Closed [Rearing Stallion] Beginning with Baking (Alexander Ross)

[Orin Fenix]

10th Bell, 27th of Spring 515 AV

Orin hummed as he gathered together his ingredients. This was probably one of Orin’s favorite times of day at The Rearing Stallion. The lunch crowd hadn’t shown up yet and neither had Rondo. Orin had just come in from a morning workout at the Fighter’s Pits. He was feeling rather euphoric actually, a combination of the exercise, the wonderful Spring weather and the fact that Orin was getting to do what he loved. The kitchen smelled delightful, as fresh food had started trickling in. All in all, Orin couldn’t imagine a more perfect morning.

One of Orin’s tasks for the day was to bake fresh bread. While theoretically The Rearing Stallion could have commissioned a local baker to supply them with daily loaves, since the tavern had a well-stocked kitchen and two amazingly skilled chefs and Orin, they’d unanimously decided that they would rather do it themselves. The first few times Orin had baked without supervision his crusts had been slightly burned or his bread had not risen properly. Now, though Orin was confident in his abilities and he almost never ran into difficulties. Still, Orin knew that if he slacked off or failed to pay attention, chances were good that something would go wrong.

So as Orin laid out his mixing bowls and baking pans, he carefully ran through his steps. It never hurt to be too prepared. Orin laid out the whole-wheat flour, the salt and sugar, and olive oil. That done, Orin went around to all the fires. They were still banked from the night before, so Orin went to the woodpile by the back door and took some logs and kindling. He went to the two hearths and poked the coals back to life, then set up the fires. When the logs caught, Orin did the same with the oven and the stove. Finally, Orin straightened up. He thought he had everything in place.

Then, of course Orin realized he’d forgot the most important part of this entire procedure. Shaking his head over the fact that he was still making mistakes, Orin went to the pantry. He retrieved the yeast with a smile. At least he’d caught it before he’d actually started cooking anything. It would have been an absolute disaster if Orin had forgotten the yeast. While the bread would have been edible, it would have been flat. Which wouldn’t have done at all and would have ended with Orin getting yelled at, and for good reason.

Orin placed the yeast container with the rest of his items then snagged a kettle from the overhead racks. Filling it with water, Orin hung it from a hook over the nearest hearth. Orin leaned against the wall, soaking in the heat. After this winter Orin had felt as if he’d never be warm again. As the temperature rose later in the day the kitchen would get stiflingly hot but right now it was simply pleasant. Later on though, the back door would definitely get propped open in the hope that the kitchen would catch a breeze. It was a constant struggle to maintain a good working atmosphere in here and tempers got hot when the heat rose in the kitchen as well. Orin made it his unspoken duty to try and keep the peace here, since usually he was the one who caused the issue in the first place. The kettle starting steaming, the high-pitched sound piercing through Orin’s reverie, and Orin took it off and started pouring it into a bowl. However, he paused when a door opening and closing indicated someone coming into the kitchen.

[Alexander Ross]

Alexander Ross Alex wandered through the busy streets of Syliras, taking the familiar rout to the Rearing Stallion. He yawned gently, rolling his shoulders in an attempt to sooth the stiff muscles. As always, the night before had been a bit rough on the boy, depriving him of most of his sleep. His eyelids felt a bit heavy, and his eyes were no doubt bloodshot. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice, and he didn't want to deal with being chastised for not getting enough rest. A cool breeze washed over his clean-shaven face, and he gave in to the urge to rub his chin. Without his usual facial hair, he felt quite naked and uncomfortable. He could never really decide if he looked better with facial hair, or clean shaven. One thing was obvious, though. Whenever he shaved, the end result always left him looking younger than he actually was. In the end, he decided that it didn't matter. It's not like he was trying to impress anyone with his so-called "good looks". So far, the morning had been fairly uneventful, and he was left with quite a bit of free time on his hands. Taking advantage of this spare time, he decided to stroll to the Rearing Stallion and pay a friendly visit to Orin. He had not seen or spoken to the cook since Sayana's New Years party, and he was wondering how he was holding up. He recalled the events of the party, and how poor Orin had been attacked by one of the guests. All in all, he still felt bad for what happened. He walked through the doors of the Rearing Stallion and strolled toward the back where the kitchen was, responding to anyone who acknowledged him with a simple nod. He planned on asking Kevith for permission, but the old man was nowhere to be found. Possibly a little busy getting the tavern ready to open for the day. With a shrug, the boy opened the door and entered the kitchen, where he was instantly met with the pleasant scent of food. He found Orin working to prepare a few ingredients together for what looked like baking bread. "Good morning, Orin. How are things holding up?" He asked, hoping that he wasn't interrupting or being too forward. "Um... would you mind if I stay and spectate for a bit, and help if you need it? I know I kind of ignored your request for help at Sayana's party, so I wanna make it up you you."

