Chapter Text
Earl Gray
“ I should have never given birth to you! ”
Despite the light breeze blowing from behind, her fingers intertwined tightly within the tall, chain linked wall. Her green eyes, shadowed by the soft sunset, casted down to the dark streets down below her and her school building.
Without moving her attention away from the city underneath the horizon, her left foot prompted up into one of the holes in the wall. Her hand climbed up the wall from its original position in order to accommodate for her foot. She brought her face closer to the wall as well.
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!”
Chise jumped a little at the soft, beeping sound of the coffee maker going off and it’s dim, blinking, red light. She looked down and saw the black coffee inside had stopped boiling and was already steaming the inner glass of the kettle.
As quickly yet as casually as her clearly tired body and mind could muster, she grabbed a Tully’s to-go cup and took out the kettle. She took a peek over her shoulder as she poured in order to observe the customer’s behavior. It was the first customer of the night, and like most others who come in around 11 pm or after, he was tired, in his late 50’s or 60’s, slightly drunk, and needed enough black coffee to keep him steady enough until he could get back home. Sometimes, Chise would get the occasional buzzed party girl or drunk gang member on Thursdays. But for the most part, she would get just super quiet guys like these.
Still, she couldn’t help but worry. After all, he has been waiting for his order for quite some time now. As harmless as he looked, she had often heard from her co-workers that sometimes these intoxicated customers during dead hours can get dangerous on you if you’re not careful. So, it’s best not to make them wait. Based on what she could glimpse, he didn’t seem mad. In fact, it looked like he was ready to go to fall asleep right where he stood.
“Here you go, sir,” said Chise, placing the order on the counter and in his plain field of vision.
“S-So sorry for making you wait,” She apologized with a little bow.
The guy didn’t say a word. Instead, he removed the lid, and took a small but deep whiff of the coffee. After he sipped some of the black liquid inside, he let out an audible, tired, sigh of relief.
The carrying sound of him chugging down his caffeine followed after the tired customer, along with the ringing chime of the Tully’s front entrance bell.
Chise didn’t lift her head back up until the place was quiet again. She turned her gaze towards the glass door and lingered upon the darkness piercing through.
Chise let out a humming sigh to herself. She couldn’t help but feel ashamed and silly. She just suddenly got lost in her thoughts like that in front of a customer. Usually, she would only allow herself to space out like that around 2 am or 3 when there would be no one around and the night outside the cafe gets even darker. But, with no one working beside her and the fake security cameras, who would report her whether she spaced out or not?
As Chis cleaned out the kettle and wiped down her work station, her teacher’s words from this afternoon replayed in her mind.
“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!”
The way that it just swiftly defused whatever her body wanted to do… his voice was so thundering in that quiet moment…
Suddenly, she remembered where she was and knew that she had to get to work tonight. If she didn’t work, she couldn’t get paid. Even though the paycheck was never enough, it was enough to be considered useful for her foster family.
While they weren’t exactly the most friendly individuals one could meet, they were the first foster family to not exactly be explicitly cruel to her. And they didn’t ignore her either. No instance of a good ole moment of them giving her the cold shoulder as well. They had one simple rule for her and every foster kid in their house: if you earn your keep, then you will always have a place to stay. Chise knew from the bottom of her heart that she could do that at the very least. In fact, it was easier that way. Most households that she had been placed in didn’t have rules like that. Her aunts, uncles, and other extended members of her family certainly didn’t have clear rules like that.
She wished that they did…
If they did have those clear rules, then maybe… she would know… what she did wrong…
“ Although, deep down, ” She mentally scolded herself, “ I already know… what I did wrong… ”
Chise then groaned once she realized that she finished cleaning up everything. This task was supposed to last her fifteen minutes at least. But instead, she did it all within five minutes.
The night outside Tully’s was getting darker, and she tried to ignore it by finding something else to do.
“ I should have never given birth to you! ”
Her mother’s voice… her last words kept coming back to her all day. Chise didn’t know why. Oh sure, her mother’s voice would come to her every so often, especially at night… especially here during her shift.
But, today was different. She woke up to the sound of her voice. Her voice started out quiet and soft. But, as the day went along, her voice only grew in volume. It grew and grew to the point where it was the only sound that she could hear.
The class lectures… the students in the hallway… everything at school became just white noise… nothing but background for the sound of her mother’s voice.
