Hey, another chapter. This is the not-so-romantic date with Ryou and Alice.
I'd like it if you'd read it though, since it reveals some important things
about Alice, as well as some amusing things and sad things about Ryou. Next
chapter is going tobe about Sakara and Yugi's date. Although, I haven't
decided what to do for them, yet. Oh, no major writers block here, but I'm
going to see a movie tonight and I'm a little excited! ^_^
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After ten minutes of peaceful walking, Ryou and Alice arrived at the Black Tea. It was lit with elegant paper lanterns that you'd only normally see during festivity. It was a rather small building, probably not very popular. Ryou had never been here before.
"Um, Alice, this place doesn't look very new..." She shook her head at the building.
"It isn't. I've had a lot of memories at this place." Alice entered the building without another word. A bit confused, the boy followed.
The Black Tea wasn't very elegant. The wallpaper was peeling and so was the fake tile, but Alice didn't seem to care.
They went over to a small, two-person table, and sat on the pillows that were provided. The pillows didn't look so neat either, Ryou had thought. The lights above their heads were flickering dangerously. The entire place seemed unwelcoming.
Pretty soon, a waitor came buy and brought them the menus. Ryou looked at his sheepishly. He was fascinated by the Japanese, he just didn't like their food. Alice, on the other hand, didn't even open hers. About five minutes later, the waitor returned. "May I take your order?"
"I'll have one plate of sushi and a glass of coffee. Ryou?" Ryou blushed a little with shame.
"I'd like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of orange juice, please..." The waitor looked a tiny bit offended, but recorded it anyway. Then they began speaking in English again.
"So, tell me about yourself." said Alice, smiling in a way most unlike her.
"Well...I moved here with my mom after she split up with my dad, back in Britain. I first came here as an exchange student a couple years ago. My mom is a very good mother, she raised me and taught me everything I knew."
"So your mother is in love with Japan, too?"
"Ah...I guess. It was her dream to become an exchange student in Japan, which is how I got to. She never did...But now she lives here, and is happier than ever. The only thing keeping her from her dream was dad..." he bit his lower lip. Alice blinked.
"Do you miss your father?" she asked softly.
"It's...hard to say..." Ryou was beginning to remember the haunting memories of his abusive father. Despirate to change the subject, he added, "Tell me something about you."
Alice opened her mouth as if ready to say something, but decided against it. She had something; a secret. She had almost considered telling the boy, when she realised the danger of the situation. "My sister and I are from Britain, as you know. We had a mother and a father. What more do you need to know?" He sighed.
"Come on, Alice. You can open up to me." Just now, the tension was even stronger, but she brushed it away.
"My mother and father are dead. Sakara and I live with my father's aunt, Clara. We've spent our summers in Japan ever since we were ten, but then they died. Killed in our very own home." Ryou's hand shot to his mouth.
"Oh! I'm sorry! I won't ask again. I just wanted to know about you." he replied slowly.
"It's fine. That part of my life is gone and dead. No sorrows." But the boy still wasn't convinced.
"It's my fault for bringing your past up. I'll pay." Alice laughed.
"Your being rediculous. My past may sound horrid, but it is not what it seems. I need no pity." Ryou stared at his hands. What did she mean, 'not horrid'? Then he thought about his own past, and shuddered. He never wanted to relive that again. Suddenly, he felt very sick and tired. But that was resolved when the food came.
"You're not eating much." stated the girl, pointing at his sandwich. He tried to smile.
"Neither are you." She looked at her plate.
"I guess you're correct." She switched her expression and grinned at him. "Sometimes, Sakara sleepwalks." Ryou stared at her with interest. "Once, she walked all the way out of the house and into the neighbor's yard. When we found her, she was sleeping in the swingset. She can be a little strange, but funny in a way."
"She sleepwalks? I hope nothing bad happens to her... My cat is on vacation right now." he added cheerily.
"Vacation? Please, explain." Ryou giggled in the cute way he does.
"There is a cat hotel where people can take their cats in Tokyo. It's full of toys, and they get a lot of food and treats. Every day, mom checks up on Mittens. She's supposed to come home in a week or so. Once she does, we are going to try to breed her."
"What kind of cat is she?" asked Alice.
"A Maine Coon. We are going to sell the kittens, but if mom lets me, I'll get to keep one!" he said hyperly.
"That's great! Well, are you ready to go?" Ryou finished of the last of his sandwich and nodded. Alice took out her wallet and pulled out some money.
"Oh, I'll pay." said Ryou kindly.
"My treat." replied Alice.
"But..." the other insisted.
"Don't waste your money, Ryou. Let's go." As they were leaving, Ryou thought, what does she mean?
They hailed a taxi and stopped close to Ryou's. When they made it to his house, she walked him up to the door.
"Thanks for the date, Ryou." she said happily. He smiled and chuckled.
"But you set the whole thing up, even paid." Closing her eyes, the female responded.
"Most people I know would never go on a date with me, though. Goodnight Ryou, and give your mum my regards." she turned and waved as she started away.
"Bye!" But the taxi's gone, how does she plan to get home? He puzzled on this thought until she turned the corner.
Alice arrived back at the Black Tea. "Damned place." she mumbled, before walking around to the back. Silently, she slipped in the door labelled 'Employees Only' and stared at the man she had almost ran into.
"What are you doing here?! Get out, this place is off limits!!" he screamed at her. She stuck her hand in her pocked and clutched its contents.
"I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave." she replied dully. His face reddened with anger.
"Get O-U-T!!" She sighed and shook her head as her hand left her pocket, and in one graceful sweep, slit the bothersome man's throat. He stumbled back, gasping, and collapsed on the door. She removed a small clocklike object from her other coat pocket and sat it down on the counter. She entered the time 05:00 and left the way she came.
