Lotte walked through the common room of The Phoenix Rises. It was early evening, and local townspeople were getting off work and looking for dinner, or grabbing their meal before heading in for a few unlucky ones. Stopping among the tables to greet the customers, Lotte made small talk, asking how they were, if they enjoyed the meal, gauging how this evening's fare was being received. The new cook was still in a probationary period, and depending on how well he did, they would keep him or let him go. Tonight seemed to be going well, and favorable coments were received on the dish. With a sigh of relief, Lotte began to head back to her office to make note of the achievement. The last week had been rocky, but he had been steadly improving. It would be one less worry if they could keep this cook. Lotte had spent a fair share of her time in the kitchen herself, and had no wish to take up the duties required along with everything else she did for the inn. As Lotte reached the door to her office, and BOOM came from the vicinity of the kitchen, and with a flutter of panic, Lotte began running towards the sound. As she passed the common room, she let out a yell of reassurance for the patrons to continue eating, regretting that she couldn't take the time to reassure them properly. At the sight of the scene in the kitchen, Lotte let out a groan. The cook looked up at her from where he was slouched against the wall on the floor, gave a sheepish smile, and fell back in a drunken heap.

Rebecca Pederson 7:32 pm
The red haired youth and the black and firey stallion had finally made it to The Pheonix Rises. A local place to stay that the farmer's family had sent him to upon his health. Sebastian slipped off of the rock hard saddle of his Bonded and gave the warm steed a pat on the neck, reaching out to his mind. Where will you be? He asked of the stallion who had come upon him in his worst moment.

The stallion nickered, blowing hot air at the boy he had Chosen. Not far. Stay here tonight. See if you can find work. You need the money for clothes and food before we move on. He will not find you so long as I keep an eye out. I know what he looks like from your memories. Have no fear, Child. The stallion's voice filled Sebastian's mind reassuringly.
Seb nodded, gave one last pat, before hurrying into the tavern where he was met by a loud Boom and a woman hurrying to the kitchen. He cautiously picked his way through the dining area and towards what looked to be a desk, to await someone to speak to.

Pykichi 7:55 pm
Lotte closed her eyes and gave a growl of frustration, and refrained from kicking the cause of her frustrations. With a deep breath to steady herself, she opened her eyes and gauged the damage done to the kitchen. There was sauce from the floor to the ceiling (and more than just a bit on the cook himself, causing red welts to form where it had touched skin.) Thankfully, nothing had been broken, and there would be no lasting damage. To the kitchen, that is. The cook would have to be seen to, eventually. But Lotte's first priority after turning off the stove was to see to the customers. She turned to the door, and spyed a few worried customers hovering to the side. "Looks like this one has had a bit much to drink, methinks," she joked. Inside she seethed, but it wasn't good to show anger.
Lotte returned to the common room, and began to reassure the diners that all was well. A few jokes about the cook were made, and calm was restored.
Remembering the customer at the desk, Lotte went up to him and slipped behind the bench. "I'm so sorry for the wait, I hope you haven't been here long?"

Rebecca Pederson 7:58 pm
Sebastian watched as the woman returned from the kitchen and made her way around to the customers, chattng casually with them before turning and makign her way towards him. Sebastian tried for a smile, but his cheeks and lips were sore and unused to being stretched so far. He abandoned the effort as he held out his hand in a greeting. "It is alright. I haven't been here to long. 'Sides... Business comes first. M'name's Sebastian..." He introduced himself, averting his eyes from direct contact with hers, as his kidnapper had trained him to do.

Pykichi 8:03 pm
Lotte shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Sebastian. My name is Lotte Kildarian, manager of The Phoenix Rises. Welcome! What can I help you with?" She spoke with a polite, business tone.
(brb)

Rebecca Pederson 8:04 pm
(mkay)
Sebastian let her hand fall and returned it to his pocket with the hole in the bottom of his jacket. "Uhm.. I was wondering if you had a room? Or... maybe a.. position? I'm a hard worker..."

Pykichi 8:23 pm
Lotte folded her hands on the desk, and looked over the man in front of her. His clothes were worn, but had been tended to. He was dusty and travel-worn. But then, most customers who came looking for a room looked that way. But his manner was.... Something about him seemed off to Lotte. He didn't look like a bad guy, or anything. But he gave her the feeling of needing to be protected.
"We have a room available if you'd like. A single bed. As for a job, that depends. How long will you be in town?"

Rebecca Pederson 8:25 pm
Sebastian bit his lower lip, sparing a glance up at the woman. "It depends, to be honest, Maam... As long as I'm needed and safe I s'pose..." He told her as honestly as he could, looking into her eyes so she could see he spoke the truth. "I know I don't look like much, but I promise ya, I'm handy and can do most anything I set out to do." He added, hoping it would be a selling point.

