"Eh! Nino! Chi eh!? Come eat!" Nina yelled to the front of the pizza shop as she dropped another chicken cutlet onto Alex's plate.

Nino didn't answer, opting to risk a slipper to the head, and kept on yapping to someone in Italian on the phone. Nina scoffed. She didn't make a move, though, and floated down the line to serve another onto Snu's plate.

"I can't," Snu answered with a mouth stuffed with noodles. She swallowed, exhaled a deep breath, squeezed Alex's thigh under the table, and nodded at her own plate seriously. "Ok, yes I can." Then she dug in and moaned loudly from the first bite.

"Bella, ma certo che puoi! Eat, eat," Beautiful, of course you can! Nina smiled warmly, and a little bit devilishly, at Snu. "Natural food no make fat." The old woman had been dotting on Snu since she showed up with a little house plant that now stood proudly on one of the front of house tables.

The meeting had gone wonderfully. Nina had even grabbed Snu's butt, and quite seriously asked if it was real. The two women had been vibing since.

Guess she's not a putana anymore, huh Nina? The old woman did tsk as the thought passed through his head though. Lich Domain, and all that.

Alex looked down at the perfect crusty and juicy cutlet, rubbed his bloated belly, and decided he could do another. What was it? Only his fourth. After two bowls of perfect sunday sauce and pasta, an entire bun dunked in cold pressed olive oil, a bite of lettuce salad, and not one, but two spicy sausages, he could fit it. Hopefully. It helped speed along the new Skill he had gained, after all.

[Feast and Mend - Level 1]

Defeating a Dungeon Boss and getting blasted with Essence has its perks. Good way to bloody well heal. What a dream, Alex thought as he could feel the bloat knitting his collarbone back together. Now who didn't love a little Skill that healed themselves faster when the user stuffed themselves full of delicious food?

"Pass the cheese, please!" Mary said with an outstretched hand. She was on her third bowl of slow simmered meat sauce that actually made Jemin weep with joy when he first tried it.

Said cryer snorted and smiled warmly at Mary before going for the bowl of parm. Zippy, or rather, Zippy Plus, was already zooming, eager to be of aide. The bot found any excuse to use his new upgrades.

Zippy had been a simple drone with plastic propellers, a little camera, and a pincer that didn't work all that great. He hadn't gained the ability to speak, but he had grown just like Beepy, who sat on their shared high chair and was just happy to hang out at the long table with everyone else.

"Dun-dun-dun-dun!!!" Zippy announced as he swept in using his new hand and feet thrusters. Just like Beepy, Zippy now had a full humanoid form, a simple camera as a head, and most importantly, blue zig-zag accents on his arms that ended in two useful ends.

The left one, a now reliably strong five-pronged pincer, shut off its thrust as he grasped the bowl with it, before he smoothly landed in front of Mary. With his other regular mech hand, he opened the [Ancient Paring Knife] that Alex had formally given over yesterday, and made quick work of the cutlet Nina forced onto Mary's plate. The knife cut through like it was nothing. The only mistake from Zippy was the candle he accidentally blew out upon landing.

So the bot spun, and with his left pronged hand opened wide, and fired a [Essence Orb] straight at the smoldering wick. A brilliant blue marble pew-pew'd out of his hand, washed over the wick, which lit, and continued on its potent path straight for Petal Gravewhistle's forehead.

"--and thus the true fortitude of sustenance lies not only in its caloric integrity, but in its spiritual guidance!" Gravewhistle somehow narrated to Jemin as he shoved half a bun into his mouth as the orb went straight for him.

"Meeoooowwwr," Emilio grunted from his stood, stretching lazily to flick his tail at the orb mid air and inches before it could tag Gravewhistle between the eyes.

The Essence orb hit the end of Emilio's tail, and instead of detonating like it had against Alex's bedroom wall when he made Zippy show him, absorbed completely into his fur like butter into warm toast. The cat let out a second, smugger mrow, and continued to chomp on his slow cooked hunk of steak Nina had pulled for him from the depths of her sauce pot. Of course Emilio and Nina had gotten along straight away.

Gravewhistle, utterly unaware, finished swallowing without chewing his bun, and lifted his completely full wine glass for his tenth toast. "To the Digestive Arts!"

"TO FRIENDS. TO NINA." Beepy added, lifting his nine volt battery, as Zippy crashed back into the chair beside him. Zippy raised his battery too and clinked it with his brother.

Everyone reached for their drinks and lifted them high. Alex grabbed his tumbler of homemade wine, and felt Snu rubbing slow circles into his back. She mouthed 'mwah' as she clinked her own glass against his. Mary leaned into Jemin while the lizard man warped an arm around her shoulders and hoisted his beer bottle with the other. Together, save for Nino, who still yapped, they raised their voices and drinks. "To Nina!"

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Nina looked almost sheepish as she floated there in her flower apron and pink slippers. Her smile was small and tight, but Alex could tell she was glowing. The praise, the constant clatter of forks on plates, the sauce stained faces. Was she blushing? Nina?! She waved her hands as everyone cheersed to her like it was nothing.

Everyone chattered, and ate, and ate, and ate, and drank. The long table was full of bowls of pasta and antipasta refilling through summoned food under Nina's watchful eye. She hovered, offering fourth and fifth portions. Nino's voice rang out from the front, and every now and then Nina would glare daggers in his direction. Pizza wasn't on the menu, but it was delicious and fun.

