Project: Shimmer (ii Blue Eyes AU)

[28] ~Good Pretender~

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    Microphone sat quietly in the hotel lobby as the sun finally began to set. It was oddly quiet, the lobby felt strange with no noise in it. Mic waited until she was sure everyone (or mostly everyone) was asleep before starting her plan.

    Just as the last bit of light peaked over the horizon Mic grabbed the flashlight from the table and walked outside. The air was cold, sending a shiver down her back, but the temperature didn't deter her from her quest. She clicked on the flashlight just in case and started her trek eastward.

    The hotel was surrounded by orange trees, but beyond that, a few minutes out, was a forest that connected to the old contestant grounds. Ever since she spoke with Test Tube she couldn't get the memory gems out of her head. Test Tube needed that final vision, and despite her hesitation, Mic knew there was only one way to get it.

    After what must have been hours Mic finally made it to the patch of forest she was looking for. The sun had fully set by now, but she knew the person she was looking for was still awake. She wandered for a few minutes before finding it. There it was, a small clearing shrouded by trees. A stump and a log slightly grown over with vines were the only things in it, the trees perfectly allowing the moonlight to illuminate the small place.

    It felt almost nostalgic being back there again. Despite the landscape being empty of any life Mic couldn't stop herself from expecting Taco to walk out of the bushes and invite her for tea. Mic clicked off the flashlight, the moonlight being bright enough for the extra light to be unnecessary. A small rustle of bushes from behind her confirmed her previous suspicions. She definitely wasn't alone.

    "I know you're here, just come out already." Mic said, annoyance clear in her voice. She heard more rustling before a familiar girl stepped into the light. Mic turned around, locking her gaze with Taco. Taco only managed to look at her for a few seconds before ripping her eyes away, looking at the floor. They didn't speak for a suffocating few minutes.

    Mic shook her head and sat on the stump, like she used too. She gestured to the log next to it. "Sit, we need to talk." Taco hesitantly sat down. "Why are you here. I thought you wanted nothing to do with me.." Taco asked, trying and failing to sound stern. "I don't, but I need something from you." Mic said, forcing whatever confidence she could into her voice. Taco perked up a bit. "You....need something from me."

    Mic nodded, crossing her legs. "Who's to say I would give anything to you..." Taco said, a bitterness in her voice that Mic could already tell was fake, she knew better by now. "I don't know if I expect you too, but it's not like it's any use to you anyway." Taco raised an eyebrow, what could Mic possibly want...

    "Do you remember the mining challenge?" Taco scowled at the mention of it. "...of course I do."
    "Then you remember the gem you touched, right?" Taco just nodded. "When you touched it, did you see anything... strange?" Taco's eyes widened before she composed herself. "Even if I did, why would I tell you?"

    It was silent once again, the only sound between them being the chirps of crickets. Mic sighed deeply, her confident and calm persona slipping away, revealing how utterly tired she really was. She couldn't keep her conflicting emotions out of her gaze as she stared at Taco.

    "Taco." She flinched. "I'm only here for information, that's it. If you're not going to cooperate then I'll leave and you'll never have to see me again. I'm not in the mood to play games." Mic was tired, that was obvious, but not from it being late.

    "I can't talk to you anymore without feeling terrible, so either tell me what you saw, or deny my request so I can leave." Mic's voice was raw. She actively restrained herself from getting emotional and yelling at the girl infront of her. She has so many conflicting feelings, so many things she never let herself forget that she poured over while grieving a person that didn't exist in the first place.