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2 - Innocence
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Mercy
The sun had sunk out of sight, but thin orange and pink rays of light still remained in the sky. The colorful light framed the twists and curves of thick clouds, making them look like distant mountains. There was a distinctive scent in the air, clean and pure. Nearby trees rustled in the breeze and the monotonous sound mingled with the songs of several kinds of birds. It drowned out the murmur of conversation from the group of students across the street. The sidewalk felt cool beneath her bare feet, but Mercy didn't mind it. She hurried along, content with the way her little adventure had turned out. Louis followed close behind, occasionally throwing a glance behind them to make sure they were in the clear. They passed by rows of dorms, some much more impressively built than others, and ended up on a street lined with little shops. Louis was the first to speak.
"Please tell me you know where's we're going." He had pulled his hood back over his head and still had his hands jammed into his pockets as he followed the hurried girl. Admittedly, this was a suspicious sight. Every once in a while, an onlooker would stare, wide-eyed. Mercy would smile back at them to show that she was in no danger. "I know the way. I'm going back the way I came." Louis' footsteps faded behind her and she turned around to see him trudging behind. He stared up at the darkening sky, then turned his eyes back to Mercy with a worried expression. She stopped and let him catch up and they both continued at a slower pace. "Back there, you said something about your mother. What happened to her?" Mercy heaved a sigh and stared down at the sidewalk in silence. "My mom? Oh... She was..." Her words came out slowly and he interrupted before she could continue. "Was it the extremists? Is that what happened?" She nodded weakly. The silent girl suddenly became aware of the cold and shivered. Wait, but what tipped him off? "I thought so. You were too quick to run from me- too jumpy, and I only kind of resembled them. You've encountered them before." He answered, as if he read her mind. She remained silent. "What about your father? How did he handle this?"
Mercy had honestly never thought about this until now. Did the news affect him? Did he even know about what happened? A scene played out in her head. He could have read the news in a newspaper or maybe he heard about it on TV. Either way, he would be struck with a sense of shock, then maybe he would spend a moment in sorrowful remembrance of the family he left behind. Maybe the sadness remained for a while, but he still went back to the things that mattered more to him. He might even have another family by now. After all, it's been about twelve years since he left.
She shrugged. "Don't know." Judging from his expression, Louis wanted more information about this. She didn't know why, but this angered her. "I don't even remember him, so it doesn't matter." She started to walk at a faster pace. "So then, who takes care of you?" This interrogation was getting annoying. She wanted to change the subject, but had to think about what to change it to. "Well?" He prodded. "That bell in the storeroom..." She started. "Huh?!" "That bell, what's it from?" The scene that unfolded in that place still bothered her. Thinking back to it made her question her sanity. "That was 'Peace Bell,' I believe. I think it was all that was left of a cathedral in a village. I saw an article about it once, but I'm not sure why the library would be permitted to hold onto something like that." He stared down at the book's impression in his pocket. "Then again, they did have this treasure hidden away too." Mercy had a sudden urge to yank the book out of his pocket and begin reading it then and there, but decided that it wouldn't be safe to do so in public.
Customers moved in and out of shops while shop owners called out to people to buy their products. Neon lights lit the dark street and moths began to gather around street lights. Women wearing flashy clothes and makeup walked back and forth across the street passing out fliers to men in business attire. Some of them stood in place, smiling and waving at passing men until one would eventually stop to talk to them. Red and gold lanterns hung from the roofs of the shops, possibly to attract any tourists to the area. Mercy caught a strong whiff of alcohol before noticing a couple of men stumbling by them with flushed faces. One of them said something too slurred for her to understand and they both laughed like lunatics. Their laughter faded before they entered a shop. "Do you walk through here often?" Louis asked her in a lowered voice. "Yeah, but I rarely come here after dark." She stopped him at an intersection and pointed to their right towards a shopping arcade. Beneath the glass canopy was a large crowd of people, some shopping and some just walking through to the other side. "Now we go that way." Mercy turned to head into the arcade and Louis started to follow her, only to be stopped by a girl holding fliers. "Welcome to Nagasaki! What country are you from?" Her bright red heels clicked with each step as she walked up to him. It seemed to take Louis a moment to realize that she was talking to him. "Oh, me? I'm not exactly a foreigner. I grew up in Japan on one of the surrounding islands." She held her hand out towards him, her fingers gently holding a piece of paper. "My apologies, mister. Maybe you'd be interested in our services?" Despite the heavy amount of makeup, Mercy realized that the girl couldn't be much older than she was. Louis took the flier and skimmed it over before quickly handing it back to her. "I'm sorry, but I'm not interested..." He stood silently for a few seconds, looking her over. "B-but wait, do you have a pen with you?" She reached to pull a pen out of her pocket. Louis grabbed the flier once more and wrote something on it before handing it and the pen back to her. She stared down at the message, perplexed, then switched her attention to another man down the road. Louis continued to stare her way with a sad look. He bowed his head and closed his eyes for a few seconds and then turned to the shopping arcade.
