Kyrie was the first one up, as usual. Everything was taken care of he'd make a trip to the guild hall this evening to pick up his new licenses and chips. He just had to wait for a response, on his necklace.
Kyrie did a quick check of the groceries in the cool cupboard. DJ had picked them out and Kyrie'd bought them. He glanced at the time on his watch, six am. He had at least an hour before everyone'd be up and ready for breakfast.
Kyrie pulled various ingredients out of the cool cupboard and his dry ingredients from the cupboards. He had enough time to make a savory breakfast pie. But not enough to complete his morning practice.
Kyrie was rolling out his pie dough when Jasper got up. Kyrie smiled and said, "Good morning."
Jasper glared at Kyrie as he grumbled, "Morning." He was usually the second one up. But he was never happy about it. And last night's training had left him sore and walking funny. Jasper opened the bathroom door and closed it loudly. He wanted another shower, badly.
Kyrie frowned as he placed the first layer of dough into a pie dish. Jasper normally showered before bed not after. Kyrie started prepping the contents of the pie.
Liza opened her door. She glanced from the bathroom to Kyrie with one eyebrow raised.
Kyrie smiled and shrugged. He had no idea what was up with Jasper. Kyrie usually went for a run or had individual practice in the mornings. Everyone was usually up when he got back and Jasper was gone.
Liza shrugged and claimed a spot at the breakfast bar. "So, you can also cook."
Kyrie blushed and his knife slipped. There was a pink glimmer as it bit into his aura. Kyrie coughed and said, "Uh, I'm not as good as DJ."
Centra laughed as she entered the room with a glance back at her love. "No one's a better cook than Deej."
DJ zeroed in on Kyrie's cooking. Food. He was hungry. It'd go faster if he helped. "Want some help…" He glanced at the pie dish and froze. DJ turned back to Kyrie's ingredients. Uh, "What are you making?"
"A breakfast pie. And well," Kyrie gently placed the next layer of dough on the pie. "I'd kinda like to make it by my self this time." He looked up from the pie and smiled meekly at DJ. "How about we make it together next time?"
DJ nodded. "Sure…" A breakfast pie, he'd never heard of one. "Is it a normal breakfast food in Avalon?"
Kyrie shook his head as he spread the next layer of ingredients. "No. We only have it for special occasions. Like birthdays and such. You can't eat it on the go so." Kyrie shrugged.
"Oh right! James mentioned that. So it's true that Avalonions do – didn't sit-down when they ate?" DJ watched Kyrie's careful work with interest. The people of Avalon would often eat different filled roles, sandwiches, and other easily held foods.
Kyrie finished smoothening out the last layer as he said, "Yeah-"
Slam! "Wait a minute you said birthdays!" Liza had slammed her hands on the counter as she spoke.
DJ's eye widened as he sat down. Had they – no they couldn't have. Unless, "Kyrie, is today your birthday?"
"What? No. It was on the 13th." Kyrie watched Liza and DJ with a mixture of worry and fear. He swallowed as he glanced at the last piece of pie dough.
Kyrie wanted to put it on. But he wasn't sure his teammates would stay calm enough for him to do so.
Liza studied Kyrie as she said, "Of June?"
Kyrie nodded.
Liza groaned and put her head on the counter. She'd have put her head in her hands but she couldn't trust them to hold still right now. And, apparently, they couldn't trust their teammate to tell them when his birthday was!
DJ groaned as well. "You should have said something! We could've at least taken you to someplace better than the cafeteria."
Kyrie glanced at the pie. He should really put the last part on and put it in the oven. He'd have to risk it. Kyrie quickly put the top on and poked holes in it as he said, "It was fine. It was just a normal birthday. They aren't that big a deal."
Centra frowned from her spot at the table. She turned to look at Kyrie. "Every birthday's important."
"Y-yeah," Jasper said as he left the bathroom. He'd taken a quick shower.
Kyrie stared at his teammates in confusion. Was this a cultural thing?
DJ tapped a finger against his legs as he frowned. James should've told them. He had to have known when Kyrie's birthday was the first day of school. But then again maybe James hadn't told them because it wasn't as big a deal to Kyrie? Still, they had to do something.
Liza sat up. "So if it isn't your birthday why are you making a… breakfast pie?"
"It's tradition to have it on the first full day of a new season." Kyrie's hands shook as he placed the pie in the oven. It had been a thing of instinct to want the pie today. But now that he thought of it his hands shook and his heart ached.
Every morning after a festival the clan members in Avalon would gather for one huge sit-down breakfast. It was the one day a season Kyrie could freely join his clan, and not have them avoid him. He had a special role to fulfill. It was tradition for the strongest member of the clan to cut and hand each member a serving.
It was a small way for them to say thank you and keep the piece with the other members of their clan. A tradition that had been started by Kyrie five times great grandfather. It was started when the Say clan was just rising to the height of its power.
Kyrie stood up and looked at his teammates. Maybe he'd keep the tradition alive with them.
Liza groaned and stood up. "I'm going to shower."
Kyrie absent-mindedly said, "Cool," as he started to clean up.
Centra said, "Tell me when you're done so I can get a jump on mine."
"Sure."
DJ nodded. He was planning. It was happening this Saturday. They were celebrating Kyrie's birthday. The question was who should he invite?
♢ ♢ ♢
The team was seated at the table enjoying the pie Kyrie had made and served them.
Centra was using one of the forks Kyrie'd found for them to pick at the remains of her pie. She was worried. Things had gone horribly during the drill. Would they be able to handle their first mission? The only ones going were the students and Professor Olson.
Centra glanced up at Kyrie. "How do you think the mission will go?"
Kyrie finished off his last bite and said, "I can't really say. But it'll probably be something simple and fairly safe. They wouldn't send newbies to do something too bad."
Jasper shuddered as he glanced at the ice wand his brother had given him. His new fire wand hung next to his old one. "B-but l-last time w-we n-nearly…"
Kyrie glanced around the table – at the haunted faces of his teammates. 'That's different. It shouldn't be that bad this time. Last time you pups followed Ren and I on our mission. This time we'll be following you pups on your mission." Kyrie placed a hand on Jasper's back.
Jasper glanced up at Kyrie.
Kyrie smiled and said, "Really. It'll be better. If things go a bit sideways, I'll be there to help you out." Kyrie met each of his teammate's gazes. "All of you."
Jasper nodded. Liza hid her shaking hands under the table. Centra couldn't help but think of Corson. He'd tell her not to trust this hero in front of her. He'd tell her not to trust in his pretty words. DJ left the last slice of pie on the plate. His stomach was heavy with worry.
Kyrie had tried to cheer them up and reassure them. But there was no better example of how horribly wrong things could go than the drill they'd just gone through.