Chapter 17: Ch 17 – Chef

Night came and went. The fourth day of work rolled around, and Issac was back to it bright and early. Asphodel was there with him.

Nifty finished off the roof while Issac and Asphodel did the interior. There were several menial tasks like insulating the place that needed to be done, so those two were quick to do so while Nifty handled the hard stuff. 

The insulation was easy, getting finished in a few hours. And after sealing the walls, they moved on to the flooring. 

This was Where Nifty shone. The cat cut most of the wood while the weak human and aatrix laid the tiles. 

But it was easy for them since Issac had already planned out every piece of the house virtually. They just needed to fill in the blanks. 

But the cat was still faster. After cutting all the wood, it moved on to build a front balcony as they finished. 

After that, it was just hours of tedious and repetitive work. Issac always directed Nifty to help elsewhere while he and Asphodel laid the floor. After finishing even the balcony before they could get done, Nifty installed the heaters and coolers, installed all the accessories of the bathrooms, and furnished where it could. 

It was at the end of the night that the floor was laid. 

"Ack. My back."

Asphodel grunted as she lay down. After being bent over for hours on end, her spine was stiff and muscles were cramping. 

"Here, let me crack your back."

"Crack it?"

"It helps with stiff backs. Just stand still."

Issac spoke as he came up behind her. After interlocking his arms with hers, he lifted her up, extending and bending her spine. 

*Crack!*

"Ahh... Ohh..."

She let out a shout before moaning in comfort.

Issac put her down with a laugh. 

"Have you never done that before?"

"Not like that. I've gotten massages where they adjust your spine."

"Massages? Sounds nice. I've always wanted one."

Issac smiled as his thoughts wandered. He had always wanted a nice massage that made him drift into pure relaxation and bliss. Stress could easily pile up, and he knew those could melt his problems away.

Asphodel smiled at his dumb face. 

"I happen to know how to massage, actually."

"Really?"

"Mm. My sister likes it when I massage her. I'll give you one sometime. Maybe when we finish this place."

She spoke and spun around, looking at the house. The flooring had all been laid, and it blended into the walls, making for a dark but cozy place. 

Issac smiled. 

"Alright then. It's a promise. Now, time for dinner."

............

.......

The two split at night to sleep in their own homes since Issac now had one, but come next morning, they were right back to work. 

With most of the basics done, they focused on more decorative activities. 

Asphodel installed chandeliers and lightbulbs in various spots while Issac was in charge of moving the furniture and aligning everything. 

Windows were installed, curtains were put up, rugs were laid, couches were positioned. Nifty installed a fireplace that was surrounded with brick, something he laid the foundation for the day before. 

Cabinets were hung and counters were cut. With each new item, Issac was tapping into a structure already laid before. Each thing was another checkmark on his list. The outline was being filled. 

When Asphodel was done with lights, both of them worked on installing the doors throughout the house. The rooms had already been divided, so now they just needed to be isolated. 

Large doors that matched the walls were hinged and screwed in place. Issac especially bought a nice pair for the front door, being the first to install. Only, after doing the measurements and hanging them, the two quickly noticed problems when they went to shut it. It scraped against the floor. 

"Bad measurement?"

Issac was surprised, and Asphodel backed up for a look. The door was obviously leaning downward, its corner hitting the wood flooring. 

"It needs to be lifted."

"No duh. Measure it out again. I'll unscrew."

Asphodel pulled out a tape measure, taking another measurement of the doorway dimensions. Then, she and Issac rehinged the door, making sure it was perfectly aligned. 

When they screwed it back in though, they found that it scraped against the side of the doorway. Issac's face dropped.

"The door is morphing."

"It's not. Come on. We're dark technicians. This cannot be that difficult."

Asphodel scoffed before taking yet another measurement. She was serious this time as they both made sure everything was perfectly aligned and level while screwing it in. 

When they tested it again though, the door scraped against the top.

"...Did you over adjust?"

"I didn't! I just compensated for the shift after letting it go."

"Let's try again then. Just a bit lower."

Issac sighed and unscrewed once again. This time, they lowered it just enough to clear the top. 

Finally, after setting it, Issac pushed it closed. 

*Thud*

It hit the top again.

As Issac's eye twitched, Asphodel seriously pondered.

"...Maybe the door is morphing."

"Nifty!"

"No! That's cheating! Come on, we can install a door! I refuse to believe two dark technicians can be beat by a piece of wood."

She spoke and began unscrewing. The two went back to adjusting and measuring, using all manner of dimensional calculation until it fit into the door frame properly. 

Finally, after three tries, they almost got it. The corner of the door just barely scraped the bottom. 

Issac's arms flailed in resignation. Just as he was about to grab his cat, Asphodel grabbed a knife. 

