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Leana stared at them both, skeptically.

“Alright…Rinse off your hands. I’ll tell you what to do.” The palace cook never bothered with that – actually he never bothered with that either. Mostly for lack of water but…Where was water now, everything in the kitchen looked foreign. “You, too. The more who help, the faster it’ll go.”

Right. Alessio was still looking for the water when a flushed mountain of a cook stalked toward him. I…didn’t do anything?

“I’ll take that.” She bellowed, snatching away his pan. She slapped it into a strange box with knobs all over it and closed the door with an ominous bang! This was very much like the palace cook, so much so Alessio stifled the urge to flash his sweetest most angelic(sheepish) smile of total confidence because she was a soft…like the way Sir Scary was.

Instead he forcefully maintained a completely blank expression as she reared back to him, leering furiously. (Actually he really wanted to know what that strange box was she put it in, she wasn’t trying to throw the dough away was she?)

“Are you with her?” She demanded, and Alessio maintained a completely blank expression with every fiber of strength in his being, it was beginning to look very pathetic and puppy-eyed. Also the corners of his lips were twitching.

Leana came to his rescue.

“He is.” She said “Alessio. You asked about supplies.”

What? Oh he did. Alessio used this as an opportunity to duck out of the way of the cook and dart a grateful look at Leana. Who, was smiling at him hesitantly…Alessio flushed.

“I’m going to check through it, to make sure it’s all there, but I’ve asked for needles and thread. There should be plenty of bread, when we’re through. There are several bags, so each of us can carry out own allotment. And, just in case something happens to one bag, we won’t lose all the food.” That was better than he’d expected, she had really thought through this – both the planning and executing.

“There will be,” Leana continued pointedly at a servant “Several water skins; one for each of us, and one extra.” For Nithel.

“They will be metal, madame. Not…not skins.” Sir Proper said as if horrified by the very idea. Was that some new invention? Metal skins?

In the corner of his eye, Alessio caught Arsene turning a knob and water pouring out of a…steel tube. Water, he’d just have to mimic Arsene to rinse his hands.

“How-? Nevermind.” Leana looked back at Alessio, who bit the urge jump to attention. “I also threw in the box of kitchen knives. The tablecloth can be cut into strips, for bandages, if the need arises. I also asked for some Aloe, in a container. And a vile of vinegar, as well.” Soothing balm and disinfectant, good. “Is…Is there anything else you think should be added?”

Alessio was trying not to feel completely inadequate compared to her effortless efficiency. What was the proper way to express admiration or approval or…whatever? He wasn’t used to receiving compliments and so he didn’t really know how you were supposed to give them and that made him feel even more awkward and insufficient.

She was looking at him expectantly, almost hesitantly like she was so eager to do things right.

“That’s excellent,” He stammered, with an attempt at a smile. He was trying so hard to sound sincere – and he was – but it felt so weird like no one actually said these things in real life, those weren’t words he actually heard and it’d probably get the same weird looks he’d get from falling back on the expansive vocabulary whenever he was nervous.

Alessio fumbled to tug his hood farther over his head only to remember he wasn’t wearing a hood now. He stifled the urge to bite his knuckles. Automatically his brain sifted through the list several times over for anything that could’ve been left out.

With a loud huff, the cook threw her hands in the air and stomped out of the kitchen.

“We could still use some dried fruits and meats,” He said, giving himself something to do and imitating how Arsene washed his hands. “but since we’ll need to travel as light as possible I believe that should be all.”

He squinted at the odd metal water-sprayer as if he wanted to take it apart to see how it worked. He almost opened the strange box the cook slammed the dough in. But that was…something he’d rather try when no one was looking because whatever it was might jump up and kill him. (It’s possible!) That, and the cook was already angry at him apparently.

Nithel told him to make friends.

“Parchment?” Alessio suggested softly, staring at the floor. “To take notes and learn about the Star Breather. If…if you’d be willing to teach me?”

He cast a tentative glance at Leana, not sure if he’d overstepped a boundary. Asking for anything didn’t exactly come naturally to him and…nevermind, it’d just…might make Nithel happy…and he wanted to know more…

 

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