Completed [The Herald's Arms] Large Circular Bread (Cosette)

[Rachel Messer]

Herald's Arms, 18th of Bell, 8th of Winter 513 A.V

"Whew!" It's freezing! A blond-haired woman entered the fine establishment as she shuddered in cold. During Morwen's reign, Syliras basically turned into a giant ice block. Rachel didn't initially plan to go here in the first place, she wanted to cook some broth in her apartment, but... the cold temperature was too much and she simply couldn't start the fire on her hearth for some reason. After a hard day of teaching in the Fighter's Pits, she required her daily sustenance of food.

The instructor opted the Herald's Arms as her dinner site that night, the Rearing Stallion was far too crowded and the White Swan Inn was too expensive for her liking. The Herald was just right, not crowded, no wallet-wrenching prices, and no noisy children as well. It was an adult-only establishment for a reason... as one could hire 'companionship' here for a price. Rachel didn't feel the need to hire one of the escorts, but she didn't scoff at people who did. As long as both parties gave their consent, the woman didn't see why prostitution was a bad thing, it provided comfort and relief for those who needed them.

Priskil, thank you always watching me. The woman gave a short prayer to her patron goddess in her mind, she was a devout follower - or friend - of Priskil and everything she did was to praise the Goddess of Hope. Ever since she received her mark eleven years ago, Rachel never lose hope no matter what hardships life threw at her for she knew her friend Priskil would always be with her, physically proven by the slightly glowing vortex-mark on her right palm. Her green eyes opened ash she finished her prayer, examining the Herald. Sweet smell of perfume filled her nostrils, relaxing the freezing woman. The warm interior also comforted her further, she sighed in relief, her feet taking her to a particular seat.

"Uhm, here!" She gestured for a waiter or waitress to come to her and take her order. By Priskil, she was starving and could literally eat a whole chicken... not including the bones. As she waited, her mind wandered to two peculiar figures she met just days ago. One was her half-brother named 'Kreig Messer' who was unknown to her all these years. He was also a squire of the Order, a strong one at that. She respected and admired him, but he needed to work on his reckless impulses. Second was her student named 'Jon', a young man in his seventeen, who came to her regularly for training sessions. The young man started clueless at first, but grew at an amazing rate like it was his gift to wield the longsword. Rachel wasn't jealous. she felt proud instead, to have the privilege in training such a talented young man.

"May I take your order?"

"Oh!" Rachel slightly startled, she was caught up in her thoughts, not realizing a waiter had approached her. "Uhm... I'll have... one of those large circular bread with meat toppings on it, please." It was one of her favorite dish, she didn't have a name for it, but in Sunberth, a baker often made it for sale. The woman wasn't sure if it was available in the Herald, but there was no harm trying.

"Well... wait just a minute, Madame." The waiter bowed politely and made his way to the chicken. The Herald's Arms was a fine establishment, receiving custom orders were not out of the ordinary with how many of the upper-class citizens frequented it. The waiter entered the kitchen and spoke with one of the chefs, the Nuit Cosette. "Excuse me, one of the customers asked for a 'large circular bread with meat toppings', do you think we can make one of those?"

I hope they have one. If they didn't, Rachel wouldn't be picky, but she would be very delighted if they could make one of those. Her mouth watered just thinking about it.

[Cosette Merryweather]

It was a strange request, but after working here for months Cosette had learned many recipes she had previously been ignorant of. The request this time didn't sound so far-fetched, there were many dishes involving bread wrapped around meat - or served alongside it on a plate. Heck, sandwiches were simply filling - be they meat or some other edible product - pinned between to slices of bread. Surely serving meat atop bread wasn't going to be the strangest thing she'd done.

In fact it was rather tame for a request, but in hindsight, that was all the better for her. Though she considered herself experienced, she wasn't so good that she could deviate from recipes all the time.

She picked up dough that was to be used for the day, laid it out on the marble counter top and stretched her hands completely, flexing her fingers and the surface of the gloves by extension. She stretched the dough slowly, drawing it to a few inches out and only when she was satisfied with it's breadth and thickness did she consider moving on to the next step. For this phase of the recipe she would need to move like a human might. Accustomed as she was to her nuit's speed she had learned its limits as much as she had its strengths.

