Episode 23: Parfaits and Otocaps

Rel couldn't help but let out a sigh. She really needed to make an effort to check on Wilhi more often. She wasn't one to openly voice her worries or concerns.

After she finished the tasks she had to get done that day, Rel made lunch for her brother and herself. Once their food settled, the siblings returned to training. They used their powers to play a sort of laser tag in the backyard.

Once Deni was good and tired, he curled up in her lap and took a nap.

She giggled. The boy reminded her of a kitty.

Rel closed her eyes as well, equally tired from all the running around.

When she got up, she slowly freed herself from kitty Deni's grasp and went into kitchen to read some more and prepare tea. As she waited for the water to heat up, she sat down at the table and opened the book she wanted to read. It was called 'The Tales of Zarah' and followed the journey of a young girl who gained a mysterious power.

She got absorbed into the story as she read about Zarah's trials and tribulations as she mastered her abilities. Before Rel knew it, two hours passed by and Deni made his way into the kitchen.

"Hey, Rel," the boy said, rubbing the sleep out if his eyes.

"Hey." Rel smiled. "Is there anything particular you want for dinner?"

Deni furrowed his eyebrows. "Do you have any yogurt?"

She blinked. That was unexpected. "I don't think we do." Rel opened the fridge. "What did you have in mind?"

"I was dreaming about Doe's parfait last night."

It had been ages since Rel got to have one. "I know it won't be the same, but let's see what we can do about that."

"Yay!"

"Hey," Keith said, joining them. He walked over to the sink and washed his hands.

"What are you going to make?" Rel asked.

"Otocap stuffed with Blazevine," Keith replied as he turned on the stove with his fingerprint. He placed a pot filled with water on top.

"What's an otocap?" Deni asked.

Keith grinned. "You'll find out soon enough." He grabbed ingredients from the fridge.

Rel watched Keith as he moved confidently around the kitchen, gathering various ingredients.

She soon decided to focus on making the parfait for Deni.

"Alright, Deni, let's see what we have," Rel said, opening the pantry. She found some granola, honey, and a few other ingredients that could work for a makeshift parfait. "How about we use these?"

Deni nodded eagerly. "That looks good! Can we add some fruit too?"

Rel smiled. "Of course." She grabbed a few apples and berries from the fridge, then set about chopping them up while Deni watched.

As they worked, Keith continued his own preparations, heating up the pot of water and chopping up the Blazevine. The kitchen was filled with a pleasant, homey atmosphere, the smells of cooking blending with the fresh scent of cut fruit.

Rel layered the ingredients into a couple of glasses, creating colorful parfaits. She handed one to Deni, who immediately dug in with enthusiasm. "This is really good, Rel!" he said between bites.

"Glad you like it," she replied, taking a small taste herself and nodding in satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Keith's dish was coming together. He had prepared the otocaps and stuffed them with a savory mixture of Blazevine and other vegetables. The dish smelled amazing, and Rel couldn't wait to try it.

As they all sat down to eat together, Rel felt a sense of contentment as she watched her brother happily munching on his parfait, and then at Keith, who was focused on his cooking but occasionally glanced their way with a smile. It was a reminder of the simple joys and the importance of family.

"So, what do you think of 'The Tales of Zarah' so far?" Keith asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

Rel's eyes lit up. "It's really good! Zarah's journey is so inspiring. I'm at the part where she's learning to control her powers. It's intense but so well written."

Keith nodded. "Sounds like a great read. Maybe I'll borrow it when you're done."

"You should," Rel said, smiling. "It's definitely worth it."

Yolie walked in with a smile on her face.

"Something good happen?" Keith asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Frankie managed to score as some tickets to a show I've been dying to see!"

Keith raised his eyebrows. "By doing what?"

"One of the ladies who works on it had him take photos of her kid."

Deni looked up from the parfait he'd been wolfing down with a white mustache. "People still pay someone to do that for them?"

Keith chuckled. "Some people are happy to let the terminal do whatever it wants, but there is skill involved in taking a good picture."

Yolie folded her arms. "The terminal takes your pictures?"

"No," Rel replied. "We pay a private photographer to take our photos and videos with a drone."

"Do I want to know how much that costs?" Keith asked.

Rel furrowed her eyebrows. "I actually don't know. I think the assistants arrange it when our parents ask."

And Rel didn't use that service for herself. It would require her to overdress to satisfy her demanding mother, so she never bothered.

Yolie looked like her eyeballs might pop out of their sockets.

"Hungry?" Keith asked. "My dinner is going to be ready soon. Although, you might not be in the mood for something with a kick."

Yolie looked at the siblings' cups. "Did you seriously have ice cream for dinner?"

"No, it was a yogurt parfait," Rel replied. "Deni suggested it, and I thought that sounded good, so that's what we had."

Yolie face palmed. "You really do spoil that brat..."

Keith gave her a sharp look. "Was that really called for?"

Yolie grabbed a box out of the fridge and shrugged on her way out.

Deni frowned.

Rel patted his shoulder. "That wasn't very nice. I don't have to talk to her tomorrow if she acts like that again. Just ignore her."

"Okay."

"What do you want to do tomorrow? If I can make it happen, we'll do it."

He blinked. "Let's paint. I got to do that in my dream, too."

"Sounds good." Rel wiped his mustache with a napkin. "I'll order everything we'll need right now."

Deni gave her a slight smile.

Tomorrow, she was going to make that smile a grin. May Minicha and Castin serve as her witnesses.