149 Bad Digestion

Oh my. This is surprisingly delicious?

"Isn't it!?"

It is a rare occasion that my Grampa is in anything resembling a kitchen or cooking situation. Apparently, because he is not allowed to be in them.

That's a more solid explanation than my previous assumptions of "just because".

This is the very first time my grampa has 'cooked' for me. At least as far as I can remember? Bringing back snacks or souvenirs was fine. But not cook.

I don't see what's the problem? This is quite scrumptious and strongly flavorful!

"Baby kitty bear. " Amar cowers against the wall, hiding behind Lukas.

"You're too strong on this part, Rosa....but just wait!" Lukas swallows down air, as if steeling himself for battle.

What is all the big fuss about?

"Do you want to crack...MORE PROTEIN in it??" Grampa asks me excitedly. Almost as if he were a real grandfather who doted on his offspring's much cuter younging.

He still doesn't look very much like a grandfather but hey, people gave birth and died a lot sooner in the old days. Just like this world. It's good enough he's not too old, feeble or wearing a diaper.

Instead, Grampa is as energetic as ever. Waving more protein in my face in the form of some robin blue eggs. Where he got those I no longer question. After all, who was the one who gave me the magic OP purse in the first place?

"If you're going to crack it in raw, can I just have the yolk? Drinking raw eggs from unidentified sources is not for me. " I politely request, since Grampa did provide me with such a delicious meal so far.

"Too strong?!" Lukas takes a half step back.

"Don't do it Lukas, you can't beat her. She's the hungry bear cub to Cap's bear. Don't." Amar pleads with him.

"I won't lose that easily!" Lukas fights him off to charge.

"Don't even think about stealing my food, get your own." I lift up my little wooden plate.

Imploringly, I reach up for Grampa. In a way demanding, pleading for more.

With one hand, a little egg cracks perfectly. The whites drip and spill but it's not so much. More importantly that golden orange deliciousness plops right into the dish. Elevating it in appearances as it does taste in richness.

Seal steak tartare!!!!

Delicious! So grandiosely delicious!

I've never had such a rich and oily taste. Slightly fishy, very gamey. It just can't be compared! With a raw egg yolk, the flavors meld and flow all the better. Amazing! Camping and suffering in this ice cold nothingness is suddenly all worth it!

"Soooo goooof~~" I spoon in the raw mix of flesh. Occasionally scooping and crunching it with a bit of thin toast.

Such a fine delicacy! What a waste it took me over two lifetimes to have such an exquisite steak tartare. Why is that?

As a gourmet in any lifetime, how come I've never tasted this before!?

"Graaaampa, you fiend. How come you never brought me this?" I sob, getting close to cleaning the plate.

"Seals are too blubbery! It goes bad easily when too much oil melts into the meat. Depends. We can smoke and sausage them, but that reduces meat content. I should try making bacon next." Grampa ruminates.

"That sounds like a lots better idea! Make it bacon. " Lukas cries, halfway down in swallowing down his portion.

What a waste. Such a rare localized delicacy. Chowed down by a crying child eating it like it was a terrible dare.

"....Too cool Lukas." Amar hands him a very heavy plate of toast and pickled cabbage.

"Anything my sidekicks can do, I can too." Lukas somehow shoves three of those toasts down into his mouth. Alleviating the pain.

"You're going to make yourself sick, you fool. Stop forcing yourself. Trying it a few times is enough." I want to smack him with my spoon, but it's very busy enjoying the way to my mouth.

Just a few times. Two are a few. That's exactly how much Amar nibbles before pushing away the seal tartare toast. His kiddy taste buds are too weak and unrefined to enjoy.

"I can have baked apples again with that right?" Amar grimaces as he chews it down.

"You're so picky. But it can't be helped with you but good job. Trying without fighting too much. You're learning!" I praise Amar's slowly growing learning experiences.

Maybe a little too enthusiastically because you know where his most full plate of leftovers go? To me!!!

"No fair." Lukas huffs, having finished his portion in a marathon race.

"If you want more, just ask my stinky old man." I enjoy this round of seconds, holding it up for Grampa again. Eyes cute and tearfully pleading despite how not so nice my words are.

Force of habit.

Thankfully, my grampa's character is quite easy in some areas like this. He merely continues to smile stupidly with little pink flowers floating out his aura, bloody apron and all. Then cracks my little egg yolk into the plate. A little more crushed pepper and tada.

Gourmet dining all the way out here in the middle of nowhere!

Life is wonderful with little luxuries like this.

"You can't beat her, she's really a bloody flesh eating cub." Amar would rather peck on plain toast. To settle his stomach.

It's not so bad from what I've seen back home, back where fresh fruit, produce and plenty of other tasty things grows. But Amar really is a troublesome child to feed. Especially in these camping conditions.

Which I also find fun in their own way. It's famine food research!

Lukas will complain, cry and gag even, but he'll eat anything. Even raw seal tartare and caviar, like me. Spoiled brat, can't enjoy the good stuff.

With Amar though?

The hardtacks are too dry. When they're dissolved to thicken a stew or another dish, they 'smell funny' or tasty funky. Jerky is hard to chew and stringy. Dried beans need to be soaked at least a night beforehand or he really won't eat it.

The fish is too stinky. The cheese is too stinky. The lard is too lardy!

Ok, that last one is absolutely true. They really don't waste anything here.

But Amar is just too picky?

