The two ladies didn't stay long at Rhythm's house. As promised, within the hour Remi and Melody were on the way to their final destination. Once the two got to Melody's place, they made snack food and picked out several movies for them to enjoy.
The Celestial mage wasn't sure how to start the conversation she needed to have. Remi highly doubted that Melody knew anything about Dico being in a dark guild. Melody never even talked about wizards around Remi. While they were occasionally a topic of conversation at Royal Tree, magic didn't seem relevant in the workers' lives.
Why are the Dark Guilds getting into drugs and petty crime with non-magic users? It doesn't make any sense! The Celestial Mage never would've thought a member of Grimoire Heart would be working at a production facility like this one. However, she didn't know the true agenda behind the Drip project. It was possible that these Dark Guilds were just trying to cause chaos and mayhem. Now they're extending into both the magic and non-magic worlds.
Neither of them have mentioned what transpired at Rhythm's home. Frankly, the Celestial mage was a little apprehensive in bringing it up.
However, after what she witnessed yesterday, Remi knew something needed to be done.
As Melody began to medicate, Remi was mesmerized by the entire process. Gazing between the glass rig and all of the equipment, the Celestial mage was so curious about this world she'd been introduced to. As she observed, Remi watched Dico begin cleaning out the hardware with harsh chemicals. All of the extra liquid dripped into a pan that previously held the concentrate. The smell of alcohol and chemicals burned Remi's nose. She watched as Dico placed that mixture on a hot plate.
The golden/brown mixture began to bubble, sending a putrid odor into the air. The Celestial mage had to cover her nose. "What on Earthland is that?"
"This is another little side project of mine." Dico grinned deviously. "I take the leftovers from the equipment and cook it all down. Add a couple of extra ingredients and I have a whole different product for a new audience! People have been going crazy over this stuff!"
"What'd you call it?" Melody asked between coughs. "I thought it was a silly name."
"No! The name's perfect." Dico said proudly, hunching over the tray of goop. The liquid had condensed into a syrupy consistency. "Drip is going to take Fiore by storm!"
Remi continued to watch as he added ingredients to the substance to make it less viscous and to get it off the sides of the pan. Finally, Dico opened a jar to his right. The room was suddenly filled with a sugary watermelon smell. Once it was finished 'cooking', he poured it into small bottles before putting dropper caps on them.
The batch made several bottles, Remi stopped counting after fifty. Dico was able to fill six small cardboard boxes with these small tincture bottles.
"If you ladies will excuse me, I've gotta appease the crowd of miscreants out there." Dico walked out of the room, handing Melody a large jar of her medication on his way out.
The Celestial mage had ample information to give to Jay, her boss. However, the way that it looked, Rhythm and Melody would be caught in the crossfire. Remi wanted to do anything she could to stop that from happening. While she couldn't be sure of her boyfriend, Melody seemed innocent.
Remi witnessed her friend medicating, seeing the look of pain on her face change to one of relief. After three dabs, the young woman leaned back in the chair and relaxed for a few moments. The Celestial mage was intrigued now more than ever to know what it felt like. After watching this remarkable girl do everything she does while fighting a terminal illness, it caused Remi to wonder what this plant was all about.
"Do you want any extras for your popcorn? I like to put candy coated chocolates inside!" Melody questioned, pulling the Celestial mage out of her thoughts for a moment.
"Uh… Whatever you like will be good for me!" Remi smiled.
The frail woman nodded as she continued to get the goodies ready for their movie night. Taking the popcorn out of the microwave, Remi placed it in the bowl she was given. Melody had a tray of the rest of the goodies.
"Let me get that for you." Remi offered as she used her left hand to lift the tray out of Melody's hands. They took their treats into the living room.
"Do you have any preference on movies?" Melody questioned, standing next to a large bookshelf full of movies and books.
"Let's watch a comedy! I'm looking for a good laugh." Remi said with a grin, happy for the distraction from her own thoughts. "Take your pick."
The young woman nodded, taking a case off the shelf. Melody puts the movie into the player, sitting back on the couch next to her friend. "I hope you like it! It's one of my favorites."
As the beginning credits started to roll, the two ladies sat in silence. Remi pulled her messenger bag onto her lap, taking out a white scarf. She laid the bag on the floor once again and began to play with the material. It seemed to be the only thing keeping her sane. Every time she touched it, she could feel the Dragon Slayer with her. Even though she knew it was impossible, the feeling of relief was enough.
"That's a cute scarf!" Melody pointed out. "Where'd you get it?"
Remi jumped slightly, lost in her memories of Natsu. As she thought of what to say, the young woman decided to tell the truth. I have to be honest. It's the only way that she'll open up to me about her own troubles. I just have to be careful..
"Uh… One of my best friends gave it to me before I got this job." Clutching the scarf in her hands, the Celestial mage pulled it close to her. "I miss him terribly, but his scarf is helping with that." A small smile crept onto her lips, thinking of the Dragon Slayer.
"He sounds like he's more than a friend." Melody observed by Remi's body language. "Your face couldn't get any redder!" The frail woman giggled.
