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Lumine shivers by the campfire. Dragonspine has been way, way too cold. She and Amber were checking out Starglow Cavern, and made their way to an abandoned campsite. Thanks to Amber’s Pyro vision, they were saved from freezing in the strange beds of flowers.
“How’re you doing? The fire warms you right up, doesn’t it?” Despite the frigid cold, Amber is still her same warm and cheery self, and that in and of itself provides Lumine some relief from their surroundings.
“Thanks for coming here with me, Amber. I don’t think I would have made it without you.” And it’s true. Amber’s bright attitude and fire abilities have both been lifesavers.
“Aw, it’s no problem! I don’t get to go out like this often. And the scenery’s been so beautiful!” Ambers smile is so warm, maybe warmer than the campfire. Lumine can’t help but smile back. Despite Lumine and Paimon’s incessant complaints and whining, she never lost her smile.
“Now why don’t I rustle up some grub!” Amber pumps a fist in the air, jumping to her feet.
“No, I can handle it, Amber, it’s fine.” Lumine rushes to her feet, but her cold numbed hands quickly drop her bag.
“Cmon Lumine, it’s fine to let Amber cook, right?” Paimon floats around by Lumine. Lumine hesitates, then nods.
“Alright then.”
“Leave it to me!” Amber quickly gets to work, pulling out some of the Chilled meat they’d gotten from a boar they thawed out earlier. It certainly looks more well marbled than the regular boar meat the Lumine is used to hunting.
“Ooh, are we eating steak?” Paimon’s eyes light up and she wiggles excitedly.
“Mhm! My specialty.” Amber beams. “This is the dish I’m best at making.”
With a roar, the flames under the pot roar to life, flaring up much larger than before, egged on by her pyro vision. Without so much as a hint of seasoning, Amber tosses the meat into the cooking pot, and in an instant they begin to sizzle, the smell of cooking meat wafting up. It’s a tantalizing smell, but aren’t they cooking too fast? Quickly the savory smell of cooked meat turns bitter as smoke begins to rise from the pan, and Amber struggles to get the steaks out before they’re totally unsalvageable.
“Tada…” her voice is much weaker and more meek than when she started, perhaps due to the unintentional show she just put on. Lumine looks at the plates. Blackened and charred in spots, but other parts look fine, lumine cuts into her steak. Rare is… putting it nicely.
“Do you think it’s safe to eat?” Paimon stealthily whispers to Lumine. She shrugs, cutting a smaller piece off to eat. “You can’t be serious, Lumine!”
“Zip it or I’ll eat you, emergency rations.” Lumine mumbles, holding the piece of steak before her before biting into it. Bad would be a nice way to put it. It’s somehow tough and chewy yet slimy and definitely raw at the same time, with a hint of charcoal. Forcing herself not to gag, Lumine finishes chewing and swallows.
When lumine looks up, and Amber is looking down at her plate, blushing a deep red.
“I’m sorry, it’s really bad, isn’t it.” Her voice is quieter than its normal jovial loudness.
“It’s fine.” Lumine takes another bite, and another. After what feels like an agonizingly long time, she finishes the steak. “See?” Amber is silent, but she looks on the verge of tears.
“You really didn’t have to eat it if it tasted that bad…”
“It really wasn’t as bad as you think. And besides, you took the time to make it for me since I couldn’t cook myself. So don’t feel bad. I’m grateful for the food. Besides, my brother has made worse before.”
Rubbing a stray tear away, Amber smiles. “I’m glad then.” She goes to take a bite of her food, and her eyes go wide. “Hrk! How'd you finish it?” Well she’s certainly not delusional about her cooking abilities.
“It’s the power of love.” Lumine snickers when Amber’s cheeks flush a bright red to match her ribbon. “Thanks to you I’ve warmed up, so I can take care of putting stuff away.”
“Thanks.” Amber still sounds a little quiet, so Lumine turns back to her.
“Amber, is something wrong?” Lumine asks, but without a word Amber presses a kiss to Lumine’s cheek. Lumine’s cheeks color pink, but she returns a kiss to Amber’s cheek. She looks about ready to jump out of her skin in shock and embarrassment. It’s cute.
“Um! Nothing is wrong!” Amber covers her face with her hands, but even still Lumine can see her ears turning red.
“Alright then.” Lumine leans in to give Amber another kiss, but a cheeky “excuse me!” from Paimon interrupts her.
“Paimon is still here you know! Don’t go off into your own world!”
“Yeah, yeah Paimon, I hear you.” Lumine relents, instead grabbing Amber’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “Let’s finish up and keep on going!”
“Yeah!”