How in the world did this child ever survive on his own? Weren't children in this era supposed to be more sad and desperate for even a morsel of edible substance? Don't they find the blandest most boring flour pancakes or gruel to be amazingly delicious? It's a sad world here.

I don't get it. He can eat a poisoned curry just fine but he turns his nose away at a boney or slightly more pungent fish.

Let alone something like seal meat tartare.

Maybe if Gable cooks? Or hides it into a stew like he tends to do.

Children are very difficult things to raise.

"Lukas. Don't eat so messily, it's getting everywhere. Ron. Do something about him, don't let him go overboard." Gable walks in, setting down my giggling sister before disappearing behind curtains of furs.

"We have my homewrecker!" Lilyanne declares her turn to torture Yuna.

Said teenager shuffles out behind then. Pink in the face and bundled up, but out he is.

"That's good, he's getting better." I nod, approving of the forced bed rest.

I don't know what Yuna's regular schedule is, but something tells me it's not a very healthy one. Maybe I should watch out for that one more. It would be a problem if his growth is stunted due to poor lazy teenaged grumpy eating.

"Yummy?" Lilyanne runs up to my side, hugging the leg of my chair as she climbs up.

She means my meal, voice curious as it always is in the face of new tasty things she catches me eating without her.

Which is honestly quite a lot.

"No." Amar wiggles his nose, holding his breath into his plain toast.

"Nope! Make it bacon. Please make it bacon. If we rub it over the fire, will it turn to more like bacon?" Lukas still eats it, even as Grampa dotingly cleans his mouth with a bib.

"....are you eating ….nevermind." Yuna takes a seat, too tired to do much but take reality as it is. Like the floating mugs of hot milk and tea placing themselves down in front of the children.

One of the mugs lightly bumps into Yuna's face repeatedly until he takes the beverage container himself. Coiling steam and Amar's soft little tugs remind him to drink and eat before taking his Gable approved medication.

"Try it, Lily. Say ahhhh." I ignore them, encouraging Lilyanne to do the same.

"Ahhhhh" she opens up wide, a still cute and obedient child.

Then proceeds to make a talented number of strange faces and expressions in the matter of a blink. Amazing.

The sound effects that come out of my sister's mouth, nose and ears are also something of a talent show. As expected of the future protagonist.

"Gabanba bloopp aaccckkk?!" goes the confused noises.

Amar plugs it in by reaching over to stuff boring toast in her mouth. Apparently, that helps.

"Everyone is being so rude. It's delicious, Grampa's best dish yet." I continue to enjoy.

Mmmm like a beefy livery tuna, so tasty. If it goes bad easily, then it's reasonable it was hard to import. Even with Rosalia's money and curiosity.

"Don't give the children too much of that. I don't want them to get sick later. " Gable reappears, an obviously hot pot floating close by in front of him.

Grampa hand feeds him a bite of the seal tartare on a thin toast when Gable sets it down. He then takes off the lid to release a warm comforting scent,

Long simmered vegetables and lentils, falling apart almost smoothly. With peeks of sausages and ham. The necessary protein to keep any household with Lukas or my grampa going. An after aroma of luxurious herbs, tantalizing.

As divine as this delicacy of raw meat is, soup is a much more appropriate dish for the season and table. The other children are much more enthusiastic about receiving and eating this one.

"No more of that. What if she gets a stomach ache?" Gable scoops out the kiddy soup bowls, moving over the rest of the tartare away to some adult corner for him and Grampa.

Nooooooooo my seal poki!!!

"I'll be ok. Really!" my gluttony protects and hides away what's left on my plate. The feelings of love and loss already makes me tear up.

"Rosalia. Do we need a reminder on just how old you are? Ron, she isn't even five yet, don't give her too much of that. Children are sensitive. Didn't you learn with Maria? Don't give seconds or thirds even if she begs." Gable munches, slapping my grampa with a fresh low rise round loaf of a molasses brown bread.

It's apparently a very tasty loaf since Grampa responds not with defending himself but takes a satisfied bite. Then another.

Well, that's one way to eat bread.

"It will be fine, my kiddos have strong tummies. Besides, I minced it up very well for her, very digestible. Even if she does need to power train her jaw better." Grampa waves him off over the wooden breakfast table.

That's a lie.

The tartare Grampa presents and feeds to Gable is as fine as a well grinded minced meat paste. Smooth and delicate looking. Topped with even nicer garnishes, egg and all. Fitting on any fine dining table.

I was given kinda long chunks to tear and chew with my own teeth.

What is with Grampa and his weird sense of training?

Oh well. I won't be too mean to him today. It really was delicious. If Grampa's 'cooking' is like that, I won't mind it more often.

"Only eat to about 65% today, Lukas. Ron, watch out for him, I don't want him vomiting up later." Gable fusses more than usual.

I suppose having a downed teenager in his care is making his maternal instincts rise. But Yuna really does seem to be doing better after two or so days of rest and whatever medical examinations Gable put him through.

"Awwww only that much? Fiiiiiiine. " Lukas slurps up his soup.

I'm surprised he even understands percentages and whatnot. But he nods along obediently to Gable's look that says he's watching him very carefully.

"Why? Are we really going to go swimming?" Amar pipes up, much happier with warm milk and a hot cooked something in front of him.

"Swimming?" Yuna grimaces, nearly dropping his spoon in shock.

"That's what Lukas told me?" Amar nods, sipping carefully.

