What else is there? [Lucca] {Finished}

[Harpsdesire]

"There are some that would... take advantage of the uninformed. Luckily it is not hard to determine the quality of herbs and teas by scent, if one has experience with that sort of thing." The flicker of... something... in Seena's eyes didn't pass without Alicia's notice, but the leveret was unable to interpret the expression. At least the Doe didn't seem bored or displeased, which was often the best a leveret could hope for, anyway.

Alicia's demeanor was calm, and she handled the teacup in her paws with seemingly effortless grace. She would not be eager to admit it, but she had actually spent hours in her youth practicing to obtain the skill of both pouring and drinking tea without spilling or resorting to leaving the cup on the table and dipping her face to it. She considered this somewhat common behavior to be a sign of poor breeding barely tolerable in a leveret, much less a prized doe like she would one day be.

Her golden-brown eyes were attentive as Seena spoke of her home region, and she laughed softly. "It's not water I object to, really, it's mainly mud." The highlander looked at her still slightly soiled coat ruefully. There wasn't much she could do about it until she got home and had a chance to bathe. She hated being dirty, and being dirty in front of this immaculate and unusually gracious Doe was just... shameful.

At least the conversation was reasonably interesting, and the pastries Shelby had just placed on the table looked tempting. She would wait for Seena to select one before helping herself, showing proper deference to her higher rank. "While we're speaking of seasonings, could you tell me a little about the regional specialties of the Lakes? I'm afraid I know almost nothing about Selkie cooking, besides that they use a lot of fish." Alicia smiled. Everyone liked talking about their homeland, and Seena seemed rather more aware than most Does of the intricacies of the warren kitchen. Of course, it would be unseemly to suggest that the Doe actually cooked like a lowly leveret, but she appeared to at least have a general grasp of the matter. In Alicia's opinion, this was as it should be. One could not properly manage one's servants without at least a little understanding of what they should be doing.

[Lucca]

Again, Seena found herself uniquely impressed by this Leveret before her. She was obviously intelligent, and that was something the Doe appreciated in her servants. She was the type to value enriching conversation above being waited on paw and foot, though she obviously expected the Leverets to do their job as well. And while her preference was to seek the conversation with her Jack, she understood that he was usually quite busy, and she treasured the time Heike spent with her. (Perhaps a bit more than she should! But now was not the time to reflect on her feelings for her Jack.)

She made a soft noise of agreement. Yes, you could tell by the smell. And it was good that a Leveret not only knew that, but also knew enough to apply the fact to their purchases. She hoped that the Jack of this Leveret - the Czar, was it? - knew the value he had in this servant. "Ah, of course. Well, at least it's nothing a proper bath wouldn't clean up," the Doe replied briskly. Of course, she wasn't going to offer Alicia use of their bathing facilities...that was just a bit too much familiarity to show a Leveret, no matter how well-mannered.

When Shelby brought out the pastries, Seena selected a muffin from the tray and nibbled on the edge of it delicately, since she still wasn't entirely hungry. But it was only polite, after all, to eat with one's guests. "We do use a lot of fish, although not all Jacks have a taste for them," Seena said, nodding. She was only too eager to speak of the Selkie, especially as she no longer got as homesick for it as she'd used to. "I've found, personally, that a certain kind of perch had a mild enough flavor to be quite enjoyable. It was usually used in a stew along with various tubers and a dash of basil. One of the most readily available edible plants was a flowering one that always grew on the edge of the lake...marsh marigolds. They were actually quite good in salad, though you had to use them fresh or they had an unpleasant, bitter flavor. We also had a wine made from rice, which grows quite well in some of the warmer and watery areas of the region. Of course, how to make such a thing is a hard-kept secret, though I managed to make a pretty good guess at the recipe and had the Leverets prepare it." Seena herself had never been allowed to cook, but that didn't mean she hadn't read and observed all about the process and what went into making various foods.

Shelby listened curiously, though his nose crinkled up at the thought of eating fish. Ewww! He had no stomach for any type of meat or fish at all. Trying not to think about something that nasty, he took a large bite of his fruit pastry instead.

[Harpsdesire]

Alicia nodded. A bath would be delightful and just the thing to restore her fur to its usual pristine state, but there no point in making too much of an effort to clean up before she got home to the Czar's warren. The mud on the paths would probably be even deeper on her return trip, as the rain continued to come down in a cold, disheartening drizzle. Ugh. It was going to be even harder to go back out in the rain after she had been warmed by the tea and cozy surroundings.

