Yadrolla System Mingle

[lacyprincess]

Who: EVERYBODY
Broadcast: Yeah, sure, I guess
Action: The Fleet and the Yadrolla System
When: 4/29 - 6/8

[Hey, hey, look, we have a new system! Let's go compete in stuff and root for sportsball teams! System info is here!

GO WAVES!]

Comments

Carol Peletier | OTA

[perservering]

1. It's a Piece of Cake to Bake a Pretty Cake (Taste testing on the Iskaulit, semi-open)

[ Carol had no intention of joining a team, much less competing in anything. Until she overheard some Starstrikers and Waves gossiping, that is. The way they snickered at the handful of Gliders signing up for various competitions boiled her blood. She hadn't shown it, though. Just smiled and acted dumb and put her name down for The Great Yadrolla Bake Off.

Which is how she came to be in the Iskaulit kitchens, developing recipes for each of the rounds. There was no way she was going to do this planetside. She needed to stay as dark a horse as possible. Anybody signed up for any team other than the Gliders was not allowed to taste test. Only Gliders or unaffiliated fleet members.

She pauses in beating egg whites for a meringue. ]

Do you like sweet or savory better?

2. You Know You Can't Be Lazy (Hunting)

[ This is a two-for-one. She's not much for hunting with melee weapons. But what she needs is a wild boar, and spear hunting is a good way to do that. She skulks through the forest, following what she thinks is the trail of the boar and keeping downwind as best as she can. Her spear green and gold, which isn't the best for hunting but at least isn't as obvious as some of the other team colors.

This is a twofer as well. If she bags an impressive enough boar, it should rack up some points for the Gliders.

She notices somebody else in the underbrush. Is it a teammate, or competition?]

3. You Gotta Do the Cooking by the Book (Cooking Competition)

[ It's go time. Carol stands with at her baking station in her green and gold apron, shoulders straight and chin up. She is by far the darkest horse in the competition, a result of her very careful planning. The first round is biscuits, which she could do in her sleep. She doesn't let that show on her face, though. Not until they finish announcing the competitors. She glances up at her teammate and flashes a grin, the first hint of cocky mischief she's let show. ]

Just do exactly what I tell you to do. We're going to wipe the floor with them.

4. You Know You Can't be Lazy (Wildcard!)

[ Hit me up at Barbeauxbot, PM, or just leave a response if there's something else you want to do with Carol! ]

1.

[nomadeupname]

[Strange has no interest in joining a team; when he competes in trivia and quizzes, he does as an unaffiliated participant, if only to crush the competition completely. It's a nice stroke of the ego, but he gets tired of the many attempts of recruitment from all four teams. And so at times, he does back to the Goldstone, but even there, his crew mates seem fervent in having him join their team. That's how he finds himself on the Iskaulit, surveying the open kitchen's cupboards for something to make coffee with. He can't always live on tea after all.

He didn't really pay attention at the woman fervently cooking a few yards away, and only looks at her once she hails him, not having caught her question:]

I beg your pardon?

[perservering]

[ The man is handsome in an unapproachable sort of way. Carol is actually a little surprised that he responds at all, as she expects to be somewhat beneath his notice.

But a willing guinea pig is a willing guinea pig, and she's not going to let herself be intimidated. ]

Sweet or savory? I have some buttermilk biscuits, a peach pie, challah, and ladyfingers. I need to know how these things are turning out. I've never baked in space before.

[ God only knows how that affects things. ]

[nomadeupname]

[In another life, she probably would have been beneath his notice, but becoming a master of the mystic arts has altered his way of viewing the world. He's still guarded and doesn't often approach people on his own, but he's grown out of ignoring those he might have in the past.

Stephen closes the cupboard before walking closer to the woman, shrugging lightly:]

Technically, the molecular integrity of the food shouldn't change with being in space, not with artificial gravity like we have here, but it's well known that you can't taste sweet or salty food in high altitude as well as on the ground. The difference in air pressure, the lack of humidity or renewed air...

[Strange stops himself, realizing he's gone on about technical facts when all she had asked was to know what he prefers. The faintest hint of sheepishness tainted his smile (as much as Stephen Strange could feel sheepish, which isn't that much truthfully):]

Sorry. Sweet.

[He gives a look to all the food she's mentioned, easily recognizing all of it and can't help to be a bit impressed:]

You made all of that from scratches you found here?

[Stephen didn't even know they have peaches on the Iskaulit]

[perservering]

[ Her eyebrows slowly climb during his dissertation on molecular gastronomy, her lips tightening into the smile she uses whenever a man is talking at length about something irrelevant to her. ]

Some of the supplies were on the ship, the rest I got planetside. [ She serves him a slice of pie. ] I really should be using the test kitchens down there, but I'm trying to keep my cards close to my chest.

