Western Weyr - Kitchen
Perhaps you followed your nose here.. the cooking aromas are tempting. This is the main kitchen of the Weyr. At any time of the day or night you find cooks and drudges busy making meals and preparing foodstuffs for storage for later use. The cavern has been shaped into a huge room with a domed ceiling. The huge ovens and cooking stoves line the outer wall, their perpetual fires fueled by natural gas from a nearby well. Vent holes pierce the cavern walls, keeping the room amazingly clear of smoke. The inner wall has long counters of smooth stone, carved from the walls. You see a large, heavy looking metal-clad door. This is the large cold storage room, much like a man-made ice cave. The walls are made of volcanic rock, known for it's insulating properties. The heat exchanger is also powered by natural gas.
The time is after breakfast but far before lunch, the kitchen is not quite as busy as it would be should it be later in the day, though there are workers in the kitchen, most certainly. Kiley comes in with a list, brows furrowing a bit as she approaches one of the workers and relays what is on the list before handing it over. Arms fold across her chest once that is dealt with and she wanders off towards a chair to sit there in waiting for the basket to be finished. As she waits, however, her gaze begins to wander and she begins to idly consider everyone currently in the kitchen.
Someone probably should have learned by now that Rae should be allowed anywhere but in the kitchen - that is, when she's actually involved in food preparation. Unfortunately, however, it seems someone missed that memo, for there the candidate is, standing next to one of the ranking Bakers, watching as the large woman carefully builds up a dough for dinner breads, the teenager watching with interest as each ingredient is added, nodding almost too quickly as the woman gives her a look of 'are you paying attention'. Particularly as her eyes start to wander, and she flashes Kiley a smile, before her attention is back to her chore.
Kiley's gaze settles upon Raevella and her wandering eyes, offering a smile in return with brows lifting just a bit as she notices the baker that the other candidate stands beside. Curious, she pushes from her chair and makes her way over. She stands close enough to see, but not to get in the way of the woman's work or the potential work that the other candidate may be doing. "What is this? What did you put in it? Why are you making it that way?" The former computer crafter has not gotten a single kitchen chore, yet, so it is no wonder she is utterly ignorant of food prep.
Rae is hurriedly looking in the bowl as the large baker clears her throat, even as she shifts, stepping sideways to allow Kiley to slip in and take a peek. A long look is given to the candidate assigned to assist her, and the teenager blanches for a moment, before she's struggling to run through the list of ingredients, eyes closing as she recites. "Flour and uhm, eggs, and a little sweetening, with the stuff to make it rise. And.." She stammers for a moment, wincing as she draws a blank, eyes slitting open long enough to peer at the dough and try and think, the Baker just letting the girl think as the dough is dumped onto the countertop to start to knead it.
Kiley does slip in to take a peek, curious. Her gaze then settles on Raevella as she begins to recite, giving a rather apologetic smile despite her eyes being closed. There's a soft murmur of apology as she moves out of the way to allow the baker to work, however, lingering near by to watch her knead the bread. There's a thoughtful hum and then she considers Raevella. "So, you're making bread. Will you be making one as well or are you just observing?" A slight tilt of her head before she returns to watching the woman knead it, brows drawing into a frown. "Why do you have to… Do this?" A slight wave of her hand to gesture towards the baker's bread.
"She'll be kneading this one, while I start the next, if she bothers to open her eyes and pay attention." The baker answers Kiley's question for her, clearing her throat again which causes Rae to hurriedly move, pushing her sleeves up above her elbows, dusting her hands with flour as she carefully begins to roll it out, folding and flipping as she's been shown. "Working the dough gives it its texture, makes it stick together." The baker explains, even as another bowl is gathered, and she turns to begin to measure out ingredients for a second batch as the hard work is done by another. "After this, we'll let it rise, and then we'll knead it again." Rae peeks over her shoulder at Kiley, kneading effort somewhat diminished as she does so. "What did you draw?" She asks, though the 'wanna switch' is not yet mentioned. Just inc ase.
Kiley nods in understanding to the baker, glancing behind her and then pulling up a stool to sit on as she watches Rae begin kneading the dough. Rather than asking another question of the candidate, the baker is explaining and her gaze is drawn over there to watch her measure out the ingredients. "I see. I suppose that is why bread doesn't just fall apart when cooking." Interest is piqued more and she leans forward on the stool before her attention is drawn to Raevella for her question. "Oh, assisting a rider. He made me come here to get him a basket of food because we'll be busy and won't have much time to catch lunch in the Weyr."
