Rashie was quick to throw herself at Adabelle with her arms spread wide, leaving behind a little bit of mud on the woman’s skirt before doing the same to Trevor. Neither of them minded, both giving the shark girl as big a hug as they could.

  Trevor, in particular, felt something sneak into his pocket. Rashie backed up and gave him a look that he had long since learned meant to play it cool, and he gave her a nod back to let her know he understood. Reaching into his pocket, he grabbed the item she had slipped him and sent it into his inventory so he could look it over.

  It was half of a dark blue geode with white and purple crystals inside, and Trevor smiled. Ever since he and Adabelle had started dating, Rashie had made it abundantly clear that she approved after being reassured that he wasn’t going to steal her friend for himself. The shark girl often found little trinkets, oddities, or sometimes just cool rocks, shells, and sticks, and often presented them to one to give to the other.

  They both had a rather large collection of what they dubbed Rashie Approved Objects in their homes. To some it might have been junk but, to them, they were treasures.

  As amused as they were by this process, they were also thankful that she was slowing down on the gift giving. Their wall space was starting to look a little tight.

  Once the shark girl was done greeting them, she turned to the slab of meat and took a deep breath. “Smells delicious,” she said, wiping her mouth in case she was drooling. Turning to look at Wayne, she pouted. “But I didn’t get to help you cook it this time!”

  “No, but it does mean you get to eat it faster,” the dwarf replied. “Plus, you know Trevor’s got that time freeze in his inventory. It’s like it just came off the grill.”

  “Maybe, but I like smelling it and helping you cook,” Rashie said firmly, putting her hands on her hips. “So, next year, you gotta let me help again. Got it?”

  Wayne chuckled and rubbed the top of her head. “Yeah, I got it, shark. Next time I’ll let you wait for hours and hours, just smelling the meat without being able to eat it. That’ll sure make for a great summoning day, won't it?”

  The girl allowed the dwarf to rub her head before ducking out of the way and sticking her tongue out at him. Stopping, she thought about how long it usually took for such a slab of ribs to finish cooking, and then shrugged. “This is fine,” she admitted, turning to Trevor. “Thanks for putting it in your inventory space so it stayed fresh!”

  “It was my pleasure,” he said with an elegant bow. He started putting down the sides now that Rashie had enough time to admire the meat. A bowl of red mashed potatoes, black and blue salad, orange corn on the cob, and black beans, which were green beans back on Earth, filled the table.

  Even though the vegetables here were a different color than they were where he had come from, Trevor had long since gotten used to it. It also helped that they tasted the same, though he still wasn’t clear on if they actually were similar or if his palate had been changed when his body was remade.

  Either way, it didn’t really matter. Good food was good food, after all.

  “How much do you want?” Adabelle asked as she grabbed a plate. The shark girl held her hands a good distance apart to give a measurement, and the demonkin smiled. “That’s a lot, but I’m sure you can handle it.”

  “I can!” Rashie confirmed, bouncing slightly. “And then we can do presents, right? After I’m done but while you guys eat? You’re always so much slower.”

  “Yes, you can open presents while we eat,” Adabelle answered before giving her the exact amount of ribs requested. She had to put it on the plate in two piles so that Rashie had room for sides, but the shark girl took care of that herself.

  The three adults were quick to get their plates situated and moved to sit at the table. Rashie had waited patiently, but the moment they arrived she started eating. A few months ago she would have tossed everything into her mouth and pulverized it with her powerful shark teeth. The first time Trevor had heard the girl eat, he thought she had put her food through a garbage disposal. It was gone about as quick, too.

  Rashie had gotten better. She still ate quickly these days, but now she went slowly enough that she could actually taste and appreciate her food instead of downing it all at once. Wayne was particularly happy with that development given how often he watched her basically inhale food that he had meticulously cooked.

  “It’s delicious,” Rashie announced, beaming before biting into a rib bone and easily breaking it in two.

  “Great as always, Wayne,” Trevor agreed. “When are you going to teach me how to grill like this?”

  “Someday, probably,” he answered with a wave of his hand. “There’s plenty of time for it, and I’m not willing to give up my title of Grillmaster just yet.”

  “So long as you keep it coming, I think that’s fine,” Adabelle commented. “You’ve really outdone yourself this time, though.”

  “That’s just cause it’s basically straight off the grill,” he replied. “Which is a weird thing to say when it’s a week old, but Trevor’s a weird guy so it’s probably fine.”

  “Guilty as charged,” the man said proudly before taking a large bite of mashed potatoes.

  Rashie, already halfway done, reached out to tug on Adabelle’s sleeve. She paused, realizing that her hand was dirty, and quickly wiped it off with a napkin before completing the action. “Addy?”

  “Yes, Rashie?”

  “You didn’t get me anything, right?” the shark girl asked quietly.