[ She thinks about what he said for a moment. He's not completely wrong, the gravity, air, humidity, it will all make a difference. ] I should probably at least bake a loaf of bread down there to get an idea about the conditions.

[nomadeupname]

[Stephen takes the pie from her with a small smile, and in the small moment it transits from her hand to his, a spoon seemingly appears out of thin air, having been teleported from the ustensil drawer a few paces from them.]

It's not a bad strategy. And it's more likely harder to cook properly here on the ship than planetside, so training here might actually give you an edge too.

[He takes his first bite and chews for a few times before both of his eyebrows raise up in pure wonder. The pie is not only extremely delicious, but something in it pulls at that memory of home, of comfort, of family. It's been decades since Stephen has tasted something like this, and he swallows slowly:]

This is amazing. Best I've had in...well...in a long time. [It's no use trying to remember the last time he's had a proper home cooked meal, having lived on his own decent cooking or dining out for most of his life now.

Strange takes another bite form the pie, because it's that good, and tilts his head at her comment, remembering something he's read in the library about this system:]

If it helps, the physical and atmospheric stats for the urban set of competition are very close to those found on Earth. Gravity is about the same too, so you shouldn't be too out of your league if you choose that set.

[Actually, Stephen might believe that she's not going to be out of league in any of the competition site. She clearly knows how to cook.]

[perservering]

It might be an edge in terms of technique, but I do worry about adjusting recipes for these conditions and then finding out I really shouldn't have done that later.

[ She's been researching her opponents. The competition is a brutal six hour marathon of constant production. The Green Gliders haven't even placed in decades, and the favorites from the Waves and the Starstrikers are veteran competitors. She's got a lot to overcome. But at least she won't have to kill anybody.

Probably.

The flattery is nice, but she needs more of a critique than praise. ]

I'll keep that in mind. In the meantime, how about the pie? Is the crust flaky or are there doughy or crumbly parts? Peaches too sweet or soupy? I just need this to be better than good. I need it to be perfect.

1

[this_loser]

[He's not in any cooking competitions. Couldn't cook to save his life. But he is a fan of good food. Gods, he misses Ignis. It's the smell coming from the kitchens that draws him in. And he just happens to have joined the Gliders! He just wants to find out who is making what. And maybe he can bring some pointers back to Noctis.]

Oh, uh. Savory?

[perservering]

[ As soon as the young man wanders in, Carol knows she hit the jackpot. If there's anybody who can keep up with the demands of eating everything she needs taste tested, it's somebody like him. ]

Great!

[ She says in her most soft spoken but chipper way. ]

I have cheddar biscuits, pepperoni rolls, and rye bread. I need you to taste them and tell me what you think.

[this_loser]

You want me to try all of them?

[Could he be so lucky? He goes for the pepperoni rolls first, taking a small piece and popping it in his mouth.

Maybe it's because ship food sucks. Or because, aside from the gel crap, Noctis favors cooking fish, fish, and more fish. But it tastes like heaven.]

Oh-em-gee, that is so good.

[perservering]

I do, but this is work, ok? I need you to pay attention to what you're eating and tell me what's good about it. Like the pepperoni roll, is the bread too greasy? Is there a good ratio of bread to cheese to pepperoni? Also what's the texture of the bread like, is it doughy or tough or what?

[ She sighs. ]

Have another. But try to slow it down and pay attention, ok?

[this_loser]

Mm. Okay. [He tries again, with more concentration. He's got his Serious Face on.]

Iggy would be way better at this. [But Iggy isn't here, so he tries to think how his friend would approach this.] Not too greasy, no. Maybe less cheese? It's kind of overwhelming. I like the bread though! I wouldn't change that.

[perservering]

[ She completely misunderstands his comment about Iggy, and frowns in indignation. ]

Well. I'm doing the best I can.

[ She takes notes on what he says. ]

So the cheese is a little overpowering? I'll slice it thinner, that should help. Anything else? If not we can move on to the next.

3. god help you, carol

[postocular]

[ He's not really sure how she managed to rope him into this competition, nor a time where he felt this nervous. He knows how, of course. All she had to do was ask, but even gunning down Negan's men hadn't made him feel this way, and he glances at Carol, trying to quell the panic and offers her a quick nod. ]

Yeah, okay..

[ He's never cooked before, hadn't taken the time to learn, so really, Carol has a crutch in this competition. Carl, at the very least, can take direction. If she needs something stirred, he's got her covered. ]

They got this!

[perservering]

[ She smiles encouragingly at this. ]

Piece of cake, right?

[ She even winks. Cake is about the only thing they're not making. The whistle blows to start the round. Carol immediately gathers milk, butter, sugar, flour, and eggs. At the same time, she points to a big stock pot. ]

Get that. Fill it with water and set it on high to boil. Then go fill that colander with peaches.

