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 Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 5:55 am
 -Classes were over for the day, the final chimes of freedom having sounded nearly a half hour before, but Aurora wondered the halls of the dorms with a mild pout. The day, and any joy that might to errupted from the escape of class, had been dampened by a very dark sky, and rain pouring in torrents against the glass of the school building. Warming her left overs briefly, she'd shielded the small bowl as she ran towards the dorms, sacrificing herself for the bit of rabbit.
And now she trundled down the halls, wet, bored.. debating what to do with an afternoon ruined by the rain. Sure she could study.. or even clean. But rooms stayed remarkably tidy when there weren't boys roaming around to screw them up. And she seemed to study all the time.
Uncovering her dish, the strong scent of herbs masking the potatoes and tender rabbit meat upon it's reheating, she stalked over to the common area of the dorms, streching out on one of the comfy couches. Atleast this would be a change of scenery compared to her lonely old room.-
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Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 6:18 am
Mili came through the door of the dorm area with a scowl on her face. Classes had ended a half an hour ago, but she got stuck staying after with her Physics teacher. It was another lecture about how she was "wasting her intellectual talent" by not taking the time to do her homework. Her teacher didn't seem to see her side of the argument at all; if the point of homework was to learn the material, and if she already knew what they were assigned, then there was no point of doing the homework. It was simple Aristotelian logic.
Plus, it was raining out, and her shoes were getting wet from the puddles. Although disappointing, there was a silver lining, and that was that it gave Mili a reason to go buy a new pair.
A few steps into the commons area, Mili caught the delicious scent of hasenfeffer. Ah, how it reminded her of home! She looked around the room, searching for the source of the smell. Quickly her eyes spied a girl stretched out on one of the couches and holding a bowl.
Mili's mood brightened as she walked up to the other girl with a little bounce in her step, and her shoes squeaking. The couch adjacent to her looked like a good of a place as any to sit, so Mili plopped down, and smiled.
"You have good taste in food."
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Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 6:32 am
-She wasn't immediately roused by the sound of someone entering, it was a main door after all, it probably opened and closed hundreds of times a day. However her attention perked as footsteps continued her way, eyes greeting the source as the blonde girl's words touched the air. Ahhhh, a compliment! She'd have settled for attention.
Smiling brightly it return, she shifted the bowl in question between her hands.- "Rabbit is such a treat, I never got to eat it very often at home, because it took so many of them to feed all of us. Would you like some?"
-She peeked down into the bowl, nodding softly to herself after a moment. She wasn't starving, so there was certainly enough for the two to pick at.- "It's a couple days old now, but it tastes just fine to me, if anything the marinade has soaked in more."
"My name is Aurora, by the way." -She added with a friendly smile. She really hadn't met any of the other dorm girls other than in quick passing. Perhaps this place would feel more like home and more busy if she actually knew some of her school 'sisters'.-
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Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 6:58 am
This was one of the things Mili liked about living in the dorms. At home, Father didn't pay much attention to her, and was always busy, but here... Here other people could be so nice and inviting. Of course this had to be because Crystal was filled with young women of distinction, she was sure this wouldn't be the case at the cities' other schools.
She looked at the bowl lustily. "Yes. Yes I would like some." She took her eyes away from the food and turned them to Aurora, "my name is Milla, but you may call me Mili".
Rabbit was a treat. Most of the people Mili encountered here didn't seem to agree with her though. A lot of girls thought it was strange to eat pets. No matter how many times she assured them the rabbits used in the stew were raised for food, they never could seem to get rid of the mental image of Peter Cottontail sitting in a boiling pot.
She continued, "Mother used to make hasenfeffer all the time when I was a child. She was from the old country, and brought a lot of traditions over with her".
Mili reached into her school bag, and pulled out the spoon she packed with her yogurt she brought for lunch that day. She moved to the couch next to Aurora and motioned that she was going to take a sample from the bowl.
"So, Aurora, what brings you down to the commons area tonight?"
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Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 7:19 am
-Aurora beamed at Milla's interest, proud that something she made might be so inticing. Her brothers had rarely complained about her cooking, but they also engulfed it all so quickly she had to wonder if they ever really tasted it. She only hoped that the dish itself would please the girl, that her cooking might stand up to someone who exuded such obvious sophistication.