After the encounter with the girl, Mercy kept staring at Louis. He bit his lip as his wide eyes took in the surrounding sights, watching the hustle and bustle of this high-traffic walkway. She had finally noticed something. "So, you aren't Japanese, are you?" Her mind was brimming with curiosity. "And you aren't very observant." Amused laughter spilled out of his scarred mouth and his eyes lit up for a moment. "I grew up on a tiny island pretty far off the mainland. There's an old American Navy base set there, so the place is partially owned by the United States." "Oh! So you're American, then!" Louis shrugged. "Well, yeah... but I'm of European descent, if that's what you were asking." Mercy focused on his scar as he spoke. The slash ran from his left cheek, across his mouth, almost to the bottom of his chin. After a minute, she turned her face away, hoping he didn't notice her staring.
Many street vendors were placing freshly cooked food out on display and the scents were intermingling with each other. Mercy tried her best to ignore them, but her appetite had been neglected in her search through the library. She felt her stomach growl, but the surrounding noise drowned it out. She marched past displays with delicious assortments of food, trying to be strong. Louis trailed behind to look at every single shop and eventually called the hungry girl over to one in particular. Mercy couldn't resist the smell of meat and ran back to take a look. The vendor was selling Kakuni-Manju, a local street food specialty of barbeque pork wrapped in a steamed bun. Looking at the fresh batch made her grow hungrier, but her pockets contained no money. "I'm fine." She turned to leave the stand. "Don't worry, it's my treat." He grinned. Mercy was tempted, but shook her head in stubborn refusal. "Aren't you hungry? I know I am!" She said nothing but stood and stared at a mural between two store entrances. It depicted an assortment of ships beneath a clear, blue sky. At first she wasn't interested in it but after studying it for a while, she started to wonder how long it took to put so much detail into it. She imagined the ships bobbing on the water and sailing off into the horizon. Where were they headed? Judging from what she could hear through the murmur of the crowd, Louis was ordering two of the Kakuni-Manju. She waited until he approached before turning to him. Winding trails of steam could be seen above the bun he held out to her. It was fresh- very fresh! Even so, she stood her ground. "So you bought two for yourself?" He rolled his eyes with a groan. "Take it. It's the least I could do after scaring you like that." The excuse broke through her defenses and she snatched the bun out of his hand. Warmth resonated from it. The first big bite she took burned her mouth but it instantly calmed her stomach. She took another bite and managed to let out a muffled "thank you" before scarfing the rest of it down. Louis walked over to the mural and leaned against the wall before eating his Kakuni-Manju. Mercy followed.
"Do you go to a school, Mercy?" He tore off a piece of the bun and placed it in his mouth. "Mmm hmm, I attend Nagasaki Public Junior High School, but..." Suddenly, she was filled with anxiety. She let her sentence trail off and leaned against the wall, staring up through the glass canopy at the sky. Louis finished chewing before speaking again. "Is something wrong?" He tore off another piece. "Nothing. It's just- I'm about to graduate, so..." Her sentence trailed off again. She slid to the floor and sat waiting for Louis to finish eating. If they left soon, she hoped she wouldn't have to talk much more than she already had. He tore off another piece and popped it into his mouth before holding the rest out to the girl. "Still hungry? Did you want the rest?" She shook her head no. Thinking about her future made her stomach feel uneasy. "Alright then..." He ate half of what was left. Mercy began to focus on the radio station playing from inside a CD store but Louis snapped her out of her trance when he was done eating. "Hey, do you like butterflies?" It was a random question, but she appreciated the change in subject. "Yeah... I guess. They're pretty." "Do you know what a butterfly's favorite treat is?" Her head gave a slight tilt in curiosity. "No. What is it?" A grin spread across his pale face. "Blood." She didn't expect this answer. Was it true? Just the thought of it creeped her out. "Y-you see, they're attracted to it because it tastes sweet to them. A bloody corpse in the wilderness might be found covered in them..." His eyes widened for a second. "Oh, sorry... I didn't mean to- I thought it was just an interesting fact." She took a deep breath and stood up. "It's okay. Now I know that blooderflies- er I mean butterflies have a dark side to them. Gotta watch out for 'em!" A big grin spread across her face. "Lets go!" She started to run out to the middle of the walkway, but Louis grabbed her arm and leaned in close. "No, wait. Look there, quickly, but be quiet." He whispered and pointed to the electronics shop across the street.
