Creature Feature Deki Café
La bonne
She arrived two minutes before her appointed time, standing outside the closed shop just like yesterday. Now that no one was around, she managed to take a real good look at the place. The front walls were a mixture of lavender and silver, with glittering black animals decorating it. In a wacky, gothic style writing, the café's name hung above the entrance. The multicolored light bulbs were seizure inducing. A neatly written closed sign was displayed on the glass doorway, but she could see some movement inside.
Sakura knocked tentatively at the door, hoping to catch someone's attention. When that didn't work, she tried knocking harder again, but to no avail. An aggravated sigh escaped her lips and soon she was pounding on the door when suddenly they slid open and she fell flat on her face.
A brunette Deki-Maid with white mouse ears jutting out from her head, accompanied by a slightly curled tail coming out the back, stopped walking and lowered her head to the floor. She smiled at the pink haired girl and knelt down beside her, gently patting her head.
"Miss, we are not open yet, please return in two hours when we are fully prepared for service."
Said woman quickly jumped up and dusted off her pants before turning to the Deki-Maid, "Actually, I was told to come at this hour by Phantom. She said we were going to be doing some training before I start working."
"Oh! I apologize for my rude behavior, I did not know. Please, come right in and wait at the receptionist desk for further instructions." She bowed politely before standing back to her full height, a staggering 5'9, and continued walking back to the kitchen.
She didn't miss the ears or tail, and wondered if all the workers were required to wear such silly things. But, if it was what people wanted then she would be willing to put on anything to get paid. Plus, she was curious what her outfit would look like too. Hopefully it'll be as cute as what some of these other women were wearing. As she walked to her designated area, she caught sight of Bou talking with another girl who was around the same height. She had light gold hair and steel blue eyes. But instead of the usual ears sticking out, she had a set of ram horns on the side of her head, and a fluffy stub at the back. All topped off with a green maid dress.
"Its puppy-chan!" A familiar voice cried out. "Good morning!"
That girly, high pitched sound was quite unforgettable.
Phantom sat on top of the stair rails and slid all the way down before landing gracefully on her feet. She skipped to Sakura's side and looked her up and down. The 5'2 woman-child smiled wildly before beckoning her to follow. Today her outfit consisted of an extra large grey sweater, extremely short shorts, and purple cowboy boots. Sakura was really skeptical in believing that this fashion victim had any help in designing those gorgeous maid outfits.
"So Sakura, what are you wearing today?"
"A pink tank top, dark blue jeans, and converse sneakers."
"Very good, I see we are beginning to learn a few things aren't we?"
"Yes, I've taken your words into deep consideration."
"Really? I like your dedication, that's why I'm appointing you as the official Golden Retriever Deki-Maid!" The red head kicked open a bright orange door and they entered what appeared to be a large dressing room.
Beyond the glass wall, she could see a dance studio like area with a few maids inside. Women with flaming red hair was directing the girls to move with her backs straight and heads wear they all went for training and practice. She wondered if she'd have to go through this one day. A rough push landed her into a black chair facing a wall of mirrors. On the desk were neatly organized rows of professional looking makeup and priceless jewelry. Beautiful hair trinkets and sparkling accessories sat waiting on stacked shelves, ready to be picked and worn. It seemed this place went all out when came to the girls.
"Miss Phantom, I never really got a chance to properly thank you for accepting me into your business."
"Whoa, you sounded very professional for a second there. Scary. But you are welcome. It's not every day we discover a hidden beauty like you, so we are very honored to have you here." Phantom stood on a mini ladder and shuffled throws the throngs and piles of cloths, searching for the right outfit, "Hey, what's your favorite color?"
"Green."
"Oh really? Well I'm going to make you wear black. And red! Here!" She grabbed two sealed outfits from the hangers and walked over to the seated woman. Laying them gently on the floor, she opened up the first bag.
It was a velvet red corset top, with an intricate lace design that complemented the curves of a woman's body very well. Yellow diamonds were fashioned under the breast cups and gleamed under the dressing room light. But what really caught Sakura's attention and made her eyes widen was the platinum gemstone that sat right between where her boobs would be. Not only did it look really expensive, but also scandalous. It was quite obvious where the male's attention was supposed to be
"Y-you don't really expect me to wear this do you?"
"Of course I do silly! Why else would I have picked it out?"
Sakura looked as if someone had kicked her dog, "But look at it!"
"I am."
"It-I-But-You-"
"Come on, what's the big deal? Any woman would be proud to wear this thing. It shows off your womanly curves and makes you look dead sexy." The woman crossed her arms with a pout on her face.
Sakura's cheeks flushed a shade of red deeper than the corset and Phantom giggled.
"Are you a virgin?"
"Wha-Phantom!"
She burst out laughing, "You are! That's so cute! A virgin maid wearing the hottest outfit in the café, that's just genius!"
"Please, you're embarrassing me." Sakura felt like crawling into a hole and die there.
