Fall of 514AV, 24th
She’d eaten there once. There was no reason to enter the aesthetically lit diner again, especially not with their prices. All the same she had entered again. Summer thought she might just be bored, she knew too few people and she could only spend so much time in the depressing Orphanage. Or perhaps she could only take so much of her own cooking. Rather than leave after these thoughts Summer entered, the after images of the flavors strong on her tongue.
It was midday but upon entering Summer was plunged into night. The atmosphere sucked her in and wrapped a timeless cloud around her. When Summer looked around she found the diner as crowded as ever. Tables upon tables of people, the smell of food but this time the half-Zith didn’t bother with a table. Summer headed straight for the bar.
The same as last time her server materiel out of the dark with a smile. If Summer paid attention she could have seen where the woman came from but she was there for food, not for company. While she didn’t carve company at that second, Summer did crave something new. Perhaps she should try a vendor?
As if sensing her indecision, the waiter offered suggestions. Summer waved them off and thought before holding up a finger, “What of fruits? What do you have for them?”
“A fruit salad, if you’d like.”
“Salad?” Summer mutter distastefully, “Why would you put fruit in a salad?”
“Why don’t you try it and find out?”
Summer bite off a nail and chewed it slowly. A salad? She shifted on her stool, the position uncomfortable until she hunched over the bar. It rested her on something instead of hovering in a half curl. While she moved Summer had given a reluctant nod, “Alright., a fruit salad.” She spit the nail into a napkin while the server vanished to obtain the dreaded salad. Perhaps she could put salt or sugar on it. Fruits, Summer had found, tasted very good with sugar.
As Summer made to throw the napkin away she looked up to see deep red eyes. For just one hopeful second Summer seen a Zith. But the furless, wingless, strangely proportioned person could never be mistaken as a Zith. Clearly they weren’t human. Summer continued to stare as she pondered, obviously raking her eyes across the form to figure out what it was. Some sort of illusion the city-goer donned.
