A Chained Memory

Ix smiled "Let's do breakfast together, I'm sure the others are starving and if we take too long Tix and Tam will get more cranky than usual." She said joking as she headed towards the kitchen with Aura and Adri.

After a couple of minutes they arrived at the kitchen "So, what should we do for breakfast? Any suggestions, Aura?"

"How about pancakes?" Adri suggested, making her way to the stove and busting out a frying pan.

Aura's anxiety had reached the next stage.

"I'm sorry... I don't know of any food..."

A vague memory burrowed its way into her mind. Standing in the polished corridor, she would sometimes catch wind of enticing scents sneaking their way towards her. But she wasn't hungry back then and father would not waste the food.

"I'm not... hungry."

"Are you sure?" She asked "Maybe something to drink instead? Juice, coffee?" Ix added while taking the pan from Adri and starting to make the pancakes.

"I suppose... I'll have a drink." Aura said, not wanting to make Ix feel bad.

She never quite got why everyone else ate and drunk. Was it for the taste? Potions didn't taste that bad after getting used to them. But nonetheless, she was never allowed to do it, so maybe a small drink would be good for first time.

Adri's brow furrowed as she reflected upon Aura's answer. "I'll go ahead and make some bacon while we're at it!" She got out a skillet and slapped some bacon slices on there. With a wave of her hand, she magically prepped a glass and egg nog, pouring it in for Aura and setting it down in front of her.

Aura tasted the creamy drink, its sweet flavor embedded in her taste buds. She continued to sip on it with a satisfied smile. Now she knew why.

"Looks like you like it!" Adri smiled upon her, seeing that pleased expression on Aura's face, especially after knowing what her father was like. "Just wait till you try the pancakes and bacon~"

Ix nodded happily "Yeah, the secret is doing it with love!" She added cheerfully.

She never wanted to intrude, she never wanted to be a burden. But she wanted. that. food.

"Thank you!" Aura raised her voice slightly, suddenly breaking out of her usual speech pattern.

Ix was happy that Aura was starting to open and cheer up "Just wait, you'll love it, I'm sure."

Adrianna couldn't help but laugh a bit, seeing her act up a bit for it. "Not a problem, just wait a while and you'll have some food in that belly."

Ix finished preparing more of the pancakes and served one to Aura "Here, you can taste it, I'm sure you'll like it." She said winking and smiling before going back to preparing the rest of the pancakes.

Jennifer's nose twitched as the smell of food slowly wafted into her room. Her nose had become a lot more sensitive reconnecting with her midara side, and was a bit of an inconvenience at times. This was not one of those times. This was a time where she was rather happy to have such a sensitive nose.

She slowly began to uncoil her tail from around herself. She still wasn't quite used to controlling it, but it seemed to at least partially respond to what she wanted now. As she stepped to the ground, her feet were greeted by a pair of bunny slippers, to match her light blue pajamas. At first, Jennifer was surprised, but shrugged, thinking nothing more of it, as she made her way into the kitchen, and towards the smell of food.

"Morning..." said Jennifer, sleepily, to the sight of Ix, Adri and... someone she didn't know. "Oh, umm... hello?" Her kitsune ears perked up a little. A new guest? Had they come from one of the biomes for a visit? Or was this an old friend to someone?

"Morning Jenny!" Ix greeted the kitsune cheerfully "Take a seat we are almost done making breakfast, pancakes and bacon!" She added, finished another round of pancakes, just a few more and there would be enough for everyone, she then looked at Aura "Would you like some caramel with the pancakes, Aura?

"Ah." she eyed the pancake with great interest.

Aura took it in hand and gave it a healthy bite, stuffing her face with it. She had noticed them, lying at her side, small tools of iron, pointy ones too. They were lying on a clean, white handkerchief on both sides of her plate.

Alas, she knew not their intended use, instead doing what felt the most natural. She remembered hearing about 'having table manners' back at home, but never found the right time to ask. Where those the manners on the table? In that case, she had them.

Out of view, a woman walked to the table. No, not entirely a woman. A fox? Both?

Midara...

There was a whisper in the back of her mind. That word... she did not know it. But its very nature scared her for reasons unknown. Not even properly hearing Ix, Aura swallowed her food and, reverting into a more frightful stance, greeted the new person.

"H-hi..."

