Tea+books=♥

[1artificialgirl]

Characters: Vanilla (1artificialgirl) and Justice (extantlaw)
Date/Time: October 20th around lunch time
Location: Bookstore
Rating: PG
Summary: Justice drops by the bookstore for some books and tea.

Comments

[extantlaw]

The bookstore had been easy to find, in the end - the sign outside neatly lettered with the name and the opening hours. He'd only been to the marketplace once before and did not remember seeing it then, although his mind had been on other things, and having a kitten thrown at him had been an added distraction.

Today however, was different. The seemingly endless drawers full of medical records had been insufficient to keep his attention from wandering, constantly checking his journal in the hope that there would be news of Truth. But there had been none, and eventually he had decided to take up Vanilla's offer of tea and pushed the files aside.

The outside of the store was clean and neat, orderly displays of books in the windows; the windows themselves sparkling in the sunlight. The door, however, was locked, and he frowned a little and hesitated before knocking, firmly but quietly, on one of the glass door panels.

[1artificialgirl]

Once there was a knock at the door, Vanilla placed the last book on the shelf. She blinked and strode over, reached for the handle, and then opened it. The girl gazed up at him calmly, with bright pink eyes.

"Justice I presume?" Her voice was calm and firm as she spoke. Vanilla wondered if she sounded a bit too old at times… Other people her age seemed to want to play, like Star. She really had to get the girl to come visit sometime.

[extantlaw]

He waited quietly, glancing up the street at the other shops and stalls and making a note to himself to investigate them all at some point. He particularly needed new clothes, the ones that he and Truth had acquired being only slightly less basic than the ones they had been given by the hatchery attendant.

The sound of the door opening pulled his attention back to the bookstore and for the briefest of moments he thought the door had opened of its own accord until she spoke, and he looked down at what seemed barely more than a child. There was a second more before he spoke, something about her demeanour that aged her beyond her years and tugged on his memory almost painfully until he met those strangely coloured eyes that watched him gravely. At the gaze, it vanished - melted as soon as he tried to fix on it, like so many others. He shook his head a little before inclining it in a formal nod, his manner as serious as hers.

"Yes indeed. And you must be Vanilla. It is a pleasure to meet you, finally."

[1artificialgirl]

Vanilla nodded. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well." She stepped aside so he could have room to walk in. "Come in. I am sure work was quite tiring." The girl wondered if he was worried about his friend... Of course, a little relaxation wouldn't hurt before running off to search. She smiled at him slightly, trying to be welcoming.

[extantlaw]

The bookstore itself seemed dim after the brightness and warmth of the street, despite the squares of light cast on the floor through the two front windows. he stepped inside, looking around with interest at the shelves lining the walls and the sofa and chairs arranged around a table in the centre

[1artificialgirl]

The store was in fact, just how Vanilla liked it, clean and yet it still held a sort of warmth. Vanilla noted that it looked like Justice was beginning to relax a bit. The girl caught that slight shadow and it made her slightly tense. Had something happened just now? She was unsure but decided to keep further questions to herself... For now.

"I have some employees. They are a nice and calm group of individuals." She nodded and smiled slightly again, some pride was there. Vanilla was in fact proud of the shop and how wonderful her employees were to work with. The customers seemed satisfied as well.

[extantlaw]

"Nice and calm?"

There was a note of surprised humour at her choice of words, and he took a few steps further inside until he was standing next to the bookshelves on the left hand side of the room.

"They also seem to be extraordinarily neat."

It was almost an unconscious action to run his fingertips lightly over the spines of the books and to bow his head slightly to skim the titles.

Artaud, Beckett, Chekhov, Ibsen, Moliere, Pinter, Shakespeare...

And his hand hesitated there for a moment.

Truth would like it here.It was a passing thought, and it had almost melted away before he caught it back again, a frown as he tried to recall what possible reason he had to think that - why it would even occur to him to connect the two things. But there was nothing save for that void that he was becoming accustomed to sensing whenever he attempted to stare too hard into his past. A void that tempted and repulsed, fascinated and terrified him at the same time; the stench of the elevator, of lavender and peppermint, warm coffee and the deep

[1artificialgirl]

"Loud and energetic people would be quite odd to have in a bookstore... I would think." Vanilla frowned slightly. "Besides, I don't want to have to baby sit my workers." That was the truth after all. If her workers always caused commotions she would have a lot of reprimanding to do. The set of workers she had now, they were quite pleasant to be around. "Yes, I appreciate that they keep it so clean."

