Route 1

[espresso_doppio]

Doppio didn't like to complain...even when he really wanted to. He felt like he had a lot things he could have complained about--he got headaches more than the others. He got tired more than the others. He got carsick more than the others. Still, he didn't like to dwell on the unfairness. He felt lucky he had nice people and a warm place to lay his head down at night. When he thought about that, it helped keep things in perspective.

But right now...he really, really, really wanted to complain about Reigen's driving. It felt like they were constantly swerving or stopping--when it wasn't a rock, it was a ledge. He couldn't even look out the windows to orient himself...not that it would have helped. There was tall grass everywhere. 'It's not the Captain's fault. The road ran out miles ago.' But then the van lurched as it came to another hard stop and Doppio couldn't fight a groan as he swallowed down a wave of nausea. After several failed attempts to rise from his bunk, he had given up. He buried his head in the pillow and took a few deep breaths.

Comments

[espresso_doppio]

"Girls should get more privacy. The Captain and I will sleep in the living room." He started backing up towards the door. "I'm gonna go brush my teeth."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Before Reigen could say good night, Doppio was out the door. The kid usually liked things in order right away, but...he seemed a little extra twitchy. 'Probably from the lost kid situation. I'll talk to him in the morning.'

"...Well, I guess that settles that." He stood with a grunt. "I'm gonna take a little walk. Grab some things from the van."

[throughthelookingmax]

"You want any company?"

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

He did, actually. Max must’ve picked up on it.

“Sure. An extra pair of hands wouldn’t hurt.”

Reigen walked a ways away from the house before ‘unpacking’ the van in a patch of grass. The process was probably weird in more worlds than it wasn’t.

“…So!” Reigen tossed the back doors open. “I think I know what your type is.”

[throughthelookingmax]

"Oh really?" Max's interest was piqued. "What type is that?"

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“I can see your love life…yes, it’s becoming very clear…” Reigen affected a focused expression and made a few exaggerated finger motions towards her. “Based on my advanced psychic skills of chopstick intuition, your maladroit maneuvering tells me there are no Asians in your history.”

[throughthelookingmax]

Max let out a disbelieving laugh. "Really?"

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“Wait, there’s more coming to me…” Reigen shuffled sideways around her in a slow circle. “You’re into…the wild and free-spirited type.”

[throughthelookingmax]

"Okay, well, that's a little closer."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“Remember that woman with the tattoo sleeve and the freaky cougar companion at the bazaar? I saw you get all fidgety. ” Reigen dropped the woo-woo mysticism and climbed into the back of the van.

[throughthelookingmax]

"Guilty as charged." There was no use hiding it. Not that Max had a reason to hide it.

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“…So?” Reigen unzipped his duffel bag, looking for the his eye mask. “I haven’t asked you yet if there’s someone special we should be on the lookout for.”

[throughthelookingmax]

"Not anymore," Max said. "There was this bartender back home I was interested in, though."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“How about family or friends?”

[throughthelookingmax]

"I'm not really on good terms with my parents."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“Understood.” Reigen sat back on his heels as he inspected the sleep mask. It was fraying a bit where the strap was sewn to the cloth. He’d ask Delilah for a needle later.

[throughthelookingmax]

"What about you? It's your student this, your student that. Is he the only person in your life?"

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“No,” Reigen uttered reflexively.

[throughthelookingmax]

"No family, either?"

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“I don’t see them often. Besides, my clientele and friends from college are all grown.” Reigen gestured at her insistently as he spoke. “My student’s a middle schooler for crying out loud. Just a kid. He needs me way more than any of them.”

[throughthelookingmax]

"Huh." Max let it linger in the air before she spoke again. "He must be pretty important to you."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen didn’t look up from his mask. “We got separated during a work trip. He’s my responsibility.”

[throughthelookingmax]

"Hmmm... Why do I get the feeling that's not all of it?"

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“What are you implying?”

[throughthelookingmax]

"I think you care about him a lot more than you're letting on. I'm a teacher too and I haven't really thought about my students for more than a few minutes."