[Orin Fenix]

Orin’s eyes fell on a young looking man who looked incredibly familiar. The man had shaggy brown hair and the green-blue eyes partially covered by a pair of spectacles that graced a young looking and clean-shaven face. Orin knew that they had met before but for the life of him he could not place the other gentlemen. That is, until he spoke and Orin’s mind made the connection. The two of them had been introduced at Sayana’s party. His name started with an A. Adam, or Andrew or something close to that. Orin’s narrowed his eyes as he tried to force his faulty memory to dredge up the specific nights of the past. Finally, the man’s name sprang to mind. ”Oh, hello Alex! What a pleasant surprise, I mean I don’t get a lot of visitors back here mostly people stick to the common room or if they’re back here they’re looking for Remi or Rondo or Kevith or well, anyone but me basically.” Orin waved Alex into the kitchen proper, thinking it would be rude not to at least offer and invitation.

Remi poked her head in from the common room. ”Everything all right in here?” Orin gave her a cheerful nod and a smile and she grinned right back at him. It felt good to know that she trusted Orin enough to let him handle himself in the kitchen, even just for a little bit. When he had first arrived in Syliras, Orin had definitely needed to be watched but he personally felt that he had come a long way from where he had started. But right now wasn’t the time or the place for soul-searching. Orin had a task and now he had a helper. Orin let his mind adjust to the new situation.

”You do not at all have to make anything up to me especially because Sayana’s party was so, well, eventful for everyone I think that’s the right word for it. But I can’t say that I’ll turn down the help. I warn you though, you will be working in this kitchen and not just a spectator I hope you’re up for it. That being said, how much experience do you have with cooking or baking or anything?” Orin realized he was still holding onto a kettle of hot water when his arms started aching from the weight. It was cast-iron and when filled surprisingly heavy, so Orin finished pouring out a generous amount into a bowl then went to hang the kettle back where it had come from.

Coming to stand back near his ingredients, Orin ventured a cautious smile at Alex. ”Tell you what, why don’t I talk you through making a loaf, how’s that sound? First order of business is to put a lot of flour, two scoops of the yeast and the sugar and just a pinch of salt into this bowl here.” Orin patted an empty bowl next to the one where he had placed the water. He also held up the spoons Alex should use on the yeast and the sugar when he spoke about those respective items. Orin was a bit worried about letting Alex start baking right off without further instructions but Orin knew you could only explain a recipe so many times and that eventually someone would have to just try it and either succeed or fail. Also, the chances that someone might forget or misremember a step or an amount or an ingredient were far greater if Orin didn’t take them through step by cautious step.

