The elevator opened and I found myself in the private resting area. I was in a hallway lined with dorm rooms.

I made my way to the room Ena had set aside for me. It was a nice suite with its own living space, kitchenette, and a large bathroom with a walk-in shower and tub.

The bed was king-sized, the kind of thing I wouldn't ever find back in Greenhaven.

It was a bit too soft, cushy, and sterile for my taste, but I couldn't deny that it was comfortable. The walls were plain white, and the floors were a dark, rich cherrywood. The room had a modern, minimalistic design that made it feel cozy.

It had a small desk, a bookshelf, a couch, and a couple of folding chairs. It also had a balcony overlooking the campus. I could see the whole campus and even a bit of the village from here. It was an incredible view.

I wondered why the governing bodies had assigned me an apartment in Greenhaven if I was going to have dorm access. Then again, they couldn't have known I would've 'proved' myself so soon. I guessed this was more like an earned privilege rather than something that had been expected to be granted.

Well, it was what it was. It's not like it wasn't useful for a rainy day.

I tossed my backpack down and started pulling things out of it.

I had a ton of vegetables, some frozen ground beef that had been thawed out, the basket of eggs, and almond milk. I could probably find a bag of rice or two at the nearby village grocery stores. It wouldn't be too much, but it would work for a number of meals. If nothing else, I'd at least have lunch covered for the day.

"I should probably get started on this," I mumbled. I headed into the kitchenette area. There was a small stove, and some cooking utensils and cutlery. I paused for a second upon opening a cabinet, gawking at the mini-wok and rice cooker I found.

I'd almost forgotten the Terrans had a totally different cultural history from mine.

The wok would work for a simple dish. But I had to put my ingredients into the refrigerator and pick up some extra staples before I got started. I stuffed the groceries in the fridge, headed downstairs, and opened my phone. I wondered if I should ping a friend, or invite some of the robotics team members to share lunch.... brunch. Whatever this would be. But I wasn't sure how that would work out.

Maybe I could just make it and offer to share?

I shrugged. I'd figure it out.

"Rai-chan, could you send a text to Spencer, Natasha, Dior, Morada, Midori, and Talia, and check if any of them are around the campus? If they're here, maybe they'll want to come over and chat over some food. We can make it a little party. And if not, I'm sure someone will be around later."

"Sure," the holographic girl chirped, floating next to me. "I'll text them for you and tell them you're cooking up something. I can monitor the credentials checks and let them in once they arrive."

"Great. Let's get this over with," I mumbled as I checked for my keys and made my way down to the lobby again.

It wasn't long until my phone went off again. It was Dior, and her answers were short and to the point. I didn't really mind.

> You are doing well?

> <I'm good. Are you okay?>

> Dior is good.

> <Morada and Dior will be there.>

> Morada is busy, but she'll come.

> <Alright, that works. Just bring yourselves, I guess.>

> We will be there.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "That's it. She's not even going to say anything more than that, knowing her."

"Want me to forward details on our room to her and Morada?" Rai-chan chirped.

"Yeah, that'd be good. I'll let them know we're at the Robotics Lab."

"Done."

Well, that makes things easier.

At least I know I'm gonna have someone to eat with.

"Sweet. I should probably make sure there's enough to go around," I mumbled to myself, walking towards the strip near the train station.

I walked through the village towards a small, homey-looking store called "Bayside Grocers."

As I stepped inside, a friendly chime sounded. The shop had an open layout with wide aisles. The floors were a smooth, polished concrete, the shelves made of warm wood.

It was a world apart from my local supermarket at Greenhaven, which was always busy and crowded, with harsh fluorescent lighting and shelves crammed with food of questionable freshness

The fruits were fresh and the veggies looked bright and healthy. The selection wasn't huge, but everything here seemed to be locally sourced. I could smell the fresh baked goods wafting from the small bakery section.

Of course, I immediately made the mistake of looking at the price tags on everything. The store had prices that were double those at the Greenhaven grocer.

Cripes.

This place is way out of my budget.