She couldn’t take such a combination of sounds.
Her mother’s face did not appear when recalling her voice. She couldn’t even picture her eyes. The memory of her mother’s voice only existed in this void of darkness. Earlier in her life, she would see her angry, tear stained face and her piercing eyes. But, as years passed, those details faded into the void… and Chise did not know why.
Once she saw some piles of off white speckles gathered by the doors, Chise immediately headed towards the supply closet and pulled out the broom and dust pan. Dusting off this permanently dirt stained floor was a pointless endeavor, and the same logic can be applied to cleaning this Tully’s. Unlike most Tullys in Japan, this Tully lacked the size, the grandeur, and funding it needed to fit within that ideal Tully’s image. And it certainly didn’t help that it placed on the rougher side of town.
As Chise swept the off white speckled pile into the dustpan, she was able to truly see what these speckles were. They were white plum blossoms.
Was it because it was spring? Chise couldn’t remember the specific day that her mother… left her behind. And yet, she could remember the day of her service. She still had her mother’s service pamphlet and was able to keep it with her. No matter how many times she was transferred.
But, she did remember… the white blossoms… blowing into the apartment through their opened window… and how the wind felt that day…
After she put the broom and dustpan back into the closet, she returned back to the cashier with an old wash cloth and a spray bottle filled with cheap, off brand, surface cleaner.
The small, circular motion of her hand, guiding the towel rubbing against the work surface. The sharp scent of the cleaner. The blinding artificial lighting hanging above her head. All these dull, useless things eased her thoughts. While not taking away everything concerning her, it gave her something to focus on. And this focus was the ultimate form of distraction for her.
Despite this job taking place during the peak hours of the silent and still night, it gave her a list of easy objectives to perform and repeat.
The entrance’s bell chimed, accompanied by the clicking sounds of a cane and some slight, flat shoes.
Chise rapidly placed the towel and cleaner in the open area below the cash register, not getting a chance to glance at the new customer coming towards her. Once the sounds of their cane and shoes stopped clicking, Chise gave them a bow and recited, “Hello, welcome to Tully’s. What can I get you tonight?”
“Good evening,” replied the customer in a deep, calm, even toned, masculine voice. “Thank you so much for the warm welcome, Chise.”
While it was no shock that he knew her name, due to the name tag attached to the collar of her uniform, however what made this situation unsettlingly odd was the fact that he actually addressed her by her name. Most customers, day or night, never bothered calling her or her co-workers by their names. All of them usually ignore their name tags and just call them either “Tully’s Boy” or “Tully’s Girl.”
When Chise finally lifted her gaze, her eyes widened at what stood before her. The eight foot man stood, no, loomed over her. This man was more like a shadow than a man as he casted a great darkness over her form. A long black robe flowed over his body; it’s wide and big sleeves lengthened his already long arms. His figure would have completely been consumed by the late night if not for the highlights of color here and there. The white and grey complex designs on his sleeves, the red square golden trimmed cloth that covered his face, the white collared shirt that peaked through the black attire, and the beautiful blue green jeweled bolo tie.
But the most perplexing detail about this customer, besides the cloth that hid his face, were the two spiraling horns that stood high on top of his head and the ringlets of gold that hung from them. If she didn’t know any better, those horns looked like they were actually attached to his head.
Chise’s mouth agaped a little in shock. Her hands and knees began to tremble.
“My name is Elias Ainsworth,” He continued, paying no mind to Chise’s current state.
Then, he hunched over a little and offered his white gloved hand to her, “How do you do?”
Chise glanced down at his hand. She didn’t know what to do. What should she do? Should she take his hand just to not upset him? Should she refuse? Should she pretend that she didn’t see his hand and continue with his order? That last option was less than ideal.
Despite how scared she felt, her better judgement, and everything inside her telling her to run, she knew that the first option was the best route to take. And she had to perform this option quickly. She took his hand and stuttered softly, “H-How do you do.”
As she cleared her throat, she slowly and carefully pulled her hand back to her side, “What can I get you, Mr. Ainsworth?”
“If you don’t mind, I much rather you call me ‘Elias’ than ‘Mr. Ainsworth’.”
“Oh, um, okay then. What can I get you,... E-Elias?” Chise struggled at the end, silently figuring out how to properly pronounce his first name. It was hard enough to just say his last name. Chise was thankful that she was always a decent student in her English classes. However, this interaction just proves that she needs to improve.
