About 16 years have gone by since prisoners were freed from their bondage. At first, adjusting to this new life was very hard for the freed civilians, but Loner Tribe was simple and relatively peaceful; recovery was a process, but their improved living conditions were a form of positive aid in recovery. Reiji currently works full time as a maid in a cafe, alongside a couple of coworkers who also came from the same prison, although only a few are called by name.
Reiji's days were typically like this...
- ML
Chapter 1: Better Days
A black sun crept over the red, sandy horizon of the world. The sky was blood red and misty gray clouds surrounded the black sun, threatening to cover it in its gloomy depths. Demons moved through the dirt roads of a quiet village, going to the local markets, visiting laundromats, walking animal companions, going to work, on missions outside the village, or doing whatever it was that civilians tended to every morning. The village was surrounded by a dark, desolate forest inside of a massive barrier bordering the outside of the dense wood, which kept the dangerous beasts, monsters, sand storms, and other common threats outside. The Underworld was a place home to their monsters and beasts, but the civilians, also known as civilians, were threatened by the more unruly, aggressive creatures.
Nothing major ever occured in this village. Some would even say the Loner Village was much like a sleepy town.
A small girl, Mikayla, sat with her four-horned mother at a maid cafe, enjoying a miniature whole cake decorated with a chocolate figure and white frosting. Mikayla was a fast eater, quite different from her mother.
"Mum, I want Reiji to give me another one!" the little demon exclaimed enthusiastically. "Mikalya, stop yelling," mum scolded her daughter as she wiped her mouth clean with a wet wipe.
"Raiji, more beer!" another demon, wavy brown hair and dark blue, scaly skin, demanded.
"I'll be right there!" Reiji called as she came out of the kitchen. The dark-skinned demon loved the color blue; she wore a blue uniform with a white apron, ruffled at the edges. Her puff sleeves were new and held no loose threads or food stains from work. She also wore black tube socks with black two-inch heels. Her dark green hair was partially tied in a bun, curls trailing neatly down to her butt. Her side bangs truly brought out her long ears and bright golden eyes. She smiled cheerfully as she served her tables. Luckily, having trained herself to use Hair Magic- or curse, for demons-she had multiple extra arms to assist.
Reiji set a small purple carrot cake before Mikalya. Jovial with the second serving, the little demon dug in. Mum thanks Reiji just before she went to serve the scaly demon another beer.
The sound of an opening door chimed a golden bell. "Welcome to Mina's Cafe," Raiji politely greeted the new customers. A boy, Natsui, messy pink hair and shy green eyes entered, followed in by a taller male, white hair in a loose hair tie, dressed mostly in black. The male was accompanied by who Reiji assumed was the taller male's girlfriend; she had a black bob cut with natural blue highlights and the palest shade of brown eyes that Raiji had ever seen. Her eyes were quite beautiful as her entire form.
Cani, the scaly brown haired demon, took a gulp of her beer, then scowled. "Reiji, this is warm! Get me another!" the customer demanded. Another maid sat the customers down at a window table as Reiji went to tend to her dissatisfied customer.
"And could you add some ice to that please?" she asked politely. She beamed as Reiji took the glass.
"My apologies, Mis Cani," Reiji said as she gave a bow. "I will refill this with ice right away."Her eyes changed back to the original brown and she gritted her teeth and glared like Aquarius.
Natsui looked as Reiji disappeared inside the kitchen, hardly a clue of sudden the change of atmosphere yet to come. His tanned cheeks turned pink as he realized Reiji was there. "Kojou, did you know Reiji was here?" he asked the white haired demon, flustered as he hid behind his menu.
"Oh, her? I didn't know that bosom freak worked here,"Kojou replied flatly. Reiji, as she served the iced beer, sighed as she overheard those stinging words. Even after all these years, some demons still looked at her body, too big in the worst places, with disgust.
Reiji smiled at Natsui, waving to her kind acquaintance. Natsui's face turned red as he attempted to hide under the table. Kojou's girlfriend kicked his calf, forcing him to behave. Reiji chuckled, then went to clean a table as their actual server, Lunalu, came through with their drinks. "Three matcha green teas with light sweetener and heavy ice," the maid described as she set the drinks on cute, pink coasters. Her dress was a bit shorter than Reiji's. It was mid-thigh, frilly, and revealed just a tad bit of cleavage, but it was still a decent fit for an older teenager. Her jet black hair was twisted into three braids which were combined into one on her shoulder. Reiji pushed her glasses up as she attempted to listen to their small talk. Eventually, Lunalu took off with an order.
