Xanadu Weyr - Kitchens
The kitchen is large and well-stocked with technology as well as those with culinary skill. State of the art equipment has been brought in from the various crafts to be used - stoves and large ovens replacing the hearths that used to be in here. Three baking ovens are usually going full bore half the day, from early morning through to mid-afternoon. Large windows take up the entire of the western wall, generally open wide to the mountainous landscape beyond allowing the cool breezes in to keep the kitchen's temperature to a desirable level.
Tables, cabinets, and counters take up the remaining spaces and walls. Various spices, herbs, and other foodstuffs are found here, and what's not ready at hand is tucked away back in the storage caverns or the massive cold-room large enough to walk inside.
The night hearth beside the door to the main caverns has been kept out of a sense of nostalgia, but the smaller stove set beside it is what's actually used to prepare late-night food. This is where you find late night meals of stew and soup simmering in pots, and pitchers of klah and tea in their electric units to be kept warm.
In retrospect, wearing a flouncy, fluffy, frilly dress— while absolutely adorable— was probably not the wisest choice for gutting fish. BUT! The cooks have this, and in short order Averil is wrapped up in an apron ten sizes to large for him (more then large enough to cover his dress) and looks rather like a marshmallow with a fish knife in hand. "I still don't understand what you want me to do with this…." The cook, though, just LOOKS at Shiloh, the sort of look that clearly says, 'Make it Happen' before walking away. In the wake of the departure, Averil teeters around to slant a look at Shiloh, the confusion on his face clear. "I don't think I can even reach counter," he admits with a quietly tinkling laugh.
"You're not that short," tsks Shiloh, slanting a look at Averil. "But if you need me to get you a step stool, I'm sure I could find one…" It would probably be pink, with cute little flowers on it, too. A tip of his head to the cook (his fingers are dirty, so not hat-touch this time. Woe) and he moves over to Avi and The Fish. "You're gonna gut 'em," he says simply. "Gotta yank the insides out. Probably descale it, too." Another look at Avi, an eyebrow arched. "Gonna get messy." Beat. "Not the fun kind of messy."
Averil can't help laughing, his eyes bright and happy as he pushes up close to the counter and is very nearly bounced back by the sheer level of FLOOF in his dress. Mind you, he's teasing, in remarkably high spirits despite the fact that they are gutting fish. "I'm wrapped up like a meatroll," he points out. "I don't think the fish guts have a chance.." Reaching for one of the fish, he gnaws on a corner of his lip, his head tilting as he tries to figure out how to exactly go about it. "Show me?" Mind you, he has no intention of letting Shiloh do all the work, but seeing it done will make the doing of it that much easier.
WILL IT THO?? Shiloh is happy to demonstrate, at least, even if he might question just how much of this Avi is going to be doing. "You look more like a sweetroll than a meatroll," he teases. Reaching for the fish, he takes the knife in one hand while pressing the other over the victim body. "Shallow cut," he says. "Starting here." Demonstrating slowly so that Avi can see, he makes a thin cut up the belly toward the head. Setting the knife aside, he reaches in to pull out the guts and drop them into the scrap bucket. "Make sure you get it all. This, too," he adds, showing the bloodline. "You can use your thumb for that…" as Shiloh will demonstrate. "Then, fins." A few more slices and Shiloh's got a fish ready to be rinsed and ready for the next step to being cooked. "Wanna try?"
"You do realize that this is reminding me of the Haunt, right?" Watching Shiloh work, Averil visibly pales, his face turning a little green as he grimaces hard. "Oh.. That is… I am not touching that!" There is no way he is touching the squishy gooey gross bits that Shiloh exposes. The suggestion that he use his thumb is met with a horrified look and a sharp shake of his head. No. No chance. No way. Never. Does he want to try? "NO." It could not be more emphatic, that single word. He does, however, suck in a sharp breath, eyeing his own fish before mimicking Shiloh's demonstration. To his credit, he does get it open, but that is as far as he gets. "Can I use a spoon? I can't touch that.." Course, he's trying to shake the guts out, nudging at them with the tip of the knife.