After some deliberation, I grabbed some rice, some avocado oil, and a few extra spices and condiments, before heading towards the cashier. The woman behind the counter was a friendly-looking old woman. She narrowed her eyes briefly before she noticed my school uniform, then her expression softened.

I pretended not to notice the look she gave me and went to the counter, setting my basket of goods on it. The older woman started scanning my groceries and ringing up the price.

"That will be eight thousand, three hundred and sixteen credits," the cashier said.

My eyes bugged out. "Uh... that's a lot."

The older woman frowned slightly. "I'm sorry, honey. We don't usually offer any kind of discount here. That's the best I can do."

I shrugged. "It's all right, thank you." I reached into my pocket for my phone. I'd be fine. Barely, but still.

I left the store, my stomach grumbling.

Man, that place was expensive.

But it wasn't too bad, considering the quality of the food. It was just the price that hurt.

I made it back to the pavilion and took the elevator up. I quickly got out of my school uniform, electing for something more casual — a black t-shirt and shorts.

I had just put the new groceries away and pulled out my cutting board and knife to start chopping up the vegetables when my phone pinged with a notification.

"Looks like Natasha can't make it, but she says she can meet you this weekend at the community barbecue," Rai-chan said.

"That works," I said, and I began to chop the garlic and ginger I'd brought from my apartment.

I made quick work of the aromatics, slicing them into neat little chunks before firing it up in the small wok. I'd gotten a fairly large sack of rice for a rainy day, and that was more than enough for some guests.

As the fragrant smell of garlic filled the apartment, I set up a few plates on a small coffee table, and laid out a pair of chairs for everyone. There wasn't a lot of space, but I was hoping the extra two chairs would be enough.

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Just then, the doorbell rang, and I hurriedly washed off my hands and dried them with a towel. Rai-chan's avatar popped into view. "Midori's here!" she whispered cheerfully before quickly vanishing.

"Coming!" I said, as I made my way to the front door of the suite.

I opened the door to see Midori standing outside. She was dressed in an athletic t-shirt and black shorts.

"Yo," she greeted me with a grin. "Thanks for the invite. It smells really nice."

"Come on in," I said. I ushered her in, and she stepped into the kitchen, looking around at all the ingredients laid out.

"How'd you know where to find me? And how'd you get in here for that matter?" I asked curiously.

"Well.... first of all, I have a pass," Midori said, patting a wallet chained to a belt loop on her shorts.

I swear.

The more I interacted with her the more questions I had. Then again, I stopped questioning why Ena was able to randomly appear behind me or why Ranjika knew I had a bag full of food just now. Terrans were kinda weird and I just chalked it up to cultural shenanigans.

I sighed. "You could've responded to my text at least first! Sheesh."

Midori shrugged, and gave me an innocent look.

"Well," I said. "It's good to see you too. How have you been?"

She beamed, her eyes sparkling. "Pretty great! I brought you something," she said, reaching into a bag and pulling out a brown paper bag.

I opened the bag, and it was a small container of peaches. "Thanks! You shouldn't have..."

Midori waved me off. "I had a feeling you'd need some fresh produce. And, uh... what exactly are you making? It smells delicious."

"It's a straightforward stir fry. Nothing too fancy," I replied.

"Well, that's good. I don't really care what it is as long as it's good food. What's the occasion?"

I chuckled, shaking my head. "I had a lot of vegetables, meat, and eggs frozen in the fridge at my apartment that was going to spoil, so I figured it would be nice to cook something to share. But, um, the power went out in Greenhaven, and my apartment hasn't gotten it back, and it doesn't look like it'll be coming back for a while. It's why I had so much food to use, so I figured I'd make use of the private suites and share a bit with friends."

"Wait. Did you say Greenhaven?"

"Yup."

"Oof. Heard there was some serious collateral damage because of the Chaos Event."

"Tell me about it," I muttered. "But it's nothing I'm not used to back in Philly."

She shrugged, but her expression grew pained for a brief moment.

"Well, it's a good thing I decided to swing by, then."

I nodded in agreement, and turned back to my task at hand. I sprinkled some seasoning on, and the smell of cooking meat, aromatics, and veggies wafted up from my pan. My mouth started to water, and I could feel Midori's eyes boring intently on me as I moved the mini-wok back and forth.