With that said she concentrated, inspiring just a tiny amount of djed and not a significant amount to move within her - through her arms. Though large clusters of energy were required to create explosive punches and other such supernatural feats Cosette had learned that more djed meant less control and inversely, the less she used the easier it was to juggle the so called 'hot potato' in flux. With careful attention to the flow of energy she was guiding within her arms she began the procedure of spinning the dough in a closed fist quickly enough to allow it to stretch at a controlled pace.

And it did, gravity and momentum stretched the dough for her and she eased up on the motion because she didn't wish to tear the dough. Evenly distributing the dough and keeping thickness uniform all around was critical to her.

Next came preparation of the meat. It was less about choosing, because they had to work within their means, but Cosette had an eye for detail and she knew what meat would suit her the best. That beef that had caught her eye quickly fell under her knife's blade, she sliced it into thin floppy slabs attentively, dipping them in a secret marinade of Herald's Arm only when she was satisfied with their dimensions. With the meat ready it was time to bring things together.

She looked at the stove - or hearth, at the fire burning the already darkened bottom of the wok. She put on a thicker outer glove and used her hand to keep the wok immobile while she poured olive oil into it along with slices of garlic clovers and white onion rings prepared in just half an hour ago for another dish. For awhile she waited, stirring the oil in the wok with gentle turns of her hand and when the bits of garlic within started to simmer she knew the meat was ready to be placed in.

Once it swam in oil, though not too much of it, the meat became firmer from its originally very tender state even as she prodded and shifted it's place with a fork. Cosette was being cautious of maintaining balance however, and she allowed the meat to only cook part of the way. The remaining she still had to finish in the oven with the bread.

This simply meant the bread as well as the meat would be cooked simultaneously. Something that had suited her just fine. Waiting was the only real problem here, but even that she could do with little trouble. She only hoped the people ordering the dish weren't in too much of a hurry.

She carefully arranged the partially cooked meat over the dough in a manner pleasing to the eye and in the stove it went. The dish didn't take too long to cook and it was out of the stove before so long with barely any charring. Still there was something missing. To finish it off and put his worries out of mind he decided to do something extra, an Eyktol sauce was used to dress the pieces of meat and even her onion rings were no exception to the rule. "Can you bring this to the customer and ask if he, or she, is satisfied with the arrangement now."


oocSorry for the substandard post, its really way early in the morning and I haven't slept yet. If there's anything wrong here, please tell me so I can fix it. Thanks.

[Rachel Messer]

Rachel waited patiently as the waiter came back to her, hopefully with good news. "We can take your order, Madame." He smiled professionally, good thing the Herald's Arms had a talented chef such as Cosette. The instructor beamed the waiter a happy smile, nodding in confirmation. "Wonderful! I shall be waiting!" With a polite nod, the waiter left to attend other customers.

The blond decided to spend her time by reviewing her combat abilities. Her memories swam to the tales of bandits plaguing the Kabrin Road, foul scums bent on stealing and pillaging. They were foul humans, enemies of all that was just and fair, Priskil herself would burn them, but they were still sentient, living, beings. Rachel shook her head, clearing her thoughts, knowing that Priskil would smite heretics such as them eased her. She did Syliras, her patron Goddess, and the Knights a favor if she helped exterminating those scums.

This fact also reinforced her goal, she needed to improve her ability. Compared to Ser Wade or Kreig, she was still but a babe. The two of them could defeat her in less than a chime, as a weapon instructor, it struck her pride hard. To serve the city better, she herself must improve. The key to be a master was, of course, constant intense training and intense training consumed a lot of energy. Where did one get lots of energy? Good food, obviously. And here she was, waiting for her custom order to arrive. After a few moments, the same waiter entered the kitchen then came out, carrying a piece of circular bread. Rachel expected it was her order as the waiter approached her. "Here you go, Madame. Your bread, I hope it's to your liking." With a polite nod, he left.

