World 1.8

Yuri had never really thought the word "grizzled" could apply to a woman, and yet, the white-clad woman at the stovetop is exactly that. She has a sturdy body structure and facial features so sharply defined they could probably cut someone.

She looks kind of intimidating, honestly.

"Yes," she says quickly in a brusque tone, "go chop up those vegetables over there." She points to a massive cutting board piled high with vegetables Yuri doesn't recognize. "Don't matter how- just make'em nice and small. And don't peel'em either. There's extra nutrition in them skins."

Yuri nods once. There's a box of gloves and fasteners on a table right beside the door, so she takes a pair as she fully enters. "Yes ma'am!"

First on the chopping block is something that looks something like an oblong coconut, except with brown skin rather than a full husk. The inside is similar to a potato under the knife, though it's colored a vivid purple.

There's a lot of very....unique produce in this world, Yuri notes as she dices something that looks like a blue tomato, Are they all like this?

More or less, Andromeda answers (not that Yuri had asked for one). You might also find stuff you recognize being called something else, too.

Huh. Neat.

Yuri sweeps the chopped vegetables over the edge of the counter and into a bowl. As she focuses more on not chopping off a finger, the bowl gradually fills up with a rainbow of veggies.

At some point Kaoru enters without her even noticing- not until Kaoru herself takes the bowl of chopped veggies immediately after Yuri finishes chopping.

The two move seamlessly around each other as they help the head chef and her two sue chefs prepare dinner. Lost in the rhythm of chopping, slicing, and kneading, Yuri isn’t really aware of time passing until the head chef shoos her and Kaoru out of the kitchen.

The night sky is black. The stars look the same as in her world, but there are two moons shining down.

"Your clothes should be finished tomorrow morning." Kaoru says as they walk through the courtyard.

"Really?" Yuri asks, truly impressed. "That's pretty fast!"

"Mm." Kaoru hums agreeably, then stops. The light of the two moons gives her a sort of platinum halo. Combined with her white robes, it lends her an especially holy appearance as she turns around to face Yuri.

"Say, what will you do after you grab them?"

Yuri takes a second to think. "Well," she says at length, "I guess it depends on exactly when in the morning I retrieve them." She shrugs her bony shoulders. "I intend to leave, in any case."

"Oh. I see..." Kaoru sounds disappointed. "I was...hoping you'd stay- at least a little longer."

Standing across from her, Yuri feels a little guilty.

"I'm sorry." You're not my Kaoru, so I can't stay.

Kaoru pivots so Yuri is again looking at her back. After a moment, she straightens her shoulders.

"Let's continue to dinner," she says.

Yuri isn't the most socially intelligent person, but even she can tell the cheer in Kaoru's voice is very, very fake.

It makes her feel guiltier, but she doesn’t think there's anything she could say to ease the tension.

So she nods and follows behind Kaoru to the dining hall in perfect silence.