“you want some?” nat inquired, raising an eyebrow. she’d been cooking for a while, and was beginning to notice the delicious smell of tostones was attracting more than a few housemates to the kitchen. she carefully positioned her forearm to push a few loose hairs out of her face. a small laugh emit her half smile. her hands were covered in a mixture of plantain residue and oil. she was a little frazzled, but just about done with plating the mass amount of food. the kitchen counter was covered in an array of plates, tongs, and oil. since entering the house nat had been having a generally good time. it was an off-putting situation. sensory overload felt like an understatement, but she was happy to be there. despite her contentment, she needed a little bit of normal and nat liked to cook, bake, and in general, make things. the concept and act of creating was a passion of hers. food, paintings, writing - all of it. she found it fulfilling to create. nat had long past lost track of time and had no idea how many servings she’d made, but it was surely enough to feed a small army. or should she say the equivalent of the surrounding pogues and kooks. she’d had a few conversations on and off as she was cooking, but had gotten a bit too distracted to hold a longer conversation once she got to the frying. now, she could get back to socializing. nat quickly washed her hands, drying them on the least messy kitchen towel. she reached for one of the recently plated fried plantains, a giddy look on her face. “the ultimate reward!”