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

[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...

[circumitus]

[In Rey's experience, it's fair not to assume that everyone has heard some of the most basic well-known places around here, and it doesn't help that she rarely speaks of her own world. She still has to dial it back with some.

[Matcha ramen, though.]

That just sounds like a crime against nature.

[Don't knock it until you try it, Rey.]

[puzzlingly]

It's... um... something.

「It was not that bad? He's not sure, his taste buds were confused.」

[circumitus]

[She hums, before devouring a whole little sandwich.]

Granted, I am not one to judge after trying Chorba El Jourad. Couldn't taste shit at the time, but the texture was... different.

[Mmm delicious bugs.]

[puzzlingly]

The what now?

「He goes for another of those sandwiches, that tea is such a good thing he no longer feels totally awful. Maybe he'll be able to keep his food down.」

[circumitus]

Locust soup.

[She says this with a straight face and a crunchy chomp of a cucumber-esque sandwich. Figures she'd go for the crunchy one. Of course.]

[puzzlingly]

「Meanwhile, Atem keeps his stare on her, almost imitating Rey's straight face, except his brow furrows gradually as he seems to be imagining it.」

But why?

[circumitus]

[A small smile slowly forms.]

Why not?

[puzzlingly]

Was it like... shrimp soup? The kind of soup you see the little things floating and watching you with their little black dead eyes? Was it good at least?

[circumitus]

Something like that, just with less crustaceans.

[Obviously. But there were plenty of little black dead eyes.

[She shrugs.] Like I said, couldn't taste anything at the time, so flavor didn't really matter anyway.