The Nettle Tea Chronicles

Zoe

"I'll have the Korma. Mild, if you can." Zoe handed the menu back to their waiter while Cassandra ordered herself a biryani dish with chicken. Zoe idly rolled her shoulder which popped quietly, but she could still feel it.

The restaurant was comfortable after the subway ride and walking in the cold, so she happily took off her jacket and stuffed her mittens in the pockets. Despite the teasing she had often seen, she really did love those mittens - her fingers were toasty and warm, much more so than they were in the more classy leather gloves she had gotten a few years ago.

"The restaurant's got a bit more ambience than it had in the pictures, huh?" Cass looked around at the low-light setting they were in, surrounded by warm wooden decor.

"To be fair, all the pictures were during the day with sunlight." Zoe shrugged. "But, yeah, it's surprisingly dim and intimate here."

"We even have candles on the table."

"Sure do." Zoe eyed the electric candles on the table that had been set to the side against the half wall. The 'centerpiece' with the candles also held a number of condiments and spices around a nice little flower arrangement.

Their two person table was set neatly against the partition, but was quite comfortable. Zoe was used to the smaller two person tables that were just wide enough to fit the two chairs, and uncomfortably at that.

The table they were at, though, was more than wide enough for the two of them. Not quite big enough to seat four, but it was more comfortable than she was used to for two.

"So, you like Indian food, then? You didn't really take very long with the menu." Cassandra asked.

"Yep. Or, at least enough to know what I like. Which is most of their dishes, but mild."

"Really? I thought you liked spicy foods?"

"I do, but there's a limit and a logic to it." Zoe leaned forward on the table while they chatted. "To begin, I'm not a huge fan of spice for heat's sake. So something like a spicy buffalo sauce or something is up my alley. Alternatively, I love the Sichuan numbing spice. But I've found that I'm not a fan of the way Indian food is spicy. I don't think it adds much flavor behind the heat, so…" She shrugged.

"I suppose that's fair."

"I've long been a proponent of the idea that spicy food has three varieties of appeal. One, it can add lots of flavor. Second, it attracts people who just want to prove to themselves that they can handle it. And third," Zoe sighed, "I will allow that some crazy people probably do enjoy the feeling of heat and the tears and pain that comes with it."

Cassandra laughed, "You seem very disappointed in that last one."

"I am." Zoe rolled her eyes. "I just don't understand people sometimes. I've literally watched people order a super spicy dish, then practically cry and sweat buckets while eating it, then act like they aren't just suffering. For no reason."

"Some people like it, right?"

"Yeah, that's what I said, isn't it?" Zoe said. "I don't get why anyone would actively choose to make their eating experience predominantly suffering - without adding extra flavor. I think that's the part that gets me. You want something spicy because it adds a new level of depth or whatever? Fine. But like…adding ghost pepper sauce to something to just make yourself die of heatstroke is stupid."

"Well, I won't defend the ghost pepper thing, because I think that's usually just your option two - to prove they can do it. But I do think that there's something at least somewhat appealing to eating a super spicy dish that leaves you sweating and crying."

"Then pray tell, Cass, what is the draw? Because I don't get it."

Cassandra looked over Zoe's shoulder off into space for a moment in thought. Eventually, she shrugged. "You know? I've got nothing."

"See?"

"I can't explain it. I think there's something enticing about trying to find that knife's edge of just verging on too spicy where it's not hot to the point of pain, but it is hot enough that there's a bit of discomfort."

"No, see, I get that. It's the full red in the face, practically crying level of spice I don't get."

"I think that's fair." Cass shrugged. "People are weird."

"People are weird." Zoe echoed her friend as the waiter returned with drinks. He poured out glasses of water, for each of them, and placed the lassi that Cassandra had ordered in front of her.

Zoe wasn't listening when Cass had ordered, and she eyed her now. As she made a show of narrowing her eyes comically, Cass looked up and away.

"Cass."

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"What?"

"Something you'd like to tell me?"

"No?"

"You got a super spicy biryani, didn't you?"

Cassandra's eyes were rolling around the room, looking everywhere but at Zoe. Zoe just laughed, pointing at the drink. "Lassi are great at cutting through burning spice, aren't they?"

Cassandra sighed. "Yeah. I didn't get an extra spicy dish or anything, to be clear. I really like biryani, but different places have randomly assigned spice levels. And while I like a good kick, sometimes it's too much."

"Thus the lassi."

"Thus the lassi." Cassandra agreed. "But also, they're delicious and water is awful for helping with spicy food."

"Valid points, all."

Zoe enjoyed the chatter as they waited on the food. They jumped around to a number of different topics, mostly unrelated to one another. Other food they liked, favorite drinks - despite neither of them drinking much anymore - favorite childhood games, both video games and boardgames alike, and they even jumped back to fashion at one point and how it related to their favorite character designs.

Even when the waiter brought out the food, their conversation barely even paused only out of politeness while the server was at the table. Zoe felt like the conversation flowed as easily as water, and she loved it. Cassandra was engaged and engaging, and while they were in a one-on-one situation that could've easily lapsed into an awkward silence without a friend group to keep things moving, it never did.