[Alexander Ross]

Alexander Ross ”Oh, hello Alex! What a pleasant surprise, I mean I don’t get a lot of visitors back here mostly people stick to the common room or if they’re back here they’re looking for Remi or Rondo or Kevith or well, anyone but me basically.” Alex grinned upon Orin's cheery welcoming and stepped into the kitchen, taking a look around. Of course, this was not exactly the first time he had been in a kitchen, but he had never cooked anything in his life. Meals were always prepared for him, rather than the other way around. The only exception was when his mother was too drunk to cook, and he had to raid the cabinets for what little snacks they had left. "No, sorry. I don't." He answered when Orin had asked him if he had any prior experience with cooking. ”Tell you what, why don’t I talk you through making a loaf, how’s that sound? First order of business is to put a lot of flour, two scoops of the yeast and the sugar and just a pinch of salt into this bowl here.” Alex listened and nodded, trying to memorize the four ingredients and how much of each was needed. Of course, he forgot half of them almost as soon as Orin was finished speaking, and he privately scolded himself. Once again, he let his mind wander. He hoped that the same thing wouldn't happen while they were baking. He was pretty sure that Orin would not be happy having to serve burnt yeast bread. "Um... don't get annoyed or anything, but could you run those last two ingredients by me again? Sorry, I have a bit of trouble paying attention sometimes. So, if I say that I've got everything, don't believe it. I'll always forget one or two things." He said with a nervous chuckle and a shrug. His eyes searched the kitchen for the sack of flour. He didn't have to search for long, considering that Orin already had it out.... and it was hard to miss the word "FLOUR" written on the side in large lettering.

[Orin Fenix]

Orin had to laugh at the rather crestfallen expression on Alexander's face. Especially if the other man had never cooked before getting thrown a list of ingredients and being told to remember them and immediately get to work wasn't the easiest task in the world. Orin remembered he'd practically needed to have certain recipes beaten into him before he had them memorized. So Orin would just slow this all down for Alexander. It wasn't that big a deal and Orin thought it would make the man significantly more comfortable. And it would do Orin good to get back to the basics. It might be even be cathartic. "Tell you what, we'll do it together. You just copy me. Kind of as if you were doing a drill on the training grounds and your patron was taking you through it step by step." Orin pulled out a second bowl and a second set of spoons.

Gesturing Alexander to come stand beside him, Orin smiled invitingly. He wasn't above a bit of vanity when it came to his skills but Orin wouldn't let that interfere with his teaching. Besides Orin definitely wasn't one to brag. Still sharing the joys of baking with another was definitely an enjoyable event for Orin. So if Alexander ended up seeing Orin in his element and being duly impressed Orin wouldn't mind it in the slightest.

Now though, Orin would get to work. "Alright, first, the flour. We're using wheat today but the basic recipe shouldn't change really if you use something else. You'll just end up with a different taste and texture. But don't worry about that right now. Just focus on filling the bowl up to here with flour." Orin began sifting flour slowly into a bowl, tipping the flour sack just slightly. Eventually the bowl was half full. Leveling off the flour quickly, Orin turned to Alexander. "There. Easy as that. Now you try. Once we're done with the flour we'll move onto the yeast and then the sugar and then the salt. One at a time though. Sound good?" Orin handed over the sack with the flour. He didn't think that Alexander could mess up such a simple step. Still Orin kept his hands hovering closely to the sack, ready to catch it if something did happen to go wrong. Orin tried to keep them as unobtrusive as possible. He placed them, fingers laced together, on the counter under the sack. He didn't want Alexander to catch what Orin was doing in terms of preparing for the worst. Somehow, Orin remembered Alexander being another lost soul like Orin. So Orin would do his best to build up the man's self-confidence, if that was indeed what he needed. If not, a little boost to the spirits never hurt anybody.

Orin debates whether he should engage Alexander in conversation or wait until the bread was safely in the oven. Still, if Orin kept a close watch on Alexander then he could hopefully catch any mistakes. Besides, in Orin's mind pouring flour into a bowl was one of the easiest jobs in the world. One would have to be a special kind of idiot to mess it up. Besides, Orin had an insatiable need to fill silence with words. It rarely endeared him to people but Orin had relatively little control over it. So the best Orin could hope for was that somehow he turned it into a charming asset, strange as that might be. Regardless of whether or not it worked, Orin was going to speak and nothing short of divine intervention would stop him.