But before she could take even a few steps, she tripped, falling against Reiji's chest at just the worst moment. Reiji yelped in surprise as Lunalu slumped from shock, then scrambled to regain herself. "I, I as so sorry!" the teenage demon stammered as she brushed the dark-skinned demon's shoulders and puff sleeves.
The bob cut girl, Renee, burst with laughter at the awkward display. Kojou also snickered. Natsui was not humored. Lunala ducked out of the scene, fleeing to the kitchen. Reiji stepped to the table, frowning.
"I saw your foot, ma'am, that was very rude," Reiji scolded the brown eyed beauty, who rolled her eyes in response.
"It's not my fault that bambi didn't watch her step. Maybe you should mind your business," Renee smirked. Reiji opened her mouth to speak, then briskly walked away. Some demons certainly do take advantage of another's kindness for personal entertainment; it was not Reiji's job to lecture every asshole.
"Lunalu," the dark-skinned demon began as she stood with her at the front counter. "Why didn't you stand up to her?"
"I was embarrassed. No one immediately recovers from diving straight into someone's twin peaks," she pouted meekly. Reiji self-consciously and defensively crossed her arms over her chest. "Next time, tell them to leave you alone, okay? You didn't deserve that," Reiji consoled her quietly. Once Lunalu fired the order to the kitchen, she hugged Reiji for a moment, then went off, to help in the back.
"You two are so cute!" someone beamed, catching Reiji off-guard. Her manager and founder of the cafe, Mina, had snuck up behind her. The short, chubby demon took Reiji's hands in her webbed grasp, smiling brightly as her gold eyes glowed with the usual excitement. "M-Mina, please stop surprising me with your invisibility pop-up, it startles me," Reiji complained. Mina laughed. "Oh, you! I only came to tell you something," she assured her maid. "I am planning a trip to the next town over to be a temporary manager at another restaurant business," Mina explained. Lunalu's mouth gaped in shock. She rushed to the duo. "You're leaving? That can't be!" Lunalu cried. "Who is taking your place?"
"Well, Reiji, I've trusted you since your first day and you are very skilled even without your hair. I want you to take my place as manager for the time being," Mina replied. Lunalu stared at Reiji in surprise. The demon couldn't believe her ears. Me, a boss? That is impossible! Raiji became really worried that Mina was making a grave mistake.
"Are you sure, Mina? I could mess up without your guidance," she doubted herself. Mina grinned, squeezing her hands a little. "'Of course I'm sure, dear! I trust you too much to give this position to just anyone. Besides-" she paused, lowering her voice. "Your positive presence and utmost beauty attracts many customers." Raiji flushed red at her boss's quiet compliment."That is so kind of you," Reiji whispered, nearly brought to tears. The Dinvisifro demon ("invisible" demon) laughed as she released Reiji's sweating hands, then gave her a pair of identical keys on a key ring decorated with an antique key chain.
"Take care of this like it's your little child," the boss advised her. Accepting the keys, Reiji forced a smile, which dropped as Mina walked away. I don't think I can handle this, she thought.
Then Raiji whipped up a customer service smile. upon hearing a bell; the notorious three's order was up: one chocolate mint sundae with extra sliced strawberries, a purple short cake with sprinkles, and an medium onion steak soup with extra green onions. Lunalu took them out at once with a tray, smiling brightly. Reiji watched as the young demon set each plate and bowl on their table, then probably asked if they needed anything else. Then, she walked away to return the tray to the kitchen. Natsui glanced at the observing Reiji, then smiled sheepishly as he averted his shy gaze.
"RAIJI!" The the dark skinned demon jumped in surprise, looking towards the source of the shouting as she fixed her glasses straight. Three battered demons rushed through the Café entrance, although one trailed behind because of his blindness, and a tall red head fell on the floor. If embarrassment could kill, Reiji imagined she would have died on the spot.