"What? When?" I ask, sipping my own meal.

"When you were all happy eating the scary meat outta Cap's hands." Amar says easily.

Way to call me out. I just wanted a little taste when I saw Grampa was sneaking bites raw while chopping up the meat. I didn't even know it could be eaten raw till just this morning ok? Just a little bite?

That turned to lots of bites.

My steak tartare, I love you so. I promise I won't get sick of you. As dark and intimidating as you may look. I shall season and perfect this recipe and make you a beloved dish as you deserve to be.

"...is she talking to her food?" Yuna whispers to the boys.

Who are sitting so close I can still hear?!

I huff, hiding my shameful habit by stuffing my face further. Can't talk shit if I'm busy chewing. It's just the soup is a little hot.

"Are we really going swimming?" I turn to ask in disbelief.

Before the adults can say anything, Lukas is already near jumping out in excitement.

"Ice Hole Swimming! We're gonna jump and scream and cry and freeze and we're gonna get stronger and it's gonna be awesome!" Lukas exclaims.

Yuna, Amar and I all share the same sentiments. Our eyes and silences looking at him in various expressions of "no".

"Swimmy?!" Lilyanne giggles, stirring her soup and blowing to eat on her own like a big girl. Gable trained her better and earlier than any etiquette teacher.

"No Lilyanne, no one swims in winter." I help right her spoon and napkin, since her coordination is still very messy.

"Yes we are! This is super special cold training. Gable and Cap said so!" Lukas argues, defending his stance.

"Righto!" Grampa continues to chow down, acting as if nothing was out of place.

Gable sighs, sipping his tea while making a pause sign with his hand, about to explain.

"What Lukas means, is there's a pool you can all winter swim in. If you want to." Gable glares over to my grampa.

"It's good for you." Grampa defends himself from the glare.

"No." I say right away.

I'm not crazy and suicidal. Just look at Yuna. I'm gonna be his sick bed roommate if I do that.

"You don't even need to swim. Just walk and dive in for as short as you like." Grampa tries convincing me.

"No." I repeat, ignoring him in favor of eating.

Mmmmm soup, the lentils were really slow cooked so much they practically dissolved. Thickening the mixture naturally. Mild in the vegetables sweet flavor but very appealing in its own way. Especially with a hint of a buttery taste that children tend to love.

"You naturally get a cold resistance for each dive. The longer you last or the more you go in, the greater your body's tolerance will grow. Might be good. Never know when you'll need it to save your lives." Grampa continues to chew, not minding much.

"Nooooo- wait….like a 'resistance' resistance? Like a magic resistance or a crazy training resistance that doesn't even work." I drop my toast with a plop, no cutting off with a drawl.

"It will work. " Grampa sips his tea that Gable still refills, despite being peeved at Grampa.

"You're not holding anyone in upside down by their ankle this time." Gable seethes.

"Awww Maria didn't know how to swim then, and she was just fine. Really more effective when they're younger"

"She was a mere infant?! Then you double dipped her back in even after I - damn I should have just pushed in there and frozen over the pool."

"Had to get the other ankle! What? Was I supposed to leave her with one weaker vulnerable ankle? Pffft, sounds like a terrible lack of foresight."

I let my toast drown as I listen to their not so light and petty argument.

Dear mother, whatever you're doing right now, how did you ever survive infanthood with this crazy old man I must call grandfather?

"Can I get dipped like that this time?" Lukas asks in excitement.

"No." Gable declares instantly.

"But I can swim! Cap can ever drop me!" Lukas whines.

"Then dive in yourself, no one is ankle dipping. Again." Gable says with a tone of finality.

"Lily too?!" my sister does not understand a thing.

But the others do.

Yuna has a small restrained look of shock on his face. As if wondering if such a thing was possible but not daring to say it out loud.

Without missing another beat, Amar voices out this exact question.

"Can jumping into cold water really do that? Make you stronger? Or last better from cold?" Amar looks up, truly curious.

"Yep, out here it does." Grampa smiles over.

"By how much?" Amar tilts his head childishly in wonder.

"Could be 1%. Could be less than that. Could even be even 3 whole percent of your current strength on a single dive. Really, it depends on you and how much you build up. Isn't all training like that?" Grampa answers, surprisingly clear and patient.

"...Lord Commander, if I may, am I allowed to try?" Yuna speaks for the first time, voice still raspy and congested.

"Duuuuuuuh, you're so weak and you're already sick so you can't get sick no mores so you can do it lots and lots and gets better all in one go." Lukas spouts off.

"Of course, if you're feeling up to it. Lukas has a point there. Already sick, might as well fight it out. Might even be better for you."

From a common sense standpoint….that sounds like a TERRIBLE idea?!

But we can't use common sense with Grampa, and even worse Yuna and Amar both agree to it.

Ugh boys.

That is how we get from a comfy meal table and warm little winter domestic wonder, to this shit.

A pool. Literally a hole in the middle of the ice next to some GLACIER?

"I'm ready!" Lukas already starts to take off his clothes the moment Grampa declares we're here.

"Hold your horse butts. Not quite yet. Gotta set up a warming station or you really will freeze your butts off. " Grampa laughs, unloading the carriage sleigh.

One that he essentially pushed and slid all the way here, like a shopping cart.

I for one, am staying inside the shopping cart sleigh. With no interest in this at all. No no no, not moving out of here and getting into this crazy cold nonsense.

