Placeholder Not So Fun In the Sun

[Orin Fenix]

81st of Summer, 515AV

For whatever reason, Orin’s body was refusing to accept that he was on dry land. He was still standing as if he had to check his balance against a sudden swell and the sandy soil beneath his feet felt as if it was pitching and rolling beneath him. Frankly, he was becoming a bit queasy, and it was bothering him to no end.

He was also at a loss. His contract with the captain, as loose as it had been, hadn’t included securing Orin’s help in unloading the supplies. Unfortunately, it also hadn’t covered employing him after they’d reached this strange land. Another sailor, the replacement cook, who the first mate had grudgingly admitted probably wasn’t better than Orin, but just happened to be related to the captain’s wife, had given him directions to something called the Hospitality House. It was, according to the sailors, the only place on this isle, the Isle of Akvatar, where landlubbers and ground dwellers could stay. That comment had struck Orin as odd, until he got his first glimpse of the residents of the city.

Abura, as it was called, was the home to the Akvatari, and before now Orin had thought the descriptions of them were just fantastical tales made up to put one over on the ignorant newcomer. However, now that he was here, in person, Orin was forced to admit that the stories hadn’t done them justice. They had furred tails and gossamer wings, and they soared through the towers and spires of their land as if they were beings from another land. And, as Orin watched transfixed, several of them dove into the water even as more emerged from the depths, showing that these amazing people could survive underwater as easily as they did in the highest reaches of the world. It tooks his breath away, the beauty of it beyond his reach in ways he couldn’t begin to put into words. And, as the sun peeked out from behind the clouds and shone down on it all Orin saw that it was a riot of colors, both bold and understated. It was almost an assault on the senses, and his eyes darted everywhere, trying to take in the living, breathing, and everchanging tapestry.

Still, he could only stand and watch for so long, before his brain nudged him into motion. Trying to keep one eye on the spectacle and one on the path, he picked his way carefully towards the building he could just see in the distance. The heat was tremendous, and Orin soon found his clothes soaked through. Looking around guiltily, he took off his shirt and mopped his brow with it, before tying it around his waist. Luckily Sylvette wasn’t with him, or she’d have pointed out the hypocrisy of him walking around half-clothed while she couldn’t be naked. She was likely back at the ship, lounging around in her cat shape soaking up the sun’s rays. Unlike Orin, she appreciated a nice warm berth in the middle of the day. It wasn’t so much the heat that was the problem for him, seeing as the kitchens during the summer were much worse than being outside. But the sun beat down relentlessly, and Orin was sure that spending any amount of time here would result in him burning horribly, something that hadn’t happened since he’d been working Mithryn Outpost’s fields. Much more comfortable, he continued on his way. As he drew closer, he saw that the Hospitality House was made of sandstone, and rose from the sands like a vision of paradise. Stumbling the last few steps, mouth already dry from the short walk, Orin pushed open the door and stepped inside.

It took more than a few ticks before his eyes adjusted to the much dimmer indoor lighting. Once it did though, Orin’s brain had almost too much to process at once.

[Orin Fenix]

What in the….Priskil preserve me! Sitting before him was a creature that seem to have been born out a dream. It had wings highly reminiscent of a butterfly, with the bottom half of some weird blue fur that terminated in a tall. Aside from the wings, which were a brilliant green streaked with shades of blue, the upper half was all human. All gloriously nude. Orin blushed a furious shade of crimson and quickly dragged his eyes to the female creatures. Her hair, he noticed, was the same colors as her wings and fur, and her eyes were a beautiful shade of turquoise. And they were deep and mournful. In fact, Orin got so lost in them that he nearly forgot his earlier embarrassment.