Hands carefully work the dough, rolling and flipping, turning, pushing, folding, and working the tough dough again and again, pausing now and then to push at a sleeve which falls downwards. "That doesn't sound so bad… Depending what he has you busy with." She decides after a moment, pausing as the baker disappears into the larder to fetch eggs for her dough. "I mean, I suppose there could be worse things than making bread." She admits after a moment, contemplating the alternatives, even as the dough is rolled back into a large blob, and the baker reappears.
Kiley's attention is drawn to Raevella's hands as she works the dough, head tilting much like a curious feline does when they hear something unusual. "Oh, it isn't too bad… I'm looking forward to seeing what we're doing. I think I'll be shadowing his wing duties, though. That should be interesting." A smile plays on the computer crafter's lips as her gaze lifts to consider the other candidate. "Mhm. There are plenty of chores that are worse. At least the only thing getting your hands dirty is food." Fingers tap along the counter, "best not to think about it, though. And just think, you'll be able to eat what you make."
The baker gives the dough a once over, before nodding at Raevella, and the girl is cautiously reaching for a knife, splitting the large piece of dough into quarters, carefully rolling each into a ball which is stuck to the side and lightly floured before a cloth is settled over the top of them and they are left to rise, even as the next batch of dough is deposited in front of her to begin kneading again. "I suppose that's true. I've avoided the worst of them, thank goodness." Perhaps not entirely legitimately, but. "What wing is he in?"
Kiley smiles as Raevella gets approval for her dough, but not giving any further indication of congrats as it would draw attention to her. Instead, she focuses on the other candidate's next task of cutting the dough into sections. No question follows as she merely watches and attempts to figure it out on her own. "The worst I've drawn is mending laundry. It is not the best task for my fingers, I kept stabbing myself." A soft chuckle follows and she seems rather amused by this fact, "He is in Seamount so we'll be doing some transporting. I'm looking forward to it, though I don't think we'll be leaving the general area of Western. I think we're just going to the nearby Holds."
"Its got to rise.." Rae answers absently as Kiley glances as its set aside, reaching for more flour to sprinkle lightly over the dough in front of her to make it unsticky enough to work with ease. "I can usually trade for washing laundry, I don't see why people mind it so much. Its hard work, but.. for the most part you end up cleaner than you started." Of course, the known chore is always that much easier. "I wish I'd draw something like that. The rider I was with ended up having me sort papers all day." Not fun!
"Ah, right." A final glance at that last batch before she's watching Raevella work the next bit of dough. "People think that it is boring, I assume, but they could easily make it more interesting." A slight shrug of her shoulders and Kiley offers a smile, "At least with all the people avoiding it you're able to work it more." The computer crafter nods, "I don't think it is very often that chores will let you leave the Weyr. I don't think I would mind sorting papers, however, that can be fun." A soft chuckle and she leans back slightly on the stool. "You can learn interesting things from paperwork."
A rhythm has been established, and carefully the bread dough begins to take on the right texture as the ingredients are mixed together more fully, and gluten begins to form from the work. Another sprinkling of flour, and Rae pauses for a moment, before grinning. "This is true. Better the evil you know, than the evil you don't, hm?" She ponders, flipping the dough over with a dull thud. "If it had been interesting, maybe it would have been better. It was just wing rotations, to put by date. Wing reports would have been even a little better."
Kiley's attention is again drawn down to the bread, the rhythm holding her attention as she continues the kneading. The pause has her lifting her gaze once more and chuckling softly, "that's true. And it is easier to do what you know. I like trying the new things even with still doing my craft duties along with chores. Though I don't have them every day." The dough draws her attention with the thud as it comes to land on the counter and there is a soft hum of consideration. "Ah, that isn't as interesting as reports. At least with reports you could know what was going on in the area as far as search and rescue sweeps go."
"I mean, I can finish the laundry in half the time.. I spent the -whole- day weeding the other day… And I'm still not sure I did it right." She frowns a little, shaking her head with a sigh, pausing to shake out her arms before going back to work as the Baker pauses nearby to check her progress. "I don't understand why we have to do different things. I mean, I don't mind but.." She shrugs. "Why take away the stable duties from the stablehands. They do it better, and faster, and the runners are already used to them."
"Weeding is one of the easier chores, you simply make sure to get the plant out by the roots… But it is hard to do, I was struggling with it for a few days because I kept getting it." There's a wrinkle of her nose, "as long as you got the roots out, you did it right." Kiley promises, her attention drifting towards the baker as she pauses near by. She lingers in silence for a moment to consider the baker and then the other candidate before shrugging. "I'm not sure. It would make sense to let people stick to what they are good at. But, I'm not sure. I am sure there is a reason… I have been tempted to ask, however, because I am curious."
