Welcome to Gaia! ::

Arkadios loved to cook.

Mealtime for him always meant time spent with his family and even the prep work always seemed like fun for him. He got to experiment with a variety of ingredients and learn what it meant to add too much when his guardian's back was turned. Ari could make sweet dumplings filled with warm, savory stews to send to his father after work and occasionally he would leave sweet rolls on the roof for his mother. He never really saw her take them, but every morning when the plate was brought back it was empty.

Of course that meant he could cook for the family he lived with too and by now he was allowed to make some smaller dishes with mild supervision. Arkadios still wasn't supposed to use big knives on his own or fire, but...you couldn't really cook things without it, could you?

And he had all these great banana blossoms....So, hefting the basket they were in into the kitchen Ari set to work!

Arkadios tied a little apron around his waist and grunted. It was getting a little small for him, which was only to be expected for a growing boy, but he didn't want it to be. It was his favorite! It had cool little xaraan designs and everything! So, with a big huff he sucked in his tummy as much as he could, hurriedly tied it and exhaled. It was far from comfortable, but it worked!

For a moment he looked over his shoulder, worried he'd been caught by his Aunt or Uncle, but thankfully it was just his cousin. "Steamed banana flowers." He moved over to the counter where he picked up a piece of paper. It had been lovingly read over and folded at least a dozen times. "My mother left it for me. Apparently the recipe is from her mother's family and the banana flowers are from Jauhar!"

Arkadios pushed a little wooden stool closer to his work station and took his spot atop it. For the most part everything was laid out pretty well for a bigger cook, but he didn't need much. Just the proper little bamboo steamer and a few damp clothes.

"Sure! Just don't say where you got them." Lifting the rather large fruits up into his hands, the boy arranged them just so in his steamer, but when he tried to lift them he found it to be just a little too heavy. Pursing his lips, he looked at his cousin. "Help me get it to the fire? They need to cook for a little bit."

"Not very long! They just need to get soft and then I add the toppings." Arkadios carefully picked his way off the stool and moved the steamer over to the fire with his cousin's help. Thankfully he'd already prepped a little flame and all the boys had to do was maneuver the banana flower's into a hanging metal contraption above it. In all honesty it was a few metal pieces just to hold it in place, but Arkadios liked the word contraption better. He'd heard it in the market the other day and felt fancy using it.

"Yeah, that's it." Ari snorted and brushed his hands off on his knees. "Just don't ask her what they are because she's sworn to protect them with ,
her life! She'll never tell and if you manage to find out we'll cook you."

Arkadios kept his hands busy while the banana flowers cooked. He moved the stool over to the different cabinets and racks, looking for just the spices and toppings to use when he needed them. "That just means when she does talk to you it's really important." Of course he was special - he was her twin - but Arkadios knew that one day Siofra would open up to their family. It might only be a word or two, but he was certain it would happen...

Hopping off from his stool, Ari walked over to the fire to check on things. "I left a letter for her on the roof and the next day I woke up to a letter from her. It had a recipe and the next night she left these." Lifting the lid of the steamer, Ari prodded the goodies inside before placing the lift back on with a thoughtful look. "I haven't seen her in a while...I hope she's doing okay."

Ah, well, that was...a really bad slip on his part. Ari stilled, his hands hovering over the steaming pot before turning back to look at his cousin with a sheepish look. "Noooo?" He knew he wasn't supposed to - his own mother had told him not to, because it wasn't safe - but he did it anyway. Arkadios wasn't nearly big enough to make the trek on his own without slipping - which he'd done - but he hadn't fallen off the roof so in his eyes it worked out.

Of course his mother was worried about other things too, but he didn't know about that.

"Yeah, I guess." Satisfied, Ari moved the steamed banana flowers off the fire and walked them over to the table where a clay ring had already been set up to sit it on. "So I've been wondering...do you think, it things were safer...would Sio and I have to leave?"

Arkadios gathered up two plates and arranged them quietly. Compared to just moments before his actions were notably sullen. "And I should want to go I just...don't. I like living here, with all of you, but I love my parents too. I don't want them to be sad, but I don't think I would want to go if we had the chance."

Since he'd never known what it was like to live with his parents Ari never once thought of their situation as 'odd'. Sure, most kids were able to be with their parents, especially if they loved them like his did, but to him being away from his Aunt and Uncle would be weirder. He had a routine here, a life he'd built with his older cousins as siblings and to have that taken away...he just didn't think he'd like it.

"I dunno, pretty sure my mom wouldn't like it." Cutting the banana flowers in half was a lot easier now that they were soft, and with a little finesse the young hybrid set to work. He added some spices on the sweet center to make it savory, and added a few extra toppings to make it really unique. Apparently his grandmother swore by it, but he could only go on his mother's letters.

"Alright, it's done! Go ahead and get it a try. They're suppose to be sweet so if they're not...well, it's free."