Late to Dine[Tag: Open]

Helga had been out training all evening - especially with the newest addition to their weaponry - until the rain forced her inside. One hand gripped her soaking cloak, the other her pistol. The blond would have to drop by the armory later to store it.
She supposed she'd missed dinner, from the way the servants were scurrying around cleaning the place up. She was hungry to the point of nearly shaking, though, and wouldn't leave without an apple, at the very least. For the time being, she slid easily into one of the chairs closer to the head of the table to keep from collapsing. She'd have to make up her mind soon, though, as all the food would be either put away or thrown out.

Mulan glanced up, hearing a pattering sound as the rain hit the stone around the castle. She bit her lip as she continued on her way down the hall. She didn't like the rain. It always made her feel a little depressed. She liked snow a lot better. She had no idea where Ping was. Probably still with Korso, unless he had given him a task of some sort, in which case, she had no idea how long that would take. As she passed by the dining hall, she figured she might as well stop and grab a snack for Ping. He was always hungry, like any other young man. She was surprised to see Helga there, of all people. Truthfully, the woman frightened her a little, with her stern eyes and her braid that looked like a golden whip going down her back. But she had been nothing if not welcoming to Mulan and her brother, so she tried to put her foolishness aside. "Ouch. I assume it's raining hard out there?" she asked, noticing that Helga was soaked to the bone.

Helga glanced up when she heard someone's approach, hoping it was one of the servants. She was only slightly disappointed to discover Mulan instead. The girl seemed nice enough and, even better, was an excellent warrior.
The blonde straightened slightly in her seat and fixed a smirk on her face. The puddle forming beneath her was enough to speak for itself. "Spot on assumption," she mused, hanging her dripping cloak on the back of her chair. "Battling a storm like that can make a girl famished. I'm guessing you all have already had dinner?" She reached behind herself to let tug her hair out of its braid - it wouldn't do to have it pulled back so tightly while it was so damp. Satisfied, she leaned forward with her elbows resting on the tabletop.

"Oh, yeah. Ping and I wondered if you were out somewhere or something. But Korso said you trained all the time and stuff, so it wasn't too out of the ordinary." Mulan knew that Helga was serious about her job, which was pretty admirable. It showed that she could be reliable if trouble ever came up. "I just came here to grab a snack for Ping. He may be an adult now, but he still as the appetite of a teenager." She gave a little chuckle as she sat beside Helga.

"Well, you have to practice at something to get good at it. I suppose I just tend to do it when I'm more likely to collapse from starvation," Helga conceded with a smirk. Mulan and Ping still felt like new additions to the ranks - but had quickly proven themselves fit enough for the kind of work this entailed.

"He also seems to have the attitude of one sometimes," she murmured with a small smile. He could be a bit more uppity than Helga would have expected, but it wasn't as if enthusiasm ever hurt. Quite the contrary: she saw great potential in both of them. A servant was stooping to wipe a spot on the table and Helga quickly caught her attention to ask for an apple.

"I guess that would make things more intense," Mulan agreed. She had never trained that way before, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to start now. Then again, a soldier's life wasn't meant to be cushy. If she wanted to be a proper warrior, maybe this was the time she should really start getting into it, pushing herself to her limit so she could be stronger. It was something to think about.

She laughed. "That's true. But he does mean well. He's practically my best friend, with us being twins and all. I guess it comes with the territory."

Helga shrugged, leaning back into her chair and crossing her arms. "Different techniques suit different people. It probably wasn't really that smart of me to go shooting at things when it was already raining before I got out there anyway."

"It's good to have someone you trust, especially in times like these," she nodded, cocking her head in thought. "Well, I know you must trust Korso and I - and Charlotte - at least a little, but you've known your brother your whole lives. It's important to be able to depend on someone." Her mother hadn't ever warmed up to the idea of having more children after her first - and only - daughter. Of course, the woman had died fairly young and might have decided otherwise somewhere down the road if given the time.

"Well, maybe it's good to practice in conditions that aren't exactly fair," Mulan said. "It won't always be sunshine and rainbows when we're out in the battle field." Maybe it would be interesting to train in the rain or other inclement weather. Of course, it may not be fun at the time, but it may prove useful in the long run.

"I figure there has to be some level of trust among us soldiers," Mulan said with a little shrug of her shoulders. "Otherwise, we'd never be able to work together. Who knows, we may end up saving each other's lives down the road." Mulan just hoped she wouldn't have to get saved too often. She wanted to prove herself here, make her mark as somebody who knew what to do in times of danger.

