Destiny Voyage (Completed)

Second Meetings (Part II)

Destiny Voyage- Second Meetings (part 2)

“I don’t want to eat that bread. That’s absolutely plain and icky.” The young boy complained to them with his arms crossed at the adults as they tried giving him a loaf of bread.

The little girl’s eye twitched a bit in annoyance. Her family wasn’t really that all well-off and they still had decided to adopt that pompous boy because they genuinely cared for his own safety and wellness unlike the others.

The other more affluent families around them that could have taken care of him simply rejected him in a day or two because of the attitude that he was sporting this very time. Now nobody wanted him.

He was a pain in the neck to speak of really.

“Okay here’s the deal.” He started out with a bargain to the adults around him. “You guys can go get me some special strawberry jam that originated from I don’t know, maybe from Baguio? And I might reconsider tasting the pitiful thing you call bread.” The young boy told them shrugging indifferently. “Just may-“

That was the last straw to her.

The little girl stomped her way all over the young boy whilst grabbing the loaf of bread and shoved all of it in his mouth while he was in mid-sentence.

“Okay you chew it and swallow all of it okay?” she smiled with her teeth baring out quite ferociously. “Some people work really hard just to afford that one loaf of bread and you’re here overlooking it like it’s some piece of trash.”she lectured the young male with such abhorrent righteousness that it could make an old monk simply weep in shame of his own lacking skills in lecture.

Hot and salty tears immediately welled up in the eyes of the young boy as he tried to stop himself from choking out the excess bread that were in his mouth.

“So be gracious enough to accept that okay?” she murmured quietly and kicked some dirt with her foot. “Let’s be family.” the young girl looked up with a small shy smile on her lips. “I want to have you as my older brother. . .” she told him softly

. . . . . . . . .

Sluuurp!

Sluuurp!!!

“Whoo. Hot hot.” Sora complained as she slurped up some of her freshly served hot ramen noodles with eggs and vegetables.

The waiter had meanwhile served Haichi with a roasted chicken, which was already grasping his knife and fork in antsy for his meal. Raiden was munching on his rarely cooked beef steak- enjoying every juicy bite. Meanwhile Cosette was eating her vegetable salad as slowly and tenderly as she could. She nibbled like a squirrel.

“Ahhh it’s been a long time since I’ve had such good food these days.” Haichi sighed happily while inhaling the savouring scent from his meal before he then quickly dug in the meal.

“Yeah. . .” Sora half-heartedly agreed with him as she slurped some of her ramen noodles. They were the most affordable one in the menu albeit the least delicious maybe.

She was doing her best in trying to save as much money as possible despite everything that happened to them. It did not mean she was willing to spend every piece of money at a drop of a hat for them accepting her into their team.

To be honest she also took all of the money from the recent sales in her assigned store so she was sure her mother and father were now fuming at poor little Rose for not only letting their only beloved and cherished daughter leave but give enough leeway to let her get money from the treasury.

“Mhmm it’s been awhile since I had beef this rare. After all it’s all thanks to our newest member Sora treat on us.” Raiden chuckled while looking at the menu once more to order something else perhaps. “Seriously Cosette you should pig out.”the guy said pointing at her fresh salad.

“You’re not going to gain weight by that method.” Haichi agreed as he drank some juice to quench his thirst. “I don’t think Sora would be willing to spend so much money on us next time.” He laughed to which Sora simply giggled back and raised a closed fist to signify a punch- playfully of course.

‘Please don’t order anything else. Please. Please!’ Sora inwardly chanted to herself as if almost a prayer to the Ones above.

“Oh I’m fine with just greens- too tired to eat heavily.” Cosette smiled wearily at the two men and their new team member before them. ‘Haichi can’t notice it because he is so oblivious and Raiden’s just ignoring it in exchange for a good meal. Men. They’re so much like mindless pigs’ she inwardly sighed at her teammate’s feeble minds.

“Oh that’s such a shame.” Haichi said while biting some more of his meat. “The food here is pretty great Cosette if you have noticed it. Top notch in class and actually a bit pricy too.” he explained sheepishly. Well to be honest, it was pricy even for the own group’s budget.

“Thankfully Sora’s got her gold no?” the young man smiled blissfully with such happiness that it made Sora feel a bit ashamed that she was being stingy with him.

“Yeah I’ve got some of my money.” The young woman nodded at Haichi while emphasizing the word ‘some’ to indicate her lack of money. ‘My whole week of salary that is what I have. I ain’t budging the sales money though- no way.’Sora decided within herself no matter what Haichi said to her.

. . . . . . . .

After she had entered the restaurant and out of his line of sight, he couldn’t just focus anymore at the several women all vying for his steadfast attention with her solely on his mind.