A black cloak hung loosely over a man's shoulders. As he stepped out from the doorway, he pulled a hood over his head, revealing a red circle over a white stripe. Mercy could barely hold back a scream and tried to run away, but Louis held her arm tightly. "Don't panic." He pulled her into a shop as casually as he could. Mercy couldn't look away from the cloak's symbol until Louis forced her to turn around. "We can't risk getting their attention. Not now." Her heart was beating so fast. She couldn't speak. The color had drained from her face. Louis grabbed her shoulders and looked her square in the eyes. "It's going to be alright. We'll leave as soon as it's safe." He spoke quietly, calmly but there was fear in his eyes. She let out a breathless "Uh huh" and nodded weakly.
Louis turned his attention to the people behind him. A lady gave a cheerful greeting to a customer and called a waitress over to them. The waitress and greeter were both clad in brightly colored kimonos that flared out and ended halfway down the thighs. The greeter's long, wavy hair was pulled back and tied with a bow and the waitress' short, choppy hair was perfectly straight along the bottom. Mercy thought the both of them resembled perfect porcelain dolls. The customer followed the waitress down a couple of steps into a dining area decorated by star-shaped tea lights and the greeter remained at the entrance. Mercy waited for Louis to walk up to the lady, but he stood as still as a statue. The lady waited for a while and finally decided to greet them from afar. "Welcome to the Mochi Palace! We're glad to have you. Do you want a table or a booth?" It seemed that this place was a cafe that serves sweets. Louis finally sprung to life again when he finally walked up to her. "I- uh... I guess- I don't know exactly..." He laughed nervously, but the laugh went on for far too long. The lady looked as though she was fearing for her life. "Booth, please!" Having seen enough of this awkward exchange, Mercy answered. The lady forced a smile and waved a waitress over. The waitress' silky black hair was tied in two perfect ponytails that almost came down to her waist and an orange flower hair clip was pinned to each one. "Hello." She bowed. "I am Umeko-chan and I will be your waitress this evening." The woman was tall compared to the other waitresses. She seemed uninterested. "Umeko-chan..." The greeter's fake smile was still plastered on her face. "Remember to smile! These two would like a booth." The waitress' red lips curved up into a smile. "Sorry! Follow me, please."
Mercy found it difficult not to glance behind her before following. What was happening just outside of the cafe? Did the extremist notice her fear? Her legs felt stiff. Her heart was only just now slowing down to a normal rate. As soon as they approached the booth, before they could even sit down, the girl studied the scene beyond the window. She gasped and gave a worried glance to Louis, who took a moment to notice. He sat down in the booth and turned his gaze away from the waitress to see the group of cloaked extremists gathering out in the arcade. The waitress also took notice and the three of them watched as the crowds of people quickly began to disperse. A glimmer of light reflected from the sides of some of the people in the group. Louis pushed his forehead against the glass and squinted. "Are those... swords?!" Several customers also began to take notice. "Nice!" A high-school-aged boy yelled excitedly and raised his fist high in the air. "This is the first time they've been seen in a group for weeks now." A man in a nearby booth spoke to his date. "It's nice to know they haven't lost their passion." "I don't like the look of those katanas." She replied, but he reassured her. "They're probably just symbolic- you know- 'Samurai of the Crimson Sun.' It all makes sense."
The group seemed to have amassed into a crowd of about fifty cloaked figures. They began speaking amongst themselves and would erupt into loud cheering. Those with swords would sometimes raise them up above their heads and others jumped up and down excitedly. They began a chant of "Protect Japan! Purify Japan!" The twin-tailed waitress couldn't hold her excitement in. She jumped up and threw a punch out into the air. "Yeah! You guys got this!" She bounced as she shifted her weight back and forth, ready for action. "Umeko-chan! What's with you, today?!" Another waitress snapped at her. She quickly turned her attention to Louis. "Sorry about that. Here are some menus, and tell me when you're ready to order." She handed each of them a menu. Her gaze kept moving towards the window, only to focus again and dart between Louis and Mercy. Her lip was lightly bitten in an attempt to prevent a smile, but her excitement was still evident.