But at least Orin could start with the basics now instead of launching straight into the first question that popped into his head. "So, Alexander if I remember correctly you're a squire right? I can't actually remember if you specifically told me or if someone else mentioned it or I might even just be assuming it so please correct me if I'm wrong. I often am. Sayana's party was just so crazy that it's difficult for me to keep track of it all, you know? Anyhow, if you are a squire, well, why? I mean was it a personal choice or a family thing or what? And who's your patron, I mean I doubt I know him or he but stranger things have happened I suppose. You from around here or abroad? And I think I've battered you with enough questions now haven't i? You don't have to answer I'm just curious." Orin spread his hands in what he hoped was a placating gesture before returning them to the counter. If Alexander wasn't up to Orin's babbling then he didn't have to stay. Although brought up a good point. "What made you seek me out in the first place? I'm hardly the most fascinating company in the city I'd be the first to admit.

[Alexander Ross]

Alexander Ross Alex was relieved that Orin was willing to go through the baking process step-by-step with him. Gods above knew that if he were left to do it himself, then the kitchen would end up a large mess one way or another, which probably would not go over easy with Orin... along with Remi, Rondo, or Kevith. So far, Alex liked Orin, and he didn't want to ruin that by petching up his kitchen. He watched carefully as Orin demonstrated how much flour needed to go into the bowl. Once he had filled his bowl up half way, he handed the sack off to Alex. Positioning the flour sack over the edge of the bowl, he carefully began to pour the white powder, watching intently as he did so. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Orin hovering over him, ready to catch it if something went wrong. Alex couldn't help but smile at how careful Orin was being. Of course, he couldn't exactly blame him. Alex chuckled when Orin suddenly broke the silence by tossing him all kinds of questions. He was a bit surprised, considering that he never thought himself all that interesting. While he continued pouring four into the bowl, he spoke a bit slowly and carefully. He found it a bit difficult to work and talk at the same time. "Yep... you assumed right... I guess what really gave it away was me freaking out at Aren... when I saw him about to use magic while he was talking to Treachery. You remember... me nearly having a heart attack while threatening a blue giant." He paused to blow a bit of hair that had drifted too far down his face. "Anywho... to answer your other questions... I was pretty much born in Syliras, and lived here my whole life. Pretty normal childhood... an alcoholic mother who whores the streets for men who would beat the shyke out of me because they had a bad day, and a biological father who left when I turned two... But enough of that! After living with my stepfather for quite some time, I personally decided to join the Order. After a bit of time as a squire, I found out that my stepfather had gone missing in one of his treks to Wind Reach. I guess... I'm only in the Order now because I need... the proper skills and experience, because I want to go to Wind Reach and search for him..." He looked at the sack of flour and realized that he had poured just a little more than enough needed, and he set the sack down. "As for why I came here, my patron Ser Ranqor Grayne has been pesturing me for quite some time about meeting new people, instead of being so antisocial." He chuckled a bit. "'Go out and make some friends, you lonely bastard!' He'd say. But, I guess the main reason I showed up is because I felt kinda bad for you after you bumped your head at the party. Speaking of which, how is your head?"

[Orin Fenix]

Orin had to snort when Aren came up in conversation. ”Trust me when I say that you do not want to get me started on that Akalak. The man is a public menace. But, aside from being a proud, overbearing, full of himself, thinks with his muscles and not his brain or his heart, he’s not a bad person once you get to know him. Mostly. Overall. There have to be at least some positives there. And he does have my respect.” That last part was definitely true. Ever since that night Orin’s annoyance with the mercenary had faded. It was still there but Orin liked to think they had reached a mutual understanding that night. That didn’t mean Orin had to like Aren but it did mean that Orin would consider his opinions about the warrior much more carefully. And maybe the man wasn’t entirely wrong about Orin’s complete and utter lack of combat skills. Still, Orin hoped that would be changing now. At least Orin could trust himself not to panic when the world came crashing down. And that was worth any amount of irritation Orin might have to put up with in Orin’s mind. After all, what Aren had proven to Orin could never really be repaid. So Orin should really start cutting Aren some slack and learn some tolerance when it came to the man. Or at least Orin could keep his mouth shut on the subject. Even if it was rather fun to complain good-naturedly about the Akalak.

