...this dish is certainly full of it, then. [ ah... that's a little embarrassing to say, because of the implications... ahem! well. yin yu moves to add the next round of peppers in, and reaches over for a big wooden spoon to pass to flayn, clearing his throat.
anyway! ] ...Here. Do you see how these pieces in the middle are getting too dark? Use the spoon to push them to the outside.
[ the oil sizzles and crackles pleasantly, and yin yu gives his directions in his usual calm, gentle voice, moving his hand to gesture in the direction she should move the ingredients in the pan. ] You can move your wrist, to move the ingredients around in the pan, too.
[so that's what it looks like when it looks too dark... she takes the spoon with a nod and pushes them away from the center of the pan, spreading them outwards. now that she knows the shade to be looking out for, it should hopefully make it easier to identify without it being pointed out to her.
she jostles the pan slightly with her wrist as she works, and giggles a little as some of the ingredients shift around a bit.]
...it smells very good already, but it is only the spices so far...
[to be fair, spices smell GREAT when they're cooking.]
[ for yin yu, it smells like home. home home, beyond ghost city, back in the west, where disciples would compete to eat the largest amount of peppers, where you could smell people cooking from their hearths and their windows. it's nostalgic, and it's really, really nice.
he adds in the last few peppers and waits for the fragrance of the spices to really start to bloom. ] It's very easy to overcook these, so... you only want to fry these enough that all of those smells start to come out.
That should be enough--well done. [ the praise is genuine, and yin yu gives her an encouraging little smile. nothing is on fire and it smells good! win win.]
Next, I'll chop those since they've been fried. You can scoop them out of the pan with the spoon and set them here. [ gesturing at a cutting board!! and once that's done... ] Go ahead and set the pan back on the heat, and we'll put the celery in the oil, too.
You only want to cook it for a minute, perhaps a minute and a half at the very most: if you need to count down, that can make it a bit easier, too. [ and while keeping a careful eye on that, yin yu will go to quickly and coarsely chop up the spices. it smells like spicy heaven in here rn. ]
[yin yu makes up for her complete and utter lack of attention to detail - they make a good pair. flayn returns his smile, and once he gestures to the cutting board, she nods and wields the spoon to get the peppers out of the oil.
soon enough, they're on the cutting board, and she's looking at the celery.]
Just a minute or so... I see.
[into the oil the celery goes!
while yin yu chops, she counts under her breath, occasionally shifting the pan by the handle to keep the pieces from clumping up together.]
yin yu keeps a watchful eye on her to make sure things are going well, looking from the pan to flayn to make sure she's keeping track. the way she counts under her breath is charming - perhaps she'll charm the ingredients into behaving after all.
at the same time, he steps around her, easily manuevering through the small kitchen. he reaches over her head for a cabinet to grab a bowl, easily fitting in the tight space and setting into the side - ] When you're finished, you can set the vegetables in there, and we'll start the broth.
[ so far, so good. it does smell quite good in here, already, and he settles to her other side with the ingredients he chopped earlier, ready to add them when the vegetables have been taken out. ] I thought you said you weren't very good at this, my lady.
which, unfortunately, means that she is, for once, not paying attention to him. (it's because she wants him to think she isn't totally unteachable in the kitchen - if she succeeds at this, maybe he'll cook with her again.)
she's just continuing to count under her breath.]
...fifty-eight... fifty-nine... sixty!
[it's been a minute, so she'll transfer the celery out -
only to realize that yin yu has just spoken to her. oops.]
...um... I am sorry, what?
[she's not! good! at detail-oriented tasks! ...because she is easily distracted. multitasking is not her forte.]
very cute. yin yu smiles, just briefly, and ducks his head, shaking it. ]
Nothing. Let's move on, shall we? [ time to get back to work! that is to say, starting the broth. as the celery's transferred, he move back to the pan to add a little more oil. ] We'll move what I cut in here, and then... the chili paste, and powder. After that, it'll just need water, and we can leave it to boil.
[ really, the convenience of these ingredients simply existing in this form is kind of nice. one could get used to the conveniences of modern life. yin yu goes for the carefully chopped ingredients from before, and adds them, letting them sizzle pleasantly in the oil for a little while. it's starting to smell really wonderful, now, the scent of spices complex and familiar, homely. after that comes the chilis he chopped, and the powder.. ]
And, if you could, my lady, fill that cup with water there, and pour it in the pan for me. [ it's nice to have another hand. a helpful one! ] It won't take long after this, so if you can bring the fish over with you, too. We'll be eating soon.
