duel 8. text

[puzzlingly]

you know what?
being alive is pretty rad

「That's all. What? People are always telling the most ridiculous things over the network, why can't he?

No, he's not high, though, he should be.」



「Private: Law」

I'm sorry.

Comments

[puzzlingly]

「He wants to ask, different, how? But... is it really necessary? Fear returned whatever she was missing, it would probably also mean for him to explain things, and he'd rather not.」

We don't... have to talk about it.

「There. She did offer to talk but, he came for the tea! Never agreed to talk!」

[circumitus]

[She sighs, shrugging a shoulder.]

It's fine. Just... been starting to wonder if whatever happened was supposed to affect others than myself.

[Walking around being a soulless husk had been bound to give anyone close to her a scare. Rey isn't sure she likes that much.]

[puzzlingly]

That would make sense. You're tough, Rey. You've been here for a long time. I don't think Fear would have been able to take anything from you that would have scared you at all.

「He finally bites his little sandwich, it's good. The tea will hopefully help him keep his food down.」

[circumitus]

[Rey paces herself with her own tea, but helps herself to her own mountain of delicious eats.]

Wouldn't be so sure about that, but your confidence in me is... something.

[More so than she has in her own self.]

[puzzlingly]

「Atem who usually would devour whatever he has in front of him, just keeps himself with that lonely little sandwich he grabbed earlier, but he goes serve himself a little more of that tea.」

How can I not trust you?

「He takes his seat again and gets a little more comfy than before.」

Am I wrong, though?

[circumitus]

[Sometimes it's still strange to hear that someone trusts her in any capacity, even when they're being so nonchalant about it.]

Don't know. There's a lot that can go wrong when you're not giving a shit about anything. Left the city for a while because of that.

[Rey has been down that rabbit hole before, and had no desire to revisit.

[Thanks, Fear.]

[puzzlingly]

Hn, I tried that to see if the effect would stop; didn't work.

「He sips his tea a little instead of downing it in one gulp this time.」

Fear took my body.

「It might sounds a little random, but might as well put that out there, it would explain his happy post in the network. 」

[circumitus]

[Seeing that the strength of the tea was magically tailored for Rey, she expects its effects are about to hit him harder than her soon.

[But she just waits until then, taking a bite out of a sandwich and a sip of tea, nodding. Yes, that would explain his post.]

So it didn't work for you either, then? Leaving the city?

[Figures.]

And you just spent all that time floating around or something?

[puzzlingly]

Nope.

「The tea might as well start making effect, a little different than last time anyway, because this time he can feel it working, the discomfort fades rapidly and it's like if he could breathe better.」

Yeah, like a balloon. Well... not really, even balloons get dragged by the wind.

...

This thing is strong. 「Says as he stars at his cup.」 Who gives it to you?

[circumitus]

Must have sucked. Except for not getting dragged by the wind, though.

[Because that sounds like it would have been annoying.

[She blinks.] Oh, um. Carlisle comes by and drops the stuff off. Been good for my headaches.

[puzzlingly]

Would you imagine!? I would have probably ended on the other side of the planet...

「Okay, that's a bit of a terrifying thing he hadn't thought about, thank you, Rey. Let's wash that thought down with a little more tea.」

Ah, yes, he has a garden... I forgot. He doesn't come out often.

[circumitus]

[Surely he would have ended up back in the city, if that was the case. Or so Rey would hope. The thought that they're ditching this planet soon would mean leaving whoever is outside of the city behind, and that's...

[Yeah, going to wash that thought down with a gulp of "don't give a fuck" tea, thank you very much.]

Not really. It's a wonder he comes over here at all, though not surprising.

[She did sort of bail him out of a shitty situation.]

[puzzlingly]

「That's the attitude!」 

He considers you a good friend. He was angry when I said some stuff about you.

「Oh wait................... Rey doesn't know anything about the post he made on the network ages ago, does she!? Welp. At this point of his life, he no longer gives a damn, really.」

[circumitus]

[For one reason or another, Rey doesn't sound too surprised to hear what Atem said. She just snorts into her tea, before taking another drink.]

Sounds like him. I'm guessing he went on a petulant tirade about "Ms. Rey" and shit like that.

[She means that in the most endearing way possible.]

[puzzlingly]

「It's a good thing he's not too fixated about what happened either, at least not at the moment, or anymore. Let us blame the tea too. It's always the tea.」

Yep, that's what he did! I just hope he doesn't hate me much, I need to ask him a favor.

[circumitus]

Wouldn't worry about it too much.

[Rey is about to take another drink when she pauses, thinking about what Atem just said. She blinks at him.]

What sort of favor?

[puzzlingly]

A tea favor.

「He says with a bit of a shrug.」

[circumitus]

[Rey feigns an affronted expression, even pressing her hand to her chest as if clutching imaginary pearls.]

And here I thought you didn't mind these little tea time get-togethers.

[That carefree feeling the tea brings might be kicking in now.]

[puzzlingly]

It's not for me... I don't like tea that much.

「Says the liar as he drinks some more of that tea, who drinks tea in this place? It's so hot!」

You know what I like? ... Canned coffee! Those things are good.

[circumitus]

Could've fooled me.

[Seeing how he just chugged that tea like his whole hydration depended on it, a minute ago.

[Rey just stares a moment, between sips.] You can like more than one thing, you know? Not much of a tea drinker either, but this stuff is good.

[She starts to take another drink and then stops.]

Canned coffee, though? Fucking seriously?

[puzzlingly]

Not saying it isn't good but... Too much work. You gotta boil the water and then pour it and then wait. And if you wait for too long, it tastes weird.

「Who would have thought, he's a bit lazy. Bakura would say he's fucking lazy but, hey.」

What, you like it too?

「He says with a goofy smile because, tea.」

You just put money in the vending machine, select what you want and ta-da! Coffee.

[circumitus]

[Snort.] Depends on the sort of coffee you're making. It's not always as easy as pushing a button on a machine or opening a can if you're out in Bumfuck Nowheresville.

[A situation in which Rey has found herself in more often than she can count. Sometimes you have to get a little creative.]

Can go either way with coffee and tea, really. There's not much better things than a good coffee and pie.

[puzzlingly]

Well, no, I guess not, but they are still cool. I liked it, my partner, not that much. He preferred sodas. I think they are too sweet tho. Also, America doesn't have as many of those vending machines as Japan, it was a little disappointing so I know what you mean.

「That is so not what she was talking about but who cares at this point? But, pie... pie sounds good. It's like if she reminded him that foods exists and is good. Since he feels so much better under the effect of the tea, he noms some more on his little sandwich and goes for another.」

[circumitus]

Japan, huh?

[Funny how her missions never sent her that far East, but she never had any reason to. Rey might be well-traveled, but there are still many places she has yet to visit.

[She scoffs, remembering it.] No, can't say there are. But canned and vending machine shit has got to be better than field ration coffee, that's for damn sure.

[To that, she will wolf down an entire sandwich and wash it down with some tea.]

[puzzlingly]

Japan indeed.

「Hey, it's nice to know she knows of it! He never knows who might or not come from a place that has the same countries and all.」

A lot of stuff that comes from a vending machine is not that good, but the drinks are. I also don't know why but Japanese are obsessed with melon flavored things... Rose might know more about that. 「Totally random...」

The tea here is better tho, I never got too used to matcha. Matcha ice-cream, matcha candy... matcha ramen...