1
Prologue
Uninspired
Chrome Dokuro's hair shrouded her eye. She adorably snored. Her body laid in bed, under the comfy blankets. A glimmer of the rising sun pierced her window.
Her other eye opened. She stared out the window-wall across her. It was starting to be a peaceful morning. She yawned, stretching her petite body. She sat up, and lazily ran her hands through her hair. She glared at the wooden floor. She raised her eye back at the window.
She sighed.
Another day.
Another pointless day of uninspired work.
She got out of bed walking to her closet. She was only in a over sized white t-shirt and grey underwear. She slipped on her pajamas. She glanced out the window one more time. The sky across the horizon, it no longer inspired her. She sighed again, before closing her bedroom door and walking out. She didn't even glance at the canvas or her brush resting on the corner by the window. A weak wind snuck through a small opening of her window. It was gentle enough to drop her brush off the easel, and tap the floor.
Chrome did her usual morning routine. Get ready for work. Nothing special. Her tummy grumbled. Her kitchen was empty. She went another day without breakfast. The irony of her job. She stared at the mirror one last time to make sure her pineapple style was decent.
She held an empty gaze of a lifeless vessel. Bored. She left her apartment room. She walked directly from the hallway, down stairs, to her job. A café directly downstairs from her home. She barely made any money, from the failing business. Her paintings never turned a profit.
She was the typical starving artist. Craving inspiration from the world.
She draped on her apron walking behind the counter. Her boss, Kawahira, held a smile as they prepared for the day.
"Make sure to give all our customers an honest smile, Chrome. They can tell when your heart's not in it."
"Yes, Kawahira." She nodded, forcing a smile at him.
He knew it was a lie, but smiled back nonetheless. "I'm sure you'll find motivation to paint again. Frustration is just a part of life."
And that frustrated her even more. He already knew what was bothering her. "Um, Kawahira, haven't you ever wondered what's down there?" Chrome asked a question everyone eventually asks.
Kawahira's glasses shined with a glare. "I have. I'm sure everyone wants to find out, what the world below us, has to offer, but curiosity and greed walk a fine line next to eachother. I believe it is best to leave such dangers alone."
"Have your ever met one? I mean the brave pilots who venture below the sea of clouds to recover treasures from the Earth."
"...Yes, he was a great man. He came here many times before his last journey..." Kawahira readjusted his glasses, standing infront of the door to his store. He flipped the sign from closed to open. "What is all this about, Chrome?"
She bit her lip, she obviously hit a nerve. But she still wanted to voice her thoughts. "I want to paint, Kawahira. I want paint the truth of that world."
"And will that be your answer?"
She gasped back... "I hope so?"
"Hope is enough of an inspiration." He fixed a messy cloth on the table next to the front door. "Why not paint what you believe woud be down there?"
"You want me to paint a lie?"
He chuckled at her crinkled nose. "No, but perhaps an illusion."
"An illusion?"
The bell chimed as someone entered.
Kawahira instantly nudged Chrome to take care of the customer.
"Eh." She walked around the counter, trying not to display her social awkwardness.
The teen attempted to take a seat by the table infront of the only window. He pulled out the chair, but his bottom slipped off the edge and he fell. "Hiee!" He instantly blushed at his bumbling mess. The chair had flipped and landed on top of him.
Chrome took out her pen and notepad. She kept her smile plastered, but a sweatdrop grew. "Welcome to the Checkerface Café, would you like some of our famous coffee." She read like a script.
Kawahira kept a straight faced smile. Chrome was always disconnected from reality. She could at least offer to help the poor boy.
"Eh... Sure?" He nodded to the ceiling in defeat. The chair over his stomach. She didn't care about his slip up? He fixed himself and the chair. "Sorry." He readjusted the cloth on the table, that Kawahira had recently fixed.
"Don't worry. One cup of coffe. Anything else?"
He gasped back at her melancholic voice. He scratched his cheek, looking to the window. "Um, no coffe is fine."
She didn't bother to scribble his order. She tucked her note pad and pen. Her doodles absent since last month.
Kawahira chuckled, handing her the coffe pot over the counter. "Chrome, he's the only one here. Tend to him, don't avoid him."
"Eh." She whispered back. She forced a nod with her head. "Yes, Kawahira." She walked back to the young adult. He was staring off over the sea of clouds beneath them.
She poured the coffee in his mug and placed it on the table. She enjoyed the view with him. "Have you ever wondered...?" She mesmerized.
"Hmp, ah thank you." He stared off with her. He nodded his head with a shine in his eyes. "I've been down there. There's a lot to discover... It's dangerous, but beautiful." He mumbled taking a sip. He burned his tounge and stuck it out.
She ignored his failure. She was captivated by his words. "Really?" Tilting her head like an innocent doll.
He sucked in and blew cold air over his tounge. He shifted his eyes to her. She was curiously gazing at him. He gave an uneasy laugh before straightening his face. "Um, yea, I'm a pilot. I've-"
Chrome placed the coffee pot on the table. She scooted onto the chair across from him. She skidded in. She placed her elbows on the white tablecloth. She rested her cheeks on her hands. Her bangs swept over her eyepatch. A hauntingly quiet voice. An ever vanishing lullaby. "Please go on, eto..."
"Oh, um, I'm Sawada Tsunayoshi. It's nice to meet you." He took another sip of his hot beverage. He burned his throat this time. "Ow."
"Chrome Dokuro." She freed one hand, hiding her first giggle in weeks. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She rested her cheek back on her palm. Her enticing, parted, smile. "Tsunayoshi, please tell me more about the world below our sky."