Shifting to make more room, she offered the bowl out before her, making room for the other girl to taste.- "How exciting!" -She gushed geniunely. She'd often wished her mother had lived long enough to pass on more of her native traditions. Father did some, but keeping the ranch running had always been first priority.- "I'm from Alaska you see. So we didn't have nearly the varied meat choices as are down here. Mostly cattle, caribou, and geese. The occassional rabbit when my brothers where kind enough to bring me back something special. "
-Watching intently for a sign of the girl's approval or disapproval, she prattled on further.- "I've been cooped up in my room for awhile, and the rain killed any hopes of doing something outside today, so I thought a change of scenery might do me well. I really really hate wasting a day away" -That was the understatement of the year, made clear by the oh so gentle twitching and swaying of her toes, really.. she couldn't stay still for even a minute.- "But I just couldn't convince myself to work on homework just yet."
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Posted: Fri Oct 02, 2009 2:49 pm
Mili took a big scoop from the bowl and put it into her mouth. She unconsciously made happy noises as the warm, deliciousness poured down her throat.
"Quite good!" she said and went in for more. Each bite was amazing. She tried to listen to what Aurora was saying, but she was a bit distracted by the stew. The other girl must have been nervous because she kept twitching. Clearly she was just in awe of Mili and couldn't contain it. Yes, that was it.
"Bah! Homework! I hate that they make us do it. There is no point in it, it's all useless." There was not much Mili hated more than homework. Maybe a couple things like having teeth pulled or getting shots, but homework was right up there with the most unenjoyable things in life.
"Your brothers hunt? Did they mail this rabbit to you in a care package?" It was a silly question, but Mili had to know, "if so, can they snare more?"
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Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 8:07 am
-The noise, the reach for more, clearly her meal was atleast to par, and Aurora absolutely seemed to beam in return. Her own spoon dipped in to get another bite, but really she was more pleased to share and please the other girl, then she was hungry.
As Mili's words rose however, Aurora found herself disagreeing, atleast slightly. Goodie goody two shoes, Aurora didn't necessarily ace everything, but she certainly tried her best for classes. Had there ever been a time when she hadn't turned her homework in? She doubted it. Nonetheless, it wasn't one of those 'end of the world' dissagreements, her voice merely rose thoughtfully trying to split the difference and get her opinion out politely enough.- "I think it can be a good gauge of where students stand and good practice on things that are new to you. But it can get tedious and exhuberent."
"Doing three or four problems of one type should suffice.. one doesn't need to do twenty or more of them I think. Especially when the day is dreary enough already!"
-Laughing a little at the question, more out of surprise then anything, she waved her hand lightly.- "Oh no, I bought the ingredients at the market. Papa usually sends me mmm... less organic things. I suppose if they shipped it next day though.. it might still make it to us quick enough to be good. And wild rabbit does taste slightly different than this."
"If you'd like to try it sometime, I could always ask." -Papa never said no in Aurora's experience.-
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Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 8:59 am
It was starting to seem to Mili that she was the only one who didn't like doing her homework. Every girl she encountered at very least didn't mind it, and at most loved to do it. Clearly she was they only one with an intimate knowledge of how pathetic the school system was for giving them boring assignment after boring assignment.
At least Aurora partially agreed with her though; Mili would forgive her for the rest, after all, she was sharing her hassenpfeffer. She figured this meant, for now, that she should ignore the topic. After all, it wouldn't be smart to upset the hand that's feeding you.
"You should try," Mili said, "if not, I will buy some at market for you to cook, yes? I'd love to be able to have this more often."
Mili was unsure of the legality of sending food from far away, or if it could even stay fresh long enough, but she liked the concept of having wild rabbit. On top of that, it seemed like Aurora would be her ticket away from boring cafeteria food. She probed on, "what else do you like to cook?"
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Posted: Sun Oct 04, 2009 9:43 am
"I'd be happy to share, really! I'm used to cooking for seven, so company would be much appreciated" -She nodded exhuberately, ivory braids bobbing and swaying about her back.- "The home ec teachers gave me permission to use the cooking labs when there aren't any classes scheduled, so unless I get too buried under school work I was hoping to make something atleast a few times a week."
