Deliver, Pickup, Repeat [chores/open]

[hseru]

Okay, balance the tray. Walk through the doors, dodge the kid bringing empty dishes and platters back in, weave through the tables, deliver the full platters, fill a glass here, fill a glass there, weave back through, enter the kitchens, drop off empty dishes, repeat.

Well, if one thing could be said of kitchen duty, it was monotonous and required little thought. Hence, the time passed so slow, Lanthos was certain he'd be old long before his turn for the day was over. At least he was only serving the riders and such for lunch. It was an easy pace as people trickled in and out for their food, but dinner was a whole different matter. All action and rushing too and fro. He preferred lunch really.

His lovely new flitter, Mask, clung close to his shoulder, trying to tuck himself into Lanthos' shirt in a fit of shyness as they passed person after person. Unfortunately for him, Pep was already there, and the mandyr hissed faintly at the intruder. He had first dibs on, well, just about everything, and he made it known that Hispet's new flappy thing would be second class to him. Of course, Pep really was too laid back and gentle to really enforce many of the things he hissed about, and Mask was beginning to understand that, though he still jerked away just a bit from the mandyr's shows of aggression. So, the young blue flitter chirped lightly before tucking his head into Lanthos' collar anyway, almost snuggling up to the mandyr, who whuffed air at him, then proceeded to ignore his new sleeping companion. Nogood. Pephandsome. The blue muttered, his voice faint as he already drifted back to sleep after voicing his thoughts on the matter.

Lanthos paused just inside the door after gathering empty dishes, checking on the two blue creatures sleeping around his neck. Pep's love of sleeping in his sling had caused him to pitch a huge fit when Lanthos no longer needed the thing, but his concession was to acquire shirts with large, loose collars so that the mandyr could sleep comfortably inside. It proved to be a double bonus when Mask showed the same propensity towards being inside his collar, though most times he was hiding rather than sleeping. He didn't really care if he looked a bit goofy with the looser collars, as it made the two creatures happy. He was just glad that Pep hadn't outright spurned the little flitter he'd been lucky enough to hatch out of that mystery egg. He'd kept all the pieces of Mask's shell too, maybe with the intention of making something from the pale colored shards. What, he had no clue, but they were there just in case.

A call came for a round at another table, and Lanthos hopped to, dropping off his dishes to snag yet another full tray of food, balancing it on his shoulder, walking through the doors, dodging the kid bringing empty dishes and platters back in, weaving through the tables, delivering the full platters, filling a glass here, filling a glass there, etc etc repeat.

[dragon]

Nris, for her part, was still quite new enough to still be quite lost in what exactly it was that was expected of her. That, and she never fancied herself a cook or a waitress. Urgh, the things that happened to her, these days! But she did try. She had no idea why she'd been picked up, told she was going to stand for a dragon, and then promptly informed that she had to do menial kitchen labor. What was up with that??!

But, for what it was worth, she tried. Even though she'd really rather be swimming. So she manned the doors between kitchen and hall, helping people who actually knew what they were doing do it effeciently, with as little spills as possible. In the mean time, she just watched, and learned. So that's what they wanted her to do? Preposterous!

Rather bored with the whole idea, she ended up people watching instead, eventually. And this included the lad who was scurrying back and forth with trays of stuff, in the over sized collar. There seemed to be something inside his collar, too, but she had yet to determine what, besides that flitter's head. And just for kicks to see what he'd do, every time he went through the doors she was maning, she'd smile at him. So far? Not much in the way of reactions.

[hseru]

His current platter was filled with meat and rather heavy, and he dropped it off at the head table without fanfare or incident. Turning, he nearly ran into another youngster serving bread. Narrowly avoiding a head on collision, he backed up into yet another server pouring wine. Before he knew it, the pitcher, nearly half full of watered down red from a home stock, had slopped down his back, wetting both blues at his neck and resulting in the pitcher crashing to the ground at the head of the dining hall, shattering into a hundred pieces that flew all over the floor.

Turning on the youth, a girl younger than him, Lanthos began to apologize, bending down to pick up the ceramic pieces, glad he had already freed up his own hands moments before. Pep squirmed out of his collar, clearly unhappy with both him and his napping spot being soaked through. He chattered angrily at Mask, as clearly it was the flappy thing's fault that Hispet was now soaked with smelly stuff. Nonono bad nono! He scolded, climbing up to take Masks' usual spot on hispet's head to begin cleaning himself of the smellystuff. Mask, in turn, launched off to hover overhead, anxious that he had really been the cause of it all. He followed in the air as Lanthos snagged the last big piece of pottery and returned with a bowed head to the kitchens, his cheeks a bit red with embarrassment.

