Berry Jam

01[11:12] <Karsten> So! Later that evening, Karsten has left the company of the others and is attempting to cook some delicious food. Rather than go through the trouble of breaking into one of the residential houses, cleaning all of their equipment and using -that- he's trying to make due with a campfire or two outside and a few different scavenged pots and pans. There's a somewhat sweet smell coming from one of the pots as he's boiling berries.
01[11:13] <Karsten> The other pot... well. It's clear that he hasn't gone hunting for fresh meat or anything so he's tried to dress up the rations a little and make a savory stew with some picked herbs.
[11:14] <Cait> Cait is fussing over Aqua nearby, but she smells the sweet aroma and comes over, "A medic that knows how to cook?"
06[11:15] * Karsten looks over, smiling as she approaches. He's sitting on a chair he dragged over from inside. "It is a hobby. Growing up in vest Germany I vould often help my moser pick vegetables from se garden and fix dinner, I vas too young to do much else around se house at se time. It turned from a chore into an interest."
06[11:17] * Karsten gestures over to the plot near the hospital where he planted a few berry plants.
[11:17] <Cait> "I'd always wander around the kitchen, watching things get cooked, but I never really had a knack for it myself." She glances, "Huh. how long has that been there?"
01[11:18] <Karsten> "A few days now. I found a hoe and put myself to vork, planting wild berries. And now ve have harvest." he gestures to the pot.
06[11:18] * Karsten stirrs the berries a bit, it seems like he's making a sort of jam with them, maybe?
01[11:19] <Karsten> "I know se plants well enough to avoid se poisonous ones." he adds.
[11:20] <Cait> "That's actually pretty smart. I've just been chewing on jerky from home. Wasn't sure what I'd do when I ran out.""
01[11:20] <Karsten> "Ve have about nine days of food left, including the canned food from se village here. I thought maybe to plan ahead." he frowns a moment.
01[11:21] <Karsten> "Berry plants, sey grow very, very quickly, producing harvest in two days. Is very good and sustainable source of food in vild."
[11:22] <Cait> "I suppose...but will we really be here that long? We've already defeated two out of the four."
01[11:22] <Karsten> "Our success may cause se oser two to become more conservative, careful."
01[11:23] <Karsten> "Even if ve've done vell so far, I cannot help but be concerned, you know?"
06[11:23] * Karsten adds some sugar to the berries - probably taken from the bakery and sifted a bit for impurities.
01[11:25] <Karsten> "Sey may even intentionally try to starve us out."
06[11:25] * Karsten looks a bit grim.
06[11:26] * Cait frowns, she doesn't like the idea of that, so she changes the subject, "What of the new guy, Charlie?"
01[11:27] <Karsten> "I sink he vill need some time to get used to all of sis. Everysing ve have learned in se past several days has been dumped on him at once. Oser san sat..." he considers a moment. "Maybe a bit... quirky?" he puts it politely.
01[11:28] <Karsten> "I do not know vat is vith the rocks." :|
[11:29] <Cait> "Damn, I was hoping you would. I have an uncle who is a prospector up north in canada, but I don't think he just carries rocks around..."
01[11:30] <Karsten> "Could not say, sorry." he shakes his head. "Vat do -you- sink of him?"
[11:31] <Cait> "He's not the kind of guy I think about when someone says 'fighter pilot', he's a coward."
[11:31] <Cait> "To be blunt, I don't really like people that aren't sure of themselves, they just...sort of get on my nerves."
06[11:32] * Karsten stirs the stew now, with a different ladle, and takes a bowl, dishing some up.
01[11:35] <Karsten> "Oh? ..Mm." he thinks on that a second. "To be honest, I do not know if I have been sure of myself eiser... but I like to sink I have acted bravely in the past few days. I sought I may have been a cowvard for not actively enlisting, but... maybe it vas just se cause I vas not as interested in."
01[11:35] <Karsten> "Stew?" he offers you a bowl.
[11:36] <Cait> "Oh! Sure." She takes it, "And nah, you were fine back there with Virizion; that charlie man would probably run off screaming. that's my problem. Doin what is right. Both mom AND dad taught me that."
06[11:37] * Karsten nods. "Sat is an admirable trait."
01[11:37] <Karsten> "And one of many sings I have come to respect you for in sese days."
[11:37] <Cait> She takes a spoonful tasting, "This is pretty good! The cooks would never make plain stew, but sometimes dad would make something from his homeland that was kinda like it."
[11:38] <Cait> "Oh? Thanks. I know I acted kind of rash with your captain, sorry bout that."
06[11:38] * Karsten laughs. "Sank you. It isn't gourmet as sey say, but I try my best vith vat ve have available."
06[11:38] * Karsten thinks on that, and shakes his head.
01[11:38] <Karsten> "Se captain is se one hu acted rashly."
01[11:39] <Karsten> "I do admit however, sat I vas very vorried about se infighting..."
