Chapter 15 – Kitchen Duty

Dorin woke up early the next day. He took a quick shower and hurried to the kitchen, leaving Sebastian snoozing on the top bunk. The kitchen was still under renovation, so he made his way outside to the canteen, only to fint out that it was still closed. He sighed, stifled a yawn, and waited for the cook to arrive with the key.

He was getting hungry. Good thing he brought some snacks he got from the food dispensers in the Science Department. He squatted on the ground, humming while he ate a candy bar, when a pair of rugged sneakers stood in front of him.

“What are you doing there?” asked a frowning guy in a frayed shirt and faded jeans. “The canteen won’t open till 7 am.”

“Oh, I’m here for kitchen duty,” Dorin said with a smile. “Do you have the keys?” he asked.

“Only the head cook has the keys,” the guy said, squatting near a tree, away from Dorin. He had close cropped reddish brown hair, a dark complexion, and sun burnt arms. “You aiming for scholarship too?” he asked, eyeing Dorin’s new clothes.

“Scholarship?”

“What brings you to the kitchens, then?” he asked again.

“I had some trouble in the kitchens so Ms. Ermingard told me to work it off...”

“Oh, so you’re the idiot who blew up the oven?”

Dorin looked at the guy again. He was tapping out a thin white cylindrical stick from a small rectangular box with a hole on top. He placed the stick in his mouth and touched the end with his finger. The tip started to smoke, leaving a sharp menthol scent in the air.

“What?” asked the guy noticing Dorin’s stare.

“What... is that?” Dorin asked, pointing at the white stick.

The guy snorted. “Are you serious?!” he asked back, laughing so hard that he starts coughing. He extended a hand to Dorin after he finally got his breath back. “Johan Ignacius.”

“Dorin Silvius.” the two shake hands. Dorin was about to ask about the stick again when Johan suddenly looks up and stomps it to the ground.

“Is that cigarette smoke I smell?” It was the cook, Mrs. Cooper, waddling into view. She is a very plump woman with rosy cheeks and very curly hair that she tries to tame with a yellow bandanna. Her apron looks immaculate, as well as her kitchen, and anyone who tries to mess it up would feel her wrath.

“Johan. How many times do I have to tell you not to smoke near my kitchen?!” she glowered at the redhead.

“Sorry, Mrs. Cooper,” mumbled Johan.

“So, you two met each other?” she looked at the boys before her, “Johan usually works mornings. And Dorin here will only be staying `till tomorrow. Regardless, I want you two to get alon well.”

“Mrs. Cooper,” Dorin called her attention, “can we start soon? I have a class at 8 am...”

“Patience,” the cook glared at him. She waddled to the door, pulled out a ring of keys, then chose one to open the door.

“So, you a 1st year too?” Johan asked as they enter the canteen.

“If you mean, am I new here, then the answer is yes,” replied Dorin, “but I’m only here for the Photography Camp.”

“Hmm,” the other replied.

“Okay now, you two,” the cook called their attention, “I don’t want anymore trouble today. I swear, you two bring more problems in my kitchen than actual help. If Johan isn’t burning something down, then it’s Dorin blowing things up! Sometimes I think Ms. Ermingard sent you here to torment me!” She went inside, leaving the 2 students standing in front of the kitchen counter.

“You burn things?” Dorin asked.

“Just a batch of pastries... or two...” said Johan with a scowl. “And you?”

“Well...” Dorin hesitated, “I had that... accident with the oven, and last night, with the dishwasher...”

“Now I want absolutely NO SPARKS in my kitchen,” said Mrs. Cooper, coming out of the kitchen with a tray of dough she have left to rise overnight. “NO MAGIC WHAT SO EVER!” she stressed. “If I so much as sense a thread of thaum from either of you, I’m gonna take you by the scuff of your necks and lock you inside the freezer!”

And she looked like she meant it, too.

“Yes, Mrs. Cooper!” said the 2 boys in unison.

All morning they cooked porridge in huge cauldrons, baked trays of bread and pastries, and fried hundreds of bacon, sausages, and eggs.

When the canteen opened at 7 am, Sebastian was one of the first students to arrive.

[A sausages, an egg and a muffin please] he said, the slate raised.

“Good morning Sebastian!” grinned Dorin as he placed food on his friend’s tray.

[You done yet?]

“Almost.”

[I’ll wait for you at the back]

The two went straight to the Photography Club after breakfast.

“Good morning!” Anastasia greeted them. “Don’t forget attendance, and here’s your pack of photo paper for printing later.” She handed them a pack each and led them into the back room where Josiah was tinkering with the enlarger machines.

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“Since there are quite a number of us here, we’ll be printing 2 people’s works at a time,” Anastasia stood in front of one enlarger while Josiah stayed with the other. “Please watch as we print the 1st picture, then you can print the rest with your partners.”

“You will be printing a total of 6 photos each,” said Josiah. “Later in the afternoon, we will be inviting some people to judge the photographs, the winners will receive prices from our sponsors, the 1st price being a high-end TLR camera.”

“We’re 3rd in line!” Dorin told Sebastian excitedly. “This is really so much better than books!”

