red oni

scavenge to survive || zeke & ram

“Hana, huh…” he turned towards the door where a girl’s head had peeked out. He definitely did not remember ever seeing her before. When he got there before the only thing on his mind had been food. Now that he got a good look at her he could see why she had been so spooked by him. She seemed like the skittish type. 

“Yo, Hana! Sorry about earlier! I didn’t mean to scare you!” Zeke put on his biggest, most friendliest grin, the one he wore for the younger kids at the orphanage whenever he was trying to cheer them up. Hm, well, he certainly wasn’t going to get on his hands and knees again and grovel so he did it the less formal way. The blonde bowed his head, clapping his hands together as if in prayer, and offered her a sincere gesture of apology. He hoped that was sufficient and that Hana and Ram would find it acceptable.

The girl fidgeted for a moment, her cheeks flushed either from the panic and embarrassment of interaction or her inherent shyness. Maybe both. Ram gestured for her to go ahead, remaining remarkably patient compared to what some might think. Finally, the girl spoke. 

“I-I, um, I’m sorry too...Ram-senpai explained the situation, and I-I jumped to conclusions so...I-if you come back, I’ll try to help too!” 

She clenched her fists in front of her, trying to look determined despite the way her whole body seemed to shake. Interaction was certainly not her forte, but that was why Hana was mostly kept to the kitchen. Ram turned and looked at him, giving a short nod. “There you have it. Now you have one more ally on your side.”

She heard a small giggle behind her and tensed slightly, before an identical face appeared over her shoulder, only sporting blue hair and the opposite eye covered by her bangs. 

“It isn’t often that nee-sama does things like this, but Rem is always happy to see nee-sama’s kind nature shine through!” 

Ram coughed into her hand and turned away. “Well, it wasn’t like we could just turn him away. The situation is resolved, that’s enough, right?” Besides, it was probably a good thing that more people than her knew, so at the very least, if he came on a day she wasn’t there, someone else would know the situation and be able to help out.

A Breather | Otto & Ram

The anxious expression he wore melted away as he watched the pink-haired maid carefully, seeing the gentle expression on her face as she watched her twin work from afar. Seeing her focus on something else seemed to calm him down. So talking about her sister made her appear less hostile. Well, maybe hostile wasn’t the right word, but there had definitely been a dangerous look in her eye when she spoke about some of the customers earlier. He figured maybe keeping her twin in the conversation would  soften her up a bit, but maybe asking too many questions would raise suspicions, even though he had no such interest in her. 

“I see.. Well, it’s a fortunate thing that she has a kind sister to look out for her.” He raised the now slightly more sweetened tea cup to his mouth and took a careful sip of the hot, dark amber liquid, letting it rest on his tongue so he could savor and decipher the flavor. Well, he had only put the very bare minimum in so it wasn’t so bad. Nodding his head and smiling about the fact that his tea wasn’t ruined, he took a better sip just as his server spoke up. 

“Could it be your heart was stolen away by Ram’s cuteness?”

The hot tea went down the wrong way and Otto slammed the cup back down as he choked and coughed, pounding his fist into his chest as his face reddened by the violent coughing. He supposed that was a pretty good excuse not to answer even though it didn’t feel so great. 

Kind, huh. She wondered about that. It was a good thing, probably, that they had each other. She couldn’t help but feel like Rem’s kindness would be taken advantage of if it wasn’t for her being there. In a way, she supposed she could accept that as being kind, just perhaps not in the..traditional way. “You’re probably right,” she mused softly. “I don’t think she’d be the same if I wasn’t here.” 

The same could probably be said of her though. They were two parts of a whole. She would always be there when her precious little sister needed her help.

Then he descended into a coughing fit at her words. Oh dear. Maybe she’d gone a little too far with the teasing. But really, she couldn’t help it if he was going to give such honest reactions. The corners of her lips twitched, and something that might have been (read: was almost definitely) a laugh escaped her. Well, it wouldn’t do to have him choking in the middle of the cafe.

Gently, she pat his back. “There, there, Master,” she soothed. “Ram is sorry teasing you.” She really wasn’t though. At least, not entirely. “Ram will bring you some water, free of charge.” She disappeared for a moment, bringing back a complimentary cup of water and setting it down before him. Though a moment later she turned and headed back into the kitchen once more.

medium well or roasted? || subaru & ram

Although the pink-haired maid had the physical cuteness and charm befitting her position, it was sharply contrasted to her bitter cold personality. Each and every word she slung out had venom inlaid, and the pink irises fixed on him were hard with resentment. At least, that’s what it felt like to Subaru. Her voice might have been cute had it been flat and frigid, spewing the cruel, hard-hitting words that tore like thorns into his heart, digging there, lodged in the perfect spot to cause his breath to hitch in his throat.

Still, though her thorny words had the sharp ring of truth affixed to them, the fact that she was digging so hard into his personal life didn’t escape his notice.

