How the Drink is Made (after battle)
It wasn't... as complicated as I had thought.
Eyes forward! The largest hostile remains standing. Do not drop your guard until it is eliminated!
Well... Just keep ahead of that ploddin' freak of a turtle, and we're sorted. Ain't as if the bastard's spitting venom that eats you to the bone...
Besides, if it was that dangerous, Clockhead wouldn't've shoved the rest of 'em off to the lobby for a breather, yeah?
Yet should it be allowed to land but a single blow, thou shall be crunched betwixt its jaws in dreadful haste!
Young Meursault, too, was consigned to such a fate... *sob*
<I only asked him to slow down so we could proceed more safely... Didn't think it would turn out like that. I feel so bad...>
I, too, found myself on the verge of becoming prey to it; but Meursault's unhesitating interposition spared me that outcome. I am indeed indebted to him...
That Sephirah bloke running this place is a real sod too. Chesed, was it? Kept natterin' while we were busy scrapping, and now that it's over, he's switched the radio off just to sort himself a coffee.
Maybe it's his way of saying that the best welfare perk for employees is neglect. Haha.
Excuse me, less talking and more helping, do you mind? I know we all think it's an easy fight, but that thing is absolutely durable, and I have no idea how much more we have to throw at it to kill - huuh?
Her irritated muttering spilling into motion, Ishmael swung her weapon through the air hard against the gigantic bug's carapace.
And as though that had been just the blow needed to end it, the creature split into pieces, its bulk crashing to the floor in chunks.
And with that...
Urgh...
The bulbous, engorged orange pustule on the insect's back burst with a sticky, wet pop, spraying its contents all over Ishmael.
…….
First green, and now orange. You've got a knack for getting sprayed. Heh.
Are you... Are you okay, Ishy? Ugh... No no, just stay there.
... Tsk. This is nothing. I've been splashed with far worse out at sea.
Wait a minute. This somehow smells familiar...
...!
That look... what was that? For a split second, her face brightened... just to scrunch up into a grimace.
Oi! What's wrong?
Ease up, Heath... Some of that stuff even got into her mouth. Just think how awful that must feel... taste, I mean. You probably can't even put into words... *gag*
No, no...
Someone get over here and give it a taste.
What makes you think we'd fancy a taste of that nasty goo?!
No, that's not it... I'm not being weird or anything. It's just... shocking.
Shockingly rank, is it? If you're gonna croak from it, we're not daft enough to queue up and join you, yeah?
Uh... If you keep kicking it like that...
Ah! Darn it... Hmm?
Heathcliff went abruptly quiet as well.
... I've tasted this before.
What?
'Bout... about an hour back...
…….
Ah, I found aught discarded yonder and thought to retrieve it.
Yi Sang slipped gently between Heathcliff's furrowed stare and Ishmael's resolute nod.
Resting within his hands... were sheets of paper.
One was a garish flyer featuring a mascot raising a soda can with an exaggerated smile...
And the other was a booklet that seemed to list up "how-to-use" tips for some sort of device.
"I-CC3-FL-O, BunBun Juicy Squeezer - Orange Instruction Manual"...
"Table of Contents: Breeding and Feeding, Exterior Carapace Vesicle Harvest, Liquid Extraction and Storage Procedures"...
…….
So that means...
No... Nah. It can't be... It can't.
Th-the flyer! Yeah, what does the flyer say?! Go on!
... "Shake-a-shake, zing-a-zing. New launch: Dancing BunBun Orange Flavor," it says.
We...
We've seen the can on that flyer before.
The same can that's still within our line of sight...
…….
The same can that Rodya's holding in her right hand.
The container of BunBun's so-called "vesicles"... or pulp.
No... No, no, no, no...!
That can't be right. That can't be right. Can't be...
<Rodya!!>
We watched Rodya unravel, eyes quaking as she muttered to herself; the next instant, the world went dark as though the candle that had been lighting our path was snuffed out.
We found ourselves back in a familiar place.
Ah, you're back - just in time. Manager, I found the Gustation Simulator for you.
Powered back to full, along with some minor modifications, given your anatomical limitation that keeps mastication off the list of your physical abilities. But before we proceed...
... Care to explain the cause of this collective display of nausea?
<…….>
Nononoitcan'tberightcan'tbetruetellmeit'salienoit'snotpossible...
This one seems to have completely lost her senses. Was the Ordeal more challenging than expected?
<The Ordeal itself was fine. It's just that there was another "ordeal" we had to - >
When time permits, I will need to research and develop an interpretive device for that clockwork tick-tock. This mode of communication is certainly less than inefficient.
In any case, I took the liberty of installing the Dancing BunBun beverage flavor you requested in the simulator. Try activating the function and see whether you are able to taste it.
<No thanks...>
Hmm? You're shaking your head. Is that a sign of refusal?
<Yes. I'm... I'm good.>
Sorry, guys.
Maybe this... will be the only time...
The absence of mouth feels like a blessing.