01: Grilled Whole Fish in Chimichurri; Sugar Cookies with Chocolate Chunks (OTA)

[tisfinished]

1: new mouths to feed
After the grueling and humiliating ordeal of cooking for Imperial nobility, Senshi is much happier back home slinging chowder and biscuits for his fellow revolutionaries.

There are a lot of new faces after the last, successful raid, and he sometimes greets these with cup of hot coffee or tea and a “so how are you settling in?” After all, someone has to make sure these kids are fed and well taken care of.

2: gone fishin
Part of Senshi’s supply he hunts and forages himself. This week, he’s fly-fishing off the dock with a rod, quite successfully, occasionally throwing back small or roe-laden individuals, humming a merry tune. He also occasionally checks crab traps and octopus jars.

Fellow fishermen are more than welcome to join him.

3: vis pacem para bellum
Senshi has an axe and a shield.

Senshi is training with his axe and his shield.

His style is quick, brutal, and to the point.

Spar with him?

4: don’t mess with my mise
It’s become clear, to Senshi’s annoyance, that folks have been going into what he thinks of his kitchen (of many communal kitchens in Flotsam) and cooking when he’s not around. The discrepancy between what supplies were written down and what was actually on hand.

Finding dirty dishes is the last straw. He posts a sign:

You Are Welcome To Use The Kitchen,
If You:
- Ask In Advance
- Write Down What You Use
- Clean Up After Yourself

Ask Senshi of Izaganda For Details

And he’s petty enough to start standing guard - catching presumably illiterate amateur culinarians red-handed.

Comments

2: gone fishin

[newmemorywhodis]

Senshi's not the only one who'd like to stock up on fish. However, Link's method of fishing is a little...different.

He comes up to the end of the dock, near Senshi. Peers over the edge. And then when there's a flash of movement in the water...Link jumps right in and grabs the fish, with his bare hands.

Sorry if you were trying to catch that one, Senshi.

Re: 2: gone fishin

[tisfinished]

He’s more amused than anyone else.

“Hey you,” he says, “catch.”

He tosses him a light spear. It’s been a while since he’s spearfished, but somehow he thinks this (elven?) man will take to it like a duck to water.

Re: 2: gone fishin

[newmemorywhodis]

Link catches the spear - and then, blinks, looking at it.

He knows how to use a spear, of course. But that's in battle, against an enemy. He's never actually used one for fishing before. Well, except for those times when he's tossed an electrified weapon into the water. This one wouldn't work for that tactic, though.

"...It's not electric?" he says, looking closely at the spear. Probably a good thing through - it if was, Senshi would have electrocuted Link as well as the fish.

Re: 2: gone fishin

[tisfinished]

“Just very sharp,” Senshi tells him. “If you’re fast you can pluck them out of the water with it.”

Are you a bad enough dude to fish with a spear, Link?

[newmemorywhodis]

Wait.

Catching fish? With the spear?!

Link's eyes widen. It's like a tiny explosion in Link's mind, as he suddenly considers a whole new world of fishing possibilities he'd never considered before. How had he never thought of this before?

He needs to try it himself. Immediately. So he turns, and starts swimming towards another nearby fish. Holding the spear while swimming is a bit awkward, but when he gets close enough...he gives underwater, and strikes!

"Hah!" Link cries, as he emerges from the water with one fish now stuck on the end of the spear. Victory is Link's! As is the fish.

[tisfinished]

“Good hunting!” Senshi says. “If you keep hitting the mark, wouldja mind adding them to my pile? I’ll be grilling and stewing what we can eat today and salt-curing the rest.”

He’s genuinely thrilled that Link seems to be enjoying his new hobby.

[newmemorywhodis]

Link doesn't need to consider the question for long. He wouldn't mind keeping the fish for himself as well, but...Senshi wants them. If Link can be useful, he should.

Not to mention Link wouldn't mind eating some of those grilled and stewed seafood dishes...

So as Link treads water, he nods. Reaches up to pull the fish of the end of the spear, and then tosses it up towards Senshi.

Oh, and the one he caught earlier. He throws that one too.

[tisfinished]

"Excellent," he says. "It's your catch; how would you like these cooked?"

Senshi figures that he's earned that much. He took to spearfishing as well as Senshi could have hoped.

[newmemorywhodis]

At the mention of having them cooked, Link perks up and swims closer.

