111 of Vhalar, Arc 171
"You ever done this before?" Rich asked while he nervously glanced around the dark. The way he was constantly looking over his shoulder was beginning to put Max on edge. "No," she answered honestly, eyes curiously trying to peer into the bag her companion had begun rustling his hands in. "What's it like?"
"It's a good time," Rich said with a shrug. "It'll make you feel real good. Trust me." In a moment his home-made, fingerless gloves emerged from the bag, cupping a small sack. He slung his bag back around his shoulder and gestured for Max to follow him deeper into one of Almund's curious alleyways. The skeletal ribs of a long retired ship served as an archway that embraced the pair in deep shadows. For some time Rich stood in place as steady as a stone. Nothing but their vapor breath passed between the two. Max was about to break the silence when Rich finally broke from his paralysis, working the small sack in his hands open with his fingers. His palm flattened and the opened sack was promptly tipped, spilling the curious bead-like contents into it for Maxine to witness.
"What are those?" Max mused, daring to reach and pluck one of the mysterious green beads from his palm. She let it roll around on her palm before lifting it toward her nose. "It smells like dirt." Rich grinned devilishly and adjusted his beat-up beanie with his free hand. "These," he whispered. "Are Bug Berries."
"Bug Berries?" Max repeated, holding the small green bead up at eye level. Rich quickly shoved her hand down and looked around again. "What? You being this skittish is freaking me out. I thought you said these were legal."
"Legal? Yeah, they're legal," Rich confirmed with an odd tone. "They're just not...legal for our purposes." Max shook her head and stole a couple more berries from her companion's palm.
"Whatever. So, what do I do?"
"You just...eat them," Rich explained before popping a couple green berries in his mouth. Max watched him carefully, and with enough intent that Rich rolled his eyes, swallowed, and then opened his mouth to prove to her he indeed ingested the substance. Only then did Max begin to bring her cupped hand to her mouth.
"No!" Rich hissed. Max paused before depositing the lot and arched a brow. "Start with one. Wait a half break and see how you feel, then think about another."
"One? You just had two."
"This isn't my first time. You have to build up tolerance to this stuff, otherwise you'll be higher than Syper, Yfan, and Raegar. You feel me?" Rich patted her on the shoulder, much to Max's irritation, before the Mixed Blood settled for one berry. The two remaining she slipped into her pocket. Not a fan of the earthy flavor, she was quick to simply swallow the berries rather than chew. She waited a few moments before looking expectantly toward her companion. "Well, gods, Max. They're not instant. Just wait and trust me."
"You ever done this before?" Rich asked while he nervously glanced around the dark. The way he was constantly looking over his shoulder was beginning to put Max on edge. "No," she answered honestly, eyes curiously trying to peer into the bag her companion had begun rustling his hands in. "What's it like?"
"It's a good time," Rich said with a shrug. "It'll make you feel real good. Trust me." In a moment his home-made, fingerless gloves emerged from the bag, cupping a small sack. He slung his bag back around his shoulder and gestured for Max to follow him deeper into one of Almund's curious alleyways. The skeletal ribs of a long retired ship served as an archway that embraced the pair in deep shadows. For some time Rich stood in place as steady as a stone. Nothing but their vapor breath passed between the two. Max was about to break the silence when Rich finally broke from his paralysis, working the small sack in his hands open with his fingers. His palm flattened and the opened sack was promptly tipped, spilling the curious bead-like contents into it for Maxine to witness.
"What are those?" Max mused, daring to reach and pluck one of the mysterious green beads from his palm. She let it roll around on her palm before lifting it toward her nose. "It smells like dirt." Rich grinned devilishly and adjusted his beat-up beanie with his free hand. "These," he whispered. "Are Bug Berries."
"Bug Berries?" Max repeated, holding the small green bead up at eye level. Rich quickly shoved her hand down and looked around again. "What? You being this skittish is freaking me out. I thought you said these were legal."
"Legal? Yeah, they're legal," Rich confirmed with an odd tone. "They're just not...legal for our purposes." Max shook her head and stole a couple more berries from her companion's palm.
"Whatever. So, what do I do?"
"You just...eat them," Rich explained before popping a couple green berries in his mouth. Max watched him carefully, and with enough intent that Rich rolled his eyes, swallowed, and then opened his mouth to prove to her he indeed ingested the substance. Only then did Max begin to bring her cupped hand to her mouth.
"No!" Rich hissed. Max paused before depositing the lot and arched a brow. "Start with one. Wait a half break and see how you feel, then think about another."
"One? You just had two."
"This isn't my first time. You have to build up tolerance to this stuff, otherwise you'll be higher than Syper, Yfan, and Raegar. You feel me?" Rich patted her on the shoulder, much to Max's irritation, before the Mixed Blood settled for one berry. The two remaining she slipped into her pocket. Not a fan of the earthy flavor, she was quick to simply swallow the berries rather than chew. She waited a few moments before looking expectantly toward her companion. "Well, gods, Max. They're not instant. Just wait and trust me."