“Hm, so I’m sloppy, huh? That’s fine, that’s fine, it’s not like I’ve ever really been taken with high society or anything. Although judging by how much you’ve been digging at this point, could it really be that you’re interested? It does seem like you’ve been unable to take your eyes off of me ever since I stepped in! Going on and on about how I’m dressed and all…”

Injured by this thorny truth contained in the maid’s unbridled words, Subaru nevertheless put on his usual brave façade bursting with confidence, and pushed that ugly truth about himself further and further down. It was definitely something he couldn’t deal with, so why even try? Instead, he would just use his power as a smooth-talker to turn the conversation away from himself. Well, maybe it wasn’t so much that he was a “smooth-talker” as it was that once he opened his mouth, words just had a tendency to tumble out.

“Can I ask about the secret menu?”

The moment the words left his lips, her face immediately soured. Something akin to biting into a lemon, or something horribly bitter. Rather, it looked like her eyes were telling him to just drop dead. So he was delusional, on top of everything. Fantastic. That was what she got for at least trying to be nice, she supposed.

“Disgusting. Don’t ever suggest anything like that to Ram again,” she snapped. Could she just leave this guy to someone else to handle? She was already feeling the dull stab of a headache forming, just from dealing with this guy. Surely, it was best to just drop the conversation with that. But alas, she had a job to do, as much as she’d love to just walk away and leave him standing there.

She clicked her tongue and forced herself to exhale, to at least try to reign herself back in. “Hah? You want to ask about the secret menu?” An awfully bold choice, after he’d said something like that. Was he really willing to leave his fate in her hands? ...Well, though she would certainly like to serve him something like incredibly spicy mapo tofu, she was sure sweet, kind Rem wouldn’t let her go that far.

@liarsmiles​

She couldn’t help but scowl. It hadn’t been in her plan at all, but when she’d spoken to her precious little sister about it, her eyes had shined so brightly. ‘I want to see you on stage, nee-sama!’ she’d said. How was she supposed to refuse, when her sister looked so enamored with the idea? That was what led her to arrange the meeting after all...though she had conditions that would need to be met.

A soft sigh left her lips, resigning herself to her fate. Learning choreography would certainly be challenging, but perhaps if she was was placed in the back, she’d be able to get away with doing as little as possible. Something to discuss at least. Though her precious little sister wanted to see her perform...so she would have to put some effort in. And then there was the matter of the headaches...

Her train of thought was interrupted the moment that she saw the black and white haired male appear. Best to get this over with. Maybe he’d even have a solution for the headaches. 

A Breather | Otto & Ram

Well, it certainly made sense, but he still couldn’t help but worry. What if he said something that could be misconstrued as perverse or degenerate? It’s not like anything of the sort was part of his vocabulary and he had never once been accused of anything so heinous as she looked down upon, but in today’s society.. This generation could turn the most harmless and mundane thing into something sick. Really, even Daddy was now associated as something dirty. 

Otto mulled this over while the maid left to fulfill part of his order and then she returned, speaking casually yet moving gracefully. “Ah..” his lips parted slightly as the familiar smell of bergamot filled his nostrils. “Thank you.” he smiled harmlessly, but when he looked back at the tray of sugar and cream, the smile strained. He really wasn’t one to sweeten up his tea but what if she got mad at him for going to all the trouble and he didn’t touch any of it? 

Beads of perspiration formed at his brow and he took one cube of sugar and the smallest bit of cream and placed it into the cup of Earl Gray. Eh, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad? Even so he did his best not to look as bothered by it as he was but stomaching a bitter tea now made sweet was less of a worry than an angry, jilted maid. He did make a hum of affirmation at the status of his order and stirred his tea with a spoon as soon as he had finished pointing out the blue haired maid.

“Eh? Ah..?” At the pink-haired maid’s question Otto felt himself at a loss for words. That question seemed so loaded. If he agreed would that be misconstrued in some perverse way!? But if he said no surely she’d take offense to it! Looking visibly panicked, his smile uneasy, Otto released the tiniest affirmative in the world.

“U-Uh.. Um.. Y-Yes, but!! I’m sure she’ll make some other man or woman very happy someday!!” There. A compliment made all the while denying any sort of personal interest. That would work right?

She blinked as she watched the way his reaction changed, one eyebrow raising. He did know he didn’t have to bother with the cream and sugar, right? It was standard practice to bring out when someone ordered tea. Why did he act like he didn’t really want to..? Even then, doing the bare minimum...it wasn’t like he was being forced, so why did it look like he was forcing himself?

He was sort of jumpy, wasn’t he? He almost reminded her of a mouse being cornered by a cat. He was incredibly nervous for some reason. Curious. Still, Ram nodded her agreement. “Indeed. She’ll make someone a very good wife. Rem’s specialty is taking care of others.” Her gaze softened as she watched her younger sister go about her task. “But perhaps not as good at taking care of herself in the process..”

But that was what an older sister was supposed to be for. That’s why she wanted her sister to be able to live comfortably. Her precious younger sister who was far better at cooking and cleaning and in general just.....kinder. 

Shaking that thought aside, she once again fixed her gaze on the anxious male before her, a beat of silence passing between them before she spoke again. “You seem quite unsettled, Master.”

Another pause.

medium well or roasted? || subaru & ram

“Well, it’s certainly true that you’re cute,” Subaru conceded with a nod of his head. With her short stature, pink hair, red irises, and the maid uniform, it certainly wouldn’t befit him to lie about that. However, as she went on, with no hesitation in her flat tone or visible eye as her barbed tongue continued to lash out against his appearance, the sinking feeling that had emerged in his chest expanded, choking out his breath.