  Adabelle smiled. “You told me not to, remember? You said you had something you wanted to ask for instead.”

  “Yeah, I just wanted to make sure,” she said.

  “If it’s within my power, then I’ll grant it,” the demonkin told her. “But I also got you a gift just because it felt wrong not getting you anything.”

  Rashie opened her mouth to argue, but then seemed to realize that she was getting two gifts instead of just one. “This is acceptable,” she said with a grin before shoveling more meat into her mouth.

  “Careful with those bones, now,” Wayne warned. Rashie nodded, but didn’t really heed his words too much. She knew how to eat.

  Trevor smiled as he looked at the people he had come to call his new family over these past months. They had their quirks, sure. Adabelle was a noblewoman who constantly worked for the good of the town, usually coming home dead tired. Wayne liked pranks and jokes despite being the oldest of them, though he would always be the first to help if something needed doing.

  Rashie was, of course, Rashie. The shark girl had become something like a sibling to Trevor. A very powerful younger sister that could lift him with one hand if she wanted to, but a younger sister nonetheless.

  “Something on your mind, cinnamon roll?” Wayne asked, nudging him with his elbow.

  “Just thinking about how lucky I was to be summoned here, is all,” he answered, looking across the table at Adabelle. She returned his smile and gently set her foot on his.

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  “We’re glad you’re here, too, Trevandereveson!” Rashie exclaimed before lifting her plate and pouring the rest of her food into her mouth.

  She had gotten better, that didn’t mean the practice was totally in the past.

  “Wow, that one really got away from you, didn’t it?” Trevor remarked with a chuckle. “You don’t have to have a nickname for me, you know. If you haven’t found it after all this time, I’m afraid it might be a lost cause.”

  Rashie put her now empty plate down and was about to say something, but a sharp glance from Adabelle kept her mouth shut. She began chewing instead. They waited patiently. Once she swallowed, she stood up. The girl raised her foot and put it on the chair. It was a little too tall for her, so it put her in an awkward position. Still, she raised her fist in the air.

  “Don’t be afraid, Trevor, I’ll find a nickname for you if it’s the last thing I do!” she exclaimed loudly.

  Taking such a vow seriously, the man nodded. “Thank you, Rashie. I can rest easy knowing you’re on the job.”

  The shark girl nodded before putting her foot down and pointing at her plate. “I'm finished! It was all delicious and I didn’t grinder it this time so I know for a fact it was delicious. Can we do presents now?” she asked, turning to Wayne with excitement in her eyes.

  “That is what we agreed on,” the dwarf confirmed. “You know where to find them?”

  Perking up, Rashie looked around the Hero House. She moved to the kitchen first, putting her plate in the sink and washing her hands. Then, she began her prowl through the building to find presents that simply weren't there.

  It didn’t take long before she ended up next to Trevor, pointing at him. “He’s got them!”

  “Are you sure they’re not outside?” he asked, arching an eyebrow. “Or maybe they’re waiting in our homes so you can’t sniff them out.”

  The shark girl considered this for a moment before shaking her head. “No. You like carrying stuff. So you probably like carrying presents. So if my presents would be anywhere, they’d be with you!”

  “Well, I’m convinced,” Adabelle said with a smile, placing her elbow on the table and her chin against her fist. “Who’s present do you want first, Rashie?”

  Another moment of pause. “Well, Wayne’s gift is food because he’s bad at gifts and good at food, so I already got his gift.”

  “Oof, cutting words there, kid,” the dwarf chuckled.

  “They’re your words. You’re the one that said them,” she replied, fists on her hips.

  “She’s got you there, Wayne,” Trevor chuckled, and the dwarf shrugged.

  “Jokes on all of you, I’m just going to keep on eating this wonderful gift.”

  Rashie nodded. This was acceptable. “And since I’ve already got Wayne’s gift, and I’m going to ask Addy for something super secret, I gotta choose Trevor!”

  The man grinned and turned his chair so he was facing her. “Alright. Hold out your hands,” he instructed. She did so immediately, giggling all the while. He deposited a box into her waiting grasp, and she began tearing into it.

  An enthusiastic gasp escaped her as she held up her new clothes. “A shark onesie!” Rashie shrieked. The blue outfit was a few shades darker than her scales were, and there was a hole for her tail to stick out. A fin protruded from the back of the hood, which was surrounded by cloth teeth to make it look like her face was inside the shark’s mouth while it was up. “I must wear it now!”

  She reached down to pull up her dress, but Wayne was quicker. “Hey,” he barked, causing her to stop. “Is this the right place to get changed?”

  Rashie looked from Wayne to Trevor before shaking her head. However, she wasn’t all that deterred. Running into the kitchen, she hid behind one of the islands so that she was out of sight. The dwarf sighed, but allowed it since no one could see. Her dress was thrown off onto the floor, and she emerged in a fit of giggles.

