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Milana quickly delivered orders, trying not to keep the customers waiting. After Carol disappeared, there was too much work, and she and the Boss couldn't handle it. There were a lot of people, and accordingly, there weren't enough hands. Right now, the poor boss was trying to calm down one of the customers who had been waiting for his order for a whole 10 minutes.
The girl delivered an order to one customer and immediately ran to collect the circus flyers that people had left behind. It was good that they weren't glued down, because last time some jokesters did that, and she, the Boss, and Carol spent until late at night scraping and washing everything off. Afterwards, everyone was tired and very angry.
Then the employee heard the sound of a bell.
"Welcome! What would you like?"
She shouted, immediately smiling at the new customer. He was a rather tall man with black hair slicked back, wearing a formal blue suit. Strangely, no matter how Milana turned her head, she couldn't see the other side of his face. Apparently, the sun was shining too brightly in her eyes.
"Thank you. I would like a strong, hot coffee."
"I'll bring it right away."
The girl nodded and quickly ran to the counter while the customer sat down at the nearest table. Because the order was simple, she was standing next to him a few minutes later, placing the cup on the table.
"Here is your order, sir."
"Thank you. It's so cold outside right now. What are those flyers?"
He asked unexpectedly, taking a sip from his mug. Milana blinked in confusion, then shifted her gaze to the tray on which the papers still lay. Apparently, she had completely forgotten about them while doing her work.
"You know, the weather really is quite cool today. I guess Mother Nature decided to toughen us all up! These are flyers from the circus that just arrived. They were handed out to many people, and apparently, not everyone could figure out where to put them."
"How rude to do that in an establishment, isn't it?"
The customer continued, putting his coffee back on the table. The girl waved her hand at this.
"Oh, well, I'm sure some people had good reasons for it. Maybe someone forgot them or got sick and couldn't do it. Besides, I don't mind running around the tables. Think of it as me getting exercise!"
"I see…"
The man drawled quietly, narrowing his eyes, then reached out his hand.
"In that case, would you mind giving them to me? I was just collecting some waste paper for recycling."
"Oh, that's great! That's much better than just throwing them away. I do that sometimes too, but unfortunately, it takes me too long to collect paper."
Milana nodded, then handed the flyers to her interlocutor. He took them quite quickly and placed them next to himself. The girl smiled at him, tilting her head.
"So, anything to ea—"
"Do you like the circus?"
The customer asked unexpectedly, interrupting the employee. She blinked rapidly, trying to process what was said. So, this man had, for some reason, decided to take the circus flyers. He had, for some reason, decided to start a conversation. He hadn't mentioned the freak circus at all before, not even in terms of the concerns due to recent disappearances. This suggested that, perhaps due to general apprehension, some potential fans couldn't discuss the performance properly.
Milana switched into great-expert-and-fan mode. All for the sake of positive reviews!
"Yes, I think it's a rather interesting place. The circus has been around for so long and has survived to this day. Although that's not surprising. So many wonderful and unusual things happen in that place. I think the circus will outlive all of us combined."
She began, remembering all the videos she had watched long ago before bed.
"And considering the variety of circuses… Yes, I think such art will live forever. But… To be honest, I don't like all types of circuses."
"Ha, really?"
The customer asked, raising one eyebrow. The girl, deep in thought, nodded.
"Yes, I don't like circuses with animals, especially when they're quite large beasts."
"Oh, I think I agree. When a person, fancying themselves a king, decides to play with a predator for fun… Ha. What a pathetic spectacle."
The man chuckled, picking up his cup again. The café employee only shook her head at this.
"No, I don't like those circuses for other reasons. Undoubtedly, my words don't apply to all circuses that have animals, but… Most often, they live in hellish conditions."
She said, and her interlocutor, for some reason, froze as he was bringing the coffee to his lips. Milana continued.
"I've so often heard about how animals lived in tiny cages that didn't allow them to breathe properly. Malnourishment and torture to make them obedient. And they often performed in public, where there was noise, commotion, or even worse. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. If you look closely, circus animals don't exactly live a happy life."
After this, she sighed and spread her arms while the customer remained strangely silent.
"I understand why there are animals in nature reserves and zoos, and they live in cages. Most often, there are reasons for that, like saving certain species. But why have animals in a circus? No, of course, I know that not all circuses are bad and that not all animals suffer in them, it's just… Honestly, I don't want to play a guessing game and accidentally support a circus where someone is suffering. And that applies to people too."
Finishing her speech, the girl pointed at the flyers while the man remained silent.
"I wonder, does this circus have animals?"
"Uh…"
She asked, causing her interlocutor to involuntarily flinch, as if waking from a trance. He first looked at the papers, then, pulling on a smile, looked at the café employee.
"Don't worry, there are no animals in this circus. More than that, I'll tell you, the workers of this establishment always treat our smaller brothers with respect."
"Well, that's good."
Milana nodded, then put her hand on her hip.
"Listen, do you happen to know what this circus and its performers are like?"
"Let's say I do. But wouldn't my words ruin the whole charm of the circus?"
The customer replied, taking another sip of coffee. The girl only shrugged at this.
"If the product is truly good, then even spoilers won't ruin it. Besides, I'd finally like to hear something good about the circus, other than rumors and dirty gossip. And… Honestly, I have some physical peculiarities that might slightly ruin the performance."
She said, becoming slightly embarrassed at the last words. After all, even despite the non-seriousness of her condition, it still caused her considerable discomfort. A long time ago, she made the mistake of ignoring the prohibition of one of her foster parents, after which she spent quite a while in the hospital listening to them shout.
"Physical peculiarities…"
The man drawled slowly, tapping his finger on the edge of his cup. After several long minutes of silence, he nodded and continued drinking his order.
"Well. This circus is simply famous for its horrors. It decided to abandon banal children's games, focusing on fear, despair, and the animalistic human desire for murder. Even though many talk about the immorality of the show, tickets are always sold out within the first minutes."
He took another sip.
"The leader of the troupe is considered to be the Jester. An incredible actor. Each of his performances tells new and new stories that horrify with their realism. He is a very good storyteller, so I would recommend going to his tent first. I guarantee you won't be disappointed with what you see."
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind."
Milana nodded, and the customer continued.
"There is also the Doctor's infirmary and the mirror maze. If you want to learn something new about yourself, I recommend the mirror maze, but if you want to tickle your nerves, the infirmary is what you need. Don't worry about possible wounds in that tent, because the Doctor will provide you with first aid if necessary."
"Well, the infirmary probably isn't for me."
The girl muttered quietly.
"And currently, the most significant tents are Pierrot's and Harlequin's. Both of their performances are always good and can stir your blood. Actually, these are currently the most popular places in the circus."
"Oh, it all sounds so interesting… Except for the Doctor. I think I'll go to this place on my day off."
She said, nodding quickly.
"Hmm, you have no idea, but I—"
Her interlocutor wanted to answer something when suddenly the Boss's shout was heard.
"Milana! You can chat with the customers later! Start fulfilling the orders now!"
"Oh, right!"
The café employee squeaked softly, then waved her hand to the customer, who, apparently, hadn't had time to say something important.
"Well, come visit us again. It's not every day you meet such an interesting conversationalist as you."
Having said this, Milana turned around and almost ran to fulfill the orders, so that the poor boss wouldn't go crazy from the already slightly dissatisfied customers.