"Oh..." Rachel closed her eyes, her nostrils filled with the delicious smell of warm bread, garlic, meat, and all sorts of ingredients. Not wasting any more time, the instructor picked up her eating knife and fork, she began to cut a piece of the bread in a triangular shape. Opening her lips, Rachel took a bite, her taste buds exploded with flavour. "Ooooh... so good~" She muttered under her breath. Who cooked this? She must meet this person, the Herald's Arms might be her new favorite dining establishment.

The hungry woman kept eating the circular bread, trying her hardest not to moan. It was simply too good! After she was done, Rachel closed her eyes, reminiscing the taste. She wanted to order another one, but... gluttony wasn't good, she didn't want to end up like Kale Belmont. She called back the waiter, asking for her charge. The waiter came back to her and told her the total was five gold mizas, the price also included drinks and desserts. She paid as the waiter brought her dessert, pieces of fresh fruits. With her dinner done, Rachel requested for the waiter to tell the chef that she wanted to see him or her. "I must compliment the chef myself, the bread was very, very, good, Sir!"

"Ahaha, of course, Madame. Your chef is named 'Cosette', I shall tell her of your request." With a bow, the waiter walked away. Rachel herself sat at one of lounge chairs. The waiter entered the kitchen and spoke to Cosette. "Cosette, it seems you get a new fan, she wants to compliment you herself, if you're not busy. She's just outside, blonde bun-shaped hair and green eyes."

RecipeDinner set: -5 GM

[Cosette Merryweather]

A fan? That was an exaggeration no doubt, perhaps the customer had only liked her dish because it was a favorite, or perhaps the flavor was nostalgic to her - she did have a very specific idea of what she wanted, it was likely she had tried this dish before. Include the fact that Cosette was naturally inclined to deflect the praise of others and she had an excuse to believe the customer was simply being nice. "Oh, of course, it would be an honor."

With a polite bow to her co-workers she quietly excused herself from the kitchen and sauntered out into lounge where she immediately found a person who'd description matched the one given by the waiter. She stood in front of the woman, a little wary of the new company but she had confidence in her disguise. Her being a Nuit was a secret she kept well, her control over her morphing solid enough to prevent people from prying her secrets - to the world at large she looked like a pale, anemic girl, but she did not have the countenance of the dead.

"Greetings ma'am." a tiny bow and an appreciative smile, small and measured gestures of respect were given as was required of her by this establishment's proprietor. "I was informed that the dish I made was to your liking... I hope that the next time you visit - if you would - I am able to make another dish that might better satisfy you."

"Is there perhaps another dish you would wish of me? Dessert perhaps?" Cosette wasn't the best at dealing with strangers, she could handle them well enough but it was strange how unprepared she was for praise. She could handle criticism, complaints and many other things but when someone actually said something good about her she was at a loss.

She nervously looked up at Rachel's profile and she wondered exactly what the woman was. A warrior? She seemed like one, but she did not have the towering physique many of the Syliran knights boasted. Well, it didn't matter, she would find out more about the woman after exchanging words. There was a small chance that this conversation might lead to something more.

[Rachel Messer]

A few chimes later, a young woman with light blond hair walked out of the kitchen doors, her skin was very pale and her form rather frail. At a glance, the girl looked like someone who just recovered from a fever, but for her to be coming out of the kitchen meant she worked her as a chef. The establishment wouldn't allow their chefs to work while being sick, that would spell disaster should the disease spread. From this, Rachel concluded this woman wasn't diseased and her pale complexion was natural. The young woman, almost a girl, greeted her. Rachel gave a nod in reply, this was the chef responsible for the delicious bread earlier.

"Yes, Miss! I love it very much!" The instructor couldn't keep her composure, this place would be her favorite dining establishment in all of Syliras for years to come. "I will absolutely be looking forward for your next masterpiece!" It wasn't an exaggeration, Rachel loved those circular breads. Rachel then made a gesture for the young chef to side across of her table. "If you are not busy, will you join me? I understand if you have more duties." She wanted to know more about this intriguing individual, Rachel couldn't make it out with words, but her appearance seemed mystical. Maybe she was one of Medhozic's race, the one called 'Ethaefal', only without horns? They radiated this aura with their unusual skin tones and very slender build. "Ah, the meal I ordered already include the dessert, if you'd like, I want to share these fruits with you."

