The orange sunlight bakes the sand and stone.
The wind rushing down the throat feels worse than swallowing a blade.
Talia leans in the shadow of a tent, frowning at the front—her high-performance wild beast, recently swapped for a new engine, hasn't hit the cross-city route for a while.
"Full Cup Delivery."
John lifts two bottles of chilled beer single-handedly.
Talia takes it, clinks, and gulps it down.
She actually prefers stronger stuff, but hasn't had time to shop, tilts her head and stares at the metallic patterns on John's hand, asking.
"The new implant looks badass, are you finally going to become a big shot in Eden City?"
"Heh."
John smiles bitterly twice, sits on the metal table. "You want the truth or some amusement?"
Talia rolls the bottle across her face.
"Heartfelt? If you want to tumble into bed, you can just say so."
John silently shows the middle finger.
Talia laughs it off, becoming cheerful again.
"No more teasing, let's chat."