"You know good fish recipes?" Maybe if Senshi knows any that Link doesn't, he could learn something new...?

[tisfinished]

"Lad, I'm a victualler for the fleet," he says, amused rather than affronted; he pronounces it vittler. "If I didn't know a variety of ways to cook our most common ingredient, the rowdy crew of sailors and rebels I cook for wouldn't let me hear the end of it."

He pulls up another one - this one a flatfish. Considers the ugly thing, then adds it to his pile. "So, what's your preference? Steaming, roasting, smoking, stewing - I promise none of it will be wasted."

[newmemorywhodis]

Link hums softly. Really, he wasn't at all picky - as far as Link was concerned, all ways of cooking fish were cook.

But there was at least one method in Senshi's list that wasn't familiar to Link.

"Smoking?" Link says, head tilted to one side to make it clear that he was just as much asking about how as he was making a request. All the other methods were ones he'd used before. But he'd never learned a recipe that involved smoking before.

4, before the sign goes up

[relentless_sentinel]

Well, for Nephenee's part, she's been cleaning up after herself, and trying to replace what she's used...but she has no idea others have been naughty, so she's quite oblivious to what poor Senshi has been dealing with in that regard.

One particular night, after a rather trying day, the farm girl's snuck into the kitchen again, trying to be quiet as she works. Tonight she feels like clafouti, and maybe some butter baked potatoes beforehand with some protein, because frankly she burns through food like no one's business. She's brought a lot of her own ingredients, so it's more a matter of needing the space.

Apron on, long hair pulled back into a ponytail under her hat, she sets to work on the recipes, humming softly to herself, unaware of anyone who might be watching out for trespassers...Bake the stress away, away, we bake the stress away~

Re: 4, before the sign goes up

[tisfinished]

And here’s a sentry with a lantern.

And here he is, annoyed, putting it down again.

“I see you brought your own ingredients. Good. Others haven’t been as considerate.”

At least Senshi doesn’t seem mad (at Neph).

1/2

[relentless_sentinel]

And here's Nephenee squeaking loudly in the most soldier-like manner as she spins around, knife in hand, looking much like a startled cat...

2/2

[relentless_sentinel]

...Before lowering it, cheeks absolutely crimson.

Busted.

"S-Sir Senshi..." Nephenee sputters, not really sure what to say - she didn't hear what he'd said, on account of her yelp, and the sheer amount of battlereadiness that kicked in there. "Uh...Ah..." Dang it words, work with her!

Re: 2/2

[tisfinished]

Senshi waits for her to find her words, mentally taking inventory of what Nephenee brought and what she borrowed.

[relentless_sentinel]

Dang it, Senshi, now she feels more put on the spot!

While she finds them, his inspection nets him several russet potatoes of decent size, salted bacon, cherries, almonds, some butter, honey, eggs, a bottle of what looks to be milk or cream, and some brown liquid in a small bottle. Maybe an extract? Most of it looks like she's brought it, aside from maybe the dairy and bacon (She was going to bring more to replace that the next day, she just forgot).

Breathe... "Um...s-sorry..." What in particular she says that about is a bit up in the air. Overall, she rather looks like a very tall pet dog who feels guilty about something...

[tisfinished]

“Brought your own ingredients, good,” he says. “Anything you take from the Flotsam pantry, let me know. Clean up after yourself and it’s fine with me that you’re here.”

Senshi visibly relaxed, a finger under where his mouth must be indicating he’s thinking of possibilities.

“Others haven’t been as polite.”

[relentless_sentinel]

...Huh, he's taking this a lot better than she feared he would.

Nephenee nods. "Ah've been tryin' to replace what Ah take the next day if Ah don't got it when Ah come. Definitely cleanin' after myself. Be rude to not." That, and she's a tidy person in general, especially in the kitchen - one of those people that actually cleans as they go.

"Has...a lotta stuff gone missin'?"

[tisfinished]

“Not enough to be a problem yet,” Senshi says. “But enough to be a problem soon.”

He looks over her work. “Never got the hang of dessert baking,” he admits. “Looks like yours is fine work.”

[relentless_sentinel]

"Well, Ah can help try to restock stuff that's gone missin'..." Even if she's not the main culprit, it's the least she can do to pay him back, she feels.

Senshi's praise, though, quickly makes her emorionally backpedal from calming down as she blushes bright red. It's not as bad as when she was in that maid outfit he'd seen her in, but she's still taken aback.

