"Since you're staying here for the time being want to join us for dinner im sure the seas have been cruel on you with your lack of gills and fins." Rain says with a smile.
"That would be amazing! You guys actually have food down here!?" Jett says holding back his bewilderment.
"You don't mind sushi do you?" Serena says, thinking about the menu in advance.
"I'll eat anything that doesn't kill me." Jett says very much thinking with his stomach.
"Erin, you don't mind him joining us." Rain says with an awkward smile inviting him without asking.
"Rain at this point you're a story gold mine go right ahead, I'll be able to capitalise on more than just a tantalising rumour." Erin says with a smile barely able to pry herself from scribbling notes.
"Good come on then Jett." Rain says before struggling to swim back to the entrance of the sea tides restaurant.
"So Rain is it a fashion choice?" Erin says, struggling to hold back her usual giggle.
"What?" Rain replies confused, not catching on.
"The shorts. Is that all you're going to wear?" Erin says, still perplexed by Rain's style.
"Well I haven't had many opportunities to get new clothes since I woke up after the flood." Rain says scratching at the back of his neck as usual, his usual nervous tick bubbling to the surface.
"That's fair enough no wonder, you were sticking out like a sore thumb when you came in. I can show you to a good clothes vendor after the meal." Erin says already thinking of a few places for mer.
"Yeah that would probably be for the best. I haven't had much to wear in a couple weeks." Rain says looking down at his torn up shorts that have been on him for the better part of a half a decade at this point.
"Wow, it's really a restaurant under the ocean, I would have never thought something like this could even exist down here." Jett says struggling to process what his eyes are seeing having his worldview blown in a matter of moments.
"It's got really good food too don't think you can experience it anywhere else on the surface." Erin says already working up an appetite as she steps into the establishment.
"Table for 5 please." Erin says to her typical waiter a young merwoman with the features of a pufferfish humanoid. Wearing a uniform composed of bright blues and greens reflective of the establishment.
"Welcome back Erin and you've brought friends this time, we appreciate your business. We have special group seating available." The merwoman says with a bright smile.
"That would be perfect thank you Anna." Erin says already opening her purse pulling out a large handful of shells.
"Wow this is immaculate, they really repurposed the whole interior, it doesn't even look like a grocery store anymore." Rain says, seeing the stark changes in the building that was once one of his local grocery stores.
"I'm struggling to make sense of this, this all feels like some elaborate dream." Jett says, his eyes still struggling to tell if this is a reality or not.
"I can pinch you if you like." Serena says, grabbing onto Jetts skin.
"Yeah if you don't mind." Jett says. still stunned by what he's seeing, his brain seemingly refusing to accept it.
"Damn this really is real. I'm going to stuff my face." Jett says in response to the sharp pinch on his arm, as soon as he realises this is all real his stomach cries out to him begging to feast.
"Be my guest, you're the first air dweller I've had as a guest for a meal since the flood," Erin says, happy to have such a large group with her for once.
"Thank you, you lot really are a miracle." Jett says getting into the booth seating with the rest of the group struggling to keep his mouth shut.
"What can I get you guys then." Anna says with a smile as bright as sun rays.
"Let Erin order, she'll probably have the best knowledge on what's the best here." Rain says trusting his instincts.
"Calamari is a must and their sashimi is to die for. They even do their specialty, sea rice." Erin explains putting her webbed hands together in delight.
"Did you just say rice!?" Jett and rain say in unison.
"Yeah, it's one of their most popular dishes. Here they manage a field not too far from the reef." Erin explains having known this place for a while now.
"I'll be damned if the fish even have rice down here, this is like a whole new world." Jett says thanking whatever god out there for the blessings he's receiving.
"You're kidding, they actually have rice, please I could eat 4 bowls full of it." Rain says with fierce ravenous eyes near the same as a leviathan.
"Since you've given me such hot stories, go hog wild." Erin remarks already ready to put that into their order.
