Deep Conversations, Pasta, and Knives

"Okay, so, the appliances here don't work. That means we can't make anything baked like lasagna," Eri announced.

"Wait, how do you know they don't work?" Lina asked.

"Yesterday I was exploring with Qibli, and we went here. That's how he knew about the place and how I know about the oven," Eri explained.

"Ah, I see," Lina said, and she looked at the recipe, "Hm... we need to make a sort of flour mountain with all-purpose flour and semolina flour. We have those, right?"

"Yeah, we do!" Cassie answered for Eri, and she put the two bags of flour in between the older girls. "What should I do by the way?"

"We'll need a pot to boil the noodles in. Could you get a few pots while we start making the noodles?" Eri asked.

Cassie nodded. She started looking in the cabinets for pots.

The girls started making the dough. When they finished, they had to let it sit for a bit.

"Snow gave me some sardines; we can cook those too," Eri said.

Lina fake died and said, "FINE! But I'm not eating them! Also, how do you prepare sardines again?"

"Oh! I think you can take them out of their tins, put them in a pan with olive oil, and just cook them," Eri said.

"Okay. You got any matches since the stove doesn't turn on?" Lina asked.

"Here you go!" Eri tossed a matchbox to Lina.

While she was cooking, Lina was humming Fall Out Boy songs loudly.

Meanwhile, the Ocotillo and Qibli date was going well. Or, at least it wan't extremely awkward.

"I hope they don't mess it up," Ocotillo said.

"Judging from their noise level, they're either having fun or messing it up," Qibli said.

"I wonder why we're trusting two pre-teens and an eight-year-old to make our food," Ocotillo said.

"Well they have made our food before," Qibli pointed out.

"Yeah, but this is a kitchen with metal knives, pots, and pans," Ocotillo said, "They might accidentally kill themselves."

"You seem to lack a lot of faith in them," Qibli said.

"I CAN'T STOP 'TIL THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS MY NAME!" Lina sang in the kitchen.

"They are being very loud," Ocotillo said.

"We already established that," Qibli said.

"QUIET YOUR MOUTH LINA," Eri yelled.

"NEVER!" Lina yelled back.

"SHOULD I PREVENT THESE KNIVES FROM FLOATING AROUND?!" Cassie asked.

"WHAT THE HECK? WHAT HAPPENED? HOW?!" Eri asked.

"Cheshire is hissing in the corner," Qibli observed, "I don't think he likes the noise."

"I find it amusing. The loudness, not Cheshire," Ocotillo said.

"Yeah," Qibli nodded.

At another table, Ron had apparently been so dense that he hadn't noticed that Cassie had powers this whole time. He said, "She can make knives float?! That sounds like our magic. Except we weren't allowed to do magic in the muggle world."

"Obviously she isn't using our magic. I'm sure we would've recognized it by now," Hermione said.

"Ron, even if she is using our magic, the rules for American witches might be different," Harry said.

"We're aware of that Harry. I mean, she's obviously something else!" Hermione said.

"Excuse me? What exactly do you think she is?" Annabeth butted in from the other table.

In the kitchen Eri yelled, "AGH! CASSIE, YOU ALMOST CUT ME WITH YOUR FLOATY KNIVES! DO IT AGAIN AND YOU'RE OUT!"

"I'M SORRY! I WAS TRYING TO MAKE THEM STOP!" Cassie yelled back.

"HEY, DON'T YELL AT A KID!" Lina yelled at Eri.

"I AM A KID! DON'T YELL AT ME THEN," Eri yelled.

"WELL THEN DON'T YELL AT ME!" Lina yelled.

"OKAY!" Eri yelled, and then at a normal volume she said, "I think the dough has risen enough. We should start making the noodles."

Back at the tables, Hermione said, "Our magic is easier to control than that. She was probably born with this power."

Cheshire hissed, "This place is too loud..."

Riley turned her chair around, "Hey, maybe you could do or think of something calming to get your mind away from the loudness."

"Yeah, I thought counting would work, but it's so loud that I can't concentrate," Cheshire said.

"Is this how American restaurants are these days? Minus the apocalypse," Abe wondered.