The girl fell silent her gaze dropping to Justice's hand for a moment. It ran along the books and she smiled slightly. Artaud, Beckett, Chekhov, Ibsen, Moliere, Pinter, and Shakesphere. Without even reading the titles she knew what they were. Her memory never failed her. It was like a big story book because she could remember things so clearly. It was like a movie.

Her gaze had fallen to the lower shelf of books. Vanilla stood erect, almost comparable to a soldier. It was muscle memory for her to do so... If only she could remember why. There were so many empty spaces and so little memories gained. I don't think I am a demon. The

[extantlaw]

"That's a very good point."

He caught the frown as his eyes returned to her face, just for a moment - the seriousness deepening in her expression. His gaze flicked back to the books to try and discern what she was looking at but there was nothing save for a few empty spaces on a lower shelf. He raised an eyebrow in response, when he looked back at her, but the moment had passed, and he didn't comment on it.

Instead he smiled again, another appreciative glance around at the room before he followed her look to the table. And there was a mock bow in acknowledgement, although the smile remained.

"Yes, we should. I apologise for my lack of manners, but books are too tempting a distraction."

[1artificialgirl]

Vanilla smiled fully this time, it was warm and happy. "Yes, they are." She sat down on the two seat sofa and relaxed slightly. It was soft and felt good to rest on. "I hope you like green tea." She gestured for him to set his cup up first. She believed that it was the polite thing to do.

[extantlaw]

It was only a few steps to the low table and he took a seat in one of the chairs, settling back for a moment and stretching out cramped muscles. He had felt the tension building all morning as he pored over the files, losing himself in the work in an attempt to put aside the concerns about Truth. But the comfort of the bookstore and the scent of the tea relaxed him, although the worry still remained.

"If I were to be honest, I would have to admit that I do not remember if I like it or not. I did not recall for sure that I liked tea at all until Gungnir proved that to be the case.

However, it smells excellent."

He leaned forward after a moment to pour himself a cup of the hot, steaming liquid before gesturing to Vanilla's cup with the pot, his eyebrow raised in question.

[1artificialgirl]

Vanilla noted that he looked tired, like he hadn't been sleeping very much. The girl was a bit concerned and wondered if it had to do with Truth's disappearance. She felt that words wouldn't help much but it still would be nice to give him reassurance.

She quietly held her hand out to take the pot. For a moment she was quite thoughtful, trying to find the correct words. Even when Vanilla found what should be comforting she was still unsure. Even so, it was worth a shot. "Even if it may be worrisome... I'm sure Truth is okay." Vanilla gazed at him. Her words were firm although quiet and her eyes were filled with fire and determination. "I promise that we will find him." Vanilla refused to break this promise.

[extantlaw]

He let her take the handle, taking care to make sure she did not burn her hand on the pot, or that the tea did not drip onto her fingers. Then he picked up his own cup, sitting back in his chair and crossing his legs as he watched her talk, her stern gaze and the firmness of her voice brooking no argument

[1artificialgirl]

As Vanilla took the pot she nodded in thanks. She brought the pot over to her cup and tilted it forward, allowing the steaming liquid to fill it to the very brim. The girl set the pot down on the coffee table, looking thoughtful again. "You are welcome." People were never just what they appeared to be. At least, that is what Vanilla believed.

"I don't believe that you are nothing more than what you appear to be..." Vanilla frowned slightly. "Even when one appears to be something there will always be hidden things that make them another thing. At least, that is my opinion." She then smiled slightly.

"All I really want to do is protect people. Helping you find someone that you care about... Well, I think that is a good thing too." That was one thing Vanilla knew in her heart. She wanted to protect without losing herself in greed, hate, or anger. If she kept that in her heart at all times, Vanilla knew that she would be okay.

[extantlaw]

The tea was grassy, slightly sweet, and he sipped it appreciatively, wondering again if tea was something he has always had a taste for or whether it was something he had never tried before he arrived here. It irritated him that he did not know, that he might never know - that he did not even something as simple as his name or his age or where he lived before.

He listened to Vanilla quietly, considering her words and pushing away the ghosts of his nightmare that drifted around the edges of his consciousness constantly. Irrationally, he wondered if there were people here who could read his mind, even without the thought bubbles, and it made him suddenly uncomfortable, the smile somewhat perfunctory.

"Is that an opinion that you have come to while here, I wonder. Or one you held before? And does it apply to a place as well as to people?"

[1artificialgirl]

Vanilla took a sip of tea as well. She then brought the cup down, close to her lap. Those were questions that she had asked herself so many times. The answers were only partially there, in the fragments she had gained, and there was something there in her heart too. The rush she had felt to get everything back had dulled. It was the hurt of not knowing that haunted her. The girl's gaze dropped to the tea, the thoughtful look still there