[ She starts proofing the yeast. ]

[postocular]

Right, on it.

[ He nods and moves to the stock pot, filling it and putting it on the burner like she said. Once the water's set, the peaches go in the colander. ]

What next? Should I rinse and peel?

[perservering]

[ She shakes her head. ]

You're going to blanch them. Score the skin on the bottom of each one, cut an X real shallow. Get another pot of water and fill it up with cold. Throw some ice in there, too.

[ She is constantly moving as she instructs him. While the yeast is proofing, she starts dicing up a pepperoni stick into precise-sized chunks. ]

[postocular]

[ It sounds a bit weird, but then again, what does he know about cooking? His mom used to burn most things. ]

Okay, I think I've got it. [ Carl works delicately with the peaches, but quickly, scoring an 'x' into the bottom of each one before moving to get another pot of ice water. ]

So the peaches in the boiling water. For how long?

[perservering]

Just two to three minutes. You don't want to cook them, just until the skins fluff up from the fruit. Then you use one of those baskets there.

[ She points to a shallow, round wire basket with a long handle. ]

Scoop them out of the boiling water and dump them in the cold water. That'll shock them so they stop cooking. After that, fish them out of the cold water and the skins will just slough off. You can slice them up after that.

[ The yeast has finished proofing and Carol starts mixing the dough for the pepperoni rolls. ]

Tell me when you're done with that. We'll move on to the next thing while this dough is rising.

1.

[worn_wings]

[ Daryl is the definition of an unaffiliated Fleet member. Sort of. He's definitely not joined any of the teams, he's competed alongside all of them equally and borrowed equipment from one or another graciously. It means he's shot gaudy bows of every possible configuration.

More notably, he's a frequent visitor to anywhere she's cooking. When it comes to food Daryl is one of the least picky people in the world-- when you've subsisted off possum on good days and worms on bad ones, cold protein gel is fantastic when it's plentiful-- but, it's Carol. Whatever she's making is always worth the trip. ]

Looks like it oughta be somethin sweet... What is it?

[perservering]

[ Carol isn't surprised that Daryl's going with being a free agent. It takes a lot to get him to commit to anybody, and then he's set for life. A temporary team just isn't his style. She also isn't surprised at his apparent sixth sense, appearing just when she needed somebody to start taste testing things. ]

I got a lot to taste test here, so I hope you're hungry. Try one of those ladyfingers first.

[ She points to the three-tiered pastry tower, where a dozen ladyfingers are artfully displayed on the second tier. ]

Actually pay attention to it, though. I need to know if I made them right.

[worn_wings]

[ His showing up would be more impressive if he didn't make such a habit of it. Technically he knows he could just contact her over whatever weird internet this place has, but habit dies hard. He feels better being able to check in with her.

Obligingly he takes a cookie, and for once tries to eat slowly, considering... though he doesn't point out that he's not sure what it's supposed to taste like. ]

Sweet. Not too sweet, [ he adds, approving, the other half of it still in his hand in case she has specific questions.

He'll do this all day if she wants. He's self- sacrificing like that. ]

[perservering]

[ She nods as he gives his succinct description of the ladyfinger. It's a good start. ]

So ladyfingers aren't very complicated, there's not a lot of parts to them. So the outside should be tender and flaky and light. Not at all chewy, but not crumbly either. And the filling should be creamy but not heavy. It's good the sugar levels are right, thank you.

[ She glances at him sidelong and smiles a little. ]

You can have more than one. You know, if you need to.

[worn_wings]

[ Well, she doesn't have to tell him twice. He just didn't want to presume and leave her with nothing to show for her baking efforts. As it is, he pops the other half of the first cookie in his mouth and reaches for another, which he breaks in half to examine very seriously.

All these contests and competitions, they're pretty ridiculous. He's taken part in a couple but he's not really invested. But if his friends are taking part, obviously, he's rooting for them. There's little question in his mind that Carol's going to win, but he's very serious about helping her refine her recipes.

Mostly serious, anyway, and also fond of sneaking food off her plate. So it all works out. ]

Think it's pretty good. [ But he'd better eat it to be sure. So he does, and nods. ] Other people making the same ones?

[perservering]

[ Carol frowns in frustration at herself. ]

Pretty good isn't good enough, Daryl. They need to be perfect. My tongue is all burned out from sugar. I can't even tell what any of this tastes like anymore.

[ She closes her eyes and rubs her temples, forcing herself to breathe slow. The pressure is getting to her already. ]

Sorry, it's just been a while since I've done anything like this. And the others are doing similar things. We have categories we have to make stuff for, but the actual things we make for them are up to us.