a small work of fiction

[comix64]

DEUX: "And, you say, it just tastes nice? That's all?"

VENCER: "It's a Zero, anyway. Zero sugar. I mean, it's got, like,"

VENCER PICKS UP A CANISTER OFF OF A SMALL NIGHTSTAND AND EXAMINES THE SECTION OF THE PRINTED LABEL DEDICATED TO ITS CONTENTS, BY GRASPING THE CANISTER EXTREMELY CLOSE TO THE EYES.

VENCER: "Uh, like, some sodium. Fifty-five grams of sodium. It's got nothing. Nothing at all."

VENCER ROTATES THE CAN AROUND AND ADJUSTS ITS DISTANCE RELATIVE TO THE EYE.

VENCER: "No calories. No, uh, no dairy. It's like sparkling water, basically. Sodium."

DEUX QUICKLY BRINGS A HAND TO A PAIR OF LENSES, TO PUSH THEM CLOSER TO THE HEAD.

VENCER: "But it tastes nice."

A PAUSE.

VENCER NOTICES A MILD PRESSURE ON THE NECK.

DEUX GLANCES TO VENCER'S RIGHT.

VENCER NOTES THAT THE FACE OF DEUX IS SOMEWHAT INDESCRIBABLE.

THE FACE OF DEUX IS ENTIRELY NEUTRAL, OTHER THAN A MILD-MANNERED SHOWING OF TEETH, NOT IN A SMILE NOR A SNARL.

DEUX: "So be it. It's always in interest to experience new things."

THE NECK OF VENCER TWITCHES IMPERCIEVABLY TO DEUX.

VENCER: "Why're you talking about it like it's some esoteric kind of thing?"

DEUX: "Well, everything's esoteric. 'Esoteric' is kind of vague, no? Esoteric is vague, and because everything is or can be made vague in some way, everything is esoteric."

VENCER: "It's a can of soda."

DEUX: "This is true."