[Cally's] Genuvah's Dinnerwear

[Genuvah]

Cylus 30th of Arc 718

Selmon Barber wore a simple jute robe and sandals when he first went clothes shopping at the market square. He didn't spend too long looking for what he wanted, nothing fancy there. A break or two into his shopping spree Genuvah selected what he wanted, and entered an enclosed dressing screen. He emerged a couple dozen trills later with a green doublet, white cotton shirt, black wool pants, knee boots and a few nels poorer. He figured his old cloak was one-size fits all, and so didn't waste money replacing it.

While the clothes he bought didn't fit all that well, they being a bit big and long for his stout build, he'd always have the option to visit a tailor later to set them to right. He wore a simple green doublet over a beige shirt, with simple wool pants. After buying some new clothes for his brand new form, Genuvah wanted to take some time to establish his personality. First thing: motivation. What did a portly, fresh-faced, young Selmon barber want most at the moment?

He was a hungry man, like Genuvah. He'd traveled far from Egilrun, and he wanted supper. He had some nels saved from his last job as a mercenary. He'd enough of lemon juice and porridge. Time for some real food and drink.

Genuvah decided to give his new 'outfit' a try at Cally's. For the first few breaks before arriving there, he spent time fleshing out Selmon's backstory and personality. His strengths and quirks. One of the first things he decided, was that while Selmon would be intelligent, smarter than Genuvah himself, he'd be a slow thinker. Perhaps with a nervous stutter. As well, he'd give him an appetite fitting to a form that appeared very full.

Idly he wondered if he could do any of this subtlety stuff this right. Maybe he was overseasoning his identity's personality, biting off more than he could chew. Okay, he was definitely hungry.

His asterism grumbled, and his belly with it.

So after waiting nearly a break for a table to open up with no reservations to claim it, he sat down to the table by himself. From the server, he ordered a flagon of mead, which was brought out promptly along with a menu. He took the flagon, and drank from it as if it were a tankard, lifting its handle with one hand. Meanwhile, he waited for the server to come back and take his order.

Expenses

From the Marketplace:

1 x large pair of knee boots: 1 gn 2 sn 5 cn
1 x large green cotton doublet: 12 gn
1 x large cotton shirt: 2 gn
1 x large black wool pants: 9 gn
1 x wool undergarments: 6 sn

From Cally's:

1 x flagon of mead: 6 gn

total: 30 gn 8 sn 5 cn (Rounded up for some of the purchases, but feel free to correct if they are obviously underpriced. I'm not sure I followed the directions right.)

[Faith Augustin]

Trudi, the flirtatious biqaj waitress had smiled at him and batted her eyelashes at just the right moment. She'd be right there with his drink, she said, and had given him the menu to peruse. On there, of course, there were all the dishes that Cally's offered, but also information about what Cally's was, what it did and how it fed into the wider faction. Isonomia and the aims of that group. There was information there about the charity work and donations, all in its own discrete little pamphlet. Nothing that anyone had to read if they didn't want to, but it was there.

Trudi, the waitress, came back and she smiled. "Your drink. Hope you enjoy. I'll give you a moment, then be right back" Sheglanced up as the door opened and she had a slight and ironic lift to her lips as a short, very pale and dark haired woman walked in. Faith, for that was who it was, was a well known person on Scalvoris and, indeed, much more widely than that. Here, everyone knew her. Yet, she came in and looked around as though slightly unsure of herself and she caught Trudi's eye and smiled. Trudi, for her part, nodded to the diminutive woman with the silver eyes and she glanced back at Genuvah. "Looks like the boss is in tonight," she said. Faith was making her way to where there were piles of napkins which needed folding and she started to get on with that job. Her expression was focused and serious. She worked carefully and with a clear attention to detail. Trudi moved over to speak to her and she and Faith shared a brief conversation, both of them looking down at the notes the young waitress had on who had ordered what.

Faith nodded her head and took an apron, wrapped it around her white dress and then moved over to Genuvah's table. "Hello. Welcome to Cally's. Have you had a chance," she asked, her voice quiet and almost a whisper. More suited to a library than a restaurant yet it carried well enough, "to peruse the menu? If so, it would be my pleasure to take your order." This close up, a few things were obvious about Faith. She was young. Maybe twenty but probably not. She wore no makeup or such, her hair was tied loosely back and the young woman had what seemed to be quite out of place, considering her conservative style of dress, tattoos. Matching ones on each wrist and another around her neck. Intricate patterns of black on her pale skin.

The other thing which he might notice was her nails. Black crept up them and while they were well cared for and kept in shape, the black and dark theme simply didn't seem to fit with the young woman who smiled at him and waited to take his order.