[back to work... flayn nods, and as he adds the oil and gets the chopped ingredients ready, she steps away to grab the cup and fill it with water.
(yin yu is really doing the bulk of the work here, but is still managing to make her feel like she's helping. it feels nice.)
with the cup in one hand and the fish in the other, flayn heads back over and pours the water into the pan. she watches it for a few moment, then sets the pan down and glances up at his face. soon, they can add the fish...]
I can hardly wait. It smells truly delicious, Yin Yu!
It does. [ he gives her a smile, immediately, warm and soft, a little fond.
this is very domestic. yin yu has never had to cook for anyone but himself -- in the past, he would help with chores in the sect, and then as a god, he never had to cook for himself, only participate in feasts or eat what servants and middle officials brought him. cooking is one of the many skills he had to learn as he adapted and struggled with his new life post-banishment, and it's really nice, to be able to share the kitchen with someone else. ]
...Truth be told, it is my favorite. [ his mouth quirks up a little further, fond with old nostalgia instead of bitter, something soft about him as he looks at the mixture on the stove, waiting for it to bubble. it's nice to feel good about something from his homeland, instead of just feeling empty. ] It is not difficult to make, but it is a dish that I have not gotten to really eat properly in some time. There's no sense in making something this large, if it's only going to be for myself.
[ in front of them, the mixture begins to boil. thankfully: that felt very personal, and while he's not as uncomfortable talking about it as he could be (as he used to be), it is still a little close to the chest.
so! directions. yes. ] ...You can start adding the fish in, now. Try to do it slowly, so it doesn't splash. It'll need to cook for about ten minutes.
Even favorite foods taste better when you eat them with someone who is important to you, so—
[...is it too presumptuous to assume that she's important to him? (they've kissed, but. still. is it presumptuous to assume that?) flayn's cheeks flush with color, and she hides a smile by looking down at the mixture and shifting pieces of the fish into it.
very slowly, very carefully - better not to splash boiling liquid everywhere.]
...at any rate, I am very excited to get to try this. [...] And, um... I do hope that we will be able to cook together again.
that's... right along the lines of what he was thinking, yeah. his ears start to turn red, and yin yu dips his head, hand coming up briefly to hide the way his mouth seems to curl up into a smile without his permission. embarrassing. ]
...I hope that you will like it, my lady. [ and that it will taste better with her around. a meal enjoyed with others is a luxury, let alone a meal to be enjoyed with someone important.
(the spicier the dish, the more love it's made with.)
he supervises until she's all out of fish slices, still looking at the pan. ] ...If... there's something that you really like to eat, I'm sure we could learn to make it, too. [ together. if she liked. ]
...there is a dessert I like that was often served in the monastery's dining hall, but truthfully, I am not quite sure how to make it...
[SAD. but, maybe they can figure out how...?]
It involves fruit and cream. But - I do not believe Noa fruits are native to this camp...
[maybe they just need to sample every type of fruit until they find something that tastes similar...? then again, it may not be necessary - there is quite a lot of fish here.]
We may be full after all of this, though! So... perhaps we can attempt to make it later on in the week?
Let's. [ since they made his favorite this time! perhaps after whatever nightmare the trial will have this week... flayn will surely need some cheering up.
just a few more minutes! he leans over the pan for a moment, grabbing a spoon of his own to push the slices of fish around for a bit. we're gonna fast forward a little and say it's done. ]
...alright, I think we're ready. There's some rice in that pot, there. If you scoop out the amount you want, we can serve this and eat.
[ time for a cooking dinner date. yin yu gives her a smile as he pulls down bowls for either of them, handing one to flayn. ] You did very well, my lady.
[ oh. he was about to do the same, so flayn beating him to it surprises him. yin yu blinks, a little owlishly.
but it fades after a second. as he's come to associate with flayn, his heart jumps in his chest -- it's the little kindness that she shows, the little things that she does, that always seem to knock him for a loop.
he ducks his head, sheepish. ] ...Two scoops, please.
...flayn isn't sure what, exactly, she was just successful at, but she sure feels accomplished. with a smile, she scoops out two helpings of rice, them brings the bowl back over to him and reaches for something to dole out the fish.]
I.. can tell you when to stop. [ that seems appropriate. yin yu shifts a little closer to her to watch - the kitchen is small enough that it's a bit of a tight squeeze, but that's alright. ]
...There. [ after an appropriate enough amount is doled out, he'll hold his hands out for his bowl, with a polite duck of his head. ] Thank you, my lady.
well it's a good thing he already took the bowl because she absolutely would have dropped it there! wow! her cheeks flush a deep pink, and she finds herself just standing there, blushing red to her ears, smiling so hard it sort of makes her face hurt.