The two eldest men were a few inches apart in height and had cuts and bruises all over their arms torsos, legs, and backs. They laughed at something, but Reiji did not know. Ryouichi had wolf ears and a wagging, bushy tail. He was a Beast Soul, one of many uncommon Demon races. Shugo, unlike any demon, Reiji had ever met, was a Magic user, a self-taught Jade Dragon Slayer. The tall (still shorter than Reiji) ginger, Ushizumo, wore a bright colored dress, tattered with a few ripped openings and dirt, and white, spotted boots, the only clean part of her appearance. Her long hair was in one messy braid, a few tiny twigs and leaves stuck to it. Ryouichi wore a plain blue t-shirt and ripped jeans, a typical style of his. Shugo's suit and tie, minus the jacket, was also somewhat filthy and torn by his injuries. Takeshiro, the shortest in the back, was the only clean, unscratched demon. His hair was spiky and the darkest blue short of black. He was known as "Telepathic Order," or one who reads minds and can control their thoughts and actions. Aside from that, he appeared normal.
"Rai-tara!" Ushizumo beamed, as she leaned on the counter. Reiji sighed in defeat, knowing they only came for free food. The ginger continued, ignoring Reiji's silent signals. "You know that one forest spirit demon that was terrorizing deforestation units on the countryside of that one city I forgot the name of, up north?" she asked.
"Not really, Zumi," the dark-skinned demon replied softly. "What did you all find?"
"Well, we-" Ryouichi shoved her aside, an excited glow in his eyes. "It was epic!" he exclaimed. "The demon is an actual spirit, a pure being living it up in the Underworld! We had to fight it, obviously," he boasted, doing the finger-over-the-lip motion; Reiji smiled blanky, knowing he was going to exaggerate and brag, again. "So, I totally beat him up and sent him running with his lizard tail between his legs," he continued, grinning. "He was so terrified of us that he hardly put up a fight!"
"Oh, really?" Reiji asked, pretending to show interest. Then, Shugo kicked him in the leg.
"That is not what happen!" the Dragon Slayer retorted. "I was the one who sent him off which Zumi here was tossed into a tree!"
"What!" Ushizumo blurted, stomping up to him. "I'll have you know it was you who got me thrown into that bush."
"Just face it, Zumi, you'll never be as good as us at fighting without natural Curse or Magic energy to work with," Ryouichi taunted her with a smirk. Takeshiro nudged his way to the counter, then shook his head.
"All of you are wrong." The trio gawked, most likely at Takeshiro's betrayal of the group's fantasy of the mission. Reiji chuckled, holding her hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter. Takeshiro continued.
"Ryouichi charged head first at the creature, tussled, but lost as he was thrown down hill, hence the cuts and light bruising." Ryouichi crossed his arms, grunting. "Shugo charged right behind him; he had better luck, but lost as he was also thrown off the hill." The Dragon Slayer growled, turning away in embarrassment. "Ushizumo was caught in the crossfire, then stumbled when hit with a spell from the spirit, falling down a different hill that landed her in a shorter tree." Ushizumi huffed, crossing her arms as well.
"I chose to take a more calm approach to the mission and talked to the spirit; she was only protecting her land from destruction and pollution, which she was quite good at. In conclusion, nobody won any fights and deforestation in that forest was cancelled. We received our payment of 25,000 Luba and came to give you your share," the shorter demon finished, giving her an envelope. Reiji raised her brows in surprise, taking the brown envelope.
"Are you sure, Tash? I wasn't even there," she murmured. Takeshiro smiled softly, nodding. Ryouichi looked at the table of three, then Natsui. The rose haired demon was blushing red at something Renee had said. She laughed heartily as her boyfriend snickered.
"So, Rai-tara, does this mean we can have free-"
"No," Reiji deadpanned. Ushizumo whined as her older brother Shugo dragged her from the counter. "No, please! I want sugar!" she pleaded as they left. Their dirty footprints were all over the floor. Lunalu handed her a mop. "Here you go, boss!" she smiled brightly, then trotted off. Reiji hung her head tiredly. "Why do I always clean their messes here?"
