#have a quick and fluffy fic with my orlan daughter

[queen-scribbles]

A Taste of Home

Quick fill for @pillarspromptsweekly​ 74, in case the other idea takes too long. Using Rekke, summer and first bite of a new food as my elements.

If she hadn’t just tripped over a crack and slammed her shoulder into a wall hard enough to make her hand tingle, Adela might have thought she was dreaming. The wizened, ratty Vailian woman hawking food in one of Neketaka’s many back alleys had Ixamitl summer pears. She didn’t know how the woman had gotten her hands on them, didn’t really care. Her mouth was already watering at the half dozen golden fruit, dusking slightly red at the top in proof they were at their ripest.

Hearing the merchant’s heavily accent Aedyran, Adela smiled warmly and greeted her in Vailian. “Ado, aimica, your wares look so good, I would be a fool if I went on without obtaining some.”

The woman’s face split in a matching grin. “Belfetto, aimica,” she returned,  “Renata Giaro is at your service, tella.”

Adela nodded to confirm the deduction in that last word and glanced back toward her lollygagging companions. She had a couple minutes before they caught up--maybe more if Xoti decided she couldn’t walk and tell whatever tale she was weaving at the same time. 

“How much for the pears?” she asked, gesturing toward the sack. It might not be smart bartering to be so obvious, but frankly, she didn’t care if she got fleeced, those pears would be a taste of home and she wanted them.

Renata gestured grandly as she plucked the woven sack from its hook and placed it on the counter. “You have excellent taste, aimica. Ixamitl’s summer pears are delicious, and hard to come by here in the Deadfire.” She drummed her fingers against the counter twice in succession. “I could let you have them for seventy five pires each.”

That was piracy worse than the Principi engaged in, and Adela still had to stop herself from knee-jerk agreement, just to ensure she got a taste of home. “Too much. Forty five each,” she countered with a shake of her head.

Renata tsked and shook her head in return. “You’ll beggar me, tella. Sixty each. Not a pire less.”

Still high, but acceptably so. “Deal.” Adela counted out the money, took the sack, and turned to leave-

-Just in time to almost run into Rekke as he and Xoti finally caught up to her. He mumbled something startled and grabbed her shoulder to steady her. “Sorry, Adi. I thought you knew we were there.”

“I did, sort of,” Adela assured him, grateful his hand had fallen on the shoulder she didn’t run into a wall. “Not your fault.”

“What did you buy?” he asked, nodding toward the sack.

“Oh, ‘member when we were talking about favorite food an’ I mentioned spiced pears?”

Rekke nodded. “Ta.”

She grinned and hefted her prize. “These are the pears we use for that. I may not be the best cook in Eora”--That’s Ben, she thought, with a small pang of homesickness--”but I’m pretty good, and I bet I can cook ‘em pretty close to what I remember.” She winked at Rekke and Xoti each in turn. “If you’re real nice to me, maybe I’ll even share.”

“I ever mention how pretty your hair looks, Adi?” Xoti immediately piped up, a gleam in her eye that said she caught the joke.

“I may’ve heard it once or twice, yeah,” Adela winked. “Yours is pretty, too, Xo.”

The three of them headed toward Queen’s Berth, heaping lavish jesting compliments on each other the whole way.

>O<

Adela had forgotten one thing in her excitement--the other ingredients. She remembered the recipe, sure enough, but the Ilhana’s galley lacked cinnamon and nutmeg; the two most crucial parts after the pears themselves.

“Port Maje might have ‘em,” Xoti pointed out. “Bein’ a trading post. If you don’t mind the detour.”

“I don’t,” Adela said frankly, and with a word to Beodul, they were en route.

“You really want to make these pears, ta?” Rekke laughed as the two of them sat on deck, summer breeze ruffling their hair.

“Ta,” Adela nodded. “I haven’t had them in forever, Rekke, and I can practically taste them. That’ll drive me mad even faster’n the gods at this rate.”

He chuckled, wrapped a lock of hair around his finger. “And I have been nice, ta? I get a taste?”