That is until the human woman sitting next to her laughed uproariously at his reaction, causing Orin to blush even harder. ”Lad, I eint seen anyone turn that red since Ai caught me first mate in a...well let’s just say...a rather compromising situation. I’ll spare your delicate constitution the details.” Orin’s gaze shot over to the human, who was draped languidly over two chairs. At her words, he ducked his head in shame, making her laugh all the harder. When her chuckles finally died down she spoke up again. ”Welcome to Akvatar, traveller. M’name’s Lisa, proud captain of the Swiftheart, may she sail smoothly, and current representative of Zeltiva’s Sailors Guild on this here proud isle. My companion here likes to be called Aes. And I’ll remind you it’s rude to stare. Although I take it you’ve never seen an Akvatari before?” Throughout her speech, Lisa voice kept a lightly mocking tone, as if she couldn’t be bothered to properly care about anything. However, she gained an edge when she continued on further. ”Now state your business here, and whether ye be friend or foe. I warn ya, if you come with bloodshed in mind ya won’t find us an easy fight.

Aes finally spoke up at this, laying a hand on Lisa’s shoulder as she did. ”Peace Lisa. Let the boy speak. He looks like he has traveled far and may have new tales to tell.” Aes’ voice was low and soft and sad, matching her eyes perfectly. Orin didn’t know what hardship she had faced in her life but he wanted to simply reach out and soothe her, although he didn’t rightly know how. So instead, he fidgeted with his hands, until suddenly he burst out. ”I need a job.” Blushing even harder than before at the impropriety, Orin bit his tongue and collected his thoughts before he continued to make a further fool of himself. ”What I meant to say is that I’m hoping you might have a position available for a chef. I’m pretty skilled and I know how to run a kitchen if that’s necessary, and I’ve cooked for sailors before so I can handle that particular aspect of it.” He hesitated before he spoke the last part. ”I’m sure I can cook for an Akvatari, as well, although I’d need to know what your diet was first. And I really, really need this. Not just because I need the money, but because cooking is, well, it’s what I do.”

Something in that last statement seemed to catch them, and Aes smiled, although it was bittersweet and seemed to hang in the air like a broken dream. The two women, so different and not just because they were different species seemed to communicate silently with one another before turning back to Orin. Aes was the one who spoke this time, her voice a soft whisper that nevertheless filled the space. ”It’s not the call of the sea that you feel Lisa or the call of the song that I feel, but it’s a calling nontheless. Let’s see what this strange boy, this stranger of no name but skilled with fire and flesh can do.” Aes nodded to a small door behind her, indicating that he should enter it. And with that, Orin realized that if he passed their test, he would secure himself a position here. The thought filled him with equal parts dread and elation, but gratitude filled his eyes. ”I’m Orin Fenix and all I can say is….thank you from the bottom of my heart, for this opportunity. I won’t disappoint you.”

[Orin Fenix]

Orin entered the rather paltry kitchen, that same swirl of emotions running through his veins. There he stopped and took it all in. It wasn’t anywhere near as well stocked as what he’d worked with in The Rearing Stallion, although it was an improvement over the conditions on the ship. Still, beggars couldn’t be choosers and clearly this was the only kitchen he'd be allowed to work in. While it seemed a bit extreme to use this as a test of his abilities, Orin understood that they wanted to know if he was worth hiring. At least he’d been provided with a cookbook, especially because a quick glance at the kitchen told him the ingredients he had to work with were scarce and many of them were unfamiliar. Still, there were some aspects of food preparation that never changed.

Taking up a pot, Orin scouted around the kitchen before locating the pump and some soap. Filling it up halfway, he started scouring away, doing his level best to remove every trace of grime he could see. It was clear that these supplies didn’t get the care and attention they deserved. Whoever was cooking did a lackluster job at cleaning up after themselves. Orin didn’t really hate all that much in the world, but improper precautions in a kitchen and dirty cookware made him too angry for words. So far this endeavor to become employed as the Hospitality House’s cook wasn’t going well at all. As his hands stung from the soap getting into the various small cuts he felt his mood growing fouler and fouler as time passed. Perhaps he’d be better off trying to find another ship to work on rather than staying here on this isle. But Orin couldn’t stomach the idea of spending another season on the water. Of course, right now, the conditions here weren’t ideal, but if he spent enough time and energy, he could make this a place even the most cynical of chefs would be proud of. So, as his hands moved with renewed vigor, Orin resolved to make this job work. The prospect of being able to have access to a real kitchen, one where he might even be his own boss, was simply too tempting to pass up. So, to combat his unease, he started dreaming of what he might do here once he’d proved himself and established his credentials. Even though the Akvatari were complete unknowns, Orin wasn't daunted by the idea of cooking for them. Quite the opposite, in fact; he saw this as a challenge that he needed to push himself to the next level.

