Ruz
Legacy Name: Ruz

The kitchen was a disaster. It looked as if it hadn't been used in a decade, at least for anything other than the storage of old junk and the store's surplus antiques. There was a thick layer of grime coating every surface that was not hidden by some odd ancient contraption. Instead of spices and fresh fruits atop the counters, there were yellowing books and twisted pieces of metal, chipped pottery and jewelry boxes with broken hinges. There were no pots and pans, dishes, or cutlery to be found, let alone some form of edible foodstuffs.

Ruz glanced over to Sheng Li inquisitively, but the boy just smiled and gestured him forward. He took a few steps into the room, carefully maneuvering around haphazardly placed crates and barrels, likely filled with even more useless junk. But as he examined the room itself a little closer, he could begin to see the potential shining through the dust and the dirt. Beneath that, there was an enormous and intricate wood-burning oven, one of a size and quality he had never seen before. He could feel his eyes widen at the sight, and he turned around to look back at the group of people standing before him.

He had known Sheng Li for many years - they had grown up together in an orphanage until the boy had found himself a new family. That new family, the couple standing beside him, was interesting to say the least. The man, Beltrano, was of the imaginitive and curious sort, just like Li was. He was the hoarder of antiques, and worked to freshen them up, repair them if he had to, and sell them to the wealthy. Even as he stood there, he was staring off into the distance, as if his mind were on other things. He wore comfortable clothing, a long fur-lined shawl, and his hair fell nearly to his knees. The woman standing beside him, Roxella, seemed more practicalat least, but she too had her head in the clouds. Not a one of them, especially not his friend Li, could be considered a normal functioning member of society. They were, without a doubt, the strangest family he had ever seen.

"I have to admit..." Roxella said, toying with her light pink hair. She wore it loose and in a thick braid that fell over her shoulder, reaching past her shoulder blades in length. "We have ulterior motives. As you can see, none of us have ever even used this kitchen... except for the once, when we first purchased this place. Bel nearly set the place on fire."

"No," he said, pulling his mind fromelsewhere at the sound of his name. "I'm fairly certain that was you."

"Actually," Li cut in, able to comfortably speak in their manner. "I'm pretty sure it was a group effort."

Roxella waved her hand in dismissal at their interjections. "No matter the details, the three of us do not belong in a kitchen whatsoever. So, after little needed convincing from our dearest Li, we decided to find you." At this, she smiled. "I heard you like to bake."

"Yes," Ruz said passively, plaintively. He glanced at Li again, who smiled.

"Of course, that isn't the only reason we chose you," Roxella said, a thought suddenly occurring to her. "We don't want to welcome you into the family just because of that. This isn't slave labor."

"I would hope not," Li said wryly.

Roxella ignored him entirely. "Li speaks so highly of you, and has ever since he came into our family. I think he gets a little lonely, tinkering away in the dark. I think it is only fair to him that he have a dear friend nearby, don't you?" Ruz said nothing, unable to think of a neutral answer. The question must have been rhetorical though, as she did not seem to expect a response before she continued. "And any friend of our son is our family too. What do you think?"

He looked between the three of them - Li who stood leaning in the doorframe, picking the grease out from under his fingernails; Beltrano, staring rather intently at an old cast-iron pot, likely debating on it being his next project; and Roxella, looking him directly in the eye and actually asking his opinion. They were unusual to say the least, and he had a feeling that the banter he had just witnessed was only a fraction of what they were capable of. But they were comfortable with each other, warmly inviting him in to be a part of their strange little family. Despite himself, he couldn't help but think that it might actually work out.

"I think..." He began unbuckling his wrist cuffs, giving himself something to do other than look at them as he spoke. "I'd better get started cleaning this kitchen."