9:00 AT, Day Forty Eight | Arce Lunae / Laboratory of Culinary Sciences (Kitchen)
Waffles are an interesting food. By simply varying the ingredients ever so slightly, the resultant waffle changes a lot. They are like people in that way. The smallest decision can ripple out to affect a whole much greater than that individual part.
Where am I going with this? That is a good question.
“Koooo I want some now, they smell so yummy!” Ray is leaning against the counter, tempting me to forget about the waffles.
“You must wait your turn, just like everyone else. Good things take time to produce. This is a very exact science.” I say, casually tossing a handful of flour into the mixing machine.
“You totally did not measure that handful. I watched you!”
“I said it is an exact science. Not a precisely exact science.”
“Sophistry I say!”
“Weren’t you basically studying sophistry in university? I don’t think you can complain.”
“Jerk.” She turns away and huffs. But it is not long before she turns back and resumes watching me. I can feel those lovely blue eyes of her tracking every movement. It is very distracting, in a good way.
“Am I at least a cool jerk?” I ask after a while.
“No you are a super jerky jerk. But you are cute too I guess, illegally cute by the way.”
“If I am illegally cute, then you are breaking reality itself with how cute you are. Seriously, how is your cuteness possible?”
Her face flushes red. “Jerk.” She stands up and walks up behind me and then gently wraps her arms around my back and leans her head on my shoulder.
“It is really hard to work when you are doing that, you know.”
“Hmm, so comforting your lonely girlfriend isn’t important?” She whispers in my ear, sending tingles down my spine.
“Making waffles is also important, I wouldn't want the party to be delayed.”
“More important than kissing your girlfriend?”
That is an argument that I simply cannot refuse. After all, Ray is super cute.
A while of totally making waffles and not doing ‘other’ things later
“Wait, I can actually have one now?” Ray says, her fork hovering over the waffle. “I can’t believe you actually managed to acquire them.. They went extinct three years ago.”
I walk up behind her and wrap my arms around her, tipping her head back so I can look into her eyes. “If it is for my darling girlfriend, producing a few extinct blueberries is no big deal.”
“Ko, you are such a jerk.”
“Well, I can make waffles at least. So you better eat them, you are my taste tester.”
She hands me the fork and looks at me. I sigh with elation and take the fork. If she wishes it, so it shall be. I place Ray in my lap and begin to feed her waffle.
“Omygoshness, this is so klacking delicious! I forgot how good blueberry waffles tasted… you always made the best ones.” A single tear escapes from her eye and I catch it on my finger.
“Hey, no tears of joy ‘round these parts, or you will make me cry too.”
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Forgetting about the waffle, she buries her head against my chest and nuzzles me intensely. “I love you, you jerk.”
I give her many head rubs to which she is very grateful for. “I love you too, Ms. Superstar Genius Prodigy.”
“Hmm that is an old one.”
“Well you have this whole air of nostalgia going on, so I figured I would simply add a bit more.”
“Enough nostalgia, more waffle now!”
“As you wish, my Queen.”
Several hours later that were full of various activities
“A toast to our eminent Lords!” Emil shouts to the gathered crowd of several hundred high-ranking officers. His voice also echoes through transmission, reaching all across the arena.
Everyone raises their glasses of wine and clinks them together. It does feel strange, to think that all these people are here to celebrate Ray and I.
Ray I can understand, she is awesome and cute and amazing and cool and beautiful.
Up until a few months ago I was just a NEET. Now somehow I have ended up leading an entire empire and currently am engaged in a real world war game on a celestial scale.
It is just another Wednesday for the two of us I guess.
“Now, let the waffle feast begin! With blueberries that our Lord personally recreated from extinction!”
“Wait I di–” I try to say I didn't do that, but Ray puts her hand over my mouth and shakes her head.
“Just accept the praise darling, you earned it!” She leans in and grabs me into a kiss, which earns a round of applause and cheers from the audience. If she says so, I guess it is fine, especially if it means I get to kiss her more.
Emil leaves the stage and Linda nearly picks him up and drags him to the nearby waffles. It is nice to see them getting along. Though it is still a bit hard to believe.
“Ko, I see that thought.” Ray says, drawing my attention back to her. “You really are a big jerk.”
I don’t even think I did anything this time. It seems I really am just a jerk. Oh well, so long as Ray still lets me give her headrubs I am fine with whatever.
Later that evening
“Do we really have to give a speech?” I ask Ray as she straightens up my outfit.
“I will do all the work, you just stand there and look pretty.” She smiles and boops my nose lightly.
“I am unsure whether I should focus on the insult to my speech skills or the compliment. Perhaps I should just kiss you instead.” I lean down and cup her cheek with my hand.
“Hmm, I could get behind that idea. Perhaps I should insult you more in that case.”
“Please do, your insults are always so eloquent and nice.” I kiss her gently, but she refuses to let it be that easy.
After a while, we get interrupted by a very awkward looking Emil. “Ahem. It is time for your speech now, Lady Ray.”
Ray steps out onto the dais and immediately goes into full crowd-charmer mode. It takes all my energy to not fall into her performance myself, she is truly stunning after all. To this day, I still have no clue how she does it. Ever since we were young, she has simply had the ability to dazzle people in that unique way of hers.
I now realize I was completely doomed from the start.
“People of the empire! Let's go melt those snowflakes, who is with me!?” She shouts, and the crowd – of high-brow and very official soldiers mind you – erupts into cheers, applause and everything in between and without. “That’s the spirit! Thank you all for your hard work, fear not, for this trial will be done in no time! After all, anything but victory is simply not possible for us, The Moonlight Duo!” She grabs my hand and raises it high into the air. Which causes the crowd to go even crazier somehow.
With that, her speech concludes. It was short, sweet and directly to the point. I bet those few words singlehandedly multiplied morale by a factor of ten. My girlfriend sure is awesome.
She pulls me off the stage. “Hey Ko, that was exhausting. You know what I could really do with tonight?”
“Let me guess, many headrubs?” I smirk at her.
“Oh my, how could you have possibly known?” She smiles smugly.
“I am simply good at reading you. After all, you are my super cute girlfriend, I can just do that sort of thing.” I sweep her off her feet and into my arms and take off into the sky towards our bedroom.
“I can fly by myself you know!”
I look her in the eyes, “Yeah, but I just like having you in my arms. You are nice and warm after all.”
A red blush creeps onto her face, and I make it my personal mission to give her enough headrubs that it does not disappear all night. After all, that is what cute girlfriends need to keep them happy. A cuddled girlfriend is a happy one as they say.
We have a long run ahead of us yet, but the tides are shifting. Of course, they are shifting in our favor. After all, we are the Moonlight Duo, manipulating the tides is quite easy for us.
No matter what comes next, Ray and I will overcome it, together. It is simply what we have always done, and will continue to do. Our victory is already assured, after all, have you seen how cute she is?
So, bring it on.
End of Chapter 141
Next: Chapter 142 | Snowy Presents
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