It was her.

It was really, really her.

Her determined jaded green eyes that resembled that of a majestic sky dragon

The way her slightly pinkish lips had been a small cross between a pout and a frown

How her locks of chocolate brown hair were still slightly unkempt and were now just a bit pass her shoulders.

The tiny little birthmark underneath her left eye that appeared like a scar

It was so much like her and nonetheless still so foreign. ‘Time can do much of a difference like that.’ He simply thought to himself in amazement when he had seen her.

He closed his eyes for but a moment and tried to calm his anxious mind. No easy string of ideas came across his mind or any train of thoughts at all. Sincerely he was lost on what to do at the spur of the moment, to let her simply be, maybe to enter the restaurant and pull her away from them and talk to her or merely to observe her from a safe distance?

He certainly won’t be able to perform the former- he would be unable to forget her. No matter how much he could try, it was definite that he would always seek her from now on. She would sneak back into the crevices of his mind. It had been so unbearable to be parted from her from all these years and now she was here right before him.

He could finally become a part of her life once more and for her to be intertwined with his life again.

Yet . . . what if he is unremembered by her? The look of horror simply passed his face for a second at the thought of himself barging in the restaurant and pulling her for an embrace to be only pushed away by her in shock or maybe disgust of his actions. For her to call him a freak and pervert would certainly stab his heart deep into the core.

It appeared that the last one was his only hope for now. He was to observe and see if she remembered but not scaring her into hiding or for her to harshly acknowledge him. She often held long grudges that’s what he knew of her- and he had done a grave mistake of not reconnecting with her any sooner than he actually wanted

He coughed ever so slightly to make it appear that he needed something to drink and soothe his dry throat, “I’m feeling a bit parched. Is anyone up for a drink with me tonight?” He smiled warmly at the females with him currently.

All the women cheered and started to grab his arm to vie for his sole attention. The young man steered a bit to help his own self from being crushed by them and they then entered the restaurant.

The waiters immediately bowed their heads- immediately recognizing a favoured customer; “Ah good sir, what shall it be tonight?” one asked grabbing their pen and ready to jot down the orders for the evening.

“I’ll be having some red wine and well pretty much whatever the women with me ask, and. . .“ he stopped for a moment. Having decided to continue with his plans he glanced around the vicinity to see her.

Noticing the place where they had been situated, he looked at the same time as Sora was about to swallow some of her ramen noodles. A small smile of amusement played on his lips as the girl nearly toppled over when she noticed him looking their way.

The young woman then tried so hard to act casually and yet it had been obvious to him that she had stared back a bit more than she would have liked.

It wasn’t a definite proof of acknowledgement though.

Several women always tended to gaze in his direction whenever he appeared. Such maybe the case now

He leaned over the waiter and whispered something in his ear. “A-ah. . .understood sir. We’ll prepare things immediately. You can situate yourself anywhere you please. My co-worker shall accompany you.” The young male waiter stated while a small sheen of sweat erupted from his forehead.

- - - - - - - -

“Gaah!”the waiter said as he entered the kitchen zone.

“What?” The grumpy cook asks him. “Is there a sudden bulk order?”

“Uh. . . well yes. Full house for one table. But one of the young masters just whispered into my ear real close!” he swooned.

“Get your gender straight my boy!”

“He smelled so niceeee. . .” the waiter continued. ( Note: The guy actually smells like a cat - Sora )

The cook sighed in dismay and continued with preparing the dishes.

- - - - - - - -

Sora hastily gulped the glass of cold water trying to ease her racing heart. The brunette’s hands were clammy and the glass was shaking as she tried to continue drinking.

“Um . . . are you okay dear? “ Cosette gently probed her and she smiled quickly. “Ah yes- just struck on how water can be so cold ha ha.” Sora laughed a bit.

“I’m still a bit hungry.” Haichi pouted. “Same goes here.” Raiden announced while patting his belly. “A warrior needs more protein.”

“Uhh can we order some more please? Pretty please?” Haichi begged Sora with puppy dog eyes.

‘Must resist. Must disagree. Must say no. . . his eyes ahh!’She inwardly fought a battle that lasted for a mere fifteen seconds.

The brunette woman inwardly sighed in defeat against the man’s prodding. “ Haichi,s-“ Cosette began to stop him.

“Some red wine and deliciously marinated ham for this table.” A waitress suddenly appeared with salivating-looking food for them?!

Sora quickly glanced (Raiden: GLARED) at Raiden and shot him a ‘Did you order this? I will kill you’look. He quickly raised his hands and shook his head to clarify his no part in it.

“Ha ha it seems Raiden already ordered us second servings.” Sora forced a laugh while discreetly giving him a ‘You will pay for this look.’Raiden suddenly seemed more paler in comparison to a ghost.