"A-Aw, it...it's jus' somethin' from back home, n-nothin' f-fancy..." The country girl sputters, rubbing her neck as she looks away from him, crimson quickly spreading past her cheeks.

[tisfinished]

"That would actually be helpful. More supplies never hurt."

At her protests, he may be smiling. "Fancy's overrated. Proof of the pudding is in the eating, they say. I may have some of that ice cream I mentioned earlier to try with it..."

[relentless_sentinel]

Well, his reassurances work, at least, as does the comment about ice cream. She tilts her head in thought.

"Well...ain't had any complaints 'bout the eatin' from nobody. Ah still ain't tried that 'ice cream' stuff, though...wonder what it'd be like with it."

[tisfinished]

He produces two plates, two spoons, and a small waxed paper container. When they serve the clafouti, Senshi scoops up a round dollop of something cold and dense, a pale butter color, on top of the hot dessert. It immediately starts to melt on contact, dissolving into rivulets of sweetened cream and egg.

Senshi presents Nephenee with such a dish and a spoon. "To your health," he says.

[relentless_sentinel]

Nephenee watches in fascination as Senshi dishes everything out, especially when the ice cream immediately starts oozing all over the hot clafoutis. Oh, but that looks good!

"An t'yours!" She replies back enthusiastically, and the eternally hungry girl can't help digging her spoon in almost immediately after. The new creation pops into her mouth, and...

...She has no idea what is going on here, but it's so good. The flavour and texture of the ice cream is unlike anything she's had before, and the contrast of the cold, now-softened cream with the hot custard-like clafoutis is amazing. Whatever the flavour of the ice cream is, it goes well with the almond and cherry of the other dish, and...yeah, she's just going to have her eyes closed and a derpy smile on her face as she takes this in.

2: gone fishin

[spacetogrow]

Senshi may or may not be surprised to see a large octopus that is definitely not native to these waters haul itself up onto the deck while he is fishing, holding a few struggling fish in its arms.

The octopus turning into an elf, who gives a "Hello!" as they turn to gather up the fish they caught might be more of a surprise.

"I didn't see you up there. I'm sorry if I scared off the other fish. I was trying to stick close to the hull and ambush them."

Re: 2: gone fishin

[tisfinished]

That is... certianly a sight to behold. Senshi is still adjusting to it while the elf speaks.

"Hmn? Ah, no worries, I just... haven't seen that technique for fishing before."

There's an understatement.

"Or that kind of magic. Full-body transformation is a rare gift here."

Re: 2: gone fishin

[spacetogrow]

"I'm just doing what the octopus does naturally, with a bit extra thinking," Ilphyl said. "And... that is my specialty. Most druids where I'm from can do it a bit, but it's what I focus on."

[tisfinished]

"Ah, that explains why the Imps never figured out the trick. Too subtle, not nearly violent enough."

He's right but he's also bitter about it.

"Never had the knack for magic myself. I like to think my practical skills make up for it - if you're with the Fleet you've tasted it, more than likely."

[spacetogrow]

Ilphyl laughed. "Wasn't common in my birth culture, either, maybe for the same reasons. I learned it after I left, from the woman who took me in."

"Tasted... so, you're one of the cooks?" Ilphyl nodded. "Good work. And, honestly, I'd probably catch more with a line or nets, than magic. I just... it's nice to swim around and I might as well work on gathering supplies while I do it."

That and they still haven't obtained a replacement for their goggles, so being outside during the day is uncomfortable. They have a hat and tinted glasses, but they still are focusing downward. Good thing they have fish to clean.

[tisfinished]

"Quartermaster, victualler, and cook," he says with pride; the middle word pronounced vittler. "Involved with every part of making sure our motley crew not only eats but eats well. An army marches on it's stomach, after all."

"Sounds like quite a mentor," he says. "It's rare to see someone with proper respect for the world around them."

[spacetogrow]

"She was. Is -- I still write to her. Or did before I arrived here. We had slightly different magical focuses, but she taught me the basics. And a lot of... philosophy, I guess. Plants and animal stuff I didn't know, because she lived on the Surface, and I was born in the Underdark." Rather than use their native word for it, Ilphyl strung together the two words in the local language. Descriptive.

They knew the Imperials didn't care for even the surface relative to the sky, so someone who hadn't seen the open sky until they were fifty or so would be strange, at best.

"I'm willing to help with supplies, if you need me to. Or I have been."