lirvothethird

  We sat in a normal restaurant, with a normal menu, with normal food. It was my first time in a restaurant.

  The silence was broken intermittently with the sobs of a crying child in the background.

  No fork, no spoon, no spork, only water in a gss. A moment ter, our meal was served.

  Six sandwiches whose main focus is the one side where the crust was cut off, some yellow soup with greens floating in it, more bread, some butter, and a helping of greens which was quickly shoved my way.

  After the waiter left, Ezreal dug in straight away. Seeing I didn't eat, he pointed out an obvious blindspot his uncle didn't know.

  "Sandwiches are eaten with the hand. Like this. Om anm you don't, eat the crust."

  "How's it so white????"

  "Bread here's always white, wha do you mean? Oh, you never had white bread before?"

  "It doesn't look natural."

  His uncle interjected after somehow polishing off one of the sandwiches and his soup.

  "I heard that they do something to remove the brown bits in the flour."

  "Less for more? Ha. Really? Kind of like the crust. It's edible, they remove it, and make it the selling point. Is the world strange or am I strange?"

  I slumped back and started to eat the sandwich, taking care to start with the crust first. Braised pike and vinaigrette filled my mouth as some strategically pced vegetable banced the fvours and added more texture. After a few more bites, I asked another question.

  "How's it so juicy without getting soggy?"

  A passing waiter answered me.

  "The butter spread on the bread protects it."

  "Thanks."

  Oil and water doesn't mix. Makes sense that fat, which is just solid oil, prevents the water from making the bread soggy.1Emulsion can make oil and water mix, there's temporary and not so temporary. There's a reason why if you ever hear that the mayo 'broke' means the emulsion broke and the oil and water separated. After finishing the fishy but not fishy tasting sandwich, I moved onto a dunpor and cheese sandwich. How tragic is it to taste so good with its own cheese?

  After watching Ezeal dipping part of the sandwich in the soup, I tried it too, but the fvours were messed up. To each their own. The soup tasted fine, and the bread left on the side was used to clean the bowl of the remaining bits.

  A whole shaddock citron was split among us to finish the meal.

  Back to business, at the university.

  "Hmm. Where did you say you found these?"

  He held it up to the light, peering over every detail using a magnifying gss. Ezreal replied as he stretched. Working after eating is a

  "Didn't I show you? Haah, I marked down the location on the map already..."

  "Approximately? Did you record the nearby tribes? What about the culture of the ruin? What time period do you think this from?"

  "Not my problem. Isn't having you do the work good? We're even letting you have first pick!"

  He held his head as he sighed.

  "See, those things are what you should be doing as an explorer. It's not safe for you and friend to just waltz in a ruin without making any preparations. It's a miracle you're still alive."

  "Heh."

  Very punchable face in sight. He seemed like he was going to say something but held himself back, leaving only a sigh.

  "I'll have this one and this one."

  He held up the headband and a neckce. Ezreal instantly rebutted.

  "Hey. Only one."

  "These are from two sites. One from each right?"

  I cleaned up the table, packing the things up, politely nodded and waved goodbye. Ezreal dejectedly followed.

  "Tch."

  "Don't click your tongue. You knew it, he knew it and I knew. He's your only family left, can't you be nicer?"

  "I can make a family... Later."

  "You any of us free spirits will settle down? I'm more likely to die in a faraway pce than to marry."

  "Guess you're right. Not like I'm gonna change though."

  "You lil TWERP!"

  I used the ultimate technique of an a headlock and rubbing my knuckles on his head.

  (Back at the University)

  Professor Lymere leaned back heavily into his chair. He idly fiddled with the relics his nephew gave him.

  "What a shitty big brother..."

  'Hahaha. Take care of Ezreal will ya?!' The warmth from where he got spped on the back remained til this day.

  Ezreal's parents st notes were of searching for Nezuk's mausoleum. It seemed that his nephew had succeeded where his parents had not, as the new glove he wore were definitely of Shuriman origin.

  He touched his mouth. Unknowingly, a grin had appeared on his face. A derisive ugh left him.

  "Ha. Maybe our whole family has a few screws loose."

  He shook his head as the chimes of the bell struck twice. He got up and walked towards his lecture with light hearted steps.

  (Aerth's POV)

  Back at Zalie's. And this time not for clothes or supplies.

  Opening the doors, the windchimes hanging off the door twinkled, alerting the drowsy clerk into sitting up.

  "Welcome dear customers... Wait. Is that you?! I knew you could do it!"

  He turned towards the back of the store and shouted.

  "Pay up! Ezreal's got the goods!"

  "You buying or what?"

  He turned back around and enthusiastically shook Ezreal's hand.

  "We'll buy of course. Congrats on your first success! Remember to sell to us first right?"

  "Of course. Who do you think you're talking to? (If I find your prices not to my liking...)"

  He threw up his hands.

  "Then I'll find a different pce to sell!"

  "Of course, of course. And you? Dear customer?"

  He looked between me and Ezreal. An arm slung itself over my shoulder. In retaliation, I reached to the scruff of Ezreal's shirt and grabbed it before lifting him off the ground.

  "I'm with him."

  After he raised his arms in surrender, I put him back down. The wrinkles that formed was patted down. It seemed that the clerk had forgotten about me as I had been brought over once, almost a year ago. Wait, what time of the year was it? The sand must've gotten to my head.

  As the bargaining started, I took a quick look around, I noticed a sheet of paper with a lot of numbers hanging off the wall. A ca, ca, calder? Something doesn't seem right but that doesn't matter.

  What's important is the contents. A yellow colored scribble of a sun was drawn next to the month.

  I see. It is summer. I nodded.

  What!? How's it summer already? We left in the early spring... And now it says summer?

  Half a year has passed...

  It was a blur as I got my share of the gold. Eventually, I arrived at the masonry pce I worked at. Stone dust flew in a stream through the air to be caught in a duffel bag pced over the fans. The people working there wore a band on their foreheads as well as a damp cloth in front of their nose and mouth.

  "I'm back."

  A desperate voice shouted back almost right away. A muscur man wiped his dusty hands on his apron.

  "Aerth my boy!!! You finally came back! Come. I'm sure you heard about the explosions on the streets. I worked hard to secure a deal for all the debris. I'll bring everyone out for drinks ter!"