[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/awVFTOZ.png[/img] [img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/dHRmLjY2LmFiOWIzNy5XbUZ5YVc1aElFRnNMVTVoWkdWeS4w/italianno.regular.webp[/img][/center] [hr][hr] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/T3SrujO.png[/img][/center] [color=E59081][h3][b]Velles 5th[/b][/h3] [sup][b]Location:[/b] Au Boeuf Rouge - Ersand'Enise [b]Day of the week:[/b] Taldes [b]Time:[/b] 4:XX HE [b]Characters:[/b] Ingrid [@dragonpiece], Maura [@Ti], Zarina, Anna, Etienne, Frédérique Au Boeuf Rouge's Staff, Carving Contestants Mystery Player[/sup] [hr] Étienne walks through to the carving area, already holding his nose. Why he agreed to this was beyond him, perhaps the old weasel tricked him. Regardless, he is here, let’s see what these peasants can do. He walks up to the slates, taking it from one of the assistants as he started crossing names off already. [color=d4af37]“These can go home”[/color]. He hands the slate back to the poor assistant who has to break the bad news, [color=FFD700]“Refund them and apologise”[/color] says Frédérique to the bewildered girl as she is already cleaning up her brother's messes as she sighs to him. [color=d4af37]“Monsieur… [i]Snood[/i]”[/color], he could taste the disgust from the tip of his tongue, but he is Eskandish at least. [color=d4af37]“Show us why you are here.”[/color] The Eskandish man got his hammer and chisel ready, standing tall and proud before the pouncy Perrench as he easily towers over them. He shouts over to one of the assistants before addressing the noble, [color=7DF9FF]“Bring me th' coo”[/color]. As the animal is brought into sight, he turns to look down towards Étienne. [color=7DF9FF]“Boy, we are the land of the Snowsweeper, and I am a true wolf-feeder. You don’t stab this magnificent beast with a wound-hoe or shoot it with wound-bees, as it seeps with its corpse-milk.[/color] Thorin moves over to the dairy cow offered for his demonstration as he shouts in some Eskandish, as moves to stroke his hands along the cow's head, speaking towards it gently in a relaxing manner. [color=7DF9FF] “Animals, when frightened, can ruin meat. It needs to be relaxed and you work with precision.”[/color] The cow looks rather content and unaware of its surrounding situation as it was being fed. Thorin gives the nod as he moves towards the back of the animal, moving the chisel along the base of the skull. He draws upon magnetic magic as he causes a sharp electric current to project into the cow along the chisel to stun the creature, then using his hammer, smashes the chisel into the back of the skull, killing it cleanly and quickly. [color=7DF9FF]“Meat now succulent. Now we celebrate with a pool of malt.”[/color], he cheers as he uses his impressive strength to chop the creature up and hoist the animal up onto a hook. [color=d4af37]“If it wasn’t so savage, I might have thought I was just witnessing you, dear Frédérique”[/color], his lips twist as he smiles towards his sister. [color=FFD700]“Always so kind, brother.”[/color], as she smiles back towards him, her eyes for a moment telling him a different story. Étienne does look rather impressed with the result, the man seems to know a thing or two about meat for a barbarian, making a mark against his name for consideration. Frédérique moves along to the next on the list, her eyes looking up and down upon Zarina’s form. [color=FFD700]“Would you be Lady Al-Nader?”[/color], offering the girl an overly sweet pleasant smile. Étienne moves up alongside his sister, looking upon the cleaned surface with boiling water, herbs, spices, and other things, [color=d4af37]“la demoiselle, the cooks are in the next room. I don’t want to see a girl like yourself around all these butchers and sharp implements getting hurt.”[/color] Zarina perks up at the call of her name. She is just about ready to give a steaming display to the audience by dunking the carcass into boiling water, allowing for aromas to permeate the air with a variety of colors, courtesy of the spices and colorants she added to the solution, [color=C78A2C]“Hmmm? That would be me, yeah.”[/color] the butcher-ready Virangish worker turns to acknowledge the twins. Etienne added his own unwarranted comment as she let the cow's body dive into the hot tank. [color=C78A2C]“There's a girl almost half my size in the next room that's also butchering,”[/color] she claims as she tugs on the chain with her kinetic magic to hoist the scalded body up. The steam is indeed quick colorful and the smells invoked strong spices from the North, [color=C78A2C]“I'll be fine.”[/color] she grins confidently, with two carving knives on her palms. With a deep breath, she makes the carcass spin at medium speed while still hanging from he chain, allowing her to elegantly swing her blade whilst circling the hanging piece of meat. Precise cuts enhanced by her Kinetic magic made the skin just loose enough to fall after a final swipe to the unhooked hoof. A fully exposed cow carcass, with the head quickly lopped off along with the hooves with the exception of the hooked foot. Zarina adopts a pose and bows, [color=C78A2C]“Next, I will be selecting three quality cuts.”[/color] For a moment she pauses to acknowledge her audience, and then she points right at Etienne, [color=C78A2C]“You.”[/color] she raises her chin, [color=C78A2C]“Show me the cuts you wish to have served.”[/color] she smirks, [color=C78A2C]“Unless you're afraid of a little blood and guts, of course.”[/color] and just as she says that, a deep cut she had made to the abdomen of the corpse opens up, with the innards seamlessly pouring into a bucket under it. All very clean, the audience did not have to see them for more than a second. Étienne gives a wide grin as he finds himself interested in this Vigrandish girl as he eyes her figure. [i]I wonder if she is this feisty in bed[/i]. He approaches the carcass as he points towards the sides of the spine. [color=d4af37]”You may serve me Filet Mignon. Though I like to treat the servants well, so cut me a Ribeye and Porterhouse for them.”