The harsh words spilling out of her mouth with no remorse resonated with Subaru’s core in a painful way, almost shattering his constitution right there in that café that he probably should not have entered. Humiliation, delivered unto him by the cruel, unforgiving hands of one of the maids he’d thought he could trust.

“…”

He opened his mouth to rebut, but no words could be squeezed past the lump lodged in his throat. He wasn’t really sure what he’d been planning to say anyways.

“M-my outfit…?” When he did finally muster the strength to speak again, his mouth was painfully dry, and he couldn’t keep the flat tone of defeat out of his voice. “I didn’t see anything about a dress code, so if there’s something wrong with how I’m dressed for this place, how about you tell me what I should be wearing instead?”

It wasn’t just the shock of being treated this way publicly that had him rattled, though that also played a large part in it, but the ring of truth her mockery carried also struck his core.

“W-wait, were you really this upset just over what I’m wearing?”

“Well, it’s true that there isn’t a particular dress code,” Ram began, tilting her head slightly as she observed him once more. Hm, hearing the note of defeat in his voice she wondered if perhaps she had gone just a bit too far. Well, it wasn’t as though she could take it back now, and even then she wasn’t exactly the type. “The jacket itself isn’t bad, but a t-shirt and jeans perhaps would look a bit more put together?” she tapped her chin. 

“It isn’t that it’s wrong per se...but a tracksuit implies a person doesn’t leave the house very much. After all, it’s quite comfy like pajamas, right?” She was at least trying to say it somewhat delicately now. She sighed softly, lowering her voice a bit so no one else would hear. “It might give other people the impression that you’re a Neet or otaku, in a place like this. Judging from how rattled you look, you wouldn’t want that, right?” Look, she was at least trying to be compassionate here.

“But, hm. Perhaps Ram is simply thinking into it too much. Maybe you’re just a student who’s part of the track club and didn’t have time to stop and change before coming to get refreshments,” she said, closing her eyes for a moment before peering at him through one. 

scavenge to survive || zeke & ram

Given what little exchange they’d had he really expected her to tell him off for shaking her hand like that, but Zeke’s impression of this girl had turned favorable. Even if she had told him off in disgust, he’d never be able to shake this feeling of gratitude. There’s no way she was a bad person doing something like this. 

“Ram.” He repeated aloud, noting internally about how strange that name was. Wait, wasn’t that the name of those murder sheep!? Well, that’s how Zeke had referred to them when he was younger, back when his brothers were still alive.

“I see.. So you had it tough too, huh. Hm, but how do I say this.. You look really clean and neat so you and your sis are in a better place now, yeah?” He didn’t mean anything by it, just that her fancy maid’s uniform was neatly pressed and clean whereas Zeke looked dirty, his clothes practically falling apart. It wasn’t that he was trying to draw attention to himself or compare their situations but just that she was better off then she was so there was no need for her to dwell on the past if she was. Still, if she hadn’t had those experiences she probably wouldn’t have been standing before him today helping him.

“Oh, speaking of which! I’m gonna head back and drop this food off real quick! I’ll come back soon though! And I’ll apologize to that girl!” He hurried down to the end of the alleyway, turned to gave her a cheerful wave and then dashed off while being careful with the food. 

It was about an hour when he finally returned, coming back to the alleyway the same as before. Though maybe he should have just entered through the front since he didn’t see Ram anymore. As he mulled over what he should do the door opened and out emerged the pink haired maid, carrying some trash. “Hey, Ram!” He called out to her with a wide grin and dashed forward, pulling the trash out of her hands and then tossing it into the trash bin for her.

He slapped his hands together as if dusting them off then put his hands on his hips and turned to Ram. “Okay! I’m ready to apologize! I even cleaned up a bit!” His clothes were still worse for wear but at least his skin didn’t look so dirty anymore.

His question caught her a bit off guard, momentarily surprised. He seemed like an overly compassionate fellow...but, she couldn’t say she hated someone like that, especially someone willing to grovel in an effort to get food for children who couldn’t care for themselves. “...Yes. We were lucky to be helped out in the beginning. Our benefactor was a friend of the family, but it didn’t feel right to live on his help, so as soon as we were old enough we got our own place and began working here.” 

Of course, between the two of them, it was just enough to pay the rent and get them groceries. They managed to scrape by, but Ram still wanted her younger sister to live comfortably so, despite her laziness, she had no problem taking on other jobs...even if that meant the bare minimum effort was put in. If she had extra money to give her sister so she could treat herself...that was all that mattered.

His mood had changed quickly though. Willing to apologize, huh...She gave a small huff as she wanted him dash off, something that might have been almost a laugh. Hopefully those kids liked everything she’d been able to grab. They weren’t likely to be picky about it, if the situations were even remotely similar. Though the more time passed, the more she wondered if he was really going to be able to make it back to make good on his word. But sure enough, there he was waiting as she opened the door to bring out another bag of trash. 