"Swimmies. Swimmies. Gonna go swimmies. Lily very good at swimmies now. Lily show Rosa!"

Damn it!

In order to prevent my foolish twin from getting herself into any more trouble, I have no choice but to tag along and keep her in check. Otherwise she would have thrown her clothes off the moment we stopped this sleigh.

It's far too early for that young lady. In fact, it wasn't supposed to go that way at all?! Not in this life.

Bad Lilyanne! Keep your clothes on?! I wasn't expecting to have this lesson for another ten or so years in her rebellious scandalous phase. And certainly not like this?!

"Don't you dare Lilyanne. " I hold her scarf like a leash, making sure she's still bundled and not wandering off.

"Where do I put this?" Yuna asks.

As the oldest of this strange bunch of kids, yes he is still a child in my eyes, Yuna helps unload items from the sleigh. Fully going along in this strange plan and awful conditions, despite not even properly recovering from his cold yet.

It's madness?

"Right over there on solid ground and not ice. Lucky-poo, do your thing. Clear the way around the area." Grandpa points over.

"Okay dokey!" Lukas excitedly hops over, ready for action.

With an overly estimated jump, the boy seems to fly up high. Only to land in a cannonball of white. Solid ice flurries itself around him, airing out into the texture of shaved snow. The mess flies out, looking oddly beautiful until it hits you right in the face.

Ah yes nothing like a flurry of snow to jet stream smack itself into you to really feel the cold.

After a few seconds of silence, or otherwise keeping my mouth shut so no more snow ends up in there, I am half buried. When I shake and windshield off the sudden unexpected shower of snow, I can see Grampa direct Lukas around like a little snow blower. They air and blow it all away, visible clearings of land making itself known.

That makes it much nicer and easier to set up a temporary camp station.

More comfy to stand around in too.

"We're not actually staying here so this tester is fine. Remember kiddos, tents are just fine in summer but you're gonna die if you try this in cold countries during winter. " Grampa goes scoutmaster on us again.

I have already been showered in snow and cold. In order to get warm again, we must all move around a bit. So every helping hand, no matter how small, takes part in unloading and setting up a comfortable station command for today.

Grampa has brought a tester beast skin tent. One of his own fiddling inventions. Sure tents already exist but even in modern times, people are always working to improve design.

Staking the poles and support in the ground, it's clear to see the material to be made not out of plastic and factory metals. In fact, I'm not even sure what all the things are made out of. Is it bone? A strange carved wood or specific specific of something? Who knows! Maybe Grampa does but who cares!

Inventing, producing and sourcing is hard but consumers don't care about that. Just if it works and is affordable for the price.

"Bit harder pumpkin!" Grampa informs me as I fail to stab a stake down hard enough. Even if I get up on top and start jumping up and down.

Real camping is hard.

With a lot of help, mostly from the only adult here, the opposite of a beach tent finally takes shape. Going up and tied in all the right places. Another round structure but it's warm from blocking any outside wind and fits everyone, which is all that matters.

After setting up a bit more the space inside and directly outside, complete with two firestone braziers, it's time to scout out the pool.

"It looks big." Lilyanne stares down the big blue hole, fear as clear as the water.

In a contrast to the surrounding white, the ice hole is a mesmerizing few shades of jewel like blue. With depths unknown. The edges are a little too smooth to be natural, almost a perfect circle.

"Worked on it a bit beforehand and now it's almost ready!' Grampa sets off the boys to help set things down.

While the big man rolls out something of a ramp and pathway, Amar and Lukas run around. Followed only by a shuffling Yuna to pull them back. They judge spots to lay out the edges with bits of ladder netting and safety posts. A literal safety net, just in case.

Thank goodness for that. We have some sense in this dangerous activity.

When finally complete, Grampa herds us all back into the heating up tent. We're given a serving of some odd spicy sweet tea to really warm up and then…..

"SWIMMING TIME!!!!" Cries out the over excited announcement, Lukas throwing off his clothes for real.

"Now it's swimming time! Put away your socks." my grampa laughs off, helping Lilyanne to take off her mittens and coat.

I can't believe they're actually going to go through with this.

"This is crazy," I can't help but to complain again.

But it seems I go ignored in the commotion. Lukas hopped in place in nothing but a tiny pair of shorts. His eagerness tugged at Yuna and Amar's clothes.

Lukas even dares to try to 'help' undress ME?!

"Hurry up already!" He whines like a puppy dog, too excited to be released.

"Why don't you go first and show us how it's done?" My voice comes out as cheerful as I'm feeling.

Sarcasm is not a translatable language for Lukas, and thus he readily nods in agreement. Spinning me off dizzy from where he undid my scarf, I land into another minion for balance

"OKAY! Hurry up and watch me first sidekicks!"

Barefoot, Lukas runs down the set ramp. A toy car set on course. Down he goes, up the traction and -

SPLASH!

Cannonball!

Cept he's not exactly coming up in the fizz of bubbles, white and blue. Still looks too cold. Did he turn into a popsicle down there?

"1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6." Amar lightly counts the seconds as we peel our heads from the front of the tent. Watching with baited breaths how long it will take for a wild Lukas to emerge. Or if he needs rescue instead

"16." Amar counts.

"There!" I point out.

Breaking out the surface of the water with a slow float, Lukas can finally breathe. Shudder and breathe from where he's been holding his breath. The soft white of his flesh turning increasingly flush pink.