So she happened to be a virgin, big deal. A lot of women her age were…sort of. Honestly, she hadn't had a date in years. The last boyfriend she had was in freshmen year and they broke up four months after going out. The worst part was that she had the dumbest excuse for that; work. She was a workaholic, a working machine that didn't stop until the job was done. All her life she'd been utterly consumed in being the best and making everything perfect. She was a bit too anal for anyone to handel, and so she kept her distance from everyone. There were only a few people in her life she could truly call friends. And even they weren't as pathetic as she. In fact, two of them weren't even virgins anymore, and another one was a serial playgirl. She was just a bookworm who did not do anything bad. Ever. Which she secretly regretted.
"So if I told you I had very rough sex with my husband last night, would it bother you?"
Sakura felt her face heat up, "Yes it would!"
"And that he has a biting fetish, especially with my inner thighs?"
"I-I think that's enough!"
"You wanna see the bite marks? They haven't left yet, and they kind of sting-"
"So what's in the second bag?" Quickly changing the subject before her face melted off.
Phantom giggled like a young school girl and unzipped the second bag.
She pulled out a midnight black skirt which looked like it could barely cover any skin! People were defiantly going to be seeing her creamy skinned thighs. While the top layer was a thick silk material, the second was a white lace, and the last part was black frill. A diamond key chain, consisting of a handbag, glasses, and stilettos, dangled from the side. If her face could get any darker, it just did.
"Don't be shy; have you seen what the other girls are wearing?"
"Yes! Those look like actual maid outfits, and they cover more skin that these clothing do!"
"Well clearly you haven't met all the girls yet. Don't worry; compared to what some of the other ones wear, you'll look like a saint. Anyways, I want you to try these on while I look for a maid dress for you. You wear the stationary ones in the mornings during breakfast and brunch hour. The corset and the skirt are your primary work clothing, you wear those during late afternoons, evenings, and night shifts. So try these one and we'll see how you fit in them!"
Sakura watched the overly bubbly girl bounce up and down as she disappeared into a rack of clothes. A slight whimper escaped her lips as her eyes turned back to her working suit. She reminded herself why she was doing this, how much she was getting paid, and that this place wasn't a playboy mansion. She was assured that no maid was ever touched unless permission was given, and that strict rules applied to everyone who walked in and out of the café. Safety was top priority and security was of the highest level. Which meant that no psycho prevent was going to hump her dry while she was working and get away with it, unless he wanted a severe whoop ass beat down.
Remember, you promised yourself you were going to change and burst out of your protective bubble. Breathe in and out; you have to be open to options.
She bit her bottom lip and proceeded to strip herself of her clothing and put on the new ones. Phantom returned with a standard (in their eyes at least, what Sakura saw was a sorry excuse for a way show some more skin) maid dress and stopped in her tracts. A coy smile formed on her face. Standing before her was an innocent looking Sakura, dressed in a not-so-innocent outfit. The corset was short enough to show a modest amount of her clearly defined abs, while the skirt stopped right in the middle of her thighs.
"Keep up the naïve, virginal school girl act Sakura, that'll defiantly gain you a lot of attention."
"But…I don't want to be receiving the wrong kind of attention." She said almost childlike.
"What other kind is there? Anyways, I've got the dress here, you keep it in your locker, which I will be assigning you later today. Oh, and before I forget," She put the bag down and rushed over to her purse and quickly pulled out something, "Your doggy ears and tail! Put them on! I want to see what you look like altogether!"
Sakura grabbed said items and did what she was told. While she stood in the middle of the room, looking a bit disturbed, Phantom grinned from ear to ear.
"I think you might just be one of our greatest attractions yet. Hm, where are those gloves and booties?"
Just as she sat down and grabbed a cloth to cover herself, Phantom called out from underneath a pile of shirts and jackets.
"After this I'm handing you over to Bou for some training!"
"And that concludes our lesson for the day." Bou smiled brightly over at a panting Sakura, who was leaning against a rail for support.
"I didn't know…how heavy…dishes and cups could be!" She said in between breaths.
"Well, when they do pile up, it can be quiet difficult to carry."
"Yeah, but how do you do it so flawlessly?"
"I was programmed that way."
Sakura looked at the woman oddly before shaking it off and turned her body forward. She had just gone through etiquette lessons on behaviorism, conversation, looks, intellect, charm, and obedience. She was trained to be a follower not a leader, listening carefully to what the costumer had to say and follow it through until the end. This wasn't something out of the ordinary for her, but when grace and femininity were thrown in, then everything went off balance. Who knew it would be such a hassle just to pour tea and serve cookies? Not that tea and cookies were the only thing they would be handing out; full out meals were to be served with the upmost perfection. Apparently, this little shop She wondered if she'd have to go through this one day. did not like mistakes.
"Hey Bou, how many other girls are there?"
"All in all there are a total of twenty-five original girls, not including you. There are also five butlers who work part-time."
She nodded, "And how long have you been working here?"
"I have been employed to this company for over twenty years; however, Creature Feature Deki Café is a traveling business and is only rooted to a certain spot for a temporary time before they transfer to a different location."
