It was chilly when Nico stepped outside The Knights of Vapor Vape Shop. She sighed. Why was her boss so damn weird? What the hell did being "strong with the juice" even mean? Her breath was a ghost in the October air. Akihabara was surprisingly quiet for a Saturday evening. A cool breeze grasped her pigtails, pulling on her skirt, scattering leaves into the street. Nico looked to the sky to see a hazy moon's glow, and the striking silhouette of The Redhead, gazing up at the night sky. Somehow she was standing on the telephone wire, as if she were an angel.
Just go home, Nico. Make dinner, watch A-RISE videos, drink yourself to sleep. "Hey princess, you're looking very nico-nii'd tonight."
The Redhead turned to face her. In the glow of the moonlight she seemed ethereal, the way the pale blue light caught on the rim of her fedora. A dapper angel. An angle, even. Purple- were they really purple?- eyes flashed, a clenched jaw, sudden puffs of Honey Suckle My Cukes (Nico Nii mix) into the night- "What do you want?"
"Just saying hi, damn." Nico yawned. "Did you win your yugi-oh tournament?"
"Of course."
"Do you have a Dark Magician Girl?"
A sudden descent from the clouds of vaping. The girl's heels clacked to the ground, her hair and clothes still immaculate- (navy frilled dress, beige cardigan… jacket… thing…)- fedora unruffled. The Redhead was staring deep into her eyes now. Nico squinted, was that red eyeliner? It was hard to tell in the darkness.
"There has been an awakening, Nico Yazawa. Have you felt it?"
"Uh, what?"
"The dark side, and the light. Where will you fall?"
"I mean, I want your dark magician girl, but…"
"Do not take this lightly." The Redhead disappeared into the darkness. Her voice remained an echo in the street. "The juices will show all."
Redhead was smoking something Nico had not stamped with her pink Nico-seal. Fucking. Hell. She was going to need a strong drink when she got home.
"I have felt it too."
Nico jumped, and tripped. She landed in a trashcan. From within the trashcan next to her, a familiar, somewhat pouty voice continued-
"There have been changes in Akihabara. I can feel it. The pull to the other side."
"Matt, dude, why are you in a trashcan."
Matt the vape shop technician rose from the garbage can, filth dripping off his too-large black sweater and black scarf. The lid remained on his head, like a crown. Lord of the trash. Spaghetti poured out of his pockets. A Wendy's wrapper clung to his cheek. "Nico, you need a teacher. I can show you the ways of the juice."
Nico's eyes started twitching. "What the HELL is the juice stuff you keep talking about? Why does the fedora princess stand on telephone wires? Why are you in a trash can? It's eleven, can I just. Go home? Please? Nico-Nii needs her sleep."
"Your training starts tomorrow. Six AM."
"I'm going to go work at a maid café. Fuck this."
"I'm giving you a dollar raise."
"…fine."
The morning's overcast sky looked ominous to Nico. Or maybe it was just the way the energy drink was settling in her poor hungover stomach. Drops of rain fell sporadically on her as she stumbled into the alley where The Knights of Vapor Vape Shop was located. With wearines in her heart, she opened the door.
Matt was wearing dark robes. Not a bathroom, not a trenchcoat- no, this was a straight-up-stolen-from-a-Halloween-Shop black robe to summon demons with. It made him look even paler, if that were possible. (Not that Nico could talk.)
Nico tried to diplomatic approach. "Are you ready to have a nico-nico morning?"
Her boss held out a hand to silence her- or was he? He held up a vape pen. It was black, cross-shaped contraption. Matt pointed to it. "Watch."
Matt inhaled. His pasty face looked as though he was doing something sacred. Profound. Nico waited. As he exhaled, a red smoke shot out the pen in a cross shape.
"I woke up at five thirty in the morning for a religious-themed vape pen."
"Look closer."
It was… really red smoke. Some kind of fancy light inside it? It did not disappear into the air, but rather stayed in the same shape. Matt picked up the pen as if wielding a sword.
"Neat."
He threw the vape pen at the register, sending sparks flying and chunks of plastic and metal everywhere.
"Woah woah what the actual fuck dude! What did you just do? What is going on?" A burning smell came off the counter. Nico wrinkled her nose. "I'm not paying for that!"
With a steady hand, her boss looked like he was concentrating really hard, or maybe about to cry, Nico couldn't tell. The remains of the register lifted in the air, floating to roughly the same spot it was supposed to be. They did not fit in place, and crumbled to the floor.
"Uh." This was not nico nico going well.
"I'll fix it later."
"So… what was the point of all of that?"
"Has anyone ever told you the ways of the juice?"
"no…"
"Juice is everything. It is in the air. It is what binds all of us together, in one sticky sweet mess of clouds. It surrounds and penetrations us in nicotine. It is the balance of the world, the wheels of the universe that spin. It is what gives us our power."
"Uh."
"You have it, Nico Yazawa. Your mother has it. I have it."
"My mom vapes?"
Matt looked at her, his bespectacled gaze not quite piercing her, but at least making her vaguely uncomfortable. "Yes."
Her first task was to learn to wield her vape pen. Matt had an extra in the back, but someday she would have to build her own. Nico asked why this was necessary, and why he was willing to spend an extra dollar an hour to teach her the ways of the juices.
"You will see soon. Plots within plots."
Nico had never held a weapon before, of course. Her vape pen was pink, with pink lighting. Who was this originally for? She held it gingerly, as if any wrong movement would send vape smoke flying. (Not that it mattered, the whole store smelled like vape juice.)
It was in the afternoon that she noticed a new store go up across the alley. Mark's Smokes. A moving van pulled in with endless packages that streamed into the store. Nico did not think much of this. There had to be at least three maid cafes in their general vicinity. Matt, however, looked stormy as the people moved in and out.
"Why… why does it call to me…"
"Someone on the phone, boss?"
"Nico… you're… you're too young to understand… the call to the light…"
"You nico-nico need some coffee, boss." She squinted out the window. Wasn't that…?
The Redhead stood next to an older bearded man and another woman- brown hair, tan- carrying a package into the store. The two unfamiliar people stood smoking. Nico groaned. It looked like she'd be seeing even more of her fedora princess.