Whether Cosette accepted or not, Rachel would continue eating her dessert, she hoped the young woman would stay though. If Cosette didn't leave, Rachel would converse with her. "My name is Rachel Messer, Miss. May I know the name of the chef who created such delicacy tonight?"

[Cosette Merryweather]

Even if it was not in Cosette's nature to take warmly to the gratitude of others it would be exceedingly rude of her to turn aside the compliments so freely given, especially when it was a customer who promised to return if only to sample her work yet again. Besides, the woman's satisfaction brought this little cook no small feeling of joy. It was a small, but warm and welcome feeling that danced in the pit of her stomach. That her cooking had inspired such a reaction from others was something she had always worked hard to accomplish and only now did she achieve the feat.

That was, to her, one small step into become a true professional in the field of cooking. Perhaps she was coming on to her own now, mayhap she had progressed beyond the mantle of a novice chef, with her fundamentals polished she could focus on creating the defining signature of her dishes - whatever that was.

"I-I am pleased to have satisfied your palette ma'am." she could not help but bow as she expressed her gratitude for the very kind words. "M-M-Masterpiece! You hold me in such esteem ma'am, I do not yet possess the skills in my craft to create a dish worthy of being called such, but I will endeavor to create something that would please you on your next visit. I swear it." the woman's words had moved Cosette and she was definitely going to work hard to see this one's expectations met - or surpassed.

Rachel introduced herself and asked for Cosette's name, in turn the blonde dipped her head low, pinched the fabric her skirt and performed a passable curtsy. "Cosette Merryweather, at your service Miss Messer."

Cosette accepted the woman's offer, putting aside the fruits in a neat and orderly fashion on an empty basket beside her. With a moment's hesitation her eyes fell upon the fruits, then shifted back to Rachel and finally back to the round bounty once more. She nodded to herself, it seemed she'd come to a conclusion given the firm nod meant for nobody else.

"I wish to be sincere with you Miss Messer, this is the first time someone has been so pleased with my work... and your words have both gladdened and moved me. If you would be so willing to wait, I wish to repay you for what you said." she picked up the basket, hefting it up between them. "I shall make something you could take with you to your home with these, something you might be able to share with your companions. Would you permit me this favor?"

[Rachel Messer]

The young woman seemed rather nervous, she stammered some of her words, but Rachel could understand her, if a Sir Gerard would praise her for her teachings, she would stutter like a little girl as well. The girl's politeness didn't go unnoticed, Rachel liked how she acted with decorum, a sign of someone with education... much unlike a Sunberthian brat such as herself. She was rather ashamed of her hometown, with it being mostly filled by criminals and scums, and strive each day to rid herself of any Sunberthian accent and attitude.

So her name was 'Cosette Merryweather', such as cute name for a cute girl like her. Her blond locks were similar in shade to Rachel's, this sparked some kind of 'Blonde Pride' inside the instructor's heart. "Miss Cosette, just call me 'Rachel', in return, may I call you 'Cosette'?" Her smile was brimming with hospitality, she envied on how Cosette could perform the polite gesture with such fluidness, a brat like her was never taught to do that back in Sunberth.

The girl accepted her offer was not only polite, but know how to appreciate gifts. Rachel found herself like her more and more, however it came to a surprise when Cosette told that it was the first time someone had complimented her for a job well done. Rachel just couldn't fathom or maybe, Cosette was just being modest. "You're very welcome, Miss Cosette," The girl's offer brought a happy grin to her face, "Of course! I shall wait here, take all the time you need!" The woman wanted to come with her to the kitchen, but she assumed it was not allowed and waved it away.

[Cosette Merryweather]

"Yes R-Rachel." there was definitely some trepidation there. The customer was attempting to make her feel comfortable, but it was hard to deal with clients in such a casual manner because it went against all her training up to this point. But as with all things she would persevere.

"You have my gratitude." she bowed once more, though the movement was small and quick. "I-I'll try not to disappoint."

Since Rachel was of the opinion that she would remain where she was, Cosette felt that it wouldn't be practical for her to force the issue and drag the girl into the kitchen. No, the best thing she could do was make sure she worked efficiently so she could quickly give the woman her due.

