[RUMOR] Unseasonal

[Arcane]

I always loved the fruit of late fall. But all the kitchens are serving today is produce from Semaca, which tastes disconcertingly of summer still.

[FirebrandPhlox]

"I understand that we only have so much local food with all the landslides, but can't they serve at least one properly autumn fruit?" Shr'k complained loudly as he gnashed at the Semacan food with an open mouth. "These taste fine and all, but it doesn't feel right to be eating something so summery when it's so late in the year. The lake is half frozen over for crying out loud!"

He knew he should be happy the Semacans were sending them enough food to not only feed the people of the weyr, but also the Holdless who had been taken in, but it was hard to appreciate the food when the usual fall offerings were his favorites. "If I don't see an apple pie before the winter, I'm storming the kitchens."

[Windra]

Adair rolled her eyes, raising a some-kind-of-fruit pie to her lips - they were so small and dainty! - and taking just the tiniest peck of it. She drew back with a sensual moan, eyes rolling skyward and the impossible taste.

She was sure to swallow first. Dabbing a handkerchief to tackle the crumbs and bits of fruit from her pale face, the greenrider barely glanced Shr'k's way. "Such a simple palate. Why, these meals have been exquisite. Best enjoy them before the next diplomacy-ending fervor severs ties where it sees fit."

Adair set another type of plate - something to do with seasoned meat and another fruit that was sun-dried and savory - before her little garnet fire-lizard. Even Glitz took careful mouthfuls, not wanting to be rid of the dish too quickly.

[Arcane]

Stroud glared at the fruit and the complaining dragonriders, gaze full of silent intensity.

It was the cooks to blame, of course. If Stroud was a cook, he would have served an autumn feast for the ages, to delight the senses and celebrate the season. But Stroud was not a cook, because nobody had ever appreciated or properly nurtured his talents.

"The cooks," he said simply, with a voice full of disdain, as he pushed away his tart. Which was clearly a summer tart. When it was almost winter!

"The Strouds demand the traditional pumpkin spiced klah," he said, even though he was from Igen, where pumpkin spiced klah was not at all traditional.

This was High Reaches, with High Reaches cooks, who were failing in their most basic duties.

[FirebrandPhlox]

Shr'k glowered at the female rider who was absolutely enjoying herself a bit too much. She seemed the fancy sort that took themselves much to seriously, exactly the kinds of folks he tried to steer clear of. Especially the ones that looked down on "simple" folk like him.

Summer produce was for summer. Autumn produce was for fall. It was as simple as that. "It's not a palate issue, it's a seasonal issue. The fruit tarts are nice, but what's the point of having them year round? Then they aren't as special when the summer comes around."

He nodded to the bluerider. "Right? It can't be that hard for them to make the pumpkin spice klah, or the apple cider, even with the limited resources we're getting! I thought that the southern continent was supposed to be good for spice growing, so how come we don't have the spiced beverages yet?" He didn't know the ins and outs of trade routes and treaties, but it didn't seem like a large ask to want the food made in fall to taste like fall food.

[Windra]

Delightful as this dish was, Shr'k did poise an point that gave Adair pause long enough to glance across the room where the kitchen's doorway lingered. "Spiced k'lah does sound incredible as well, I will admit. It has been a considerable amount of time since I've last tasted it." She clicked her tongue, turning her head sideways. "Perhaps they simply don't have any of the ingredients to spare. I heard a fire in Fort Weyr territory set blaze to a good handful of crops. I imagine they would have to carefully ration their supplies for pleasantries."

Then Adair pursed her lips, pressing a finger to them in deep thought. Ah, wait ...

"I tend to forget I am no longer in Fort Weyr," she admitted with a wave of her hand.