Leon could not see hide nor hair of Jin Li once he stepped out of his broken hut. Had he finally decided to part with him? The boy simply sighed and made his way to the pavilion and to the Herb Hall. Each step felt heavier than the last as he wondered where best to sleep tonight; he did not wish to return to the mess, not ready to deal with it yet. He was also uncertain on how to deal with the matter.
The last time he... or rather Leo had suffered a break in, he had been moved to that isolated place and then forgotten. If he reported that there had been another break in, though nothing was stolen, would he have to move again? He did not want to. The small hut being far removed was beneficial to him, the outsider who was trying his best to fit in. He could hide there, learn to be a Cultivator without the distraction of trying to be someone else or live to expectations that others had for the person who was not him. He sighed, undecided until he reached the Halls.
Teacher Sagi happened to be there this time. "Leo! I have not seen you in a while!"
"I-I went d-d-down the m-mountain," Leon said, "for n-n-new cl-clothes."
The man frowned, noting that Leon's stutter was much worse than when they last spoke. "What is wrong?" He demanded. "Have you suffered another deviation?" He grabbed Leon's wrist to check his pulse point, but realised with relief that there was nothing wrong. In fact there were clear signs of improvement.
"N-no," Leon flushed, slightly, fidgeting under the scrutiny. "S-s-something h-h-happened a-and m-my c-c-cauldron c-cracked." His eyes glanced at the small cauldron in hand, not willing to look at the teacher in case he pushed him to speak further.
The man gently took the cauldron from him and saw the crack. It was clearly made by the use of force against it. His eyes narrowed, he knew it was not in Leo's nature to abuse his tools. In fact, he had witnessed the care the boy had given the small, cheap pot once in the past. The boy had sat and cleaned and polished it outside his hut for an hour, while others tossed it to one side once finished with it. "I will get you a new one," Teacher Sagi told him. "You are too thin! Go get something to eat in the meantime!"
Leon did as he was instructed, wandering into the near empty Food Hall without thought. The grey haired kitchen woman saw him enter and called over to him. "Hey, there boy!" She waved cheerfully. "'Ere to eat? You be forgettin' yer rice from last time!"
"Oh, yeah," he replied, recalling the whole thing with the mushrooms. How could he forget? It was where he found Jin Li after all.
"I'll getcha summin to eat," she stated. "You look like a fresh breeze could whisk you away!" She slipped back into the kitchen and brought back a tray of hot rice porridge filled with beans and peas, a plate of sliced rabbit meat in some brown sauce and fresh hot bread. His mouth instantly watered. He felt a little guilty that he could not share this with Jin Li, before remembering that the man had left him now. It would be quiet without him, he thought, but at least he could sleep in his own bed... once he fixed it.
His stomach was round like a ball by the time he had finished and he also store away the remaining bread into his pouch, noticing that he had yet to empty it of the purchases he carried. There was barely room to squeeze in the bread, but he dare not leave his things in the house. He would have to think of how to protect his things, he decided as his hands became occupied.
The grey haired woman came to take his tray away and noticed the little wooden rabbit charm just carved by his hands. "How cute," she commented and he blushed as he realised he had fallen on old habits to settle his nerves again.
"Here," he said, handing it to her. The little shape had been carved with a symbol for good health, though she was not aware of this. She was startled, but took it with good grace, before indicating the large sack of rice. He did not think it would fit in his pouch, so she let him borrow one that her son used.
"Tha' boy! No sooner did he drop off th' supplies, he be runnin' off somewhere else! Don' he think I know he be jus' tryin' to get outta chores!" She muttered as she made her way back into the kitchens.