Tred Softly in the Kitchen (S'rei/Open)

[Rowana]

It was good to have everyone back together again. Yes it meant more work, but it also meant more help and more supplies. The kitchens were finally working up to the standards that she liked and food was plentiful enough that she didn't have to worry about letting everyone go hungry or malnourished. If only they would stop having those pesky fire lizard and salamandyr hatchings in the Main Hall than it would all be perfect.

Opening the oven, Mae sniffed happily at the hot bubbly pies. They would make a good treat for tonight and she even had enough for the wherhandlers to have later. If Annatolli got back from playing, she could have one if she promised to help make dinner. It was a joy to have young people like Miguel and Anna around the kitchen and Nhim was good enough to make sure she didn't get in too much trouble.

Mae put on her thick gloves and started pulling pies out of the oven with a large spatula. She lad each one on a side counter to cool. Tae flitted in and Mae waved a finger at him. "You guard those pies," she ordered fondly. "Don't let no one steal them and I'll find some sweet meat for yah later." Tae peeped happily. He had just had a long and exciting flight around to see all the new dragons and it would be good to have a quick rest. Perching on a shelf above the pies, he ruffled his feathers and started to get comfortable. How hard to guarding silly pies be?

[Requiem]

S'rei was something of a 'regular', if you could call it that, in the kitchens. He certainly didn't cook altogether often; the man's culinary skills basically consisted of an uncanny ability to find things well-hidden so people wouldn't find them and, strangely, soup. He could do soup. So if he was in the kitchens at all it was pretty safe to assume that he probably wasn't cooking.

Mine, sooooo hungry, Mhir repeated piteously. The little blue was more than capable of hunting for himself by now, but he had a bad habit of playing with his food that more often than not left him with an empty stomach. (That, and S'rei suspected that he was reluctant to kill his prey. That kind of interfered a bit with the whole eating his catch thing.) "I know." He stroked the blue clinging to the front of his shirt absently with a finger. "There's bound to be some sort of meat..."

Dried fish. That would work. But as soon as Mhir was tucking in to the dried fish meat with a polite little thank you, S'rei was free to smell. And free to notice something else quite interesting. That smelled like fresh bubbly pies. He smiled. Nothing quite like a bubbly pie fresh out of the oven, and it was one of those low traffic times where the other cooks seemed to be either gone or consumed enough with whatever they were doing to pay him no notice.

Feeling a little like a weyrbrat again, he crept up to the cooling bubbly pies, glancing about to be sure there still was no one watching (and not noticing the razorclaw) before he snatched one up, juggling it lightly between his fingers so as not to burn them. Oh yes. Nothing like a bubbly pie fresh out of the ovens. S'rei immediately made for the door to find a place to consume his prize.

[Rowana]

Tae was growing bored and fidgety. He wanted to do as his mistress asked, but already he wanted to be flying again. The silly pies weren't doing anything and they were too hot to nibble. He shifted on his perch, itching to be in the air, even though he'd only been still for a few minutes. When he thought he just couldn't stand it anymore, something came into the room. The man obviously didn't belong, Tae hardly ever saw him in his mistress's kitchen. When he started to move towards the pies, the little razorclaw knew he was trouble. Finally something exciting, he thought happily.

With a cry of victory, Tae shot from his perch for S'rei. He was small, but he was swift as an arrow and was soon clinging to the man's shoulder, shrieking in his ear. "What's all that racket!" and irritated voice grumbled from the pantry. Hoayamae came out, waving her wooden spoon in a threatening manner. "It better not be those candidates again. I know they..." she paused mid rant. It was S'rei, former Weyrleader and on of their honorable Council Member, here stealing pie like a common weyrling. To her credit, Mae recovered her surprise quickly. "Why, S'rei," she crossed her arms, her mouth curving into a smug smile. "What brings you to my kitchen today?"

