ORPHEN:Retribution
Chapter 9
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Orphen and Kevin walked through the forest. It had mostly been in
silence. Orphen was worried about Cleo's cooking and Kevin was trying hard
to keep Cleo's new found cooking ability a secret. As they passed by a
small pond Orphen sat beside it.
Orphen: I wonder if I can persuade a monster in the lake to attack me?
Kevin: Why would you want to do that?
Orphen: So I don't have to eat Cleo's acid soup.
Kevin: Acid soup?
Orphen: Everytime she cooks she makes a soup that can burn a hole in clothes. It is completely unedible.
Kevin: Cleo said she was gonna cook roast today. She told me so earlier.
Oprhen: I didn't know Cleo knew how to roast anything.
Kevin: I guess she does if she is gonna cook it.
Orphen: Interesting. She waits till you show up then cooks something new. She might be trying to impress you.
Kevin: (thinking) You idiot! It's not me she is trying to impress. It's not me she has swooned over for three days. IT'S YOU!
Kevin: I don't think so. Besides, She's not my type.
Orphen: And what is your type?
Kevin: I don't know yet. But Cleo is not it. I like her as a friend and she is fun to be around but not in that way.
Orphen: That's what I told her three years ago.
Kevin: Having second thoughts about it?
Orphen: No. She is not my type but she is a girl. And I have been alone for so long. Ya know?
Kevin: No I don't. Orphen if you don't have feelings for her don't do anything. Even if you are lonely. Because she does have feelings for you.
Orphen: I know. And I thought that it would be a way to make us both happy, but you're right. It would just lead to heartache.
Kevin: It is probably getting close to time to eat. We should head back.
Orphen: Yeah, I guess. You're not gonna tell Cleo what I said here today right?
Kevin: Of course not. It is our secret.
Orphen: Thanks man.
Kevin: No problem.
Kevin and Orphen begin to walk back to camp. Orphen smiled. Kevin was right. He was glad he had not made that mistake. -------------------------------------------------------
Majic sniffed the air expecting toxic fumes. To his suprise the scent was not toxic at all. It was very tasty. It smelled of spices and flavor. But Cleo had cooked hadn't she? Cleo looked down at the roast she had worked on. It looked succulent and made her hungry. She wished Orphen and Kevin would hurry back.
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As Orphen walked near the camp site a tasteful smell entered his nostrils and held him captive. It was a nostalgic smell. A smell from the hotel they stayed in with all the hotsprings. The hotel that Mercury ran. The hotel where Lycorise had almost caught up to him. It was a smell that caught his stomach and made it turn flips. Kevin looked at a nearly zombified Orphen. He smiled as he knew the reason that Orphen looked such. The scent of the roast was drifting back to where they were. Upon coming into view of the camp Orphen saw many changes. Unlike most times when they sat on logs there were four pilows put on a picnic blanket. Three candles were centered on the blanket to provide as little light as possible but also enough to see the food. Even though the whole thing was so simple it was as well, so special. Kevin was suprised to see the picnic setup. He knew ahead of time about the roast. He had taught her how to cook it two days ago. But this was her own addition. And to Kevin's opinion, a good one. Majic came out of the tree where he had been resting. He saw his master and Kevin walking near and walked to them.
Majic: Master, It smells edible.
Orphen: I know.
Kevin: I think you guys are being too hard on her.
Kevin walked away from the teacher and his student to help Cleo get the roasted bird from the fire to the blanket.
Majic: Do you think she has hidden this from us? That she actually can cook?
Orphen: I don't know but If so, then she had not reason to get upset all those times we said she couldn't.
Majic: Maybe, she learned it a few days ago. Or maybe her mother taught her this before she left Totakanta.
Orphen: I am not sure. Don't really care. It smells good. Smells Edible. It does not knock you on your ass to sniff it. So whatever the reason, tonight we will actually eat decent.
Majic: I guess so. Looks like they got the places set up.
Majic and Orphen walk to the blanket. They are about to sit when they hear Cleo.
Cleo: Not there. Your names are on the pillows.
Orphen: Huh? Designated seating? Jeez.
Majic: ok then I sit ....here.
Orphen: Let me see I sit....oh here.
Kevin: Then this is my seat.
Cleo: Actually that one is mine.
Kevin: Oh. Sorry.
When everyone was seated Cleo brought some more pots over. As she sat them down everyone saw what they contained. Spiced apples, roasted potatoes, and glazed carrots. She fixed a plate before allowing the others to and gave it to trigga. On the plate she put the apples, potatoes and alot of carrots. As she layed it before Trigga, he neighed happily. She turned around, sat down near Majic and told everyone to dig in. Kevin wondered how Cleo had came up with these seating arrangements. He had almost sat near Majic, but she said she was sitting there. Kevin had figured that the place by Orphen would be for her. But he was wrong. As everyone ate Cleo could see how much they enjoyed it by both the noises they made and the quantity they ate. It was a silent dinner, but that was only because they were too busy stuffing their faces. It made her smile.