Orin was shocked at Alexander’s blase attitude and openness about his history. Orin also had a troubled past and would never even consider bringing up parts up it with a complete stranger let alone share all of it in one go. Orin’s jaw dropped and his eyes got incredibly wide. He needed a moment to process this revelation and he automatically shifted into teacher mode to help him recover. ”So yes, now that you’re done with the flour, put the sack down on the table and we’ll work with the sugar. You put the bag over the bowl so if some spills it goes into the dough and it’s no big deal. And then you just scoop two spoonfuls out and it’s really as easy as all that.” After he’d finished with his own bowl, Orin passed over the spoon and held the bag of sugar over the bowl. He was so rattled that he forgot to let Alexander do this on his own. Also, some subconscious part of Orin reminded him tartly that sugar was expensive and Orin should really be careful about who he handed it out to.

As he waited for Alexander to finish off the sugar, Orin finally managed to scramble his thoughts into something that bore a passing resemblance to order. ”I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories or anything like that. And I appreciate that you felt comfortable enough with me to share all of that and I’m glad you’ve found a bit of joy through the Knighthood and the Order, at least, that’s what it sounds like to me, correct me if I’m wrong.” Orin’s free hand came out to clasp Alexander’s arm. He felt that hopefully that simple touch could help convey Orin’s sympathy since Orin’s words were hardly his strong suit. However, Orin’s grip faltered and he hesitated as the rest of Alexander’s words penetrated Orin’s admittedly thick skull. ”I’m sorry to hear that your stepfather is missing. What was he doing in Wind’s Reach? And where or what exactly is Wind’s Reach? I don’t actually think I’ve ever heard of it.”

At the mention that Alexander might be leaving the Order, Orin felt himself deeply surprised again. He glanced around to ensure that the two of them were still alone in the kitchen. It wouldn’t do for Ser Kevith to walk in and hear this exchange. Orin also lowered his voice on the extremely unlikely but admittedly still possible chance that someone might be listening in. ”Are you, well, are you even allowed to leave the Order? I thought it was a lifelong commitment and they never let anyone leave but I will say I’m not an expert on the Knights. But, are you sure you should be telling me or anyone this? It seems like they would frown on someone using them for personal gain like that. Correct me if I’m wrong here.” This whole situation is crazy. Orin didn’t want to report Alexander or anything like that. Still, it was probably Orin’s duty as a law abiding citizen of Syliras to tell someone of this. But Orin would keep Alexander’s secret unless someone personally started questioning Orin. That seemed highly unlikely. And while Orin wouldn’t lie he could and would say that he’d assumed Alexander was joking about it. After all, the whole idea was kind of laughable when Orin tried to wrap his head around it.

Orin couldn’t help but smile at Alexander’s reason for being here. It did indeed seem as if Orin had found another person who was far from adroit in social situations. Maybe the two of them could learn something from one another about the proper way to behave. Spening some time together probably couldn’t hurt either of them. ”Well I must say I’m flattered you decided to make me the one you sought out. And the head is doing fine, the healers at Soothing Waters fixed it right up, thanks for asking.”