"This is cold!" He screams.

Noooooo, what? Really? I never would have guessed.

He lasts exactly 3 more seconds before running back up and out. Little feet near flying to rush back to any source of warmth.

That's what all the braziers are for, taking the place of heat lamps. All well as the tent, covering our heads. Not as cozy as the igloo camp but it will more than do.

"Good job Lukas! Now warm up and get back in there. I think we can squeeze in at least 10 more dives for you today!" Grampa praises.

Somehow in the time I wasn't looking, the crazy old man stripped down nearly naked himself. Shirtless and exposed, Grampa acts as if it were a mere poolside trip, showing none of the contradiction at all. Squatting down low, he stretches his arms out to catch the running Lukas. Hugging the shivering child violently before holding Lukas over the fire like a pair of wet socks to dry.

Looks painful.

"Let's get this over." Yuna stretches and walks out, apparently volunteering himself next.

Only a short pair of pants fit over him, coming barely past his knees. It's the least I've ever seen in him. Goosebumps raised over warm golden tanned skin makes me fear for his health given his cold. But like Yuna said, perhaps it really is just better to get it over with.

I know the only reason he's doing something so insane is because my own Grampa said so. The Lord commander of the troops and the famous hero himself. That this can make one stronger in a way? At least better off in the cold.

Who doesn't want any advantage they can get? Let alone in a world as dangerous as this one.

It sounds absurd, but maybe you need to be a certain level of crazy to survive here.

"You can do it Yuna." Amar cheers him on.

"Fighting Yuna!" I wave him off to his frozen death.

"Homewrecker go go go!" Lily yells out.

"....brats." Yuna shivers and jolts.

One foot, no. Just one toe, delicately dipped in the water has him biting down on his lip. Repressing a string of angry cursing.

Grumpy cat obviously hates the water.

But go in he does. With one harsh exhale, Yuna walks in with as much pride and grace as he can muster. Head held high. Right until he disappears completely under the water. The teenager willingly diving in entirely.

The angry flow of air bubbles that pop out aren't very audible but I imagine he's finally screaming and cursing a storm down there.

"How long do we, ahhhhh shit cold cold fffffuaaaah! How long do we stay down here?!" comes Yuna's screaming when he rises back. Looking like a beautiful and angry young merman in a fantasy world if he wasn't so violently miserable.

"As short or long as you can last! We'll be here for another few hours so you have plenty of chances to try and raise your tolerance again. " Grampa explains with a laugh, roasting Lukas on his other side over the fire.

Presumably to scream, Yuna turns his face back into the water. Many more air bubbles emerged around him.

Even without counting, it's clear he stays longer than Lukas did. Perhaps out of stubbornness and a strong willpower.

"Aaaand I'm out!" Yuna gives up,throwing his arms out of the water.

They quickly wrap back around him as he shakes and climbs out, grabbing a towel he smartly left out. Then quickly making his way back to hide by the fire and possibly not move again for a very long time.

"Ooooooh impressive first dive. Drink and warm back up!" Grampa encourages, patting a spot by the larger fire.

When Yuna near throws his face into the fire it's hard not to laugh.

And then there were three.

Lilyanne may claim "me too!" and demand to be taken along to many things, but at heart she's a more easily intimidated child. As a toddler, she was afraid of many new things. From the beachside ocean to exploring anything without our parents directly carrying us. It took a lot of hand pulling, or even threatening to leave her alone, to get her to try something.

That's how I know, despite her previous dumb excitement, she's far from jumping into this pool.

"Should we skip and sit this one out Lily?" I ask her, despite the both of us already undressed down to our thin smocks. Much like what we wear when we sleep.

Before she can get a word out, too much time passes. Her hesitation sounded like lots of "uhhhhhh" with no clear yes or no. It's rather normal with children, but at the same time in line with her character as I know it.

Not just as a small child, but the Lilyanne I've always known. A little weak, until she's stubborn and unreasonable about something. More than a little too easy to trick and persuade.

I've never been a very patient person, nor was Rosalia, though I now try to be better in this life. I can't deny that this load of waiting around is getting annoying.

"Do we have to go one at a time?" Amar asks, munching on a little yellow candied snack.

Hey where did he get that?

"No one said that at all. You can all go swim together if you feel up to it!" Grampa answers, still turning and roasting a pink Lukas.

"Wait I want to go do that with everyone too!" Lukas wiggles, but still isn't quite cooked and ready yet. Not from the way Grampa feels the temperature of Lukas's head and belly, shaking his head no.

"Ok then. Wanna go together?" Amar turns to my sister and I.

The little hand of my twin grips mine much tighter.

"Yaaaaay! Together! Go go go!" Lilyanne makes up her mind, the joy and excitement of play deciding for her.

Eagerly, she grabs Amar's hand and pulls the both of us out of the warm tent to suffer in the cruel elements. A terrible ride about to drop but well on its way.

Ahhhhh I don't like this!

Right at the edge though, Lilyanne halts. Fear and icy wet droplets of cold intimidating us all further.

"...go….." she says, despite taking a step back to hide behind me.

Thank you sister dear, for volunteering me for the worst things first.

"Say ahhh first." Amar laughs at us, yellow flakey candy held in his small palms.

"Huh?" I go, ready to U-Turn right back to the tent and wait for this day to be over with already.

