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Julienn stared at the building ahead of him, an aura of anticipation almost seeming to form around him. Finally after days of looking for work he had been apprenticed to a cook in an only mildly ramshackle tavern. It had been agreed upon that his training would only occur after hours, and that for the time when the place was open for business, he would serve as a waiter taking orders from those who patronized it. This was completely agreeable to Julienn, who picked around in his brain for a while and realized that meant he could observe qualities of good food from up close. Well, perhaps not what some would consider good, but better than whatever he could currently whip up, surely. Steeling himself and walking through, he quickly felt dumb for feeling so stressed. The interior was rather regular and about what he had expected, and there were no odd looks passed about the new kid because the people inside were simply too busy running about getting ready to do such things. He chided himself for how childish his idea of receipt were, that this was no story and in fact something that required leagues more focus than he was currently exerting.
"I'm looking for Chef Brooks! My name is Julienn Kedric." he volunteered, walking over to the counter and speaking as professionally as he could. No reason to make a bad first impression. "Right, you. The sous told us to expect his apprentice, and that name sounds familiar." The lady speaking explained, hand moving in a gesture of not acceptance but a willingness to move to the next step. "Come in," they said, looking him over as he entered the back. "You might be right...have the physical traits, at least." She said in a rather observatory manner. All business then, I suppose, which is fair. Only means I'll have to prove myself. "I'm glad you find me worthy, Lady...?" He began to comment snarkily before realizing he didn't even know what name to use. "You'll refer to me as Chef, little busboy." Well, at least they knew what he would be doing. He couldn't help but feel a tad impressed at the smoothness of her retorts, almost as they had known each other for far longer than the day. "Ah, look at us, bickering like brother and sister! Warms my little busboy heart." Julienn said before moving away to find his boss. There at the back of the back he found two small rooms, one slightly larger than the other.
He entered the smaller while noting the plaque just above the door notifying this was the sous chef's office. "Chef. Delighted to start working for you." He said, observing the burly man he was now going to be closely taught by. "You indeed work for me now. I did not need a reminder. Now, a few ground rules. Firstly, Touch no food and bother none of the chefs. There will be time for you to mess around with ingredients after work, kiddo. Next, make sure you remember what goes where and that everything looks presentable. That takes priority over blazing fast speeds, and is why this tavern is so loved among locals and tourists alike. Finally, on that note, if anyone gives you crap for taking too long, talk to me and If I find they are being simply irritating they will be kicked out. On the other hand, if they have a valid reason, that's bad for you and a dock in pay for the day. Fair?" he said, raising a bushy eyebrow in question. "Fair. Better terms than I expected, actually," Julienn replied, flashing a pretty much genuine grin.
It took a second to get from the early hours of preparation to the open period, but that was fine. It just gave him more time to get acquainted with other members of the crew. What was most funny, however, was the way that as it got closer to business time everyone moved a lot faster, as though practicing for the real thing. A technique for fast alertness shown to him by another chef was to take a wedge of lemon and bite down, which he tried. True to the man's words, he was instantly more focused, the sourness shaking cloudiness from his head. "EVERYONE!" came a happy announcement from Brooks as he exited the office, probably having finished some kind of paperwork. "Kid, open the door. Deadcliff Tavern is open for business!" With that Julienn opened the door and put the stopper in place, preventing it from closing. With that he stretched and walked back inside, ready for the day. An hour or so later, the first customer found his way inside and the boy waited for them to sit before approaching. "Hey there. What would you like?" he asked, dual-wielded quill and paper pad at the ready.
"I'm looking for Chef Brooks! My name is Julienn Kedric." he volunteered, walking over to the counter and speaking as professionally as he could. No reason to make a bad first impression. "Right, you. The sous told us to expect his apprentice, and that name sounds familiar." The lady speaking explained, hand moving in a gesture of not acceptance but a willingness to move to the next step. "Come in," they said, looking him over as he entered the back. "You might be right...have the physical traits, at least." She said in a rather observatory manner. All business then, I suppose, which is fair. Only means I'll have to prove myself. "I'm glad you find me worthy, Lady...?" He began to comment snarkily before realizing he didn't even know what name to use. "You'll refer to me as Chef, little busboy." Well, at least they knew what he would be doing. He couldn't help but feel a tad impressed at the smoothness of her retorts, almost as they had known each other for far longer than the day. "Ah, look at us, bickering like brother and sister! Warms my little busboy heart." Julienn said before moving away to find his boss. There at the back of the back he found two small rooms, one slightly larger than the other.
He entered the smaller while noting the plaque just above the door notifying this was the sous chef's office. "Chef. Delighted to start working for you." He said, observing the burly man he was now going to be closely taught by. "You indeed work for me now. I did not need a reminder. Now, a few ground rules. Firstly, Touch no food and bother none of the chefs. There will be time for you to mess around with ingredients after work, kiddo. Next, make sure you remember what goes where and that everything looks presentable. That takes priority over blazing fast speeds, and is why this tavern is so loved among locals and tourists alike. Finally, on that note, if anyone gives you crap for taking too long, talk to me and If I find they are being simply irritating they will be kicked out. On the other hand, if they have a valid reason, that's bad for you and a dock in pay for the day. Fair?" he said, raising a bushy eyebrow in question. "Fair. Better terms than I expected, actually," Julienn replied, flashing a pretty much genuine grin.
It took a second to get from the early hours of preparation to the open period, but that was fine. It just gave him more time to get acquainted with other members of the crew. What was most funny, however, was the way that as it got closer to business time everyone moved a lot faster, as though practicing for the real thing. A technique for fast alertness shown to him by another chef was to take a wedge of lemon and bite down, which he tried. True to the man's words, he was instantly more focused, the sourness shaking cloudiness from his head. "EVERYONE!" came a happy announcement from Brooks as he exited the office, probably having finished some kind of paperwork. "Kid, open the door. Deadcliff Tavern is open for business!" With that Julienn opened the door and put the stopper in place, preventing it from closing. With that he stretched and walked back inside, ready for the day. An hour or so later, the first customer found his way inside and the boy waited for them to sit before approaching. "Hey there. What would you like?" he asked, dual-wielded quill and paper pad at the ready.