sporesprouter | Open Post: Hard at Work

Yes, Tress might have been up late charting stars, but that doesn't mean that she can't get up at dawn to start doing other work on the continued Operation Get Us Out of Here.

So it's barely light outside when she tucks herself into an out of the way workroom that she's decided to repurpose as a sprouter's workshop. She doesn't have much in the way of spores, just what she arrived with, but that was no reason not to use some. What was the point of hoarding a potential resource? Sitting on something that might be able to help? Not a great idea.

So she currently sits at a table with some supplies laid out carefully before her, carefully taking water from a bowl in front of her with an eyedropper to some pink-red spores and shaping the crystals that spring up from them with a small iron shield-shaped plate and a steel trowel. She's working slowly and incrementally, but several finished spheres sit on the table away from her active work.

On the floor to the side of the table are several full drinking water bottles that she found and commandeered, knowing they'd come in handy if she decides to move on to her next idea.

For now, though, pink crystal spheres.

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"Yes, I'd like to learn something. I'm not in any danger of starving, but I like to keep busy, so I'd prefer to go beyond the magic box if possible."

She nods. "All right. And how simple would you like to start?"

"Well-- you might begin by showing me how to use that contraption in the kitchen. I'm more use to cooking over a fire if I do anything."

She nods. "Yes. It's much better than the stoves I've used have back home. It should definitely make your cooking easier."

"Are these things in the kitchen just-- magic from other worlds? Or are any of them unfamiliar to you too?"

"A lot of them seem to me like... things similar to what I've used before, but more advanced in a way." She frowns. "But not everything. I think one of those boxes is supposed to wash dishes but I don't even know where to begin with it."

"Christ, imagine having dishes washed for you."

"What a thought, isn't it? But let's go, because I can definitely at least show you the stove."

"Wonderful, thank you." He glances around the stableyard and decides there's no harm in letting Fenyes stay out and graze for a while, and turns her loose before following Tress to the mansion.

And when they get to the kitchen, she turns to look at him. "All right. Since this is mostly about showing you the stove, we're going to start very simple. Fried egg sandwich."

"Simple. Splendid. Order me about."

She laughs, leans on a counter, and proceeds to do just that, walking him through the steps of turning on the stove and making an egg sandwich.

Learning how the stove actually works is enlightening and very satisfying, especially considering how much more efficient it is than a campfire and how much less scorched things become. Like Tress herself, Sagramore is a quick study (at least when he actually bothers to apply himself) and he catches on pretty quickly. His biggest problem is just that he's impatient.

Tress is not normally burdened with that problem in the least. So she notices. "At least wait until the white is cooked through. It's still faster than a campfire."

Sagramore pretends to roll his eyes, but he stops poking the egg at least. "It should hurry itself nevertheless."

Well she can pretend to roll her eyes right back. "I promise it won't be long."

"Are you sure? This egg has been supine for a very long time."

She looks at it. "That egg is done now, as long as you don't mind a runny yolk."

"I do not."

She grins and points to the toast they had already pulled out of the convenient toaster (she figured that one out pretty quickly). "Then have at it."

Edited 2023-10-01 02:41 (UTC)

He carefully plates it up, tipping the egg out of the pan and onto the toast. "And now I'm a cook!"

Tress smiles and claps. "Good job! Don't forget to turn the stove off."

"Oh, yes, thank you--" turning to do that. "Thank you, lady. It's not often a squire has an apprentice of his own."

"I don't think anyone's ever done learning new things, so it's a good trade, I think."

"I think you're right."

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sporesprouter - 2023-10-01 18:37 (UTC) - Expand

sagramore - 2023-10-01 19:49 (UTC) - Expand