He was Almost Absorbed by the System

Chapter One Hundred and Eighteen - A Difference In Taste

"What are you doing here?"

"Well you see, someone wanted to see you."

Owen lead the two into his kitchen, where he took three glasses from the cupboard before filling them with juice. He placed two of the glasses onto the breakfast bar where they sat. The pert nose of his smaller guest sniffed the air, taking in the mouthwatering aroma filling the room. "What is that? It smells so yummy!"

With a slight smile, Owen removed his lunch from the microwave. "Lamb casserole," came the reply. He heard a loud gulp from both. He could not blame them, he knew the potency of Adam's cooking first hand. Even without the technology of an advanced age, even without easy access to herbs and spices, that man always managed to produce meals that were fit for a royal. Owen took two bowls down and divided the casserole into two portions, saving the larger for himself. He placed the other bowl before them with two spoons. "Try it."

The spoons dipped into the thick gravy cautiously. The man automatically groaned in pleasure as the tender meat and soft vegetables struck his tastebuds. The other delicately licked the sauce, before claiming the whole bowl to herself. Mark looked down at his little sister as she began to devour the food like a starving wolf. Owen smirked as he began to savour his own meal, trying not to copy the actions of the child. It was just that good.

"If I had know those weird meals tasted this good, I might have tried one!" Mark chuckled.

"What? Gross!" Owen laughed.  "Adam made this for me!  He's an amazing cook!"

"Professional?"  Mark asked.

"No, he's a mechanic," Owen replied, scratching the remnants of soup from the bowl with his soup.  "You know that your mum won't be happy with you visiting me."

"She's not aware," Mark shuffled awkwardly on the spot as he confessed.  "She's currently suffering from a hangover, so I doubt she will notice that we have gone."

"We made Lala swear to secrecy!" Francis added, conspiratorially.  Owen glanced up at Mark wondering what sort of person had such an odd name.

"Layla, her nanny." Marc replied to the unasked question.

"Oh," Owen said as he placed the dirty dishes into the dishwasher.  "So what did you need to see me for so urgently that you would risk your mothers wrath!" He changed the tone of his voice to sound like that of a mysterious villain causing Francis to giggle.  She pulled a badly folded piece of paper from her pocket, opened it, before attempting to flatten it with a soft palm.  It was a drawing of a dress, coloured in crayon.  It was a little awkward, but not so bad that he couldn't recognise it for what it represented.  It was the design they had made for fun the evening before.

"I couldn't remember all of the details," Francis began to verbalise her excuse.  "So I made Big Brother Mark bring me here so you can help me!"

So Owen's afternoon began not by raiding in the game in his bedroom, but by drawing with his little sister, in the living room. He smiled.  This sort of reminded him of the good times he had spent with his little sister Nellie, before she became obsessed with status, appearance and the man he wanted for himself.  Mark watched them for a bit, before playing small puzzles on his phone.  "You are pretty good and drawing," Mark mentioned as Owen finalised the unicorn image that was to be the focus of the dress.

"It feels like it's been forever since a picked up a pencil," Owen said in reply.  This was more than true, in fact he hadn't enjoyed drawing since his life as the boy named Kez.  He had almost lost the joy of it then, due to the expectations and oppressive nature of his teachers and peers.  But Rush had loved his work, so he had continued on drawing and painting, but by then it was just a hobby.