"Its no so much the how… I mean, its not hard to pull plants out but.." She shakes her head, kneading the bread distractedly. "I'm not entirely sure I was pulling out the right things, you know? I mean… young plants, and young weeds…" She wrinkles up her nose, glancing back at her bread as the baker taps her on the shoulder and lets her know she's worked it enough, the candidate splitting it into quarters once more before its set aside, and with a nod of the baker's head, she's given a short break. "I mean.." Rae shrugs a little. "If I Impress, I'm not going to be working here in the kitchen.. if I don't, I still won't." Pointless? The one thinks so at least.
Kiley wrinkles her nose, "it can be when they are bigger." The computer crafter sighs, "but if they're too close to the plant, I can understand having trouble telling which one is the weed and which one is the plant. I think I pulled out the wrong one a few times." Her gaze is drawn to the baker as she returns, waiting to see the results before dropping her gaze to watch the other section it off. Then she is hopping off the stool to allow the other to sit, gesturing easily towards it while she leans against the counter. "That is very true. But, there still must be a reason /why/ besides making us work for the sake of working."
A clean towel is snagged, and she's carefully wiping her hands of some of the flour, taking a moment to roll her sleeves back to rest above her elbows. "Oh, thank you.." She says with a grateful smile, settling herself onto the stool lightly, leaning back against the edge of the counter, and bracing herself with her elbows. "I'm certain I did, especially when that bronzerider was hanging around, being annoying." She huffs a bit, before shrugging. "Keep us out of trouble, I'm sure. If we're tired, we won't do anything but sleep."
"You're welcome. You've been standing." And Kiley's been doing nothing and sitting the whole time. A smile comes as the other settles down and she nods her approval, folding her arms across her chest. "What bronzerider?" A curious tilt of her head and her brows lift slightly. Another question looks to follow as her mouth opens but she shuts it promptly a moment later. "I suppose that is a good reason, but that may be for all the younger ones, the ones who are twelve to seventeen… Or around those ages." A slight shrug of her shoulder and she smiles a little wider. "I suppose I could find someone ask to sate my curiosity."
"Zi'on. Enka's little bronzerider. He admitted it too, asked me to make her a flower necklace." Rae comments with a roll of her eyes, even though 'little' is hardly the right word to describe the young man. "He sat there and pestered me half the time, telling me I was doing it wrong." She makes a face, turning her head to glance up at Kiley, smirking a little. "Oh, I didn't mean -that- type of trouble." She adds, giggling a little as she watches a young man passing through the kitchen with interest, before eyes flick back to the crafter.
"I thought everyone knew about Zi'on and Enka?" Kiley blinks and laughs a bit, "that's just how he is. He likes being annoying, but, he's a good friend. Even if he teases a lot." She shifts a bit and tilts her head to the side in an attempt to stretch. "I don't think he knows how to make a flower necklace, he was probably teasing." Her nose wrinkles a bit and then considers the other girl with a look. She blinks once, twice, and then follows her gaze to a young man. There's a coloring of her cheeks and a soft 'oh'. "But that isn't allowed."
"I don't know if I want him as a friend." Rae says with a face. "I mean, he's just so…" And for a lack of a better word, the teenage girl settles on the obvious one. "Stupid." She shakes her head, stretching a little as she settles on the stool, enjoying her break. "He offered me a mark to make her one. And offered to wear one all day if I made two and they were free." Rae shrugs a little, having clearly not entirely decided yet, before Kiley's surprised reaction has Rae giggling and practically falling off the stool. "Since when does 'not allowed' mean anything to some people?"
"He's… An odd sort of friend." Kiley offers and the final comment on the bronzerider has her laughing some. "He's still a kid, most of the time he acts a kid and not really a… An adult." Chuckle, "I suppose it could be considered stupidity." The computer crafter lifts her brows as she considers the other's words, tilting her head slightly. "He's a kid." There's no other way to put it, apparently. Cheeks color another shade and she gives Raevella a look, "I suppose it rarely means anything to some people, that is true." And then, the basket is delivered into her hands and the woman nods her thanks to the cook.
"I suppose…" She shrugs a little at the talk of Zi'on, apparently having had enough of it to not care to talk about the young man further. "Not worth my time.." She utters softly, and as the basket is put in Kiley's hands, she's grinning, nodding at the older candidate. "Enjoy your chore.." She offers with a grin, even as the baker looks like she's readying to start again as well.
Kiley chuckles, "I think he just has to grow on you." There's a shrug of her shoulders and she considers the basket then the other candidate. "Thank you. Try and enjoy the rest of yours. Making bread seems kind've fun." She gives a polite nod to the baker and quickly hurries out to avoid facing an angry rider for taking too long.