The Way to a Blue Fish's Heart...

[theoniongirl]

Who: Blue Fish crew and visitors
Broadcast: Maybe some accidental, but not overall
Action: The Blue Fish kitchen
When: All Day, Feb. 7


[It had been a rough month for a lot of the Blue Fish crew. From blenders to family members and lost friends and blocked credits, they'd been soldiering on through a lot. And while Jilly was new enough to have skirted by most of the drama, she was keenly aware of the underlying stress of her crewmates. She wants to help.

Sometimes, though, words aren't enough...and so she sets about taking advantage of her augment to the best of her ability. For the past month she's been collecting recipes from the datary and experimenting with the supplies provided by the Atroma. And, in the days leading up to the 7th, she quietly recruits Beverly for a pair of extra hands with some Station grocery shopping and behind-the-scenes planning.

It's not announced, but on such a small ship it's hard to miss that something is going on that day. Forgoing her usual trip to the Station for job hunting and people watching, Jilly gets up extra early and sets the kitchen in motion. Recipes are taped up on the cabinets, ingredients are gathered, and so begins a marathon of food.]

[Between the combined forces of Jilly and Beverly, the two "cooks" for the Blue Fish will be setting out food all day as a bit of a much needed holiday for their crew (and any visitors who stop by). Volunteer as a taste-tester, grab food on the run, help clean dishes between baking bouts, or simply sit and relax with your crew mates. Food therapy is a go.]

Comments

[theoniongirl]

[Jilly will be there all day, cooking, cleaning, and topping up empty plates. Today, the specks in her hair and on her clothes are more flour than paint or charcoal, and her art supplies are missing (they need all the space possible in the tiny kitchen, after all), but she's as cheerful as ever. And, if you catch her while Beverly is cooking, she can even sit down and chat.]

[save_the_souls]

[Okay, nothing attracts Allen to a kitchen like hearing a lot of cooking going on. Especially when he's trying to get his mind off other things. So of course he's there, watching- sometimes eating the food. She seems to be practically marathoning it, so at some point]

Do you need any help with anything, Jilly?

[save_the_souls]

[Allen was no real cook- most of his dishes came out on the bland side or looking rather inedible. And thus, he's not helping out with the cooking. He is however, helping out with the consumption of the food.]

[As such, he can be found two places. (A) is at the kitchen, watching this heavenly spontaneous holiday come about. Or (B), sitting on top of some of the boxes in the cargo bay after he's been chased from the kitchen to make more room- happily eating through a few plates of food. Either way, with good food in hand? His spirits definitely seem to be picking up compared to the last few weeks]

[bryces_pup]

[FEAST. That's what it looks like to Riona, and quite frankly, she couldn't be happier. She's had her share of issues lately, most of which had been kept to herself, but she knows she's not the only one having a hard time right now. The ship desperately needs this.

She'll be flitting in and out of the kitchen, either trying each dish as it comes out or helping with the clean up. To anyone coming in, she may very well just come up with whatever Beverly and Jilly have cooked up in hand and holding it out.]

Try it!

B ish / text;

[arcanepower]

[ring ring, pick up your comm, Allen.]

Allen? Is it okay if I visit? Nothing is wrong, but I wanted to see how you were all doing.

[save_the_souls]

[Wow this kid must have a sixth sense for meal time. There's a pause before he answers- just because he was gobbling up some food]

Haha, Belthazar! What good timing!

Come over! Jilly and Beverly cooked up a lot of food.

[arcanepower]

[FOOD? THAT HE DOESN'T HAVE TO COOK?]

I... don't know them very well. Is that okay?

[save_the_souls]

Yeah, I'm sure it'll be fine. You've cooked for us more than enough times after all, it's only fair!

[arcanepower]

In that case, I'll be over in a few minutes. I want to bring a dish with me.