[ aaaaa why did he do that. because he wanted to? she probably wouldn't have wanted that. she was in the middle of doing something! yin yu spends the next minute or so setting out plates and utensils - a couple of pairs of chopsticks, a spoon or two, his shoulders hunched up to his ears. maybe it was fine, though? it's flayn, and she...
after his internal monologue of being useless at this leads yin yu to this conclusion, he ends up just peeking back at flayn to get a glimpse at her disapp--no, at her absolutely radiant smile.
oh.
...oh.
if it's possible, his face turns even redder, and yin yu has to hide a bashful smile of his own, down at the table, his heart doing a backflip. stupid. he can't turn back and look at her again or he might die. (haha). ] ...um, if you're ready, my lady.
she hurries over, her cheeks still red, and. looks at the table, rather than at his face, because she feels like a bit of a mess. is this what it's like to have the tables turned on her? ...she kind of likes it.]
yin yu made her that flustered...? really, it amazes him sometimes how much of an effect he's suddenly having. to suddenly have a presence, and it to be one that makes flayn smile like that, that makes her cheeks all pink--that came from him? it's wild.
he gives a quick shake of his head to try and clear it, the last bit of a smile on his face. before yin yu goes to his own seat, he pauses at the side of the table, and pulls out a chair for her where she's standing, automatically considerate. ] Let's eat, while it's still hot.
[right. eating. that was what they were meant to be doing right now.
she murmurs a soft thank you and takes a seat as he pulls the chair out for her, then looks over the dish they prepared together. honestly, it looks like it turned out rather well - she can hardly believe that she had a hand in making it.
but yin yu is a good and patient teacher, and he'd helped to make sure that she hadn't gotten distracted.
smiling, she takes a bite. it's a bit spicy, but--]
[ bustling back over to his own seat, yin yu quickly settles in to eat, too. the familiar meal, the nice company... both are excellent. taking a bite of the shui zhu yu takes him back, way back, beyond the worst times in his life into something much warmer and smaller. a nice nostalgia--a rare thing, for him.
the depth of the spices is rich, complex. it puts a gentle smile on his face, as he closes his eyes and savors it; when he opens his eyes to look at flayn, it remains, warm and soft. ] ...I'm glad, my lady.
I truly appreciate the help in making it. You did very well.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
fishingforcompliments) wrote2020-06-06 12:53 pm
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...this dish is certainly full of it, then. [ ah... that's a little embarrassing to say, because of the implications... ahem! well. yin yu moves to add the next round of peppers in, and reaches over for a big wooden spoon to pass to flayn, clearing his throat.
anyway! ] ...Here. Do you see how these pieces in the middle are getting too dark? Use the spoon to push them to the outside.
[ the oil sizzles and crackles pleasantly, and yin yu gives his directions in his usual calm, gentle voice, moving his hand to gesture in the direction she should move the ingredients in the pan. ] You can move your wrist, to move the ingredients around in the pan, too.
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[so that's what it looks like when it looks too dark... she takes the spoon with a nod and pushes them away from the center of the pan, spreading them outwards. now that she knows the shade to be looking out for, it should hopefully make it easier to identify without it being pointed out to her.
she jostles the pan slightly with her wrist as she works, and giggles a little as some of the ingredients shift around a bit.]
...it smells very good already, but it is only the spices so far...
[to be fair, spices smell GREAT when they're cooking.]
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[ for yin yu, it smells like home. home home, beyond ghost city, back in the west, where disciples would compete to eat the largest amount of peppers, where you could smell people cooking from their hearths and their windows. it's nostalgic, and it's really, really nice.
he adds in the last few peppers and waits for the fragrance of the spices to really start to bloom. ] It's very easy to overcook these, so... you only want to fry these enough that all of those smells start to come out.
That should be enough--well done. [ the praise is genuine, and yin yu gives her an encouraging little smile. nothing is on fire and it smells good! win win.]
Next, I'll chop those since they've been fried. You can scoop them out of the pan with the spoon and set them here. [ gesturing at a cutting board!! and once that's done... ] Go ahead and set the pan back on the heat, and we'll put the celery in the oil, too.
You only want to cook it for a minute, perhaps a minute and a half at the very most: if you need to count down, that can make it a bit easier, too. [ and while keeping a careful eye on that, yin yu will go to quickly and coarsely chop up the spices. it smells like spicy heaven in here rn. ]
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soon enough, they're on the cutting board, and she's looking at the celery.]