01[11:39] <Karsten> "I am glad you and he got your accounts settled."
01[11:40] <Karsten> "Everysing worked out in se end, hm?"
01[11:41] <Karsten> "Most everysing, at least."
06[11:41] * Karsten digs into his own bowl of soup, thoughtful for a moment.
[11:42] <Cait> "What's on your mind?" she keeps flipflopping between proper eating, then sneaking a slurp from the bowl itself.
01[11:43] <Karsten> "It vas a very inopportune time for challenging him, but I sink you vere in the right. Vat you said back sere... sat ve do not have to choose between vinning and doing se right sing. I could not agree more."
01[11:43] <Karsten> "Someone like Johann, hu is villing to do anysing to vin... just angers me."
[11:45] <Cait> "Its funny, I thought he was the only one I could trust at first, but, just the way he acts..."
[11:45] <Cait> "I'm wondering if he even really cares about the wellbeing of the rest of us."
01[11:45] <Karsten> "I do not vant to start anysing, but... He said a very nasty sing back sere, you know? In German."
01[11:46] <Karsten> "He said he vould raser see Rudiger alive and you dead before any oser outcome."
01[11:47] <Karsten> "Raser san se oser vay around, I mean."
06[11:47] * Karsten shakes his head. "He is... I do not know vat to make of him, no. I sink he is in sis to vin and se rest of us are useful in so much as ve're aiding him."
06[11:48] * Cait pauses.
[11:50] <Cait> "I had no intention of killing rudiger, I'll let you know that now."
06[11:50] * Karsten nods.
01[11:50] <Karsten> "I sink better of you san sat."
01[11:50] <Karsten> "But for him to even say such a sing in front of you, ven you cannot understand, it is a disgrace."
[11:51] <Cait> "It certainly pisses me off, that's for sure."
06[11:51] * Karsten looks thoughtful a moment.
[11:51] <Cait> "I don't care if he understands me, and hates me. as long as he understands where I'm coming from."
06[11:52] * Karsten nods.
[11:53] <Cait> She shakes her head, "Its not as immediate as Rudiger was, but at some point I'm going to have to talk to him about this. because if he's willing to do this to ME, what about the rest of us? what does he even think about the rest of us?"
01[11:53] <Karsten> "...Vould you be interested in learning German? I have realized sat as long as sings are like sis, vith us understanding English and you not understanding German, you are at a bit of a disadvantage."
06[11:54] * Karsten does nod to that, though.
06[11:54] * Cait thinks! "Maybe. I know french, but here that doesn't help me."
[11:54] <Cait> "Would you be able to help me with that?"
01[11:55] <Karsten> "I vould." he nods. "I have been teaching Elsa and se captain Italian as vell."
[11:57] <Cait> "I don't think I have enough room in my brain for English, French, German AND italian."
06[11:57] * Karsten laughs. "I vould ask you for French lessons but I sink I am mostly se same vay."
[12:00] <Cait> "Ive been speaking french since I was a little girl, so I can't really say how easy it is to learn."
[12:00] <Cait> "Mom made sure my education was well rounded."
01[12:02] <Karsten> "Still... you are a remarkable person, I sink. You are easily se strongest among us, and perhaps se most honorable. You have a good heart past your temper, and you do not let anysing veigh you down, do you? Se way you carry yourself... you are not strong in spite of being a voman, you are strong in addition to it. Sat is the presence you give off. You even took on a profession you did not care for so sat you could enter se var and fight for vat you sink vas right."
01[12:02] <Karsten> "I sink you are strong in more vays san just muscle strength, Cait."
[12:03] <Cait> She thinks, then smiles, then smirks, "Are you hitting on me?"
06[12:04] * Karsten considers it for a moment, then shrugs. "Ehh, yes, I sink I am. But it is also se truth."
[12:05] <Cait> "Haha, at least your honest about it. ...Thanks though, that does mean a lot to me. I've been worried I'm the crazy one."
01[12:08] <Karsten> "I vill be honest, I did not give se issue much sought until I saw you. But it is somesing I have sought a lot on, since, the difficulties a voman must go srough if she vants to live se life she vants. I have come to se opinion that traditional values are not so important ven sey oppress."
01[12:09] <Karsten> "Vatever happens after all of sis, I vish you se best, it is a fight vorth fighting."
[12:09] <Cait> "Really? I don't think its so bad. Its not like I don't want to be treated like a woman. Its just nice to be taken seriously sometimes."
[12:09] <Cait> "Thanks, you too."
06[12:09] * Karsten nods.
01[12:10] <Karsten> "...och, se jam!"
06[12:10] * Karsten puts his bowl of stew down in a hurry to take the pot off the fire.
06[12:11] * Karsten checks on the concoction to make sure he hasn't scorched it, and sighs in relief.
06[12:12] * Cait laughs, and waves; She goes back to her pokemon.
06[12:12] * Karsten waves to her, too.
01[12:12] <Karsten> aaand that should be </mini.>