[Requiem]

Oh, good Faranth. Even S'rei wasn't proof against birds suddenly flying and shrieking at him. He flinched aside (thought that was hardly effective when the critter took possession of his shoulder) and wrinkled his nose at the racket the thing was making. "Do you like fish?" he asked the thing, offering him more of the dried meat he'd commandeered for Mhir. It worked with firelizards, anyway. Or...it worked with Elysia's firelizards. (He didn't much like flits because they always seemed to be attracted to him, and somewhere in the back of his mind he was convinced that if he went near a flitter clutch he'd have five more minds attached to his in one go.) If they were someone else's they were somewhat more tolerable. Sometimes.

Oh dear. That was definitely a Mae voice. Time to disappear. Before he'd even got half-turned about, though, she was already on him in all her matronly glory, her spoon sceptor waving about threateningly. He did her the courtesy of turning back around. Boy was that a smug smile she was giving him just then. Like it just made her day to catch him with a stolen pie in his hands. (It probably did make her day, actually.) "Mhir was hungry, so I was getting him some food." Which didn't really explain the pie unless you typically fed 'mandyrs gooey fruity goodness. "And these just smelled so good," he added, half-lifting the pie still in his hands.

That was when Mhir chose to pipe up from his position on the razorclaw's feet. He was curiously stroking the featherless foot with a tail. What sort of creature was this? Is day of turning. At this S'rei made a gesture as if to cover the little one's mouth - which was more of a gesture to cover him entirely considering the man's hand was bigger than a salamandyr - but of course the Mhir didn't speak out his mouth any more than a dragon did. Four and two. Yes? Four and two. Hi, he added to the bird, with a croon.

[Rowana]

Tae stopped screeching in S'rei's ear and regarded the offering. Fish was good. Fresh fish was better, of course. Ah his mistress was here! Now he could go play and she could guard the pies! He turned, flaring his wings and then noticed the salamandyr he'd nearly landed on. With a squawk of surprise, Tae tumbled from S'rei's shoulder and whizzed over to Hoayamae. What was the man doing with a blue worm on his shoulder?!

Hoayamae patted Tae with a finger. "Good boy," she cooed, before returning attention to her thief. She crossed her arms pointedly. "Last time I check," she began in her firm voice. "Mandyrs didn't eat pie." At least, not normal mandyrs. She'd heard of a few odd ones that did like to sleep in pies though. She waggled a finger. "Flattery will get you no where either, sir S'rei. Don't you try to sweet talk me. Those are for evening meal and not a minute sooner."

She blinked at the salamandyr, wrinkling her nose slightly. She would never get used to the little devils and their way of speaking. What on Pern did it mean? It wasn't evening yet, so the day wasn't turning, and what about the numbers. It took a few moments of thought to guess what the creature might be getting at. Mae raised an eyebrow critically. "Is it trying to tell me it's your Turnday?" she asked, in a mix of critical disbelief and real curiosity.

[Requiem]

Aw. His new friend didn't like him. Mhir wilted and curled up on S'rei's shoulder with a melancholy little sound, which brought an awkwardly sheepish look to the bronzerider's face as he reached a hand up to attempt to stroke the 'mandyr in something like a reassuring fashion. Poor thing. Why 'fraid? "I think you surprised him," the bronzerider offered as an explaination, Mae temporarily forgotten.

Very temporarily.

"Well, yes. Mhir is saying that," S'rei agreed, emphasizing the name. His salamandyr wasn't an 'it'. Even if you didn't know his name, his color should be indication enough that he was a 'he'. He brought the pie in closer to his chest while he regarded the older woman. "But that's not that important." Forty-two. Blech. Forty-two and with grandchildren on the way. He didn't feel old enough to be a grandfather!

"I say every batch of pies needs a taste tester, don't you agree?" Then, before she could disagree vehemently, as no doubt she would, S'rei took a quick bite of the pie - not too big, mind you, since it was still probably quite hot - and savored that bite. Hah. Not going to be able to put this back now, was she? A triumphant look mingled with a pleased one while he savored the hot, gooey bit of heaven. "Oh, you really outdid yourself this time, Mae," he concluded cheerfully.