[Yes, practical experience is always better than theoretical knowledge] thought Sebastian, what he did not write was, [Stay in University. There is so much more you can learn, so much I want to learn from you]

He watched as Dorin fiddled in his seat, too excited to stay still, and couldn’t help but wonder if this was the same person he had a discussion with that night.

Josiah and Anastasia estimated that it would take them about 6 hours to print all the photos. They told the others to take an early lunch, and for those who have finished to be back by 3 pm. Sebastian and Dorin decided to spend their time looking at the other photographs, though. They studied the compositions as they were put up, ready for the guest judges to view.

“Look at this one Sebastian,” Dorin called his friend’s attention. “They used the light coming in from the window, you could see the dust mites in the air floating down on the doll on the chair...”

[I like the composition of this picture better] Sebastian pointed at a picture of a big tree full of lanterns. Several insects were attracted to the light.

“Oh, look at this one... the front and background are both blurred, only the model is clearly focused... so you can do that with a wide aperture, huh?”

[Yes, there are many more stuff you can try when you have the time]

“And this tree silhouette against the moon...”

[That’s typical. Try this one, mist rising in the graveyard]

“There’s a graveyard here?”

[Just outside town. Perhaps the photographer lives near the place]

“What’s this one? Some kind of colored lines?”

[Those are headlights]

“Headlights?” Dorin thought of people with their heads lighting up.

“Electric lights on vehicles,” said someone from behind them. “Taking photographs of light moving at high speed will result with that kind of image.”

Dorin turned around and was face to face with a tall man in his mid 20’s. He wore his long blond hair in a loose pigtail and had thick silver rimmed glasses on.

[Professor Dupont, are you here as a judge?] asked Sebastian. The professor looked at the slate, looking a bit surprised, then smiled at him.

“Why yes, as one of the consultants in the Photography Club, I guess they have no choice. I’ve even suspended my tutorial class just to be here today,” he gave off a hearty laugh. “That’s a nice gadget you’ve got there, Sebastian,” he gestures at the slate, “did you get an artificer to modify it?”

[Something like that] wrote Sebastian. [I had no choice since I got my writing hand injured]

“Yes, I heard that there was an accident down at the military division, I had no idea it was you,” The frowns and looks at Dorin. “And who might this young fellow be?” he asked with a friendly smile.

[This is Dorin, he’s here for the Photography Class]

“Dorin Silvius, sir.” Dorin extended an arm and shook hands with the professor.

“Professor Jacob Dupont, alchemy department,” replied the professor who quickly pulled his hand away. “Ah, static!”

“Oh, you teach alchemy?” said Dorin, rubbing his hand. “There are so many things I still want to learn about alchemy and stuff!”

The professor laughed.

“Is that so?” he said with a grin. “Then I suggest you join my class this coming semester. For now, I would like to enjoy viewing the pictures in my Photography Club!”

“Oh, sorry, you’re right, this isn’t the time or place for that...”

“It’s fine, a mind that is constantly in wonder is a mind that is never idle!” declared the professor. “...or vice versa...” he added bashfully, “and as the school motto goes, ‘True education, never ends!’“

[Here’s another one with headlights, and one with a light drawing] Sebastian called their attention, pointing at 2 pictures side by side. One showed headlights going through the flyover in a highway, the other, the silhouette of a man holding a light stick, drawing images in the dark.

“I tried to do something like that, but the image didn’t come out that well,” said Dorin. “I guess my hand wasn’t steady enough. I didn’t bother getting them printed.”

“You should use a tripod when it comes to photos such as these,” Dupont suggested. “I would like to see your shots later after the class.”

“I can show you the negatives right now...” Dorin was about to take them out, but the professor stopped him, touching his arm.

“I much rather not, you see, as a judge, I would like to be as unbiased as I can,” explained the professor. “You may have noticed that the photos don’t have names written or pinned next to them. That way, us judges wouldn’t be able to distinguish who took them. We will choose the best picture based on what we actually see, not who took them.”

[It’s a way to make sure taht everyone would have the same chance at winning] wrote Sebastian.

“Hmm, that does make sense,” said Dorin.

The three spent the rest of the morning appreciating the other photos, particularly the photo of a naked woman, whose body was half covered in darkness, the shadow of a lace covering her intimate parts.

Until Dorin’s stomach began to grumble.

Professor Dupont laughed. “I think it’s time for a break. Why don’t you guys join us for lunch?” he called to Anastasia and Josiah. “What say we have some lunch in the main building?”

“The others are still printing their photos,” said Josiah, sticking more dried prints on the bulletin boards.

“It’s okay, president, I can handle them on my own,” said Anastasia with a smile. “Just bring me something back to eat!”

“I’d much rather you go with them!” Josiah frowned, looking at Dorin.

“Nonsense!” insists the vice president. “Besides, you’ve been here since morning and you haven’t even had breakfast yet!”

“You haven’t?” Dorin asked wide-eyed in disbelief.

“It’s okay, we won’t be long,” said the professor, “Besides, the Magic Division’s main dining hall is nearer compared to going all the way to the Science Division.”

“Question!” Dorin raised his hand, “Isn’t it forbidden for non-magic students to enter the Magic Division’s main grounds?”

“True,” the professor answered with a grin, “but not when a professor is with you.”