I looked at her, raising a brow. She had a very focused look on her face.

"What?"

Midori giggled, breaking her stare. "Nothing."

"Nothing, my butt," I said, smirking. "I know you're hungry, so stop staring at me and let me cook. I'll get some bowls and some chopsticks."

It was still strange to me, seeing the ways cultures and histories subtly diverged on Earth and Terra. The little differences between them, such as how some non-European foods were more popular or common than others.

Or the way that the people dressed, or how the language was used. And, of course, the weird little quirks like... a northeastern American city having chopsticks and woks in widespread, common usage.

I'd been so used to the American-Chinese food of my youth, but now that I was living on another world, it was weird to think of a version of the United States that had Asian influences that were even stronger. And a version of the United States with an Iroquois 'mestizo' majority at that.

Midori sat down at the counter while I got everything ready. When the rice was done cooking, I scooped some of the steaming hot stir-fry onto a plate and handed it to her, along with a bowl of rice.

"Oh, that looks delicious. Thank you," Midori said, her eyes twinkling as she took a bite.

She let out a happy sigh.

"You know, my little brother used to cook like this for us sometimes," Midori mused, looking at the food. Her voice grew distant, as if she were remembering some far-off place or time.

I smiled sadly at that. "Used to?"

"He... uh... passed away. It's been a while."

"I'm sorry," I murmured, feeling a pang in my heart. I'd never lost a sibling. The idea of Izumi dying or getting seriously hurt was one that kept me up late at night. I couldn't imagine losing her this young.

And Midori had lost more than one brotherly figure in her life, it seems.

"It's okay. I miss him every day, but... I've accepted that he's gone now." She looked at me with a sad smile. "But I still remember his cooking. This is a lot like what he would make. I like it."

I smiled at her. "Thanks." I paused for a moment. "How was your morning though? You didn't respond to the text."

Midori grinned sheepishly. "I didn't even check my phone. I was sparring with a friend early on the mats and I just kinda rushed over right after. Talia would've probably liked to come too, but she's taking our day off to get some groceries in."

I snorted. "I noticed. I was surprised to see you show up like that. I figured you were busy or something, and I thought it would've been rude to not at least invite you to lunch."

"Inviting me to lunch is always a great idea." She took a big bite, then closed her eyes and let out another contented sigh.

I was glad to have a chance to catch up with Midori. We hadn't spoken since she'd invited me to her exhibition with Ranjika.

"But seriously, how'd you know I was up here in this suite? You just... kinda walked in here and you already knew it was mine. That's a little weird, you know?"

"Oh. Yeah. Sorry. That was creepy. I just, um..." She scratched her head, sheepishly. "I kinda using scrying magic to figure out where you were, I just figured I'd show up to say hi, and I knew the door would be unlocked."

"You can use scrying magic?"

She shrugged. "Yeah, to an extent. Talia taught me a few things over the years. She's from a really old Zoroastrian magical dynasty. She's an absolute nerd for this stuff, and she knows all sorts of old spells from her mom. My family, well, they have their own secrets too, so we were able to share a lot with each other."

"That sounds awesome," I admitted.

She gave me a grin and took a sip from her cup. "I mean, you could always learn, if you're interested."

"With my puny mana reserves?"

Midori nodded. "You're probably never going to be able to forecast months into the future or create solid clones of yourself or something, but even just learning to control your own energy flows can have a big impact. Heck, us Terran martial artists usually manipulate our mana reserves in the form of ki or prana, or chi. Whatever you want to call it. I know some people in your world have managed that step at least. Peeking into higher planes, lowering their body temperatures at will and whatnot, but usually not before they're too old to really offset the physical decline."

I gave her a skeptical look. As it was, Rai-chan was plenty useful enough and she was a considerable drain.

"Even if I don't end up getting more magical juice?" I asked, making a gesture with my fingers to demonstrate.

Midori shrugged. "Sure. I've learned some neat little tricks over the years that don't take much at all, but the real usefulness is in learning how to sense, manipulate, and use what you've got."

