first puzzle

[recinerated]

There's a coffee shop, nothing particularly extraordinary about it, except perhaps the rakish young man seated at a table in the corner, near the back. The way he's seated is most peculiar - more of a crouch, really, with his knees drawn up to his chest; he stares at the cup of coffee on the table in front of him. He won't appear to notice anyone

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[waterfell]

There's another patron in the coffee shop: a young woman, dressed professionally, Asian features. Quite opposite to him, she's seated properly, ankles crossed beneath her table. She nibbles at a sandwich while working her way through what seems to be a thick textbook.

She just may be taking a surreptitious glance or two at B; the sloppiness nettles her a little.

[recinerated]

Of course B notices any onlookers; part of the fun of doing what he does, acting how he acts, this persona he's created, is looking for the reactions from people. He enjoys pushing buttons. Why shouldn't he embrace his weirdness? He served as an experiment for so long, it's only fitting he return the favor on the world.

His coffee is cool enough to drink, now. B picks a straw up off the table next to the cup and begins to slurp, very loudly. Definitely louder than is polite for public spaces, at any rate.

[waterfell]

A few years ago, she'd have timidly kept silent and tried to shut out the noise to focus on her book. A couple years ago, she'd have attacked him outright just to shut him up.

This time, Ami lifts her head and gives the boy a long look.

"Be a little more polite."

[recinerated]

The slurping ceases as B tilts his head up to stare the speaking woman down.

"Oh," he says, his voice curiously flat and raspy, "did I disturb you? I'm terribly sorry."

It's a lie, of course. He isn't sorry at all.

[waterfell]

Sorry or not, what's important is that he's stopped the slurping. Ami relents enough to at least explain herself.

"I'm reading. It's hard to concentrate with that noise." It might be pointed out that if she wanted quiet, she had a perfectly good apartment and a perfectly good office to close herself up in. She doesn't seem to think this matters.

[recinerated]

"What are you reading?" On the surface, it's a perfectly innocent question. Beneath the surface, B intends to use it as a gateway to further his own private game objectives.

[waterfell]

She shows the title of a textbook relating to cardiac medicine, holding it up for him to see.

"I'm a doctor," she explains simply. "I need to stay current on the latest research and procedures."

[recinerated]

"A doctor?" B visibly perks up; the topic seems to have caught his interest. "Quite the noble profession. What sort of doctor?"

[waterfell]

"I'm training as a cardiac surgeon." She looks pretty young for that. She is pretty young for that, at still only 18.

[recinerated]

"A cardiac surgeon." He repeats after her, slowly, as if testing out the words in his mouth. "What is your name?" He doesn't need to ask, of course, but does so anyway, because he likes to engage.

[waterfell]

"Mizuno Ami," She answers in the Japanese order. "I'm pleased to meet you." After already scolding him for the noise earlier, the courtesy seems habitual.

[recinerated]

"Pleased to meet you," he says, even though he hasn't introduced himself. It's a deliberate omission. "If I am ever in need of a cardiac surgeon, I suppose I'll be calling on you."

[waterfell]

If she notices the omission, at least she doesn't insist on the name. Instead, she returns a bland look for the remark.

"You should go to the nearest emergency room," she says, proper by long ingrained habit. "And hope you're lucky enough that it's the hospital I work at."

[recinerated]

"I'll be sure to ask for you by name." He pauses a moment to nibble at his thumb, as if lost in thought. "I suppose I should ask at which hospital you are currently employed."

[waterfell]

"Meiwa University Hospital." She'd followed Mama's footsteps that far. It could probably even be said that they saw more of each other now, than they'd ever been able to during Ami's childhood despite working in different areas.

[recinerated]

"I'll be sure I ask to be taken there." He goes silent for another moment, just this side of uncomfortably long, before breaking himself out of his reverie.

"Well, I won't keep you from your work any longer." B turns his attention back to his cup of coffee. He has no plans to end this interaction so soon; there is merely the intermission before the next act.