The woman's uncomfortable stare made it difficult to concentrate on the menu. It felt like a quiz- as though Mercy had to choose the correct item before the time ran out. She scanned the array of cute and colorful deserts on the laminated page and eventually decided on the "Strawbunny Parfait." The picture portrayed a small glass filled with strawberry parfait. A chocolate candy shaped like a rabbit's head was placed on top of it. Was Louis willing to pay for this? She figured it would seem suspicious if he didn't. "One straw bunny parfait, please." The words came out almost monotone in an attempt to sound calm. Louis put down his menu. "Uhm... Make that two?" "Oh!" The waitress felt around in her pockets and pulled out a tiny note pad. "Say that again?" "Two of the st-strawber- straw bunny parfaits, please." Hearing the cute desert name come from Louis was strange. He didn't seem to like it, either. The waitress wrote the order down on the note pad and nodded. "Two of the parfaits... got it." She turned and hurried to the kitchen with a spring in her step. The both of them turned back to the window to see that the extremists were headed back in the direction of the library. Their chant was fading away, leaving the walkway in almost complete silence.
Umeko
As soon as she threw open the doors to the kitchen, a big grin stretched across her face. The cloth of her uniform swished as she sauntered over to the sous-chef. Held between her index and middle finger was the order she had just written. The chubby sous-chef was focused on the task of chopping strawberries into bite-sized pieces, but looked up from the cutting board when he heard her approach. "So I take it the excitement started...?" Smiling eyes gazed up at her from behind a pair of glasses. The waitress released the laugh she had been holding back. She fanned herself with the piece of paper. "I'm so pumped! I didn't expect so many to show, but they did." She held the order out for him to take. "Here, some foreigner and a kid at one of the booths ordered two of the strawbunny parfaits... And you should have seen their faces, too! They showed up at the worst possible time!" She erupted into laughter again. The sous-chef grabbed the order from her hand and clipped it onto a string above him. "I imagine a sight like that would scare most of them away... foreigners, I mean." He said, turning back to the woman. "Yeah, well even so, more will come. They persist. They try to erase our culture- our beliefs! We need to be bold... to get them to understand... to break them!" The pencil she held snapped in half from her tightened fist. She frowned down at the ruined pencil before shrugging and tossing it in a garbage can. "Guess I'll go get another."
She started to walk away but the doors opened and the cafe's manager stormed in. "Umeko, do you need re-training? Do you not remember the number one rule of this place? Give the customers your full and undivided attention. Be polite and respectful towards them." The manager's face was red with anger. "I'm so sorry! I just- I've got a lot on my plate lately with school and work and..." "While you're here, your mind should only be preoccupied with work so that you could give your best effort. If you can't do that, you're not suited for this job." Umeko lowered her head. "I understand. I'll try harder- no, I'll succeed! I'll focus and give my best effort!" She smiled her prettiest smile. "That's more like it. Remember to give the customer your full and undivided attention." The manager turned and left the kitchen, her heels clicking with each step. Umeko grimaced and spoke under her breath. "I'd like to give your face my fist's full and undivided attention." With a sigh, she leaned against the counter. "It was nice talking with you, Pinata, but I better go." Despite what she said, she hovered, thinking once more about the Samurai of the Crimson Sun. "I still think you should have taken the day off." Pinata laughed and went back to chopping strawberries. "Yeah... then I could have joined them... See ya!" She ruffled his sandy-brown hair, pushed away from the counter, and headed through the doors.
"Umeko-chan! You're looking gorgeous today." She was greeted by one of the usuals, an older man who does construction work in the area. "Thank you very much! And you look well. What will you have?" "I've already ordered. It's just a pleasure to see you here, as always." He laughed. The usuals knew all the waitresses by name and would more often show up to chat instead of eat. The man greeted another waitress leaving Umeko to wait for another customer. The cafe was almost cleared out due to the appearance of the Samurai, but the foreigner remained. There he sat with his hands shoved into his pockets, quietly chatting with a young girl. Something about him seemed odd, and not just because he wasn't Japanese. The scars didn't cut it, either. Something about him just rubbed her the wrong way. His focus shifted and he ended up locking eyes with her. His pale, scared, smile gave her goosebumps- and not in a good way. She quickly looked away, feeling thoroughly creeped out. "I'm going out for some fresh air!" She hurried out the front door before someone could stop her.
Sounds echoed through the arcade from somewhere nearby. The Samurai were riled up and ready for anything. It seemed they might have caused some damage, as a couple of stands stood broken and torn. The few people left in the area seemed shaken. The group has passion, that's for certain. "But it's all worth it in the end..." Umeko muttered to herself. Perhaps there was a change riding on the cool breeze. The thought made her smile.
 ScribeEzra · Mon Sep 18, 2017 @ 07:47pm · 0 Comments |