[Genuvah]

Genuvah was focused on the flagon he was drinking from. He did note the words and nice looks of the biqaj waitress. He had half a mind to flirt with her. Except Selmon was supposed to be shy, so he just glanced sideways at her, saying nothing while downing his flagon like it was a small pint. When she mentioned something about her boss being in, he didn't follow her gaze, but took the opportunity to take a look at the menu. It was all a bit to take in. Most establishments that Genuvah visited usually had just a chalkboard or sign that showed what they served. This place had a small novella! Not that he minded, variety was always good. He just found the volume of options and multiple courses a bit hard to follow.

He was at the last drop of his flagon when Faith herself arrived, who he presumed was the boss lady the other woman had spoken of. He looked up, wrinkling his forehead as she asked him about the menu, "Oh, uh, th-thank you. I have to be honest, I've not been in a restaurant like th-this before. Everything on the menu sounds delicious, but I'm afraid I don't understand exactly how the ordering goes?"

He looked from her, down to the menu. Taking note of the black tattoos on her hands, and neck. He was curious about what significance those had, but for the moment his alter-ego had an issue with nerves and was trying to decide what to eat. He'd make a note to ask her later, if an appropriate opportunity cropped up. "Um, I think I'll go with the Ruby option? That sounds good, and maybe an extra serving of soup?"

"By the w-way, I'm Selmon Barber. Nice to meet you." He tilted his head to the side, "Are you Cally?"

The stutter, Genuvah was beginning to think, maybe ringing a bit false. It was a learning process, this acting to be somebody new. He could only hope he didn't give himself away on his first night out!

[Faith Augustin]

It seemed to be somewhat overwhelming to him, and Faith smiled at him with a kind expression on her face. "Don't worry, I'm happy to help." She nodded when he said he'd go with the Ruby "option", and she motioned to the menu itself. "So, do you mean the tasting menu here? The ruby option for that gives you an entree, a main and a dessert. I'm more than happy to put the soup in too, but that might be a lot of food for one person. It's up to you, entirely?" The menu here at Cally's wasn't the sort that got scrawled on chalkboards, Faith considered and she knew that for some it was overwhelming. She and the staff were always happy to help and she made sure of that in the training she gave.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Selmon. No, my name is Faith. Faith Augustin. I named it Cally's after a friend of mine." She looked around at where the name was written. "It's about bringing hope, really. Now, since this is a tasting menu, if you're happy I'm going to experiment and play a little with your dishes," It appeared she was also the chef.

"May I?" Faith gestured to the spare chair at his table and, if he gave her permission, she sat down. "So, tell me what you like to eat, anything you don't like?" She took note of that and then, when she was sure that he was clear on his order and what he wanted, what it was etc, she made her way out to the kitchens. Where she cooked for him.

Faith Augustin was known throughout Idalos, it had to be said, for two things. Her work as a healer and her cooking. The food which was brought to him was of an exquisite quality. Trudi, the flirty biqaj waitress brought the food out to him, telling him what it was each time. In total the experience would take nearly two breaks, longer if he was a slow eater. When he finished the last bit, Trudi brought him a steaming coffee and smiled. "So," the waitress asked. "How was your first Cally's experience? I hope we lived up to expectations and you feel good about having eaten excellent food and helped those less fortunate in the process of doing so?"

[Genuvah]

Genuvah looked over the menu again, as she pointed out exactly what the option he was choosing meant. When she mentioned the soup would likely be extra, he shook his head, "Oh, that's alright, I can do without the soup. I'd prefer to have my Cally's experience be the way it was intended, at least to start." So saying he nodded as he read over the list of entrees and other dishes. He hummed to himself while considering the options.

The Yludih didn't pry when she mentioned her friend, knowing full well how sharp those wounds could sting when disturbed. He nodded solemnly.

When the woman, Faith, asked to have a seat he nodded. "Of course."

"Hmm, as for what food I enjoy, I always liked citrus fruits, you know lemons, limes, and oranges if they are available. Not sure if there's any left to the island after this dismal season we're having." He looked around, noting the darkness behind each window, although the light from the surroundings almost fooled him into thinking Ashan and later seasons were already here. "I'm fond of fish especially, salads, any kind of meat. I don't mind surprises. I'll eat just about anything, as you might tell by looking at me!" He patted his belly, smiling, apprently his alterego had forgotten his nervousness in the midst of this place. Something nice and calming about the atmosphere. He could see why people paid good nels to eat here.

