Food for thought (Shoki/Formy)

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

3077.05.20 | Afternoon

Missing lunch and then being ravenous towards the end of the normal lunch time was becoming a bit of a thing for him. Not necessarily a good thing, mind, but definitely a thing. Thus it was that when T’kar managed to slip away to the dining hall, all he was thinking about was filing his stomach as fast as humanly possible. He knew a moment of confusion as he entered, habit directing him nearly into a wall, before he was able to re-orient and recall that he was back in Telgar for the day, not at Rainbow Mists. When had his memory of Telgar’s passages become so faded, so unsure? Had it truly been so long?

Get food, Ancalanath commanded. You’re too hungry if that is on your mind.

Turning towards the counter, T’kar strode forward and claimed the last of the jumping cheese and some black pudding. Jumping cheese was a rarity here, unheard of at Rainbow Mists, though he understood it to be more common in Ista. He’d come to like it as a delicacy, growing up, and was glad there was still some left.

Weaving between a few close set tables, T’kar found one thing the way he remembered it. His favorite table was still in place. Settling down, he smiled slightly, at the sight of the deep nick in the wood, where a much younger Tavakar had tested a knife’s sharpness against the table, then started eating.

[Shoki]

F’mil was just shy of getting some truly interesting foodstuffs. He was in time for black pudding, but someone had already got the last of the jumping cheese. He took some, not only for himself, but for Aweirgan, who was already watching his plate closely. He could feel the tip of the firelizard’s tail twitching against his back, but otherwise he sat primly on F’mil’s shoulder. The man smiled. It was a good day when he could make his firelizard happy. It was a better day when Delgeth was happy as well.

[smear:c82009]Enjoy your meal, I will feel better then.[/smear:ffffff] The Crimson-White was sulking. Telgar was better, but it didn’t mean that he always liked ‘listening’ to the Weyr. F’mil sent his sympathy before returning to his cheery mood as he chatted with one of the cooks. Delgeth let F’mil’s mood wash over him, though it was too much to ask that the dragon’s eyes turn completely relaxed colors.

F’mil finished his brief chat with the cook, as he was holding up the line. He grabbed a roll to round out his meal before heading out to find a spot to sit. It was crowded, as it so often was. F’mil milled around, looking for a space to sit that was not occupied. As luck would have it, there was one. He headed over, ready to ask the occupant if they were not saving a spot, when he spied what the other rider was eating.

“Oh, lucky. They ran out before I got there. Still, you are in for a treat, if it is anything like Ista fair.” F’mil grinned, before smoothing out his face. Right, appearances. Well, he didn’t have to care so much anymore, but you couldn’t have the training he got and not remember. “My apologies if I am intruding, I was wondering if I could have a seat here, if you are not saving it for someone.” It was amazing how fast he could flip from excitement to formality. He was rather well practiced after all. Aweirgan looked more matched to formality, but F’mil knew better. He enjoyed the excitement of his master as well as Delgeth did.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

A voice to the side called T’kar’s attention up from the food, of which he’d just taken a bite, unfortunately for attempts at conversing. The newcomer was most interesting accompanied by the oddest little flitt T’kar had ever seen, a creature of pale blue, Azure perhaps, and red that could be nothing but Crimson influence.

Star, who’d been in hiding in T’kar’s lap, stuck his head up and climbed up to settle on the padded left shoulder of T’kar’s flight jacket, trilling a greeting to the new flitt. Wamarna, who’d also been on T’kar’s lap, just stuck her head up and trilled. Boot and Shadow, of course, stayed out of sight, Shadow even going so far as to cling to the leg of T’kar’s pants.

“No, it’s completely free,” T’kar answered, eyes widening a little in surprise at the speed of the boy’s flip from randomly excited to completely formal. Perhaps the young man was older than he seemed. He certainly seemed to have had formal manners drilled into his head at one point.

