5 Bandanna, Glassess, B**** (1/2)
As usual, the early rays of morning sunlight couldn't wake Cairo from his restless slumber. Light alone wasn't enough to wake this man from the comfort of a feathered bed. So, having Mooks sleep in the same room wasn't the worst idea they've ever come up with.
\tMooks jumped atop of Cairo, screaming and shouting to his heart's content, ”WAKE UP! WAKE UP!”
\tDespite the loudness of a wolf's howl, Cairo barely managed to open his eyes underneath his furry red blanket. ”I'm up,” he said, unfazed by the noise and as sturdy as ever.
\tMooks jumped back down on the wooden floor, smelling the fresh scent of the morning dew creeping its way through the windows. ”I can't believe you had me sleeping in the woods this entire time when you had a room like this all to yourself.” Mooks raised a metaphorical eyebrow, considering he didn't have any.
\tCairo yawned, ignoring him. ”What do you want to do for breakfast?”
\tMooks gave him a puzzled look, ”Well, let's see… Usually, I'd spend the night hunting some poor animal. Then, I'd massacre them for us to eat, and you would do nothing except watch.” Mooks said, wryly. ”Ring a bell?”
\t”Let's hope Rina makes morning food.”
\t”So much for a thank you…” Mooks mumbled to himself.
\tCairo got up from the bed, wearing nothing but a pair of trousers and white bandages circling his arms. Mooks didn't want to look, as he knew it annoyed Cairo. However, seeing Cairo's weathered body was a sight he didn't want to miss.
\tAt the corner of his eye, Mooks was able to get a glance at all the scars, wounds, and pain that covered Cairo's body. It was like looking at a trail map, where a mark on the road was just another memory Cairo didn't want to return to. Mooks realized that one glance was more than enough. So he gulped down his sadness and headed downstairs.
\tShortly after, Cairo followed, wearing a dull expression underneath his beaten brown cloak. Cairo was used to leaving the tavern early in the morning, but something about seeing no one felt strange, like a story without a proper ending.
\tCairo took a seat at his usual spot, looking around once again. He noticed things that haven't really piqued his interest before. Like the bounty board, or even the tiny cracks in the walls that had streaks of sunlight peeking through them. It gave a warm feeling to his heart, a feeling he hasn't experienced in quite some time.
\tThe smell of freshly cooked eggs and burnt peppers filled the air like a desperate song. It was pleasant, but almost too much to handle.
\tMooks came running out of the backroom behind the bar, smiling and galloping onto the open stool next to Cairo. ”Food is comin' in hot!” He howled excitingly.
\tCairo sighed, slightly relieved his usual breakfast wouldn't be a pile of roasted deer meat. Even Mooks, who was a natural carnivore, felt a rush of excitement burst through him as he saw Rina carrying out the morning meals for them.
\t'She looks beautiful.' Mooks thought to himself as he laid eyes on the seasoned piece of steak entering his tabletop territory.
\t'She looks beautiful.' Cairo thought to himself as he laid eyes on the girl walking out with the food.
\tRina set out a plate of steak next to Mooks, and a plate of sunny-side-up eggs with veggies next to Cairo. ”Eat up!” She said with her dazzling smile. ”And don't worry, it's on the house.” She winked, walking back into the back room.
\tBefore either of them were able to dig in, Cartuja started thumping and pounding on the floorboards when coming down the stairs for no reason other than to wake up the others still sleeping. He yawned, stretched, and cracked a few bones in his body that didn't seem like they were supposed to be cracked so freely. Wearing nothing but a white top and a pair of shorts leading up to his midthigh, he took a seat next to Mooks like he'd known him for a lifetime.
\t”Hello stranger!” Mooks stuffed out his paw into Cartuja's face, ”I don't think we've properly met!”
\t”Sup,” Cartuja yawned again, giving a fistbump into the cushioned pads on Mooks's paw. ”Name's Cartuja. Get use' to it.”
\tMooks looked at his paw, unsure of what to make of the fist gesture he received. Regardless, he smiled, taking it as a sign of friendship.
\tRina came out with yet another plate of food, and another, and another. Soon enough, there were two other plates of scrambled eggs sitting alone in unoccupied seats. One had salt and pepper, and one had nothing but the cozy tavern air seasoning it to nothingness.
\tAfter a few moments, Cairo and Mooks began digging into their meals, while Rina and Cartuja waited for the others to come down. Mooks thought they were religious at first, waiting to thank some worthless gods before they can eat. However, that assumption changed once he saw another person walking down the creaky stairs.
\tIt was a boy, looking no older than twenty years old at most. His hair was blank white, almost like Mooks's fur on a sunny day. He wore glasses, had a clean face, and an expression of someone who thinks they're too high and mighty to be living in a tavern such as this one. His clothes weren't particularly fancy in any way, but the linen in his shirt was far more expensive than anything else in the tavern.
\t”Who are these scoundrels eating our food at this early hour?” The boy said, gawking at Cairo and Mooks like piles of trash blocking his way.
\tCairo ignored him, while Mooks did his best to smile again. ”Hello sir! Very nice to meet you! My name is Mooks,” He gestured to himself, ”This right here is my companion Cairo.”
\tCairo gave the boy a look that sent a chill down his spine. That look alone was enough to shut him up, and Rina only continued Cairo's remark. ”Hey! That is no way to treat our guests, and soon-to-be fellow Guildmates!”
\tRina gave Cairo and Mooks an innocent shrug, ”I'm truly sorry. He's a bit rude sometimes… That's Faibel, he's like the brains of our group in a way?” She made a gesture for him to come over and take his seat.
\tFaibel humphed, taking his seat next to the plate of unseasoned scrambled eggs. He tied a white napkin around his neck, aligned his utensils, and readjusted his cup of cold water. ”Where's the bitch and the new kid?”
\tRina took a piece of table cloth and slapped him across the face with it, knocking the napkin under his chin off his neck. ”No cussing!” She sounded like a mother, but she was far too young and careless to be one.
\tFaibel felt one of his cheeks light up with a hint of pain, giving Rina a look that's too difficult to describe with words alone. It wasn't a look of rage or anger. It was more of an embarrassed look as if he was a baby who got his lollipop taken away. ”Sorry,” He said as he picked up the napkin and tied it back around his neck.