After she left the building, she continued on in the blackness, toward the park.
After ten minutes of peaceful walking, Ryou and Alice arrived at the Black Tea. It was lit with elegant paper lanterns that you'd only normally see during festivity. It was a rather small building, probably not very popular. Ryou had never been here before.
"Um, Alice, this place doesn't look very new..." She shook her head at the building.
"It isn't. I've had a lot of memories at this place." Alice entered the building without another word. A bit confused, the boy followed.
The Black Tea wasn't very elegant. The wallpaper was peeling and so was the fake tile, but Alice didn't seem to care.
They went over to a small, two-person table, and sat on the pillows that were provided. The pillows didn't look so neat either, Ryou had thought. The lights above their heads were flickering dangerously. The entire place seemed unwelcoming.
Pretty soon, a waitor came buy and brought them the menus. Ryou looked at his sheepishly. He was fascinated by the Japanese, he just didn't like their food. Alice, on the other hand, didn't even open hers. About five minutes later, the waitor returned. "May I take your order?"
"I'll have one plate of sushi and a glass of coffee. Ryou?" Ryou blushed a little with shame.
"I'd like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of orange juice, please..." The waitor looked a tiny bit offended, but recorded it anyway. Then they began speaking in English again.
"So, tell me about yourself." said Alice, smiling in a way most unlike her.
"Well...I moved here with my mom after she split up with my dad, back in Britain. I first came here as an exchange student a couple years ago. My mom is a very good mother, she raised me and taught me everything I knew."
"So your mother is in love with Japan, too?"
"Ah...I guess. It was her dream to become an exchange student in Japan, which is how I got to. She never did...But now she lives here, and is happier than ever. The only thing keeping her from her dream was dad..." he bit his lower lip. Alice blinked.
"Do you miss your father?" she asked softly.
"It's...hard to say..." Ryou was beginning to remember the haunting memories of his abusive father. Despirate to change the subject, he added, "Tell me something about you."
Alice opened her mouth as if ready to say something, but decided against it. She had something; a secret. She had almost considered telling the boy, when she realised the danger of the situation. "My sister and I are from Britain, as you know. We had a mother and a father. What more do you need to know?" He sighed.
"Come on, Alice. You can open up to me." Just now, the tension was even stronger, but she brushed it away.
"My mother and father are dead. Sakara and I live with my father's aunt, Clara. We've spent our summers in Japan ever since we were ten, but then they died. Killed in our very own home." Ryou's hand shot to his mouth.
"Oh! I'm sorry! I won't ask again. I just wanted to know about you." he replied slowly.
"It's fine. That part of my life is gone and dead. No sorrows." But the boy still wasn't convinced.
"It's my fault for bringing your past up. I'll pay." Alice laughed.
"Your being rediculous. My past may sound horrid, but it is not what it seems. I need no pity." Ryou stared at his hands. What did she mean, 'not horrid'? Then he thought about his own past, and shuddered. He never wanted to relive that again. Suddenly, he felt very sick and tired. But that was resolved when the food came.
"You're not eating much." stated the girl, pointing at his sandwich. He tried to smile.
"Neither are you." She looked at her plate.
"I guess you're correct." She switched her expression and grinned at him. "Sometimes, Sakara sleepwalks." Ryou stared at her with interest. "Once, she walked all the way out of the house and into the neighbor's yard. When we found her, she was sleeping in the swingset. She can be a little strange, but funny in a way."
"She sleepwalks? I hope nothing bad happens to her... My cat is on vacation right now." he added cheerily.
"Vacation? Please, explain." Ryou giggled in the cute way he does.
"There is a cat hotel where people can take their cats in Tokyo. It's full of toys, and they get a lot of food and treats. Every day, mom checks up on Mittens. She's supposed to come home in a week or so. Once she does, we are going to try to breed her."
"What kind of cat is she?" asked Alice.
"A Maine Coon. We are going to sell the kittens, but if mom lets me, I'll get to keep one!" he said hyperly.
"That's great! Well, are you ready to go?" Ryou finished of the last of his sandwich and nodded. Alice took out her wallet and pulled out some money.
"Oh, I'll pay." said Ryou kindly.
"My treat." replied Alice.
"But..." the other insisted.
"Don't waste your money, Ryou. Let's go." As they were leaving, Ryou thought, what does she mean?
They hailed a taxi and stopped close to Ryou's. When they made it to his house, she walked him up to the door.
"Thanks for the date, Ryou." she said happily. He smiled and chuckled.
"But you set the whole thing up, even paid." Closing her eyes, the female responded.
"Most people I know would never go on a date with me, though. Goodnight Ryou, and give your mum my regards." she turned and waved as she started away.
"Bye!" But the taxi's gone, how does she plan to get home? He puzzled on this thought until she turned the corner.
Alice arrived back at the Black Tea. "Damned place." she mumbled, before walking around to the back. Silently, she slipped in the door labelled 'Employees Only' and stared at the man she had almost ran into.
"What are you doing here?! Get out, this place is off limits!!" he screamed at her. She stuck her hand in her pocked and clutched its contents.
"I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave." she replied dully. His face reddened with anger.
"Get O-U-T!!" She sighed and shook her head as her hand left her pocket, and in one graceful sweep, slit the bothersome man's throat. He stumbled back, gasping, and collapsed on the door. She removed a small clocklike object from her other coat pocket and sat it down on the counter. She entered the time 05:00 and left the way she came.
After she left the building, she continued on in the blackness, toward the park.
