After the last two weeks had been full of sunny and gorgeous weather, it just had to happen during their last prep day. The sea beyond Snakewater Cove was shrouded in pale gray, and Mokko saw Marron lightly tapping her forehead against the Seaglass Lounge's light-green wall.
"Of all the days..."
Lucy stood on the balcony of the Lounge, listening to the waves crash against the shore.
Even Mokko felt a hint of a summer storm brewing.
"Maybe it won't--"
"Ssh! Don't say anything, the sky might hear you!"
The bear glanced at her like she'd lost her mind. "...are you serious?"
She stared at him, and he sighed. "Fine, fine."
Marron wordlessly wandered from her bedroom into the kitchen, sliced some bread, and ate it with a boiled egg. After a short shower, she pulled her hair up into a ponytail.
"Just one more day and it'll be over..."
Ding!
[Stress Increase +5]
+
When she entered the Queen's royal kitchen, the four sous chefs were already at their stations. Two wolfkin, two snakekin—pairs from each crown's kitchens, blades flashing as they worked. One snakekin sous chef (her name tag read Marina) was slicing citrus with the precision of a jeweler cutting gems, while her wolfkin counterpart deboned a small bronze-hued fish in seconds.
But something was… off.
She was halfway through checking the apple reserves when the first problem arrived in the form of a harried courier.
"Storm over the pass, Chef. The remaining barrel of smoked fish and the crate of fresh herbs—still in Whisperwind. Might not get here until tomorrow."
Marron took a steadying breath. "Alright. Then we use what we have. Make the dishes smaller if we must, but we don't remove them."
She turned back toward the counter—and caught the snakekin junior sous chef struggling with the sausage pastry. The dough was torn in places, filling spilling out the side. The young woman stiffened when Marron approached.
"I… didn't want to trouble you," she said quickly. "I can fix it—"
Marron's brow creased. "You should have told me sooner. I can help."
The wolfkin beside her glanced up. "Snakekin don't question superiors in the kitchen. It's… not their custom."
"That's fine for your kitchens," Marron said gently, "but here, I need all of you to talk to me—and to each other. If something's wrong, tell me before we ruin half a batch. Silence wastes more than words ever could."
Marina nodded slowly. "I will… try, Chef."
The wolfkin sous chef chuckled. "See? Not rude. It's survival."
From then on, there was a shift.
Quiet nods became quick questions.
A wolfkin asked a snakekin for help with spice blends. A snakekin corrected a wolfkin's folding technique without hesitation.
Slowly, the rhythm became one—four sets of hands moving toward the same goal.
By dusk, the test dishes were plated. Marron tasted each in turn, the flavors still delicious and had a serious kick despite the ingredient shortage. Still, her shoulders felt tight, her feet aching from standing since dawn.
She bade her sous chefs goodbye just as the sky was giving way to darkness. "Make sure you get lots of sleep for tomorrow."
One of the wolfkin grinned. "You too, chef. It was nice of the Snake Queen to get a separate kitchen for us."
The snakekin smiled in turn. "She is generous with resources, especially surrounding food."
Marron remembered the Queen's vast collection of wine and oak barrels. "She really is. And tomorrow, we're going to make the Queen and the King proud."
At least the sky was still only a pale gray--there wasn't a raindrop in sight.
Marron prayed the sky held whatever water it had to itself until the feast ended.
She continued praying until she got back to the Seagrass Lounge, and her body begged her to just lie in bed and drift away.
+
"Sit," Mokko's voice rumbled as he opened the door.
Wordlessly, she walked inside and sat on one of the tall stools in front of the kitchen island counter. It was one of her favorite spots to think in the Lounge.
Her big bear guardian put down a marble coaster and on it, set down a tall glass filled with ice and a pale, creamy drink dusted with cinnamon.
"What's this?"
"Something I learned from a chef I used to work with," Mokko said, setting it in her hands.
"She always had one of these before a big event. Said it made her happier. Thought I'd give you one, since you've been running around all day. Have you even eaten?"
Have I eaten? That's a great question.
"Besides the test dishes...not...really."
"I know that feeling, but the feast isn't going to continue if you faint, chef."
"Thank you, Mokko." Marron took a tentative sip and nearly melted. The drink was ice-cold and sweet, with the faint graininess of rice and an undercurrent of warm spices. "It's like a hug in a cup."
He poured himself and Lucy the same drink in smaller cups. "Then drink. Big day tomorrow."
When Lucy heard a drink being poured, she bounced into the kitchen and up onto the table. Marron always thought that a slime would have...slimier residue, but Lucy just left trails of water.
And whenever it was time for Marron or Mokko to wander around the house, they just happened to dry up, preventing any accidents from happening.
Marron looked out over the kitchen, where the sous chefs were cleaning down their stations together, talking more freely than they had that morning. The mist outside had thickened, but here, in the warm glow of the kitchen, she could feel something steady taking root.
Tense, yes. But hopeful.
Right after she drank the creamy drink, she yawned.
"Bath," Mokko said unceremoniously, and by then, she was too tired to protest.
"Okay."
"Bathtime, bathtime!" Lucy chirped happily, bouncing toward the bathroom.
There was still a lot of pressure on her shoulders, but at this moment, the thought of a warm bath after a delicious cold drink was more important.
I'd rather have this than a perfectionism spiral...any day.
It was a stark difference from her old life on Earth, where she showed up and gave up so much of possible bonding time with her workmates...to finish her day job.
Instead, she returned home and actually, for awhile, left her problems in the other kitchen.
And she felt happy about it.
Life isn't so bad after all. Maybe I can try being a chef.