He was shocked as she directly sliced the corner of the door off. 

With a swift kick, the door slammed closed, clicking shut.

"There!"

She let out a sharp huff, throwing the knife and sticking it in the door. After a few deep breaths, she calmed and turned to Issac with a smile. 

"The door works!"

"...Yea. Good job."

He chuckled. It took two dark technicians an hour to install a single door. 

"Nifty, take care of the rest."

Issac pat his cat. If they had to handle another door, they may never finish the house. 

With that, the rest of the doors were swiftly installed. 

Come the end of the day, Issac and Asphodel made all the final touch ups. Small things like bathroom mirrors, setting up the beds, and assembling dressers. They worked well into the night, only stopping when Issac put some utensils in a kitchen drawer.

"...Very nice."

He smiled and closed the drawer. Then, he walked to the living room. 

Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, one large living room, and one large kitchen. The house, even with equipment, utilities, and furniture, was more bare than Asphodel's house. 

But it was cozy. Issac walked out and saw Asphodel standing in the middle of the living room, staring at the rest of the house while zoned out. 

He walked over.

"You okay?"

"...It's a nice house."

She sighed, causing him to smile. 

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"It is. It's not done, but thanks for helping me build it. Now I can actually sleep and shower here."

He smiled brightly. The house still had a great many signs of still being under construction. Holes in the walls, boxes of building supplies, tools laying around. It very obviously wasn't yet finished. 

But it had finally transformed into a home. Issac had already tested the heating systems and found that they all worked. He could take a hot shower and sleep in a warm bed.

Asphodel glanced at Issac with a small smile. She nudged him with her shoulder. 

"You wouldn't mind if I stole the honor of having the first shower, would you?"

"First shower? Sure, go ahead."

"Why thank you. In exchange, how about I put you to sleep with a massage?"

"...Really?"

Issac was tempted. A massage so good that he fell asleep? It wouldn't be difficult considering he was already tired, but it still sounded fantastic.

Asphodel laughed. 

"Hehe, of course. Tomorrow we have orientation, so you gotta get your beauty sleep."

"What about you?"

"Hm, make me breakfast tomorrow morning. And I mean a full platter. Then we'll be even."

"Deal."

Issac instantly agreed. With that, she went off to shower. 

Issac waited around, taking care of a few other things before she finished. When she came back out wearing some of his clothes, he went and cleaned up. 

By the time he came back out, Asphodel had already ordered some dinner. The two filled their stomachs in the silence of the new home. The heating system made the place nice and warm. 

Finally, the time to go to bed came. Issac had to be pushed into the bedroom when he became surprisingly timid. Asphodel snickered at him as they entered the bedroom.

"Are you shy?"

"Hey, I've never gotten a massage, let alone one by a girl who wants to put me to sleep with it. Forgive me for not jumping into the weird experience."

"Who said this was weird? Come on. Take off your shirt, lay face down, and just relax."

She waved, prompting him to slip his shirt off and plop face down on the bed. She chuckled and sat beside his body. 

Issac got goosebumps as she ran her fingers across his shoulder blades. 

The room was totally silent, darkness pervading the atmosphere. The only thing they could hear was the rustling of fabric and the faint breath of the other. 

Asphodel whispered softly. 

"Just enjoy it. Don't overthink. Don't feel awkward by the silence. Don't worry about me. I've put my sister to sleep with massages plenty of times, and I know what it looks like when someone falls asleep. I'll do this as long as I need to. So let your stress melt away."

Issac let out a light breath as she ran her palms across his spine, applying pressure that seemed to relieve his fatigue. 

She rubbed his shoulders, neck, lower back, and even his arms. Issac could quickly tell she was experienced with this, seemingly having a certain routine. 

And for a while, he did everything that she said not to do. His thoughts ran at a million miles per hour, self conscious of every little thing she did and every little movement he made. His muscles were tense. 

And he knew she could see this, making it even worse. 

But after a long while passed, Issac's fatigue caught up to him. The dark night and comfortable bed compelled his body to drift into sleepiness. 

And as he was forced to relax under his mental exhaustion, his body became looser, and Asphodel's massage became all the more comfortable. 

These things worked together to quickly put him to sleep. He didn't even notice when he finally slipped unconscious. 

"25 minutes. Faster than I thought..."

When his breathing became light, Asphodel gradually eased up, eventually coming to a stop. 

She gazed at his sleeping face, the face of an innocent boy who was just recently thrown into this stressful world. She knew he had probably been feeling anxious, even though school hadn't actually started yet. The Mantle wasn't kind to newcomers. Just being here placed immeasurable pressure on the mind. 

Because the Mantle was truly the most competitive world in the galaxy.

