Little Things Done Well [Dorian, Liltotto]

Dorian was relatively adept at noting a change in demeanor, though admittedly, he wouldn't have even had to be to notice such a shift in mood. There was a hesitance to it, and beyond that, it seemed she'd not wished to ask for anything more. Well, he would simply choose for her then. Not out of any irritation, of course, but a proper meal certainly wasn't only one dish.

"Of course, Miss Lamperd. Do you have anything in particular you'd like to drink?"

Even as he asked, he moved to the kitchen proper, though he was still plenty close to be able to hear her answer and to speak with her for any conversation being made. He removed his gloves and his suit jacket, replacing it with a crisp white chef's coat as he took up his station and began preparing. Naturally, he didn't handle everything himself, and he moved between Liltotto's own meal and the myriad others as if it were effortless.

"Just water, please." She'd call to him as her gaze followed him moving on to work in the kitchen, taking a lapse of idleness as he did so to think to herself. Her hands rested on her knees, squeezing tight for a moment as she calmed her breath. Why couldn't she just relax and enjoy this? Why did she feel such a sense of guilt and upset towards such kind gestures? Was it futility? Was it the sense of impermanence? Was it just her simply overthinking a kind occurrence that didn't often cross her path? It was irritating, feeling herself in that depressing spiral because of something completely amicable.

"How long have you worked in the kitchen?" Small talk was the only way she figured to break her out of that circle she felt herself go into, "You seem awfully skilled and enjoying of it."

Dorian snapped his fingers, one of the other cooks bringing a glass of water for Liltotto while Dorian himself continued to focus on the preparation of the meal. It was an easy enough starter, of course, but it wasn't about just making the food. The brie itself was laid out on pastry, an assortment of nuts, dried fruits, and jams neatly arrayed around it with a few sprigs of sage as a garnish. All of it atop a wooden board, and delivered with a smile to Liltotto.

"I've been working in the kitchen for nearly 25 years now, though I did take a bit of time off when I came to America after the war. I spent most of my time in fine dining, but this has proven a much more refreshing change of pace."

And back toward his station he went, knife working with speed and precision as he readied the main course. The salad was hardly something he needed to prep now, given it was only a single cold salad, but that wouldn't go out to her right away. Instead, he was simply focused on the current dish, the beef into the pan as he let it sear for a good fond.

"It's an art, but it's something I think is only worthwhile if you can share it with other people. I used to chase high ratings, approval from critics and the like, but that wasn't half as rewarding as giving good food to the people."

The woman perked up from the water she was gently sipping to alleviate her angry stomach's cries with the approach of a pleasant scent, eyes laying on the dish prepared for her as she felt both anticipation and shock, gently poking it with a fork to see the cheese ooze out. Yep, yep that was brie... Really good smelling brie presented all nicely with additions on a wooden board, as if it were fresh out of a restaurant.

No griping, just eat, She'd tell herself tersely, moving on to take a careful bite, and continuing to take it easy with... What seemed to be her first meal by the looks of the man's proceeding to prepare more things rather than just sitting down.

"Twenty-five years? Sheesh, you look so young.. Got into it early from a relative or something?" She even looked surprised when she heard that. She had reckoned he was at least in his late twenties or early thirties at most, so to hear he'd been in the industry for so long was definitely out of left field.

"Mmm... I sure as hell haven't found something to have that much passion for, i'm a bit jealous," a soft chuckle left her lips as she took another bite, "Apart from being here, I was pretty aimless for... A while."

Dorian smiled cheerfully as Liltotto began to eat, and he couldn't help but laugh at the mention of his looking rather young. Well, he certainly took that as a compliment, especially knowing that not everyone at his age looked quite so vibrant.

"I apprenticed in a kitchen from when I was 10 years old. It helped get a bit of money in my pocket, and I could bring what I learned home so the other children I grew up with didn't need to eat slop."

He considered her comment, thinking on it for a moment as he continued his prep work. Well, he could understand that much.

"I was admittedly aimless too, before I left Paris. I went into this profession to share good food with people, but much of high cuisine is so closed off from the world. Perfectionism and passion had gripped me a bit too tightly, I think, and I lost sight of what it was really worth. So I left. Assisting after the war, helping to feed refugees, it was worth more than any accolades, really. I can't say that I have any particular advice for finding your own passions, but I'd always be glad to have an extra pair of hands around the kitchen if you want to help."

Of course, Dorian meant 'help' not only with regard to himself, but to the people that he was caring for with his charity work. He did operate near entirely with the help of volunteers, and he knew many people in the City of Lights simply didn't have time for that. He would hardly be insulted if she declined.

Having eaten a good portion of the brie, parting the dish bit by bit with the side of the fork as she listened to his short glimpse of his beginnings in the kitchen,

"Oh." She'd say in a notably high tone without looking up, before the context behind his words pieced together, being followed with a lower toned, "Ohh.. I see."