[Alexander Ross]

Alexander Ross "Yeah, Aren is a fairly respectable person overall. I'd say that Sayana made a good choice with him." Alex said with a grin. "I kinda have myself honor-bound to them both, since I felt bad that the party didn't go quite as planned. I mean, no one would really expect an assassin at a party... Well, unless they're extremely paranoid." He added with a shrug. Alex hesitated a bit when Orin hastily handed him the sugar and instructed him on how much to add. It made him wonder for a moment: Had he said something that had disturbed the cook? He did have a habit of rambling on some things, but he couldn't exactly figure out what it was that made the cook want to change the subject so quickly. While he began adding in the sugar, he felt a reassuring touch on his arm. ”I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories or anything like that. And I appreciate that you felt comfortable enough with me to share all of that and I’m glad you’ve found a bit of joy through the Knighthood and the Order, at least, that’s what it sounds like to me, correct me if I’m wrong.” Ah, so that's what it was. "Oh! Don't worry about it, it's not your fault. I do tend to ramble at times, so I apologize if I made you uncomfortable with that. I wouldn't say that I'm comfortable with talking about it, but I don't see the point in keeping it weighing so heavily on my chest. It bothers me, yes. In fact, I lose a lot of sleep over it. But... I'm not going to let my past life affect how I live in the present or the future. But... I did find some happiness in joining the Order. Not too much, " He flinched a bit as some of the sugar spilled, but thankfully landed in the bowl, just as Orin said. "My stepfather had a thing for exploring, and Wind Reach was one of his destinations. It's some kind of mountain city on the other side of Mizahar. He never really told me why he was going there, though." He finished adding in the sugar and gently set the bag aside. And regarding the whole 'quitting the Knightood' thing, I honestly don't know. Squires have a lot more freedom than actual knights do, so I might still be able to travel while still a squire. I might not even have to quit. Don't worry, I'm sure it's fine."

[Orin Fenix]

Orin smiled. Whatever he might think of Aren personally, Orin really liked Sayana. As a friend, nothing more nothing less, but still, Orin wished for her to be happy. And Aren made her happy. For that and nothing else Orin would like the big man. After all, obviously Sayana saw something in him that was good and true and loving and Orin could hold his peace as long as that continued to be the truth. "I'm definitely with you there. I think Aren and Sayana are good for each other. Not that my opinion really matters of course, in this case, but still there it is. Of course if he hurts her he's going to get the sharp side of my tongue." Orin wouldn't actually be able to attack the warrior. For one, it was against basically every law that Syliras embraced. For another, Orin would lose horribly. While that didn't bother him that much, Orin knew that Aren had been holding back when he fought Orin and Orin didn't want to find out what the full extent of Aren's physical and magical abilities were. Unless it happened to be when the Akalak was on Orin's side of course.

Orin grimaced at the mention of the assassin. His head went through a phantom pain in remembrance. While the healers had done their best to heal all of the damage and they'd mostly succeeded, Orin still fancied he could feel a headache that came directly from his concussion. "I think from what I can tell they've mostly recovered from that whole event. So I think you're off the hook. But it's good for you to worry about them, I guess. I just think we'd all do our best to forget all the unpleasantness that happened there." Orin was carefully refraining from actually thinking about or asking after the assassin. Orin had nearly died that night. Ever since, he'd been terrified to ask the Order if they'd found the killer, because if the answer was no, Orin didn't know how he'd react. Actually, that's not true. Orin wasn't the scared weakling he had been even at the beginning of Spring. He was still scared and still weak but there was an inner core of strength that Orin could call upon at need. And Orin had also been working on his martial skills. While he couldn't hold off someone with real training, Orin could and would take an unprepared opponent by surprise. At least that's what Orin hoped.