He looked up in time to see a girl holding the door open for him with a smile on her face. Was she laughing at him? He slowed a bit, but Mask landed on his shoulder then, his anxiety almost overwhelming, and he walked past with a small nod and a hesitant smile in an attempt to be polite. It was quick though, as he want to get the shy Mask out of the fullish dining hall before he disappeared somewhere.

[dragon]

Nris held the door open for Lanthos as he went through, looking rather redder than the wine he was drenched in. She frowned slightly, and looked through the door after him. He looked rather ... well ... sticky. She wondered if there was anything she could do, but then decided against it. Nothing she could do except make him more embarrassed. So she let him go without a word otherwise, and went back to manning the door for everyone else. Not much else she could do. And then it occured to her: there was something else she could do.

She went through the door into the kitchen proper, and rustled up a bucket and a ragmop. Thus laden with hot water and soap, she made her way back out into the crowded hall, and started industriously mopping. Mopping was something she knew how to do quite well, having helped out on many a ship between dolphin swims. In very short order, she had a hot bucket of soapy red water, which she carried back into the kitchen and poured out down a drain. Then she started washing the mop out again, and hung it out to dry. Thus done, she returned to her self appointed duty at the door, and waited to see if that lad was going to come back or not.

Surely he hadn't let something like an accident embarrass him so badly that he couldn't come back out once he was cleaned up? She couldn't very well see how he reacted to anything she did if he didn't show up again.

[hseru]

Lanthos quickly dumped the pottery shards in a trash bin, then he went for the head cook with a sheepish look. The cook, obviously already aware of what had happened, eyed him with a slightly annoyed look, then gave a wave of his hand. "Go clean up, boy, but be back 'ere quick, ye've still got work to do."

Bobbing his head in silent acceptance, and glad he'd not been further reprimanded, Lanthos weaved his way towards the rear entrance. He paused only once at the meat table, asking the cook there who was chopping if he could have a bit for his stressed flitter and mandyr. The woman nodded, handing him a small bowl of leftover pieces that were going to be tossed or used for flitter food anyway. Pep, up until that point still busy cleaning himself (This smellystuff was kinda tasty. Maybe hispet could get him more?) focused on the bowl and its meaty contents. While Lanthos made his way to the candidate barracks in short order, he fed Pep a large piece first so he could work on it (he ignored for the moment the fact that the mandyr was probably leaving little gobs in his hair), then drew Mask down into his arms so he could reassure the shy flitter with petting and food.

"It's not your fault, Mask, it was mine. You were being very good." By the time he reached the barracks, the small blue had calmed to the point of being at least content again, munching on the remaining pieces of meat. Placing both him and Pep on the bed, and taking a moment to brush out whatever tidbits the mandyr had decided to leave in his hair, he quickly selected a clean shirt, drying off a bit then wringing out the wet one and leaving it on his trunk. He'd rinse it out later, there was no saving it from those stains.

The decision on whether or not to take Mask back with him was solved rather eloquently as the blue quickly launched off from the bed and replaced himself on Lanthos' shoulder, tucking in close to the boy's neck and cooing softly. Pep didn't like that one bit, and scrambled up hispet's clothes to perch on the other shoulder, hissing at the flappy thing. Mask showed a moment of backbone by hissing back, refusing to leave his chosen spot. Taken aback, Pep muttered obscenities to himself, slipping into the fresh shirt to resume his nap. badno.. handsomePep

Leaving the barracks, Lanthos made it back to the kitchens not long after, the boat ride quick. He walked over to subject himself to the scrutiny of the head cook again, glad to see that he hadn't taken too long by the man's stern opinion. "Go on, finish lunch." He grumped, pushing a new tray into Lanthos' hands. Nodding, the boy did as he was told, noting that as he left, the same girl was still there. Once more dry, his confidence was restored, and he flashed a genuine smile at her, with a "Thanks' for holding the door open.

Expecting that after this run he'd have to clean up the rest of the mess, he paused when he saw that the floor was already clean. Who? He glanced around, delivered his platter, and returned to the door again. Passing the girl, he paused on the inside of the door, out of the way so he could talk for a moment. "Excuse me, did you see who came out to clean the wine I spilled?" He addressed her, noting amiably that he liked her hair color. Brilliantly white-blond. It was nice.

