16th Tick: Proper Meal
1007 Words
Rose walked into the room where they were allowed to temporarily occupy. She saw Garnt walk past, giving her a polite smile before walking off. She asked, “Is he alright?”
“Yes, your husband is doing fine, he will be waking up tomorrow.” Garnt replied.
Rose’s face flushed red as she said, “He’s not my husband! Far from it.”
“Ah, my mistake.” Garnt bowed.
“It’s alright, it’s alright. We’re just accomplices.” Rose told him.
Garnt nodded and bowed again. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be taking my leave.”
Rose watched as the demon walked down the hall and disappeared down the stairs. Rose sighed, wondering why the other men in her life were not like Garnt. She paused, thinking of all the men in her life to begin with. The people back in her town were alright, but she barely talked to them to begin with. Other than that, there was Thomas and Wish, literal Myths. She shook her head, both were weird. She tried to think more about it, but couldn’t find any other men in her life. She sighed and entered the room.
She saw Thomas on the bed, completely still. The only thing signifying life was a gentle breathing. Rose sat down beside him and said, “How reliable.”
For once, there was no reply.
She looked around, then walked out of the room, going down the stairs to where they were about to open shop. She asked them, “Is there any place I can visit in the town? Maybe get something to eat?”
“Plenty.” The bartender told her. “Just walk around, there are countless places that offer entertainment and food.”
“Thank you, also for the room.” Rose bowed slightly.
“No problem, I like some travellers.”
Rose walked out of the tavern and looked left and right, wondering where she should try and visit first. Rose walked up to a building where some people were lining up.
“What’s going on?” Rose asked.
“It’s a restaurant, about to open in a few minutes.” The human replied. “Are you also here to eat? You might want to line up quickly.”
“I think I will. Thank you.”
“No problem.”
Rose walked to back of the line. The people she met in the town were nice to her so far. She felt safe, demons and humans not posing any form of a threat to each other. Rose waited in line before a woman exited the building, shouting, “Alright! We’re open for business!”
The customers started streaming in one by one in a surprisingly orderly fashion. Rose watched as the lady directed them to their seats, Rose soon following.
“By yourself?” She asked Rose.
“Yes.”
“Alright, you can take the seat in the corner. By the way, are you alright with sharing seats?”
“I’m fine with it.”
“Great, please make your way there.”
The lady pointed to the corner where there was a table for four. Rose made her way there rather awkwardly, feeling out of place. The restaurant did not have any tables for less than four, it was more for gatherings and family meals. She sat there and looked around, taking in the busy atmosphere of demons and humans alike. She looked at the menu, wondering what vegan options they offered. She waited before signalling to a waitress, ordering a salad and some water.
“Anything else?” The waitress asked.
She was a different person than the one at the door. She was a demon with black hair tied into several braids. Rose shook her head, pushing the menu towards her.
“We recommend our house specialty, it’s a delicious blend of pork and our secret sauce.” The waitress told her.
“Oh... I don’t really eat meat.” Rose replied.
“I see.” The waitress tapped her chin. “Then I would recommend something other than our salads. We have some artificial meat, made from flour and wheat from our farms. Are you interested in trying them out?”
“Is there something on the lighter side?”
“Yes, we offer a side of artificial chicken bites.”
“Then I’ll have that too.”
“Thank you for your patronage.”
The waitress walked away, holding Rose’s order. Rose looked around, observing the design of the room. It was built relatively new, the lighting was good and the mood was better. Rose found that even though she was by herself, she was enjoying herself, maybe it was because she was too use to being alone. Without Rose noticing, other people sat across from her. When she looked, it was a couple, a male and female demon.
“You don’t mind us sitting here, do you?” The man asked.
“Not at all.” Rose replied.
“Thank you. The restaurant has been pretty crowded recently, so seats are scarce.” He laughed.
The female demon simply sat down, looking at Rose, giving her a sweet smile. She faced the man and said, “She looks like Ann’s daughter, doesn’t she?”
“She looks nothing like that child.” The man told her.
Rose simply sat and listened to their conversations before being asked, “May we know your name?”
“My name?” Rose asked, surprised.
“I’m Robert and this is my wife Lotila.” The male demon said.
“Oh... my name is Rose.”
“What a nice name.”
They talked a bit more, Rose finding out more about the town. She liked the place, people were nice, friendly and there was no violence. When she finished eating, Rose left the restaurant feeling much better. She had taken a bath, had a warm meal and even talked to the locals. The only thing left on her itinerary was to have a good night’s rest. She returned to the tavern, walking through a crowd of customers.
Before she could go up the stairs, the bartender grabbed her shoulder. He said, “Lass, you and that guy are staying in that room. So you have to pay me back.”
“How much?” Rose asked.
“A few day’s work.”
“Can’t I pay instead...”
“We don’t accept cash.”
Notre shouted from across the tavern, “That’s how he got me too!”
Rose was hesitant, but the work was simple. She only brought the drinks and snacks to the customers from the kitchen which Garnt managed. It was not too hard, when she did not know which order belonged to which table, she just went with her gut feeling, her sixth sense coming into effect. Rose was starting to get attached to the town.
- Writer
