Once we were home, I darted straight to the kitchen and got started on dinner. I made pate as the appetizer and while everyone did get some, I had to keep an eye on it because Kanna would try to grab more than her share.Other than that, everything was fine.
Madelyn: "I tidied up the living room like you asked."
Steven: "Thanks, Madelyn, I"ll make sure you eat well tonight."
Madelyn: "I"ll hold you to that, Chef!"
Kanna entered and her pleading eyes were telling me that she wanted even more pate.
Steven: "Sorry, Kanna, I can"t make any more pate. I need enough salmon to feed everyone."
She stands behind me and embraces me.
Kanna: "I love you…"
No way…
When my mom said "food is the fastest way to one"s heart," she wasn"t kidding.
Madelyn: "I"mma leave… I feel like a third wheel here."
Steven: "I love you too."
Kanna: "Can I help?"
Steven: "Of course, uh, you know how to make the salsa?"
Kanna: "Toss together the oranges, avocado, red onion, cilantro and lime juice?"
Steven: "That"s perfect, Kanna."
Kanna: "Is that all?"
Steven: "Yeah, this is an easy dish, so we"re not going to cook for hours."
Joan curiously comes into the kitchen.
Steven: "Hey, Joan."
She stands next to me, peeks over the counter, and watches me as I cook.
Steven: "Do you like fish?"
She nods.
Joan: (SL) "What kind of fish are you using?"
Steven: "Salmon. Did you need anything?"
Joan: (SL) "I wanted to know how you do it."
Steven: "Do you want to watch us cook? I don"t mind getting a stool you could sit on."
Joan: (SL) "When is mama coming to visit?"
Mama?
Visit?
She could only be talking about one person in particular.
Steven: "You mean Rayna?"
She nods.
Steven: "Why would you think she"s your mama?"
Joan: (SL) "You both saved me and gave me a home."
Steven: "Well, you"ll be surprised to know that she"s visiting today."
Joan: (SL) "She is?"
Steven: "That"s right, apparently they figured out a better way to travel without having to—"
I don"t want to tell Joan that we cut ourselves just to use blood magic.
Steven: "Without putting themselves at a huge risk. I don"t know how exactly they figured it out, but mama did."
As we were talking about her, I heard the bell to the front ring. There was a good chance it could be her and even Joan was looking in that direction.
Steven: "I think that"s her, Joan. Go check it out if you want to."
Her smile grew widely and she excitedly runs to the front, leaving me in the wind.
Steven: "She"s excited."
Kanna: "What did she say in sign language?"
Steven: "She asked if Rayna was coming."
Kanna: "Rayna is her mom?"
Steven: "Yeah, because the both of us saved her. She sees us as her parents."
Kanna: "That"s good."
Steven: "You"re not upset over it?"
Kanna: "No, I told you I"m too young to be a parent. I want to be an older sister, kind of how Madelyn is to you."
Steven: "Madelyn is a perfect blend of helpful and annoying. You have to strike that balance if you want to be an older sister."
Kanna: "Is she annoying? How?"
Steven: "Did you forget that time she tackled me to the floor and wouldn"t let me go? Or that time she stole my gla.s.s of lemonade?"
Kanna: "Isn"t that—oh, I see what you mean about being annoying."
She brings over the salsa she tossed together and places it I"m front of me.
Kanna: "How"s this?"
Steven: "That"s perfect. When did you learn to cook?"
Kanna: "I just mixed the ingredients together. It"s similar to alchemy."
Steven: "You just mix things in Alchemy?"
Kanna: "Well, yeah… cooking is Alchemy but without the magic."
I"m sure they"re completely different things. Otherwise Yuuna wouldn"t be needing all her specialized tools.
Steven: "How good are you at alchemy now?"
Kanna: "I"m still ranked as an Apprentice."
Steven: "I didn"t know there were ranks."
Kanna: "There are, my mom is called a "Master," and there would be t.i.tles too, but mom prefers her name."
Steven: "Even though she gives everyone a nickname?"
Kanna: "Yeah, that"s how it is. I"d like to have a t.i.tle though."
Steven: "Atelier Kanna of The Mysterious Servant." [1]
Kanna: "What?"
Steven: "What?"
Kanna: "What did you just say about me?"
Steven: "What did I say?"
Kanna: "You said—! Nevermind."
...
Authors Notes:
[1] - "Atelier Kanna of The Mysterious Servant" is a reference to the Atelier series, a franchise of RPG games developed by Gust Corporation.