“Ah...” she blinked as he took the trash from her and tossed it for her. Well, she could definitely get used to that. She flexed her hand for a moment, as if unsure what to do with it before letting it fall to the side. She raised an eyebrow at his words. “Cleaned up..? You didn’t particularly have to, but commendable nonetheless.” The smallest of smirks tugged at her lips before she turned inside.

idol or idle? || gen & ram

“Interesting.. So you and your sister share the same face? Why not ask her to join as well? It’d be double the money you know?” Not only for those twins but how many idol groups carried two cute twin sisters!? They’d definitely be a hit!

Though now that she was mentioning her own laziness and lack of work ethic, Gen was reconsidering. He totally had her pegged the wrong way. He was pinning his hopes on the fact that if she saw someone goofing off that her sharp gaze and words could be used as a weapon, but it seemed she was just as lazy herself. If he’d known that before asking he may not have been so gungho about it. There’s no way he had the patience to whip one easily distracted idol and one lazy one into shape.

If it were not for that very vital and juicy information that she was part of a set, he definitely would have reconsidered. 

“Of course, take all the time you need. You’re definitely worth waiting for.” The business card he’d produced earlier had been entirely ignored by her at first, so he slipped it secretly and easily back into the sleeve of his shirt, now that she appeared interested again, it fell back into his waiting hand and he held it up as though it had just magically appeared, and indeed it had happened so fast one normally wouldn’t have noticed.

“Once you’ve decided you can call me at the number listed here and I can get you in touch with Yuuka-chan.” 

“That’s right. Rem and Ram have the same face,” she answered. “Truthfully, I feel Rem would be better suited..” but knowing her, she might be too shy to really see it through. But if this was legit, if she could trust this...it’d be a good idea to make a comfortable life for her sister. All the more reason she needed to talk it over. If it was for her sister, she was willing to do anything, even if it meant expending the energy necessary to dance and sing.

Her eyes narrowed slightly at his words, slowly reaching out to take the card from him. “Ram is certainly confident in her looks, so that isn’t something to worry about.” What she did need to figure out were those headaches that came on suddenly with no warning. Resolving that would also come first. If she did go through with this, then she’d need to make that known, just in case. 

“Alright then. I’ll keep that in mind,” she continued. Her eyes scanned the card, noting it certainly seemed like a proper business card. “I’ll discuss it with my sister, and when I’ve arrived at a conclusion, I’ll let you know.” It was probably easier said than done though, but Rem’s insight would be appreciated. 

scavenge to survive || zeke & ram

“Er, oh.. Okay.” The maid’s expression had turned serious all of a sudden so Zeke decided to do what he was told and wait. He placed his hand on his hip and briefly wondered if maybe he should be worried. What if she was leaving to call the cops on him? He could run away before that happened but if there was even the smallest chance she would be willing to help.. He’d risk it. Besides, he could probably get away if it came to that. 

He was extremely surprised when she returned with a large bag and thrust it out for him to take. “This is..” more than enough, he wanted to say, but he was so overcome with emotion that he couldn’t finish. He carefully took the bag and mentally took note of it’s weight and the smell emanating from it. There was no doubt about it. She’d definitely stuffed it with food. 

“Than.. Thank you!!” He almost choked up over her surprising good will but made sure that his gratitude would be received loud and clear. “This helps more than you know! Thank you! Really! Thank you!!” He held the bag in one hand while his free one scooped up the pink haired maid’s hand in his own, clasping it firmly and shaking it up and down. He laughed joyously for the first time in a long time. There was six of them in that cell, but he didn’t mind giving his portion up to the younger kids. 

“I won’t forget this! Hey, what’s your name! I’m Zeke!”

The change in his attitude was almost immediate as soon as he felt the weight of the bag. She wondered, briefly, if he’d thought she wasn’t going to come back. Well, she’d been lucky the kitchen had been empty. At the very least, the food would be going to a better use like this. Knowing how easy it would have been for her to be there in his place, trying to make sure her sister had enough food, even if it meant she went hungry. It was best not to dwell on that though. They’d miraculously been spared that fate and had jobs to support themselves now. 

This guy didn’t seem to be that lucky though. Well, if she could help even a little, then she supposed that was good enough. Though despite that, her nose still wrinkled as her face scrunched up in displeasure as he suddenly took her hand in his free one, shaking it wildly in his bliss. Even so, she didn’t tell him off. She wanted to, but it almost felt wrong to, seeing just how happy he was. Just what kind of life was he living? Especially with those clunky things around his wrists?

A soft sigh left her lips, the usual indifferent expression softening only just slightly. She supposed this once she’d let him get away with it. “You don’t have to thank me. It’s better for it to go to someone who needs it instead of the dumpster,” she remarked, glancing away. “My sister and I were lucky after our parents died...but it could have easily been me standing where you are right now.” A dull ache throbbed in her head at the memory and she winced slightly, bringing her other hand up to rub her forehead. “So..it’s fine. Just take care of them.”

A Breather | Otto & Ram

The way Otto quirked his brows and let his draw drop as he stared at her with wide eyes was almost comical in a sense. He wasn’t sure how to react to that sort of statement. She was in the food service industry but she was saying such horrible things about her own customers! Maybe he’d stumbled into some weird fetish cafe? 

“O-Oh, uh, I.. I see..” That was really all he could say in response to that. Fortunately for him he had no such fetish! So why was he being served by the maid who would probably smack him and got paid for doing so? He had… questions, but feared the result of asking them. Honestly, he was a little scared of her. He’d never been so terrified of a server before. 

