[ March 27th ] What's that smell?

[Belle Rousseau]

[ Open to anyone but lets keep it small please. I would say two other people at most. ]

After somehow obtaining special permission and being reassured for the thousandth time that she would indeed have everything she required in there, Belle made her way down to one of the school's massive class kitchens after classes had ended. Her marble tucked under her arm ( the professor may have insisted she would have EVERYTHING she needed but she simply couldn't risk not having her own marble slab and her own thermometer that she's come to trust over the years ) she pushed open the massive door and flicked on a light.

The room lit up under the florescent lights, spotless, white tile floors reflecting the light back upwards and chrome and steel furnishings and appliances gleaming beneath them. It was quite nice and met her approval, giving her the same joy she had felt the first time she walked into one of these kitchens for class. With a small nod and smile she walked over to a counter and set her marble and thermometer down, looking around to make sure she had everything she needed before reaching for an apron and tying it securely around her waist. "Now," she started to herself, "Where are those cocoa beans?"

Two hours later her chocolate process was well on it's way, having roasted, winnowed, ground and conched her beans and filling the room with a distinctively rich, sweet smell as she pulled out two bowls to begin tempering.

[Wang Yao]

Despite having a week gone by since the very beginning of school, Yao had to admit--he still couldn't navigate around the place as easily as he would have liked. It was for this very reason he found himself with a map of the school grounds in hand, turning it this way and that, having decided to dedicate the rest of his day to finding out where everything was.

Light feet padded down the hallway, the Chinese more focused on what on earth the little dots on the map meant that anything else. But, then...! His eyes averted from the map in quiet surprise, searching for the source of the smell. It was sweet. It was rich. It was delicious. It was...chocolate.. His stomach gave an involuntary growl at the mouth-watering scent floating by and wafting about.

Continuing on his way, map tucked into a spare pocket, Yao searched for the source of the smell, peeking around corners and peering into rooms. Soon enough he came face-to-face with a large door, the quiet sounds of metal being moved around seeming to come from inside. The Chinese gripped the doorhandle and pushed it open, just a crack, enough to see inside. A girl with cropped blond hair looked to be...working with the chocolate, expertly, Yao would say. He remained outside the kitchen, not too willing to interrupt her--especially when it seemed that she was focused on her work.

[Belle Rousseau]

Focused was an understatement. Belle was simply in her element. She loved to cook, it was a fantastic distraction with delicious results but chocolate ( and waffles but we'll save that for another day) came easiest to her. She understood the science of it, the mathematics and artistry behind it as though it was second nature. One could could even say she had chocolate flowing through her veins and a few have even ventured to say she smelled of it, having worked with it so much the scent merely embedded into her skin.

She was just carefully pouring some boiling water into a bowl and fitting a larger bowl over it before she heard the door handle click and the door squeak open. She turned her head curiously, wondering if the professor had come to check on her and make sure she was alright only for no one to be there. Well that was odd, heavy kitchen doors didn't just open themselves, after all.

Blinking she called out gently towards the door, "Hello? ...is someone there?"

[Wang Yao]

A-Aiyah!!

Caught! He flushed a light pink at being caught at what must have seemed like snooping. Well, there wasn't much turning back now. The heavyset door was pushed open further, enough to let the Chinese slip in, blinking against the bright fluorescent light. His eyes widened, taking in the sight of the large kitchen, impressed by its cleanliness and how well-stocked it looked. The whole place in general looked to be much more professional than the little ones that he had grown used to back home.

Snapping briefly out of his reverie, the Chinese turned to the girl and cleared his throat, "S-Sorry...if I'm intruding. I, ah...I just was wandering about, aru, and I caught the scent of chocolate." He held the map up and waved it slightly as if to show that he wasn't lying. "You look to be very experienced, aru."

[Belle Rousseau]

She waited for a moment before the heavy door finally creaked open wide enough for the intruder to slip in through. He was shorter, rather thin and lean and looked a little confused, though that face did look familiar. It wasn't until she caught a glimpse of long, raven hair did she remember where she had seen him before and upon his explanation she simply smiled at him.

