=== Louis & Yunaka ===
--- C ---


[Louis]
Ah, Yunaka. You're just in time.
[Yunaka]
I am? That never happens. Wait, what am I
in time for?
[Louis]
Would you care to join me for tea?
[Louis]
I greatly prefer to have company with my tea
than to drink alone.
[Yunaka]
Oh, that sounds like fun! Sure, I'd love to.
[Louis]
Splendid. Here you are, then. Freshly brewed.
[Yunaka]
Don't mind if I do.
[Yunaka]
Ahh... Wondiferous! This might be the best tea
I've ever had. You're great at this.
[Louis]
Oh, you're too kind.
[Louis]
I have ample access to high-quality leaves,
thanks to the sterling tea field near my home.
[Louis]
I started brewing tea for my family at a young
age. I've had plenty of time to master the art.
[Yunaka]
That's amazing!
[Yunaka]
Your family's got it made, getting to drink tea
this good all the time.
[Louis]
Haha, possibly, possibly. And your own family?
Are they in good health?
[Yunaka]
Oh, uh...my family?
[Yunaka]
That's, ah... Well, y'see...they're mostly...
How should I put it... They're just... Yeah...
[Louis]
Ah. I withdraw the question.
[Louis]
I'm curious, Yunaka. Have you ever tried
sugared grapes in your tea?
[Yunaka]
Grapes? In tea? Sounds weird. Is it good?
[Louis]
I shall prepare some for you. I hope you enjoy it.
It's my hometown's specialty.
[Yunaka]
How exciting! Thank you, Louis!
[Louis]
Hah, think nothing of it. I prefer to take my tea
with smiles whenever I can.
--- B ---


[Yunaka]
Louis! Hey! Hi!
[Louis]
Hello there, Yunaka. Have you had a windfall of
some sort? Your smile is especially radiant.
[Yunaka]
Ugh, gross. Cut the sweet talk before I start
puking rainbows.
[Yunaka]
Listen, I got you something. Just a little
thank-you. Look, look, look!
[Louis]
Oh my. One look is enough to tell me that these
tea leaves are very fine indeed.
[Yunaka]
I expected nothing less from the master.
[Yunaka]
You've used so many leaves on me, I'm worried
you'll be a tealess husk if I don't give back.
[Yunaka]
So, I know it's not much, but I hope you'll
accept the donation. It's for a good cause.
[Louis]
I am all too happy to accept your gracious gift.
[Louis]
I believe I'll brew them right away. You're
welcome to join me, of course.
[Yunaka]
Are you sure? I don't want you thinking I got
you tea just so you'd brew it for me.
[Louis]
Tea is better with two. I enjoy our bracing
conversations almost as much as the tea.
[Yunaka]
Right, conversations...
[Yunaka]
I do enjoy chatting with you. So much so,
I kinda worry I might...slip up.
[Louis]
Meaning?
[Yunaka]
Huh? Umm...
[Yunaka]
Ah, I just remembered I have a...thing! A thing
I gotta do or else, um... Yeah, so next time.
[Louis]
Ah. That is unfortunate.
[Louis]
I confess I was looking forward to spending the
whole time talking about myself.
[Yunaka]
You were, uh...planning to spend the whole time
talking my ear off about yourself, huh?
[Louis]
Yes. I'm just in that sort of mood today.
[Yunaka]
Oh! Well if that's the case, I can set my thing
aside. As a favor to you, I mean.
[Yunaka]
I'm a great listener, so you can feel free to hold
nothing back! Tell me absolutely everything!
[Louis]
Haha, splendid. I shall put on a pot of tea for us
at once.
--- A ---


[Yunaka]
No way! You're yanking my daggers! That can't
be a true story!
[Louis]
It can be, and it is.
[Louis]
During my knighthood examination before the
Firenese royal family, I treated everyone to tea.
[Louis]
I showed promise as a tea connoisseur, which
factored directly into my gaining the position.
[Yunaka]
I know you're great at it, but how is brewing tea
even relevant to the test?
[Louis]
In their search for a retainer, it seems they
prized domestic skills and martial prowess.
[Yunaka]
Lucky for you, you're the best. You had the
competition tripping over their saucers, surely!
[Louis]
Hah! Why, thank you.
[Yunaka]
Honestly, Louis, I could listen to your stories
all day long. They're that good.
[Yunaka]
But...I feel a little bad you're always going out
of your way on my account.
[Louis]
How do you mean?
[Yunaka]
You go out of your way to do all the talking,
so all I ever have to do is listen.
[Yunaka]
I'm sure you've realized by now, but...I prefer it
that way. I don't like talking about myself.
[Louis]
It had not escaped my notice.
[Yunaka]
If I had to do it, I'd be forced to get evasive and
lie to you. I don't like lying to my friends.
[Yunaka]
That's why it's better if I don't say much about
my past. Or about myself at all.
[Louis]
Well, I see nothing wrong with that.
[Louis]
Even putting our pasts aside, I believe we two
can understand each other fairly well.
[Yunaka]
You think?
[Louis]
So long as we have tea and a friend to share it
with, we can discuss whatever we please.
[Louis]
Besides, I'm rather loquacious myself, so it's
nice to find someone willing to listen.
[Louis]
Listening can be a bit draining, so I thank you
for humoring me in that regard.
[Yunaka]
Aww, Louis...
[Louis]
If you feel you must contribute, we can discuss
our countries, our friends, the future─anything.
[Yunaka]
Are you sure you won't mind being friends with
someone who never talks about her past? Ever?
[Louis]
Of course I won't.
[Louis]
I am friends with you as you are. Whoever you
may have once been is no issue.
[Louis]
Now then, if we are to keep this tea party going,
I must brew us another pot.
[Yunaka]
Thank you, Louis.
--- S ---