"Oh, so you mean this place won't stay here forever?"
"I'm afraid not, our masters prefer not to linger in one location for too long."
Sakura quirked an eyebrow, "Why do you call them 'masters'? You've been saying that the entire time."
"Why, because they are our masters. The rulers and creators. They are the ones who built this place and the ones who move it. We are but humble servants working under their superior command."
Whoa.
She looked at Bou for a second before awkwardly smiling. There was nothing she could say without sounding condescending or rude. The air was so thick she could easily cut it with a butter knife. She slightly inched away from the abnormal maid and grabbed her bag.
"Bou, I have one more question."
"Certainly."
"Um, I know this is going to sound weird but…how are your animals chosen?"
"Animals?"
"You know, you're a sheep and I'm a dog, and that girl you were talking with earlier was a ram. How is all that decided?"
"Oh, I understand what you mean. Our animals are decided through extensive survey and analysis. They are based off of our beliefs and characteristics. I was chosen as a lamb because of my soft and kind personality. I am assuming you were chosen as a dog because of your loyalty and determination. A very high rank if I may add."
Sakura smiled lightly, "Well, thanks Bou, that's all I wanted to know."
"You are welcome Haruno-san, if you have any further questions; please feel free to ask me."
"Yeah, I will." And with that being said, she made a mad dash to the door, however Bou stopped her before she could even turn the doorknob.
"And before you leave, I must inform you that your first shift begins tonight at dinner, six pm sharp. Please try not to be late and please wear your assigned uniform."
She could almost feel her stomach drop, "T-tonight? I start working tonight?"
"Yes, if you like you may come an hour early and I will gladly do your hair and makeup for you."
Her left eye slightly twitched, "T-thanks, I think I'll take offer."
"Perfect, please meet me in the dressing room at five p.m and I will have your station set up for you." Bou bowed before leaving a stunned Sakura to gap at herself.
As Phantom had clearly stated earlier, Dinner time was also called Rush Hour. Why? Because that was the busiest time. Men and women get out of work hungry and they are tired, they want nothing other than to eat and have a good time. That was where the café came in, it was not only voted as Harajuku's most popular joint of the year, but also the most favored place to be at after a long day's work by the general population of Tokyo. Basically, Sakura had a lot to live up to. There were high expectations and screw ups were forbidden. If anything happened that would shine a negative light on the famous café, her pretty little head was on the chopping block.
"Okay, calm down, breathe Sakura, its only dinner. You're only serving dinner and striking up small conversation with some people. Not to mention charming their asses off."
She wasn't much of a flirt, so when Bou was teaching her how to seduce both men and women, her face burned hotter than the sun and every part of her body felt like jello. She had to giggle a certain way, talk in a demure manner, make sure there was a gleam in her eye, and be a little mischievous. A loud groan escaped her lips. She was going to fail horribly. She had no sex appeal in her whatsoever, the most she could do was act virginal and she did that without even trying. Maybe if she spent less time being a super brainiac and a little more time being a girl then maybe she wouldn't be having these problems.
Turning towards the mirrors, she looked herself up and down and sighed. Even if she was wearing the most gorgeous outfit she had ever seen, it still did little to improve her low self esteem. Her confidence level was feeble, socializing and being that girl everyone wanted to talk to were not her strong points. Despite having a loud mouth best friend like Yamanaka Ino, she still had problems being open. Hell, even people in the hospital over looked her sometimes. She was either too brash and frightening or quite and reclusive. It was a wonder any of the patients liked her. At least the children were fond of her. . . but that's probably because they liked playing with her wide forehead.
"There you are!"
Sakura jumped and spun around, Phantom 's head was hanging through the door and smiling at her.
"How'd the lesson go?"
"I could use a little work, but I think I'm getting at it." Lies, all lies!
"Sweet, well just to let you know, we start dinner preparations soon, come out when you're ready so we can show you where to lead the guests to their seats and how to properly take orders."
"Alright, be there in a minute."
The red head nodded and backed up to leave, but not before adding in, "Oh and, one of our most honored clients is coming tonight. You may have heard of him, that millionaire tycoon in the ramen industry, Uzumaki Naruto. Yeah, you're going to be serving and catering to him, so good luck!" She slammed the door shut behind her.
Oh yeah, the someone up there must really did have it out for her.
Maybe it won't be so bad, I mean I am only going to be serving him food…and talking to him…and shamelessly flirting with him. Oh man, what did I get myself into? Just think of the money! Just think of the money!
Forty eight dollars and fifty cents had better be worth it.
Fin
Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween! I sure did, two haunted houses while trick or treating in one night! Gosh I screamed very loud. What's the point of having a boyfriend when they can't even protect you? Mine ran away when some guy in a grim reaper costume started chasing me! I was an ice faerie, dead sexy HAHA.
HMMMM this place seems shady, don't you think?
Next chapter, you all get to meet Naruto and see Sakura's interactions with him WHEEEEE
R & R thanks.