Alex was in bliss, warm, full and surrounded by his people. When he looked at Snu howling at Gravewhistle or Jemin's jokes, he swore she looked like she was at home.

He had survived the night with her and Giat. Barely, but he survived. And with his shiny new upgrades from the System, and Britanii mostly taken care of, he felt like the world was his oyster. Most of the upgrades were fantastic, like his new Skill that let him heal up when feasting. He still mulled over his +1 Skill. Maybe tomorrow he'd even screw around with [Illusory Copy] - Level 3.

[Running] - Level 7 -> Level 8

[Phantom Step] - Level 3 -> 4

[Audio Player] - Level 1 -> 2

The last one, the Title, was just a touch concerning. He wasn't really sure how to feel about it.

[Title: Fate Touched]

[You shouldn't have survived, but you did. You shouldn't have earned both favour and ire, but you did. Continue, and keep running.

+10% Narrative Convergence]

Yeah, Alex had no idea what to make of it. He wasn't going to be slotting it into his public name, either. Narrative Convergence? What the heck did that mean? And 10%? Didn't seem that great. He assumed it was from his recent actions of effectively rounding people up to fight Britanii, but he couldn't be sure. Did it have something to do with his [Illusory Copy], which he still hadn't had time to tinker with since it hit level 3? All he knew was that it made his belly a little upset to consider the Title. Whether that was nerves, or it was him trying to tell him something…

"Hey," Snu gave a gentle squeeze on his thigh, "You OK? Looking a little lost in your thoughts."

Alex snapped out of his thoughts and turned to her. Her freckles spotted her nose and cheeks, and her lip had just a liiiiitle bit of sauce on it. Since her ascension to Silver Grade, Snu had been nothing but bouncy. "Yeah, yeah, sorry!" Alex said, patting his stomach. "Just bloated beyond belief."

She laughed and leaned in just a little. Alex met her halfway to plant a wet one on her lips.

"Ew, gross, get a room" Jemin teased from across the table. Alex pulled away and arched an eyebrow at him. Had he forgotten that Mary was nuzzled in his arms?

Dinner continued. Nino yapped, and Alex mostly forgot about the strange Title he received. Nothing from participating in the ritual with Snu and Giat. Well, nothing except the best damn memories. All that mattered was that he was around good food, good friends, and Snu. She seemed so at ease at dinner.

"Eh," Nino finally stuck his head into the doorway, still holding the rotary phone. "Vienni qua, Alex! Vienni qua! I want you say hello to someone!" He obviously ignored Nina's smoldering glare and the way she smacked her wooden spoon against her palm.

Alex excused himself, leaving Snu in good company at the table. Maybe, just maybe, if he had enough time after dropping her off, he'd ask Nino to go to the Garden. He wouldn't mind a spot of air.

Hell, dropping a crying Lord Loopy off at his Dungeon had been hard enough. The big unfamiliarized Dungeon Boss had awoken sad, had almost broken the gigantic automated taxi Alex rode along with him in, said his goodbyes at the Wonderland Dungeon Entrance, and slinked off with his remaining monsters. Him and Marty the DeLorean robot at least seemed like they were friends now, so that was a plus. The loss of Peepums crushed Loopy, and Alex was just thankful he wasn't under someone else's control.

Also about the rent. That's pretty sweet too.

For the first time in a long while, Alex had even paid rent on time. Well, a day late, after he wobbled into his apartment on Saturday, but basically on time. Christine, his landlady that he was pretty sure lived in the basement and did god knows what all day, swiped the thousand Credits, grumbled about her vast apartment network and very important job in Hong Kong, and practically sprinted back downstairs. It had felt fantastic to not owe Mary for once.

Alex rounded the corner to find Nino practically bouncing. A lit cigarette dangled from his lips, sending smoke to vanish on exhale. The rotary's spiral cord stretched out tautand he held the receiver out like an excited boy showing off a frog he'd caught.

Nino wiggled the phone impatiently. "Eh!? Eh! Say ciao!"

Shrugging, Alex took the handset and placed the plastic machine against his ear for the first time in his life. He had never used tech so ancient.

"Uh, hello?" he said into the receiver.

There was a crackle of a long distance call. Then, a cheerful voice spoke in an italian accent.

"Oh, ciao, Alex! Mi chiamo Francesca! Is so nice to speakah with you," Francesa, the girl on the other end, said excitedly. "Is be nice to meet you in person too!"

"Meet me?" Alex asked, confused, before looking up to find Nina in the doorway, smiling secretly.

"Ah, they haven't told you," Francesa laughed. "I am coming to Canada next month! Sound like I work with you. Make delivery, make pizza too! Canada sound much better than Bari. Too hot."

"Bear-ee? What's that?" Alex started. "Wait, you're coming next month?" He asked that more to Nino and Nina than the woman on the phone.

"Francesa, my niece! Veeeery tall. Veeeeerrry beautiful," Nino announced excitedly. "My brother daughter. She move here next month! Leave his gelato store for here. Fantastisco, no?"

Alex was about to respond to Nino when Snu's voice rang out from the kitchen.

"How tall and beautiful!?" The short stack of a succubus Dungeon Boss squeaked.

The voice on the other end of the line laughed like music. "Molta." Very.

___

Actually the end of Dungeons & Deliveries Book 1. 🍕

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