A Cup of Coffee
Part 2
By: Em-Chan
Everything between the /.../ is a memory.
It was a drab, rainy day in Tokyo. Rain drizzled down slowly, painting the sky a dull, cloudy gray. Droplets splattered against the ground in a hypnotic beat, lulling one and all into a shuffling walk as they trudged through the streets of the city
Everything had a lethargic, nearly slumbering quality to it. Nothing moved faster than a snail’s pace, not even the cars and taxis that splashed puddles of water onto the sidewalks, rain-stained with wear. The skies themselves seem to be sluggish and drowsy, slowly letting their tears roll off the clouds and onto the earth as they dreamed dreams of days long ago, regret and memories swirling with the drops of water, touching the humans below with their reminiscences. Not a streak of sun pierced the wall of fog that had settled on the city like a languid, indolent cat, wrapping its hazy, gray tail around the buildings. Its purring was like the hum of machines, punctuated sporadically by sudden shrieks. An air of melancholy penetrated the very heavens themselves, not mourning the present, but rather grieving over the affairs and episodes of the past.
This was a day of reminiscence and silent lamentation, not one of activity and energy, a day of release and relaxation where all would repose itself for the later days of action, where all would be thrown into a frenzy of happenings beyond control. For now, there would be peace...
Lina watched the raindrops dash themselves against the windowpane, shattering their singularity and merging together in streams of mutual consciousness, as if in a trance, gazing at the gray scene in front of her, strangely listless, but not at unhappy.
She sighed and returned to her task of wiping down the table by the window. She felt unusually pensive today, musing over the events of the past. She felt saddened that everything had passed and she could never return to the yesterday long ago. At the same time, she was glad, there were some things she would never ever want to experience again.
And unbidden, her memories returned in a rush, crashing and overpowering her in a single wave, blurring the line between reality and past. The smell and sounds returned, along with the scene...
/The stench of burning flesh reached her nose and she knew it was burning. Everything was burning down around her; she could do nothing. Everything and everyone seemed to scream out its pain as it withered in the flames; she could feel its agony as merciless tongues of fire licked everything into oblivion./
/She heard herself scream, voices joining with hers in a cacophony of wails. More voices joined as the blaze chortled its triumph as the inferno spread everywhere, eating away like a hungry, bottomless demon bent on complete destruction and laughing mercilessly./
/She saw the fingers of flame beckon to her. Seductive and cruel, they grew closer and twined around her skin, igniting the air around her, making her hot and breathless. Paralyzed by fear, she opened her mouth to scream again, but no sound came out as the flames closed around her, blocking every chance of escape. The demons laughed callously at her doom and they danced in an untamed delirium, coming closer to burn her in their hellish revelry. Knowing they could rip her soul into pieces and trample upon the scraps in diabolic glee with ease, they prolonged her torture for longer, tasting the fear and agony emanating from this little child. They danced around in a circle, too quick for her to see them, except their fiery, soulless husks swirling around like a merry-go-round spinning out of control in an accident gone horribly wrong./
/She closed her eyes and let out a long wail of human torment, cowering into a corner. A sneer curved up the sooty surface of the flames, she could hear their soulless exultation in her despair and then, they struck.../
“Lina!”
Shocked out of her daytime nightmare, she gasped with utter fear. The memories themselves had risen as demons, bent on utter torment of her soul as long as she lived. She would never be free...
“Lina!”
Shizuki was shaking her shoulder violently, concern written all over his features. She raised her head from the dull surface of the table and forced herself to look at him.
He recoiled slightly when he saw the look of utter fear and despair in her eyes, pleading for release from a nightmare that had plagued her for a decade.
“Lina! What’s the matter?”
The fright slipped away from her eyes as she assumed a smiling mask. “Nothing. Daijobu.”
“...Lina, don’t hide it please. You...you looked like you were...dying, almost.”
She forced a laugh. She _was_ dying. She was dying on the inside, as the demons of the past sucked out her soul. “That’s so silly, Shizuki-kun! Everything’s okay!” she said false-cheerfully.
“Lina...” Shizuki’s voice was low and intent on extracting the truth from her.
The bell jingled and someone stepped into the shop, clothes dripping wet. Lina snatched at this as an excuse to escape Shizuki’s questioning.
“Oh, an customer! We have to get back to work,” she said hurriedly. She walked up to the man who had just came in and bowed. “Irrashaimase to Enkai Coffeehouse!”
The damp figure pulled back the hood of the sweatshirt he was wearing and revealed a soggy Zelgadiss.
“Well, hello,” he said, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.
“You!” she nearly shrieked. Anger, consternation, relief, and embarrassment danced across her open face, conflicting with each other.
“Yes, anything wrong...” He checked her nametag, “Lina?”
She closed her mouth. She would not let herself be the butt of his jokes! “No. Would you like a seat, sir?” she asked crisply. She was going to be in control, damnit!
A smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth and he said, “Sure, if you don’t mind.”