Alicia was familiar with seafood, to an extent. The trout and salmon that filled the Highland streams had quite a strong flavor, and an even more distinct scent that she found somewhat disagreeable. A milder fish... she would have to consider trying that some time. The leveret nodded, thinking that a stew of roots and basil sounded tasty, even if she would have to forgo the perch, which was not, so far as she knew, readily available this far from Selkie Lakes.

She smiled at the mention of marsh marigolds. The description reminded her of a certain wild herb from her homeland. It was mild and sweet in early spring, growing unpalatable and bitter soon after its small yellow flowers appeared. More than the fish or plants, it was the idea of rice wine that astonished Alicia.

"You can make wine out of rice?" The small highlander blinked at her hostess, sounding a little bemused. She had often eaten rice, but never tasted anything so expensive and elegant as wine. She knew it was fermented juice, made mainly of grapes, now and then of other fruits and berries. Wine and rice sounded so unrelated-- and Seena's leverets had somehow accomplished this feat without a recipe. "That sounds fascinating. What is the wine like?"

Alicia forgot to look worldly and experienced for a moment as she contemplated how they had possibly managed to squeeze juice from rice. She quickly gave up on this train of thought, her mind straying, as it often did when presented with new information, to ardent contemplation of the question 'How can this knowledge be of use to me?'

Being able to make something so valuable as wine out of rice, a reasonably-priced staple, was surely a skill that would lend a leveret value and earn the respect of her warren. She resolved to look into this alchemy next time she was free to visit the library.

Alicia knew how to read, and on occasion even selected a volume to read for pleasure when her workload was light, but she mainly saw knowledge and education as a means to get ahead in life, not something to be treasured on it's own merits. Her outlook was pragmatic, and her reading choices reflected this-- books on etiquette and society, cooking, warren-digging, gardening and foraging for edible plants were selected over 'frivolous' topics like philosophy and mythology.

Her tea and pastry were all but forgotten for the moment as her ears pricked forward in interest.

((Here, have pointless backstory! Mwahaha!))

[Lucca]

"Yes, I was surprised too, when I first heard of it!" Seena replied, a warm light in her blue eyes. It was so nice to find a Leveret that actually wanted to hold an intelligent conversation! So many of them, anywhere she went, seemed too concerned with daily tasks...the 'what' was always far more important to them than the 'hows' and the 'whys'. But, quite differently from Alicia, Seena craved knowledge for its own sake. And as for practical applications, that was obviously important as well, but the Doe believed that -all- knowledge had a practical application of some type. Philosophy was for the late nights when one wonders about the meaning of all things in existence, poetry and music to sooth the soul, fiction as a mirror for real life, and mythology to teach moral values.

But, of course, Seena did not know that the Leveret before her did not share her views on that subject (but she probably would not have been surprised if she had; most Rabbits didn't understand her avid knowledge-seeking and bookworm tendancies) and was more than content for the moment to find someone with whom she could carry on an interesting conversation. "Hmm. Compared to normal wine, it actually has a higher alcohol content, so you should drink less in a single serving. The flavor is rather sweet, and it has a mild, yeasty sort of undertone. Though if you've not had much alcohol of any sort before, it's hard to tell the flavor apart from the burning sensation. I haven't had it in a long time...and the brew the Leverets made under my direction wasn't quite as flavorful as the variety you can buy in the markets in Selkie."

Shelby listened curiously, continuing with his pastry, and wondered, not for the first time, what wine must taste like. He had never been permitted to have any, of course, being a mere Leveret and also since Heike didn't usually have such things in the Warren. He thought that if he ever had the chance, he'd want to sneak a taste, just to see what made alcoholic drinks different from other types.

((my apologies if Seena's description is inaccurate...I've never had rice wine and wikipedia didn't see fit to give me a description of the flavor. >_> ))

[Harpsdesire]

((In my opinion, rice wine mostly just tastes alcoholic, like plain vodka, blech! But maybe Selkies make it better. ^_^))

Alicia nodded eagerly, absorbing the information. "That sounds very nice." The leveret yearned for the day when she was worthy of being pampered and treated to elegant beverages and delicacies. One day she would know what wine tasted like, and dine nightly in the company of her Jack, rather than at the leverets' communal tables, or in rushed bites between chores. She dreamed of the gracious life, the jewels and trinkets, the romance, all the trappings and signs of that which she craved above all the else: the unquestioned love of a Jack.

In the meantime, she would do all she could to increase her value and visibility in the warren, starting with the skill of causing a near-miraculous transformation from rice to wine.