  “I'm a shark!” she yelled, raising her hands. The hood was up, and she danced back and forth with her tail swishing happily.

  “I’m really glad you like it, Rashie,” Trevor said, grinning at how well received it was. Not that he hyad been worried; anything shark related was the way to go for her.

  “Thank you!” she said, running up and throwing herself at him in a hug. He barely had enough time to send his corn on the cob into his inventory before impact. He returned the gesture with his elbows, not willing to touch the outfit with soiled hands. “I love it! I love it! I love it!”

  “I’m glad, I’m glad, I’m glad,” he repeated with a laugh.

  The shark girl shrieked in his ear, causing him to shake his head, before jumping down onto the ground. She ran up to Adabelle and spun around, careful not to hit anything with her tail. “How do I look?”

  “You look adorable,” the demonkin praised, reaching out to fix the fin on the hood. “Now, like I said, I do have a gift for you in addition to your request. Would you like it now?”

  “Please!” she said with as much excitement as she could muster.

  Adabelle looked across the table. “Trevor?”

  “Right away, lady,” he answered. A black jewelry box appeared in his hand, and he offered it to her.

  [[Quest complete! You kept something from Rashie, and now she has it.

  Honestly, this feels a little like Adabelle abusing her status as a Quest Giver, but it’s for a good cause so I’ll allow it. It is, after all, Rashie’s Summoning Day and she’s really good at sniffing out presents. Not only that, but the present in question will help facilitate quests in the future so only good things can come from it.

  I’ve convinced myself. This was a fine enough reason for a quest. You have gained a congratulatory pat on the back because this one came with no reward due to its ease.]]

  “I still can’t believe you could make this a quest, lady,” Trevor chuckled.

  “You got a quest for holding on to my present?” the shark girl gasped. “Lucky!”

  Adabelle just smiled. “Now, Rashie, this is a very special gift, okay?” she asked as she took the box. The shark girl stilled, nodding as her eyes widened with anticipation. “And it’s going to come with some responsibility. You have matured a lot since you’ve arrived here in Tosa, and we think you’re ready for it.”

  “What is it?” she asked, quiet but only barely so.

  Adabelle passed off the box, and Rashie opened it. There were two golden bracelets inside. The metal was twisted as if it were braided leather. A small red button rested on one, while a blue one topped the other. She stared at them as the woman spoke.

  “The red one is for you, and the blue one is for whoever is out and about with you at the time,” Adabelle explained. “When the blue button is pressed, the red one will blink. If you press it, then it’ll tell you what direction the other bracelet is in.”

  Rashie tilted her head one way, and then the other, before looking up at Adabelle. “I don’t get it.”

  “The first time we went on a mission near a big body of water, we lost you for days,” she started, and Rashie looked away innocently. “We’ve been very careful since then to make sure you don’t go missing after that, setting time limits and doing what we can to make sure you’re safe. But, Wayne and I have decided that it’s about time to take you to the place you’ve wanted to go the most. This will ensure you won’t get lost.”

  The more Adabelle spoke, the more Rashie’s excitement returned. She started nodding vigorously, dancing from foot to foot. The moment the woman stopped speaking, the shark girl jumped. “It’s for the ocean!”

  “Yes, it’s for the ocean,” the demonkin giggled. “We don’t want you wandering off too far or getting lost, so we want you to always know how to get back.”

  “When can we go? Can we go now?” she asked.

  “Hold your wracors, squirt,” Wayne chuckled. “It’ll be a bit. Trevor and I’s got that little adventure we’re going on—”

  “Not an adventure,” the man quickly corrected.

  He was promptly ignored. “—To Vilderchtif, but after that we’ll schedule something in, okay?”

  Rashie nodded. “We’re going to the ocean!” she exclaimed, grabbing the bracelets and holding them in the air. She was practically vibrating with excitement now.

  Wayne jerked his thumb back towards the door. “Why don’t you go do a couple of laps, get rid of some of that excess energy, and then you can come back and talk to Addy,” he suggested.

  “Yes. I shall be like the wind!” Rashie yelled, arms up, before heading outside.

  “Kids, huh?” Trevor chuckled.

  “Kids,” Adabelle agreed. “Though it looks like that super secret request of hers is going to have to wait a few minutes.”

  “Gives us time to eat, at least,” Wayne said, looking down at his plate. “She’ll be burning off that energy for a good few minutes.”

  Trevor glanced at the table. “And then she’ll have more after cake.”

  “Good luck with that, Wayne,” Adabelle teased.

  “Yeah, yeah,” he sighed. Despite that, there was a big smile on his face. He went back to eating his meal, now able to do so in peace, and the others followed suit.