"I guess so," Minho said.

"Wait, so after flattening the dough, what do we do?" Cassie asked from the kitchen.

"Take a knife and cut the flattened dough into long thin strips," Eri informed.

"Thin strips, okay," Cassie said and started cutting the dough.

When the girls were done with making the noodles, they started cooking them.

"We need to add some spices or sauce," Lina reminded.

"Yeah, I'll poof some pesto and marinara sauce here," Eri said and she conjured one jar of pesto and one jar of marinara sauce.

After some more minutes of cooking, Lina yelled, "FOOD IS READY!"

"Brace yourselves," Ocotillo muttered.

Eri bursted out of the kitchen with cart of sardines and plates of pasta. "Hello, I shall serve you!" Eri strolled up to Ocotillo and Qibli.

"That's nice," Ocotillo said.

"Would you two like sardines with your pasta?" Eri asked.

"Nah, I'll just have the noodles," Ocotillo said.

"No thanks, I don't really like fish," Qibli said.

Eri nodded and set down two plates of pasta on their table.

Lina walked up to Turtle and Kinkajou, "Okay. Food?"

"FISH! I mean... I'll have fish with my pasta, please," Turtle said.

"No meat please!" Kinkajou said.

Lina nodded, and she set down two plates as they had requested.

After Eri, Lina, and Cassie had served everyone else, they got their own pasta and sat down at the bar.

"Wow! This tastes good!" Eri said, not afraid to compliment herself.

"It does taste good," Ocotillo said, "I have decided that you guys were having fun!"

"Fun except for the floating knives," Eri said.

"I really didn't mean to!" Cassie said.

"I'm serious when I say that if you do that again, you'll get twelve years... OF AZKABAN!" Eri said.

Upon hearing his name, Sirius Black crashed in on his motorcycle. He was going to lecture Eri on how it wasn't a funny joke since he did spend twelve years in Azkaban. However, Lina poofed him away before he could say anything. Then she gave herself temporary powers to fix the broken window.

"That's a bit harsh," Ocotillo told Eri.

"I WAS TRYING TO GET THEM TO STOP!" Cassie said.

Hermione stared at Cassie; she was trying to figure out how Cassie made the knives float.

Cassie noticed this, and she said, "Uh... why is she staring at me?"

"She's a demigod, Hermione. Didn't we already establish that?" Hazel said.

"Yes, I know. I'm trying to figure out what made her be able to do it. I bet when she got her father's genes, it contained part of his godly power. That's why she's able to control metal," Hermione said.

"All I know is that you're freaking the bloody kid out!" Ron interjected.

"But Hephaestus is the god of fire and stuff. The only other demigod who can control stuff like metal is me. Except I'm a daughter of Pluto..." Hazel said.

"That other stuff would be METALworking, forges, and blacksmithing," Hermione said, "Having a child who can control metal wouldn't be too far fetched."

"No other Hephaestus child has had Cassie's power though," Hazel said.

"So? It still makes sense!" Hermione said, "I am just wondering how she's able to do this. I wish I could study this!"

"It's not like I know any other Leo!" Cassie said.

"She does have a fair point," Hermione said, "As far as I know, Leo is the only one who can control fire!"

"Actually, there was another. But the other one died," Hazel said.

"Still, that means there were only two. You never know, Cassie didn't notice her powers until later," Hermione said.

"Yeah," Cassie said, "Weird things would happen, but they were small. I never really noticed."

"This debate is interesting," Ocotillo commented, "Qibli, if we ever have a fight in our relationship, let's debate it and make it something I would watch."

"Let's hope it doesn't get to that," Qibli said.

"Oh! Sorry if I am interrupting you lunch Hazel," Hermione said, "It's just fascinating to me."

"You are forgiven!" Hazel said.

Frank commented, "Everyone's powers are pretty cool, so it's understandable that you're interested."

"Are you having a good time?" Hermione asked Hazel.

"Yeah," Hazel said.

At the bar, Eri looked to Lina, "Hey... have you ever wondered what happened to your family...?"

Lina stopped eating and sat there for a moment, frowning, "No... I think I know what happened to them."