"We've always been very close; since the day we met actually. He saved me from a bad situation and gained my trust that day, which wasn't easy to do." Remi clutched the scarf, remembering her encounter with the faux Salamander. "Over time, his attitude became infectious. He was a bright flame in my dark world… I trust him with my life, and the feeling is reciprocated. I feel that way about all of my friends, but with him, it's just extra special." the Celestial mage stopped, feeling choked up by her own words.
"But?" Melody interjected, feeling like her friend's story was about to take a turn.
Remi took a deep breath, feeling herself getting emotional. "Another girl had feelings for him also. I just so happened to catch her telling him how she feels. They were kissing at the bar we frequent." The Celestial mage took a moment to gather her thoughts. "That's the last time that I saw him. After that, I decided to take this job and move. I told some of my friends I was leaving. I left a letter for them."
Melody's eyes were wide. "That seems a bit of an… overreaction."
Remi sighed, nodding to her friend. "I realized after I got here how foolish I'd been. All I was doing was running away from my life back at home. I just wanted to pick up and start fresh. However, I've learned it's not as easy as it seems."
"How did you get his scarf?"
The Celestial mage chuckled. "He found out where I was. That's the thing about him, he is the most persistent guy I've ever met. He sent me this along with a letter, telling me how much he missed me and that he couldn't wait to see me again."
"That's amazing!" Melody cheered. "Then what are you waiting for?! Royal Tree is just a job. You could be missing out on something real here!"
Remi nodded. "I understand that. However, I'm not the kind of person to just up and leave before my time. I still feel like I have a lot to give to Royal Tree. Besides, I've kind of grown attached to working with you in the processing room." The young woman giggled.
"I've had a wonderful time with you as well." Melody smiled. "You've been a fantastic person to work with. I get so much accomplished when we are together" Her features changed, to one of determination. "However! It sounds like he didn't have feelings for that other girl like you worried about. You need to go back to him! Start that life together you're meant to have."
The Celestial mage nodded in agreement with a smile, going back to the movie. The two ladies sat in silence for quite some time, laughing together at the funny parts of the flick. Out of the corner of her eye, Remi noticed Melody get up and go to the kitchen. The frail woman went to a locked pantry door, using a small key to open it.
"Whatcha doin? You're missing a great part!" Remi called out, curious as to what Melody was doing.
"Just grabbing a special treat! Would you like one? I promise it won't bite."
"Uh, sure!"
The frail woman walked back into the living room, sitting on the couch next to her friend. Melody passed her friend a wrapped piece of chocolate. It was wrapped in a shiny silver package, with a cream colored sticker on the outside that said 10mg.
Immediately Remi recognized it as one of the products she's helped Melody with at Royal Tree. The Celestial mage observed the piece of chocolate Melody handed her. The young woman could feel butterflies in her stomach as she got nervous once again.
"It'll take anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour to kick in." Melody smiled as she popped the chocolate into her mouth with a smile on her features. "These are the perfect little indulgence before bed. The sleep I get is heavenly." The frail woman could tell her friend was still apprehensive about it.
"I gave you a small dose. While everyone's reaction is a little bit different, if you're calm and keep a positive attitude, you're going to have a great time."
"Really?"
"Oh yeah" Melody grinned. "This'll finally give you that chance to relax that you've been asking for. Just don't think about it, let the medication do its work."
Remi looked down at the small piece of chocolate in her hand once again. Unwrapping it, she took a deep breath and exhaled before she popped it in her mouth. The young woman was surprised at the taste. While she could definitely taste the cocoa, there was a bitterness to it that she couldn't explain. The high quality chocolate helped with the taste, it was actually delicious.
The Celestial mage quickly swallowed the chocolate. She looked at her friend, who had a devilish grin on her features.
"That look is making me nervous." Remi leaned back on the couch, using the lever on the side to allow her to lay flat.
"I'm just excited to get to medicate with someone else." Melody admitted to her friend. "Normally, It's just Rhythm and I. Dico and his cronies are hanging around also, so it's nice to have some girl time"
The Celestial mage nodded. "I had a great time this weekend. It's been so long since I've had a girls night, I appreciate the invitation."
"You're welcome to come over any time. I like your company, Remi." Melody smiled brightly at her new friend, relaxing back into the couch in the same fashion as the girl next to her.
Some time passed, Remi wasn't sure how long. Eventually, she began to feel a warm tingling sensation in her abdomen. The feeling spread to her entire body, causing her fingers and toes to twitch.
The Celestial mage wasn't aware she'd closed her eyes, giving into the sensations her body was feeling. The couch beneath her completely disappeared, instead Remi was floating on a cloud.
"You awake?" The young woman heard a voice to her left. She knew it was Melody's, however it sounded much sweeter than before. The sound was like music to her ears.
"Yeah, I just.." Remi was unsure how to explain what she was feeling. "Feel like I'm floating on a cloud, and I don't want to lose that feeling if I open my eyes."
The Celestial mage heard her friend laugh, the sound like bells. "I know exactly what you mean. When you're ready, open your eyes. I find that things are a little more vibrant than before. The world just seems a little brighter place."