At the pink haired maid’s question, Otto immediately brought up his hands in a defensive gesture, his expression fearful and troubled as he waved his hands back and forth. “N-No! I’m fine! Thank you very much!” The last thing he wanted to do was make her do more than necessary and incur her wrath. 

Was this really alright? Did people like getting this maid? He scanned the cafe and peeked around at the current customers but it appeared there were other maids attending. He did spy one with blue hair that could have been his servers spitting image! Once his maid returned with his tea he decided to try to make small talk that would lighten the heavy mood. “Oh, is that one over there the sister you spoke about?”

His reaction...honestly, it was pretty funny. Well, not that she’d ever lay a hand on any of the customers, unless they were being disruptive or truly degenerate. But even then, it was mostly to force them out of the cafe. Being a strain, at least, she had enough strength to manage it well enough on her own. It seemed like she’d unsettled the male. Hmm..maybe she’d gone a bit too far, since he didn’t seem the type to cause any sort of trouble.

“Don’t worry about it,” she stated. “You seem like you have good manners and know your boundaries. You’re not one of the ones who should worry.” Well, she wasn’t going to outright say it, but she hoped he understood her meaning well enough. That she only reserved that treatment for perverts who deserved it and would definitely not be allowed back in just because they couldn’t respect the waitresses.

She nodded at the conclusion of his order and disappeared into the back to prepare the tea while the food was cooked. Tea was one of her specialties, after all. Still, he’d left the recommendation to her, so what would suit his tastebuds? Or rather, what would pair well with hamburger steak? After a momentary debate, she selected a bag from the Earl Grey box and began heating the water. She placed the bag into the tea cup and poured the water in, letting it steep as she filled a small bowl with some sugar cubes and grabbed a small serving up of cream from the fridge, arranging them neatly on the platter. She disposed of the bag once it had finished, and then she carried it out to his table.

“Here you go,” she said, carefully placing the platter down before setting the cup and saucer in front of him, followed by the sugar cubes and cream. “Your food will be ready momentarily.” She did pause however, at the mention of her sister, lifting her gaze to spot her sister at another table. The blue haired maid blinked, as if sensing her sister’s gaze, and turned to smile and dip her head slightly in greeting before returning to work.

Every Rose Has It’s Thorns // Emilia & Ram

Perhaps it was women’s intuition or perhaps it was simply the vibe she got, but her fellow coworker did not seem enthused by their meeting. Emilia tried to finger what the cause was but the tone she spoke in was cordial and polite. Either she was putting on airs or Emilia was looking too deeply into it. 

The pink-haired ladies introduction, which included the information that she was part of a matching set, made Emilia’s eyes widen in awe. Twins! She wasn’t sure why but that information made her excited. “Got it. It’s nice to meet you Ram-Senpai. If I see your sister, I’ll be sure to give her my regards as well.” She wondered if her excitement stemmed from wondering if twins who looked a lot differed in any way. 

Ram continued on, and Emilia knit her brows, determined to cling to every word. At each point she nodded her head, giving a hum of affirmation to show that she was listening. “Got it!” She balled her fists at her side, steeling her resolve in an attempt to quell her anxiety. 

The resolve was shaken as Ram directed a question at her, her amethyst eyes widening for a moment in surprise at the question as though it came abruptly. “I haven’t.” She admitted, her shoulders sinking as though ashamed. It couldn’t really be helped. She had always been so busy with school work and no one had ever been interested in hiring her before. But she was only making excuses for herself. That all ended today! Today she would work hard enough to be proud and hopefully make her new senpai proud as well. 

“Cleaning tables and taking orders..” she repeated in a murmur, her imagination  taking on the scenario of those two events. “I’ll do my best!” Once more that quiet determination of her seeped into her features. Cleaning tables she was confident she could do as the maid’s at her benefactor’s home had maid’s that she often watched clean in repetitive motions. Taking orders on the other hand, that required much more interaction but it did not shake her resolve. 

She seemed eager to work hard too. That was also a plus. The more eager workers they had, the less she had to do, and the less her sister would have to do...Well, Rem would no doubt still work just as hard. That was just how her sister was, one of the things that made her so endearing, and why Ram wanted to make sure she could live comfortably. 

The pink haired maid tilted her head to the side at Emilia’s admission, noting she seemed a bit saddened by the fact. “It’s nothing to worry about,” she stated, “I was just wondering how much you might know.” This must have been her first job, or at least, her first in food service. Everyone had to start somewhere though, but most probably wouldn’t pick a maid cafe, huh...Ah well. 

“You won’t have to worry about being put in the kitchen, at least. You might have to work the register a few times though, but that’s honestly the easiest job,” she continued. Honestly, that was her favorite job. It meant she could just sit for hours. “Most of the time it’ll be cleaning tables and sweeping and mopping the floors. Some of our customers are...rather messy.” But that was the same anywhere you went.

