someone leaned away from the table with an expectant glance.
Jay went over, swiftly making his way between chairs and tables. The guest in question was a petite Konti sitting with a towering blue Akalak. They’d come in for the second time in a few days, Jay supposed they were regulars. She smiled and pointed at an empty bottle. “We’d like some more wine, please.”
“Of course, coming up,” Jay smiled, taking the bottle. Replacing it was a quick job of reaching behind the bar, popping the cork at the table and pouring. Since he’d just learned how to pour wine, however, Jay concentrated to get it right. He held the bottle at the base and tilted it at a particular angle, keeping the tension until the glass was reasonably full. Not full, he’d learned, just pour a certain amount. Truth be told, he wasn’t too good at judging the amount of liquid in a glass, but he tried.
Afterwards he went on a round through the room, refilling here and there. Then he slipped outside where more guests were seated in a small closed courtyard. The afternoon was getting late, so only two or three tables were occupied, but Jay knew the early evening crowd would arrive soon with dinner and drinks on their minds. He’d taken his break earlier, now he just needed to keep on top of work until his afternoon shift ended.
Jay took his time checking the free tables for leftover crumbs or wet spots, enjoying the slower pace. Around this time, things quieted down – at the Almond Blossom, guests were never pressured to leave after finishing their meals. It was often that time of day when he could stop and chat a little, getting to know regulars and travelers alike.
The Almond Blossom
Jay wiped his brow and took a deep breath. He adjusted his grip on the tray and stood a little straighter, looking over heads and hairstyles. At the moment, nobody was signaling to him, everyone had food on their plate and liquid in their glasses, so he relaxed a little in his corner.
It wasn’t his first day, but he was still fairly new to the Almond Blossom, a Rivarian restaurant known for its fine dining experience. The food was exquisite – after his first meal of leftovers, Jay had converted himself. The Kelvic had always eaten fairly cheaply, either hunting for himself or wolfing down stews from the next inn. He had neither the means nor the experience to spend more on food. After starting at the Almond Blossom, however, he’d learned there was food, and then there was cuisine. It was a word he’d asked Orin about – surely it was better not to pepper their superiors with stupid questions.
Now he knew there was not only various kinds of meat, soup and bread, he’d seen plates of cheese, fruit and meat tastefully cut and arranged. He’d seen dishes cleverly put together, fish and rice with ingenious sauce, meat and potatoes with vegetables and another ingenious sauce. Oh, the sauces! If he’d known what awaited him before applying, Jay probably would’ve done so only to get his hands on the leftovers. Surely he’d already put on weight.
That hadn’t changed anything about his stomach though, on the contrary. As he stood quietly, Jay could feel hunger stirring again. Food wasn’t supposed to look so pretty, perhaps that was it. Before he could follow that line of thought, however, someone leaned away from the table with an expectant glance.
Jay went over, swiftly making his way between chairs and tables. The guest in question was a petite Konti sitting with a towering blue Akalak. They’d come in for the second time in a few days, Jay supposed they were regulars. She smiled and pointed at an empty bottle. “We’d like some more wine, please.”
“Of course, coming up,” Jay smiled, taking the bottle. Replacing it was a quick job of reaching behind the bar, popping the cork at the table and pouring. Since he’d just learned how to pour wine, however, Jay concentrated to get it right. He held the bottle at the base and tilted it at a particular angle, keeping the tension until the glass was reasonably full. Not full, he’d learned, just pour a certain amount. Truth be told, he wasn’t too good at judging the amount of liquid in a glass, but he tried.
Afterwards he went on a round through the room, refilling here and there. Then he slipped outside where more guests were seated in a small closed courtyard. The afternoon was getting late, so only two or three tables were occupied, but Jay knew the early evening crowd would arrive soon with dinner and drinks on their minds. He’d taken his break earlier, now he just needed to keep on top of work until his afternoon shift ended.
Jay took his time checking the free tables for leftover crumbs or wet spots, enjoying the slower pace. Around this time, things quieted down – at the Almond Blossom, guests were never pressured to leave after finishing their meals. It was often that time of day when he could stop and chat a little, getting to know regulars and travelers alike.
