"If you need help setting the table, just call any of the other kids or ask Sister, okay?" Laniakea said.
"I'm not stupid. If I think it's too much, I'll obviously ask for help," Jessica replied, blushing slightly; she still wasn't over the fact that someone had heard her stomach growl. Just as she declared she didn't need help, she tripped over a cloth.
Laniakea quickly dropped what he was holding and leapt toward her. He imbued Aura into his legs to accelerate, his core to "feather" his weight against the sudden speed, and his arms to cushion the impact so the velocity of his leap wouldn't hurt her. He caught her just in time.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
Jessica turned even redder with embarrassment. She scrambled up and ran toward her room, yelling back, "ASK SISTER IF YOU NEED ANY MORE HELP!"
"Seriously..." Laniakea murmured with a smile. "Seems like I'll have to set the table on my own."
He finished the task, but when he looked down, his smile faded. "Wait... the food. It's cold." A look of grief crossed his face as he experienced every chef's worst nightmare. "I have to do something. My pride won't allow me to serve this. It's impossible!"
Laniakea scrambled for a solution. Using the oven was the easiest option, but he didn't want to waste coal. "Wait... what if I use friction? My teacher (the head chef of the tavern who taught him cooking) said that before ovens existed, people rubbed wood together to make fire. What if I..."
He covered his hands in Aura, condensing it until it became hard and rough, unlike its usual liquid state. He began rubbing his palms together. "No, this won't work. The heat dissipates too fast. Maybe I could form a type of insulation to trap the heat inside."
He molded the Aura around his hands into a semi-bowl shape and rubbed again. "It's working better than expected! The heat is being stored inside."
He flattened the Aura into thin sheets—like the pages of a book—and held them close to the food, using the radiating heat to warm the dish. "This should do it. Now I have a new trick to show Teacher."
"EVERYBODY! DINNER'S READY!" Laniakea shouted, enhancing his vocal cords and neck with Aura so he wouldn't strain his throat.
"Lan! You can't just yell like that!" Sister scolded, startled. "You scared everyone! You could have just come and told us."
"Yeah, sure. I'm just going to get Jessica. I'll be right back."
Laniakea walked to Jessica's room and knocked. "Hello, Jess? It's me, Lan. I just finished dinner. It took a little longer since you weren't there, but I won't let you go the rest of the day without eating."
He heard the door creak open. In a soft voice, Jessica whispered, "Okay, I'll come. But don't tell anyone I tripped, or I won't forgive you!"
Laniakea took the warning to heart and kept the secret of why dinner had been delayed.
"Lan, are you going to the forest again today?" Sister asked during the meal.
"No, I'm staying home. Work was pretty exhausting."
"You haven't stayed home like this in a long time," Sister noted. "Make sure to go to bed early."
"Yeah, sure. I'll sleep early today," Laniakea promised.
Back in his room, Laniakea closed his eyes. I was actually planning on sneaking out, he thought as he drifted off, but I guess I really am tired. I'll just enter my soul realm instead. Why waste a good night? I'll try to learn something new today.