Lina, Gourry, and Amelia were in a feeding frenzy and Zelgadiss was sipping a hot beverage. Basically, it was an average dinner.
At least, that was what Zel had thought, until Lina suddenly slowed her pace. He looked at her curiously as she spotted a large glass jar and grabbed it, just as Gourry was reaching for it.
"These are MINE!" Lina informed the swordsman with a look that says "try to take it and I'll feed you your spleen."
Gourry blinked, then chose something else and continued devouring his dinner.
"What is that?" Zel asked her before she could go back into eating mode.
"Pickles!" Lina replied gleefully. "I love pickles!"
'What so special about cucumbers soaked in brine?' Zel wanted to ask, but didn't. He had no desire to be fed any of his internal organs.
The jar was large by normal standards, but by Lina standards it was nothing. Zel estimated it would take approximately twenty seconds for Lina to finish off the entire jarful.
Having finished his coffee, Zel turned to watch Lina eat in order to pass the time. He was more than a little startled when he saw Lina simply contemplating a rather large pickle she held in her bare hand.
Lina noticed Zel staring and asked, "What?"
"I'm just surprised that you're not eating, since you say you love those things so much."
Lina sniffed. "You can't just eat a pickle, Zel. There's a certain way you go about it."
"Oh?" Zel's lips quirked with amusement. "And what is this 'certain way'?"
"Just watch; I'll show you."
This should be amusing. "All right."
Lina grinned and turned her attention back to the pickle in her hand.
"First," Lina said, still looking at the pickle, "you have to lick all the extra brine off."
Lina proceeded to lick the pickle, her small pink tongue a stark contrast to the green.
Zel swallowed hard. Amusing is not the word for this, he thought. He glanced over at the other occupants of the table; they were still engrossed in their food.
"There." Lina licked her lips, "Next, you take a small bite off the top - " Lina did just that " - and you suck out the juice."
Zel stiffened as Lina happily drained the pickle. Despite the noise Gourry and Amelia were making, he could still hear the soft sucking noises Lina made, the occasional "yum" or "mmm." He tried very very hard not to picture her doing that same thing, though not with a pickle, and failed miserably.
Lina pulled the now slightly limp pickle from her mouth. "Then - "
Zel stood suddenly. "I have to go. Now," he said quickly, then dashed off. Lina watched him go with confusion, as did the swordsman and the princess when they noticed Zel retreating towards his room.
"What got into him?" Lina wondered aloud. She looked at her companions, who merely shrugged and returned to their meals. After a moment, Lina shrugged also, and went back to her pickles.