Inbox;

[flaredo]

"Heeey, you've reached Yang! Well, actually, you didn't reach far enough, 'cause I'm not here right now! But don't yang up! Just leave a message on this baby, and I'll get back to you soon enough, okay?"

[ Please specify VOICEMAIL, TEXT or CALL. ]

Comments

[flaredo]

... Exciting enough that you'll sleep tonight?

[ She has no idea. ]

[masakados]

[--snorts.]

Well, now I'm curious about how you'll make it exciting.

[flaredo]

Food fight the sequel.

[ SOLEMNLY. ]

[masakados]

Somehow I feel like that won't go as well here.

[As it might have in her world... don't get them banned from places, Yang.]

[flaredo]

Okay, so we have some kind of contest. Loser has to tell the winner a secret.

[ NAILED IT. ]

[masakados]

Hmmm...

[Always a competition, in the end. But he's (not so secretly) intrigued.] All right, you're on.

[flaredo]

Great! Then you pick the place.

[ Already psyched? Yep. ]

[masakados]

I pick the place, you pick the contest?

[So fast to get psyched...]

[flaredo]

Yep-- sounds fair, right?

[masakados]

Yeah. I'll trust you not to pick a contest you know you'll win.

[Is it too cold for froyo... Nah, it's probably not, right? He's headed toward one of those places anyway.]

[flaredo]

Since when have I ever picked a challenge that gave me the clear advantage?

[masakados]

Mmmm... never. You like the challenge too much, don't you?

[flaredo]

You know me too well. [ With a grin-- ] A victory's not as much fun if I didn't work hard to get it.

[masakados]

You know I'll give you a run for your money, at least. [And into the froyo place they go, with him holding open the door.]

[flaredo]

You'd better! [ But as she enters... ]

... Maybe see who can eat the most toppings, or try the weirdest flavor...

[ HMMMM. ]

[masakados]

[HMMM he looks thoughtful too.]

...see who can make the weirdest combination of both and eat it all?

[flaredo]

... That's not a bad idea. But we have to eat each other's creation.

[masakados]

[GRIM FACE.] All right. We've got ourselves a contest.

[flaredo]

Then let's get started!

[ SHE WILL BUILD A HORRIFYING MASTERPIECE. ]

[masakados]

Yep. [Serious face (battle mode) still in place he goes off to get to it.

HIS TOO WILL BE A MASTERPIECE OF HORROR. Made just for you, Yang.]

[flaredo]

[ It's fine, hers is already an alarming shade of green-- ]

[masakados]

[Oh that's cool his is kind of turning from what had been lurid red (?????) into... very appetizing brown.]

[flaredo]

[ Don't actually kill her, Naoki. ]

[masakados]

[HE WOULDN'T... it just, you know.

Will not be a fun ride for the tastebuds. When he's finished his masterpiece, he'll meet her at a table...]

[flaredo]

[ What greets him is green with bits of red... and hunks of... meat sticking out of the sides? And cute shit like gummy robots and less cute shit like potato chips. ]

You ready?