Chapter 11: Day Date with Damara (Part 1)

"Where would you like to go first? The bakery? Maybe the library?" Damara asked as she walked just in front, leading the way. "We could even stroll to the pompous side of town if you’re feeling frisky."

"Coffee," I answered. "Then we should check those apartments you talked about last night."

Damara’s pace faltered for half a step. Her shoulders instantly tightened, and her hand drifted nervously to rub the back of her neck.

"Right. The... apartments," she said, her voice dropping a little too quickly. She forced a stiff, practiced smile as she glanced back over her shoulder, trying to brush off the sudden dread clouding her eyes. "Guess we should get that out of the way. Can’t go freeloading off your hospitality forever, can I?"

"I mean, you could, honestly. It wouldn’t be an issue–"

"No. No, I couldn’t impose on you like that. Let’s just grab a couple coffees and go see if they have some vacancy." She interrupted before storming forward. "Hey, keep up!"

She marched ahead, silhouetted against the early morning horizon as it bloomed. Wispy clouds caught the rising light, igniting into delicate ribbons of peach and spun gold above her sleek, curved horns. Jogging forward, I fell in line behind her.

The walk to the central area was quick. We were forced to dodge through multiple rows of people. Thankfully, the crowds let up eventually, allowing us to slow our pace to a comfortable walk. Damara fell back and leaned into me as we walked.

She nuzzled my chest. "It’s pretty chilly this morning."

"It is," I said. "While we walk, could you explain how your seasons work? On Earth, we had four main seasons. Summer being the warmest and winter being the coldest."

She raised her head. "Those names are similar but slightly off." She raised her hand, holding four fingers up. "We have Bloom, the season of growth. Suncrest, which sounds similar to your summer." She lowered two fingers. "Then we have Harvest. That one is self-explanatory, and Frostfall. That’s when it’s cold out and ice falls from the sky."

"Interesting... Do you get a lot of snow here?"

She twisted her face momentarily. "Snow?"

"Yeah," I giggled as I stepped over a stray brick in the road. "You said ice falls from the sky. On Earth, we call that snow," I explained. "Sorry for confusing you."

"A few times a year, we get a great frost. You should see foot traffic on those days. It’s pretty fun to watch," she said, pulling me toward her. "Bakery is this way. We’re getting close."

The sharp notes of coffee beans roasting slowly grew as we rounded another corner. Just past it sat a small storefront with loaves of bread along with a medley of other sweets. Behind the woman serving a customer sat a machine that, without the runes inlaid into its metal frame and the faint glow emanating from within, looked remarkably like a large coffee urn.

"This world just keeps getting better..." I muttered, closing the distance between Damara and me. "I’m not sure if this is the time to tell you, but I have no money. Like, none."

She tilted her head, letting her gaze linger on me before a small smile tugged at her lips as she leaned over, flashing a smile. "Don’t worry, I got you." She followed it with a few giggles. "That massive house and you’re somehow broke... classic."

Laughing louder, she ran ahead and struck up a conversation with the baker. The woman was quite small, with stools arranged around each individual machine. Her brown hair, cut into a short bob, bounced with every step.

"This is Chelsea. She’s a dwarf. If you ask me, though, they make the best snacks, and don’t get me started on how good the coffee is. Here, try it for yourself," she said as she handed me a steaming cup, a brown, familiar liquid stirred inside.

Blowing on it a few times before taking a sip, I was met with an earthy, bitter taste. It almost made me wince, but it was followed by the ever-so-pleasurable zing that came with coffee.

"God, that hits the spot," I said, taking another slow sip after. "Is there any sugar?" I asked with one eyebrow raised.

"You know what sugar is?" she asked, grabbing a metallic shaker. "Can’t drink it black? You’re just a big baby, aren’t you?" She stuck her tongue out. "Come on, let’s get to the apartment building."

"Sounds good. Lead the way," I said, gesturing forward.

Feeling the caffeine course through my veins, I began jittering a bit, unable to control myself. If I could describe it with one word, it would be: euphoric. For the first time in a while, I could think completely straight. My mind raced as we continued to walk.

The sun had risen to post-dawn height, lighting the streets with its golden glow. Large cumulonimbus clouds littered the distant sky. The air had shifted to an enjoyable temperature, but the humidity was causing me to sweat. Damara dragged me blocks at a time before slowing for a rest.

"Once we get there, please wait outside for me. I don’t want them to try and upsell me to a bigger apartment... everyone in this district will do most for money. If you remember anything I say, that’s one I think is important," she explained before pointing to a large, upside-down-pyramid-shaped building. "There it is. It shouldn’t take but a few minutes before I’m back with results!" Her voice trailed as she jogged away.

I found a quiet place to sit for a moment. Most of the streets were lined with benches not too different from a bus stop, though where I had lived, the bus stops were quite bougie. Often filled with multiple benches, surrounded by an actual building, and to top it off, they had AC. The calm breeze that currently jostled a few of my hairs would suffice, however.

Subconsciously grabbing for my phone, I was met with a barrage of notifications from the previous night.

[QuestComplete:Protect the Girl ]

Reward:250 Favor

[QuestComplete:My Bed is Lonely, Can I Share Yours]

Reward:500 Favor

[QuestComplete: Let’s Have a Sleepover ]

Reward:750 Favor

[QuestComplete: Accidental Flashing ]

Reward:1000 Favor

The sides of my mouth curled as I watched my balance shoot upward. With all of these stacking up as quickly as they were, a TV wouldn’t be a dream for long.

"You should watch your back!" A deep feminine voice growled.

The words sounded like they were inches from my ear. My body shuddered as I jerked my head. As I shifted my sight, an orange blur blew past me, grabbing my phone and jumping up the tall buildings, far out of my reach.

"Hey! What the fuck!"