Can't Help the Way He Is

Writers: Kastaka, Paula
Date Posted: 4th March 2009

Characters: Calla, Vasha
Description: Vasha gets involved in the kitchen staff's problems.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 1, day 18 of Turn 5

Vasha was in the kitchens, peeling tubers again. It felt kind of odd to be the only Candidate on kitchen duty, but there weren't so many of them left. She sternly reminded herself that the drudges and other kitchen staff were people too, but none of them really seemed to want to talk to a candidate and apprentice, and she guessed she didn't blame them for that.

Calla brought a new sack of tubers and lowered it to the ground near Vasha's feet. He stretched his back and flashed a smile to the girl.

Vasha smiled back at the drudge, glad that someone had at least acknowledged her presence. "Thank you," she said in a friendly tone. "Many more of these to come?" she added, conversationally rather than in any way that could be construed as making a fuss.

"T-two," Calla stuttered. They had lot of people to feed after all.

A little taken aback that she seemed to have startled the drudge, Vasha eventually settled on looking sympathetic. "Well, I shan't keep you hanging around here, then. Unless you wanted a hand carrying things?"

Calla shook his head then gestured towards the tap, and asked: "Wa-water?"

"Um, you want some water?" guessed Vasha. "What kind of container would you like it in?" She wasn't sure why the drudge couldn't get his own water, but there was no point being unhelpful.

Calla pointed the glasses on the shelf above Vasha and made a gesture indicate drinking.

"Right." Vasha reached up for a glass, rinsed it out, filled it up and handed it to the drudge. The whole charade reminded her of dealing with her younger foster-siblings. But this poor gentleman appeared fully grown, and still apparently hadn't the faculties to fetch himself a glass of water. She felt rather sorry for him.

Calla nodded his thanks and emptied the glass. He did put it away himself to the rack for dirty dishes.

Vasha suppressed her urge to congratulate him on putting the glass in the right place, like she might do for a small child, and took off another strip of tuber skin. "Anything else?" she asked Calla as he returned, in a cheerful but slightly nervous tone.

Calla just shook his head. He turned around to return to the store to get the remaining sacks, when someone bumped into a him.

"Hey, watch it, you dimglow!"

Vasha was just turning back to her tuber-peeling when she heard the altercation behind her and turned to see what was up. Apparently the drudge had collided with another of the kitchen staff, who didn't seem too happy about it. On the other hand, while calling the drudge a dimglow was hardly polite, it did seem to be technically accurate, so she didn't immediately leap to anyone's defence.

Calla tried to stutter an apology, but the other man has no patience to wait him finish the word.

"Ach, can't you talk, sharding idiot!"

Vasha looked curiously at the abusive member of the kitchen staff. Didn't he know the other drudge well enough by now to know that he'd have to wait a moment for his apology? With a sigh, she put down her tuber-peeling knife and tried to look imposing, which was not particularly successful.

"I think you'll find he can talk just fine," she said, "if you give him a moment to get a word in edgeways."

"Aw, don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong, brat," the man said wickedly.

Vasha was entirely used to being called a brat and attempted to frantically gesture to Calla that the drudge should get lost now while the kitchen staff member was distracted, as she stood her ground and looked calmly into the kitchen staff member's eyes.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that people abusing drudges was not my problem," she said, just trying to buy a few more moments for Calla to get clear.

"Well, it's not," the man retorted.

One of the older cooks came over. She cleared her throat to get everyone's attention. "Vasha, the tubers don't peel themselves. Calla, after you have brought the tubers, I need two sacks of flour. And you, you were here to clean the sewers, I believe," she said and pointed each one she addressed with large soup ladle. She felt it was best to break up the situation before it got worse.

Calla just nodded at her and snuck away towards the stores.

"You leave Calla alone. He can't help the way he is, poor lad," she admonished once again before turning away.

Vasha gave the older cook her best expression of apology and turned sadly to the tuber peeling again. She wished people weren't so mean to each other.

Last updated on the March 13th 2009

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Can't Help the Way He Is