perfectdistance | Golden Peacock

[Bradley is carrying some food with him as he walks over to meet Nero by the fountain. It's not Nero's cooking which is a travesty, but even the chef needs a night off every now and then. He sets the drinks on the fountain as he starts to go through the bag of food.]

They didn't have any of the steamed greens- [A lie, they did, but he doesn't want to eat those.] -but they did have all the toppings for these burgers. I got ya sweet potato fries too.

[That's a vegetable right?

Also he sees Nero's reflection acting strange out of the corner of his eye, but he will wait to see how Nero responds before doing anything about that.]

[ There's a lot of weird things about the resort, but there's also enough oddities back home that reflections being odd is one of the least of their worries. ]

They didn't say anything about being out of veggies.

[ No signs up about it.

Bradley Bain you're over a century old and you won't eat a single vegetable. ]

They just ran out, the guy before me took the last of it.

[They could just cook more but shhhhh he's picking up his own burger to eat once he's handed over Nero's things.]

There's onions on this sandwich anyway, so there: vegetables.

[There is also lettuce and tomato but Bradley hasn't realized that.]

Sure.

[Press X to doubt. He definitely doesn't sound convinced.

He'll start with the fries.]

[They're sweet potato fries, which are covered in cinnamon and sugar and are delicious. But they're definitely not a healthy vegetable.

Bradley takes a bite out of his sandwich, but then a funny look crosses his face as he suddenly stops chewing. He found the lettuce.]

[Hehehe.]

What's the matter?

[He swallows the bite.

Then he lifts up the bun, pulls off the piece of lettuce, and holds it up.]

They're tryin' to poison me.

You're not gonna die from a piece of lettuce.

[Tosses the lettuce at Nero.]

[Dodges away, as the lettuce hits the water behind them.]

It wouldn't kill ya to have a balanced diet.

Now yer tryin' to kill me-

[His sentence cuts off as he suddenly looks to the water.

The reflection of Bradley is flailing while trying to shoo the floating lettuce away.]

[His gaze is caught by the same thing Brad's is.]

... Huh? What's up with the water?

I...don't know.

[He's just watching now, as reflection!Brad starts to complain out loud.]

I want you, not yer discarded food!

What the fuck.

What the fuck.

[The reflection-Bradley finally shoos the lettuce away, only for it to drift into reflection-Nero's face.]

[The water Nero waves it away.

Real Nero squints into the water.]

Did you do something?

[Looks to Nero.

Looks to the water again.]

I think they're moving.

They talked too. Did you cast something?

No, I didn't. And I'm guessin' you didn't either.

'Course not, why would I bother?

So if it's not you and it's not me, then who did it? None of those bastards from home are here to fuck with us like that.

[Bradley's reflection laughs in response to that.]

If ya wanna find out, why don't ya lean right over and look for yourself?

[Immediately grabbing Bradley's sleeve like he's absolutely convinced that he would do it on an impulse.]

Don't.

C'mon, ain't you curious?

[That's probably a good idea, Bradley absolutely would have leaned in if he were by himself.]

...let's go then.

[The reflection is starting to get impatient though. It can't let Bradley leave, no matter what.]

Heh, yer just jealous. I'd win over Nero in a heartbeat, and ya wanna keep him away so he doesn't have the chance.

[Nerves are beginning to overtake him, taking Bradley's hand in his and starting to pull them both away from the water.]

You don't always have to be such a coward.

[He's holding onto Nero's hand tightly as they walk. No way is he going to let some water call Nero a coward.

Meanwhile, the reflection of Bradley has a lot to say.]

Watch, he'll just fuck the sadness outta him instead of talking about anything. That's what they always do.

[It is taking all of his willpower to keep walking away right now.]

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