Latte

“You are to wed Goryeo.” A servant of Melanie’s read the letter to her directly. “He’s asked specifically for you, your majesty.” Melanie gazed down at the person empty of any feeling. The long wavy hair that dragged on tiles of the room was done in an intricate updo. He was asking for the thing he couldn’t get his hands on, the queen of the ruling kingdom he knew nothing about. That was the allure. Not to mention the social power it would grant him.

“I understand. You are dismissed”

────────── 𖥸 ──────────

The bed, which was a soft thick mattress sat on a fine wooden frame slightly raised off the ground. Lying in the bed entirely bare she had her palms wrapped around her throat. All the gold adornments were scattered carelessly about the floor. Despite her bodily functions telling her to live she continued to tighten her grip.

“Hurry!!” An attendant cried as the emperor shoved the door open, carelessly pushing aside the light-weighted room divider. “She’s in here!” The woman called out horrified. In his royal han-bok he was on his knees prying her bony fingers from her neck. Melanie’s attempt was proving to work as she was losing color in her face and consciousness.

“안녕 ! WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?” Ha-min forced her onto her side telling the attendant to leave. His voice slowly trickled into her mind as her senses were coming back.

“M-mama?” She couched. “Why’d you sell out? I’m not an object—” Ha-min held her close, confused; he’d done his best to make the union warm. Not simply for her sake but for social reasons.

“It does look good. Just different. That’s all.” He replied. It was much longer now. Melanie had completely switched gears from Detective work to being a part time barista.

“I’m relived, that you still think of me the same way as you always have.” Melanie smiled and leaned her upper body over the table. The sunlight poured into her hands. “Just think, if I didn’t have these lumpy fingers they’d get burned all the time,”

“What?”

“I’m clumsy when I steam milk. Speaking of, Ha. Did you want a coffee? It’s on the house.” Melanie smiled at him, gazing at her hands partially bathed in sunlight. “I missed you bad,”

“Me too. It’s lonely being an Idol. Without you. But I don’t know if I’ll stay that way.” Ha-min replied lacing his fingers with her hand stretched out on the table.

“Retiring the voice?”

“I missed your French. Mon Bleu.”

“Ceux qui rêvent, mourir.”

Sitting across from him, he hadn’t seen her hair this straight in— ever. Ha-min missed her curly-wavy hair. It was a perfect in between.

“I didn’t recognize you with the new look,” He spoke softly, one finger looped around the handle of the porcelain mug.

I kissed his tears away. I brought a smile to those lips.

The morning sun just began to rise. "Ha," I chuckled. "Say it again,"

Ha-Min glanced ag me, sideways. With a book in hand, he was reading a male love romance novel. I tried to read with him but it was harder because I'm much of a reader. He sighed, "아, 씨발. 내가 욕할 때 넌 왜 그렇게 좋아하는 거야? 왜 그게 웃긴 건데? 아, 진짜."

aa, fuck. why do you enjoy it when I swear? why is it funny, ah

"Waittt, Ha, slow down. I can't translate that fast." Giggling I rested my hands on the arm of the couch straring at his book. Closing his book, Ha-min leaned over and kiss my cheek. "너무 귀엽다 . . ." So cute, ah

"I'm not cute." I replied in all seriousness.

It was a regular occurrence for Hannah and I to have intercourse. Though it was mostly her desire but I enjoyed pleasing her. I might refer to her as doctor but Hannelli is for special occasions. Rava for dire situations; maybe if I was to lose her.

At night I try to sleep but it's hard when I'm beside her. I get worried that something will happen. Or I spend too much time replying all the horrible things I've done and experienced.

Hannah's voice cut through the silence as she sat up. Fists in balls over her eyes. "I'm sorry,"

She had long thick hair that decended geneations of Indonesian and Korean women. Long and cared for. Oiled regularly.

"Doctor," I said sitting up too now. All I could do was stare. If I allowed her to know anything about how I saw her I'd be dangerous.

"What is it?" She replied, voice still breaking and recovering from the dream.

I hand her a glass of water that was on my side. We normally don't sleep together but maybe she needed it.

"I'll close the window. Go back to sleep." I said, careful to remove any warmth. Hannah found her composure again and sighed.

