[Thunder]

Having decided on his order, Ridge went back to watching the people on the other side of the window. His attention gravitated towards a man dressed completely in black, with equally dark hair, wearing a neutral expression on his face. He noticed that the man's eyes were quite striking, a milky white color accentuated by what looked like silver mascara. His gaze followed the man until he went out of view, disappearing behind a group of laughing Purine guards.

"Ridge? Um, Ridge?"

The sound of Zears' voice snapped Ridge's attention back to the dinner. Apparently the waitress had arrived, and she had Zears were looking at him quizzically. Ridge rubbed the back of his head. "Oh! Sorry. I spaced out a little there. Um, I'd like the sirloin stea..."

He pointed at the item on his menu, only to find a large, wet spot on the page. He blinked in confusion. He hadn't knocked over any water, had he?

"Ah, Ridge..." Zears whispered. "Your mouth..."

[3 BP awarded]

[Thunder]

Ridge blinked. He wiped the back of his hand against his lips and felt wetness. He looked at what he wiped off, and it was a clear fluid--saliva. He glanced downwards and saw that he had not only drooled all over the menu, but also on his own leg and a bit on his chair. He flushed in embarrassment and immediately wiped the saliva off using his napkin. "O-oh, gosh, I'm so sorry. I...don't know what happened there."

The waitress shifted uncomfortably and cleared her throat. "Um, anyway," she said, "one sirloin steak for you. And what about you, sir?"

"I'll...have the cedar plank salmon," Zears replied.

The waitress quickly jotted down the orders and grabbed the pair's unused wine menus. "Ok, I'll be right back," she said. She walked away rather swiftly, leaving Zears and Ridge to stare at each other in silence.

"I...think I'll go to the bathroom real fast," Ridge stammered.

[3 BP awarded]

[Thunder]

The flight back to camp after the meal was filled with a heavy, awkward silence. Neither Zears nor Ridge spoke a single word, and Paryth, sensing the tension, said nothing too. When they landed, they also walked back to their barracks in complete silence. It was only when they crossed over into their bedroom that Ridge put his face in his claws and blurted out.

"I...I'm so sorry, Zears. I don't know what happened to me. I totally ruined the mood."

Zears gave his friend a comforting hug. "It's ok, Ridge, I know you didn't mean to. But please tell me, are you...feeling okay?"

Ridge went and sat down on the edge of his bed. "To be honest, I've been strangely hungry all the time. I don't know what it is. Maybe I caught some kind of illness. That's the only thing I can think of, that might be related to...this. But other than that..."

Zears frowned. "Maybe you should go to the doctor tomorrow."

"Yeah... That sounds like a good idea."

[3 BP awarded]