The sauce was creamy. It was savoury with just a hint of sweetness. The crunchy bacon-like meat bits provided a pleasant contrast to the springy and chewy noodles. The green bits of garnish sprinkled on top provided a surprising but pleasant tangy yet herby contrast, bringing the otherwise relatively plain dish to greater heights.
When paired with the grilled sausage that had been charred just enough to add a smoky barbecue taste to it and cheesy corn side dish, Stacey thought this meal was wonderful. She hadn't paid attention to what Thieren had said it was called but she had a feeling she would definitely come back for another taste one day. Maybe for the fiery red version of the same dish.
The red, she was told, wasn't due to tomatoes or chilli. What else could cause that intense red colour, she wasn't sure. Thieren had let her try a mouthful, allowing her to take a chopstick-full from his dish.
The noodles had been very slippery to pick up with chopsticks and so she hadn't gotten a chance to try it properly. What she had tried, tasted remarkably like bolonaise sauce. However, she was told there was no such thing as bolonaise sauce on the Wesley Continent. So then why did she know that bolonaise sauce was made from tomatoes? Where had that memory come from?
The lychee sorbet drink was called a twinging red moon berry fizzo. It was fizzy and the best thing she'd tried today. It was icy cold, sweet and sour all at the same time. It cut through the slightly cloying taste of her noodles, refreshing her palate.
So full. Her tummy felt so tight that it almost hurt and made it hard to move. She also felt extremely comfortable and sleepy. Her good mood caused her to hum along to the song playing on the restaurant's loudspeakers. It felt like she hadn't had a chance to eat properly like this for a long time.
Maybe this was why there was always an hour or two break for lunchtime. So that people could take their time eating and have a nap after they fell into a food coma. Stacey had never really paid attention. Instead she took the opportunity during the long break to get back to her studies or practice something in order to get the most out of the amount of time she had available. Having free time was precious. Otherwise, when was she supposed to revise and try to catch up with the other trainees when she wasn't in a tuition class?
"Hey, wife," a hand stroked her cheek, the ticklish feeling jolted her upright.
Whoa. When had she fallen asleep? Why did she not remember falling asleep just now?
"Stacey," smiled Thieren at her startled expression and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Let's go back to the car. You can sleep some more when we get back to the building."
Stacey stretched and yawned. Looking out the restaurant window, she caught a glimpse of two familiar boys being attacked by a group of angry men wearing jackets with feathered fringes. She had seen those boys in Whistledown. They had hung around the production crew and fed her dried fish and jerky snacks. They'd been very comfortable to hang out with. What were their names again?
"Look," she pointed out the window. "Those boys. I recognise them. Can we save them?"
"Are they a part of the program?" Thieren raised his eyebrows and wrinkled his forehead.
"I don't think so. They were nice and kept me company in Whistledown one time while I was sick and everyone else had forgotten me."
"They're beastmen," Thieren frowned, watching the fight carefully. "Whistledown? Huh. No wonder there's a fight. They've entered someone else's territory."
"They're beastmen?" Stacey exclaimed in surprise. "How can you tell?"
"They're fighting with other male beastmen," Thieren shrugged and pointed. "The way they move isn't human. The way they're clothed is odd. The way they fight is much more beastlike. They must be very high level beastmen. I'm surprised the Ancients let them out at all, unless they're beastmen who have been hiding from Ancient control by pretending to be domesticated animals in the town. What do you want me to do with them after they've been rescued?"
"I don't know," Stacey shrugged. "I didn't think that far."
The two boys seemed to be holding their own against the feather jackets in the fight. Thieren also seemed very reluctant to help. Perhaps it would be better for her to mind her own business and not bother about them.
The golden haired boy looked up at the restaurant window and his eyes widened. He jumped up and down, shouting something. From the way his lips moved, Stacey guessed he was shouting her name. His shouts had caused the fight to grind to a halt.
Thieren rubbed his forehead and looked up at the sky for a moment. When he looked back down below, the leader of the feather jacket beastmen was making gestures to them to come down. Thieren rubbed his forehead again and gritted his teeth, giving them a wait sign.
"Now we're involved," he grumbled, putting on his suit jacket and helping Stacey put on her coat. "What a pain. I don't like getting involved in beastmen matters."
"Is it going to be troublesome?" Stacey asked, following him out of the room with his protective arm around her back. "Sorry. This is my fault, isn't it?"
"Very likely. Tell me exactly how you met in Whistledown and what happened. Give me as many details as you can," Thieren said, leading her downstairs through the busy restaurant to the cash register.
Stacey told him how Canis and Felix (if she remembered their names correctly) had accompanied her and fought over feeding her snacks. Her story made Thieren's expression darken, causing her to falter.
"Is that all?" Thieren asked gruffly when Stacey's voice trailed off. He received the receipt from the waiter behind the cash register and nodded his thanks. With his arm around her, he helped to guide her through the crowd of people and pulled her closer to him to dodge rushing waiters.
"Pretty much," Stacey said.
"Alright. Let me do all the talking later," he said. "You aren't to speak a word."
"Ok."