Tales From The Kronos

The group just finished their report. They left the leader's office and were allowed to rest until the end of the day. Sepide looked at her watch and let out a sigh of relief after seeing the time.

"I said I would help Ina tonight if I'm free. I'm glad we finished early enough."

"Help her? Is she preparing something special?" Silva asked with curiosity.

"No, I just enjoy cooking with her. She also told me about interesting things that happened on the ship. By the way, did you really set the ship on fire while cooking, Silva?"

"Just a bit, nothing too big thankfully."

"Silva... It was a third of the ship." Neige complained, reminiscing about this day "I don't even know how you did it because the food you brought me was cold."

"Oh yeah, I never told you what happened. I remember that I wanted to be more useful around the ship. Ina was new and I wanted to impress everyone with my cooking skills. I never cooked before, so I asked Neige to taste my food."

Sepide looked at Silva who seemed to smile at the thought of this day. Neige on the other hand seemed more traumatized than anything else.

"Can you tell me what happened exactly?"

Silva nodded her head cheerfully at Sepide's demand, glad to tell this story.

"It was a year ago, a night of rain..."

"Of rain?" Asked Neige "But it never rains here?"

"Come on! Let me be dramatic! Anyway, it was a year ago, a night of rain."

"It wasn't even night now that I remember it."

Ignoring her friend, Silva told the story that happened a year ago.

"Silva, are you sure you'll manage? Don't you want help?"

"No thanks, I'll manage." The girl answered to Ina's question "I can do backflips, I can cook a basic meal."

"Yes, you're right. It's hard to think that you're blind sometimes. I'll go to my room, if you need help, just call me."

Ina left the kitchen. Silva immediately put the meat in the oven. She wasn't sure what it was, she just found it in the fridge. At that moment the inexperienced cook realized that she forgot to ask Ina about how the oven worked. She just turned buttons randomly, hoping it would be fine.

She heard Neige arrive in the cafeteria. Since all she had to do for now was wait she went to greet him with a bright smile.

"Neige! I hope you're prepared for an unforgettable luncheon!"

Neige was a bit surprised by the words Silva, she rarely used words like that. The man figured she was just trying to impress him and continued as if it were normal.

"I hope it's good, I didn't eat all day just to enjoy your food fully."

"You won't be disappointed, it should be almost ready."

Silva went back to the kitchen. A burnt smell filled the room, she hurried over to the oven to realize the truth she was afraid of.

"Oh egads! My roast is ruined!"

There wasn't any time to cook something else and she surely wasn't about to disappoint Neige. She didn't have a lot of options left but had a sudden idea. Last time they went into a world and ate at a great restaurant. If she commanded food there and brought it here, she could disguise it as her own cooking. She laughed at her thoughts, ready to put her plan into action.

"Delightfully devilish Silva!"

She uttered those words at herself, ready to use her watch when the door was suddenly opened by Neige.

"Silva?"

the girl noticed that she was using her watch and tried her best to hide her true intentions.

"Neige! I was just... Stretching my wrists! Care to join me?"

"Why is there smoke coming out of the oven Silva?" Neige ignored Silva's words and instead pointed at the oven. Silva didn't know it was smoking and had to find an excuse.

"Oh, it's not smoke. It's... Steam! Steam from the steamed clams we're having."

Neige had so many questions. Why was she steaming clams in the oven? Why was she stretching her wrist instead of taking care of the food? Silva had obviously no idea what she was doing and was about to tell her before Neige was cut by her words.

"Yum! Steamed clams!"

He decided to trust her, he didn't want to ruin the moment for her after all. He returned to the cafeteria, relieving the girl. The moment he was away, Silva hurried to the other world to get the food she needed.

After a few minutes, Silva finally arrived with a plate of burgers and served them.

"Neige, I hope you're ready for mouthwatering hamburgers!"

"Hamburger?" Asked Neige confused "I thought we were having steamed clams?"

"Oh no! I said steamed hams! That's what I call hamburgers."

Neige realized that she was clearly lying and couldn't help but point it at her friend. He couldn't let her get away with every mistake she made.

"You call hamburgers steamed hams?"

"Yes! It's a regional dialect."

"Really? What region?"

Silva looked away, clearly trying to find an excuse.

"France."

"Really? I've studied your world and never saw anyone call hamburgers steamed hams."

Silva was visibly sweating, desperately trying to find a way out of it.

"Oh no, not my world. It's from France in another world."

Neige decided to accept this obvious lie and eat the hamburger. Not only it was cold but it also tasted similar to something he already had before.

"You know, these hamburgers are quite similar to the one they had in that world we went to."

"Ho ho ho no! Patented Silva burgers! Old family recipe!"

Neige couldn't help but feel like Silva was hiding something. Not only she was using weird words, but she was also giving strange answers to his questions.

"A family recipe with a name from another world?"

"Yes!" Silva answered with a smile.

"Yes... And you call them steamed hams despite the fact that they're obviously grilled?"

Neige showed the steak of the burger to Silva, which had the lines of the grills printed on them. Silva mumbled words before suddenly standing up.

"Excuse me for a moment."

"Of course."

Silva returned to the kitchen while Neige continued eating. The kitchen was strangely hot and had the sound of flames. She figured she should take care of it as soon as possible and decided to tell Neige it was time to leave. She entered back to the cafeteria and stretched her arms while yawning.

"Well, that was wonderful! A good time was had by all, I'm pooped!"

"Yes, I should be-" Neige stood up, understanding that Silva had a problem and didn't want him to see it. He was about to go but stopped in the middle of his sentence when he saw a bright light coming out from the door of the kitchen "Good Lord! What is happening is there!?"

"Aurora borealis."

Silva answered so fast and confidently that Neige couldn't help but doubt.

"Aurora borealis? At this time of year? At this time of day? In this ship? Localized entirely inside the kitchen?"

"Yes."

Silva said those words with a straight face, leading Neige to doubt for a moment. Neige thought that maybe she was telling the truth all along and he misunderstood everything.

"... May I see it?"

Silva thought momentarily and answered with the same confidence she had before.

"... No."

Silva accompanied her friend to his room. On the way there, Ina's voice echoed in the ship.

"Silva! The ship is on fire!"

"No Ina, it's just the northern lights." Silva yelled at her, trying not to worry Neige.

"Well Silva, you're an odd gal but I must say, you steam a good ham."

Neige left toward his room. Once Silva ensured he couldn't see her, she rushed toward the kitchen as fast as she could.

"And ever since, I'm not allowed back in the kitchen."

"Why didn't you just tell Neige?" Sepide asked, still not believing this actually happened.

"I wanted him to be proud of me. I would do it again if I had to."

"Please don't..." Neige said, already exhausted at the thought of it "I should go see Gwyn, I told her I'd go see her after every mission."

"Thanks for devoting yourself." Silva said with a smile "She's way more laid back with me ever since she's busy with you."

"I think it's because you're getting better. And I'm not that bad, she just worries over nothing. Have fun, don't get in trouble this time!"

"I'll go help Ina so I can't keep an eye on you. Be careful." Sepide said, annoying Silva a bit.

"Why are you two acting like you're my parents? I'm not going to burn the ship or something. And besides, I want to see Emely."

"Oh, is it time?" Neige asked with excitation.

"Yes, I think I know how I feel now. I just hope she's not busy with Remiel."

"You'll tell us how it went!" Sepide smiled at Silva, wishing her the best.

The three friends split up, all going to their own occupation. On the way to her friend's lab, Silva stopped and looked behind her with a nostalgic feeling in mind.

"It's been a while since we did something just the three of us... We should again soon!"