[Lo and behold, he's here in half an hour. Not bad. KNOCK KNOCK NERD]

[save_the_souls]

[-- Belth he just said you didn't have to cook but TOO LATE THE GUY IS GONE]

[But no matter, when Belth knocks on the door, he'll head over and open it up]

Hello Belthazar!

[theoniongirl]

If you could start the water, that would be wonderful.

[it's said with a laugh as she holds up fingers covered with dough]

Other than that, we'll just have to make sure none of this goes to waste.

[Which, between Allen and Sokka, is the last thing she's worried about]

[theoniongirl]

[in between cooking times, Jilly happily takes a seat beside Riona, setting a glass of water down before taking a forkful of one of the dishes that still sat on the galley table. She's got a mark on her forehead from some kind of sauce, and flecks of flour in her hair (which, miraculously, has stayed tied back for once), and her cheeks are red from the heat coming off the stove and the ovens, but she's happy. Very happy.

Pushing back the sleeves of her sweater to the crook of her elbow, she settles with her drink and stretches her legs out in front of her]

Oh...it feels nice to sit.

[she could (and would) go for hours on her feet--years of waitressing had trained her well for that--but that didn't mean she couldn't appreciate the relief of being able to just wriggle her toes]

[save_the_souls]

Oh, sure-!

[He gives a little laugh as he turns on the water]

Don't worry, we'll make sure this food gets eaten. Thank you for making all this, it all looks so delicious!

[theoniongirl]

[and she gratefully rinses off her hands]

It's fun...and who knows how long we'll be on the station, right? Might as well see which of these recipes are worth keeping.

[a small smile] Besides, things have seemed a bit...tense. Seemed like we could all use this.

[arcanepower]

[TOO BAD. He greets Allen with a smile that is... not quite as bright as the sun, but rare coming from him, honestly. And in his hands, he has a towering pile of glittery macaroons arranged in a perfect rainbow spiral.]

Thank you for the invitation. I thought it would be rude not to bring something, so I hope this will be enough.

Robb Stark / OTA

[kingofbadlifechoices]

[Closed to Beverly, Bran and Sansa]
[Lord Stark has taught Robb a lot of things but cooking has never been one of them. Very well, he had to do the dishes once or twice to help the kitchenmaids. But cooking, Robb fears he could even ruin something simple like an egg.

He reads the recipes carefully, brows furrowing a little. The slicing and dicing is something he could do. But the tablespoons of this and gallons of that and a dash of this... His eyes flash from his brother's face to that of Beverly and his sister.]

What if Bran and I do all the cutting and you two ladies prepare the mixtures?

[It is a careful proposal and he glances at Bran to see if he agrees with it as well.]


[Open, Option A]
[Robb is sitting on the floor with his legs crossed. There's a plate of food next to him. Some meat and vegetables with a lot of gravy. It is a shame they do not have any strongwine or a nice, sweet red with clover. He uses a large chunk of bread to dip into the gravy before he starts to chew on it in a long and thoughtful way.

He is still thinking about home, about Westeros and the war that is raging there. To be fair, he is thinking more about it than he likes to admit. This is not a forever for him. This is just some ridiculous turn his life took, a break from it all, so to speak. People who pass him get a friendly nod and if they have a question he will answer politely.]


[Open, Option B]
[When everything has passed and some return to their chambers all full Robb busies himself with the dishes. There is no shame in doing them and trying to scrub all the filth of all the plates is a pleasant distraction.]

Worry not, I will take that.

[Kings do not mind dishes. After all, he is no king here, is it not?]

[arcanepower]

[Despite being assured that Jilly and Bev have it handled, that doesn't stop Belthazar from poking his head into the kitchen to see what's going on.]

Excuse me, miss, do you need help?

[Oh, right. He holds out a plate of rainbow macaroons that would make Gordon Ramsay faint.]

I made something.

[save_the_souls]

[He gives a nod]

Mm, I completely agree. We haven't had a feast in a long time. [Not since Kairi left, really] I'm sure it will help pick up spirits.

