Durian Fruit Nearly Evacuated Library – Fire Department C…

So, I work at a library and one of the programs I run is my DND program for kids. I have a really awesome group that comes in consistently and we are nearing the end of an almost 2-year campaign. Sometimes my players will bring me snacks. Think twinkies or fruit snacks and the like. One of my players hands me a silver package and tells me its a durian fruit pastry. In response I say.

“Oh, thanks so much, What’s a Durian fru-” At that moment I’ve already torn into the package and I am hit with a wave of the most sulfuric horrid smell. Think of rotten eggs and gas, it immediately fills the room. My player begins to tell me that it’s a fruit with a really pungent smell and is a delicacy in Asian countries. This kid is like 10 by the way, loves fun facts, he’s a great kid but I think he underestimated how bad this would smell. I politely thank him for the food but inform him that for the sake of not passing out in our meeting room that I’m going to put it in our break room.

I take a moment to leave and proceed to place it in our freezer, because I thought that the scent wouldn’t carry if it was concealed.

I’ll start with the good news. The game went great! The scent persisted a bit in our meeting room but not for long. They survived an encounter with a horrible amalgamation of flesh and bone and are continuing up the tower toward the final boss.

Now the bad news. The game ends and I’m saying goodbye to our kids when I see my coworker S carrying coats and jackets out of the break room. I ask her what’s going on and she pulls me aside, outside of ear shot of patrons and says

“Theres a heavy gas smell in the break room, we think a pipe has burst.” As she says this my heart plummets into my stomach because I can hear sirens. In utter horror I turn and see a fire truck rounding the corner out our windows.

“Oh no. oh no, no, no, no, S, No hold on.” I run in the back and there is already someone from our safety office holding a gas meter. Gas sensor? Something to look for gas. Anyway He is talking to my manger, who is relatively new and looks like he’s about to have a panic attack. I rush past him whip open the fridge, pick up the pastry and say

“Is this what yours smelling?” as I hold the cracker like pastry thing outstretched. They don’t get half a sniff in before going

“what the hell is that?” I don’t even reply because now my worst fear is confirmed and instead I rush through the library, ask S to smell it one more time just to be sure. She does and then looks at me like

“Are you serious OP?” before doubling over laughing. I ran out the door and placed the devil pastry in our outside trash can and came back inside where two firemen had already arrived. Full gear and everything. One of them had a freakin AX!

I embarrassingly explain to them the situation and thankfully we all have a bit of a laugh over it while I proceed to turn a shade of red that sunsets wish they could be.

They actually made me feel pretty good about the whole thing. One of them even said that This isn’t the first time they’ve had to be called out for a durian fruit. I guess this happens more than usual?

TL;DR: A patron brought me a durian fruit pastry and it smelled so much like gas that the fire department was called. We nearly evacuated the building.