He nodded as she admitted that she was the cook as well as the owner. This might be interesting. "I'm happy to eat whatever you put in front of me!" Shortly after he let her know what he liked, Faith departed. In time, the three courses were laid in front of him, the first to cleanse his palate. The next was the main dish, and finally the desert, a lemon-flavored cake topped off with some ice cream. The latter part was the most interesting, as he'd never had ice-cream before, let alone with it soaking into the cake that was drenched in syrup. "It was very good! Thank you Trudy, and give Faith my compliments..."

Something she said at the end of her statement, about helping others, caught his attention. Being a mercenary for the past few seasons had worn on him. At times he had to injure people, and didn't enjoy the prospect. He also thought Selmon might not like it either, and so was looking for some other, more meaningful occupation might be made available to him. You know, to counterbalance the violent pass time of Cowle Rioghsson. "What did you mean about helping others? Does your restaurant run a soup kitchen for the unfortunate or something, or...?"

OOC

Heya, I took control of what he was served for dessert, but if you want you can fill in the rest of the details for the first two courses.

[Faith Augustin]

Faith paid attention to everything he said and she left with a smile and having wished that he would very much enjoy his time here. She had a clear idea of what it was that he would like and she knew just what it was that she was going to cook for him. So, she went out into the kitchen and did so.

The food which he was brought out was of a standard which could be expected in the best restaurants on Idalos. Faith prepared him a fish entree, scallops with a light citrus marmalade and small crackers which had tiny specks of black pepper in them. It was served with a fresh salad and had a depth of flavour which was exquisite. Then, for a main course there was duck with an orange jus and seasonal vegetables which were fresh from the gardens. Somehow, things grew, it seemed, even in the depths of winter. Each morsel of the food was exquisite and when Trudi brought him his dessert she grinned in pleasure. It was good to see that people enjoyed what they did here, and all of the staff worked hard not least because they were invested in what was going on.

It was when Trudi brought him the coffee and made an offhand comment that she brought about a question. When he asked that, Trudi smiled and shook her head. "It's more than that. The way that Cally's works is that Faith takes a wage. All the other profits from the business go into the business. What it does, well," Trudi gestured around. "All the food is home grown, by the trainees. Those are people who have been in the most dire situations, extreme poverty. The money from the business has gone to create homes for them. They come here, get fed, medical care, and they learn a trade. They're expected to work for it, of course. But we have the restaurant, the produce farm, the livestock farm, the vineyard and the housing, so there's lots of jobs to do. It also funds an orphanage, Luna's dream, in Scalvoris Town. We're opening a soup kitchen in Ashan."

Trudi shrugged slightly and said, because she believed it to be true. "I mean, almost everyone has heard of Faith. She's the medic who cured the Rot, and she gives thousands of gold nel to charities, works tirelessly. She's that Faith, the medic and cook. Though people often think she should be older than she is. But yeah. The trainees stay here until they're ready to leave, then they are replaced by the next one. There are over a hundred people who've left here now, and they're looking to set up another group, off Scalvoris." Trudi gave a grin. "She's also the Councillor for Welfare and a Professor at the University, so you know. Busy, crazy lady. Why? You interested in helping out?" She was being mostly cheeky, but that being said, it never did any harm to ask.

If he was, or if he had questions, she'd ask Faith to come out and chat to him, she said.

ooc

I figured, since she's got a Renown / Fame of 1000, it's feasible that you'll have heard of her. Hope that's ok - you play it either way

[Genuvah]

While Genuvah's other personality, Cowle might've responded to claims of Faith's overwhelming goodness with a sly and sceptical comment, Selmon was willing to take them in good faith. No pun intended. He nodded through Trudi's explanation of Faith's exploits. Then it dawned on him, he had heard of this woman once or twice. Even in a backwater like Egilrun, he'd heard stories about her. "Wait, you mean t...t...THE Faith? W... wow."

He thought it over. He intended to join the Order of Adunih with Selmon later on, sometime in Ashan to expand his horizons, and give him a better cover story if he needed to sink deeper into obscurity. This might be his chance to corroborate his new identity with a known person, who might vouch for him. All while doing good in the world right along with her people. His mind was getting a bit spun around by the ideas running through it.

Finally, he asked Trudi, "I'd sure like to help! Not sure what use I'd be at the moment, with no special training. I actually came to Scalvoris Town to join the Order of Adunih, but don't have any medical training just yet."

"What kind of help are you folks accepting right now?" Genuvah was a bit disappointed that he wouldn't be able to put his martial training to use, as Selmon was a bit of a coward compared to Cowle, and didn't like getting into fights, again unlike Cowle. Yet both of them enjoyed helping and defending the weak, respectively. Perhaps Cowle could be tapped to aid them from time to time.

