He certainly wasn't going to say no to free chocolate.
Especially if it was -- and he squinted at the label in the darkness a bit harder, and -- holy s**t, it was. 85 percent cocoa, with a fancy wrapper that insufferably bragged about how fair-trade and organic and palm oil free it was. Perfect. Heavens bless this anxious alien.
So, Asphodel accepted it with a short but sincere, "Thanks." And then, "I'll pencil in at least a couple return trips."
And he blinked, and added,
"Though I won't expect chocolate every time."
A clumsy note to end things on. But, as the Velencian had advised him to expect from the Source Stone, he was definitely ready to shake off these wet clothes and get some sleep.
Guine