“Have you ever had it in Ista?” T’kar asked, reaching out and moving the cheese away from Boot’s searching nose — the food-motivated Brick had made an appearance when he thought his master distracted — without seeming to even be consciously aware of what he was doing. Of course, he’d had the Brick so long he practically didn’t recall the time before the firelizard, so he had plenty of practice in anticipating the silly creature.

F’mil, or Formy, of Crimson - White Delgeth, Ancalanath supplied, anticipating his rider’s request. Dragons, somehow, tended to be able to get that information faster than humans. Perhaps being telepathic, they needed less preamble in their conversations.

[Shoki]

Getting a positive answer, F’mil took a seat, and got settled. Well, he let his firelizard get settled. Aweirgan settled onto the table beside F’mil and greeted Star and Wamarna properly. It was uncanny how still the Azure-Crimson sat sometimes, but his tail twitched every once in a while and his eyes betrayed his positive mood. He was so well behaved, F’mil felt the natural inclination to spoil the firelizard. A bit of the black pudding was soon given to Aweirgan, who took it graciously before eating.

“Of course. It is a local specialty, so it would be rude not to.” F’mil paused then let a brief chuckle escape him. “Sorry, old habits. I was born in Ista.” He watched with interest as a Brick firelizard snuck up to get a sample of the cheese in question. How many firelizards was this man hiding? They were a nice varied bunch, therefore of interest to F’mil. The Crimson was wonderful, but of course he was slightly biased. The Dream and Brick were more novel, though less so in their firelizard forms. Still, not something so common. He broke his gaze from the flitters to converse with the other rider. Who hailed from Rainbow Mists Weyr it seemed. That made sense.

“I was even fortunate enough to see it being made. Very interesting process. Not entirely sure how anyone came up with it, but it certainly creates a unique flavor.” F’mil remembered fondly how off put his brothers had been, and how much he had enjoyed it all. Not everything had been all bad about back then.

Aweirgan peered at Boot, who had appeared only to attempt to steal some cheese. He watched the other firelizard for a moment before turning his head to F’mil. A little chirp escaped him, almost like he was clearing his throat. F’mil automatically gave him another bit of the black pudding. Aweirgan then took it over to the other man’s firelizards and placed it in front of them. Without so much as a chirp, he then went back to ‘his spot’, just to the side of F’mil’s plate. F’mil merely smirked at his firelizard, who was back to watching over the situation primly.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

“From Ista?” T’kar inquired. Ista… wasn’t on the best of terms with Telgar at times, it was interesting that they’d transferred a King… T’kar’s musing trailed off as realization set in. Ista, of course, would not have been overjoyed to find themselves in possession of a mixed color dragon of any sort, but especially one that could contribute genes to coming generations.

“So, how are you liking Telgar thus far?” T’kar asked, aiming to slip the subject around. He had a suspicion that the young man would probably rather discuss other things than Ista Wyer’s treatment of himself and his dragon.

Boot pulled his head back, tilting it slightly as he came subject to the other firelizard’s regard. He didn’t appear to know what to make of such focused attention, making a quiet little chirping moan as he stepped back slightly. Star, safely located on his human’s shoulder, poked the Brick with his tail.

T’kar sighed, but before he could interfere, the young man’s firelizard set a piece of blood pudding down in front of the three of T’kar’s flitts that currently occupied the general area. Boot snatched it immediately, and it was Star’s turn to make an inquiring sound and nose at T’kar. T’kar chuckled and sliced some of his own blood pudding up, reaching down and scooping Shadow up so that he could have some too. Star, of course, offered the first piece to Aweirgan, seemingly as some kind of deal or something.

“I do believe your little guy managed to teach him a new trick,” T’kar mused, grinning. “So, how do they make jumping cheese?” he asked suddenly, once again removing Boot from the vicinity of the cheese.

[Shoki]

“Yes, born and raised in the Hold, went to the Weyr to impress.” F’mil clarified. Ista was a double headed creature for F’mil. True, there were some key differences, but all in all, the island itself was Ista for him and Delgeth.

“Oh yes. Both Delgeth and I enjoy it.”

