Chapter 29: Chapter 28
Just to be petty I decided to also take the chests though I had to have Lumine stuff them into her spatial storage as mine was now filled up with a small hill of high-value materials that was better than anything else the others got in their chests.
Of course, being a government employee of Mondstadt, apparently, the Knights of Favonius had a rule that all materials, Mora, and such had to be turned in and would instead be compensated with a better salary that week in order to cut down corruption.
Heh, It's a good thing I wasn't a Knight then as although I would love to see the Fatui's reaction to us stringing up their masks and Signora's underwear to fly beneath Mondstadt flag, I still wouldn't want to give up my loot.
"We good to go? Diluc is taking care of the prisoners and such." I said seeing everyone was basically ready to go.
"Yeah! Jake, Lumine, Noelle, Eula let's get some dinner after getting back and settled in!" Amber said energetically.
Eula sighed and gave Amber a trying look before she shrugged. "Very well I will need to take both a shower and clean off my weapon before meeting you all."
Looking at Eula's Song of Broken Pine, its highly ornate appearance, and the filth upon it I understood her desire to get it cleaned up before it crusted over.
"Well, I will be too busy to join so don't worry about me," Jean said smiling and Amber nodded saying how she very well knew that and that was why she didn't bother inviting her.
"I would be glad to do the cooking so we can all save money at my place!" Noelle offered excitedly and all the girls agreed with me kinda of standing awkwardly to the side.
"Uhm, I think maybe it would be best for you all to just have a girl's night out or something. It's already getting late and I doubt after Noelle feeds us her undoubtedly good food that we will want to go home or in me and Lumine's case a hotel/Inn." I said waving away the offer as although I would enjoy a home-cooked meal honestly, I didn't want to feel like I was intruding as such a little get-together would certainly feel that way.
"Psh! Jake you are coming and that's final!" Amber said grabbing me by the arm and pulling me ahead with her towards the exit. "C'mon girls we are going to do Jake's nails and try and style his snowy white hair!" She ordered as she trapped my arm against her chest and pulled me along with her.
"You girls are messing with me, right?" I asked dryly and Noelle hurried up beside me and took my other arm and from her powerful grip I realized that unless I was willing to throw a fit or summon a Ruin Guard to pluck me from their arms I was stuck.
Noelle shook her head and smiled lightly as she patted my bound arm. "Don't worry Jake. my apartment has a spare bedroom that you can sleep in, so you don't need to worry about any awkward events. Plus, as an honorary member of the Knights of Favonius, I really want to get to know the two of you and ask for advice on how to become a better knight." Noelle said, briefly looking back to Lumine who was following behind us and paying more attention to Paimon and Eula's interactions.
"Huh... Yeah go ahead and do whatever you want with Jake, just make sure he can walk tomorrow." Lumine said bluntly before she continued prodding Eula about the Lawrence clan and how Mondstadts Noble clans speak.
'My girl abandoned me!' I thought despondently as Amber ominously giggled and I realized she undoubtedly had evil plans for me.
"Amber if you prank me when I am sleeping, I swear I will have Vengeance!" I tried to warn her, but I only received a demented giggle as she rolled her eyes.
"Oh Jake, I have been hearing those very words from Eula for years. If I was put off her supposed Vengeance, then she wouldn't be my best friend!" She said proudly and even as Eula squawked in the background saying how they weren't best friends, Amber continued. "Don't worry Jake, I see that although you have a bit of a tougher exterior just like Eula. But that won't stop me from making you another great friend of mine as well!" Amber said righteously and it was only my arms being held in the vice grip of Amber and Noelle that stopped me from facepalming.
"So, what kind of food can you cook Noelle?" I asked moving my mind from Amber's Shonen energy that made me think she may pull a Naruto and just beat the crap out of me in the name of making me her friend through a thorough concussion.
"Oh, Jake I must know what kind of foods you and Lumine like! Which kind of cuisine do you enjoy the most!" Noelle exclaimed letting go of my arms as she pulled out a notepad from her space pouch, and then she looked at me expectantly waiting for me to answer as we walked down the paths through the forests surrounding Mondstadt.
I almost reflexively said Italian as I generally love all their dishes with Lasagna being my all-time favorite food in general, but I had no idea where Lasagna would fall in here in Teyvat. "Uhm, I like Liyue style food but my favorite dish in particular is Lasagna."
Both Amber and Noelle looked at me in confusion and after they both told me they had zero idea what Lasagna was I was aghast. No devastated by their culinary deprivation!
"Lasagna is a divine dish steeped in tradition... Just as there are seven divine Archons of Teyvat, Lasagna has seven layers with the seventh layer representing the land you are within." I said dreamily as I said you needed to do the first three layers of noodles, the ricotta cheese, and then the meat with sauce. Repeat with Noodles going atop the previous layer of meat and sauce, and to top it all off you add a layer of shredded cheese like cheddar or mozzarella atop to absorb the juices that boil up from the sauce and meat below.
"Oooh I have never tried to make that before, and with all the stuff happening recently having a divinely inspired dish could help bring some solidarity to our friends," Noelle said excitedly before she surprised me as she heartily hugged me knocking Amber's arms away and I felt her bury her face into my chest as she was a solid foot shorter than I was.
She squeezed around me, and I positively could feel her own heartbeat as her superstrength strained my Aura before she ran off ahead to make sure she had the ingredients ready at home.
"You just made Noelle's day. Thank you, Jake." Amber said patting me on my shoulder.
Whelp looks like I need to teach a maid how to cook my favorite dish at a sleepover.
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