[CT] Bloody Potatoes

[Luxanna Cross]

Luxanna stared at the scene before here. She had never considered herself much of a chef. In fact, while she had still lived at home, her mother had made an effort to keep the young brunette away from anything that didn't involve putting cereal in a bowl.

Chewing on her lower lip, she tried make sense of the situation. Somehow, she, of all people, had been put on cooking duty. Naturally, she also realized that she was likely better suited for this than anything that had anything to do with people, so she had a feeling someone was trying to do her a favor. And then there was that blonde girl with a mean glare on her face. She looked even more miserable to be here than what Luxanna felt.

She had been pealing potatoes, which had ended up with her hands blistering. Being a trooper she had tried to ignore it, but one of the blisters had popped at started bleeding. At that point, she couldn't hide it any longer. Who would want blood on their potatoes? Filled with shame, the brunette found herself a corner to sit in, where she wouldn't be in the way of anyone. 

She wondered what James and Jack were doing... Had Cole come too, she wondered. With a disappointed sigh, she looked at her phone; no new texts.

Tag: Everett King

[Everett King]

Everett had been keeping an eye on all of the helpers under his care. It was a bit of a foreign experience, having to watch out for children. He'd never had to do it before working in a cafe, or even when he was back as a Bellefonte student himself. Still, he couldn't deny that he felt a strange sense of fondness for the few students cooking with him. Even the slightly moody blonde girl; she confused him a little bit.

He'd noticed the young brunette struggling slightly for the past half an hour or so but hadn't done anything other than keep a close eye on her. He could admire her work ethic and had no wish to interrupt her cooking unless she was obviously in need of clear help. Ever admired her drive, even if he knew nothing else about the quiet girl.
The moment came not too long after when the young girl left her station and found herself a corner to cozy herself into. He waited a few moments before heading her way, stopping to inspect her potatoes on the way past. The peeler lying beside the vegetables had blood on the handle and his concern rose. He took a slight detour to grab the first aid kit he'd stored near his table before approaching Luxanna.

"Doing ok down here?" He asked, crouching down in front of her. He held out both of his hands with a raised, knowing eyebrow, inviting Luxanna to show him her own.

[Luxanna Cross]

Looking up, Luxanna bit her bottom lip before offering the chaperone her hands. "Uhm," she began, brows furrowing. "Yeah," she finally added. "I'm not really much of a cook and uhm," she bit down on her lip again, casting a quick glance towards the mean blonde. Leaning forward a little, the brunette whispered, "she kind of scares me." Not that it was such a hard feat to do, but still. The blonde was terrifying.

"I'm okay though," she stuttered, gesturing towards her hands with a nod. "I guess it's true what they say, though, young people aren't as tough as the older generations." A thin tint of crimson flushed her cheeks as she smiled vaguely.

[Everett King]

He held Luxanna's hands gently then used one hand to open the first aid kit. Picking up a square packet, he ripped the corner with his teeth and pulled out an alcohol swab. He listened to the girl quietly, dabbing at the spots of blood on her hands. The alcohol would probably sting so he tried to do it as gently as possible. Ever examined her as she spoke, trying to puzzle her out. She seemed nervous, timid almost, and he worried it was because she was hurt and he was invading her personal space. Unfortunately there was no chance Ever would leave her injured in his kitchen.

With a little smile he leaned in and whispered, "She kind of scares me too." He didn't know much about the blonde but she exuded an icy aura that he'd been careful to avoid. Luxanna, quiet as she was, seemed more enjoyable company. Once Ever had finished with her hands he put the swab aside and let go of her, hunting in the first aid kit for bandaids. "Try not to be too hard on yourself. Learning new things may leave you with battle scars, but you'll always learn something along the way."

Driven by a compulsion to ease Luxanna's worry, Ever decided to take a risk. Of course he could potentially make her more fearful of him, but it was worth a shot. He put down the band aids he'd found and rolled up his sleeves, to the elbow. His left forearm was mottled and scarred and he showed it to Luxanna. "My battle scars," he explained with a smile. "I used to be terrible at cooking too. People learn, given the opportunity."