Chapter 29.5: Chis Borgar Talks
The sun was setting over Star Island, painting the skies in hues of orange and pink. Vapor sat cross-legged on a rocky outcrop overlooking the ocean, trying to make sense of everything that had happened that day. Mira plopped down next to him, holding a notepad filled with sketches and indecipherable scribbles.
“Alright, spill it,” Vapor said, breaking the silence. “Why in Chaos did you call it Chis Borgar?”
Mira grinned mischievously. “Oh, come on, isn’t it obvious?”
“No,” Vapor deadpanned. “Nothing about you is obvious.”
Mira held up her hands as if she were unveiling a grand secret. “It’s inspired by greatness, Vapor. The pinnacle of culinary delight. A marvel of human ingenuity.”
“Let me guess,” Vapor sighed. “A cheeseburger.”
“Bingo!” Mira declared triumphantly. “Think about it. Cheeseburgers are compact, functional, and layered with possibilities. Just like my machine!”
Vapor rubbed his temples. “Your machine looked more like a crushed lunchbox than a cheeseburger.”
“Hey!” Mira shot back, offended. “I worked hard on that! Besides, the name is catchy.”
“Catchy? Mira, people were staring at us when you shouted it in public. I thought we were about to get arrested.”
“That’s just the price of genius,” Mira said smugly, flipping through her notes. “Besides, Chis Borgar is only the beginning.”
Vapor raised an eyebrow. “Oh no. What’s next? A time machine called Whopper?”
Mira’s eyes lit up. “Ooooh, I like that idea!”
“Please tell me you’re joking.”
“Nope!” Mira started scribbling furiously in her notebook. “A time machine! We’ll need some stabilizing coils, a temporal displacer, maybe a few buns for thematic flair…”
Vapor groaned, leaning back against the rock. “You’re insane.”
“Insanely brilliant,” Mira corrected. “Imagine it, Vapor. We could visit ancient civilizations, see the dinosaurs, witness the first cheeseburger being made—”
“Why are you so obsessed with cheeseburgers?” Vapor interrupted.
“They’re the perfect metaphor!” Mira explained, gesturing wildly. “Each layer has a purpose: the bun holds everything together, the cheese adds flavor, the patty is the heart of it all. My inventions are like that—layered perfection!”
Vapor stared at her, unimpressed. “Your layered perfection nearly exploded in my face today.”
“Minor hiccup,” Mira said dismissively. “Besides, it worked, didn’t it?”
“Barely,” Vapor muttered.
They sat in silence for a moment, watching the waves crash against the shore. Finally, Vapor spoke again.
“Do you ever think about, I don’t know, just making something... normal? Something that doesn’t involve interdimensional chaos or the risk of blowing up?”
“Normal is boring,” Mira replied immediately. “I mean, what’s the point of playing it safe? Life is short. Why not make it exciting?”
Vapor sighed but couldn’t help a small smile. “You’re impossible.”
“And you’re lucky to have me,” Mira said with a wink. “Admit it, today was fun.”
Vapor chuckled softly. “I guess it was… in a terrifying, chaotic sort of way.”
Mira grinned, leaning back on her hands. “That’s the spirit, Vapor. Now, let’s talk about Whopper. Should it be flame-grilled themed or something more retro?”
“Flame-grilled,” Vapor said without thinking, then froze. “Wait, no! I’m not encouraging this!”
Mira just laughed, already lost in her plans for the next invention.
Vapor shook his head, but deep down, he knew life would be a lot duller without her around.
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Let me know if you’d like to add more details or tweak their conversation!