“We probably won’t throw you into taking orders right away, but you can at least watch what the rest of us do.” A momentary grimace tugged at her lips, remembering the script they had to use occasionally. “There are certain things we’re required to say, but if anything makes you uncomfortable, don’t worry about it, and I’ll make sure no one forces you to. And it’s up to you how enthusiastic you get with it.” 

medium well or roasted? || subaru & ram

Pushing past the ornately decorated door to step into the café’s simple but homely interior, Subaru immediately noticed the small but clear chime of a bell above his head, alerting the staff to his entrance. Truthfully, it was his first time entering this café. Drawn in by the irresistible allure of the cute maids, he’d finally decided to stop delaying and enter so that he could be granted a closer look.

He wasn’t disappointed. The maid that greeted him had pink hair that grew to cover her left eye, leaving only her right eye to convey her emotions. Though her greeting started off in the cordial mannerism that was likely written into the script for them, the instant that red-hued eye took in his appearance, her words cut off abruptly with a disgusted spit and her face contorted into an expression of revulsion. Though she recomposed herself, he thought he could still daggers reflected at him in that eye, and her words sounded icier than before.

Honestly, given that he hadn’t done anything, he couldn’t imagine just what had sparked the sudden change, but it was clear that she was harboring some type of animosity towards him. Though he definitely couldn’t think of a reason why for that, so maybe she was just having a bad day and happened to be the type to lash out at customers… or something. Still, having her look at him like that sent a chill down his spine and put him in an awkward position.

“Sure, I’ll take some tea… is something you thought I’d say after that kind of welcome? Just now, you clearly looked disgusted or something! I don’t recall ever doing anything to you, you know. Hmmm… though if you’re just having one of those days, have you thought about asking your boss about going home? Forcing yourself to work like this when you’re not feeling well isn’t something you should have to do.”

Ah, so he wasn’t even aware of the aura he projected. She supposed she shouldn’t have been too surprised. Still, entering a cafe like this while wearing a tracksuit? At least try to put more effort into your appearance, unless you want to be immediately singled out as a neet. Of course, she politely refrained from saying as much, though as he went on, the more she weighed the pros and cons of it. Did it look like she had the luxury of asking for the rest of the day off when there weren’t really enough girls in today as it was? After all, most of them were college students. 

“That’s rather presumptuous of you, isn’t it, Master?” she asked, raising her hand to gesture around the room. They were fairly busy, and there were only two other waitresses on the floor right now. “If I were to do such a thing, we would be even more short-staffed. Do you have a problem with Ram’s personality? Surely you shouldn’t have a problem with a girl as cute as me.” 

“Perhaps you don’t get out much, Master, judging by the way you’re dressed. You’re the first who’s entered wearing...something like that.” Didn’t most people at least try to look decent if they were going to come into a place like this to get doted on by cute girls? Ah, but then again, there were those types of people too. 

idol or idle? || gen & ram

“I think a pervert would say many things~ And I won’t deny to being one myself but this is purely business. And i don’t mix business with pleasure.” Well, that was sort of a lie. He wouldn’t have taken on this job if it wasn’t gratifying in some way. He was, after all, a superficial and greedy man.

“Hm, well that’s a good question. For one thing I haven’t asked for a single cent from any of the other members.” In fact.. Hadn’t he been paying for everything himself?! They still hadn’t gotten enough work for the work to pay for itself, but.. Well, it wasn’t like he didn’t have the funds to do it anyways so it wasn’t really a huge problem. Besides, there was no greater joy then buying girls food or cute clothes. 

His smirk widened at her words. She certainly had a sharp tongue and there was definitely a place for someone with her eccentricities among the other members. “I won’t lie and say that it isn’t. Dancing and especially singing while dancing is no easy feat. But the pay is definitely worth it. I think you could make more than quadruple what you make here, not to mention the dancing is only the hard part and isn’t even everything to it. There’s certainly a lot of leisurely days as well.” Handshake events being one of them, not to mention certain modeling shoots. 

“What about you doesn’t scream idol? You’re insanely cute! You’re definitely a type that caters to a specific crowd and we could definitely use every flavor in our unit.” Not only that, he wondered just what kind of effect she’d have on Yuuka in particular. That girl with her easy going, go with the flow attitude and then there was this maid with her harsh, unforgiving gaze. It was almost like the saying, when an unstoppable force meets an unmovable object. Honestly, he was dying to know what their dynamic would be and even more so if she could whip Yuuka into being just a little more productive. 

“Still.. If you’re interested but not convinced, you can speak to our center.” As he said this he fished through his pocket for his phone, then went through it to grab a picture of Yuuka. He then held the phone up for her to see the picture. “This is Yuuka-chan. I’m trying to make her dream come true for her. If you don’t believe in me you can try talking to her. So? What do you think?”

He almost reminded her of a fox, a smooth talker. He was certainly someone who knew what he was doing, though she wasn’t sure why he seemed so interested in recruiting her. Surely there were more suitable candidates? Even if he was legitimate. She couldn’t be sure. She wasn’t one to trust easily...though she could almost see her sister encouraging her to try.

She grimaced, partly because of that thought, and partly because as he’d just described it, it definitely sounded like a hassle. “Isn’t that something you have to train for?” she asked, her face schooling back into its neutral expression with only the tiniest hint of a raised eyebrow. “I prefer to take the easiest route possible with minimum effort.” Or no effort, in some cases. Perhaps even nothing at all. Though leisurely days did sound promising, would it be worth the effort she’d have to expend to be on stage? And then there was the matter of her headaches..

