Drinking

The rest of the day was rather uneventful. A few hours later, Mason came back with a wagon full of mattresses and helped carry them up to their respective rooms, and in the meantime, the girls cleaned up a little bit further and then took a trip back to the Foxes Respite to get their stuff.

Originally the plan had been to rent a wagon for a day, but Mason had offered to lend them his help and wagon for the day, stating it was a sign of appreciation for the work, although he still hadn't gotten confirmation from his father that they would take on the work.

In the end, after realizing their destination, Mason's blush grew all the way down to the base of his neck as he grew into a furious red tomato, trying his best to look away and ignore every item that was put in the wagon, afraid he'd see something that would cause a nosebleed.

Of course, the contents of the wagon were mostly innocent. Even if there were any articles of clothing or items that might be a little bit more provocative, they wouldn't be placed out in the open for everyone to see. After watching Ahri tease Mason a little while they were moving items out, Ava eventually rolled her eyes and got Ahri to stop so they could get a move along.

So, at the end of the day, while they weren't completely moved out, at the very least, they had moved over enough stuff that each of their rooms was starting to take some shape. Although some repairs were still needed, it was enough for the night, and the remainder could be figured out in the morning.

At the end of the day, the four girls planned on going out to eat, as they hadn't repaired the kitchen or prepared any ingredients, and graciously invited Mason along, but in the end, Mason quickly turned down the offer claiming he had to get home to eat and talk to his dad about work.

Walking around town, Haley rolled her eyes and gave Ahri a small smack on the back, "Stop teasing the kid. He's going to burst into fireworks if you keep messing with him." Letting out a small hum, Ahri neither agreed nor disagreed. On the side, Ava let out a small smile and ignored the two girls to the side and pulled Lily, who started drifting off to the side back to the group. Changing the topic, she said, "So what do you all want to eat? I want something with meat."

Rolling her eyes, Lily turned to look at Ava and said, "When do you not?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Ava said, "I'm also okay with something fruity."

Turning around, Haley said, "I think there's a place that does kebabs that's fruit and meaty."

Her eyes brightened. Ava looked at Haley and nodded. Seeing that Ahri and Lily had no objections, they went to go eat.

Entering the restaurant, they quickly found a place to sit down near the corner and ordered a large quantity of food. Knowing Ava's appetite, it was possible they'd have to get more later if she enjoyed the kebabs.

At the same time, Ahri and Haley thought for a moment before also ordering two beers with the meal.

This year, Ava had turned twelve, and Lily had turned fourteen. Ahri and Haley were nineteen and seventeen, respectively, and although there was no clear drinking law in the kingdom, generally speaking, anyone over fifteen was considered fine to drink.

Seeing that Haley and Ahri were getting drinks, Lily thought for a moment before ordering two glasses of apple juice for her and Ava. As for why she chose apple juice… it should be because the color is similar?

Not too long later, the food was served, and Ava couldn't help but lick her lips in enjoyment as she devoured one kebab after another. Although there was a variety of different flavors and combinations, Ava liked the lamb kebabs with small tomatoes and hunks of cheese that were roasted and slightly melted the most, as she thought the flavors matched well together while also having a robust meaty flavor that was somewhat unique to lamb.

Halfway through the meal, she finished her cup of apple juice and couldn't help but look curiously at the beer in the cups opposite her.

Seeing her curiosity. Haley raised her eyebrow and said, "Want a sip?"

Hesitating for a moment, Ava glanced at her empty glass to the sparkling golden liquid opposite her and let out a nod.

Smiling, Haley poured a little bit of her drink into Ava's cup and raised her cup in cheers. Picking up her cup, Ava lightly clinked it against Haley's cup and took a small sip before frowning.

On the side, Lily eyed the exchange and couldn't help but eyeball the drink in Haley's hand, while Ahri noticed the subtle frown and couldn't help but cover her mouth to conceal a smile.

Although Ava was quite a foodie, she was also rather simple in her pallet. She liked robust flavors, sweet or savory, and generally wasn't a huge fan of anything bitter or sour, although she would still eat everything without fail.

On the other side of the table, Lily finally managed to convince Haley to give her a sip too, and after taking the sip, she couldn't help but spit it out while commenting, "Ew, it tastes like the greasy old men who come in late at night."

Letting out a chuckle, Haley said, "They're probably drunk. It makes sense that they taste like alcohol."

Sticking out her tongue, Lily gave Haley a look before ordering another glass of apple juice to clear her pallet while looking at Ava with a sad gaze, "You should have said that it tasted bad."

Rolling her eyes, Ava asked, "Would you have believed me?"

After thinking about it for a moment, Lily answered, "I would have, but I think I still would have wanted to try it for myself."

Unable to hold back her smile, Ahri let out a small chortle before quickly covering her mouth again.