Crimson sun had already set, casting complete darkness across the land, along with many waves of dark clouds. The store was cleaned and locked for the night about an hour ago, but Reiji was in the dining room at the bar counter, serving herbal tea and medium streak soups and egg rolls to her friends. She let them have it on the house, of course. She knew that once their rents were paid, all of them would have only scraps left for food. Takeshiro walked from the bathroom and sat on a stool next to Ushizumo. With no sight, he certainly had a way of getting around without guidance.
Because the group had left six hours prior, they all had time to clean up their looks and changed into more presentable clothing. But, as usual, Ushizumo's definition of presentable was bizarre; she wore the same boots, but with neon yellow leggings, a dark red shirt, and a light blue sweater. On the polar opposite hand, her brother brother wore black sweatpants and a long sleeve grey shirt. Ryouichi wore the same pants from earlier, but with a nightshirt (grey tank top). Takeshiro wore tan colored shorts and a blue t-shirt.
Reiji was cleaned the last of the beer mugs with a white cloth. "Are any of you going to start looking for new jobs tomorrow?" she asked, glancing around at them.
"Too exhausted," Ryouichi muttered.
"Tired," Ushizumo lazily chimed in.
"I need a few days off," Shugo shrugged, then slurped up a mouthful of noodles.
"I'm going to look for something to do tomorrow," Takeshiro replied, sipping his soup. Reiji smiled a little. "You must love working alone, considering how much you do. You make it look so easy," the dark-skinned demon conversed. Takeshiro nodded in agreement. "Oh, it's just peaceful." The others looked at him with a deeply disdainful look.
The night soon ended, fortunately for Reiji. She washed the dishes left behind, cleaned the counter and seats, then left the stood, fingering the manager's keys in her apron pocket. She was walking home after parting from her friends, having been too spaced out and tired to talk much after that. They said their evening bys and good-nights, then were off to their homes.
Raiji turned toward her street, Sunset Valley Avenue, where her apartment rested. "Raiji wait!" Raiji turned to see Natsui gasping for air to keep up with her long, quick stride. Raiji raised a brow, puzzled by his tailing her at this hour. "L-let me, let me walk with you," he panted, resting his hands on his knees to take a break. Reiji gave a light chuckle.
"You want to walk with me?" she questioned. "Mmhmm," he replied. Reiji shrugged, then waited for the frail demon to catch his breath.
Natsui and Raiji walked in silence. Reiji rarely felt calm in the presence of demons outside her small circle of friends, as she constantly worried about what they thought about her. Reiji had endured so many situations of looking at males whose sexual gazes looked at some piece of her that she also looked at herself in pieces. But Natsui was different from other males. He never looked at her that way. His eyes were gentle and kind, like he had no cruel intentions with getting close to her. Reiji always longed for more folks to look at her with such kindness.
They had made up to her apartment door and Raiji made a questioning look at the rose haired demon. "Thank you for walking with me," she said with her usual warm smile.
"N-no need to thank me," he laughed nervously. Reiji tilted her head to the side. "Is something wrong?" she asked.
"I, I actually wanted to say something, a confession," he replied, avoiding her gaze. He shuffled his feet. "I, um, I like you, a lot," he confessed, half whispered. Reiji's eyes widened. Her cheeks tinted pink. Like? He is attracted to me? No, someone must have put him up to this. "A-are you sure?" the dark-skinned demon drawled, too shocked to come up with a better response. Natsui silently nodded, glancing up at her. Reiji's eyes softened.
"That's really nice, Natsui, but I cannot return your feelings," she responded, to Natsui's dismay. He looked at her, furrowing his brows in a look a rejection. She bit inside of her lower lip, instantly feeling awful. "I'm sorry, I'm just not meant for something like that."
"Is, is that so?" he murmured. "Um, I should go. See you tomorrow?" he questioned. Reiji nodded. "Yes, and we can still remain friends," she reassured him, patting his shoulder. Nice one, Reiji, she thought sarcastically. Natsui turned a way, then walked back down the street. The dark green hair went into the apartment, then closed and locked the door. She sighed, dragging her feet to her room. That moment hardly lasted a minute or two, but it was one of the most awkward moments ever. Natsui is a kind male, one among a few who actually respect her, and she just broke his heart. The dark-skinned demon fell onto her bed, groaning exhaustedly.
"Nice one, Reiji," she mumbled.