Everyone here was an elite at the top of their civilization, and to be placed among them meant more than just being qualified. It meant you had to remain qualified. Issac was now expected to maintain or raise his ranking in the generation. 

Asphodel remembered when she first arrived. She had also tested right into the generation rankings. Back then, it had been easier. Even then, her first several weeks were more stressful than her entire life prior. One thing after another required her to go out of her comfort zone and take the initiative. She had worked tirelessly, and only when several months passed had she gotten used to the highly active lifestyle. 

Issac had no idea what was going on, still yet to get thrown into the torrents of this fantastical place. The first thing he did when arriving at his island was build a house. Asphodel still couldn't believe he actually did it. 

She didn't know why she joined him either. She actually had other things to do. But she had spent these last few days before orientation building a cabin. 

Yet, despite the work being back breaking, she found peace in it. When the house had finished to some extent, she had been left in a daze. 

It was a real home. She found herself loving it. 

Asphodel looked down at Issac's face, reaching over and running her fingers through his hair. 

Despite only knowing Issac for around a week, she felt oddly comfortable with him. Comfortable enough to do for him what she only did with her sister. 

She was surprised that he allowed himself to be vulnerable enough to actually fall asleep under her massage. This sealed the impression that he was truly innocent. Then again, he was a farmer boy prior to this, raised by loving and smart parents. It would be odd if he wasn't so innocent. 

She liked that part of him. A good man with smarts on par with hers, even surpassing her in certain areas. He was someone she could engage equally with while also having fun. 

For a long while, she gazed at his peaceful face. She knew he would be on edge as school started, and this could very well be his last day of relaxation. 

But if she knew anything now, it was that Issac wasn't an acquaintance she had previously thought to come and go. He wasn't someone that merely left a good impression on her. 

He was here to stay, and he was turning out to be a good friend. She was honestly amazed at how fate had brought them together in two vastly different places. 

She smiled, softly getting off his bed and leaving the room. 

..........

Issac opened his eyes. 

His body felt like it had been sleeping on a cloud.

His muscles felt relaxed, not tense as usual after a night of sleeping wrong. He smiled like an idiot when he thought of Asphodel and her late night massage. When he finally got over his anxiousness, he was on cloud 9, enjoying her skillful hands to their fullest. He was honestly shocked by how good she was. That or it was simply because she was doing it that he enjoyed it so much.

Then, he suddenly remembered his promise. 

"I need a big platter. I don't care if half the food doesn't get eaten. She's getting her fill!"

Issac jumped out of bed, almost rushing to clean himself up for the morning. As soon as he was ready, he jumped into the kitchen. 

Then, he remembered that it was empty. 

"Crap!"

Hastily, he pulled out his terminal. 

"Nifty! Jack in!"

The cat heeded Issac call and jumped onto his shoulder. Its tail plugged into his neural interface, and its eyes glowed. Issac's terminal rapidly scoured the net for the things he wanted, instantly placing an order for myriads of foods. 

And the technology of the Mantle didn't disappoint. Within a mere 5 minutes, a drone dropped off a large package with everything Issac ordered. He lugged the box into the house, opening it and spreading everything out. 

A dozen different foods, spices, and sauces were scattered across the unfinished countertops. Eggs, ham, bacon, cheese, milk, bread, butter, turkey, among several other exotic fruits and vegetables graced Issac's eyes with all kinds of colors. 

After a quick wash of his hands, he got to work. 

Pans and cooking tools were among the things he ordered, along with things like plates and bowls. Before long, packages were opened and fragrances filled the kitchen. When the flames burned, the aromas were multiplied, filling the house with the mouth-watering scents of good food. 

After about 10 minutes, Issac began to finish several dishes, covering them and setting them out on the table Nifty had hand crafted the day before. The table was large, yet half of it was quickly filled with plates of food. 

After bringing out the first round of dishes, Issac ran back to the kitchen and cooked a bit more, topping off a few other foods. When he turned back around to bring these out too, he jolted. 

Asphodel now sat at the table, smiling at him with half closed eyes. Issac tilted his head. 

"Good morning!"

Though he wanted to ask why she stayed the night, he just gave a wide smile. Technically she helped build this house, so as far as he was concerned, she could stay over as much as she wanted. Not that he minded either way.

"Good morning. It smells great. I didn't think you'd remember."

"How cheap do you think promises are?"

"In this world? You'd be surprised."

She let out a long sigh. Still, she was happy as Issac brought out more plates, setting one in front of her along with a pair of utensils. 

He smiled at her smile. 

"Go ahead. I've made more than you can possibly finish, so eat however much of anything here."

"Hm, I shall. Thank you, Chef Issac."

She dug in without inhibition. 

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