Mimicking Emotions

Bane sat outside on one of the couches he had noticed when he first entered. Winter seemed like an outgoing and nice young woman, but the couches were starting to accumulate dust. He sat patiently, and soon enough, Winter returned with a bowl of stew and a cup of tea in hand.

She seems embarrassed. I guess being catered to by a practical stranger could be weird. I should probably leave soon, Bane thought as she sat in the chair to his right. She set the bowl and cup down on the coffee table.

Bane noticed her well-fitting casual wear—unlike anything she'd worn in front of him before. He couldn't help but gaze admiringly at her figure, which was usually hidden by the guild's dress code. Realizing what he was doing, he cleared his throat and looked away.

Winter broke the silence with a question. "Where did you learn to cook? It's really good," she said gratefully.

"My mom used to cook, but I don't remember much. For the stew, I used a recipe from one of those books over there," he replied, pointing toward the kitchen.

"Mmm…" she hummed, her mouth full of the vegetable stew. She swallowed and continued, "Those were my grandma's. They haven't gotten much use, as I'm sure you saw." Bane nodded; the leather-backed books were definitely well-worn.

"Yeah, anyway, you seem to be doing better. Can I ask what brought this on?" Bane inquired.

"Yeah, I feel a lot better," she said with a small smile. "But as for why, I don't know. I've always been unlucky when it comes to sicknesses. Usually, I just suffer through, but…" She trailed off, glancing at the tea and then back at the stew.

"But what?" Bane pressed, encouraging her to share her thoughts.

"Well, you helped me and took care of me, so… thank you for that," she said, avoiding his eyes and focusing on the bowl of stew.

"Of course. Adventuring just isn't the same when I don't see you in the morning," Bane replied with a smile.

The two of them sat in the front room of Winter's cozy little home, chatting while she continued eating her meal. She became more talkative, though her cheeks were still feverish. She was clearly doing much better.

She set the mostly empty bowl and the empty cup of tea on the small table in front of them and stood up, stretching.

"Ngh!" she groaned, lifting her hands to the sky, causing her shirt to rise slightly and reveal her pale stomach. She held that position, moving her hands to get a full stretch, before slouching back down with a sigh.

"Thank you so much again, Bane. Really," she said softly, holding eye contact as she gazed into his eyes. It was a genuine, unembarrassed thank-you.

"Like I said, you don't have to thank me. If you want, if you get sick again, I could come and do this again," Bane offered, realizing he was slowly improving socially.

"R-Really?" Winter stammered.

"Yes. I think I like cooking. That was the first time I've really made anything, and having someone eat and enjoy it feels really nice," Bane shared.

"O-Okay, well, I'll keep that in mind," Winter said, picking up the dishes and carrying them to the kitchen. While she was in the other room, Bane's thoughts raced.

Do I have feelings for her? he questioned himself. For the first time in a long time, he found himself caring unconditionally for another person. Every time he had loved someone before, they had been taken away or killed—his family, his friends. At the very least, Bane really cared for Winter and wanted to see her get better. He also couldn't deny her alluring figure; she was beautiful. He heard Winter's footsteps approaching and shook his head, pushing those thoughts aside for now.

I'll figure it out later, Bane thought as Winter returned.

"I'm probably going to rest up for the rest of the day. Could you go back to the Guild Hall and tell my coworkers that I'm okay?" Winter asked.

Bane nodded. "Yes, I can. But if you still feel unwell, I could stay a little longer."

At this offer, Winter wouldn't have complained. I want you to stay… was all that filled her thoughts.

"No, please go back to the Guild Hall and talk to them. I should be back tomorrow," she said reluctantly.

"Okay, then," Bane said, standing and stretching in a similar manner to Winter.

"I'll see you later. I'm really glad you're feeling better," Bane said, looking down at her with a warm smile.

"Well, it's all thanks to you," she replied, her cheeks flushing.

The two exchanged short goodbyes and went their separate ways—Bane headed to the Guild Hall, and Winter returned to bed.

