The Sweet Shop Next Door
pass the broccollini
Author's Note: Just wanted to say 'thank you' to everyone who reviewed! Individual responses to specific comments are below.
Terris Moon- You're right. I do need more description for the girl. Included some in this chapter for you.
Dark Wolf- Thanks for the idea...(begins plotting chapter three...)
Kerichi - I tried to make her less obnoxious in this chapter. She seemed really rude in the first one, so I tried to include some background information/reasoning for her actions in this chapter. Hope you like it.
Chapter Two:
Count D was having trouble enjoying his favorite green tea. He had received the emperor-quality leaves as a gift from his father, but despite their excellent nature, they left a sour taste in his mouth. He could hear the noise from the store next door, which had been packed non-stop since its opening. It had rapidly gained devoted patrons, who waited outside before the store opened to rush in and purchase some of the delicious soy-milk chocolate éclairs, jam-filled heart cookies, succulent miniature candied fruit, perfectly flaky tea cakes...no. Count D stopped his daydreaming about the goodies next door. This was unreasonable. He could get his candy and tea cakes elsewhere. Just because the shop emitted delicious aromas that leaked into his store was no excuse for him to patron their rudeness.
The nerve of that girl! To accuse a kami of animal abuse and neglect was such a human thing to do. He had tried to be affable and courteous, but obviously, it meant a feud between the shops. Of course, maybe she had just been having a bad day or ill. She seemed like an animal lover, and friends who shared love for animals often shared friendship (and tea cakes). He could hear faint cries of joy ("Wow! This is amazing!" "I've never had anything this good in my life" "This green tea candy is great!") outside his shop's door.
He had been hanging around that detective too long. His temper was getting shorter. No, the polite thing to do would be to calmly enter the shop once more, appeal for friendship, and buy some delicious tarts.
Gracefully, Count D rose and sat his tea cup and saucer on the table, next to Q-Chan. The winged bat-bunny made a few squeals, incomprehensible to human ears, and then hovered in the air above the tea cup.
"You may come if you wish."
Q smiled and flew a few feet higher, perching on D's shoulder. D strode through his shop's entrance. There was no point in locking it. There had been no customers for three straight days, and any thieves that entered would be doing him a service. He hadn't fed the tiger today. Count D made a left turn, arriving at the entrance of the shop. The heavenly aroma of sugar exited the shop as a group of young customers left. A young girl, about four, bumped into D on the way out. She was too busy munching on one of the cookies her mom had bought for her.
"Oh, sorry, ma'am."
Count D smiled pleasantly. This happened all the time.
"It's alright."
The girl smiled and glanced up to meet D's eyes and saw the familiar face of Q-Chan.
"Oh! You work at that pet shop! I got my pet goldfish there!"
D remembered.
"It's nice to see you again, Clarissa. How is she?"
"She's great! Hey, do you want a cookie?"
What a wonderful child. He bent down to grab the offered cookie when it was wrenched from his grasp by the call of the girl's mother.
"Clarissa! Hurry!"
"Coming, Mom! Bye, ma'am!"
She ran off, both cookies in hand, leaving D as sugarless as he had been before. Q-Chan giggled at the frowning, thwarted D.
"Oh, be quiet."
He entered the shop. Three or four customers had their faces pressed against the glass of the counter, gaping at the delectable cakes beneath. After a few moments of awe, they left. The store was expected to close soon. D waited in line, and after the old man before him received his change (fourteen cents), it was his turn.
The lady he had met earlier was at the cash register. She wasn't what Detective Orcot would refer to as "drop-dead gorgeous" or "a hot babe". Her hair wasn't long and silky, but short, black, and frizzy. It was tied back in a bun. She seemed more real than the superficial women in advertisements and posters. There was a certain charm and appeal to being real that D couldn't place.
"Sorry, we're closing."
She looked up and met the gaze of Count D. A small smile crossed his face.
"Hello, again. I believe our last encounter was somewhat virulent, so I was hoping we could try again. Hello. I am D, of Count D's Pet Shop."
The girl squinted, as if peering into D's soul to determine whether or not he was being earnest. Before she could respond, a large lady of at least two hundred pounds exited the back room. She was humming an unrecognizable tune as she slid a freshly-baked tray of chocolate croissants into the display case. Count D looked like he was about to collapse in ecstasy.
"May I have three of those delicious-looking pastries?"
"I'm sorry. We're closed."
"Excuse me, miss. I was just hoping I could try one of your—"
Eliza was in her mid-twenties and had started helping her mother's old friend with the shop after graduating from cooking school. It had been difficult, since she had refused to handle, process, or cook any meat or fish. Her family hadn't raised her to be a vegetarian. She was one out of choice. Each cry of pain and sorrow that came from caged, abused animals struck a chord in her heart. She had heard about the animals this "D" character sold. Tigers, "dragons" (komodo dragons, an endangered species, most likely), turtle eggs, parrots, exotic lizards. It was all a front for the endangered animal market. Why else would so many customers be willing to enter such a dodgy-looking shop...and talk to a man in a dress?
"Listen, Mr. D. If you come within the normal hours of our shop, the law forces me to serve you. However, the shop closes at five pm. It's 5:03. Come back tomorrow."
Impudent human! What was her problem? He wanted some cookies and pastries and sweet tarts and fruit tarts and green tea candy, not a feud. But if it was war she wanted, it was war she would get.
He turned away from the counter abruptly.
"Fine."
Q-Chan fluttered down to the counter to inspect a fruit tart hidden behind the cashier. Apparently this human had a sweet-tooth as well.
"Q-Chan."
But the little bunny-bat did not respond to his master's call. Instead, he graciously accepted a rather large strawberry off Eliza's tart.
"Here you go, little guy."
Q-Chan gave a thankful twittering chirp and grasped the red fruit with both of his clawed hands. He struggled, but was able to fly back to D's shoulder with his heavy prize. D looked at Eliza with a hint of masked outrage. She was smirking.
"Being around animals is much better than being around people. Goodbye, Mr. D."
He paused to glance at her (tart), and then exited the shop, wordlessly. It was hard to believe that he and a girl like that were on the same wavelength. Animals were better to be around than people. The bell rang on his way out. Q- Chan was nibbling happily as they returned to his shop, as untouched as it had been.
Bree! Bree!
No, Q-Chan. She's not nice. She's an obnoxious human.
Bree! Bree!
And D pondered his plot against the sweet shop. He had tried friendship. He had tried civility. Now, forwar.
I know it has a similar ending as the last one, but I felt that D needed to try being polite again. Also, I'm trying not to make Eliza too obnoxious. Any tips? I tried to give some background to show that she has reasons behind her hostility. Anyway...liked it? Hated it? Review!