Just a minute or so... I see.
[into the oil the celery goes!
while yin yu chops, she counts under her breath, occasionally shifting the pan by the handle to keep the pieces from clumping up together.]
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yin yu keeps a watchful eye on her to make sure things are going well, looking from the pan to flayn to make sure she's keeping track. the way she counts under her breath is charming - perhaps she'll charm the ingredients into behaving after all.
at the same time, he steps around her, easily manuevering through the small kitchen. he reaches over her head for a cabinet to grab a bowl, easily fitting in the tight space and setting into the side - ] When you're finished, you can set the vegetables in there, and we'll start the broth.
[ so far, so good. it does smell quite good in here, already, and he settles to her other side with the ingredients he chopped earlier, ready to add them when the vegetables have been taken out. ] I thought you said you weren't very good at this, my lady.
[ it's going quite well! ]
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which, unfortunately, means that she is, for once, not paying attention to him. (it's because she wants him to think she isn't totally unteachable in the kitchen - if she succeeds at this, maybe he'll cook with her again.)
she's just continuing to count under her breath.]
...fifty-eight... fifty-nine... sixty!
[it's been a minute, so she'll transfer the celery out -
only to realize that yin yu has just spoken to her. oops.]
...um... I am sorry, what?
[she's not! good! at detail-oriented tasks! ...because she is easily distracted. multitasking is not her forte.]
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very cute. yin yu smiles, just briefly, and ducks his head, shaking it. ]
Nothing. Let's move on, shall we? [ time to get back to work! that is to say, starting the broth. as the celery's transferred, he move back to the pan to add a little more oil. ] We'll move what I cut in here, and then... the chili paste, and powder. After that, it'll just need water, and we can leave it to boil.
[ really, the convenience of these ingredients simply existing in this form is kind of nice. one could get used to the conveniences of modern life. yin yu goes for the carefully chopped ingredients from before, and adds them, letting them sizzle pleasantly in the oil for a little while. it's starting to smell really wonderful, now, the scent of spices complex and familiar, homely. after that comes the chilis he chopped, and the powder.. ]
And, if you could, my lady, fill that cup with water there, and pour it in the pan for me. [ it's nice to have another hand. a helpful one! ] It won't take long after this, so if you can bring the fish over with you, too. We'll be eating soon.
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(yin yu is really doing the bulk of the work here, but is still managing to make her feel like she's helping. it feels nice.)
with the cup in one hand and the fish in the other, flayn heads back over and pours the water into the pan. she watches it for a few moment, then sets the pan down and glances up at his face. soon, they can add the fish...]
I can hardly wait. It smells truly delicious, Yin Yu!
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this is very domestic. yin yu has never had to cook for anyone but himself -- in the past, he would help with chores in the sect, and then as a god, he never had to cook for himself, only participate in feasts or eat what servants and middle officials brought him. cooking is one of the many skills he had to learn as he adapted and struggled with his new life post-banishment, and it's really nice, to be able to share the kitchen with someone else. ]
...Truth be told, it is my favorite. [ his mouth quirks up a little further, fond with old nostalgia instead of bitter, something soft about him as he looks at the mixture on the stove, waiting for it to bubble. it's nice to feel good about something from his homeland, instead of just feeling empty. ] It is not difficult to make, but it is a dish that I have not gotten to really eat properly in some time. There's no sense in making something this large, if it's only going to be for myself.
[ in front of them, the mixture begins to boil. thankfully: that felt very personal, and while he's not as uncomfortable talking about it as he could be (as he used to be), it is still a little close to the chest.
so! directions. yes. ] ...You can start adding the fish in, now. Try to do it slowly, so it doesn't splash. It'll need to cook for about ten minutes.
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[...is it too presumptuous to assume that she's important to him? (they've kissed, but. still. is it presumptuous to assume that?) flayn's cheeks flush with color, and she hides a smile by looking down at the mixture and shifting pieces of the fish into it.
very slowly, very carefully - better not to splash boiling liquid everywhere.]
...at any rate, I am very excited to get to try this. [...] And, um... I do hope that we will be able to cook together again.
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that's... right along the lines of what he was thinking, yeah. his ears start to turn red, and yin yu dips his head, hand coming up briefly to hide the way his mouth seems to curl up into a smile without his permission. embarrassing. ]
...I hope that you will like it, my lady. [ and that it will taste better with her around. a meal enjoyed with others is a luxury, let alone a meal to be enjoyed with someone important.