[/color]. It is not unexpected for a man of his pedigree to demand the rarest and most choice cut of the beef. It doesn’t bode well for the Snowsweeper. Frédérique gives her brother a glance as she recognises the beef isn’t the flank of meat he is interested in. Étienne is unable to filter out that disgust directed towards him completely. Being a twin can be a curse in moments like this. Zarina checks out the pieces that are requested. Butchering isn't her specialty - far from it - but she is the only one in the team with concrete experience. So she goes for it, [color=C78A2C]“Very well.”[/color] her fingers hover the appropriate knife, but before actually seizing it, she actually takes the twig and snaps it, [color=C78A2C]“Do you expect an actual steak for your meal, dear guest?”[/color] she turns to face Etienne, hands behind her back, and posture straight. Étienne smiles as he looks towards Frédérique, [color=d4af37]”I think a cut for my dear sister and myself is in order.”[/color] He aims to soothe some of that unpleasantness in the connection they share. As the stick is snapped, there is silence for a moment as it appears nothing happened, then a music beat started. The twins looked around to see who was making the sound, along with some of the other guests who were mumbling. Only person not completely surprised was the one who activated the trigger herself. It seemed as if almost on cue, the music began as the castanets started clapping. Zarina is prepared. [center][youtube]https://youtu.be/c0y9SDiihBY[/youtube][/center] There it is, the quick succession of cord notes that serve as a prelude to a spicy theme from home. Right as the percussions start, Zarina draws both her carving knives, raising them over her head in a Y stance before she slightly tilts her body, right foot forward and flexed to have it stand on the ball of her foot and toes. And then she starts! A breeze brushes by the guests and all the viewers that curiously peeked in Zarina's quarters. Empowered by her keen grasp of Kinetic Magic and the air filled with aromas from the brew she had been making combined with her chemical magic, she got to work. The Ribeye first. Her footwork is discreet as she was wearing but light, dancing shoes, all emphasized as she circled her carcass. The ribs were her target, and she make sure to properly isolate them, before carving them up in singular, precise slashes. They were the easiest, as the bones essentially draw the lines for her. The next was the porterhouse, and she has to be careful to not sever the tenderloin. She holds herself on one leg, the other fully flexed with the sole of her shoe pressed to her knee. And then, with a new knife in hand, she perform a quick jab and then a tugged downward to get the right cut. All of it resembled a dance, with Zarina adding unnecessary waves of her arms and pauses to pose. When she gets a piece, she makes a point to quickly turn to her audience, blades extended and the steaks presented to them in a row of plates she had set up. Finally comes the Filet Mignon. She needs the Tenderloin she had been careful to preserve. [1:50] She does aim for the cut itself, but instead proceeds to chop down all the other bits that could be served up. Each piece is part of her dance, and eventually, with the tenderloin fully isolated, she perform a final, closing slash. The two pieces of meat rest onto of her knife, stacked, as she bows to her audience. [color=C78A2C]“A Tenderloin for My Lord and Lady, each.”[/color] Étienne claps to the beat of the music as the girl twirls around in front of him. Frédérique, despite a desire to dislike the girl, cannot help but be impressed by the performance. What before them was something most certainly unique, butchery to music. Some of the competition simply walked out in protest at the judges reaction, others that they feel they cannot compete at such a level. It was almost as if Zarina was having the judges eating out of her hand if she had cooked the steak as it was served to them. Frédérique led the clap at the end of the performance as blue rose petals fell around the girl who well and truly stole the attention away from the room. [color=d4af37]”Fantastique”[/color]. Étienne handed Zarina two notes as he took his sister's arm, guiding her towards the competition who were fleeing from the pair. Nia showed an incredible display with her sword work as the metal sliced and dices upon the flesh. Her honed swordplay was certainly better than Zarina’s own, but without the music and fanfare, it just seemed to pale in comparison. Destined to be second best as always. The Huulendamn boy chose venison as his choice of cut. He was able to expertly skin the creature, showing great masterwork and consideration of that of a practised gamehunter. His knife peeling away the layers like they were nothing. Except this competition was no longer based on skill, but who can do the prettiest dancing. After the unimpressed boredom upon the judges faces, he lowers the tools and leave. The Eskandish Beserker, Thorrin was the only other to get a ‘passing grade’ after Zarina’s performance. The man swept his blonde hair to the side as he looks upon the cuts at the end. “Sloppy. Perhaps you’ll be a dancer as I work the meat.” Anna looks a little deflated afterwards but cheered on Zarina during her dancing. Zarina looks down at the notes within her hands. The first is recognition of her passing the judges inspection, the other is… an address. “Baignes-toi et viens ici ce soir" [i]bathe and come here tonight[/i]. With her ploy delivering greatly, Zarina takes the time to prepare different plates to be delivered to Ingrid. Given what has been said, she figures making more than one dish is the way to go. She sends the following: [i]-Tenderloin, Makes a Filet Mignon typical dish -Ribeye make something fancy. -Make Bourgignon with with Porterhouse meat. -Not Eskandish[/i] Then comes the note for her. She raises a brow as she reads, [color=C78A2C]"Fucking Prenchies."[/color] she shakes her head, and goes to witness Ingrid's work. [/color]