He takes that time to stick the strange thing in my mouth by surprise, sugar crystals rough on the soft of my mouth. Sweet. Too sweet really, but to my current childish tastebuds that's just right. When I bite down, more sugar cracks, ginger and something else with great heat packs a terrible punch, exploding on my tongue.

This better not be poison!

It's terrible, because even the worst of Amar's poisonous prank candy is sweet and delicious. What child can resist?!

"Lily too!" my sister opens up her maw, chirping like an ugly naked baby bird.

"Chew slowly and don't spit it out ok?" Amar feeds her most of what's left on his palm.

The very last piece he pops into his own mouth. I assume they taste the same ginger spice coursing through from my mouth to my nose, up my head and out my ears before settling into my stomach.

There's no time to get my bearings though. Because Amar pulls and drags us all right into the water.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Lilyanne screams terribly.

Either from the burning spice or the sudden shocking cold, both? I don't know since I'm pretty sure I'm busy screaming myself. Choking and swallowing down the candied ginger slices in my panic.

I can't even say it feels horribly unpleasant. I can't even say anything at all. My body freezes upon impact, going to shock from the drastic temperature change.

1 2 3 4

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH THIS IS TERRIBLE!!!!" I scream, all systems back a go. Sensations fully returned.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!!" Lilyanne cries, equally if not even louder. Her little limbs flailing about.

"Lilyanne don't flap around?! To shore! Back the way we came" I order, trying to steady her.

For my efforts, she smacks and punches me in the nose. Ow ow ow, cold and ow.

I can't say I'm unfamiliar with ever getting face slapped by my own sister, nor is she that girl yet but still…..how rude!

"You guys are funny." Amar washes his face, giving Lilyanne a helping hand.

By that I mean he pushes her further into the pool when one of her tiny fists gets too close to punching him out too. It's very cruel.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!! Saaave me! Waaah! Rosa! Grampa!!!" she sobs ice cubes, slapping the water violently.

I must say she's a very good swimmer now. Somehow staying afloat despite all the random wild movements. In fact, it's rather humorous to watch another suffer even more than me at the moment.

"But there are lots of nets?" Amar swims and tugs at on at the side, preventing any child from actually going down under.

"Go Lily! Dog paddle! " I flop, forcing myself to find and hold onto one myself. At least for some security, and later an aided guide for getting out of here.

Really now, I was so close to making it out.

"Whooooopeeee!" a cannonball falls on us all, terribly below freezing waves crashing into us at blunt force.

Lukas is back, and he's back with a bang.

"Waaaaaaaaaah!!!! Meanie big everybody!" Lily takes turns between floating and drowning.

Fun times. Mutual suffering.

"Lukas, I think she needs saving about now?" Amar mentions, clinging on to his net stubbornly.

More to force himself to stay inside the water than anything like my plan of escape. Water wet on his lashes, lip quivering in cold. But stay he will, tummy long full of tea and ginger candy.

Not a bad idea really. That last bit of ginger candy may be what's keeping me from passing out in the cold right now, given the odd steams I still feel in my ears.

"Okay dokey! Get over here stinky! Wow you're a bad swimmer, look at me! Like this." Lukas then proceeds to swim very mocking laps around us all.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH WAAAAAH WAH WAH!!!!!!"

You know, I honestly am not too worried about Lilyanne for once. Not when she still has strength to scream like that. Such strong lungs, they might even be capable of causing an avalanche.

"Fiiiiiiiiiine, I'll help. Let's go Stinky!" Lukas dives, disappearing beneath the blue.

".....how is that supposed to help?" my teeth chatter in the ominous silence.

"Hang on tight, 4...3... 2-." Amar equally shivers, counting down.

Oh no.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

Truly there is no way to describe how my sister screams. Nor is there any way to faithfully describe what just happened. The best comparison I can make is a killer whale, the size of a little boy, rising from the water to punt my baby seal of a sister through the air. It shouldn't even be physically possible but somehow that's exactly what just happened.

"Oooooh a bit too far to the left there Lukas! There there, I got you there Lily baby. Ahahaha yes war cry it all out!" Grampa jumps and catches her into the soft comforts of his chest.

An unintelligible amount of crying is going on in the background, but in the end all is well. Not too long later, Grampa jumps in the water himself. With a giggling Lily and all.

Before that I manage to move, throwing in the towel to switch with Yuna. Minutes later Amar is running in, shivering uselessly in his towel. In fact he might have even almost caught it on fire with how close he huddles around the brazier.

"I don't feel any stronger at all." I complain to him, digging and pulling through my purse for any and all supplies we're going to need.

More towels. More pillows. More hot yummy drink mixes to boil and drink up. We need so much.

"O-o-one percent. D-doesn't f-feel like a-a-a lot. " his little teeth chatter through the baby gaps, both new and the ones still growing from last time.

"Got anymore of that ginger candy hidden?" I throw another blanket at him

"Cold! I'm awesome and strong and awesome but cold!" Lukas rolls himself in, pinker and flusher than ever.

"Uh-huh." Amar shivers visibly under the blanket, but his peeking eyes says he accepts it gratefully.

Maybe I shouldn't have given it to him though. Because from under there, where I can't see, he pulls out another two handfuls of crystalized ginger slices. Which isn't a lot given the size of his little hands.

But where in the world did you get those from?!

"Cass, she made it I think?" he shivers, feeding Lukas while the boys warm their hands.