She was imagining the man didn't have the most pleasant of roots... That explained a lot, honestly.

"..Yeah, chasing the grandiose and esteem never seemed like a fulfilling gig to me. I've seen people deadlocking themselves into that shit and there's just no real satisfaction when the goalpost is always shifting up, and up, and you're always boiling over trying to reach it. Not like wanting better's bad but, yknow, knowing your limits and crap."

She pondered the opportunity to help for a moment, "..Hmmm, I could come by sometimes. My uh.. Condition, makes work like this a little rough to do, but I figure it'd be taken into account, unlike other places i've worked at in the past."

"I'd be the first to admit that, at least for a while, it was very fulfilling. Chasing higher prestige, mastering my craft. But, in retrospect, that was never really about the accolades themselves. It was about testing myself, improving my own knowledge of the art. But when I'd reached what I considered the peak, when people couldn't say anything else, I realized I was being judged by people who knew less than me. I was holding myself to standards that were lower than my own."

Dorian shrugged, seeming remarkably unperturbed at the story of his lifelong passion becoming completely worthless in his own eyes. After all, it hadn't really been about that for him, and he nodded to one of his junior cooks as Liltotto's salad was brought over to him. He garnished it appropriately, putting a bit of cheese over the top and squeezing a lime peel to add the faint aromatic oil, and then brought it over to her, still smiling.

"Of course. If you want to help, then we'll take that all into account. If the kitchen wouldn't be the best place for you, then we can always use a hand serving. Up to you."

"Hmm," She was listening as she was getting to the last bites of her first meal, one she actually took a bit of a liking to. She never figured she'd find much enjoyment in eating cheese, but here she was. Then again, she didn't really touch much beyond precut lunch cheeses, so her perception of it was inevitably limited, "Guess it's harder for me to imagine living that lifestyle. I've always lived it pretty averagely. Reaching higher and higher was never something i've felt compelled to do, but then again I hadn't ever picked something to do something like that for."

Not completely the truth, but those darker thoughts were kept to the depths. There was that persistent something in her mind that she never directly or passionately pursued, and she figured that was for the best - for herself and others.

She watched as the salad was prepared and then finally brought over, the man's kind expression greeting her, a small smile given back in exchange. She wasn't going to say no, even if she didn't ask for it. Definitely was the best smelling salad she's ever come across.

"Mmm, coming by to serve ever so often doesn't sound like a bad idea," She was already poking at and getting a bite of salad down, "Especially since i'm not a shorty anymore - probably would get bumped into with how small I was. If anything, i'm more noticeable than before," She'd state with a chuckle, taking another paced bite.

"I remember back when I tried to work in like, customer service, or food, or whatever - Absolute torture. Most were not very understanding of my condition, and I went hours without eating. I question how I managed to bear that at all sometimes, then again at the time it was either deal with the pain of my symptoms for those hours so I could have money to actually feed myself, or no money at all and that happens anyway. But eh, that's the past."

"More noticeable, hm? I think that's an apt way to put things, yes. I'd have to have a few words with anyone lax enough to somehow miss you now."

Dorian returned once more to his station with practiced speed, clearly knowing where everything in his kitchen was without even needing to think about it. The meat was just about finished in the pan, and he took it out to rest as he replaced it with the rest of the accoutrement. Shallots first, mushrooms, and a bit of red wine to deglaze after everything was closer to ready.

"Most people in this industry aren't thinking of each other. It's cutthroat, and more than most people realize. It's pursuit of the craft, advancement of your own career. You work in the kitchen to learn for your own sake, not for other people. It's bleak, really. I didn't learn what I learned just to perpetuate that. I never got to eat a proper meal when I apprenticed, so I make sure everyone here gets something real at the end of service. If we're here to share the enjoyment of food, we should be enjoying it too, right?"

He wasn't one to let people go hungry, and Liltotto was certainly no different. Of course, he wasn't trying to tell her she needed to work here for a meal or anything. He'd already promised to help her with her situation regardless, and Dorian wasn't a man to go back on his word.

She'd chuckle softly to his response of her noticeability, watching him return to his station and so easily initiate the process for the next dish. He truly was a man of skill and know-how in the kitchen, she couldn't deny that at all. She was surprised his kitchen could manage to cook such high quality food for so many people, something she'd never seen attempted before in her life. It just read as incredibly sweet of him to want to give others what he couldn't have in the past, a sentiment even her dreary heart could feel warm over.

"You're a good man, Mr. Demoiselle."

She let the compliment slip as she was coming to having eaten half her salad now, she kept her gaze low, "You needn't any power to aid others. The littlest things make a massive difference in people's lives."