In 1790 I am king and you are my knight. You fights for my life time and time again. I beg you to be a duchess and not my knight.

In 1923 our truly original timeline, the timeline where I might have killed you for real this time. We find happiness and peace. The south of France welcomes us and our home is built.

"Once there was a very strong and highly regarded oni in the yokai world," Dove said spreading her arm in a sweeping motion. She sat on a narrow stool in front of the shrine made for a great samurai. His memory has been kept alive for many many years. The kids that played around it sat before her watching and listening. "She had two beautiful sharp horns that looked like they were made of gold. THEN! The powerful samurai came and struck her down!!" The kids jumped at Dove's sudden movements. "The Oni had played with the samurai's, heart. A foolish love struck man and out of rage crushed her horn with the might of A THOUSAND SUNS!! RAAAHHHH!" Chuckling she watched the kids run behind scattered trees near by. "With the power of a star, which kiddos, the sun is one, Hato was burdened with an astral curse. For she cannot look in to the eyes of ANYONE ever again or they all dieee." The little details that got left out was the fact this samurai was also a god. The kids have regrouped in front of her again.

"Miss! Your eyes are closed—" one said. Dove leaned over put her hand on the kid's mouth.

"Where is she now??" Another chimed in.

"Happy New Year, Melanie." He kissed the top of my head and lit a sparkler. We watched as it glowed and glimmered. Ha-Min stood behind me with his arms around my waist. "I hope this year brings you many smiles and everything you want, I love you so very much." Ha-Min's voice was low and Kind. It was the honesty I was promised. Though the Korean French mash up made my head spin. I still knew so little Korean.

"Happy New Year, Ha. Let's do so many fun things," I said. The sparkle slowly burned down the stick. The night sky was one of the prettiest colors. Lighter in some places. My feet sunk into the sand just a little bit. "Are you alright?"

"I love you, Mel. Quite a bit. We'll do all the couple-y things we have always missed out on because of our pasts. I promise."

"Je t'aime, just as much. Absolutely. There's nowhere I'd rather be," I pulled him close for a hug. I could tell he was hurting a lot. I think he was mourning something inside him. Maybe it was the wounded child he was.

"I'm just a tad sad. That's all." He replied. Reaching into his pockets I pulled his cigarettes and slightly ran down the beach.

Laughing, Ha-Min put some energy into his movements catching up to me. "Give me that, I never said I wouldn't share."

"You told me you were going to quit,"

Dove placed her hand over his eyes. "So you’re saying you're not blind?" He asked, almost annoyed.

"It's complicated, you see." She paused. "I've been cursed! When my horn was stolen my eyes became a weapon," She giggled.

"Tomoe,"

"Yes?"

"They will kill you if I look at you. Even if you are a familiar."

She had her hands in my hair playing with it and brushing it into my face. The way she'd touch my fox ears with that smile on her face. I felt safe and wonderful.

Melanie continued to braid and unbranded my hair, brushing it out again. My head rested in her lap as we did this in the afternoon sun. I'd kept it long per her request. My hair grew so fast m. Every two weeks I found myself cutting off a three feet of hair. Though, I continued to shave. I was never a fan of facial hair.

"Kitsune, do you love me?" Z

He came to me with a bruised abd bloodied face. That mask he wore was very strong to handle whatever harmed him. The shame in his eyes because not only did he lose a fight to an owl woman but he knew I was the only one who'd be kind.

"Come now. Sit down so we may continue," Ha-min demanded of me pulling up a chair to the table for himself. A warm gold glow flowed around his blood soaked hand, blood I was sure that belonged to him. "Mucles aren't going to generate on their own." He inhaled about to speak again but I pressed an alchool tissue to his cheek. It looked badly beaten.

"You do not get to tell me what to do." My arm bones were held together by cartilage at the moment. Quite literally bare bones. It was my right arm, I wanted to keep as much control as I could.

Gazing down at him, I pushed down in her shoulder urging him to sit, but I didn't demand. His fox mask sat in his lap as he watched me tend to his wounds.

"Does God have a heart after all?" Ha-Min asked me. I still didn't understand his god talk. Those deep eyes looked sad, they looked at me in wonder struck. Had he fallen for me? No, of course not. Grumbling I set the first aid kit down on the table.