(the spicier the dish, the more love it's made with.)
he supervises until she's all out of fish slices, still looking at the pan. ] ...If... there's something that you really like to eat, I'm sure we could learn to make it, too. [ together. if she liked. ]
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[SAD. but, maybe they can figure out how...?]
It involves fruit and cream. But - I do not believe Noa fruits are native to this camp...
[maybe they just need to sample every type of fruit until they find something that tastes similar...? then again, it may not be necessary - there is quite a lot of fish here.]
We may be full after all of this, though! So... perhaps we can attempt to make it later on in the week?
[too bad he's dying.]
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just a few more minutes! he leans over the pan for a moment, grabbing a spoon of his own to push the slices of fish around for a bit. we're gonna fast forward a little and say it's done. ]
...alright, I think we're ready. There's some rice in that pot, there. If you scoop out the amount you want, we can serve this and eat.
[ time for a cooking dinner date. yin yu gives her a smile as he pulls down bowls for either of them, handing one to flayn. ] You did very well, my lady.
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(ha ha ha.)
she nods, and reaches over to take the bowl he hands her - before heading over to the pot of rice and looking at him a little expectantly.]
How much would you like?
[yes, he told her to get how much she wants. no, she's not doing that. she's serving him for once, thanks!]
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but it fades after a second. as he's come to associate with flayn, his heart jumps in his chest -- it's the little kindness that she shows, the little things that she does, that always seem to knock him for a loop.
he ducks his head, sheepish. ] ...Two scoops, please.
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...flayn isn't sure what, exactly, she was just successful at, but she sure feels accomplished. with a smile, she scoops out two helpings of rice, them brings the bowl back over to him and reaches for something to dole out the fish.]
And how much of this?
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I.. can tell you when to stop. [ that seems appropriate. yin yu shifts a little closer to her to watch - the kitchen is small enough that it's a bit of a tight squeeze, but that's alright. ]
...There. [ after an appropriate enough amount is doled out, he'll hold his hands out for his bowl, with a polite duck of his head. ] Thank you, my lady.
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You are welcome, Yin Yu!
[...honestly, this feels nice. flayn could get used to this.]
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there's a brief moment where yin yu hesitates, reaching for the bowl, head still ducked down as he takes it...
...and then, quickly, darts in to press a kiss to her cheek. it's just a peck, half a second long, and he pulls back quickly, his face going red. ]
I'll -- get the table ready. [ FLEES ]
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well it's a good thing he already took the bowl because she absolutely would have dropped it there! wow! her cheeks flush a deep pink, and she finds herself just standing there, blushing red to her ears, smiling so hard it sort of makes her face hurt.
give her a moment!]
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after his internal monologue of being useless at this leads yin yu to this conclusion, he ends up just peeking back at flayn to get a glimpse at her disapp--no, at her absolutely radiant smile.
oh.
...oh.
if it's possible, his face turns even redder, and yin yu has to hide a bashful smile of his own, down at the table, his heart doing a backflip. stupid. he can't turn back and look at her again or he might die. (haha). ] ...um, if you're ready, my lady.
[ aaaaa ]
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[oh.
she hurries over, her cheeks still red, and. looks at the table, rather than at his face, because she feels like a bit of a mess. is this what it's like to have the tables turned on her? ...she kind of likes it.]
Um, yes, I am sorry to have kept you waiting...
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[ he's just as embarrassed, but.
yin yu made her that flustered...? really, it amazes him sometimes how much of an effect he's suddenly having. to suddenly have a presence, and it to be one that makes flayn smile like that, that makes her cheeks all pink--that came from him? it's wild.
he gives a quick shake of his head to try and clear it, the last bit of a smile on his face. before yin yu goes to his own seat, he pauses at the side of the table, and pulls out a chair for her where she's standing, automatically considerate. ] Let's eat, while it's still hot.
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she murmurs a soft thank you and takes a seat as he pulls the chair out for her, then looks over the dish they prepared together. honestly, it looks like it turned out rather well - she can hardly believe that she had a hand in making it.
but yin yu is a good and patient teacher, and he'd helped to make sure that she hadn't gotten distracted.
smiling, she takes a bite. it's a bit spicy, but--]
Mmm. This is delicious.
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the depth of the spices is rich, complex. it puts a gentle smile on his face, as he closes his eyes and savors it; when he opens his eyes to look at flayn, it remains, warm and soft. ] ...I'm glad, my lady.
I truly appreciate the help in making it. You did very well.
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