“Uh to be truthful young miss it’s on the house.” the waitress replied as she placed it on the table with the aroma wafting into their noses enticingly.

“You are very lucky tonight.” She smiled somewhat flakily at them. Sora wondered why the sudden hostility was given towards them. Did the waitress feel insecure around her or does an aura of hate surround her normally?

Haichi and Raiden immediately dove in the ham. Cosette daintily started pouring some wine on our glasses. “If you need anything else or want something- don’t hesitate to call anyone here.” The waitress continued speaking with a respectful but bored intone.

She bowed and walked away before she sneered slightly. “It must be because of that other pretty girl.” she murmured quietly.

Which Sora wouldn’t have heard if not for the continuous straining of her ears in the marketplace to accommodate to their customers

Sora immediately realized that this was not really on the house. Someone just paid for a full course buffet meal for them. The girl may have been spot on that someone admired Cosette and yet something nagged in the back of her mind.

With that small and silly grin of the male that he had given her- with his tiny fang protruding. She knew nobody else with that kind of smile.

Yet who knew, maybe Cosette was really attractive enough to gain admirers who would spend thousands to get her attention?

She looked around their vicinity. It was mostly filled with oldies and baldies of different race and colour. Sora cringed at the idea of an old frailly man courting Cosette.

‘Must erase that mental thought permanently’ Sora thought as she started sipping some wine. Rose always taught her how to behave properly in social settings. Rose even had no problem slapping Sora’s hand if it was necessary when she used the wrong fork or whatnot. Well during their sales of ceramic pottery and fine China tableware.

- - - - - - - -

After some few glasses of the red wine, He started to feel very lightheaded and tipsy. He usually held it quite well; this was absolutely strange to him.

Perhaps because he drank it a little too quickly, celebrating to seeing the person or simply trying to wash that person’s image from his mind’s eye? The young man couldn’t decide.

The women’s voice seemed like murmuring to him which he couldn’t understand at all. ‘Gah I am drunk.’ He thought and all the man could do was chuckle.

‘I don’t really believe in drowning one’s sorrows. Besides seeing her now certainly is not a sorrowful event.’ He thought to himself as he rested his hand on one cheek ever so slightly.

”So pretty. . .”the young man murmured to himself.

The women around me squealed thinking it was one of them. “Gah he called me pretty.” One shrieked. “No he called me beautiful!” the other argued. “You are both wrong- I’m the one who is dazzling in his eyes.” Another disagreed.

The male sweat-dropped, he loved the attention that one could get from girls admiring his devilish looks but the person wanted someone who wasn’t so superficial to appreciate him as a person that he was.

This was them also looking for praise for their outward appearances.

It was tiring you know? Constantly telling each girl how wonderful and perfect they are without making the other jealous.

A very impossible task indeed. You can’t serve two masters no?

The young man stood up and the women looked up to me in amazement. “Uh. . . where are you going?” they queried in surprise.

“To the prettiest girl in the room.” He simply murmured and started walking towards another table.

The girls sitting at the other table, not lucky enough to squeeze their way onto his table all looked up hopefully for a chance for recognition.

The person walked right past them and only stopped to get a single red rose from the vase before continuing his gait- it crushed their hearts.

The waitresses and even some of the waiters stopped their actions to stare at who the young man would approach.

“I was right all along.” a waitress quietly murmured as he neared the table of the person that the man had promised not to approach. Right now he couldn’t care less about promises.

“Uh he seems drunk.” A guy around his age whispered to the guy across his table. He looked nervous as he bit into some of his strawberry short cake.

“Don’t.” A beautiful maiden around his age as well clutched the sleeve of the orange-haired guy beside her who seemed to from the warrior class.

She was beautiful to him- quite a beauty however the young man’s attention was for only one person.

The person barely bothered himself with all the voices and murmurings around him as he reached the edge of the table.

The young lady was enjoying a sorbet of all sorts of flavours. The young man smiled somewhat dopily as he then kneeled in front of her and offered the rose.

“You look as beautiful as the roses that bloom in the forest and meadows compared to this one. You are the open and vast blue sky that captivates every-”

Then before he knew it, everything became spinning then too dark and lastly he lost all sight as the person felt a freezing cold that seemed melting.

. . . . . .

“Man was he so drunk.”Haichi laughed to himself in relief. He was thankful that Raiden had not need to draw his sword to protect Cosette from a drunkard man like him.

“Even approached Sora here instead of Cosette” Raiden added, shaking his head slightly in disbelief of how a person would choose a plain looking girl over the ever beautiful Cosette- not that he thought of her that way but it was obvious of course.

‘R-Robin. . .’Sora thought in surprise.