“Hmm,” Elias pondered aloud, lifting his head towards the menu above her. Chise was not sure how he was able to see the menu with that cloth over his face. She also wondered if he could truly see her right now through that small cloth.
He brought his head towards her and asked, “Do you have any Earl Grey?”
“Yes, we do.”
“Then, may I have that with some milk?”
As she calculated the order on the register, Chise asked, “What kind of milk do you want with it?”
Elias cocks his head to the side slightly and sincerely questioned, “You have different kinds here?”
“Uhhh,... yes,” She answered in a confused tone, “We do.”
“May I have some reindeer milk in my tea?” He requested in a surprisingly excited tone, “Reindeer milk should be available during this time of the year, and it tastes so refreshing during the spring.”
“Uhhh,” uttered Chise. She silently cursed herself for letting this rude sound out. Once again, she was bewildered on what to do next. What should she say to this continuingly perplexing individual? He was both the most terrifying yet awkward customer that she had ever encountered in this Tully’s. In fact, he was the most terrifying and awkward character that she had ever met period.
“S-Sorry but,... we don’t have any… reindeer milk.”
“ I didn’t even know that you could milk a reindeer... ” Chise tried to mentally unravel.
“Oh, my apologies. Forgive me, I’ve forgotten where I was and just remembered that reindeer are not common to Japan, correct?”
“Uhh, correct.”
“Tell me, what kinds of milk do you have?”
“We have regular milk, nonfat, soy, almond, oat, 1%... “
Chise’s list slowly came to an end when she realized how quiet Elias was during this explanation. Despite not seeing his face, somehow she could tell that he had absolutely no idea on what she was talking about. It was as if she was speaking another language entirely.
“Um, may I suggest the regular milk with your tea? That usually works with most teas, especially stronger blends like Earl Grey.”
“Yes, you may,” Elias sighed in relief and with gratitude in his tone, “Thank you.”
“For here or to go?”
“ Please say to go, ” She mentally begged, “ I don’t know how long I can keep this up. ”
“For here, please.”
After she finished putting it all in, without miraculously showing any sign of her mental panic, Chise concluded, “That’ll be 500 yen.”
Elias opened his robe and reached into one of his vest pockets. He pulled out the physical 500 yen. Chise was so surprised that a foreigner like him had the physical yen with him. Usually, foreigners liked to use their credit cards to pay.
As Chise proceeded to make his tea, Elias followed after her from his side of the counter, “Chise, may I ask you a couple of questions?”
Despite the adrenaline flowing through her veins, caused by the fearful stress of this situation, Chise responded, “Y-You may.”
“ Though, I have a feeling that I won’t be able to give you the answers you want, ” She mentally noted.
Chise figured that she could calm herself during this conversation by simply focusing on making his drink. Luckily, this tea shouldn’t take long to make. All she needed to do was pull out the tea bag and heat up the milk.
“Excellent,” added Elias, “Tell me Chise,... are you being taken care of?”
“Taken care of?” she questioned hesitantly, but still dedicating herself to the small task at hand.
“Perhaps I should specify,” He explained, “Do you have a family? A family who takes care of you? Or perhaps, a guardian who protects you? Maybe even two guardians in charge of this responsibility?”
“ Someone who… protects me? ”
“Um, why do you ask?” She asked him instead.
“I have a proposal that can only be heard by those who have no one to turn to in this world… someone who needs protection… someone who longs for another to take care of them… someone to love them.”
“ Someone… to love? ” Chise’s mind especially lingered on the word “love”.
Chise slowly went back to making Elias’s order and carefully averting her eyes away from his. Then, she casually suggested, “I-If I was this person,... what would your proposal be?”
The milk was ready, and she steep the tea bag into it. Then, she placed the warm, white cup upon the small tea plate.
As she laid the drink upon the counter, Elias suddenly but tenderly placed his hand over hers. Placing barely any weight upon her hand as he did so.
Chise in a panic brought her gaze to his, and her wide eyes grew to the size of saucers as she noticed how close his face was to hers. Her face immediately turned red.
“I would ask them if they would like to be my bride,” He simply stated.
“W-What… ?” She uttered softly in mystified awe.
