System malfunction || DC

Chapter Five

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Bittersweet

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Dick and Barbara entered the café with the flair and grace of two dogs fresh from a mud bath. Expressions of triumph that are obviously out of place. Barbara had been to the establishment many times before and thus, compared to Dick, wasn't as interested in the store's ambiance.

There was a distinct absence of color in the room. The style is easily defined as industrial. There are plenty of steel black seats with plush cushions, tall hanging light fixtures, and hardwood tables scattered about. A feature wall of green foliage and strategically positioned potted plants in the four corners of the space would be the only flourish of welcome.

Dick donned ill-fitting street clothing for his covert excursion to avoid drawing the attention of his target. Dressing for comfort rather than appearance is understandable. In doing so, he inadvertently merged into the café's style.

The cafes' flooring was refreshing, a smooth and almost liquid-like grey concrete that was considerably more polished and sophisticated than the sticky scent of the pavement outside.

The counter, to the right of the entryway, was equally as polished in its pattern of grey marble swirls. Savories and delectable sweets were promptly placed on the shelves of the display cases on each side of the cashier. The scent of buttery pastries and pollinated flowers warmed the otherwise bleakly shaded room.

Dick looked further, his eyes a torrent of blue, a cage of energy and turmoil.

He wasn't pleased with what he saw.

Clean. too sterile. According to online sources, the café has been operational for 37 weeks (about 8 months). Young, but not so new that scuff marks, surface scratches, and coffee stains were unavoidable. Nothing. There are no stains or surface scratches, and there are no scuff marks or dust specks. A forensic scientist would be suspicious of the lack of anything if they did a scan of the café.

You could eat off the floor. A review by Whiskey.

Barbara smiled with a giddy heart as Dick was suffering his third mental breakdown of the day. She was, of course, aware of Jocelyn's cleanliness tendencies. Barbara even went so far as to give the extraterrestrial a box of cleaning supplies after discovering the girls' unique hobby. Jocelyn was more than happy to give the girl a comprehensive evaluation of each product, including before and after photos. At least she liked the gift.

Levi Ackerman who? I only know Jocelyn Ylvera.

Dick stretched out with a calloused hand, grabbing Barbara's shoulder, her eyes drawn to a photo of a blue-haired woman with a kitten. If he had cared about the image, he would have sneered at how dominant the blue color was, making fun of how she resembled those e-girl trends on TikTok.

Fun fact: Whiskey was a stray cat that lived in the alley next to MoonBean. Jocelyn fed her for several weeks. One day, Whiskey showed up at the apartment building and claimed apartment 8C as her home.

"I knew this place was strange," he sneered, his low tone sounding like a croak. "Not a single blemish! See how clean the room is!" He made a long, sweeping gesture. Barbara didn't find it amusing or disagreeable. Her bottle-green eyes rolled at his juvenile apprehension, as his face shouted a childish, "I told you so."

"Oh yes, a tidy hospitality establishment, how harrowing."

Dick didn't enjoy the sarcastic remark, but he didn't get a chance to retort when a glob of blue bounced from behind the marble countertops to their right. He was struck by her towering figure, which overshadowed the woman next to him. Her beautiful peach skin glistened in the sun's rays, and the corner of her almond-shaped eyes crinkled with the broadening of her dazzling smile. His knees tingled.