"You aren't intruding," she said as politely as possible as she continued, working though she were still there alone. "You can come in and watch if you'd like. I wouldn't mind the company."

She only really worked alone at the beginning of the process, undergoing procedures that were strictly Belgian that no one had any business knowing about otherwise. Secrets of the trade, and such. But now that she was this far in, she wouldn't mind someone to talk to.

[Wang Yao]

Breathing a quiet sigh of relief that she wasn't upset, he nodded at her words and padded lightly over to where she worked the chocolate, admiring the care that she took in preparing the sweet. She seemed to have a whole other level of expertise when it came to working, completely different from the tried-and-true home cooked recipes that he knew by heart. It was clean and professional. He had to admit--it was impressive.

Eying a stool for second, he quickly decided to pull it up to the opposite side of the counter and sat himself down, giving his feet a rest from wandering the campus. An elbow propped up on the smooth surface, allowing his jaw to rest on his palm. Golden eyes wandered the workstation of the miss, taking in the details slowly. It wasn't too long before he decided to venture a question, "If you don't mind me asking, aru...what is your name? I didn't seem to catch it back at the opening ceremony."

...The whole gender-confusion issue still was a bit of a tender spot for him, though he tried his best not to show it through his tone of voice.

[Belle Rousseau]

Belle watched him quietly as he made his way to the opposite side of the counter and she flashed him the smallest of smiles as he sat across from her quietly. No, she had never properly met him, having been caught up in the chaos of the opening ceremony but she distinctly remembered the flow of long, raven hair billowing gently in the breeze as he raced for his hair tie. Of course, she also remembered the mix up but she didn't bring it up, focused instead on getting her mix into the bowl for tempering. He seemed rather intereted in her work and, even though she would never -even on pain of DEATH- tell him the exact process, she had no problems with him watching.

"So you remember me as well... I didn't think you would," she said, tending to her confection with zealous attention and diligence with a small smile. "I'm Belgium. Or just Belle, if you'd prefer. And you are the poor boy who was confused for a girl..."

[Wang Yao]

His head nodded gently in response to her first set of words, offering a smile of his own in response before watching her continue to work with the dark brown treat. From his own memory, he could remember her seeming to be well-acquainted with several other students at the school. He sighed. Being completely new at a school proved more difficult than he had previously imagined. All the more reason to make new friends, he nodded.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Belgium, aru." Ah...so she represents the country of Belgium.. He, then, let out a soft laugh, hand scratching the back of his head. "Ah..yes. I-It actually...happens fairly..ah, often. I am China; my real name being Wang Yao." He decided to change the subject quickly.

[Belle Rousseau]

She looked up just in time to catch him scratching the back of his head sheepishly, smiling to herself again as she reached for her thermometer and dipping it into the bowl with her chocolate. It must have been frustrating for him to be mistaken for a woman so often, especially if he had to deal with flirts like Romano every time. But it was quite the conversation starter.

"I'm terribly sorry about all of that, "she started apologetically. "My friends have a tendency to get a little... well, crazy sometimes. But if it is any consolation... I knew you weren't a woman." After a few minutes she almost adds but stops herself. She only saw that glorious head of hair at first after all and that in itself would have been enough to convince anyone that he was really a woman.

"So, you're China. It's an honor to meet you."

[Lovino Vargas]

And with impeccable timing, Romano burst into the room and declared, "Bella mia! I knew it was you, your chocolate always-..."

Then he trailed off mid-sentence and paused, noticing that yes, there was another person in the room. And that the person was actually someone he recognized. Because really, how would Romano not recognize him after that disaster of an assembly?

With a fantastic display of both smart diplomatic ability and sound tact, he immediately flushed in embarrassment at the memory and practically accused, "H-Hey!! You're that tranny from the assembly!"

Well, this was awkward.