Chise had never had anyone, boy or girl, proclare any declaration of feelings or love towards her before. She never had anyone simply suggest or try to hide that they have a crush for her. Let alone a marriage proposal. In return, Chise had never even given a second thought to things like crushes, dating, love, marriage, and more. Her mind was always preoccupied with… other things.
The more Chise lingered on these kinds of thoughts and his proposal, the more she blushed.
She drew her hand and eyes away from him, “I… I’m sorry, but… I’m not… the person you’re looking for. I… I have a foster family.”
“A foster family? What is that?” He questioned her sincerely, tilting his head to the side.
As he took his tea to a table not too far from the counter, Chise tried to clarify, “It’s a family that takes care of you when… “
Without any control over it, her mind suddenly flashed to the images of her father,... her brother,... and her mother.
“When you no longer have blood related… relations… to take care of you.”
“So your family is dead then?”
“You’re um, very blunt. Aren’t you?” She cautiously remarked, taken back at such a quick and straightforward question.
“So I’ve been told, yes.”
Chise turned her attention away from Elias, and moved to cleaning her work station, “To answer your question… y-yes, they’re dead. And that’s why I now have a foster family.”
“This foster family,” He inquired further, “do they take care of you?”
“Uh, y-yes they do. Um, didn’t I just say that they-?”
“But then, where are they not here? Why are you here all alone? Night can be such a dangerous hour for humans.”
“ Why is he talking about humans as if… he wasn’t one? ” Chise mentally contemplated.
“Well, this is when I work. All the other shifts were taken, except for this one. My foster family is at home sleeping while I work.”
“Why do you have to work if your family takes care of you? I’m afraid that I don’t understand.”
“ He does have a point, ” She mentally agreed, much to her dismay.
“Everyone in my foster family works. It’s our way to show that we…”
All of the sudden, her thoughts began to wander upon her foster family. There were memories of her foster dad coming home late from his construction job, her foster mom coming home late with groceries in her hands, her young foster siblings taking care of siblings no younger than they were, babies crying, and her foster parents taking her paycheck out of her hands.
“Care for one another,” Chise finished.
“I see.” He responded contemplatively, finishing the last bit of his tea, “Fascinating.”
Chise reflected on the strange workings of Elias’s curiosity. It was like he was an educated professor exploring a new cultural or religious conception. Yet, despite his intellect, maturity, and composure, his knowledge of the world seemed to be that of a child. Or rather… an alien or beast new to the world of humans.
She shook these horrifying thoughts out of her mind, and focused on the questions surrounding how Elias was able to finish that tea so quickly despite the cloth covering his mouth.
“Thank you for the tea, Chise,” said Elias as he rose from his chair, picking up his cup and tea plate, “Do let me know if you ever get reindeer milk in. I can assure you that all your beverages would be enlightened by such an addition.”
“I’ll, uh, will take your word for it. Thank you for coming in… Elias.”
“If you don’t mind Chise, would it be alright if I stopped by again tomorrow night?”
“You… don’t need my permission to do that. This Tully’s will be open tomorrow night. Check the hours on the door and-”
“But, would it be alright if I stopped by here to see you tomorrow night?” He interrupted, returning his cup and plate to her, “Same time? At midnight?”
Chise’s face became flush at this request. For once in her life,... someone actually wanted to see her… to seek her… looking forward to visiting her… in this forsaken place out of all the places to be.
She may not feel any romantic feelings towards this Elias. In fact, she couldn’t really trust him. She didn’t understand him. They weren’t friends, barely even colleagues. Right now, he is a stranger through and through.
But, this feeling of being wanted… it was so overwhelming… it was so intoxicating… it was so tempting… it made her utter without hesitation, “I’ll… I-I’ll be here.”
“ Wait ,” Chise suddenly remembered, regaining some of her logical common sense, “ Why did I-? ”
“But, why are you coming back?” Chise suddenly asked, “Don’t you need to find that someone who will… be your bride?”
“I do.”
With his hand on the front entrance door, Elias turned his body slightly towards her and announced, “Which is why I’m coming back.”
Chise responded silently to his proclamation. She was at a loss for words again thanks to his simple but bold statements. How can he say such things with such ease and grace? Her mind went blank. Her eyes were solely focused on Elias’s figure. Her face became hot, burning even.
Once she remembered her voice, and before she could stop him, Elias strolled through the door and vanished into the night.