[With the veggies divided up, Lea checked the water, adjusting the heat slightly and adding a bit of salt to it before going back to the cutting board to deal with the fresh herbs. It would only need another minute or two to be ready to start adding the other ingredients, but might as well make those minutes useful.

At the comment about him being stubborn about vegetables, though he chuckled faintly.]

Heh, yeah. Of course, I was stubborn about a lot of things. Though Isa could give me a run for my munny in that department.

[The traces of the chuckle vanish at the mention of Isa, but he continues.]

Isa... well you'd never know it if you just talked to him casually, but he feels things really deeply. He'd put up this cold, aloof exterior, but underneath, he was actually pretty sensitive. And if you could get him to smile... well, it was something special.

[Pause]

Least it used to be. I haven't really ever seen him smile since we were kids. He was in the Organization too, and leaned pretty hard into the whole 'no hearts' thing as Siax.