"Oh that's nice….and not what I meant to ask at all!" I respond, throwing another blanket at the still wet Lukas.

"I feel more awesome already!" Lukas wiggles his toes.

I don't know so much about that. But here we are.

And so we spend the afternoon hoping in and out much to Grampa's terrible encouragement. So much so I actually lost count of everyone. With lots of spiced tea and ginger candies taken of course. Only by sheer crazy luck, does no one catch their deaths in the cold. Even Yuna, who actually looks even oddly better by the end of it.

Magically stronger or not. One percent, three percent or even more. I can certainly say our tolerance towards the cold really tested out today. Something to complain and talk about not so fondly many years into the future.

Something to actually remember.

Good job everyone. It was a little fun despite it all. Just a little.

"Rosa? It's really cold… Can I have my clothes back? Please?" a child shivers under the blankets.

"Where are you hiding all those ginger candies? Where! What kind of magic is this? I'll find this new secret stash I swear!"

"Cap! Rosa's being mean and weird again!" another one tattles.

"Stop tattling Lukas and help me. There's more candies being hidden somewhere!"

-----------------------------

What is Gable doing?

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------

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A quiet house. A peaceful space.

Amazing how both wonderful and terrible the quiet can be without the screaming, crying and general shenanigans of children to take up all mental space. There was so room for attention to be driven elsewhere. Much needed attention.

A bit of actually effective clean up, no messy hands or feet to mess things up. Dishes floating off to soak and wash themselves as he packed up the kids.

Holes in the furs to patch up, wear and tear inevitable with so many energetic clumsy hands. Or maybe just….better off gotten rid of. No Ron here to watch if he just...threw 1 or 10 away. Right?

So much to do, never enough time.

Not that it matters much.

Gable had left the igloo roughly the same time Ron did with the kids. Waving them off none the wiser.

Then stepped through the hidden doorway back to his very own front door.

There was no way he could make it easy for Lukas to find himself around. For as long as Gable could keep his cards hidden from the troublesome boy.

Just like his peace and quiet however, Gable also feared that was running out. One day in the far future, very very very far.

He brought with him a deep dish of Ron's fresh chopped and mixed seal meat, terrifyingly dark red, neatly wrapped and ribboned. Can't burn something with no fire involved, thus one of the few dishes the other man could possibly 'cook'. Or was even allowed to in Gable's presence. The package and letter delivers itself to Maria's personal scry mirror with the pop of a balloon and a swirling green fire.

Hopefully she finds it within the day, it really did taste best when fresh.

Yes. Finally all the time, peace and quiet.

Which is absolutely a lie, there was never going to be enough time to be at peace or enjoy the quiet. Especially when in but a few short hours, there was going to be possibly a lot of crying children back. And yes, that includes Ron.

In this time though, Gable can get what he could do.

A hot bath with actual running water.

The necessary chores.

Feed the animals.

Check in the progress of a few experiments and-

Active.

The tests run on the children's samples were showing active.

It was the same results for Lukas. Despite the lack of need to test Lukas. Not after all this time, all the obvious evidence of training him day in and day out. Gable has enough water and ice damage in his flooring thank you very much.

Those magic veins were full of life and energy, perhaps absurdly so. His beloved nephew's potential seemed as high as the sky at this age. Water to ice. From the ponds, the lakes, the invisible droplets in the very air itself. Possibly more.

It's just the boy's control that's the problem.

Even if he did do a very impressive job of somehow freezing hair to the point of breakage that one time without scalping his young friend. Gable was very busy then somehow dealing with both a screaming, but fine, Rosalia and a rageful Frederick. Far too busy reigning the Ventrellas in to be impressed.

Lukas having strong humming veins, results shining true and clear as a heavy aged glacier, was nothing new or surprising.

Nor was it for Lilyanne. Same results. Though her progress was slow as it was mysterious. Mysterious in that…there weren't any complications at all?

From what he's seen so far, what they've all seen and tested…she was a little too much like Ron. Powerwise. Too pure, too forceful. Even more so than Maria, though she lacked her mother's or grandfather's natural superhuman strength.

Which was a very good thing given how terrible that child's control was. She was only three, not even four yet, but Gable could just tell.

They could shut the door on her, like any child. Easy and done with. Fate left to the cards. Distract her. Play with her. Even teach her patiently with true love and care. But no one was quite capable of controlling her, except perhaps her mother.

It would have been disastrous if Maria's lifeforce had really dropped.

He doesn't know if that outwardly strong, but oh so fragile, family could stay tied without her. Doesn't even want to think about the what ifs, especially in the critical stages of her first and hopefully only dangerous pregnancy. But it's been the relatively good case scenarios thus far. Thus far.

Something, or more like lots of things, went wrong. It had to, for Rosalia to exist as she does. A contradictory existence, one that shouldn't be.

You can't just go back. Once you cross the lake of life and death, you can't just go back.

"But I did! It's a surprise to me too. " says a memory.

Gable remembers, a long time ago. How a dazzling boy as terrifying as a falling meteor, a streaking mixed sign of wishes and disaster, said those very cursed things. His confusing tongue was capable of forgotten poetry and bountiful lost knowledge as his hands could wield death for life. Battle and burns. Life grown from the ashes.

It's not only Lilyanne, with her spark and power, that resembled Ron a little too much.

Really, Gable doesn't want to think of the catastrophe of those two children without their mother to hold and tame them.