Still, Orin hoped it never came to that and it appeared that Alexander was ready for the next step. The man had indeed managed to spill some of the sugar so Orin was understandably worried about letting Alexander spoon in the yeast. Though Orin wasn't happy, it appeared that he'd have to get a little strict with the squire. Orin just hoped there weren't any rules against bossing around a member of the Order, squire or not. Maybe starting off with a compliment would be best. "Alright good job with the sugar, Orin said brightly, as he took it away and set it where neither Alexander nor Orin could knock over the bag. Next he retrieved a clean spoon and took the one they'd used on the sugar and set it down on the table. Having put off the inevitable for as long as he could, Orin crossed his arms across his chest and gave Alexander what Orin hoped was a stern face, although on Orin chances were it just looked plain silly. "Now, pay close attention to this next step. While the proportions on everything else can be a bit imprecise, we need to add just the right amount of yeast, two spoonfuls no more, no less. Got it?" With that, Orin scooped up some yeast. He deliberately put too much on the spoon so he could show Alexander what to do it that happened to the squire. Orin carefully scraped the index finger of his free hand across the spoon to level off the excess. When that was done Orin slowly took the spoon to his bowl, hand cupped underneath to catch any yeast that might fall. He dumped the spoonful before returning it to the yeast. This time, Orin made sure to get too little. He held it up for Alexander and shook his head, before taking more up with the spoon and leveling it off, finally adding it to the dough. Orin felt as if he was moving at a snail's pace but if that's what it took to get Alexander to focus then that is exactly what Orin would do. He handed the spoon over to the squire. "Your turn."

Orin waited for a sufficiently long time before resuming the conversation. Two, maybe three chimes should be more than enough for Alexander to deal with the yeast. Picking where they left off, Orin responded to the latest series of comments. ”No no, I’m not uncomfortable I just thought I would express what little sympathy I could offer, you know? It’s not good to have a bad childhood. I mean that sounds stupid when I say it out loud but it’s very true as well. And I think you’ve got exactly the right attitude about it, not looking back and moving forward and all.” Orin chose not to reply to Alexander’s ongoing feelings about the Order. While Orin wouldn’t necessarily say the Knights were perfect in any way, shape, or form, they were the absolute law in Syliras and questioning or badmouthing them was going to end up with Orin working in the mines, held up in The Tank, or most likely, simply dead in a ditch somewhere. So Orin would stay away from that whole situation if he had any choice in the manner. ”Well. I hope your stepfather is alive and well and you have a happy reunion.” Orin seriously doubted it, but anything was possible. And it wouldn’t do Alexander any good to dwell on the numerous possible fates that could have befallen the person who appeared to be his surrogate father. And, when the conversation once again came back to the Syliran Order Orin simply shrugged noncommittally. ”Honestly I don’t have any idea how the Knights work and everything. You’re probably right.”

[Alexander Ross]

Alexander Ross Listening intently to Orin's instructions on adding in the yeast, Alex nodded, making sure that he had paid attention before resuming the conversation. "Well, I would exactly say that your opinion didn't matter..." Alex said, taking the spoon and scooping some of the yeast out of the large bowl. "I mean, you care about Sayana, no doubt. So I'm sure that if you had something to say about the situation, then she would listen... not that there should be anything to say. They're a bit of an odd match, considering their races, but they are without a doubt a beautiful couple. And the fact that they're having a baby makes it even more so. I'm happy for both of them." Alex's memory traced back to when he threatened to arrest Aren, and how guilty he felt afterwards once he found out that the Akalak was going to be a father. And I almost tore them apart... He thought with a melancholic shake of his head. "And if he does hurt her, well then... I don't exactly want to be around to hear what you have to say. You've said quite a bit when you nearly went insane trying to keep the party going, and I don't think I want to know what you'll say if something like that does happen between the two." When the subject came back to his history, Alex cringed at the word "sympathy". He didn't like it at all. It always made it seem like people had to feel sorry for him, which was not what the boy wanted. In all honesty, he would have preferred "support" more, but he refused to say anything, out of fear of looking rude. "Well, thank you for that. Not too many people would actually take the time to listen. I wouldn't exactly just outright say it to someone unless they asked. But if it's all right with you, I could tell you a few more things." He said, using his index finger to scrape off any excess yeast, before dumping the spoonful into the bowl. "To be completely honest, I don't really think my stepfather is even alive. He was a brilliant man in my eyes, but Mizahar is a dangerous world. Not too many can survive for very long without being killed or seriously maimed."