lightwithin | 1st ♥ [Text]

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1st ♥ [Text]

My name is Kairi.

If the worlds are gone, then what is this place?

What happened?

Where are Sora and Riku?

[Kairi has not realized that the book with her name on is more than it seems, so she writes down her thoughts as she wanders from the barracks, across the training yard, past the thermal pools and toward the vegetable garden. She looks in wonder and curiosity at everything around her, but she's more than a little lost. Approach?]

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[Kairi bites her lip in an effort to stifle her giggles and cautiously lowers her hands.]

Sure, okay.

[She glances aside but peers back at Xanth out of the corner of her eye. His face is all pink and it takes her a moment to figure out it's because he's embarrassed.

She's so used to living around boys who feel no shame. She shouldn't have laughed.]

So, what other vegetables can we put in?

[Oh hush. It's good for his character, and it gives his veins a workout!

Xanth mentally moves on. Extra vegetables in the soup: yes or no?]

U-Uh, well, i-if you-- p-put other v-veg--v-g-- th-things in the s--soup, it stops being on-onion s--soup and st-starts being v-vege-t--

[Xanth frowns and bites his lip, giving the onions a rough stir.]

N--Not-onion-s--soup.

Vegetable?

[She didn't decide to say it, she just did. She'd been trying to ignore his stammer. Being thrown onto a new world would make anyone nervous, and it didn't seem to bother him, so why should she say anything? So she hadn't... Until now.

She had the good grace to look sheepish as she continue to regard him out of the corner of her eye.]

[Xanth lowers his head and draws his shoulders inward.]

Y...Yeah.

[He's always tried to ignore his stammer, though it's never gone by without a comment, even in Westlyn.

He's only glad Kairi didn't say something worse.]

S-So, uh, yeah. B-But we... w-we could do th-that, if... y-you like.

[Vegetable soup is still good, after all.]

Okay. If it's easier. Heh, I mean, we don't have any beef stock so...

[This was awkward. Kairi was not used to awkward. Maybe it would be better if she weren't here for a moment.]

I'll go find some ve- other foods.

[Xanth taps the toe of his foot against the floor. He still does not meet Kairi's eyes.]

...j-just because I c-can't say it d--doesn't m-mean you c-can't.

Oh. Right.

[She's just trying to be nice but, well, it's not working]

So, um... I'll be back!

[She's in part defiant - she isn't fleeing the situation despite the odd tension that seems to be crowding the room - and in part reassuring. She really didn't mean anything by it.

She returns minutes later with a few carrots, some celery, a handful of green beans and a cob or corn still in its husk.]

What about these?

[It is, unfortunately, something of a relief when Kairi finally leaves the room. Refusing to use the word Xanth had trouble with only drew more attention to it, and Xanth would much rather pretend his stutter didn't even exist.

While Kairi hunts for more foodstuffs, he searched for more spices. Salt - good! That regular pepper Kairi found - good! He ends up picking a couple more blends that appeal to him, though he's not entirely sure what's in them.

When Kairi returns, Xanth is once again manning the onion station.]

The-- the carrots and th-the ce--celery would be good! N-Not corn, though, that... th-that's better i-in c--cream soup.

[But they could make a cream soup, if there was any around.]

Oh, okay.

[She separates the vegetables into a pile of things they can use and a pile of things that they can't.]

Is that enough? Should I get more?

[... This has become so awkward.]

[It really, really has. Xanth smiles, hoping to defuse the tension, but his smiles are just as awkward.]

M--More carrots? B-But uh, not-- not m-more celery. I-It's kind of a-- strong f-flavor.

Heh, okay!

[And glad of something to do, Kairi soon returns with more carrots.]

Now what?

[Why no, she has never peeled a carrot. Why do you ask?]

[Why, neither has Xanth! What a waste of carrot that would be.]

W-Well, uh, are-- are they w-washed, or s-still dirty?

Um... I think I'll wash them.

[And so she sets about finding a basin and water for washing and sets to. While she's at it, she casts about for something to say.]

So, what do you think of the way books talk here?

[Xanth, meanwhile, starts spicing the water. He throws Kairi an unsure look, one eyebrow raised and his lip bitten.]

The... th-the way they... um. Th--they do?

Yes.

[She dries her hands and pulls out her journal again.]

It was in my room when I woke up. It has my name on it and, well, it talks. Didn't you see yours?

[Xanth looks down at the journal. He does seem to remember glimpsing one like it on the end table next to where he woke up...]

U-Um, yeah, b-but I-- I didn't-- p-pick it up. I was, um.

[Too busy panicking.]

K-Kind of... i-in a-- a rush? I-I guess?

Oh...

[Well, no matter. He can always go back for it later, right?]

... Did you get the key to the room?

That, uh, th-that I d--did get!

[He reaches into his pocket and fishes it out. He hadn't intended to grab it - it just sort of happened when he rushed out of the room. But it's a rare stroke of luck!]

Well, then you can go back and get the book.

[No problem!

Meanwhile, the carrots are washed.]

Should I cut these?

Y-Yeah. B-Bite-sized, or-- l-littler? The-- the smaller th-they are, the-- the faster th-they cook.

[Which seemed obvious to him, but Kairi wanted to put chili powder in the soup. Who knows what else she would do?]

S-So... the-- the book... c-can really t--talk? H-How?

[It doesn't take Kairi long to find a knife, and she begins doing as she's told. It's hard. The carrots keep rolling and a lot of the time, she ends up sawing them into uneven and ragged little chunks. She frowns.]

I don't... Um... I don't know... I haven't figured out... How to make it work yet.

[Cooking is hard!]

[Xanth can't help cringing as Kairi cuts the carrots. Her method isn't ineffective, exactly, as she is getting carrots cut - but it's so inefficient! With a smile, Xanth asks,]

D-Do, uh, do-- you-- w-want help? W-With, the, um. Th-the carrots, I-I mean.

[She doesn't want help, not really. She wants to do it herself. But she can't deny that she's struggling and she doesn't really know how to do it properly, so she sets down the knife and steps back.]

Can you show me?

S-Sure.

[Xanth steps up to the cutting board in Kairi's place. He secures one carrot in his hand, firmly holding it down, and then makes a firm cut with the blade near the handle.]

You-- y-you get better, uh, p--power, I-I guess, i-if you cut w-with this part.

Okay.

[She nudges him gently. Nudging someone with a knife doesn't seem like a very good idea, but it's probably better than just reaching for it.]

Let me try.

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