“Oh, you’re always nice,” she laughed in reply, smiling at his eagerness. “Of course you get to taste. I promised, didn’t I? It won’t be the same as having them in Ixamitl, where they could slow-cook all day in the right kind of oven, but they’ll still be yummy.”

“Yuki,” Rekke grinned. “I hope they have these spices in Port Maje.”

“Me, too,” Adela said with a nod. “I don’t wanna be forced to sail the Deadfire looking for damned spices.”

They did, though she wound up owing Alteria a very large favor for the nutmeg. “Rarer than hen’s teeth, you know?” the blonde merchant shrugged.

Adela did know, so she promised the favor, took the nutmeg, and beelined for her ship. Gods only knew when she’d be back this way again; she’d worry about this favor then. Right now she wanted to cook.

>O<

Between preparation and cooking--and one agitated xaurip who didn’t like having ‘her’ galley invaded--it took several hours for the pears to be ready. They smelled just as delicious as Adela remembered, and her mouth was already watering as she carried the dish back to her cabin.

Xoti and Rekke were waiting right were she’d left them--the windowseat, Xoti playing with Rekke’s hair again--though they both quickly moved for the table when she entered with the much-praised pears.

“Patience is a virtue,” Adela teased--somewhat hypocritically given her own hurry. “And remember, there’s not a lot. They’re so good you’re gonna want to hog it all to yourself, but we get two each.”

“Is that reminder for us or you?” Rekke asked mischievously, winking at her.

Adela shot him a dirty look as she set down the pears and lightly flicked the side of his hand. “Both.”

“Play nice, Adi,” Xoti laughed.

“I’m sharing my favorite food in the world ‘stead of hogging it all for me,” Adela protested. “That seems pretty nice to me.”

“It is nice,” Rekke said, propping his chin on one hand. “Can we eat pears now?”

“Ta,” Adela replied with a giggle. It was easier than she expected to play the hostess and serve them each their share before taking her own, because that meant she got to watch their faces light up at the first bite of her favorite food from home.

“Gaun’s eyes, Adi,” Xoti effused, still chewing, “does all the food in Ixamitl taste this good?”

“More or less,” she nodded, giggling at Xoti’s enraptured expression. “‘Least if Mama or Ben cooks it, it does.”

A long string of quiet, almost reverent Seki tumbled from Rekke as he finished his first bite and he met Adela’s eye to offer a crooked smile. “You were right, Adi. It is like eating pure joy.”

“Toldja,” Adela grinned.

“That’s a good way to put it,” Xoti agreed, eyes gleaming with laughter. “Gods, if I’d had food this good, maybe I’d never’ve left home.”

“Believe me, it was a struggle,” Adela said wryly. Satisfied her friends enjoyed the dish as much as she did, she finally dug in herself.

The familiar taste almost overwhelmed her and her eyes fluttered closed. Hound’s teeth, I’ve missed you. There was nothing quite like the rush of euphoria from eating a long-absent favorite. The nostalgia of her associated memories was almost as strong as the taste itself, and she couldn’t stop a quiet hum to let out some of the warmth balling in her chest.

Xoti laughed. “Yeah, basically that. This is really good, Adi. Shame there ain’t more.”

“Believe me, I heartily agree,” Adela sighed. “But given it practically cost an arm and a leg just to make this much, I’ll have to be satisfied with just a taste of home.”

“Thank you even more, then, for sharing,” Rekke said as he carefully cut off another bite.

“Yeah, thanks a bunch, Adi,” Xoti nodded enthusiastically.

“Oh, you’re welcome,” Adela said brightly. “Food’s better when you share it, right?” That had always been Mama’s philosophy, and she found herself agreeing with it--watching her friends enjoy a dish she loved made it taste even better.

To see them so happy, she could definitely manage with just a taste of home.

---------------------------------

Man, I love writing Rekke. And Xoti. And Adi. And extra especially all three of them together. Are brot3′s a thing? Cuz that’s basically what they are. :D