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Martin waited, apparently patient.
Wonder if he's really patiently waiting tho.
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Kiaan finally gets going, and they still don't take a hint as to how they're carrying Martin and how, in turn, not doing that consciously is interfering with their walking. By the time they carry Martin over to the kitchen, who knows how much time they've expended.
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Martin's grinning.
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Kiaan looks around the kitchen. For convenience purposes, everyone else is not there. Maybe they're a bit early for mealtime.
In any case, it would've been funny to see them just completely gloss over what food is on the counter. Presumably, the Thaohals don't have a refrigerator, but Kiaane just takes one look and goes straight for the pantry. Thankfully, what good instincts they do have means they set down Martin first before they try to bend down and reach for something. If those instincts hadn't helped out, they probably would've ended up bonking both of their heads on the counter.
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Martin held his hands behind his back and stayed next to Kiaane.
"Can I help you find something?"
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Kiaane opens the pantry and stares at the inside contents like they've never seen them before. For an instant, it even looks like they're considering salt for the main course or something. Other than their general and apparent confusion and the silence left by them not responding because of that, everything just feels awkward.
"...what is it you eat?" they finally ask Martin. This time, they actually need to know.
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"Food!" Martin replied helpfully. "Bread, apples, cheese, water, juice... sometimes ham? But it's food."
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There are apples and water in the pantry, both of which Kiaan take out. Cheese too, and sliced pieces of meat.
Thankfully, Kiaan has enough common sense to know meat can't be eaten raw like that...hopefully, anyways.
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Martin's eyes locked onto the food.
To be honest, he does look hungry.
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Sorry, Martin, you'll have to wait a while.
Kiaan pulls out some bread. I don't think they know what kind of bread is what.
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The child clasps his jands together in front of himself, pressing the oversized sleeves of his jacket as he waits.
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Kiaane takes out the entire freaking loaf of bread like they're going to use all of it and mumbles something. Or did they mumble? It's hard to tell.
They stand up with all of that on their person in some way or another--awkwardly or not--and apparently look for something again.
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Martin turns to keep Kiaane in his sight.
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Kiaan wanders over to what they apparently think is a suitable location and grab something to cook the meat with as well as oil, though somehow they don't seem to find it prudent to set everything down first.
This is kinda a R.I.P. moment, not going to lie.
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Martin runs to stay close to Kiaane.
It's funny that he doesn't even suggest putting the things somewhere else.
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(Should I just do a timeskip and kinda summarize what Kiaan's doing? I get the vibes you're running out of things to POV xD)
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((I was planning to just PoV him following and watching Kiaane but sure, that'd be a lot easier xD thanks))
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Somehow, Kiaan makes it work. Surprisingly, they're actually not bad at cooking, though the way they go about it is questionable. In any case, they cook the meat, pour the water into cups, cut the bread (into oversized slices in terms of width, but whatever), and cut the apples into nice, small chunks. At the end, they kinda put the bread, cheese, and meat together into a sandwich. And then they just kind of stand there since apparently saying when they're done with something isn't a thing.
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Give Martin a few more seconds and he'll ask if he can eat already.
Meanwhile, he just stands there looking at the food with hopeful eyes.
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The cricket chirps, not that that helps Kiaan actually act less robotic. They're still kinda just standing there.
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"I think it's hungry!" Martin pipes up, lifting the arm with the sleeve that has the cricket in it. "Can I eat and share with the cricket?"
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Kiaan doesn't even nod. They kind of just step aside, away from the food, as if to clear a straight path to the food for Martin and the cricket.
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Martin takes that as a cue to get the food, and he does. Then he checks for a chair.
"Are you going to eat too?" He asks Kiaane.
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There might be chairs, but then again, the narrator kinda gets the feel that usually, no one's allowed to eat in the kitchen, so maybe there aren't. Are the Thaohals like that?
A shake of their head signifies no.
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Maybe, who knows lol.
"Okay."
At the absence of chairs, a hungry Martin decides that eating while standing is a suitable option. He looks around for a counter (one he can reach) to set the cricket down.
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Uhhh, there might not be one other than the cooking counter Kiaan used, which they are currently eying like a mission they need to take care of.
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Martin reconsiders once again and instead sits down on the floor, shaking his sleeve to get the cricket out.
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The cricket's not coming out if he does it like that.
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"Hey, aren't you hungry too?"
Martin stops the shaking and peers into his sleeve again. He puts out a palm for the cricket to jump
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Well, yeah, it's hungry, but it doesn't like being rattled around like that, so it stubbornly clings onto his sleeve.
"Handle living creatures gently," Kiaane...advises??? They sound kind of distant.