A Cloud Stirred, Not Shaken

I am but a cloud, trying to be a person.

And even a cloud can be interested in eating food.

After a few short steps, we walked past one of the numerous tables strewn about the guild’s southwest side. There were a few people, likely adventurers, sitting down – eating or bellowing for the entire world to hear. It was quite annoying, but luckily, it wasn’t our final destination. No, that was reserved for the nook behind them.

In the corner was a single countertop. Tall chairs were spaced equidistantly in front while bottles of various liquids lined the shelves behind. It seemed they were more likely to serve some kind of drink, but given that Lisa and Kryos sat down, they probably offered food as well.

As soon as I took my seat, the atmosphere changed into a relaxing vibe. An old man appeared from the shadows, masterfully twirling around some metal cup, placing water in front of us. Although he was way past his prime, his vest tuxedo made him twenty years younger. Of course, he was also the strongest person in the building by far.

“Hey Brennan! Pass us a menu!” Lisa called out, tapping her fingers against the wood. With a side eye, the old man Brennan slid one between the three of us.

“Does anything look interesting to you?” Kryos asked. There were a bunch of words written on the thing, but…

“Is it supposed to say something?”

“Huh? Oh, right,” Lisa muttered, realizing once again that I couldn’t read. “Then, three specials and some beer then!”

“Wait, but I wanted–”

“The special!” Lisa quickly silenced Kryos, turning him stone-faced. Brennan let out a sigh, retreating past a nearby door.

After a few minutes, he reappeared with what I could only assume was food. It looked like some sort of yellow worm covered in blood, though the color was lighter than I expected. I gave it a little poke just in case, but luckily, nothing moved. Kryos and Lisa twirled a four-pronged metallic object, wrapping the worms around before taking a bite. I tried to mimic them, but after a few failed attempts, I opted to use my hands instead. Working on my finesse could come later.

If I had to describe the taste in a single word, it would be uncomfortable. A thousand sensations exploded as my mind rapidly tried to discern its flavor, similar to when I first absorbed the mana of other living creatures. The second was much more enjoyable, able to more accurately distinguish and appreciate the intermingling tang. By the third, the food was already gone.

The drink, on the other hand, was disgusting. Somehow, it sucked the life out of my body. I much rather preferred water over that dehydrating mess. However, at least I managed to swallow my one and only sip. Though, Kryos did give me a few snickers at my dynamic expression.

By the time we finished, the stars and shattered moon had filled the sky. Only the flicker of candles kept the guild lit. Lisa and Kryos both set two coppers on the countertop. Brennan snatched them before glancing at me.

“What?” I asked with a tilt of my head.

“The bill?” he questioned with a bit of aggravation.

“For the food?”

“And the drink.”

What was I to do? I was broke. “Lisa?”

“Right! Sorry about that Brennan. Melora just learned about money a few hours ago, so she doesn’t have any yet. I can cover for–”

Bam!

Brennan sharply rapped the countertop, silencing Lisa. “You can’t keep giving handouts to everyone, especially those who are new. You have to teach them to work for what they eat.”

“But–”

“No buts. Now, young lady… Melora, was it? Since you don’t have any coins, you can pay me back by doing some work.”

“Do I have a choice?” I brusquely commented.

“What do you think?! I’m not running a charity!” With a quick yank, Brennan pulled me over and dragged me back behind the door. I didn’t even have a moment to contemplate, but whatever. Money was apparently a requirement to live, so it was probably reasonable, at least since neither of them tried to stop him.

Once I passed through the doorway, my eyes were overwhelmed by a bright light. It wasn’t hard to figure out why: everything was shining. Whether it was the metal implements or the pure-white decorations – even the smallest wisp from a candle easily illuminated the room. The only thing out of place was a splotch of brown, ruining the scene. That was probably what my job entailed. And, as if to confirm my conjecture…

“Wash these dishes and I’ll consider your meal repaid.” Well, that sounded simple enough. There was only one problem. A small one, really.

“How do I wash dishes?”

Brennan seemed taken aback by the question. “What in the world are you talking about? What have you been eating off of all this time? Or were you just throwing them away?!?”

“Umm… I just don’t use dishes.”

“Wha…” Brennan took a moment to recollect himself. “Let’s just get this over with.” He rolled up his sleeves, picking up one of the many discolored objects. “Basically, all you need to do is grab a plate, put some soap on it, wipe it down with a sponge, dunk it in the water, then put it on the rack to dry. Simple, right?”

“Hmm…” The circular motion of his hand, which seemed to restore anything to its original state, reminded me of a hurricane. The gigantic vortex, with the correct balance, could reinvigorate an otherwise destroyed landscape. If I recalled, it went something like this? No, maybe this? Ah! That’s what it was.

“How…” Snapping out of my daze, I turned my head, only to find Brennan in… confusion? Or was that terror?

“How what?”

“How in the world are you doing that?!?” My finger twirled around, floating the dishes through the air with a bit of wind magic. They quickly passed through one of the water bubbles sourced from the basin with a hefty amount of soap, spinning within until all the grime came off. Then, they nicely settled into one of the empty spaces on the rack. I was too distracted by the comfortable feeling, but it looked like everything had worked out. After all, it wasn’t anything special – just a bit of mana here and there.

“It’s just what you guys do.”

“But… with such control… after the moon…” Brennan muttered to himself for a while. I planned to ignore him, but I wasn’t sure whether this was all I had to do.

“So, am I allowed to–hey!” Out of the blue, he grabbed my shoulders, holding on tightly. It was enough to make me jump in surprise. But before I could even ask what was going on…

“How would you like a job?!?”