"Thank you Erin, you are a saint I swear." Rain says, clinging to the table of their booth in excitement as bubbles of drool leave his mouth.
"Not a problem kid, glad I can treat you to your first meal of the reef. Excuse me Anna, can we get unlimited rice?" Erin says with a smile before getting Anna's attention.
"Yes, not a problem." Anna says scribbling down some notes.
"Also all you can eat sushi please i can already tell were going to chew through a whole whale at this rate." Erin chuckles knowing full well what the appetites of the people around her are like.
"Is that with the usual bucket of calamari?" Anna double checks going off Erins order history.
"You guys know me too well." Erin chuckles, nodding her head as her appetite starts to grow stronger as well.
"Haha it's our job Erin thank you for your continued patronage."
15 minutes later the group is surrounded by plates of food. Rain and Jett feeling lost in some fantasy by how this is even possible. The two of them barely able to accept the sushi and rice in front of them thinking it to be a mirage.
"Hurry up now or I'll eat all your sushi Erin's treating us so I'm not wasting the opportunity to stuff myself to the seams." Serena says, already stuffing a piece of Rain's salmon sushi in her mouth.
"Nourishment sweet nutrients praise the seas for having mercy on me. I never thought I would have a good meal like this again." Jett says eating sushi for the first time in weeks. The bubble breather holds up just fine as he eats.
"You're telling me Jett. I never thought I would be seeing rice again after the flood." Rain says on his second bowl of rice stuffing his stomach to the brim.
"Melvin hows the sushi today?" Erin comments on her first bowl of rice seeing how ravenous the rest of the group are.
"It's good as always they even managed to catch some eel today i haven't had some eel sushi in a while, Thanks boss." Melvin says picking at his eel and rice savouring each bite with delight.
"Oh it's my treat." Erin says indulging herself in another plate of sushi.
"If it's not too much to ask Erin, do you know anywhere I can take residence for the time being kind of out of a house after the flood. Well it's still intact just in Leviathan territory." Rain recalls remembering the state his house was left in.
"You woke up in leviathan territory of all places!?" Erin says choking on a piece of sashimi.
"Yeah, it wasn't exactly a nice awakening." Rain comments remembering the giant leviathan and its warm greeting.
"..." Erin and Melvin are left completely speechless once again. Looking at Rain with surprise.
"What?" Rain says shovelling another bowl of rice down his throat.
"You just don't seem to stop shocking me anytime soon. Most of the residents here don't come back from a leviathan unscathed. They have a warning for them for a reason if you're not a high class drifter then stay far away." Erin explains still struggling to swallow down her sashimi.
"Drifter?" Rain asks curiously.
"It's the name we give to warriors who go out and explore the seas for the betterment of the ocean. They tackle a variety of missions and challenges for the civilisations across the ocean." Erin explains.
"Wait, can anyone become a drifter?" Rain asks with a bright eye captivated by the idea and its potential.
"Yeah whether you'll be accepted and ranked high is up to them however." Erin says going back to her rice.
"Is it like an entrance exam of sorts?" Rain asks, completely distracted now, forgetting about the food entirely.
"Pretty much yeah if you manage to pass you get given a lot of bonuses, a good rank and a monthly income of shells as long as you continue to complete missions each month. Plus they give a place to sleep." Erin says remembering the last entrance exams and the amount of recruits that ended up failing.
"Where do I apply?" Rain says slamming the table at the thought of free lodging plus a monthly income.
"Are you actually thinking of applying?" Erin says her eyes wide, managing not to choke on her food this time.
"Of course I need the money and the advertisement and this seems like the perfect thing to make some strides in the ocean. I don't have anything better to do and I'm damn sure the abyssal pearl will be coming back so I'll need all the support I can get." Rain explains wanting to take full advantage of all the opportunities available to him.
"Plus I need a place to sleep." Rain says, straight faced, brutally honest.
'He's already thinking about his next move. This kid is impressive. He's not leaving a moment wasted even with his life turned upside down.' Jett ponders to himself, observing through a mouthful of sushi.