Pykichi 8:26 pm
Lotte smiled gently. He seemed earnest enough. "Tell me, Sebastian, can you cook?"

Rebecca Pederson 8:27 pm
Sebastian was a bit surprised at the question but nodded. "Yes ma'am. Can't tell you honestly how I got the experience, but I can cook most dishes.. Stews and such. I figure that was what the loud noise was when I first arrived?"

Pykichi 8:37 pm
So he could cook! Lotte didn't care where the experience came from, as long as he had the skills. "Yes, our... former cook... has managed to make a mess of the kitchen. As it happens, I am now in need of a new cook. If you'd like, you can take your things up to the room, and settle in a bit. When you're ready, I'd be more than happy to show you the kitchen." She glanced down at her ledger, and turned, pulling out a key from her pocket to unlock a cabinet behind her. Reaching for the corresponding room key, she locked the doors and pocketed the key. Lotte handed the room key to Sebastian, and motioned for him to follow her. They went around the edge of the room towards a set of stairs, and proceeded up them. Stopping in front of the first door on the landing, located right across the stairs, Lotte stepped to the side of the door and handed Sebastian the key. "Here's your room, sir. Come knock on my office door when you're ready. It'll be the door we passed, next to the stairs."
Lotte turned, leaving Sebastian to settle things, and went to her office, finally starting on the work she had originally set out to do before the kitchen explosion.

Rebecca Pederson 8:41 pm
Sebastian took the key greatfully from the woman and went inside his room after giving her a nod to show he understood. He went inside the room and took off his jacket, which didn't provide much warmth, and washed his face with the pitcher of water before leaving the room once more, locking the door behind him. He went to where the woman had indicated, and knocked lightly on the door, waiting for her permission to come in. When she let him in he got ready to ask the question he needed. "Ma'am... I don't know where you stand on the spectrum of whether you follow the King or not, But I have a favor.. or rather question for you." He began

Pykichi 8:42 pm
Lotte looked up from her books, and watched Sebastian. A strange way to start a conversation, she thought....

Rebecca Pederson 8:44 pm
"I...I have a.. uh... Bonded? Is there a place he can stay? He... he saved my life, Ma'am..." Sebastian got out, fearing that perhaps the woman would turn him away, simply because of his affiliation with one of the noble Azrein... which wasn't entirely true... And once the pair had bonded, Sebastian had found that out. His Bonded had a past just as bad as he did, which many people had known about, or if they hadn't heard of the unruly evil fire Azrein Paimon, then they had heard of his father Ruin who had no fear of setting places to fire, simply for the joy of killing those trapped inside.

Pykichi 8:49 pm
Lotte blushed scarlett. "Oh dear, I didn't even think.... oh my. I'm so sorry." She stood up and came around to the front of her office desk, and folded her hands in front of her. We have a stable in the back for Azrein. I didn't even think to ask you if you needed such accomadations, and for that, I apologize. Our stable is small, with room for only 5 Azrein, but at the moment, only two of the stalls are occupied. I will send a note to the stable master at once to prepare a stall for your Bonded. They are very welcomed here." She smiled warmly. "While there is food there, your Azrein...." she paused, hoping for a name.

Rebecca Pederson 8:51 pm
Sebastian let out a small sigh of relief but carefully watched for her reaction. "Thank you very much, Ma'am... I just couldn't be sure... You know how things are now..." He said a sadness lacing his voice as he thought of the now declared war. "His name is Paimon."

Pykichi 8:54 pm
"Paimon. Paimon would possibly be happier grazing out in the field with the rest of the Great Herd, but he is welcome to stay in the stables as well. If you'd like, I can give you a moment to relay that to your Bonded before heading to the kitchen." Lotte felt a twinge jealousy at the thought of having a Bond to an Azrein. But she quickly squashed the emotion, and waited for Sebastian.

Rebecca Pederson 8:57 pm
Sebastian nodded. "I want to atleast give him the option... He's... changed... alot since the Bond..." He admitted softly as he told Paimon of his possibilites. I would prefer the field unless it rains... Rain is bad... I would like shelter if it rains. Sebastian gave a small smile and shook his head before turning back to Lotte. "He said he would greatly appreciate the field unless it rains." The red haired boy told his new employer. "And again, thank you."


