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It’s not that hard to detail what goes on every single morning with the routines of the many sinners onboard on the bus, due to their repetitive mannerisms that one who’s attentive enough would see. Faust is usually the first one to come out of her respective room if I hadn’t already made an exit of my own after I had prepared for the day, in which behind her would be Outis, who would usually be the one slamming on all the doors for the rest of those who haven’t gotten out.
From there on, it gets hazier for me to describe. Heathcliff and Rodion are usually the last ones to get out due to wanting to sleep in more, which goes directly against the rules of the designated hour to wake up; but in which it is also something that our Manager doesn’t seem to either know or respect, either. It’s difficult trying to figure out which one is the answer, so it’s a thought that’s left behind.
From there on out, the routine is the usual. A collective breakfast, either bought by our guide or left for us to make (in which I usually take the helm of preparing the food), then the detailing of what that day would bring, and after that…
Nothing else. It’s attending to the orders of the Manager or the Guide; or if there is none, then everyone is left to their own devices. What the Sinners do in their spare time, I cannot say for a lot of them. Most go off the bus and return later at night, some decide to train and hone their skills without the need of an Identity, or others converse on the bus while the time goes by.
As for myself, it’s hard to detail what to do when there isn’t a command in place. Sometimes, I will simply bask in the sun either inside or outside the bus, depending on how strong the heat and light is on that day. Other times, I will tend to join those who chose to train on that day. However, on days where I’m not certain of what to do…
“... Do you always sit there staring off into nothingness?”
My thoughts are interrupted by the voice of Ryoshu, who has been staring at me for about four minutes now. I didn’t pay much mind to her at first because it looked as if she was going to pass by me to what seemed to be Rodion and Gregor talking in the corner of the bus, or maybe just going towards the door towards her own room.
However, the woman had chosen to place her katana in the chair in front of me and simply stared, maybe to garner a reaction out of me or make me uncomfortable. I’ve heard of people staring into the eyes of another just to make them feel unsettled, but that’s never been the case with me.
“There’s nothing to be done today.”
She only seemed to chuckle at my response, before sliding out her box of cigarettes and placing one in her mouth.
“Tell me, S.W, what do you think of these?” She shook another cigarette in her hand, staring at me with some form of intent. I only blinked before answering abruptly.
“It’s not to my liking.”
“Mmm… have you actually tried smoking one, though?”
“Or did you try it so long ago that you might’ve forgotten the proper taste of it?”
“Smoke doesn’t have a taste. Cigarettes are also harmful for the body system.”
“Pft. What’s harm to a man who suffers thousands of blows only to be rewound and restitched by a clockface?”
“Come. Have a drag and tell me how it feels now.”
She extended her hand forward to hand me the cigarette, her smirk expectantly wanting me to reach for it. I had already expressed my opinion on the matter, while not expecting her to leave it alone. This woman is already well-known for not leaving much alone, aside from the brash and reckless Don Quixote.
However, she had struck a point. Something that I hadn’t thought about much since the Manager became one with all of us, because it wasn’t something to put my mind towards.
“... Hm.”
My hand had already reached over and took the cigarette from her hand, now in my hands. The only thing left to do was simply put it in my mouth and take a "drag”, as Ryoshu herself describes it.
“Do I have to teach you how to smoke?”
“I am not incapable of doing such a thing.”
“Huhu… well then.”
“Here, let me light it for you then.”
After placing the cigarette in my mouth, she leaned forward with her own lighter to light it. It felt weird, the sensation of the cig in my mouth and the feeling of it kindling as Ryoshu leaned back with a smirk. I had already smoked once before, trying it out much like how the woman is making me try to do it now; but the difference between now and then is that I know not to take a deep inhale.
The smoke felt bitter in my mouth, resting there much like an unwelcome guest. It reminded me of a few things, but nothing worth mentioning to myself at the given moment. Still, I removed the cigarette from my mouth and allowed it to go further inward… before letting out an exhale of smoke.
A feeling that felt genuinely excruciating at first, but now—
“It feels nice, right?”
“You didn’t seem to mind it much.”
I looked at the lit cigarette in my hand, before looking back at Ryoshu, who had apparently been leaning forward and smirking with another cig in her hand. It was a newly lit one, considering that she had made a stomping motion during my inhale.
“It… is not that much of a horrid feeling like how I remembered it.”
“Hm, many first times are amateur behavior.”
“But you see now, how nice it feels. It’s P.I.A.R.”
“...” Much like anyone else, I did not understand her odd acronyms. So I simply nodded as she chuckled to herself, taking a drag of her own cigarette. The actions that she was taking today were odd enough as it is, let alone coming towards me with an intention like this.
It was odd, but it wasn’t vexing.
“You should finish it, it’s rude not to do so once you’ve taken the first drag.”
“... Mmm.” Sound reasoning, into which I was about to take another drag; but the woman had already gotten up and began making her way off the bus. Was it that she was done having her charade? Or maybe, it was just a joke that I was not quite understanding yet.
“... She’s a bit of an odd one, eh.” Ryoshu’s actions had taken up so much of my time that I hadn’t realized that Gregor and Rodion had moved behind me, watching our every move much like entertainment. Rodion’s eyes were in awe as Gregor tipped a little bit of his own cig, with a brow raised.
“Odd, but surely interesting. Did’ya ever imagine that she’d get ol’ Meursault to smoke a cig~?”
“Wasn’t on my bingo list, no…”
They kept talking while I stared at the lit cigarette in my hand, not knowing what to do after that encounter. There were many thoughts that could be the reason as to why such an event occurred, but none were good enough to stick by itself. It had definitely gotten me to think, that is certain.
… Still, I guess there are things that tend to surprise even myself from time to time.
With nothing else to do but listen to the two behind me speak, I simply took another drag of the cigarette.