And even then Maria was quite lost half the time she frantically called on the scry. More than once he's received a panicked message from her, crying how this or that was not at all mentioned in the books.

When he did have the time to respond to them, he did well to remind her that life was never a book.

Please do not try to imitate life, he had warned Maria many times when she was small, when she was a teenager and somehow sadly to now.

But really...it wasn't so bad. For her to remain a little more childish, all these years.

It's a luxury few can afford, or live out. A childhood.

Isn't it obvious from all the ruined lives around them. Just step into the troops and throw a stone. Grab in pint in the Thirsty Goat. Talk to anyone, practically anyone.

Too many stories, too many of them tragic.

He still has that one request to fulfill. How to fully get rid of the tattoo marking that one boy's hand. Short of hacking it off. It's the one thing Yuna asked for, when Gable had asked about repayments. Not wealth, not power. Just that.

There were many more projects to get to. Heck even Ron's crazy current ones. From the glass houses with Frederick to Ron's crazy plots to somehow farm ice wine.

Too much to do, too much to get to. His limited peace and quiet was already short, running low.

And here Gable stands, staring at the same undisclosed results, taken from the children, in a mindless daze.

Active.

It's not odd if Lukas's results shows active. It's not odd for Ron's honestly terrifying young grandchildren either. Lilyanne being the genetic monster after him, and her sister occasionally being able to momentarily hold a charge after a session with her sister. Even if she doesn't know it, let alone be able to consciously control it.

It's Amar's results that's the problem.

Active.

His veins were now active, just as much as any magic wielder. Young and very green, but surely active. Then where was the magic? The results? The chaos?

Just who did he take after, and in what?

But they've seen nothing.

No one has. Not even Frederick, who has been keeping the strictest surveillance on the boy. At every possible waking moment, short of when Gable has him.

Was Frederick keeping information from him?

He wouldn't put it past the scheming Bicchieri. A part of him still doesn't trust him, can't trust any old line of nobles really. It would make sense.

But no, this isn't something he would risk.

Not with Ron watching. Frederick did, at the very least, respect and followed Ron's will without a doubt.

He wouldn't risk letting anything else fall through the cracks with Aishwarya's child. Not with that bloodline risk, not with who his roots come from, not-

A mechanical clock sounds out, an annoying wooden bird chirping with the strangest "kookoo kookoo" sound that Ron and Lukas took absolute delight to.

This isn't the time to ruminate.

Time was running short. Results were already here and conclusions can wait. Ron and the children were expected back soon, and they were going to need some very warming baths.

But after Gable exited the labs, his home. Turning the lever and door back to the young frozen continent, the questions lingered in the back of his mind.

Even as all came as predicted for the day.

Shivering crying children with hungry unwell bellies and vengeful tears. Even Ron, panicking and more than a little lost on how to treat this situation. A weary teenaged part time babysitter, apparently the only responsible party, who was even more tired than the children.

Children who seemed to have ...vomited....some very gingery yellow substances. Damn he should have checked them for snacks. Should have drilled it into Ron's head to check for snacks and overeating, since that never went well with swimming. Let alone ice shocking their systems.

The question lingered through the mundane stress and domestic mess. Magic swirling and juggling to clean up this mess and prepare dinner all at once.

Until...

"It's not my fault! I didn't mean to barf all in the pool! Grampa was too cruel and rough! The snacks weren't even mine...." Rosalia cried after a bath.

Sniffing and crying as she went hugging his leg. The little girl was deadly in how cute she purposefully acted. A very different breed of cute than her mother was. Something much more willfully mischievous if restrained.

His magic faltered.

Just a bit, barely a blip in the amount of time Gable refocused and redirected. Easily overpowering past Rosalia's innocent and cute touch. Nothing happened, at least none that anyone else would notice.

It would be disastrous to a weaker overly reliant magic user. Something Gable could have very well been if it weren't for the accident that was Ron and the incalculable series of events that has made up his life.

But he wasn't just anyone.

"Gable?" Rosalia sniffed, pouting even harder as if that would defend her case.

Only childish thoughts in her mind right now. As it should be. She has no idea the complicated thoughts that plagues him, and he would like to keep it that way.

"Did your grandfather force you to eat all those things you regurgitated over him?" he plays along, floating the thoughts as he does the magic. All back into order.

".....Lukas did too, ok? The ginger candies Amar has really worked well to keep warm?! So technically it's Amar's fault for hiding them. I still don't know where he keeps them..." she doesn't fully admit her faults.

Doesn't know it.

It's Rosalia.

The very opposite of active. Null and void. That was the answer bothering Gable all this time.

How active magic won't, can't show itself. Too young, too weak and unpracticed. Perhaps...even the perfectly wrong type of incompatible.

Rosalia could render it useless, just by being nearby. Overpowered and voided with her touch.

"I'm sorry. I was wrong. I should have known my limits and not pushed it. Don't be disappointed Gable..." she starts to reason out, far too mature for her age despite clutching his leg childishly.

He does not answer her but comfortingly pats her small head. Delegating her to little tasks if she does not want to play. He watches as she goes.

Calling for her "minions!" to help out with the little chores. Lukas crashing into the kitchen to make another mess, somehow, guaranteed. While Amar runs and hides with Yuna, still too tired and frightened by whatever was played today. Just like any other innocent children, as they should be.

That's all he can do for now.

Just watch.

Conclusions can be remade at a later date.

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