His musings were enough to carry him through the rest of the cleaning process, although the sight of dirty dishes remaining in the corners of the room still put a damper on his spirits. Orin simply didn't have the time to give this place the scrubbing, or perhaps, the complete overhaul it needed. While his potential bosses hadn't given him a deadline, exactly, on this test, Orin figured they wanted results as quickly as possible. While he wasn't rushing his work, wanting to do the best job he knew how, he was acutely aware of the stress of this situation. As he carried his pot outside through the back door, he let his mind start pulling up various ideas, but he couldn't really do more until he'd gone through the cupboards and seen what was in stock. It was impossible to make a meal without knowing the ingredients, after all. As he dumped the pot's contents and watched them get absorbed by the water starved earth, he reflected wryly that it would probably be some type of seafood. Which he was thoroughly sick of, seeing as there was almost no other option. Still, at least his skills at preparing it would likely be fresh.

Reentering the kitchen, Orin was shocked to see there was a sack placed by the door. It definitely hadn't been there a chime ago, which begged the question of whether or not his hosts were watching him. Still, whether or not they were didn't really change his circumstances all that much. And maybe his prospects had just gotten much better. It all depended on what was inside of that sack. Orin doubted that they'd given it to him for no reason, which meant they expected him to cook it. If they'd given him some obscure or difficult item, he was determined to turn the joke around on them.

[Orin Fenix]

Staring at the sack, Orin cautiously approached it. It was moving, obviously filled with something living, and annoyed at the latest complication, Orin untied the top of it. Beady eyes looked up at him as the smell of brine drifted up to his nostrils. Wrinkling his nose, Orin reached a hand in without thinking. For his troubles, he got pinched, hand. Yelping, he withdrew from the sack, and, after an initial bit of resistance, the hard substance locked around his fingers let go. Rubbing his hand Orin glared at the sack. Great. Crabs. Guess that narrows it down. This day just keeps getting better and better. Snarling wordlessly, Orin stomped over to the cookbook and flipped it open. The only good that had come out of this whole endeavor was that Orin was learning new recipes. While that had been the whole point of his going on the expedition in the first place, he'd lost that somewhere along the way.

He stopped to process that thought along the way. Somewhere between this island and Syliras he’d lost his sense of wonder, his sense of adventure, his sense of hope, his drive to get out of bed in the mornings, to do more than the bare minimum. It was a shocking revelation. At the beginning of this odyssey, this island, these people, and the opportunity to learn how to cook for a different species would’ve made him ecstatic, and he would’ve been practically bouncing off the walls with energy. This trip was changing him, and definitely not all for the better.

Reflecting, he leaned his head down and closed his eyes, trying to drown out the world. More and more often, he was turning to prayer, because unlike his absent companions, who had abandoned him along the path, at least with a goddess he could pretend someone was listening. It brought him a small comfort in his sea of loneliness. ”Priskil, hear my prayer. I know I usually just...talk to you but this moment felt like...more was needed. Besides, a goddess deserves a little prayer now and then. I pray that I may come out of this crucible stronger than I did before, as you did. I pray that I regain my sense of wonder, and that I may wonder at your works in the world. I pray that your light may find me in the darkness and guide me to a place I can call home.” Tears stung Orin’s eyes, and he swallowed back a sob, but continued on. ”And most of all I pray that your never ending watch be ended, that you may join us in the beauty of the world.” Moisture spilled over and onto his cheek, and almost definitely, he began to sing, not sure why, but not willing to give into this haze of depression and feeling that the simple child’s song could stave off the dark clouds somehow. If he could get through his childhood then he could get through this, and, remembering one of the few happy memories, of a bonfire at night, and dancing which, although he didn’t join in, he watched, feeling, for once, a part of something greater than himself.