"Well, of course. Us soldiers are essentially trusting our lives to each other," Helga agreed, raising her eyebrows. "But we'll try to keep the life-saving situations to a minimal." She stood then, managing to feel restless past her hunger. The blonde paced around the dining area, impatient for the servant to be back with her apple. "You seem to have a good head on your shoulders, which is very important in all this business."

"Yeah, wouldn't want to be in too many situations like that," Mulan agreed. She hoped she would be able to take care of herself while she was here. Ping had a habit of gloating whenever he had to save her, although she tended to do the same when it was the other way around. But she still found it annoying. "Thanks. So do you. I mean, I'd feel confident in any sort of fight if I knew you were there." She hoped Helga wouldn't take that as empty flattery. It was the truth. The woman always seemed to be confident wherever she went. It was something Mulan admired.

Helga produced a small smile and nodded curtly. "Well, I'm glad you think so." She knew better than to be too flattered by the compliment, but she was satisfied to have the girl's respect. "Mm, I think I'm going to the kitchen to get my apple myself. Do you know what Ping wanted for his snack?"

Mulan shrugged. "He's practically satisfied with anything. Apples, cookies, figs, he's not very picky." She gave a little laugh. "Here, I'll come with you. I've never been inside the kitchens before."

"Alright, then," Helga said, turning to lead the way towards the kitchens. "It's really not so different from the rest of the castle - smells a bit nicer, maybe."

"This place can look a little creepy at times," Mulan said as she followed Helga. "Maybe it's just how big it is compared to my house is back home. It's, like, a million times smaller than this. I'm surprised I haven't wandered around, lost forever until I die." She gave a little laugh, although that was a little fear of hers. That's why she preferred to explore with Ping beside her. Sure, he had a knack for getting into trouble, but he also had a knack for finding some kind of solution as well, unorthodox or not. As they approached the kitchen, Mulan could catch the aroma of sweets and spices wafting from its doors. "Mmm, you're right. It does smell nicer." She smiled.

Helga allowed herself a slight chuckle at Mulan's fear of getting lost. "I'm sure thunder and lightning doesn't help the spookiness, but I dare say you'll get used to it." She pushed open the huge wooden door and inhaled, hunger deepening at all the pleasing scents. She maneuvered through the crowd of servants, making her way toward a certain counter. A basket of fruit was on it and the blonde grabbed an apple, reaching for a knife and cutting it into slices before eagerly popping one into her mouth. "Mmm. You can grab whatever you want."

"Ugh, tell me about it. I hate the rain. I like snow much better," Mulan said, flipping her hair behind her shoulder. She wondered what winters would be like around the castle once the colder months rolled around. Ping had been the snowball champion back at their village, although she doubted it would be professional for soldiers to roll around in the snow like little kids. She would have to see once it snowed down here. She looked around for a moment for a snack of some sort to stick into her pocket until she ran into Ping again. She went through the basket of fruit for a moment before finding an orange. She smiled, remembering how much Ping liked the fruit. She tucked it into her pocket, sure that it would be safe until she found her brother.

Quickly finishing up her own snack, Helga murmured a thanks to one of the servants before glancing toward the door again. "Oh, this place is actually beautiful in the winter. The fires are kept going all through the day, and the cooks are always fixing up something nice and warm," she mused. Winter had always her favorite season, especially now that she lived in this castle. "We may not always be making snowmen, but there's a generally pleasant mood around. Got his snack?"

Mulan smiled. "Sounds cozy," she commented. Roaring fires were one of her favorite things about winter. She and her brother had spent many a night there, listening to their father talk about his time in the army and all the adventures he had had. He had always made it sound so exciting. "Yup," she replied, patting her pocket where the orange was.

Helga nodded. "It is. Though there's a noticeable lack of cuddling," she muttered with a smirk. "Okay, well, I think I'm all done here. It's been nice chatting with you, Mulan. Be careful not to get lost, yeah?" She glanced over her shoulder as she spoke, heading towards the door.

((Is it okay if we end it here, or would you prefer to keep going? And sorry it took so long to reply that last time, I was visiting my pops.))

"Oh, cuddling, no, eck, no." Mulan shook her head. There wasn't exactly a guy to cuddle with that wasn't related to her anyway. Knowing Ping though, he'd probably get somebody to flirt with. He could be like that sometimes if he was in the right mood. Of course, he made sure to keep that only within his social status. He knew to treat anybody above him with respect. "Nice chatting with you too," she said, smiling. "See ya later." After checking to make sure the orange was securely in her pocket again, she headed out the door as well.

((We can end it here, that's fine. ))