I paused to think about it for a second. In a sense, I felt like I might've already fumbled into some of the basics. The little spark of emotional energy I'd used to break free from the slavers' spell back on Earth was evidence of that, and it was almost identical to the trick Rai-chan walked me through to pull Celestial Sonata out of the creepy red lightning that'd taken her out for a bit.

"I'll think about it. If nothing else it could help with what I've got right now, I suppose."

I worked on cracking and whisking some eggs after emptying the rice cooker into a large bowl. Then, I washed another three cups of rice, filling the rice cooker and getting it ready for another cycle. Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door.

"Heyyy. We're here! You can open up! And open up!" a familiar voice called.

"Come on in," I yelled. "The door should be unlocked."

"Yo, yo!" Morada girl said, stepping into the room. "Sorry. It took us a bit to get here."

I stared at her for a moment. The girl's appearance was a little different from the norm, to say the least.

The day we'd met, she was in the school uniform, but today she looked like a different person entirely. She wore a long-sleeved black and purple dress and thigh high stockings with little violet ribbons. The top of the dress had frilly straps and a black corset that accentuated the size of her bust, and the skirt portion of the outfit was very frilly, with black and purple layers and violet laces. Her hair was still platinum blonde, but it was dyed with violet tips now, and she had a little blue rose in her hair.

Morada grinned. "I stopped along the way for some taro ice cream cake! It's my treat, and it'll be a great way to celebrate!"

She paused when she saw Midori and looked between us questioningly for a second. "Oh hey, good to see you here Midori!"

"Nice to see you too," Midori said cheerfully.

Morada turned to me, giving a half-shrug.

"Well, this works. We can celebrate together!" Morada's face lit up as she twirled around, practically bouncing in her lacy boots. "It's been a long day. But we have a good excuse. I mean, we're all still in one piece, so there's that."

She froze in place mid-motion, before quickly stepping outside the door to yank a shorter girl hiding behind the doorframe in. I had no doubt who she was dragging in by the elbow.

Dior looked like a wreck, her eyes bleary and unfocused, her body slightly limp and uncoordinated. She glowered at me with her sharp green eyes and gave a halfhearted bow, her hair slightly tousled and her uniform jacket slightly askew. She looked completely worn out.

"Dior apologize, this one did not intend to appear like this. She does not... feel her best at the moment," Dior muttered.

"Oh dear," I said. "What happened?"

"We, uh, we took the train to get here, and..." Morada started, only for Dior to glare at her. "...and then, well, it turns out that Dior doesn't do so well with... trains! She got really, uh... nauseous, and ended up throwing up just a little."

Dior groaned and glared at Morada.

She straightened herself and fixed her jacket, before brushing a few strands of her blonde hair away from her eyes.

"Forget it. Dior is fine. Morada likes spinning too much."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

The small girl looked away and let out a sigh. I looked between the two skeptically, raising an eyebrow, before chuckling and returning my attention back to the stove. I wasn't going to question it.

Midori laughed. "Ahaha, I think you need to eat something! Maybe something with a bit of grease and a bit of starch."

Dior perked up, sniffing the air. She turned and gave me a wide-eyed stare, and I couldn't help but chuckle. It reminded me of the day we met, when she acted all suspicious and tough before I shared some of my sandwiches. It was adorable.

She scooted over, peeking over the counter.

"Is there enough for Dior?" She asked hopefully, giving me a pleading look.

I chuckled. "Why wouldn't I? That's why I called you here, you silly goose."

I dished her out some rice, stir-fried meat and veggies, placing the bowl and a spoon on the table in front of her. Her eyes went wide, and she quickly dug in, scarfing the food down.

She let out a satisfied sigh.

Dior's eyes were half closed in bliss, her cheeks bulging. Seeing her with her guard down slightly was a sight for sore eyes, and it was clear she was enjoying every bite of her meal. The fact that I'd made something she enjoyed made me satisfied, too.

I smiled, feeling content with myself.

This wasn't too bad of a day to start with.

Sure, Greenhaven was a mess, and there was some serious damage around the outskirts of the city from the attack, but it felt like things were coming together.

And maybe things would turn out okay.

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