Conversation · Electrochemistry

That sugary black rum stain on the counter makes you teary-eyed with joy. It's almost touching how syrupy and sticky it is. How long have you been up already?

Not now.

Oh excuse me, do you have something better to do than lust for sweet syrupy rum and lemonade? With a twist of lemon? Maybe lime? Maybe who cares, just rum?

Yes, you do have something better to do. Stop drooling over that stupid rum stain and go. Before it's too late.

Maybe I should... lick it before I go?

Yeah man, yeah! Your mesolimbic reward pathway is going wild at the thought. Lick it, lick it, lick it your receptors chant.

Lick it.

Calmly the lieutenant looks out of the window, then to you licking the tasty rum stain off the counter, then out of the window again.

"What are you doing?" he asks without turning his eyes from the street outside.

"Investigating."

"We should move."

You could definitely go for some more, the titillating scent of alcohol in your nostrils was beautiful.

"I'm an alcoholic. I needed to get my hit."

"I'm sorry. I drifted off into my own thoughts and now this happened."

You press your tongue against the counter. The stain is crusted at first, but after a couple of licks it starts to melt like a snowflake. If snowflakes were made of spiced black rum. Maybe it's your imagination but there's already some lemonade in it too. And some human hairs.

It would go well with those cigarettes. That's a great combination.

You could definitely go for some more. The titillating scent of alcohol in your nostrils was beautiful.

Don't lick it.

What happened, man? You used to be cool. Go get your boring normal person drink then...

Get your drink on and your act together.

Lick it, but only a little.

Calmly the lieutenant looks out of the window, then to you licking the tasty rum stain off the counter -- but only a little -- then out of the window again.

"What are you doing?" he asks without turning his eyes from the street outside.

You lick it but only a little. Only with the tip of your tongue because you're a pleasure delayer. After two or three licks the crust begins to melt and a sweetness breaks loose. The sharp titillating scent of alcohol rises to your nostrils. It's dizzying.

You could definitely go for some more.

[Finish thought.]

An hour?

Sweet lord, a whole hour! And you haven't thought about rum and lemonade in all that time? You've truly extinguished all trace of yourself.

Now that you mention it, I do need a rum and lemonade. Isn't that a bar over there?

Forget about the bar... Or don't forget about it, you should totally try to get a drink there too. But FIRST you should lick that stain off the counter! Yeah, man! Lets get WILD! Lick it!

Now that you mention it, I do need a rum and lemonade. I'd love for Garte to serve me up a beverage.

I've been secretly thinking about it all this time!

There he is, the old boy the devil! You rascal, you! Lets celebrate right now by licking that stain off the counter. Do it, it'll be wild!

Maybe later.

"Maybe later"? What is this, casual Friday? What's with the lackadaisical lax-man attitude? You used to be passionate about getting your drink on. Show me you're still young. Show me you have the FIRE in you! Lick that stain off the counter RIGHT NOW.

I'll lick it later.

RIGHT NOW MOTHERFUCKER!

I don't want to lick it.

Actually, should I be thinking about this? Looks like drinking hasn't turned out too well for me.

MAYBE YOU HAVEN'T TURNED OUT WELL FOR YOUR DRINKING?! Have you thought about that?! Get a god damn rum and lemonade into yourself, boy! Or better yet -- lick that stain off the counter!

Two hours?

An hour would have been bad -- two hours is mystical. You have truly wiped out all trace of yourself if you haven't thought about rum and lemonade yet.

Pretty long. It's drink o'clock.

Atta boy! It's coming back to him! You had your mesolimbic reward pathway worried there. Not thinking about drinking all that time... It was like you weren't yourself.