At first, Jennifer thought that the girl was being shy, but then it occurred to her that this was a much more familiar expression. Fear. She'd seen it countless times before on the faces of those from her childhood. She had never expected to see such an expression here. In Sanctuary of all places. She almost staggered back a little, and the temptation to switch out to Tam was growing.

'Fucking humans. Haven't we been through enough? And now they have to come here! And judge us!' Tam commented to Jennifer.
'I'm sure there's a good reason... I mean, Ix and Adri are right there...' Jennifer responded, sounding not too certain.
'Hmpf... Well, if it turns out to be a stupid reason, I don't want you putting yourself in harm's way. She's not your problem to deal with.'

Jennifer looked uncertainly over at Ix and Adri, trying to avoid eye contact with the new girl. She couldn't bear to see the fear in her eyes again. She was standing a little awkwardly after her partial step back, as if she hadn't heard Ix's invitation to take a seat.

Ix finshed making the pancakes and turned around to serve them in the table when she saw the scene, Jennifer was standing akwardly and Aura looked scared "No need to be afraid Aura, Jenny is a friend of mine, Jenny please, take a seat..." She said looking at both girls.

In the meantime voices could be heard from the hallway "What is your damn problem!?" said one of the voices "My problem!? My problem is you using my clothes!" The other one replied "Well, I don't have much more clothes, you could share some, don't you think, you idiot sister!?" The voices kept arguing, getting closer and closer to the kitchen.

Ix's friend. Aura was relieved to hear that. Though despite knowing Ix for so little, she figured everyone was a friend of her; and for good reason. There was nothing quite as calming as the feeling radiating from Ix. While Adri's was warm, hers was a soothing lullaby, washing the fear away.

Why was she afraid of the fox? Aura never saw something like her, at least up close anyway. Midara, she did not even know what that meant. Her head stung whenever she tried thinking of the word. Was this also... a memory?

She appeared to have caused the fox lady discomfort, much to Ix's concern. This would not do.

"I'm sorry... Jenny." she meekly said, trying in vain to sound more inviting. "I did not mean to upset you."

Jennifer still looked rather uncertain when Ix offered for her to sit down, but upon Aura's attempt to invite her, it occured to her that the girl was trying. That was, at least, something.
"It's okay... I'm used to it by now..." She responded, trying not to sound like it was a big deal. She took a seat at the table.

Her ears perked up slightly at the sound of an argument. A small amount of excitement hit her face, the thoughts of the new girl's fear almost seeming like a distant memory.
"It sounds... like we've got company." Jennifer commented, with a very slight smile.

Adri nodded to Ix's words and set bacon on Aura's plate as well, setting a plate for Jennifer too. After getting her own, she seated herself next to Aura. "Tam, be nice to her, she's in unfamiliar territory with little memory," Adri stated. She eyed the lack of silverware use and confirmed her suspicions. "You're father never let you eat, did he?"

"I'm sorry..." she repeated, her expression saddened.

"Mhm." Aura nodded to Adri, ready to taste the red-striped food in front of her. "He said wasting food is no good."

"Wasting..." She was getting more and more fed up with that father of hers the more she thought about him, but she decided to shelve those thoughts for now.

The ruckus was at the door already, Dixi and Tix were arguing, like always, Tix had taken some of Dixi's clothes for a change and Dixi wasn't too happy, even if she would had let her have them if she asked before "Fine, but next time at elast ask for them damn it." Dixi said while entering the kitchen followed by Tix "You should know I hate shopping, so using your clothes is the easy way to avoid it." The white haired girl replied.

Ix looked at her sisters and smiled "Good morning, Dixi, Tix, you two look full of energy this morning, take a seat and wait for a bit while we finish setting breakfast." The twins nodded and took a seat, funny enough, each one at each side of Jennifer "You two sure are stubborn..." Neither of them replied, Dixi looked at Jennifer "Morning, Jen." Then she noticed the new face in the room "Oh, hi, I don't think we met, I'm Dixi and she..." Dixi said pointing at Tix "I'm Tix." Added the white haired girl in a cold tone.

Aura noticed Adri's expression. Looking back, this would have been something she wouldn't understand. But now, she believed she had a good grasp on what Adri was feeling. Still, she couldn't blame her father for never giving her food; it was delicious, almost... addicting.

"Hello Dixi, hello Tix." she greeted them back. "I'm... Aura."