Roll credits? No? Ok...

I'm seated in the mind-made mess-hall and kitchen, a melded replica of Ashes kitchen back home, and the mess-hall of the Maiyo's kiss; with all the bells and whistles needed to prepare a proper breakfast. Ashes and her little helper, Zana, were currently working on said meal not far from where we all sat; everyone looking equally ill at my recalling of last night's memory, offering words of condolence.

Cilla on particular seemed put off kilter, saying. "Had I known sooner, I'd have requested the help of a Runacathy Clinician..."

"A what?" I ask; my hand rattling a half-emptied mug of coffee.

My fuzzy handler sips her tea, clearing voice back to a more robotic tone. "Our healers, of sorts. They specialize in dealing with that sort of... situation; as well as more usual medical care. A year before I joined, it used to be that Operatives handled that role as well, but they became overworked. Since then, it's been a separate roll, signified by a green cloak... ugh, had I only joined earlier..."

"It's not your fault, Flat-and-Fluffy." Says Ashes, flipping a pancake over onto a plate. "Let's just help the big guy as best as we can. Gabbie, extra butter, right?"

The newly awakened Priestess nods, taking a sip of her own coffee; a much darker roast than my own. "Yes, that would be lovely."

"Ooo, extra syrup!" Says Sammy; bouncing up and down as she waits. "And extra butter! And extra pancakes!"

Her teacher gives her a stern look. "Extra pancakes..."

"Please?" Says the slime sweetie.

Cilla pats her gelatinous head. "Very good, Sammy."

Klyde pipes in. "Does this world have waffles yet?"

"Of course we have waffles." Says Scott, taking a deep sip of his tea. "They're one of the best things the Dwarves ever invented. Right up there with the Kinums Sphere, indoor plumbing, and ninety-percent of all curses... not the magical kind, mind you."

A warmth falls over me once again, filling up the hole punched through my heart by my nightmare of a mindscape; or is that the throbbing sensation? The darker, left half of my body had been painfully throbbing in a subtle, dull manner since last night; like the strained beat of an old man's heart. I was unsure what the cause of the pain was in particular, but I had a few hunches.

"Breakfast time!" Says Zana, as she and Ashes begin bringing plate after plate out from the kitchen.

Stacked pancakes, still sizzling slivers of bacon, bounty of buttery toast, and a stupid supply of scrambled eggs were piled out onto the table on a plethora of plates.

“Since we missed two meals yesterday, I thought we’d need an extra large breakfast to make up for it.” Says Ashes, smiling proudly over her labor of love.

The feasting was ravenous, with Sammy having to be distracted by a thrown small bottle full of honey that Scott had been using for his tea; all in order to prevent an all out brawl for breakfast. When the slime finally got the bottle open; chugging the contents, she went wide eyed with excitement. It was the look of a child about to show off a finger painting.

“Oh, Teacher! Look!” Said the sloshing slime.

Cilla looks over, a bit tired at this point. “Yes, Sammy?”

The goo in question begin wiggling about, making the still visible honey change shape; taking the vague form of a fish.

“It’s your favorite!”

Our huffy handler pulls her hood over her blushing cheeks. “Yes Sammy, it is… adorable little dolt.”

“My sweetener…” Mutters Scott, looking down at his last bit of tea.

Soon enough, everyone had more than their fair fill; what few scraps soon to be consumed by our favorite goopy garbage disposal. Seeing a sort of opportunity, Cilla cleared a spot on the table; producing a variety of papers. Some were filled in with notes on a variety of subjects pertaining to members of the party; the names of spells, useful skills, personality type.

“Everyone… I hate to admit it, but our last ‘battle’ was a disaster.” She says; instantly turning the mood of the room sour, in a way only her blunt tone could. “We have no idea how to work together, and I’m fairly certain half of us don’t even know each other’s classes…”

“Doesn’t help that one of us is a coward…” Says Gabbie, as she stared daggers at Klyde.

The Earthling Elf sinks down in his seat, angrily muttering. “I’m not exactly used to being shot at, little miss Escort Mission…”

I decided to end incoming tide of arguments before they start.

“Alright! Enough of that!” I walk to the table’s head, taking the bottle from Sammy, and getting a good look over the party.

I place the bottle down the bottle sideways.“Unless we want to all end up captured, or dead, we need to know exactly what each of us are capable of. No secrets; no ‘but I was saving it for a special occasion’ nonsense. After that, we can start training to work better as a team… agreed?”

Everyone nods.

“Alright, and here’s who goes first.”