Pykichi 9:03 pm
Lotte nodded, and turning to her desk, quickly scrawled out a note for the stable master. Folding it, she turned back to Sebastian. "If you're ready, shall we explore the kitchen?" At his nod, she opened the door for him, followed him out, and closed it behind her. She talked as she led him to the kitchen, eyeing the state of the common room as they passed. She hadn't checked on the cook since the explosion, but suspected he'd still be passed out against the wall. "As stated, the kitchen is currently in a state of mess. The cook in charge had a habit of neglecting what he was doing, and things would often turn.... problematic. I had thought he was improving..." They had reached the kitchen, and as she had thought, the old cook was still there. She moved to his side, and motioned Sebastian over. "If you would just help me carry him outside.... We can let him sober up out of our way."
She picked up the man's arms, and waited for Sebastion to claim his legs. The cook was not small by any means, and it took quite a bit of shoving and pushing to get him to the door and out.

Rebecca Pederson 9:08 pm
Sebastian nodded and listened closely to Lotte as she went on about the old cook. He bent over, his slender frame barely looking like it could carry a rock, and took have the cook's support and helped her push him outside to sober up near what he supposed were the hogs. "Nothing that can't be cleaned I suppose.." He said as he dusted his hands off on his worn out pants which didn't look black anymore. His narrow angular eyes took in the kitchen, making a mental task note to himself on what needed to be done. The kitchen really was in disarray and it didn't appear that the old cook liked to clean his stuff much. All of the dishes seemed to just be stacked up by the sink, and the counters had crumbs and sticky stuff all over them. The stove had caked on spilt food. This place didn't seem sanitary to him, but he could make it so with a night of work.

Pykichi 9:14 pm
Lotte stood next to Sebastion and looked over the kitchen. She hadn't realized the embarassing state it had fallen to. Why had she ever thought that man could last as a cook was beyond her. And they had served guests food from a kitchen like that! It was enough to chase her into hiding. She straightened her shoulders, and faced Sebastian. "I apologize for letting the kitchen become like this. I know that just cleaning it will be a task unto itself. If you're still interested in cooking for us, you will be compensated of course. Yours and Pailmons room and meals will be covered, as well as a salary of 5 coppers a week. It's not much, but at least food and board will be covered. You will also be granted vacation time of two Saturdays a month. If that is acceptable, we can discuss the types of meals that you will be expected to cook."

Rebecca Pederson 9:16 pm
Sebastian thought over his options. This was already better than he had been looking for. So long as that man didn't come looking for him here.. which Sebastian figured even if he did, Paimon would take care of it... "I'll take it." He said, looking up at the woman. "Also, Paimon will be free to do as he will? He won't hurt anything... he's changed. But he has somethings to take care of... Other than that, he's willing to work as well."

Pykichi 9:25 pm
"Changed? I am not sure I understand. However, as an Azrein, Paimon is honored here. He is free to do as he wishes, as long as it doesn't involve making trouble for the King or this town. Not having met your Bonded before, I am not at liberty to judge him based on previous actions. Rather, I'm quite jealous of the fact that you have a partner. It's a wonderful thing..." Lotte sighed wistfully, her eyes a bit unfocused. With a shake of her head, she looked to Sebastian. "As for willingness to work, I'm sure he'll be a great help to you in gathering supplies for the kitchen, if you're not opposed to the idea. It'll definitely make gathering ingredients easier, having someone to help you carry them! The last cook had them delivered, which is fine, but it does tend to add up at the end of the month. Delivery boys require payment too...." She smiled ruefully. "If you'd follow me, we can hammer out the details of the contract in a more comfortable location. Or we can go to the office, if you'd prefer?" She looked at Sebastion.

Lotte grabbed two mugs, and filled them with the inn's beer. She handed one to Sebastian, and led him to the common room. At this point, most of the dinner crowd had left, leaving the common room mostly empty. She waved to the new faces that had come in since she had last been through, and sat in a booth in the corner. Taking a drink, Lotte began to explain the details.
"Your first week is probationary, based on how well your meals are received by the customers, and how well you work. The length of probation is flexible, but I have a hunch that you'll be hired full-on very quickly." Lotte smiled at Sebastian. He seemed to be a hard worker. She was beginning to think she might have really lucked out this time in finding a cook. She continued, "You will be responsible for simple breakfasts and lunches, and a more complex dinner. Nothing fit for a king, mind you, but stews, roasts, meats and veggies and such. Desserts on occasion. The cooking shouldn't be too difficult, but you must learn how much food you need to prepare. It's a detail oriented job." Lotte paused to make sure Sebastian followed along.

Rebecca Pederson 9:48 pm
Sebastian gave a small nod. "What kind of desserts are you looking for?" He asked, his finger running over the table as he sipped at the beer. The house brew wasn't that bad here. He'd definitely had worse, and he'd had better when he was still with his... family... Shaking the thought from his head he began planning what he would make the next morning. It'd take nearly all night to get the place clean but he could do it. Eventually, after his first payment, he could get some new clothes and actually look less like the ruffian he seemed to be, and more like the old him. He didn't know if his family had been nobles. More than likely they weren't, but he knew they had been well off.