[smear:c82009]I would like it better if there wasn’t a war on.[/smear:ffffff]

At least we are not involved directly.

[smear:c82009]Hmph.[/smear:ffffff] Delgeth would complain as he liked. F’mil merely smiled a little more and let his amusement be a comfort for his partner.

“We like our home very much.” F’mil nodded. “What about you? Are you from Rainbow Mists originally?” Ah, who was this man anyway?

[smear:c82009]T’kar of Flame Ancalanath.[/smear:ffffff] Delgeth’s tail twitched, his hope for a nap abandoned. He didn’t say it, but F’mil got the message anyway that the Flame was much larger then he was. F’mil sent only his love to Delgeth in response.

“Oops. Well Aweirgan means well.” Usually. He watched as the man produced yet another firelizard. T’kar had quite the fair of flitters. All of the firelizards were involved now, and F’mil watched them with no small amount of amusement. He always liked the little creatures. Aweirgan merely surveyed the situation, at least until Star came over with a bit of black pudding. A trade? A thank you? Whatever it was interpreted as, Aweirgan approved. The Azure-Crimson chirped his thanks and accepted it, enjoying it slowly.

“Jumping cheese? Well they start with a more common hard cheese, for one. The process up until that point is really rather ordinary, heat milk, make curds, form the curds into a wheel, age the wheel. Fairly standard. Of course, it tastes nothing like jumping cheese, and the texture is completely different. What is interesting is then they cut the rind off to let in these little flies. See, they age the cheese by letting the little maggots eat through the cheese and they have to let the flies in so that they can lay their eggs. So then the maggots eat through the cheese leaving behind soft, and with that memorable sharp flavor. Of course eating the cheese is another matter, but you can eat it between bread as if you don’t mind having the maggots bounce around everywhere. I haven’t had that variety though. Most people clear them out before eating.” F’mil’s monologue had displayed, rather neatly, how enthusiastic for things he could be. At the same time, how much he liked weird subjects. Delgeth didn’t care much about the conversation, as human food didn’t really interest him. If it wasn’t meat, he didn’t care. He could bask in his rider’s good mood at sharing weird tidbits though.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

“No, no, I was from here, originally,” T’kar offered with a grin. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t true, but then, he’d lived here for the longest continuous time in his life, Impressed Ancalanath here. Besides which, the truth was complicated and the whole truth impossible, since he had no cle from what Hold, large or small, his mother hailed. The statement was close enough for runnerbeast shoes.

T’kar laughed away the implication that he was displeased over the new trick. “It’s perfectly fine by me, I gave up teaching them all real manners a long time ago.” Indeed, he was smiling as he watched the exchange between Star and… Aweirgan, was it? F’mil certainly had an odd taste in names. It was, perhaps, unfortunate that T’kar was about to find out what else the young man had odd tastes in. It was, probably, even more unfortunate that he had just taken a bite of jumping cheese when the young man reached the part about the flies.

“They do what?!” T’kar exclaimed, staring from the young man to the cheese in absolute horror.

[Shoki]

“Is that right? Well you are going to have to teach me the tricks to this place then.” F’mil chuckled. He expected the other rider was just around for a visit then, or a visit with business. The mirth continued as T’kar remarked on his firelizard’s manners. F’mil couldn’t help but chuckle at that. Of course, a little information was about to change the mood dramatically.

The exclamation was felt twice. Judging from how it felt, it seemed that T’kar was not the only one that had heard his little description of the process. Delgeth shifted outside. Surprise was not unpleasant, it merely was a bright point, which then settled after a moment. Disgust on the other hand, well that was uncomfortable, and made it hard for him to sit still. F’mil made a little ‘ah-hem’ noise as he cleared his throat and silently apologized to Delgeth.

“Uh, yes, they allow maggots into the cheese. Rest assured they are live maggots; the cheese is thrown out otherwise.”

[smear:c82009]Is that better?[/smear:ffffff]

Would you like eating a dead bug?