[dragon]

Nris smiled at him, as she saw he'd not only come back, all spic and span, but with no trace of the embarrassment he'd shown before. She really hadn't any idea why he'd been embarrassed ... it wasn't like it had been his fault, after all. She'd seen what had happened, and in a crowded hall, it was hardly anyone's fault. Truely. Dutifully operating the door back and forth as people came and went with thier burdens, Nris wondered if the thing would fall off its hinges soon from all the flexing. If it didn't, her arm surely would! She changed arms, then, to give the first one a break.

And then that particular lad was coming back, collar stuffed again with something ... she wondered if that was one of his pets. He seemed to be carrying around a few! Nris let him through, just like everyone else, holding the door open and offering another flashing smile. At first she didn't notice that he didn't keep going, but it didn't take her long. She turned her ice-blue eyes on him when he started talking, and then grinned.

"That was me. I cleaned it up. Everyone else seems so busy, and I'm standing here not doing very much. So, yeah ... I did that. And personally? I don't think you spilled it. Things like that happen, and you didn't do it deliberately ... she was the one holding it, and she didn't do it deliberately either." She winked at him, with a grin. "No worries, kay?"

[hseru]

Lanthos grinned back at her, pleasantly surprised that she'd been so thoughtful. "Thank you for that, really. I expected to come back and have to clean it up anyway. But it was a little more my fault than hers. I'm still a bit new to how things work around here, and I'm sure she had a usual route she followed and whatnot. So-" He finished with an upraised finger for emphasis, grinning. "It really was my fault, through no fault of my own.. if that makes any sense." He laughed a bit at his own foolishness, then nodded at her. "Right, no worries though. I'm sure it will only happen again, and then where will we be?"

Pep, curious as to this new voice, woke up enough to peek out of Lanthos' collar. He was pleased to see a girl talking to hispet. He liked female nothispets. They gave good scratches, and good attention. Pephandsome? Prettypretty, Pephandsome? He asked, flaring his sapphire frill for her so that she could see the best part of him. He climbed out to sit on hispet's shoulder, while Mask took his hidey spot without him realizing it. The flitter snaked in, making Lanthos shiver at the small claws on his neck, but leaving the blue there. Mask had a problem meeting new people, and the candidate had early on found that given time, he'd come about it all on his own, but that forcing him often made him run.

Hoping the girl wouldn't be afraid of the mandyr, Lanthos carefully introduced him. "This is Pep. He, ah, likes girls. He says they give him better attention than boys." Moments after that brilliant opener, Lanthos had to move out of the way as more servers filed into the doorway, he peered after them, the head cook glancing his way with a disapproving scowl. "Sorry, miss, but I better get back to work. 'Name's Lanthos, candidate. I'm sure we'll run into each other again." He smiled, then disappeared into the kitchen for a platter of bread, coming back to the door and winking at her as he went through, as if to say 'told ya.'

[dragon]

Nris smiled, and then tilted her head ever so slightly to one side as she looked at Pep. "He likes girls, huh?" She repeated, with a little laugh. "To each thier own, I guess." She waved a little wave at the salamandyr, even though she was by no means close enough to reach over and give him an obligatory scratching. The silly looking thing was quite interesting to look at.

Nris grinned a little broader as Lanthos tried to make sense of the earlier scene, and merely nodded. Okay, sure. Whatever he said. As long as it made sense to him! She could understand his reasoning, but did not want to make an issue of it. Best to let things like that slide unmolested into the past, to be better forgotten. She didn't make a habit of making people uncomfortable, embarrassing them, or otherwise rubbing thier noses in past deeds.

"Alright, then! See you later. And do be careful." Nris waved a little bit, before also stepping out of the way some more, to better let people pass on thier busy errands... in the middle of a busy doorway really wasn't the best place to stand around chatting, anyway. "I'm Nris, by the way ... I'm also a candidate." She added, hastily, realizing she'd never introduced herself.

Well, that was intelligent!

And when he went back through, with a wink, she laughed quietly, and winked back, operating the door again. He was funny. In a good sort of way. Later on, she decided she'd better hunt him down, and learn something about that funny looking flitter he had in his collar ... it didn't really look like a flitter to her, even if one counted in the possibility of mutations. Seeing how he was a candidate, too, hunting him down should theoretically be easy.