“Cute? While it’s true I’m a lovely and elegant maid, if I’m cute then it’s because I share the same face as my precious little sister.” Really, she still felt Rem should be the one getting this offer, not her. If anyone fit the image of an idol, it was certainly her. Perhaps she was wrong, but she didn’t think anyone would be all that interested in a lazy idol who was only willing to put in the bare minimum effort. It certainly wasn’t like the maid cafe where she could coast by on as little work as possible and making sure perverts kept themselves in check.

Her eyes fell to the screen as he showed his phone, a frown on her lips. She supposed that certainly would help prove everything he’s saying was true. Well, it was better to investigate as best as she could before sending in Rem. After a moment of silence, she folded her arms over her chest.

“Would it be acceptable if I had some time to think it over?” she asked. “I’d prefer to talk it over with my sister before I come to any decision. But should that conversation swing in your favor...then I might be willing to speak with this idol of yours.”

A Breather | Otto & Ram

Welcome back? Huh? He didn’t remember ever being here before. He certainly would have remembered this girl. He really could not fathom the type of place this was, but he had to admit that being called Master had a nice ring to it!

Otto followed the maid to a table and he slid into the seat, taking the menu and smiling, humming in pleasure as he began to flip through the menu, the ones with the pictures mostly catching his eye first. Whoa, there certainly were a lot of sweets in here.. He guessed that was to be expected. He definitely needed something more savory though. Before he had a chance to speak and maybe ask what she recommended that seemed more like actual food, the maid spoke. 

Her expression was so deadpan that he didn’t even register that last bit for what it really meant. At least not at first. The heck kind of drink was Me? Was that– 

And then it hit him once again exactly what kind of place this was and his face burned up, his pale skin tinted a dark red. His mouth opened and closed for a moment and then he stopped, closing his eyes and sighing, his shoulders slumping forward in exhaustion. When he finally opened his eyes and looked back up at the maid, his expression was a mixture of pity and exasperation. “Do they really require you to say stuff like that? What would you do if someone really picked the last option?”

Was he sure he wanted to know the answer to that? He turned his head back to the open menu and decided to pick something out at random quickly just so he could escape this awkward air that he felt growing between them. “Uhh, I’ll take a hamburger steak. As for the drink I’ll take whatever you recommend for tea.”

She waited, and waited, and then finally it clicked into place for him. His reaction was pretty fresh though. An amused smirk curled at her lips as she watched his flustered reaction. Okay, maybe this wouldn’t be so terrible after all. If nothing else, he’d be fun to tease. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had gotten flustered from her saying something like that, especially in her half-assed deadpan way. 

Though she didn’t expect the pitying look. What, did he think she’d given up her dignity because she was working in a place like this? There were worse places, honestly. Well, maybe he did have a point in having to occasionally say things like that. “Yes, unfortunately. Though the other girls do it with more feeling, and my precious little sister is forbidden from saying it.” There was something dark in her gaze then, something that suggested she’d had quite a few words with her boss about that at least.

Still, the next question was a fun one. What would she do if someone actually picked that? “Hah.” 

“The answer to that is simple: they’re a degenerate and I’d sooner grind them under my heel into dust than entertain their fantasies like that.” Usually the people who did do that were perverts anyway, so she had no mercy for them. She was the “enforcer” for the girls, after all.

scavenge to survive || zeke & ram

“Hey! I wasn’t purposely trying to scare anyone, alright!?” What was it about him that would scare anyone he honestly had no clue. In any case it was their fault for getting scared in the first place! Man, what privileged lives these maids led to be scared of someone simply minding their own business. “In any case can you stop looking at me like I’m gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe?”

It was a little jarring how one so small and dressed so cutely could house so much contempt. “Listen, you’re the only person I’ve seen out here. I didn’t intentionally scare anyone and never saw anyone dressed like you until you came.” This maid.. trying to pin the blame on him for something he didn’t do or had any knowledge of. Maybe they were used to incidents with guys scoping out the alley but if he was trying to do anything he would have been closer to the back door instead of hovering around the trash like a fly. 

“Then.. If I do that will I get some food?” He didn’t really like entertaining the thought of needing to grovel on the ground, but if that would earn him even a scrap of something edible he’d do it. He’d done way worse for those kids. Zeke didn’t spare it another thought and slowly got down onto his hands and knees, his forehead pressed against the ground as he flattened his palms in front of him on the concrete. This was like a dog exposing it’s belly in subservience.. It was sort of embarrassing.

But if the maid saw him do it she never commented as she quickly began to state that she didn’t care one way or another about the food and even asked him how much he needed. Zeke lifted his head in surprise, then immediately jumped to his feet, stabbing an accusatory finger her way. “If you were just gonna give me some anyways what was the point of groveling?!” Oh well. Alls well that ends well, is how the saying goes right? 

He rubbed at his forehead, brushing away dirt and debris from the ground that had gotten embedded there and smiled. He couldn’t stay mad when he’d gotten his way. “Honestly, I’ll take as much as you’re willing to part with. I’ve got a few mouths to feed. Er, but hold anything that’d go bad. Like ice cream or something. I know they’d probably love that kind of thing but it’d melt before I made it back. Really though, thank you. I appreciate this.” Even if he had to stand through abuse to get this far it’d all be worth it. 