"Not that the food here is so bad, it's better then my last school, but there is something just heavenly about homemade stuff. The freshness of ingredients and flavors, the smells and the warmth of something that's just been pulled from the oven..." -Her voice almost sounded dreamy as she spoke. It would be hard to say if she loved cooking.. she certainly wasn't the sort to play around the kitchen all day.. or to try and make up fun new recipes. But being able to do something so productive and methodical... a routine that could still be kept fresh and exciting. THAT was what she loved so much about the simple housewife like tasks of cooking and sewing. Not to mention, the product was something that often brought joy to others, you couldn't say that about say.. completing a difficult math problem.
As the question arose, her fingers began to tap thoughtfully on her lap, her thoughts brought out into the air for Mili to hear.- "Well.. I'm pretty well rounded.. breakfast, dinner, dessert. I have the most experience with hearty caseroles and such, but I like to do more fancy things from time to time. If I have a recipe I can probably do most anything." -She nodded, before adding lightly.- "I have very little experience with poultry though, that's something I'd like to change while I'm down here. The bird selection is amazing, not just silly geese."
-Realizing that she's be prattling for a long while completely about herself, the slightest hint of color touched her cheeks, smiling sheepishly at her rudeness.- "What about you though? Do you like to cook? What kind of things do you do in your free time?"
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Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 7:25 pm
Mili listened as Aurora talked, all the while spooning more stew into her mouth. Visions danced in her head as she thought about all the potential meals that could come of this. Breakfast... lunch... dinner... all of it sounded so good.
In her daydreaming, Mili realized that she had been asked a question. "Well, I'm on the chess team. I practice for that all the time that I may be the best. If I'm not doing that, I'm shopping. Sometimes I like to make small crafts, but I never do any cooking. I have found that it's better to leave that to other people.
I'd love to buy you a duck, or a turkey, or a chicken, or maybe a turducken."
What else can form a bond of friendship but turducken, the magical gift from the poultry gods?
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Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2009 9:27 am
"Sounds like you keep yourself busy." -She nodded, taking note. Games could be fun, and crafts too, though she wasn't one for shopping that often. She was a 'get in there and get it done' sort, not the kind to mill about a mall all day.-
"Maybe you could bring a game along sometime when we eat together. I may not be much competition, but it's fun nonetheless!" -Unless the other player was a poor winner/loser, hopefully Mili wasn't that.
Lips puckering, brows lifting in curiousity, she piped up as soon as the word popped out of the other girls mouth.- "Turducken..?"
"I've never heard of such an animal! It's a bird of some sort?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 8:36 am
"Turducken is a wonderful concept! You take a chicken, and put it in a duck, then you take that duck, and put it in a chicken. It's three amazing animals put together." The only thing better than turducken, was turducken wrapped in bacon, but Mili didn't know if Aurora was ready to have her mind blown by that or not.
Mili noticed that the stew bowl was almost empty; she ate most of it. It seemed like the other girl didn't mind though.
"Thank you for the stew! It was really delightful. I should go back to my room and change out of my wet clothes before I catch a cold. Next time you cook, come and knock on my door, and I will bring a game for us to play."
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Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:10 am
"Really...?" -Her eyes widened in awe as she gobbled up the strange bit of information, filing it away in her brain for a future date. It was too intruiging, she'd absolutely positively absolutely have to try to prepare one of these 'turducken's at some point.
While she was still pondering the information given to her, Mili's voice raised and Aurora glanced down, nodding softly.- "You're very welcome! I'm glad you liked it."
-Sliding the bowl back to her lap, she streched out once more as the other girl readied herself to leave.- "I'll definately do that. It was wonderful to meet you Mili."
-Ahhh, perhaps her first Academy friend! Tilting the bowl Aurora took a spoonful that she soon popped into her mouth. Truely she'd made a good choice by checking out the commons today.-
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Posted: Wed Oct 07, 2009 11:46 am
She stood up and addressed her before leaving, "it was nice meeting you, Aurora. We'll have to do this again soon".
Mili's shoes squeaked as she walked down the hall. This was a lot less annoying to her than it usually was, because she was in a lot better mood.
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