[Wang Yao]

((Why so mean, Lovino. ;~~~)

"Oh, no, don't worry about it." He chuckled lightly. "They seem to be a lot of fun to be around, aru. And, ah..." Pausing, he had to admit--the thought that she was able to recognize him as male was rather comforting. His voice came out a spot quieter than before, a bit embarrassed. "T-Thank you..for that. It's an honor to meet you, to----"

He was cut off by the sound of the heavy kitchen doors slamming open, head whirling around to see who had entered. Oh..that boy with the hair curl.. His cheeks flushed a slight pink, remembering that he was the boy who had thought that Yao was a girl...and had flirted with him no less. His face turned an even brighter color as he heard the boy with the hair curl call him a "tranny" and, well...fuu. "Ahahahaha...." A nervous laugh was all he could possibly offer in response, desire to leave increasing.

[Belle Rousseau]

Belle had not expected such a seemingly soft spoken person for China, not in her mind anyway. But it was still an honor to meet someone who had such a long and decorated history and who had such influence over the world's economy. She glanced up with a polite smile as she tended to her chocolate, careful to get an accurate reading on her thermometer before the heavy kitchen doors suddenly slammed open, her quiet kitchen suddenly erupting with sound as her favorite Italian burst through the doors in a boisterous and affectionate display.

Unfortunately for the Belgian though, she had not expected it and jumped, a surprised yelp escaping her as the thermometer slipped from her grasp, flicking specs of the hot chocolate at the end all over her, the counter top and who knows where else. Of course, if the wasted chocolate ( no matter how small the amount ) wasn't enough to upset her, the comment that came out of his mouth was.

"Lovino!" she started as she turned to face him. "Don't be so rude to him!"

[Lovino Vargas]

[[YOU KNOW I DONT MEAN IT BB ;m; and sorry this took a little while to tag, kajfkdsfdf;;;]]

Lovino just about freaked out when he saw that the actual girl had burned herself, dashing over and fretting quite a bit. "B-Belle, are you okay?! Dammit, I didn't mean to do that, you need any ice? I'm a dumbass, I know," he trailed on, completely at disbelief at the fact that he had indirectly injured such a defenseless young lady! And the chocolate was wasted too! If anything, Romano hated wasting food.

As he was clasping Belle's hands (checking for burns, obviously), he blinked as he comprehended her words. Romano looked a bit cornered as he tried defending himself by saying to China, "W-Well, it's not my fault you look like a girl! You should've told me earlier!" He pouted stubbornly, displaying great maturity for his twenty years of living. "Dammit, I'm not gonna be nice to some random guy..."

So what if he was China? To Romano, he was just a girly guy. He had no mercy for men who tried to trick him!! If China had been a cute girl, it'd be a different story. And no, he wasn't sexist!! It was... chivalry.

[Wang Yao]

((-Sits in corner.-))

Eyes widened as he watched the dark liquid flick over the counter and onto the chocolatier herself, rising out of his seat unconsciously. "Aiyah, what a mess..." The words were softly uttered to himself as he started to open drawers and cabinets, looking for a dishtowel or washcloth of some sort. From the corner of his eye, he could spy the boy with the hair curl rush to check for the well-being of Belgium, his own lips curling into a small smile. ..Just a bit rough around the edges, I suppose, aru? He's kind on the inside, it seems.

At last, a washcloth was found and with a few steps, he made his way to the sink to wet the cloth. Wringing it out and recognizing that words were being directed to him, his head turned towards the speaker, an eyebrow slowly arching up his forehead. "Granted...I apologize for not telling you sooner, aru, but..in my defense, you...ah..you never asked." He began to wipe up the drips of chocolate, feeling more than a bit flustered at this point.

[Belle Rousseau]

Before she could even get her barrings, Lovino had somehow managed to materialize in front of her, her hands suddenly clasped tightly in his as he rambled on and on in apology. He could be a bit overwhelming most of the time but she did appreciate that he cared about her and she offered him a small head shake and a smile.

"I'm fine, Lovi," she started as she looked at him reassuringly. "I've dealt with much worse, believe me."

In all honesty, it didn't even hurt all that much. The chocolate was hot, sure, but such a small amount in the open air of the cold kitchen made it cool quickly so really, he was fretting over nothing. She did mourn the lose of that wasted chocolate though.

A few moments later she looked back at China to see him cleaning up after her and she lifted a curious eyebrow. She clearly didn't need to retort for him but he certainly didn't have to do all of that.

"You don't have to clean that up. I can take acre of it."