"Is the process of fermenting very complicated?" She asked, expression innocent. Her whiskers perked toward Seena as she awaited the answer. She was trying hard to seem interested without giving the impression that she was trying to steal the secrets of Selkie wine making. (Even though she sort of was...) She let her genuine surprise and admiration shine through as she continued. " I can't imagine how you could have done such a thing with only the supplies of a warren and your own leverets." It never hurt, after all, to let a Doe or Jack know you thought them impressive and utterly worthy of the deference and respect that was culturally required anyhow.

Even with her tone of respect, properly downcast gaze and demure voice, being here, away from her home and in Seena's company, made Alicia feel curiously free. It was pleasant to sit in the warm parlor and sip tea with a bright and personable Doe, almost as if they were friends, or even equals (although she would never admit to anyone that she had such a subversive thought, that she could ever be Seena's equal... Which she knew in her heart some day she would be.)

Seena struck the highlander as a very different sort of Doe- attractive, hospitable, ladylike, but with a sharper intellect than most. That was something to aspire to... and she never for an instant thought it unattainable.

[Lucca]

Seena was practically glowing with her happiness from being able to carry on such an...advanced conversation with someone. It was refreshing to meet a Leveret that actually cared enough about things of that nature. And so she eagerly moved to answer the question. "Oh, it's very complicated, though not as difficult as you might think it at first." She paused to take a sip of her tea, and in that moment...something clicked. The way Alicia was acting...she was just a little too casual in asking what were actually pointed questions.

Could it be that the Leveret actually had notions of attempting the brew herself? It wasn't necessarily that Seena wanted to prevent others outside of the Selkie from trying to make rice wine, but the feeling that she was being -used- niggled at her a bit. She set her tea cup down again and gave Alicia a too-bright smile, demeanor remaining friendly though suspicion flickered in her eyes. "Well, as I said...we didn't quite manage to do it correctly. And unless you ever actually tasted it for yourself, it would be hard to know how to even begin."

Shelby looked from his Mum to the visiting Leveret in confusion. Had something just...changed? Did the air become a little tenser? He wasn't sure what had happened. One moment they were discussing wine and the next...well, they were still discussing wine, but...

He cleared his throat and turned toward Alicia with a smile. "Have you tried the danishes?" he asked, offering one to her with a paw. "They're our baker's specialty."

[Harpsdesire]

So, it was complex. That was no surprise, really, since even the idea of making such a drink seemed rather improbable. The was also the difficulty of finding space to set up such a project, since Vikenti's warren was currently well populated with both Does and Leverets. Still, it was worth looking into.

When Seena's demeanor changed, it was not lost on Alicia, although the highlander assumed that it was indeed because the wine was a regional secret. There would be no practical help here, it seemed. Just as well, perhaps, because she had no way to make notes, and the rainy run home would no doubt drive the subtleties of a complex conversation from her mind. Even such 'secrets', she knew, could often be found in books, and she resolved to see if such a volume resided in the library of her home warren.

Alicia feared she had overstepped her bounds, and now she was potentially on thin ice with a moody doe, always a dangerous place to be, and doubly so when in a strange warren.

She decided to ease off the subject for now to avoid offending the Doe, although the idea of giving up on something so easily rankled slightly. Besides, Seena made a valid point: she wouldn't know when the wine tasted right, and bringing multiple failed batches to the Czar for testing... well, that was a risky maneuver at best. She laughed lightly, feeling a touch foolish that she hadn't considered that obvious aspect. "That's a good point. I wouldn't know rice wine from apple cider; I've never had the slightest taste of alcohol." She shrugged lightly as if the matter was trivial to her, which, in a few more moments, it would be, as her mind moved on to other subjects.

"Speaking of which, if you're ever in the Highlands, you should try the cider. Apples grow just beautifully in the hills there, and many does are fond of the fermented juice. I wouldn't know myself, but they say it's sweet and fizzy, lovely with a salad. It's rather simple to make in the warren as well, provided you have space to mill the apples and don't mind a sticky mess." Not that Seena would have to deal with the mess, of course, but some Does didn't like their servants to be preoccupied with extra cleaning when they could be waiting on their betters.

She was a little surprised when Shelby addressed her, as the child had been so quiet during the whole conversation. She didn't particularly want another pastry (she was, as always, watching her figure), but it seemed impolite to refuse the little leveret, so she took one, thanking him quietly. She nibbled daintily at the danish. "Thank you, this really is wonderful. Your baker is quite good."

