The Singing Sun

Spiral Three - Mun 2

I left the bar feeling much better mentally. Physically, on the hand, I was exhausted and starving. A half spin wasn't as nearly as enough time to sleep, and I also had skipped a meal when I decided back at the hut to march out onward here. The thought to step back into the bar and ask Drak if he served food to-go passed my mind for a bit, then the mental picture of that blind guy trying to cook came up. Decidedly, I figured the bar wouldn't serve food. Cooking was most likely something the drinks couldn't do for Drak.

Wandering about the town, I searched for a restaurant or a store that would serve some packable lunch. For me, unlike Rial who periodically came in town to get drunk and pranced willy-nilly poking around just about every corner of the place, the only trips I made here were to fetch Rial at the bar who sometimes didn't come back from having gone for a drink. Times like that she was usually found knocked-out and asleep on the bar tables. Thankfully Drak kept her out of trouble; at least in the bar.

After a brief moment of scouting around, I walked into a wooden building with an open-porch where a family of four was helping themselves to a sandwich.
I spoke out to them.

"Excuse me, but is this a restaurant?"

The mother, presumably, nodded.

"Do they serve food on-the-go?"

The same woman pointed inside and gestured her shoulders up. Something along the lines of 'Beats me, ask inside.', I supposed it was.

I walked into the building past the family enjoying their meal. The scent of meat being grilled and fry grease assured my mouth to be thoroughly watering. In the far back corner of the building, an area was sectioned off with flimsy wooden counters. Likely was the kitchen. A woman with an aged look stood behind the counter and greeted me.

"El-lo, sonny! What can I get ya?"
"What's frying back there? I'd love some of that."
"The fried beef? Why, that's for our signature sandwich!"
"Great, um, how much for two on-the-go?"

The lady cackled and held up four fingers.

"Oh ho ho, nice choice! It'll cost ya four silver."

I reached into my left pocket where a handful of currency reliably met my hands. 5 silver coins were handed to the woman.
"The extra's for the packaging."
She smiled. Her eyes especially made a pleasant squint.
"Coming right up! Take a seat somewhere while you wait."

I walked back, pulled up a chair, and took a seat next to a lady who was supposedly also waiting for her order. I thought it'd be good to strike-up a conversation, for the sake of deterring the boredom of the wait.

"Hey there! What did you order?"

The lady turned to me and gave me a smile. An odd smile. A smile that sent an odd chill down my spine.

"Just a sandwich. I'm quickly grabbing lunch."
Her eyes weren't smiling. Her mouth was twitching to look like a smile. Just the mouth. I froze solid in place.
"Is something wrong? Um, did I upset you somehow? Hello?"

She was still smiling. Rial's smile. Hearers' smile.

"Um....?"
She turned away, seemingly creeped out.
"You're a hearer."
Then she snapped her eyes back at me.
"You... how..?"
The realization of how she was strangely overreacting to all this must have reached her head. She forced out a chuckle. The same frozen-eye chuckle.

"Nonsense, what would a hearer be doing here?"
"Your eyes didn't smile. There's only one other person I know that does that who's not a hearer herself."
"You got a fine imagination, that's for certain."
"I've been around the Zenith for a while. I've met with hearers a thousand times. I damn sort of live with one. I know a hearer when I see one."

Silence. She let out a sigh.
"Alright, you got me."
"Why would you hide that you're a hearer? You'd be well respected. If I were this place's owner I would just give you a sandwich! No money received or anything."
"Yeah, usually I don't hide it or disguise my identity. At least not on purpose. I just had an unpleasant experience recently related to me being a hearer. An upset mood, as you might know, for a hearer is fatal. I thought I'd calm down a little by feeling like an average person for a while."

Some ideas clashed together in my head; Rial's actions yesterday and this woman's words, along with what I heard from Drak.

"Were you at a bar about a half spin ago?"
"Uh, yeah."
"And you had some crazy girl bother you?"
The hearer lady gave me a puzzled look.
"Yes, how did you know that?"
"Your name's like Py- something, right?
Her eyes widened.
"Pyio, yeah. Did you follow me last spin?"

I calmed her down and explained.

"No no, I was at the bar earlier and I heard something about you, including your name. I think you might have met my sister. She has an.... odd thing for hearers."
"You're the brother of that weeping, insane, unstable demon of a girl?"

That's drunk Rial alright.

I nodded.
"Hm. Genetics do lie."
"Well, to be honest, we're not actually related. We've just been together since birth."
"That explains you rather being calm."

The lady from behind the counter yelled out.

"Sonny! You're food's done!"
"Leave it there! I'll pick it up!"

I wanted to talk more.
"You, as a hearer, are a lot different from what I saw back at the Zenith."

She smirked. The eyes were still motionless.
"Since I wander around so much I needed basic reflexes to react appropriately to situations, unlike those zealous lunatics at the Zenith. You're seeing me act like a normal person, and not an unfeeling statue. If I acted the same way I did in a mirror I'd creep the life out of everyone."
"And you drink?"
"Why wouldn't I? I'm just.... Oh."
She tapped my forehead with her index finger. I jerked back in astonishment.

"You think hearers are some high and noble beings that feel nothing, don't you?"
"Um, uh..?"
"Well newsflash, kid. We're exactly like you! We just can choose to turn off our 'feel' button. It's a job, not some over-defining set of holiness. I'm that proof right here! I drink, I like good food, and I act like the rest of you!"
"Wow."
"Yeah. Woo, my heart's pumping. This isn't healthy for my career anyhow."
My world was twisting.
"No, no. I refuse to believe this."
"What's there to believe? This is not some opinion I'm laying out here. It's fact."
Blood rushed to my face.
"No, you're wrong! Hearers aren't like that!"
"Suit yourself. I still speak the voice."
I burst up out of my seat. I grabbed the packed food and stormed out of the building. The family outside, now finished with their meal, stared as I left with stomping steps.

Hearers aren't like that. She, she was just the bad hearer. I bet she wasn't even an actual hearer. Just some imposter trying to rub off their fame.

But her eyes weren't moving.

The hell does that prove?

You know exactly what that proves.

Bullshit.

Unease swept through me again. A different kind of unease, one that was more leaning toward anger.

I stomped back home, back to the brick hut. The sky grew darker as I did so.