[Faith Augustin]

Trudi grinned and nodded. "Yep. That one. People usually think she's going to be taller. Or older. Or both." She glanced back at the kitchen, fondly. Obviously, the waitress was positive about her employer, although that might be a front of course. When he said that he came to Scalvoris Town to join the Order of the Adunih, Trudi nodded. "Well, she's a member, as you probably know. She's going to be mentoring some people there, so I believe. I'll give her a call, she knows what's happening and what's needed."

Trudi, who wasn't really able to answer questions about specifics, went and fetched Faith, who came out and sat down with a smile. "Trudi tells me you'd possibly be interested in helping out?" When he expressed that yes, he was, she gave a delighted smile then glanced up and thanked Trudi as the flirtatious biqaj put down coffee and a small plate of confections between them. "Well, how about I tell you about what we have, and then you can tell me where you might see yourself fitting in?"

If he was happy with that, Faith explained that Isonomia worked to eradicate poverty, to ensure that people were treated fairly - all people. She described Beacon, the small village of just over 50 houses, where people who were part of the Isonomia program were housed. They were given food, accommodation, medical care and clothing while they were taught a trade, she explained. They needed people to work with the faction to provide security, to teach trades, to cook and to basically be members who might do all sorts of things. There was the orphanage and the soup kitchen, she said, alongside these, which were part of what the faction sponsored. As for assets, places where people needed to work, there were all those places and the farms which helped keep them self sufficient.

"My bottom line," Faith said, earnestly, "is that if you are wanting to and willing to help in any way you can, then you are welcome. As for the Order of the Adunih?" Faith smiled. "I can introduce you to the Head of the Order here, Galena. I've been talking to her about becoming a mentor for some new recruits there, if you're interested?" Looking at him with serious silver eyes, Faith sat back and smiled. "In what way do you see yourself as wanting to help, if at all?" She didn't want to put pressure on him, so she waited to see what he answered and, from there, they could talk details.

[Genuvah]

Genuvah received the oddest urge to spill his secret, that he was in fact Yludih and could probably serve Faith's village more as a bodyguard or something other than as a blank slate. But he hadn't lived all these years by being open about his identity, which in itself was a case of internal debate with the recent split between Cowle and Selmon. Strange it was that the visit to Uleuda had left him with more doubts about himself than it did in clarity.

So, he tried to focus on what Selmon wanted, and what he was. "Oh, wow. You founded your own village, then? I guess it's not unheard of for heroes to do. Still, more often you hear of the heroes who slay armies and charm dragons than those who actually make a difference in ordinary peoples' lives." Genuvah paused to think for a few moments. "I think I would like to join your settlement as a helper. I don't know how to do much, when growing up in Egilrun I got into a lot of wrestling tournaments, so maybe some kind of bouncer or bodyguard." He shrugged.

"As for the Order, I wanted to learn more about trades that can help others. So an introduction to the Order would be a great favor." He tapped his chin a couple times, only to remember that Selmon was pudgy and didn't have much of one. He fumbled a bit at that, but recovered his senses quickly. "I also like to play cards and other games such as that." Cowle's sarcasm bubbled to his surface thoughts, Great, eat a couple more pies and you'll have solidified your image as a layabout who's bound to subsist on double rations. A bit biting and blunt even for Cowle, but Genuvah shrugged it off. Normally Cowle was more clever about his barbs.

"But I'm willing to learn more useful trades, of course. Just pointing out my strengths?"

[Faith Augustin]

Faith looked at him in genuine, absolute surprise. "Heroes? What now? No, no, not at all. And I did nothing alone." she was very quick to be very clear on that. "I am a small part of a much larger thing. But yes, we work for the betterment of people. I am afraid I have no wish to be slaying armies or charming dragons." Though, she thought, it would be fun trying the latter. When he said he wanted to join, though, Faith beamed in delight. "That sounds excellent! We are always happy to welcome new members." That was the truth of it - every pair of hands made a difference.

When he said that he'd gotten into wrestling tournaments, Faith smiled and nodded. "Perhaps you could help out with the self defense classes? That would certainly be very helpful," All of the trainees learned self defense she explained. Many of them were former slaves and people seemed to think that it was acceptable to treat them inappropriately. "I want to make sure that they know it is not. I'm not promoting violence, far from it, but no one should be victimized or abused." She looked at him and gave a slight shrug, almost apologetic and yet very much, not.

As for the Order, she nodded. "It would be my absolute pleasure. Are you wanting to learn medicine?" She asked with a slightly uncertain expression on her face. "I could help you, if you'd like?" She motioned in an 'out there' kind of direction. "I'm a professor in Medicine at the university." It seemed like a ludicrous thing to say, she always thought, but there it was. She still thought there might be a mix up and that someone would walk in and tell her they were just kidding. Pulling herself back to the moment, she smiled at him. "What do you think?"