[Lucca]

If Seena knew that Alicia was going to look up the information in a book...it would have set her mind completely at ease. After all, that was where she got practically all of her information about any subject, and she was happy to encourage literacy in other Rabbits. As anyone who truly knew her came to realize, the Doe was a regular bookworm. The case in point was, she knew all about Highlands cider. She'd read about it, but never had the opportunity to sample any.

"Oh! Cider does sound rather lovely. Apples don't grow very well in the Selkie...there isn't really enough space where the ground isn't marshy. But I have had apples from the Highlands before, and I have to agree with you that they're some of the best. Very crisp and just a bit tart." She was still slightly on guard, but the fact that Alicia was offering her information in return (even if she'd already known some of it) was comforting. At least the other didn't take her for some airhead. "Perhaps next time we get some in I shall have to ask the Leverets to make cider..." She did have a book or two on the subject, she was sure. Or had she left those behind at one of her previous Warrens? That would be most unfortunate.

Shelby worried that he'd have to assist making this cider, and while it sounded a bit fun (especially the part about making a mess) he wasn't sure how well he could manage it. So instead he just smiled at Alicia. "Thanks. Do you do a lot of the cooking at your Warren, Alicia? If you don't mind my asking?" She seemed to talk about it readily enough. Shelby struggled even putting together a salad...today, with the tea, that was one of his major cooking triumphs for the week, as sad as that was.

[Harpsdesire]

"Some varieties are sweeter than others, and the best cider apples have a high sugar content, but balance sweetness and acid. In my father Jack's warren we pressed cider every fall, and many of the younger leverets made themselves nearly sick on the leftover apple pulp from the mills. It was hard work, but... a festive time. I used to enjoy sorting the apples, selecting the best to be kept for my father's table, and the older leverets taught me to recognize the varieties. They often have such whimsical names, like 'lady's blush' and 'summergold'." Alica paused, sipping her tea with an expression of nostalgia. There was something to be said for life in Morganberry, where her Villa father had dug the first tunnels of his warren with his own paws as a young Jack.

The realm of Morganberry was not especially known for growing fruit, but her Mother Doe had nurtured those few highland apple trees on the hill until they gave forth more apples every fall than the warren could use. Many of her favorite recipes were developed in her home warren to help use the surplus, and every fall Alicia delighted to bake up the apple pies, scones, and dumplings that reminded her of her childhood.

When Shelby spoke again, she regarded the sea-foam colored leveret with some surprise. He had been so quiet she thought he might not even be listening. "I do something in the kitchen nearly every day, but I wouldn't claim to be the main cook. The Czar has more experienced chefs than I to cook for him. I do enjoy cooking," more than cleaning and laundry, certainly! She thought, "especially fruit and vegetable dishes. I like the way herbs and spices combine into new flavors, and the sugars in plants carmelize when heated..." She realized that Seena might think she was rambling, and this talk was probably not as interesting to the Doe, who need never dirty her paws with chores like cooking. Hopefully leverets' talk wouldn't cause the pretty female to lose patience and wander off.

It occurred to her that it was odd that the smaller rabbit would break into the conversation with a question. He was permitted to talk to Alicia, certainly, as they were equals in the eyes of society, but would Seena take offense that he inserted himself in such a manner?

[Lucca]

Seena nodded at Alicia. Some of that she'd known before, and she knew there were many types of apples, but she hadn't really known a lot of their names before. Or that they had different subtleties of flavor, though it made a lot of sense. Next time one of the Leverets went into town, she'd definitely tell them to pick up a book about apples. Especially since, the more she thought about it, the more she suspected the book she'd previously read about cider in had been one of her Father-Jack's books, and not one she had been permitted to take with her (or snuck out).

"Well. I can only hope that, if we get the chance to make cider, our Leverets will enjoy it as much as you did." Seena glanced at Shelby as he broke into the conversation, but she didn't really mind that much. If she had been speaking to another Doe it would have been one thing, but since the visitor was a Leveret and thus at the boy's own social level, she would let them talk for the moment.

And though she, as a Doe, would never know the actual act of cooking, it was still something that interested her. The process and the whys and hows of it were the subject of many of her books. She sipped her tea, content to listen for now.

Shelby smiled. "Ah, I see. Well, it's certainly good to be able to enjoy your job." It wasn't that he didn't enjoy cooking, so much as he was just hopeless at it. He was sure no one enjoyed doing laundry, and there were some weirdos out there that actually liked cleaning, but Shelby would never be one of them. For him, work was just that. A necessary evil of his position in life, though he rarely bothered to get philosophical about it.