White Rabbit

Chapter 12: Chamomile Not Coffee

REECE

I glance at my watch -- which buzzes -- as I walk down the street with Essence, passing the black, metal rod, Gothic fence that surrounds the shrubbery to the nearby cafe. I press the side button on the golden frame with black details and a clicking sound occurs while the sound of gears spinning goes on and gears pop out of the side of my watch, a hologram appearing in the air with a message from Clattonia, who's wondering where I'm at. I sigh before smiling slightly and quickly press the button once more, which makes the gears go back into the watch, reminding myself to hurry back to her. And as I glance over at Essence, I feel like this is something I should explain in person. As we walk to the gateway to the cafe I motion towards it and Essence watches me carefully for a few seconds before walking through, me following behind her.

"After you," I say and motion towards a small, white, circular, corner table with two white wicker chairs and a small candle in a circular glass holder with red rose petals around the candle in the glass holder as well, vines wrapping around it with red roses blooming off of them.

Her dark brown eyes watch me nervously and cautiously as she carefully pulls out one of the chairs and sits down, the light illuminating off of her dark blue hair as it gets dark out and reflecting in her eyes. I grab the other chair and sit across from her, crossing my arms against my chest and leaning back in my chair while raising a brow at her.

"What?" She finally asks, moving her attention away from the nearby triple stone-tiered water fountain that rests against the vine covered wooden grating that has white roses on it by the shrubbery.

"Who are you?" I ask and she scrunches her eyebrows together in confusion, a small frown forming on her face.

"I don't understand, I told you I'm--"

"Essence Kaori. But that's your name, not who you are. So, who are you?" I ask once more.

"I'm just a girl who's been running her whole life," She says as she averts her gaze back to the water fountain, "Nothing special."

"Running because of your powers?" I raise a brow at her and she glances quickly back towards me, her eyes widening, "Or running because you're scared?"

"Both," She says after a while, "It's what I've been taught, it's how I survived after my parents were killed for being what they were -- Supernatural. I never thought it was right to hunt down people because others are afraid of the unknown, but I'm just as much of a hypocrite if I say I'm not afraid of the unknown either. It's why I always run. I'm afraid of others because I feel like I'm being hunted. Technically, I am, but it's made me distrusting of everyone, scared of everyone, and it made it hard for me to ever connect to anyone else. You can't be that bad given the fact that you didn't kill me back there and you saved me, so I guess that's why I'm telling you all this."

"I see," I say after a little while, "I'm sorry."

"Who were those people back there?" She asks quietly, "Kazuki, Misa, and Asylum."

"Misa and Asylum?" I raise my eyebrows in surprise, "The White Rabbit people? I'm not sure. I don't really know anything about them. I didn't even know their names until you told me, but Kazuki Rin is a Supernatural who follows nobody except himself. He's dangerous and his mind is unstable, guided by rage and hatred from his past, he's an assassin. I can't really blame him for his emotions, but the way he handled things disgusts me -- abandoning those closest to him, well the ones that he had left, simply because he couldn't put up with somebody else or try to accept people he hated that never did anything to him, unable to endure it for those that he loved and those who loved him, acting blindly on his emotions and running off. We're a lot alike, me and Kazuki, but I would never abandon those that I love and I strive to protect them with all that I have. I put up with shit for them and endure it because it means I get to be there for them, and I would never leave them. Kazuki and I are both cold, but it's a different kind of cold. Mine is distrust, protectiveness, and not putting up with random people's shit, yelling at them and setting them straight, while his is rage, hate, and bitterness."

"You mentioned a Caliber to Kazuki earlier, who is that?" Essence asks as she leans forwards more to admire the candle centerpiece in the middle of the table, which glows and burns softly, illuminating her face as her eyes watch it with wonder and a small smile forms on her face, her right hand hovering over the flame.

"Caliber is someone who he used to love, his childhood bestfriend, but he abandoned her. She's in my group," I explain.

"Oh," Essence says and frowns, looking back up at me and leaning back in her chair to her original position, clasping her hands in her lap and fiddling with them, "Reece, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" I raise a brow at her curiously and lean forwards, resting my elbows on the table and clasping my left hand over my right, resting my chin on my knuckles.

"Who's Clattonia?" Essence asks and my eyes widen slightly in surprise.

"How do you--"

"Sorry I'm so late!" Basil comes running out of the plexiglass doubledoors with dark brown wooden framing, carrying a silver circular tray in her right hand, her cerulean blue eyes that have brown and green flecks in them widening as she almost trips over a chair leg, her long, dark brown, wavy hair bouncing around as she maneuvers over to our table.

"It's fine," I chuckle as she arrives in front of us, brushing down her light purple dress bottom which ends at her ankles, and adjusting her dark brown belt, which has a white top that swoops down, being similar to a medieval shirt with the way the sleeves start at her shoulders and are tied at her elbows, making the rest of the sleeves flare out.

"Essence, this is Basil," I introduce the two, "Basil runs this cafe with some of her family and she's half Supernatural. Her father's a Vampire and she has a twin sister who runs an apothecary downtown."

"It's nice to meet you!" Basil smiles widely and curtsies, almost losing her silver platter in the process, fumbling to catch it and her eyes widening, breathing a sigh of relief and smiling nervously once she catches it.

"Basil!" A male voice shouts, making her jump anxiously, and a tall guy with blond, spiky hair and bright red eyes and a strong jawline marches out into the dining area, "I thought I told you to stop screwing around."

"And I thought I told you to stop harassing Basil," Another male voice comes from another tall male with dark blue hair, his red eyes piercing the blond with his gaze over his black framed glasses as he grabs ahold of the blond's shoulder tightly.

"These are my older brothers," Basil raises a hand to her lips and chuckles as the blond swallows hard nervously before clenching his jaw and ripping his shoulder away from his brother, brushing it off afterwards and huffing.

"I'm Shido," The dark blue haired male bows slightly to Essence and I raise a brow, "I'm the oldest out of all four siblings."

"It's nice to meet you," Essence smiles shyly and fidgets with her hands in her lap, "My name is Essence."

"And this is Katsuki," Shido smiles as he puts his hand back on his brother's shoulder, squeezing it tightly again, while Katsuki grimaces.

"It's nice to meet you too," Essence says and smiles at Katsuki as well.

"Y--Yeah," Katsuki stammers and glances off to the side, blushing slightly and crossing his arms, "Whatever."

"Would you like to order--" Basil starts, but my watch goes off again and her eyes get drawn to it questioningly.

"I'm sorry," I grimace slightly, "But we should be going now. I'll take two chocolate cherry dips to go, please. Oh, and two coffees -- one dark and..?"

"One Chamomile tea, please," Essence says.

"Coming right up," Basil smiles and saunters off to the kitchen happily, dragging her brothers by their arms along with her.

"Sorry," I chuckle, "But I took you as a coffee person."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't simply assume what I like and what I don't like," Essence says as her eyes bore into mine, "You might just be surprised."

My eyebrows raise slightly in surprise before a smirk makes its way onto my face. So, the shy girl has sass too. Interesting. Essence Kaori, I look forward to working with you, if you'll let me. And I really hope she does.