On the walk back, Winter was the focus of Bane's mind. Unfamiliar feelings of love and care filled his thoughts. He wanted to get closer to her, but he worried that doing so might cause her trouble later. Bane wasn't dense, either.

She must have some feelings or trust for me, Bane thought. She thought she was dreaming when I showed up at her house, and she didn't freak out—she just accepted it happily. She may have been delirious and out of it at the time, but that still counts for something. Bane grappled with these new emotions, trying to make sense of it all, and soon enough, he arrived at the Guild Hall.

It was a little after noon, and the Guild Hall had a few adventurers inside. His eyes met those of the young woman who had told him to visit Winter in the first place.

"So, how did it go?" the young woman asked expectantly, a mischievous smile on her face.

Bane ignored her tone and told her how it had gone, sharing that Winter had been sick, and he had cooked for her and made some tea.

"Was that all that happened?" she asked, almost disappointed.

Confused, Bane nodded. "Yeah, she was doing a lot better when I left and said she'd be back tomorrow." At that, the young woman sighed.

"Okay, well, that's good. Thank you for going to check on her," she said, giving Bane a little bow.

With that, Bane left the Guild Hall and prepared for the dungeon. Since it was just past noon, he decided to at least check out the fifth floor.

When out of sight, he used fast travel to reach the entrance of the fifth floor. Descending the usual stone staircase, he was met with a quest notification:

Floor 5 Completion:

Slay all enemy types on the first floor of the dungeon:

Unknown – Incomplete

Unknown – Incomplete

Rewards: 20,000 Shill, two Skill Points

Dismissing the notification, he continued onward into the unknown level.

Descending to the fifth floor, the first room opened up to a space filled with items of all sorts. Boxes, chests, worn armor, and shoddy weapons were scattered across the floor.

What is this? Bane thought as he stood on the bottom step of the staircase, reluctant to move forward. Curious, he used Threat Analysis, and a box appeared:

Mimic: A creature that appears on floor five and all subsequent floors in the form of chests. This creature has the ability to mask itself as any inanimate object, most commonly chests. When an unknowing adventurer gets close, it will unmask itself and attack. Beware objects that seem out of place.

Bane closed the box and looked out in horror at the floor. Any of these could be mimics! he thought, annoyed. Everywhere he stepped could be dangerous.

Bane sighed and took a cautious step inside the fifth floor, carefully moving around and craning his neck in all directions.

"Ugh…" A low grumble sounded from behind him. It came from a chest. Other items on the floor surrounded the wooden chest, but Bane sensed its different aura.

That's a mimic, he thought, contemplating whether to avoid it altogether or fight it. Sensing no other creatures around, he slowly walked over to attack.

A plume of gray smoke erupted as the chest transformed into its hideous true form. A shadowy, dripping creature stood on two legs, taking the shape of a person.

"Heheh…"

It laughed!? Bane was caught off guard. It was one of the first times he'd seen a creature in the dungeon do such a thing. I guess it's a mimic. It must have seen humans and other races laughing before, Bane reasoned.

The mimic's arms thinned into spikes as it stared down Bane, its shadowy figure flickering and dripping. Bane slowly reached behind his back to the hilt of his sword, clutching the leather handle. He unsheathed his blade with a sharp shing.

Bane held out his trusty blade before him. It might be time for an upgrade soon… he couldn't help but think as he stared at the slightly stained and chipped blade.

The mimic must have grown tired of waiting, as it let out an ear-piercing shriek. "Cree!" it screamed, charging at Bane.

[Bane of the Slums]: LV 29 (3,620/6,200)

[Title]: Slimey Slayer LV 1 (72/100), Goblin Dispatcher LV 2 (56/1000), Arachnid Assassin LV 2 (155/1000), Angel Assassin LV 1 (5/100)

[Strength]: LV 12

[Dexterity]: LV 3

[Mind]: LV 2

[Agility]: LV 11

[Fortitude]: LV 5

[Magic]: LV 1

[Skills]: Appraisal LV 1, Threat Analysis LV 1, Danger Sense LV 2, Passive Healing LV 1, Magnetize LV 1, Night Vision, Feared Hunt, Proficient Reader LV 1