Through Space and Time

12. Opposites

In this world, there were polar opposites that co-exist in nature. One can't live without the other. One can't be without the other. Light and dark, heat and cold, affinity and indifference, life and death, to name a few.

And to see two of them, chat and eat cake in a coffee shop, truly fascinating.

"The thing is," the gothic lolita drew circles in the air with her fork, "they run in circles!" And angrily took another bite of her moist strawberry cake.

Understanding as she was, Lanna, quietly sipped her tea, and nodded. She let her long time friend rant: all about work, all about her boss, all about her client's problems. A random "yes" and "yeah" here and there, to hint at her friend that she still listened. The goddess secretly hoped, that in between the annoying blabbers, her friend will find a solution herself.

"The kids want to go to school, the mother wants them to return safely," Miu slammed both of her hands to the table, garnered the short attention span of the coffee shop goers. Twin tails' lady leaned to her friend's direction, gritted her teeth, "but they can't, you know why--?"

"Please keep you voice down," an old man in the coffee shop's uniform appeared beside Lanna, smiled politely at them.

Lanna glanced at the old man. Too old to be an employee must be the owner, she deducted. "I'm sorry about my friend," then an apologetic smile. The owner glanced at Mui once more, nodded, and then left. She let out a relieved sigh, and when Lanna turned back to her friend, she's gone. The half-eaten cake, stabbed with a fork, left on the table.

"Ugh!" Lanna grunted. She then put a hand on her nape, eyes closed and head turned up to the ceiling, "I love you, but you shoot up my blood pressure!"

And as if on cue, the shop's doorbell chimed. Lanna's attention turned to it, with one eye on the door, and still massaging her nape. Then entered the gray-suited troublesome man, with an equally troublesome midget behind him. She frowned, mumbled under her breath, "same as those guys."

Ray noticed Lanna and sat with her, while Brett went straight to the counter.

To the shorter man's luck, the last person in the queue just had been served. Immediately it was his turn. With a bright smile, to Eddy behind the counter, matched with dainty fingers, "two matcha lattes, please."

"Sure thing," Eddy smiled back. Then he glanced at the table Brett usually sat on. Occupied. Internally, he sighed, he thought about putting a 'reserved' sign on it earlier. Brett's a regular, and Andy gave him freebies when the old man's on the shop too. So, its... okay? 'Reserved.' It's just a card, really. Should be easy, but... "you can sit with your friend," eyed to Ray and Lanna's direction, then back to Brett, "I'll serve."

Scratching the back of his head, glasses-guy shyly chuckled, "he's..." glanced at his friends' table, "kind of... hitting on her." Not a lie, 'kind of,' was not exactly correct, right? Then his hands fell to the hem of his jumper, almost inaudible, "don't wanna disturb them..."

It's Eddy's turn to chuckle. "Okay," as he got tall glasses from below the counter and fixed for the orders. The employee smiled to himself.

Bright eyes behind Brett's glasses, watched the man as he worked on. With a wide smile and pink on his cheeks, as he imagined of a morning where Eddy cooked breakfast for him as he set the table for them both. With both hands on his cheeks, the shorter squealed internally.

Lanna stood up, hands upon the air, "from the party the other night," grabbed her cup and chugged down the coffee in one go, "I don't know you guys!" She slammed the cup to the saucer and walked away.

Ray laughed, "you can't deny us, Lanna!" he shouted at the goddess' direction.

And before she held on the glass door's handle, she had a vision. She stood frozen by the door, unmoving. As if time stood still around her, images of the possible future played in her mind. Then a high-pitch squeal.

Patrons gave her looks, the same as the employees and her friends.

Giggling, she rushed back to Ray's table.

With a disgusted face, Ray scooted away from Lanna, "I thought you don't know me?"

Brett came with the orders and sat beside Ray. As he sipped his matcha latte, "she's crazy," he deadpanned.

She grabbed Ray's share of drinks, despite the gray man's protest. Lanna slapped away Ray's hand as he tried to get his drink back. "Too late," she said, as she put down the empty cup at the table. Then smiled, foam on the corners of her lips.

Pointing at his own mouth, Brett, "you have a... here," then continued to sip his drink.

"Oh!" Lanna wiped it with a hand, then leaned to the other god's direction. "I had a vision," she giggled.

The spectacled god gave her looks.

Ray raised an eyebrow, had a grudge in his voice, "do I look like I care?" as he leaned backward and waved to the counter for a new latte.

Excited, Lanna, "a new god will be born!"

-

Somewhere. At a dining room, where two school kids seated, chanting for their favorite meal. A lady sat with them, who seemed not to blend in.

"Hm," she had an epiphany.

From the kitchen, the mother emerged. With a smile on her face and a newly cooked dish at hand, she served the food on the table.

As she stabbed her fork to a piece of chicken, Miu, "another god will fall."