Even when Zoe laughed at Cassandra for trying to keep up the conversation while she was clearly struggling with her mouth on fire, having overestimated this particular restaurant's spice level, they were laughing together.

It was an unrepentant lovely night out with a friend, full of great conversation, good food, and a relaxed atmosphere. And, more than anything else, Zoe found herself immensely satisfied that her thoughts the previous night had been spot on.

Yes, a nice dinner out was exactly what the doctor ordered, and maybe she really had moved on from nights out with the girls at a nightlife hotspot. She had to be honest with herself; she enjoyed the pleasant dinner with Cassandra much more than any of those late nights out wherever her friends had decided to go.

"So," Cass said as they were both picking at the remnants of food on their plates, "what do you think the plan is for next week with raid?"

"I honestly have no idea. Given the chat earlier, I'm half worried that no one has paid any attention to their holiday plans, given Christmas is next Wednesday. And we've not addressed it, like, at all."

"Oh. Yeah. True." Cass said, looking a little blindsided. Zoe chuckled.

"Tell me you forgot, too."

"I…might have."

"Cass."

"Sue me. I'm a single woman living absolutely nowhere near any family. I don't exactly have a whole list of plans for the holidays." Cass shrugged. "Last year, I literally stayed home and played video games all day and ate a day-old grocery store rotisserie chicken. And, may I remind you, you knew that."

"I did know that, and I still think it sounds kinda nice. Day-old chicken aside. You really could've at least cooked a fresh chicken."

"Could've. But I also could've taken the time I would've spent cooking and put it toward gaming instead, and that's exactly what I did." Cassandra looked almost proud of the decision as she bragged about it.

"Do you think there's any chance at all that we raid next week?" Zoe asked, bringing the conversation back around.

"Honestly? No. Caoimhe is almost certainly out with his two girls, and I can only assume Fiona will also be gone. Aleister and Mello are a bit more in the air, but given they're married it wouldn't surprise me if they visit family. Firo is a college student, so god only knows there. And I know you'll be visiting family, too. So, no, I think - at best - we might raid on Thursday."

"You left out Bisky."

"I did. Because I have suspicions that, like me, Bisky will be at home most of the day because she also lives nowhere near family. There's a chance she opens her bakery, so I don't know for sure though."

"Hm. Fair point." Zoe chuckled. "I suppose we should toss a message in there later at some point to see what the plan is, but I suspect you're right. With Tuesday being the Eve, and Wednesday literally being Christmas, I think we're probably sunk."

"I'm not opposed to a week-long break." Cass said with a shrug. "I'm not about to say we've been going too hard or anything, but taking a week off here and there will probably help with burn-out and stuff. Keeps us going long term."

"True enough. I think we've been making good progress, though, and that alone would probably help block the burn-out."

"Also true. We'll have to see how it all goes. The only real concern is that we return a little rusty, but we did just finish a fight, so assuming we choose to continue rather than go for reclears, we'll be returning to a fresh fight anyway."

"Good point. I guess there's not really any reason to be worried about it."

"Nah. Plus, we're all adults. Mostly. Life is gonna get in the way. And the Holiday season is always an absolute scheduling nightmare."

"The trick will be recovering after the holiday." Zoe muttered, having seen other gaming groups fall apart after the multi-week scheduling mess of the Holiday season.

"Yep. I think we've sorta won the lottery a bit there, though, because the raids are still new. Everyone will want to get back into it instead of just letting it fall away to focus on other plans."

"I could see that." Zoe allowed, eyeing Cass curiously. "So then, Cass, what exactly are your plans for Christmas this year?"

Cassandra shrugged. "Probably the same as last year. Maybe I'll splurge on a nicer meal than a rotisserie chicken."

"Would you be interested in spending it with my family?" Zoe offered without thinking, and almost immediately regretted it when she saw the stunned look on Cassandra's face. Thankfully, her expression cleared up quickly, settling on amused.

"I appreciate the offer, Zoe, but don't you think it'd be a little…weird? To suddenly show up with a friend in tow?"

It probably would be, but Zoe wasn't about to let that sink in. "Eh. I'm sure they'd be fine, and it's Christmas! We don't have any small children around, so it's mostly just a relaxed evening and a nice dinner, followed by a slow day of watching TV and more eating."

"And you're telling me it wouldn't be weird to intrude on what would otherwise be family time?"

"Nope." Zoe was worried it came out sounding more like a question than a statement, but Cassandra just laughed.

"I'm good. Thank you, though. I suppose even if your family was crazy welcoming and perfectly happy to have a visitor, I'd probably still feel out of place. I've never met any of them. And I do feel perfectly comfortable in my own apartment with…hm…a bucket of fried chicken and some games or movies? You know, a bucket of fried chicken might be just the thing."

It was Zoe's turn to chuckle, picturing her friend lazing at her PC, watching a movie, legs propped up on a corner of her desk, a bucket of chicken perched askew on her lap.

"I can't fault you for that." Zoe said, leaning back in her chair. "Maybe if I get bored with my family, I'll join you."

"I mean, I'll be around." Cass shrugged. "Just give me a heads up so I can get two chicken buckets."