“Hmm...” Her eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke, as if judging the weight of his words, looking for any sort of hint that he had impure intentions. Well, it seemed like he was telling the truth, at least. Just a case of one of the younger girls being too jumpy..though she couldn’t exactly blame them the way some people acted. Still, he must have been in a strange situation to dress the way he did and beg for food. 

At his outburst, the tiniest of smiles tugged at her lips as she turned her head away from him. “Hah.” Honestly, she hadn’t expected him to. She’d just said it to make a point. “I wasn’t actually expecting you to. Just that you should apologize to the girl you scared, not actually grovel.” It was kind of amusing though, but it just drove home how desperate he was.  

His words gave her pause though. A few mouths to feed? So it wasn’t just for himself? Was he taking care of kids? Given the state of his clothes and how skinny he looked...it wasn’t hard to imagine. She pressed her lips into a thin line. “Got it.” No questions asked. “I’ll get you whatever I can.” 

She guessed he was something of an older brother to whoever he was looking after. Maybe it was just her being sentimental as the older twin herself. “Wait right here.” Without another word, she turned on her heel and headed back into the building. Luckily, the kitchen seemed to be empty in that moment, the plates set aside to be scraped out into the garbage can. There was a decent number, so he could probably at least get a good meal out of them. 

scavenge to survive || zeke & ram

Life at Pennywort Orphanage was Hell. They were hardly provided proper meals, nor medicine if they got sick, hell they even slept on bed frames without any mattresses. With only cardboard to keep them from slipping through the frame, it did horrible things to their necks and backs and yet they were still expected to work like it was no problem. Even though they weren’t provided with suitable living quarters, and their room was basically just a giant cell, they were allowed to keep and bring back anything that they found while out on the “field”, which was just what they referred to the outside when they were allowed to leave on missions.

Of course, they were never paid or compensated for any completed work, so anything they’d find had to either be stolen or scavenged. As it stood currently, one of the kids back at the Orphanage had been suffering with sickness for a while. The orphanage didn’t care. They only saw him as a liability and his constant coughing and wheezing as an annoyance. Zeke knew he had a snowball’s chance in hell of ever finding any medicine for him, so the least he could do was try to find better food for him, though he wasn’t sure what good dumpster diving would do. 

He’d rummaged in there for a while, but nothing he deemed suitable so now he was just standing there looking perplexed and frustrated, his hand scratching the back of his head as he wondered if maybe he should just resort to stealing something instead. That’s when a rather sharp voice reprimanded him and he spun to face the owner of the voice. A really cute girl with bobbed pink hair stood there, covered in head to toe with a frilly maid uniform. She was the perfect image of cute and angelic, even though her expression looked anything but in that moment. In fact, she looked at him like she’d just stepped in dog shit. 

“I think you’ve got it all wrong.” He shrugged, raising his arms and then lowered them, placing one hand on his hip. “If anyone ambushed who here it was you coming out of nowhere and slinging accusations at me!” At his declaration he pointed a finger at her then once more shrugged again. “I’m just the garbage disposal, you know? Lightening the load for the garbage man. It’s not like you were keeping anything in here, yeah?” 

Really, what was so creepy about a guy going through the garbage? If anything the homeless were something to be pitied! “Buuut I’ll accept an apology in the form of food. You guys got customers that don’t finish their plates, right? C’mon, I’m desperate here! If there’s anything you’re gonna throw away, I’ll be more than happy to take it.” He wasn’t at all ashamed of begging. Pride was a stupid thing to hold onto when the world decided to be nothing but cruel, and it wasn’t even for him to begin with. 

Her expression contorted more, as if daring him to go on. Really, this was just her luck. “Says the one loitering around here and scaring the other girls,” she remarked dryly, raising one eyebrow. It wasn’t like her accusations were made without any basis. He was clearly standing in the alley of a maid cafe, and he had scared one of the younger girls. Though looking at him, she really didn’t see anything to be scared of, at least in her mind. He was just someone rummaging through their dumpster, disgusting as it was. Not a thief who ruined a peaceful family in one night.

“You must not have dignity or any luck with girls to be digging around in the dumpster of a maid cafe,” she frowned, resting one hand on her hip. Though it wasn’t like she understood having to do whatever was possible to survive. She and her sister had been lucky, but even now, they were still scraping by. She clicked her tongue, irritated that it was all too easy to picture herself in the same situation if it wasn’t for their benefactor. But Ram had been determined one day support them herself, as soon as she was old enough.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, her expression rather stormy. “I don’t think I have anything to apologize for. If anything, you should be the one groveling on your knees to apologize to the girl you scared standing out here like a weirdo.” Furthering her irritation, she knew she’d cave. He did seem desperate, enough that he was digging through their trash and begging for whatever leftovers. 

She held his gaze for a moment, still glaring daggers at him before she sighed, letting her firm stance deflate. “It isn’t like I care one way or another where the leftovers end up.” But if someone needed them, it was better than tossing them in the garbage. She shifted and set the bag aside for the time being. “How much do you need? There’s a few untouched plates that are going to get tossed any minute now. If you’re that desperate, I’ll box them up for you.”