"I heard something about Santee High making a resistance. I think my family joined that," Eri said.

"Maybe Tyler and my mom are still alive, but I don't want to get my hopes up. It's hard to survive here, and I'm surprised nobody in our group has died yet," Lina said.

"Please don't jinx us," Eri said, "Hey, maybe we could go to Santee later!"

Lina sighed and completely stopped eating, "Maybe. I hope they're still there. I just don't understand how we got separated though."

"Well, we were camping in the woods. So we weren't with them," Eri said.

"I know! But we should've met up with them! Do you ever wonder if they're dead though?" Lina asked.

"Not really... I mean, Santee has the ROTC, the marching band, the football players, and sharp trophies. I'm sure they're all good," Eri said.

"I still can't imagine it. You know, my family being dead. I sure hope they aren't. They never had a plan," Lina said and chuckled slightly, "We never had a plan either, and it worked out. So I guess there's still a chance of them surviving."

"Plus there aren't as many gorillas down here, I think," Eri said, "It's really just a matter of living in this world."

"I know... but I don't think I want to talk about this anymore," Lina sighed.

"Oh yeah! I understand!" Eri said.

"So... how's the food everyone?!" Lina asked; she put on enthusiastic grin.

"Great, actually," Ocotillo said.

"Fish, fish, fish," Cheshire said; it was quite an intelligent review of the food.

Cassie smiled, "Yeah! It's great!"

"It's thanks to you, me, and E Dog the Dark Underworlder," Lina said, and bowed to Eri A.K.A E Dog the Dark Underworlder.

"It's quite delicious," Abe said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome! I appreciate the compliments," Eri said and gestured to Lina, "And so does Blaze the Pretty Pretty Princess."

"YOU WILL ALWAYS BE BLAZE!" Lina roared at Eri.

"I guess so. I have to follow the rules of Princess Blaze after all," Eri said.

Lina growled at Eri.

"How about nobody is Blaze?" Moon suggested.

"Great idea," Qibli said.

"Hah, yeah. Let's listen to Moon," Ocotillo said.

"I'm ready to head back. Is anyone else?" Eri asked.

"I am," Winter said.

"Me too," Qibli said, "How about you Ocotillo?"

"Yeah, I am," Ocotillo responded.

"I would've thought you were ready!" Lina said and playfully shoved Winter. She got a glare from Winter and put her hands in the air, "Whoa there. Calm down!"

The Mad Hatter stuffed extra noodles in one of his hats and said, "Ready as ever."

"I see our food is loved. Come now everyone!" Lina said.

When they got back at the hotel, Eri announced, "I'm going to take a walk."

Lina pulled out her very treasured belonging, "I can come too!"

Ocotillo warned, "Watch out for shady people!"

"I was thinking that I would go alone," Eri said.

"Okay, I'm going to go on an alone walk too," Lina said, "Me, myself, and my very treasured belonging."

"Okay then," Eri said and headed out of the hotel.

Lina did the same.

In the distance Lina heard Eri say, "Dang, that one's locked. Oh! Found one! DANG IT! How do you drive?! Ack! That's the reverse."

Lina was watching and laughed her face off.

"How does one get out of parallel parking?" Eri asked herself then noticed Lina watching, "WHAT THE- you're here?!"

"I never left! Do you want help? I've sat through enough of my brother's-" Lina paused after mentioning her brother, "-driving lessons to know some stuff!" Lina said. She added, "Probably."

"No, I'll just find a car not in parallel parking," Eri said.

"Okay. I am going to Santee, so I'll use yours. It's better than going on foot," Lina said.

"You were planning to go to Santee too?" Eri asked.

"Yeah," Lina said, "I want to see what's left, and if it's destroyed or not."

"Well then..." Eri got out of the car and into another, "I'LL RACE YOU TO SANTEE!"

"I WILL WIN!" Lina jumped into the car and hit the gas.

Eri started driving so fast that she was lucky there were no police. She would've gotten a million tickets.

Lina tried to go even faster, and the two girls rode off into the abandoned ruins of their state.

Author's Note: Santee High School is not our high school nor does it actually exist. I made it up for privacy reasons obviously.