“Oh, not at all,” she replied with clenched teeth. Hell, it was like he was laughing at her every second.
He followed her silently to his usual spot and he placed an order for the usual: black coffee.
“Will that be all, sir?” she asked in her carefully schooled voice.
“Yes.” He drew out a book, this time Japanese, and opened it to a page. He didn’t even look up as she stormed away.
He was ignoring her! That unholy, scum-sucking bastard! Ohhhh, she was going to kill him! No, not kill, she was going slash him to bits and then torture him endlessly! That little cad was going to pay!
Shizuki looked at her, disquieted, as she stomped up to him for the order. The look in her eyes was enough to scare him and he was perturbed by her apathy. Relief washed over him when he saw her angry eyes. Anything was better than that terrible, empty, fearful glaze.
“Black coffee,” she growled. “Goddamn cocky bastard!”
He laughed uneasily in response. He privately thanked God. Anger was the best thing for her right now. He reached the steaming pot on the burner and poured the coffee into a large cup, setting it on a saucer. He looked behind the ranting Lina and caught the customer’s eye.
As he glimpsed the sapphire eye, Shizuki felt as if all the world was wracked with utter suffering, nothing was going to be anymore and it was all going end on Judgement Day when God himself would pass verdict on the sinners of the Earth. His shell was sliced open and his soul was bare for the angels and demons to see and devour with a single glance of the deep blue eyes.
He shocked himself back into reality. He felt like he had fallen into a pit of wonder and horror and been through Hell and Heaven themselves, an ordeal he wished he would never have to endure. He handed the cup with shaking hands to Lina, who curiously noted this, but said nothing.
“Your coffee, sir,” she said to Zelgadiss in crisp tones.
He looked up from the book and she set the cup and saucer in front of him.
“Arigatou,” he said briefly.
“Do you need anything else?” she asked in a carefully schooled voice.
He looked up with the slightest smirk and said, “It was nice meeting your friend that night. She was quite amusing.”
Her face burned hot with humiliation. God, he was going to bring up that night a week ago. As if this wasn’t embarrassing enough, he _had_ to be a sadistic bastard and bring that night up.
“I don’t think that my friend making a fool of herself should constitute amusement except for assholes like you,” she replied tartly. “Your tastes are obviously different than others.”
He actually gaped this time, his cool demeanor broken.
She continued, “And I hope you’ll forget that night, sir. My judgement was horribly warped by alcohol and my own deliberation of even talking to you was a mistake on my part. A very great mistake.”
A silence stretched out until it was broken by near hysterical laughter bubbling from Zelgadiss’ throat. “Yare...yare...I’ve never...had anyone insult...me like that!” he gasped between laughs. The intensity of his laughter quieted down to a few chuckles and he said, “You’re quite unique, Lina Inverse.”
Her eyes narrowed into slits. “How do you know my name?” she asked, lowering her voice to a dangerous tone.
“I know a lot of things, Lina Inverse. Like your real occupation for one thing...” His voice had also deepened, cool and professional.
Her eyes flashed with a conflict of emotions for a moment until she assumed another mask, one she called upon often to deal with guys like this, a very cool and detached front. One part of her brain would deal with this low-life; the other would set on searching out the identity of him. She had to have met him somewhere before...
“I suggest you keep that information to yourself,” she replied.
“Of course, _Sugisaki_ Lina-san,” he nearly purred.
She looked into those eyes again. They were hard and predatory, now a pure amethyst. The colour swirled and shifted into a shade of sapphire-purple.
He added, “I wouldn’t dare think of endangering your current job. Or rather, jobs.” A slow smirk spread over his face, lighting his face with amusement.
Her other part of her brain snatched onto a bit of information. Zelgadiss Graywords! It was him! The little asshole she had been competing with for the longest time and he had been right under her nose! Damn the heavens and hells! She did not need this right now and she had been a fool not to notice those changing eyes of his. How come she did not remember him from before?
She controlled her facial cast with all her strength. She would not break in front of him. She knew his kind, all of them were just like her, wasting away in their job. Just like whores, only they used their body in a completely different way from the prostitutes. It would seem like the farthest thing from a whore, but she knew how she was used. Her body was used by others to give pleasure to them, but in a distinct manner that was all their profession’s own.
Lina leaned down to his level and hissed, “Don’t interfere, Zelgadiss Graywords. You don’t want to mess with me.”
“I’ve meddled in the affairs worth ten of you, Inverse. I can take on whatever you bring,” he said insolently.
“Don’t be too sure, Graywords. I know you and even your precious owner won’t be able to help you after I’m finished with you.”
“You underestimate me. It is quite the opposite. I know you better than you know yourself. I know your past, present and I know your future. And the future’s looking extremely bleak right now.”
“Your pride will be your downfall, Graywords.” With that, she turned and walked away.
Swords had been drawn and met in a clash of sparks, unseen and this endless duel shall continue its duration in draws, until one victor shall emerge, not triumphant, but battered and broken with spirit crushed within. And who shall the victor be...?
