After Talauia's heavy revelations, Ashlynn put the rest of their planning session on hold. Everyone needed a bit of time to process and there wasn't a need to rush and arrive in Crystal Lake City by a specific time. Instead, Ashlynn took Talauia and Heila to one of Amahle's vegetable gardens so to prepare for the evening meal.
With the oppressive heat, no one other than Jacques wanted to spend much time standing over a hot stove to cook. Still, when they returned to Amahle's home to prepare for another family-style evening meal, Ashlynn felt like she had to put something special together for Talauia.
"You know, I think my friend Georg would love to cook for you," Ashlynn said as she carefully sliced prickly cucumbers into long ribbons before rolling them around a mixture of nuts and creamy cheese blended with tart berries. "Most people only care about how a thing tastes, but you care more about the texture of a dish. I think he'd find that very special."
