289 Smoked Salmon Pasta

"What do you mean you miss him?!!! You are an alter ego that is built around killing! Why would you miss that weak soapy good for nothing? Is it the money?"

<Tell me!!!!!>

Calm down and stop yelling! I don't know why I felt like I missed him! It was just… a feeling.

<Gods spare me from this. Let's get you to the dining hall so you can be busy doing something productive. By the way, do you have a favorite dish? Pata, the chef here, currently cooks whatever you order.>

Favorite dish… I kind of just ate whatever I killed in the dungeon. I once found a pool where I ate some fish. Those were delicious.

<Calling raw fish delicious, either your taste buds are different or the bar is so low that Pata will blow your mind away. Anything else?>

Not really.

<Then I'll have Pata cook you something of his choice involving fish.>

Sounds good. I follow Navi into a room with lots of tables and chairs. Is this the dining hall that Navi spoke of? Something smells delicious!

"Pata, meet Blood, she's temporarily taking over Jade's body. As I've just discovered, she's a lot more than just a simple split part of Jade's consciousness. Treat her as Jade's twin sister."

"Sure thing, lady Navi. I'm already whipping something up for the little newcomer. Have a seat and I'll be right with ya."

A dark skinned muscle guy wearing sunglasses pops up quickly from inside a mess of undulating tentacles. He gives me a wide smile and dives back into the mass of busy limbs.

I follow Navi to a table. She just sits down but again, I don't dare sit on that puny little chair. Navi just chuckles and the chair next to her disappears. I smile nervously and sit down on my tail in the empty space. Where the heck did that chair go?!!

<Don't worry about it.>

A mass of tentacles gushes out of the kitchen area and approaches us with Pata's upper torso in the lead. Seeing his midsection shift from dark, toned abs into reddish springy tentacle skin makes me look at my own transition from human to wyrm at the midriff.

Mine looks better for sure. The scales elegantly fade into the skin in a v-shaped pattern. Much better indeed!

<We are going to need to get you a skirt.>

What? Why?

<I'm pretty sure Kent was staring at places he shouldn't be. I thought getting you a tank top would be enough but I seem to have neglected other areas due to your unique biology.>

I just feel myself blush for no reason in particular. Why does my head feel hot and my heart is beating faster? Did I accidentally activate sanguine boost?

<No, no you did not. Just ignore it, stuff like that happens when you're…>

When I'm what?

"Your meals have arrived ladies! Here ya go! Baked apples for lady Navi and smoked salmon pasta for our indecisive newcomer. Enjoy!"

"Oh, food, let's tuck in!"

Navi descends on her baked apples with a bit too much enthusiasm. I asked you a question, answer it!

Navi gives me an apologetic smile while gesturing towards her stuffed mouth. You can talk in my head whether your mouth is full or not! Don't try to dodge the question.

<Sigh, these things can't really be explained. If you want to find out, just wait. If I'm right, the answer will find you.>

Trying to mystify this, huh? Fine, I'll just eat then.

I look down at my plate and take a whiff of what was presented to me. It smells positively divine and looks quite appealing. The long yellowish strands intermixed with shredded pieces of pinkish-orange meat.

<Those stands are the pasta, this variety is called spaghetti and the pink stuff is the smoked salmon. The color is so unique, they named it salmon in reference to the fish.>

Fancy words. Now, how does it taste?

I pick up the utensils provided. What? Did you think I would try to eat with my hands?

<Well, you did get Jade's common sense so you shouldn't be a complete savage. However, I am very curious about how far your common sense extends. Does it include how to eat spaghetti?>

Fortunately, it does. Someone wouldn't let me hear the end of it if I couldn't.

<Awww, I would have relished the chance to teach you.>

I pointedly ignore Navi and turn my fork to gather a roll of pasta and bring it to my mouth. The soft spaghetti part under my bite and the bits of salmon melt in my mouth. Molten butter coats the entire masterwork and amplifies the taste of the salmon without adding unwanted flavors.

The taste of this salmon isn't as fishy as I expected. It flavor is more on the mild side, giving the entire dish the sensation of making me float. It dances on the tip of my tongue before fading away.

The lingering taste makes me quickly take another bite. The plate almost magically empties itself but before I can complain, Pata replaces it with a full one. This is bad, I can't stop eating. I'm kind of full but as long as this divine dish is in front of me, there's always room for more.

The amount of food I must have consumed by now is ridiculous. However, it still doesn't stop. On and on, plate after plate, until I black out. That was wonderful!

I suddenly find myself in a bloody basin with no control over my own body. I really hate being here! I suppose eating till I drop does count as falling asleep.

But Navi said I can be rid of this for a while if I win the final fight. Therefore, I bear with it and wait to see the opponent at the end. I do hope it will be strong.

What will it be? Another bear? That sea beast or the tree?