Oh, I never meant to break but I got her where I want her now. And, god it just feels so good

The stairwell leading up to her unit was falling apart crumbling to nothingness. It was one of many things I noticed when she first brought me to this place. I was ashamed for her. Nothing about the house looking apartment made sense. There building was tall, the floors didn't look well supported either. The basement that was below the deteriorating stairs, which I imagine was a unit too. The main entrance and then the top floor. I didn't ask how many people it housed.

Lose cables and wires crowded the outside like lose hairs. On the sidewalk there was a stone wall that divided the property from the walk way. An AC unit slanting towards the ground looked like it could fall on my head any moment. Maybe she was trying kill me. Blissful accident to her.

"Melanie," My feet stepped up the concrete towards the door, again I glanced up. She looked back at me as she opened the door. The same old stench of sadness; not that my luxurious world was any happier. We walked towards the back of the place to where her apartment was nothing special.

Before she got to the door I wrapped my arms around her from behind in the most gentle and kindest way I knew how.

"I'll try to love everybody, because I love you." I hope my voice tickled her ear and played with her senses. I hoped that she'd come do the thing I asked. I'd been trying so hard to be a good person. 優しい人. That if I was a good person somehow I'd all link back to us. Melanie leaned her head back into me trying to look at face. "Come live with me. Or anywhere better." Preferably with me. I didn't exactly want to be alone anymore and the cat doesn't count. I was always alone. Even when I got everything I wanted, no one ever said no to me except you, my Mel.

"You hate this place that much?" Her dark hair was pulled into a pretty braid over her shoulder. "Or is it, you hate me?"

There's not another person in this life of mine that could know me like he does.

He cares about my interests and my mind more than anyone has.

He makes me feels pretty, and I am. I know that for true, now. I love ma lune very much.

Ha, knows what I like most, him of course. Ha, knows what I know.

We were chatting one night. I felt horrible when I realised what she was going to do. She said: "I'm getting out, but you can't come with me."

I didn't know how she planned on it but I knew when. It would be after, Melanie said that my hard work would never amount to nothing.

She said: "I'm trapped. I have to take over the Industry. My father tells me I owe it to my mother. I'd only burden my family if I didn't."

That night when I found he in front of a large glass window high above the city, revolver on the bar top. It was the week before the event. I collected it before approaching.

"We'll run away. Get married and I'll save you. So please stay with me. Your father is cruel for doing this to you."

"You want me?"

"I want you."

"We'd both be throwing away our lives--" I tightly embraced her remaking that it better than actually being dead. I couldn't live with that. Alone, truly?

"You will not die. I forbid you, we'll make a new life."

"So you'll stay with me? You want me?"

"I want you more than anything I've ever wanted."

"I'm not allowed to die."

I had a dream that you had passed away one night. And that I was alone sleeping. I'd visit the beach by my lonesome.

All the memories and moments I shared with you were the only times anyone has ever really loved me. The way you always talk and talk about anything, everything; the sky and chess and sunflowers and roses. The way you always tell me that blue is 'objectively' the best colour to possibly ever exist. That I'm every colour that mixes just a tad.

I had a dream you passed away one day. And I was alone in my waking life. Really alone. Podo missed you too. The apartment was horribly quiet. Your mugs collected dust; your puzzles, your art books, your notebooks, collected dust and the sun was never the same and I never heard my two favourite words uttered ever again. I could never speak French the same. I would never look at a doberman or a great dane the same. I would only miss the rain. I would go to Russia for your funeral but you asked to be buried in Riga. I wouldn't shed tears; per your request. I would never dare act the way I once had with people. I visited schools in your name making donations because, Mellie, darling I always knew that this is what you wanted. To be a teacher was what you wanted. Motherhood was what you wanted. It was never to be a detective-- even if you were good at it.

I would wake. You sit up and glance at me and then to the watch I had fixed for you. The tears that had collected and welled in my eyes. It was a horrible story. I make coffee like I do every morning and I tell you j'aime, I tell you it seventy times because you said it took seventy pens to relearn how to write again. I become a mess and tell you to make yourself as happy as possible because our childhoods-- stolen, but our aduthoods?