Pykichi 9:57 pm
"Ahh, tarts, sweetbreads, puddings and the like. They're not a common thing, but when we have a bit of extra money that month, it's nice to give the customers something sweet." Lotte had quite a sweettooth, but with the war being declared, sugar would most likely become increasingly rare.
"Among taking note of patrons who have rented rooms and paid for meals each night, you must also learn the patterns of the regular customers. I have kept a list, but it will be your job to keep that list updated. Once you have cooked each meal, and cleaned up, you are free to do as you wish until it is time for you to cook the next meal. You will find that you have lots of free time in the afternoons, depending on what you have planned for the evening meal." Lotte turned stern. "This does not mean that you are free to play around and neglect the meals to easy dishes thrown together at the last minute. I expect you to take this job seriously, and possibly even come to enjoy it."

Rebecca Pederson 9:59 pm
Sebastian nodded. He knew a few dessert recipes that would suffice until he could come up with new recipes and his knowledge of herbs and such should help with new dinner dishes. "As for the shopping for ingredients?" He asked after an appropriate pause. This could come to be a very easy job.

Pykichi 10:03 pm
"That's entirely up to you! It's your kitchen, your kingdom, as it were. It will be your job to plan the meals, and gather the ingredients needed for those meals. Of course, there is a budget for each week, but it's quite flexible. If you run into problems, we can talk about it."

Rebecca Pederson 10:04 pm
"What day do you suggest I go shopping?" He asked as his final question. Everything else he coudl figure out himself or by doing

Pykichi 10:09 pm
"That also depends on the meals that you plan. Staples like flour and long-lasting vegetables and such can be done at the beginning of the week. Meats and leafy vegetables don't last nearly as long, so you will most likely have to buy those every 2 - 3 days. We do have a cold storage box, but it is small, a 2x5x1 foot box, as they are quite expensive to even have. So the space within is limited." Lotte was impressed with Sebastian's questions. It seemed that he had quite a bit of experience with cooking. She was looking forward to seeing the meals he would come up with. With a glance towards the far window, she saw that it had become quite late. She looked back at her new cook. "Do you have any other questions at this moment, Sebastian?"

Rebecca Pederson 10:10 pm
Sebastian shook his head. "No that is all for now. Thank you for this opportunity, Ma'am." He said, holding out his hand. "It will be a priveledge to work for you."

Pykichi 10:17 pm
Lotte shook his hand, smiling widely. "It was a wonderful coincedence that you came today. I look forward to working with you, and seeing what you can do. Your job starts now." She stood up, gathering the empty cups to take back to the sink, and began walking, with Sebastian following. At the door to the kitchen, she was reminded of the mess. With a sigh, she deposited the mugs into the sink, and turned back to Sebastian. "I don't expect the kitchen to be spotless by tomorrow. There is a girl who will be coming soon to wash the dishes, so you don't have to worry about that. But the stove... part of it should be cleaned for breakfast in the morning. We can worry about the rest afterwards. As soon as that is done, you are free to go to bed. Will you need help waking early enough in the morning to attend to breakfast?" Lotte asked.

Rebecca Pederson 10:19 pm
Sebastian listened as he followed Lotte to the kitchen, glad to know that someone else would be able to do the dishes. "I will have enough cleaned by the morrow, and I wake early anyways, so no, I won't need a wake up call, but thank you for the offer." He said warmly, his brown red eyes watching her, again, closely before averting. He turned to the kitchen as she left and started with the cleaning, setting his mind to the task and nothing else.

Pykichi 10:22 pm
Lotte bid him goodnight, and stepped outside to the former cook. He was snoring loudly, passed out. She headed towards the stables, passed the note about Paimon to the stable master, and explained the details of the cook to him with orders to inform the man of his termination in the morning. With that, Lotte headed back to her office, humming under her breath. What had started out as a disasterous evening turned out to be a wonderful encounter. She smiled happily, and finished up her bookeeping before heading to bed.

Rebecca Pederson 10:25 pm
Sebastian had worked on the kitchen through most of the night, getting the kitchen back to a semblance of its should be glory, even doing the some of the dishes that he knew he'd need in the morning. When he felt satisfied with his progress he left the kitchen and made his way back to his new room, falling asleep nearly instantly after bidding Paimon a goodnight, who he found out was already asleepy the lazy stallion.

The next morning, Sebastian rose early and washed his face and hands before going to the kitchen to start a simple breakfast of porridge with a few berries in it to add taste. He was hard at work by the time others started to arise, and had breakfast ready to serve to those that came in.