OREV: ... I'm gonna be reinforcing my door, is all I'm saying. SALEM: I mean, you don't really have to do that, but if it makes you feel better— OREV: No, I probably will anyways. OREV: You're a nightmare and a menace.
Salem makes Orev some chamomile tea and knocks on his office door.
Inside, Orev has been gazing into the corner of the room at where the hellflower is blooming, watching the flames slowly sputter up. After a moment, he is shocked back into reality.
SALEM: Hi, sir! OREV: Uhh, yeah, Salem. Uh, what do you—what's up. SALEM: I brought you something!
Salem walks into the office.
OREV: I don't need another doll— like, I really don't need another one—
Salem walks towards Orev’s desk with the cup of tea.
SALEM: Oh, I'm still working on others! I haven't been able to make you another one yet! OREV: I— And again, I don't need it, so don't worry about it— OREV: ... OREV: Did you make me tea? SALEM: I made you some tea!
Salem hands the cup directly to Orev, who takes it. He looks down at it.
SALEM: Yeah, um, you seemed pretty shaken up last night after everything that happened so I thought I'd make you some tea to maybe help you calm down! This kind is supposed to help you sleep! OREV: ... SALEM: And I mean, I don't know how— I don't know how you're sleeping because it's not like I'm, you know, watching you sleep or anything— OREV: ... SALEM: —but you seemed just a little off, so I thought this might help you calm down a bit! OREV: ... OREV: I don't. Quite understand, Salem, how it is that every time you're able to— OREV: —like, this is a genuinely nice act - I was a little touched - and then just— a wildly off-base comment about watching me sleep that does not put me at ease in any way, shape, or form— SALEM: But I— but I don’t, but I don’t do that— OREV: Yeah, yeah, you said that, and the instant the thought came into my mind— OREV: ... I'm gonna be reinforcing my door, is all I'm saying. SALEM: I mean, you don't really have to do that, but if it makes you feel better— OREV: No, I probably will anyways. OREV: You're a nightmare and a menace.
Orev takes a sip of the tea.
OREV: ... I'm not like, a tea guy, so I don't know if this is good, but I ... appreciate the gesture, I suppose. SALEM: Well, if anything, it's good for you! OREV: ... Eh, sure, sure. The leaf water is good for me, sure. Yeah. SALEM: And there's more in the kitchen, if you— if you— if you need any more! OREV: Yeah— Wait, you got this from the kitchen? SALEM: Uh, yeah! (laughs) Where do you think I get everything I bring you every day? OREV: I don't know. That ... does make more sense, I kind of thought it was from a weird place, but you're just going in the— okay.
They talk a bit about the kitchen. During this interaction, Orev is still trying to act normal – but there is a searching look on his face. He’s eyeing Salem up and down, trying to figure out something as they’re talking.
Salem picks up on this, suddenly acting coy.
SALEM: ... What? OREV: Salem, look - earlier, you know, with the whole snake thing— SALEM: ... OREV: I ...
Orev suddenly changes the topic.
OREV: Salem, you remember when we first met, right? SALEM: ... Yeah! OREV: You can describe it? You know, you can talk about it? Tell other people about it? SALEM: Um ... I have, yeah? Um ... I mean, sometimes maybe it's ... a little hard to remember ... OREV: And you— I gave you Angel, right? That's— That's what happened? And you remember how that whole thing goes? SALEM: Um ..! Well, you must have, right? OREV: Okay, cuz you see, the thing is— SALEM: Of course you did, because I didn't have Angel before I met you! OREV: Right, right, and I— I've never had Angel, as they are, I don't remember them being a snake, but I don't really remember them— I don't remember them at all. OREV: And people have asked, Salem. People have asked how we met and why you're still around, and I have given them answers. SALEM: ... OREV: And I don't remember any of that. And for a long time, I didn't care ... because I didn't remember? You were kind of always just there, a thorn in my side. SALEM: ... Right where I should be. OREV: ... OREV: Right where you want to be, sure. Sure. But— I— whatever happened, earlier, with your magic, the magic, and the snake— SALEM: It was ... enlightening, right? OREV: It was ... it was something. yeah. OREV: ... OREV: Salem, have you ever— Have you ever seen me cast a spell? SALEM: ... I guess ... not? OREV: Because I don't— I don't know magic, I've never learned to cast ... magic. You know, that's— that's a little bit of Olena, that's a little bit of Leona, Bromseth's got his magic drawings and things like that— OREV: I don't— fuck with magic. I've never learned it, I've never been taught it. SALEM: … But you made me what I am. OREV: And you know— you know— I also believe that, I do, I do— and I don't know what the fuck that means. OREV: I don't know how this happened. And Salem, I honestly think— I think, you—
Orev goes quiet for a moment.
OREV: I don't know what I think, I don't know. SALEM: ... Your tea's getting cold. OREV: ... OREV: I think you should leave, Salem. Thank you for the tea. We're gonna have to have a talk ... soon. SALEM: Okay! If you want, we could try and like— cuz there must be something magical inside you, right? Mmaybe we just gotta pull it out! OREV: Okay, you're not— nope, NOPE, I don't— you, just— SALEM: Okay, I'll go, I'll go! OREV: Maybe we could figure something out—but, I— just, please, please go.
Salem sees that Orev picks up the tea, takes another sip. he doesn’t like the taste, but he keeps sipping at it. his eyes flash back over to the fire of the hellflower, and something behind his eyes drifts off.