Fortunately the equipment she would need wouldn't need washing, that was the task of more junior members of the staff. With a cool demeanor of confidence that seemed highly unlike her Cosette settled into her professional persona, taking in the table space before her in its entirety as she mapped out how she would work in her mind. And then her hands came to life.

Butter found the pan, a few pinches of salt, a cup of flour, the eggs Cosette cracked with ease and discarded the shells appropriately and she whisked everything, drowning everything in a measuring cup's worth of milk. That would make the crepe which was easy enough to prepare thanks to the high quality of equipment they had. She could never do this work without ridiculous amounts of butter with the old pans and set-up she endured. With the crepe finally prepared she set those aside for the main course.

Bacon was next, she wanted it crispy, thin slices that would ooze out the fat as it cooked over medium heat... and she would extract the said meat, saving it because it would need to be crushed for later. White onion rings, diced cloves of garlic and pepper sizzled over the pan when she finally brought the beef. The pieces of meat had been carefully cut with serrated knives, the cubes small and as uniform as one could make them - then these joined the oil and the bacon's extract along with the spices.

Mushrooms were cut into manageable chunks, the zest from citric fruits were used to lend the dish a unique flavor and when the meat's color had changed she tested it for its tenderness. Soft, but not raw, Cosette smiled. She wrapped up four crepes she'd prepared in the suitable paper wrapping and hurried outside to give it to Rachel Messer who she hoped hadn't waited too long.

"A meat dish, I decided that you might want something you could eat away from a dining place. I hope you'll enjoy." she said brightly as she offered her creation to the swordswoman.

[Rachel Messer]

OOCAlright! I'll post it for grading after this post. Thank you for threading with me, Cosette! It's always a pleasure.

Cosette was still nervous for some reason, perhaps it was because the instructor was noticeably older than the apparent teen. Rachel had no knowledge about Cosette's true age of course so she simply assumed Cosette to be younger than her. The instructor decided to bring her blessing into the play, her right hand reached out to gently tap Cosette's shoulder, soft yellow light shining from her palm, it would chip away negative emotions and feed courage to herself and those near her, "It will be okay, Cosette, I know you can do it". She gave the girl a kind smile, then retracted her hand as Cosette got up from the chair and headed into the kitchen.

Such an interesting chef... It was certainly not often a girl as young as her working as a chef, it was usually older men or women such as Chef Vustakoff in the Rearing Stallion. The chef was both famous and infamous for his behaviors if the rumors she heard was true, but one must admit, his cuisine was excellent. Rachel made a mental note to visit the Rearing Stallion some time, as a combat instructor, she needed adequate amount of sustenance. For now, she would eagerly wait for Chef Cosette's cooking. Rachel leaned back in her chair as she took a sip of her drink. Her mind wandering to her job, thinking of new exciting methods to teach her students, to keep her lessons interesting.

After a few moments, the instructor smelled a delicious aroma, she turned her head to the kitchen's direction, fully expecting Cosette to come out, carrying her dish. True enough, the girl was carrying a neat paper wrapping, she looked hurried though, Rachel couldn't help but to chuckle lightly, "Why the hurry, Chef?" She then accepted the dish with both hands, nodding her head in gratitude, "Thank you, Chef! From the smell, I can already it will taste divine!" The instructor then stood up, "Rest assured, I will return to indulge more in your masterpieces. Priskil blesses you, my friend." Then the blond woman paid for her meal, headed to the Arm's exit, picking up her coat then strode out with lifted spirits.

[Ball]

Cosette
Cooking +3
Socialization +1

Lores
Cooking: Making Meat-Filled Crepes
Cooking: Making Circular Bread with Meat Toppings
Getting Complemented on Stellar Food

Rachel
Socialization +2
Observation +1
Rhetoric +1

Lore
Herald’s Arms – Middle of the Road for Food, Wallet, and Crowds
Cosette Merryweather – A Young Chef at the Herald’s Arms
Cosette Merryweather – Shy about complements

Notes
First off this is my first grading in ages. I want to thank you guys for being patient. Any questions PM me!