The air is thick with tension as the Metkayina delegation arrives at the RDA base. Their massive, turquoise forms move like shadows through Hell's Gate’s artificial light — strange and otherworldly against this place of steel and war, contrasting to the soft and warm world of Metkayina’s oceans.

Tonowari towering even among his people, steps forward first with measured calm. His stripes flicker subtly under harsh floodlights as he surveys a crowd of humans watching them curiously from behind the fence. Beside him, Ronal remains perfectly still. Her piercing blue eyes lock onto Miles where he stands near a group of people who are visibly unnerved by their presence.

— Welcome, the people of the Reef! Have you come to learn how to bake?

Tonowari looks momentarily surprised, before his face betrays a hint of amusement. His eyes shift to Ronal, as if silently seeking her approval before responding in a deep, rich voice that seems to echo across the open space.

Ronal inclines her head in a subtle gesture of acknowledgment. Her gaze sweeps over the gathered humans with a mix of reserve and curiosity, until her eyes land on Miles again. There's a beat of silence in the air as she studies him before responding in her strong, commanding voice.

— Yes. We are here to learn how to make the food of the sky people.

— It’s called “bread”, — Miles smiled. — Come, we’ll show you the bakery.

Ao’nung, unable to suppress his curiosity any longer, steps forward with a smirk — his eyes flickering in amusement as he leans down toward Miles. His voice is teasing but not unkind.

— Bread? — he repeats the word like it's an alien concept. — You mean that golden fluff humans chew on? I thought you sky people only ate machine-made rations.

Rotxo nudges him lightly with an elbow before flashing Miles a warm grin of his own:

— Ignore him — he’s just hungry, — he shoots Ao'nung a playful glare before adding: — But… yeah, we do want to see this 'bread.'

Miles leads them inside the bakery, where the sweet warm scent of recently baked bread makes their mouths water.

— Here, all the magic happens. We brought a lot of flour here, which is made from ground wheat grains. Now, we’ll make dough.

Rotxo looks around the bakery with eager eyes, his gaze flickering over the various kitchen utensils laid out before him. Ao'nung follows closely behind Miles, his expression a mix of intrigue and fascination. His tail twitches slightly, betraying his excitement, and he reaches out to touch a bag of flour curiously.

— Ground wheat grains? — he asks, turning to Miles with a raised eyebrow. — This simple?

Ronal, meanwhile, steps up beside Miles with a curious expression, observing the process closely.

Miles grins at Ao’nung before nodding in confirmation.

— Yeah, ground wheat grains. — he confirms, opening the bag and pouring some of the flour into a bowl. — It's as simple as adding water, sugar, salt, eggs, yeast, and mixing, kneading it all together…

As Miles demonstrates the motions of kneading the dough, Ronal and Tonowari lean forward, fascinated by the technique. Other Metkayina observe in silence, taking notice of how the dough gradually begins to develop its characteristic smooth texture.

A few minutes later, the dough is successfully kneaded and is ready to rise. Miles places it in a large bowl and covers it with a damp cloth.

— Now, we let it rise. It'll take some time but then the yeast will do its job by creating gas and making the dough expand. — he adds, checking the consistency carefully.

Ao’nung glances at the dough with curiosity. He can already see how it's starting to swell a little. He pokes the dough gently with his finger.