Candle slight, candle light
Light my way to home this night
Fire tame, fire flame
Keep on shining sure and bright

Guide me through the darkness deep
Pierce the clouds of night so strong
I trust you to bring me safely home
And keep me warm through the night long

Candle slight, candle bright
Light my way to home this night
Fire tame, fire flame
Keep on shining sure and bright

Flicker surely, guide surely
Find me through the thickest storm clouds
Illuminate the depths of black
All I want to do is get back
You will lead me to the way back home

[Orin Fenix]

But with all this introspection, Orin was ignoring the task at hand, and, with a mental and physical shake, he left thoughts of the anchor weighing on his soul behind him. And, strangely, he felt lighter, freer, less burdened, although it might only be a temporary fix. Still, the time he spent praying seemed to have done its job, and as he sent a silent prayer of thanks to Priskil for her benevolence, he decided that he had a job to do as well. Flipping through the cookbook, a recipe caught his eyes. It was for something called crab patties, and it didn’t look all too difficult to make. Even better, he had all the ingredients here. And while Orin wasn’t a vindictive sort, he was entertained by the idea of killing the crab that had nabbed him.

First since the fire had gone out, Orin laid some kindling in the stove. Grabbing the nearby flint and steel, Orin struck them together until the kindling caught. Carefully, Orin layered progressively larger sticks, until they turned into logs that finally caught. Setting the fire up so that it would continue to burn away merrily without his supervision, Orin filled a pot with water and set it on the stove to boil. He scrounged around until he found a pair of tongs. After that, Orin opened the sack again and thrust the tongs in to grab one of the three medium sized crabs in there. He dropped it in, then repeated the process with the next two crabs. As they cooked, Orin found some green onions, and chopped them up, placing them in a pan to cook briefly. As that happened, he took a relatively fresh loaf of bread. Pulling off a piece of it, he started crumbling it up as best he was able, which was pretty good under the circumstances. He got them as fine as possible, then added the now soft onions, some mustard powder, some ground up garlic, salt, an egg, and about half of the bread crumbs.

He stirred that together in a large bowl he’d placed it all in, then took out two small bowls. The crabs smelled done to his now sensitive nose, and indeed when he pulled them out, they were steaming and smelled delicious. As they cooled, Orin replaced the water with some oil, and set it to heat. Once the crabs would no longer burn him at their touch, Orin removed their legs and then took a knife and levered the crown of the crab off so he could get to the meat. Scraping as much of the crab meat into the large bowl as he could, Orin made sure to cracked open the claws as well to get the meat there. Once all three crabs had been emptied of their meat, Orin thoroughly combined all the ingredients. He cracked another egg into the smaller bowl, then took the mixture and shaped it into something vaguely round, and dipped it into the egg. This he rolled in the breadcrumbs until it was coated, then he placed that onto the second, empty bowl. He made eight of the balls, then slid them into the boiling oil. Using the tongs, he turned them periodically until they turned a golden brown. Splitting the balls between two plates, Orin took them in his hands and carried them out to the other room. Without a word, he slid them in front of Lisa and Aes, and stepped back. ”I’ll be cleaning up in the kitchen.” With that, he turned on his heel and went to clean up the mess he’d made.

When he looked up from his sweeping after cleaning the pots and pan and cutlery, he saw Aes standing in the doorway. Leaning on the broom, he awaited her judgement. Simply, she said ”The job is yours, for as long as you wish it.” She disappeared into the shadows as Orin sagged in relief, only the broom keeping him upright. Closing his eyes, he mouthed one last prayer.

”Thank you, Priskil, for guiding me through yet another trial. May your own end soon.”

[Aladari Coolwater]

Your grades have been spotted!
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Orin Fenix

■ Cleaning +1
■ Cooking +1
■ Singing +1

Lores

Lore of Location: Hospitality House
Lore of Akvatari: Flyers and Swimmers
Lore of Akvatari: Comfortable in Nudity
Lore of Akvatari: Winged on Top, Furry on Bottom
Lore of Abura: A Living Tapestry of Color
Lore of Cooking: Crab Patties
Lore of Cooking: Using Tongs to Grab Hot Items
Lore of Priskil: A Goddess Deserves a Real Prayer Sometimes

Additional Information

If you want to turn this in for a job thread, I'd recommend handing it in to your new ST's office.

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Comments:

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