Is Shiloh surprised? Not even a little bit. There's fond amusement in the turn of his lips. A moment later he's leaning in to press a kiss to Averil's temple. "You know… if you Impress, you're gonna have to handle raw meat." Is that somehow better? Maybe. "You did it with your firelizards," he points out. "Just think of it like that." Because raw meat and fish guts are totes the same. "You can't really use a spoon," he adds, and at least he sounds a little sorry to burst that bubble. "You gotta use your fingers to get all the stringy-bits." Joy. "Look," he decides, pulling Avi's fish to him and unceremoniously yanking the guts out. "Why don't you just cut, and I'll do the guts?"
"I didn't have to gut the meat," Averil points out as he flashes a wan smile up at Shiloh's face. "And I never once used my nails on raw meat." Now, he SHOULD do his own fish, he knows that. He does. He's still more then willing to let it go, his nose wrinkling at the sight of the guts. "Okay," he decides. "But I can cut off the fins and tail," he promises. "It's just the gooey gross bits." Those? Those are ALL SHILOH'S. Reaching for another fish, he tilts his chin up in a firm little gesture, his lips pressing as he ever so carefully cuts it open. It is in the wake of doing so that he slants his gaze toward Shiloh and murmurs, "Thank you."
"Feels about the same," admits Shiloh. "Like the fat on the globs of meat. A little slimy and slippery." Is he helping? Maybe not. But he offered to do the guts, so that's what he'll do. Even if he can't help but watch with a bit of amusement at all that careful cutting. "You can do the fins and tail," he agrees. "After you cut 'em, you can put them right here for me," he adds, tapping a spot on the counter. And because Avi's so very slow careful about it, Shiloh will slice and gut a fish or two along the way, as well. Definitely streamlining the process. "You're welcome," he answers with a grin. He leans over and presses another kiss to his artist's temple. "I'll always help you." When he can, at least.
Averil shoots Shiloh a look, the sort of look that makes it clear that that is not helping, not even a little bit. "There is fish poop in there," he points out with a glance at the fish. "I'm not touching fish poop." Never. Ever. With his cut made, he exhales a breath, his tongue poking from the corner of his lip as he carefully slices off the fin and tail before sliding it over to Shiloh to gut. It's the kiss to his temple that has him flashing a pleased smile as reaches for another fish. "Just… You have to wash your hands a lot when we are finished."
Shiloh arches an eyebrow at Avi and oh, so casually wonders, "Do you go swimming in the lake?" because like, "Fish definitely poop in the lake." How's that food for thought? Shiloh seems to think it's quite amusing, given the grin that keeps threatening to spoil that expression of his. "I promise to wash my hands at least twice," he promises. "In a row. Really," says Shiloh, tossing another handful of fish guts into the bowl, "it's not that bad." And then there's definitely a grin, and a flash of dark eyes at Avi. "You should see how we prepare chickens." NO. NO HE SHOULD NOT.
Averil gasps as he pauses in gutting the fish to stare up at Shiloh with a horrified expression. "They do NOT!" Now, really, he's not thinking this through, clearly, but from the look on his face, he doesn't really want to. "That is gross." And getting him in the lake is going to be pointedly hard in the future— just a heads up. He does, however, shoot a look at Shiloh's hands before sniffing delicately. "Maybe boil the water first?" Cause fish poop is.. not something he wants to think about, at all. It's the last that has him slanting a worried glance at Shiloh. "We… We don't have to do that, right?"
And Shiloh just grins because he's definitely that kind of asshole sometimes. A few more guts get tossed in the bowl as they move right along with the cleaning process. "We might," he allows, because he just can't help himself. "If they have any they need prepped." There's a glance at the cooks but none of them seem to be paying attention to the pair at the table. Probably for the best. A few more fish and Shiloh seems to take pity on Avi, adding, "But if we do, I'll gut them for you, too." Because he's definitely that kind of boyfriend, too.
Averil gives a firm shake of his head at the very suggestion. "Nope." Just nope. He's not gutting chickens. He's not watching chicken gutting. He wants nothing to do with chickens, or their guts, thankyouverymuch. "That would be… bad." It is a guarantee that any chickens given to Avi to gut would end up uneatable. Still, he's grinning at Shiloh, pale eyes bright with gratitude and adoration. "I love you so much." Hey, who wouldn't love a man who'd gut a chicken for them?