[THEME] Lee Ming-Qie was never good at cooking, which was why when Arien woke up in the middle of the night to the smell of… was that sugar? Hints of plum? She knew immediately who it was, and she was concerned. Very concerned. The Sihai padded over to the kitchen, her fists rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes. As she steps down the halls towards the kitchen, her gaze flickers to the clock. “3 AM. What is that bastard doing at /three in the morning/?” Arien grumbles as she reaches the kitchen, nudging the door open with her foot. Lee stood at the stove, a pot of… something (Arien wasn’t sure what it was, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know). A recipe book was set off to the side, along with numerous ingredient jars. Sugar, corn syrup, plum juice… Arien sighed. Who had time for this? She certainly didn’t. “Lee, what are you making?” “Candy.” “In the middle of the night?” “Yes. I couldn’t sleep.” “Alright.” The Sihai sighed, stepping over to the counter. “What are you trying to make?” “Hard candy with a hint of plum.” Lee grinned, not noticing as the sugar began to smolder. “That’s nice and all… but have you ever cooked before? This sounds like a pretty hard recipe.” Lee shook his head. Ari raises a hand to backhand the man before the stove top erupts into a ball of flames. “WHAT-” The two shout, scrambling. Lee darts across the room with a bucket, frantically trying to fill it with water. Ari on the other hand, shoves on a pair of oven mitts, picking up the flaming pot. She scrambles to the open window, chucking it into the grass below. “Glad that’s over.” “... Xiana grass catches fire.” “... LOONG WHY.” Lee dumps the water bucket onto Arien as they peer out the window, watching the fire spread across the lawn and trees. Screams and shouts erupt from the bedrooms below, older knights making their way over to put out the fire. “How are we going to explain this one?” “The ghost of Blucherwald started it. Easy. Honestly, it is kind of pretty. Fire, that is.” “I guess it is, but we are so fucked when the knights find us.” “We are.” When morning arose, Arien and Lee were dragged towards the gathering hall to face reparation for their accidental fire. Their teachers faced them, each wearing two different expressions. Lee’s mentor, Ban En’fu was not impressed. He wore a scowl, his face dark. Ban forced Lee to run for miles on end, not giving him a break until the Sihai passed out. When Lee woke up, he was told to clean all his armor to a perfect sheen. Zelgius Pavise, on the other hand, held a hand to his mouth, barely maintaining his composure. “You set fire to Blucherwald castle.” “Yes.” “I- HOW?” “Lee decided to cook in the early hours of the morning.” “Well then. You’re grounded. No more training for a week. You’re going to rest and clear your mind.” “WHAT? That’s not fa-” “Two weeks.” Since the fire, kitchens have been closed to Squires after curfew. However, that did not stop two mischievous Sihai from breaking in once more to learn how to cook, only with occasional fire. Spoiler: Tags @Yui_Drax @KingdomKnightz