[smear:c82009]No. I wouldn’t want to eat a live one either. Knowing you, you would try anything once.[/smear:ffffff]

F’mil didn’t say anything to that. He didn’t have to, Delgeth was quite right.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

Maggots in the cheese. Live maggots, no less. Why did they do that? Well, ok, the result tasted good, but… How under the twin moons had they come up with the idea in the first place?! T’kar stared at the cheese, trying to convince himself that it really didn’t matter that the things were maggots. The problem was… it really kind of did. To him at least. Boot, on the other hand, obviously didn’t care in the slightest, making yet another move on the jumping cheese. A move that T’kar was almost tempted to let succeed, save that if he did, he’d have the Brick trying to steal food off his plate for the next couple of months at least.

Why do you object so much? It tastes the same.

It’s the principle of the thing. Seriously? Maggots?

“That’s certainly… interesting,” T’kar got out. He was pretty sure he didn’t want to ask why they would throw the cheese out if the maggots weren’t alive. Not that he thought the young rider wouldn’t know. Rather he was afraid that the young man would, and would then answer the question.

Guess I just learned — all over again — not to ask questions whose answers I’m not sure I want to know.

T’kar glanced at the cheese again, but it didn’t look good yet. “Would you like some of it?” he offered F’mil.

[Shoki]

The word ‘interesting’ said in the wrong way often held a connotation of polite negativity. This was never something F’mil had ever picked up on. Even if the person was feeling provably negative about word, and he could feel it by way of Delgeth, there often was truth to the word interesting in F’mil’s eyes. Which often sparked his words in ways that less ‘interesting’ conversations could not.

“Isn’t it? I find it interesting how so often methods of creating new foods is some manner of strange aging process that either destroys the food or makes it stable. Like drying for fruits or aging cheese. Even to the point where there is mold growing on them but somehow that makes it better rather than worse. It’s just all so fascinating. Sometimes I wonder if they don’t just have things grow just to see what happens. It’s certainly something I-“ F’mil’s words just kept barreling on until T’kar spoke again, which broke the other rider’s tangent off mid-stream.

“Oh, yes I would. Thank you very much.” A bright smile broke out on the rider’s face as he took some of the cheese and made himself a little bit of a sandwich. Soft, but strong flavored cheese, bit of meaty black pudding and a roll. A tasty, if peculiar sandwich.

Delgeth listened in to F’mil’s conversation with a little amusement. Telgar’s patchwork of feelings was present, but only in the same way a crowd of people were conversing some distance away. The discomfort of others was still there, but now it was overtaken by the brightness of his enthusiastic rider. The dragon settled down, now finding it easy as anything to get comfortable. It didn’t matter that he didn’t care a bit about the conversation’s topic. It only really mattered that F’mil did.

"So, tell me about your firelizards. What are their names?" The Brick one was so often trying to get a little snack, it was hard to forget they were present. Aweirgan was calm enough that he could be forgotten at times, this bunch looked more rowdy. Which was quite fun.

[Ghost of Fire (Fëanáro)]

T’kar felt his eyebrow arching as the young man continued on. Rarely was social obliviousness so oddly entertaining. Granted the topic was still disturbing, but there was something fascinating about the young man’s ability to go from discussing how food was made by maggots or mold, to then voluntarily (and with evident enjoyment) eating some of the very cheese that was made using maggots. Then, the young man managed a complete (or near complete at least) turn and asked about the firelizards.

Maybe not so complete a turn as all that, T’kar thought, removing Boot once again from the vicinity of the cheese, this time by means of bodily picking the Brick up and setting him down on an unoccupied chair.

“The one that wants cheese so badly is Boot, mostly because he likes to steal people’s shoes and then sleep on them.” T’kar grinned. “The Black is Shadow, the little Dream is Wamarna-” a wry grin there, acknowledging his having named a firelizard after the main character in a children’s story, “and the Crimson is Star, of course.”

“Star thinks he’s the boss, but Wamarna took over running the show by the time she was a few months old…”

T’kar might not be on the same level as a crazy firelizard person, but he clearly knew quite a lot about his own miniature fair of the creatures.