Ember Wind: Starlight City

The Night Returns

Morning came quickly. At least what was perceived as morning. It was still dark outside regardless. Tangurple woke up groggy and with a stiff mouth. He raised his head and the notebook followed. He plucked it off his face and yawned. "I didn't know I could drool in game. I don't even remember falling asleep." the door to the main room of the inn was wide open. He'd fallen asleep in the office room of the inn. The door to the room was wide open. He stood up and stuffed the book back into his inventory.
   
He took a quick glance out the window and saw the same image as before, night time with a darkened tower. He stepped out of the room and onto the balcony that overlooked the main floor of the inn. Lanterns were lit and there was a smell of wood burning fire mixed with cooking meat. He walked down the staircase and followed his nose to the fireplace. To his surprise, there was a familiar person in front of the fireplace cooking an insane amount of food. "Mir?"
   
There was a quick cough and an uncontrollable muscle spasm. The dark elf turned her head slowly. Her cheeks were stuffed to the max with whatever food she was cooking. She made several attempts at swallowing the food with painful noises to boot.
   
"Don't hurt yourself now." Tangurple said as he craned his neck trying to get a better look at the food cooking.
   
Mirvelle gasped for air and finally spoke. "Ack. I thought I was going to be the only up this early."
   
"Early? It's morning, I think."
   
"I can't tell anymore. My whole sleep schedule is ruined because of this region."
   
"Is that why your binge eating?"
   
"This is not binge eating." she said trying to stuff more food in her mouth. "This is press eaping."
   
Tangurple reached into the fireplace and pulled out one of the foodstuffs she was cooking. "Beef Pastry with Heartberry sauce? What are its stats? Plus fifty-five hundred health, forty-six hundred magic and stamina. Damn, those are actually good stats."
   
Mirvelle was stuffing more of this pastry in her mouth and her cheeks were stretched out to match a winterbound chipmunk. "Mmmpfff."
   
He took a bite out of it and to his surprise, it tasted good. The heartberry, which was really just strawberry, added a sweetness to the flame grilled meat that was nestled tightly in the flakey cake-like pastry. "Damn, this is good. Where'd you get the recipe?"
   
She tried to speak but only ended up spitting out bits of food. A minute later, when her mouth wasn't clogged, she spoke clearly. "I was Guild Bank delving. It's a past time of the guild and I got the draw of it. The raid leader auctions off things and if multiple people want it, it gets raffled. If no one wants it then it gets stuffed into the guild bank and forgotten. This recipe was an item no one wanted."
   
"Why would no one want this recipe? It's like having breakfast with dinner."
   
"Probably for that very reason."
   
"Oh... good point."
   
"Feeling snackish?" the third voice was female and sounded familiar. They both turned around to see a very tired looking Storm. She yawned and stretched. She was dressed in simple sleep clothing; low level robe with minimal decoration on it. "You gonna share?"
   
Mirvelle plucked a pastry and tossed it at Storm. Storm caught it and stuffed it into her mouth. The pastry was quickly consumed and belched. "I didn't know you could cook Mir."
   
"I try not to, my tastes are weird."
   
"Tell me something I don't know," Storm jested.
   
Mir blushed momentarily and shook her head. "No... just no. I'm referring to food tastes, not... not that."
   
"You sure?" Storm winked.
   
Tangurple was confused on a whole new level he'd never thought to be possible. "Uh... are we still talking about food?"
   
"Ew ew ew ew ew ew..." Mirvelle was doing some odd chicken dance to shake whatever unwanted thought she had from her mind.
   
Storm started laughing her ass off uncontrollably. "You're gonna make me piss myself!"
   
Tangurple stood up and quietly backed away from the weird situation. When walking backwards, it's beneficial to look. Tangurple's leg caught a table leg and down he went. His head bounced off the floor and he groaned in pain. Storm only laughed harder. He groaned and saw Falcher standing off to the side. "What'd you do man?"
   
"Damn... Table..." he held his head and groaned some more.
   
"Man up, the thunk wears off quickly," Falcher said as he extended his hand for the fallen male.
   
Tangurple reached up and grabbed the offer, using it to pull himself up. "Granted, but it still comes with the memory of doing something equally stupid."
   
"You've done that before?"
   
"I've fallen up stairs, yes, up."
   
"How in hell do you fall up stairs?"
   
"The stairs in my old house had an inch long lip that extended over the step and nine times out of ten, I caught my toes on that and just go thunk." he used hand puppets to give visualization to his short story.
   
"You are a strange child."
   
"I know that."