Orphen: I wonder if I can persuade a monster in the lake to attack me?
Kevin: Why would you want to do that?
Orphen: So I don't have to eat Cleo's acid soup.
Kevin: Acid soup?
Orphen: Everytime she cooks she makes a soup that can burn a hole in clothes. It is completely unedible.
Kevin: Cleo said she was gonna cook roast today. She told me so earlier.
Oprhen: I didn't know Cleo knew how to roast anything.
Kevin: I guess she does if she is gonna cook it.
Orphen: Interesting. She waits till you show up then cooks something new. She might be trying to impress you.
Kevin: (thinking) You idiot! It's not me she is trying to impress. It's not me she has swooned over for three days. IT'S YOU!
Kevin: I don't think so. Besides, She's not my type.
Orphen: And what is your type?
Kevin: I don't know yet. But Cleo is not it. I like her as a friend and she is fun to be around but not in that way.
Orphen: That's what I told her three years ago.
Kevin: Having second thoughts about it?
Orphen: No. She is not my type but she is a girl. And I have been alone for so long. Ya know?
Kevin: No I don't. Orphen if you don't have feelings for her don't do anything. Even if you are lonely. Because she does have feelings for you.
Orphen: I know. And I thought that it would be a way to make us both happy, but you're right. It would just lead to heartache.
Kevin: It is probably getting close to time to eat. We should head back.
Orphen: Yeah, I guess. You're not gonna tell Cleo what I said here today right?
Kevin: Of course not. It is our secret.
Orphen: Thanks man.
Kevin: No problem.
Kevin and Orphen begin to walk back to camp. Orphen smiled. Kevin was right. He was glad he had not made that mistake. -------------------------------------------------------
Majic sniffed the air expecting toxic fumes. To his suprise the scent was not toxic at all. It was very tasty. It smelled of spices and flavor. But Cleo had cooked hadn't she? Cleo looked down at the roast she had worked on. It looked succulent and made her hungry. She wished Orphen and Kevin would hurry back.
-------------------------------------------------------
As Orphen walked near the camp site a tasteful smell entered his nostrils and held him captive. It was a nostalgic smell. A smell from the hotel they stayed in with all the hotsprings. The hotel that Mercury ran. The hotel where Lycorise had almost caught up to him. It was a smell that caught his stomach and made it turn flips. Kevin looked at a nearly zombified Orphen. He smiled as he knew the reason that Orphen looked such. The scent of the roast was drifting back to where they were. Upon coming into view of the camp Orphen saw many changes. Unlike most times when they sat on logs there were four pilows put on a picnic blanket. Three candles were centered on the blanket to provide as little light as possible but also enough to see the food. Even though the whole thing was so simple it was as well, so special. Kevin was suprised to see the picnic setup. He knew ahead of time about the roast. He had taught her how to cook it two days ago. But this was her own addition. And to Kevin's opinion, a good one. Majic came out of the tree where he had been resting. He saw his master and Kevin walking near and walked to them.
Majic: Master, It smells edible.
Orphen: I know.
Kevin: I think you guys are being too hard on her.
Kevin walked away from the teacher and his student to help Cleo get the roasted bird from the fire to the blanket.
Majic: Do you think she has hidden this from us? That she actually can cook?
Orphen: I don't know but If so, then she had not reason to get upset all those times we said she couldn't.
Majic: Maybe, she learned it a few days ago. Or maybe her mother taught her this before she left Totakanta.
Orphen: I am not sure. Don't really care. It smells good. Smells Edible. It does not knock you on your ass to sniff it. So whatever the reason, tonight we will actually eat decent.
Majic: I guess so. Looks like they got the places set up.
Majic and Orphen walk to the blanket. They are about to sit when they hear Cleo.
Cleo: Not there. Your names are on the pillows.
Orphen: Huh? Designated seating? Jeez.
Majic: ok then I sit ....here.
Orphen: Let me see I sit....oh here.
Kevin: Then this is my seat.
Cleo: Actually that one is mine.
Kevin: Oh. Sorry.
When everyone was seated Cleo brought some more pots over. As she sat them down everyone saw what they contained. Spiced apples, roasted potatoes, and glazed carrots. She fixed a plate before allowing the others to and gave it to trigga. On the plate she put the apples, potatoes and alot of carrots. As she layed it before Trigga, he neighed happily. She turned around, sat down near Majic and told everyone to dig in. Kevin wondered how Cleo had came up with these seating arrangements. He had almost sat near Majic, but she said she was sitting there. Kevin had figured that the place by Orphen would be for her. But he was wrong. As everyone ate Cleo could see how much they enjoyed it by both the noises they made and the quantity they ate. It was a silent dinner, but that was only because they were too busy stuffing their faces. It made her smile.