tranquility tea room

Taiki had spent several hours at a time each day sitting in the tea room, often quiet with thought or looking utterly tired beyond belief. He doesn’t order much, if anything at all; but today seemed like a different occasion. Taiki slipped into the shop, chimed a cheerful hello towards the shopkeepers, and then directed his attention towards Shunsuke.

“Hey, hey! Is it okay if I talked to you about, like, something serious? Like, seriously serious?”

To Shunsuke’s approval, Taiki offered him a smile and followed him towards another room. The boy took a seat, a pensive and nervous look immediately overtaking his features. He doesn’t hesitate for long before diving straight into his troubles:

“I don’t wanna leave this place with blood on my hands.”

His feet started to gently swing. It wasn’t proper sitting etiquette, but it grounded the boy at least.

“Like, see- all my life, I’ve been teaching myself that I gotta be all nice to other people and stuff. And I like to be nice! And killing people? That’s really not nice. I know that, like, erasure’s something that’s common down here and all, but it looks and feels like a different deal when it comes to Reapers erasing Players versus Players erasing Reapers.

"It sorta feels like, for the latter, it’s almost okay– especially since erasing the GM sounds like the most common thing to happen for people like that. I don’t really think it’s fair, but if those’re the rules, then…”

Taiki shakes head.

“But a bunch’ve us Players agree that the GM this time around’s not someone we can just erase and walk away from! We wanna spare him! We want him to stay alive, just as much as we wanna stay alive, too!! We worked so, so hard to get this far, and to let it end in more blood-spilling - it feels wrong!

"But…”

The boy slumped back into his seat, crossing his arms.

“I… I don’t think I can spare him. My fee, it– it makes sure that I put myself first before I worry ‘bout anyone else. So if someone’s standing in my way from what I want, then they’ll definitely be mowed down if I can help it.

"I already got everyone updated on the deal, but I’m– I’m just worried!” He groaned. “What if everyone hesitates to spare Hawk, and I end up killing him?? What’re we supposed to do if we lose somebody just 'cause we thought it was a good idea to save him?? What if nobody comes out alive, and it’s mostly my fault because I told everyone that we gotta hold back and give him a chance??”

Taiki slumped forward, almost looking as if he was going to rest his weight against the table.

“It’s not fair… I wanna win so, so badly- but that could mean going against what I believe in, and it feels like total garbage.”

“Ah... The clashing of morality and the will to live again... it is a troubling one indeed. Perhaps there is another way to defeat him without erasing him? I would not be the one to know exactly how, but if you have come so far in such a difficult game... then perhaps you and your fellow Players will be able to figure out how. It is certainly worth a try.”

Shunsuke waits for a moment after speaking, before rising, giving a small apology, and mentioning that he will return very shortly. Two to three minutes later, he returns with a cup of green tea, placed delicately in front of the boy.

“Thank you for being a regular here during this trying time. I hope this is enough repayment for your troubles, and with sincerest wishes, I hope you are able to accomplish what you wish to.”

[ Tranquilitea will be open until 4pm EST at the earliest, today. Emi’s about to leave for a bit, and hours will be extended. Feel free to boop Emi in PM if your purchase isn’t processed right away! (They aren’t checked too often.)

What was her problem? 

She fidgets again before looking up at Shun. 

“….Do you ever…no, that’s not right.” She shakes her head before lacing her fingers together.

“My brother died…almost a year ago. I keep wondering if he played this Game too, you know?” she sighs, shoulders dropping, “And what happened….but I’m too afraid to ask and….and now I’m even more scared.”

She reaches up, wiping at her eyes as memories of this mornings battle rush through her head. A dry laugh escapes her and she looks up.

“I figured, you know, whatever my entry fee was couldn’t have been important since I didn’t see it affecting me, but I feel like it is now. Something's wrong with me. It’s like I don’t understand other peoples view points which I usually can and….” she sniffles a little, wiping at her eyes again, “I don’t want to know what happened to my brother if it means I wont be able to understand what he went through. But I want to know, you know?”

“I could have died today if Cheer hadn’t let me go, I could have let my partner down and I then never learned what happened to Asa-nii and I just….” She squeezes her eyes shut to try and stop the tears from falling again.

“I’m sorry….I don’t know how I can do this when I can’t even see where other people are coming from anymore. I can’t make decisions based solely on myself, I can’t—” She breaks off again, a sob escaping her lips. There’s not much else she can say at the moment, so she just lets herself cry, hating the fact that it’s happening in front of a stranger.

While listening to the troubled Player speak, Shunsuke nods slowly on occasion, offering her a handkerchief when she begins to cry. A brother who passed away, curiosity whether he played the reaper’s game, almost being erased, and a debilitating entry fee...

When he finally speaks, it’s with a calm, gentle and kind tone that he does. He seems to understand, somehow, and that

“Ah. Perhaps you cannot understand how they think, due to your entry fee... but wherever you may fall short, you still have a Partner, no? If you don’t feel comfortable making decisions without being able to consider anyone else’s opinions, perhaps you can ask your Partner to help. Assuming they don’t have a similar entry fee, they may be able to help you out in that regard... “

Of course, this was another situation with no easy solution. Mmm. Shunsuke feels as though words will be ineffective, and this Player seemed especially weighed down... “I believe you may benefit from a small gesture; I will be back quickly.”

Within two minutes, Shunsuke returned to the table, a to-go cup of green tea in hand. “There you are. I’d like to offer you tea in return for your troubles, on the house. If you would like to stay here for a moment, you are more than welcome to, and I have all the time in the world.”

“Certainly,” Shunsuke answers, entering the yen into the register and brewing up two to-go cups of green tea afterward. Two minutes later, the tea is presented to her over the counter. “Feel free to take it with you, however, you are equally welcome to stay.”

“Ah! Welcome to Tranquilitea, how may I help you?”

It never ceases to amaze Shunsuke how small Players can be-- he doesn’t dwell on this thought when Taiki requests the Dragon Couture pin, simply taking it out of the pin case near the small clothing section. “A good choice,” he began, and nods once after the Player pays for it. “Feel free to stay as long as you like. Would you like any tea?”

“I thought, at first, Ryely’s fee would be good for her. She gets to have the body she deserved y'know? No more having to be stuck in one place or taking breaks everytime she wants to do anything. But then she just kept smiling every time she was hurt. Always trying to hide it when I asked her. Funny how almost dying showed it was more than just her appearance that changed.” she says dryly. “I don’t know how I can make sure she’s safe if she literally can’t tell me if she’s not.”

As soon as Corona sits down in a chair, Shunsuke can tell from her demeanor that she’s in need of venting. “Hm... the best route may be to err on the side of cautiousness, I believe. Pay attention to any injuries and the actions of the opponents, perhaps? If she’s hit hard, it will most certainly hurt, even if you do not see her pain.”