[He says this as he grabs another roll to nom on, of course]

[save_the_souls]

[Oh yeah, his eyes light up]

Ah! Your sparkly macaroons! I love those!

[MUST RESIST GRABBING THE PLATE. Instead he distracts his hands by indicating which way to go for the food]

I'm sure it will be! Thank you, Belthazar

[dancingmd]

a. Cooking!

[It's a relief to finally have a designated cook again but that doesn't mean Beverly won't still be helping! She likes feeding her crew, as an act of love.

Not that that means she'll let you get away with standing there doing nothing.]

Could you hand me the garlic please?

b. Eating!

[And finally! The best part, the highlight of a Blue Fish's day: eating! Beverly settles at the table, looking a little exhausted yet satisfied as she surveys the end results of her and Jilly's efforts.]

c. Closed to Kirk, Lab

Please... [Beverly gestures towards the single exam bed in the center of the room.] Take a seat, Captain. We won't be disturbed here.

cooking with kin (and bev!) »

[steeledskin]

[ at first, she'd been rather reluctant to join in on the activity. it isn't only her grief over losing nyssa that made her hesitant, but the sheer natural disinclination to dirty her hands with work that is not normally hers to do. every castle in which she'd ever lived had cooks to cook for her. scullery maids and kitchen boys to do the work that sansa rarely had to ever see, let alone consider doing.

in the end, the only thing that persuades her to join is her family. she could cook with them or she could sulk alone, feeling shut out from their company. a bit of spilled flour and dough beneath her fingernails is worth it if she gets to make the most of every possible moment spent together. nyssa's departure only makes it more pressing that she should enjoy robb and bran's presence while she can. what if they left? what if she left? they may never see each other again.

so she stands next to beverly: tall and straight and with only minor fidgeting. ] I can do it. I can -- I think. [ she glances leftwards at the other woman, doubt in her eyes. can i? ]

B

[save_the_souls]

[Allen is sitting at the table across from her. He smiles and pauses from his happy eating]

The food is wonderful, Beverly. Thank you.

[steeledskin]

FOOD »

[ sansa eats. despite whatever unhappiness she might be feeling, her appetite remains. this isn't king's landing; she isn't locked away in her quarters barely bathing if not for the intercession of her handmaids. although she cannot be described as being 'at peace', she is certainly present within the crew. she indulges in their feast -- especially the sweets! and she will not flee any crewmate who approaches her at the table. seven hells, she may even be friendly depending on the moment and the person. ]

PERSONNEL OFFICE »

[ but when the kitchen grows crowded, sansa does something bold. she stands up -- claps her hands together once -- and announces: ] I have room in my office for any who wish to continue eating, but wish to be out from underfoot. Could someone be so kind as to help move chairs?

[ and provided there are those willing, she will lead a small delegation of helpful hands to her solar. her 'office', as others call it. it's sparsely furnished and features little more than a desk and a wicker basket filled with fabric and thread. she hasn't yet learned what she should do with the room. before today, she has never offered its use to her crewmates. she has been a miser with her space despite the overcrowding. she is scared of cages. ]

C

[universal_charm]

_{[ Kirk looked around the lab, not yet accustomed to seeing things set out so differently from the med bay of his own ship and the hospitals he had spent a large majority of the past year in. Still, he was impressed given the limited resources that seemed available to everyone. He flashed Beverely his normal charming grin, unable to keep himself from flirting the tiniest bit with her. ]}

I just have to be sure - you don't have a hypo hidden on your person, do you?

_{[ You can thank Dr. McCoy for that particular paranoia, Bev. ]}

[bryces_pup]

[Riona scoots over a bit to give Jilly more room before she takes a bite out of her food. It tasted like heaven and if it weren't for her upbringing, Riona would be shoveling it into her mouth right about now. As such, her bites are moderate and ~lady-like~, but it doesn't stop her from smiling as she eats.

As Jilly finally relaxes, Riona glances over at her and raises a brow.]

Maker, I thought you were going to be on your feet all day. You're long past due for a break.