The Second Archon War: Animula Choragi 4

Animula Choragi 4: La Bonne Cuisine 

Once more, Furina awoke early with Yennifer and Charlotte, and had a pleasant breakfast of sweet yogurt with some fruit. It was very different from the sour yogurts she’d had from Sumeru, and Furina rather enjoyed it. She’d always had a sweet tooth, and this ‘Danone’ stuff was very much that. 

“So, what are you going to do today?” Charlotte asked Furina curiously. 

“Honestly, I don’t know,” Furina admitted. “I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t desperately trying to avert the prophecy, living in fear that everyone would discover I wasn’t the Archon, just an ordinary human woman.”

“Take the day off, maybe stay around the apartment and watch some TV,” Yennifer suggested. “Though I’m afraid there really isn’t much to do in the apartment. We’ve just moved in, and the space is a bit cramped.”

Laze around all day? Furina hadn’t ever done that. Not in five centuries of life. 

“That sounds…nice,” Furina admitted. “I would like that…”

Then she remembered her current financial situation, and blushed. “But, um, shouldn’t I be searching for a job? I…I’m not certain what sort of work I’m fit for…”

“What was your job before? Like, head of state of Fontaine?” Charlotte asked curiously. 

“No, no, nothing like that!” Furina said, shaking her head quickly. “I was, well, honestly I was more of a mascot than anything else. I was very popular as the Archon, but I performed on stage or in the Opera Epiclese as a prosecutor or defendant, if a case was especially interesting to me. But, ah, I don’t think I know enough to practice law in France…or if I really want that sort of job again.”

“Well, you borrowed one of my textbooks, I could bring you some others from my office if you’re interested. You could clerk for me with a little training, I think, though you’re not fit to be a paralegal without a lot more studying, and perhaps some school,” Yennifer offered. 

“I think I would like that, but I would never want to become involved in a case until I fully understood the legal system. I spent years studying Fontaine’s, and even then there were times I overlooked some fine point or other,” Furina said with a heavy sigh. That loophole about Paimon being a balloon came to mind.

“How old are you, exactly?” Charlotte asked, her eyes narrowing. “You look younger than Yen, and she’s only 26.”

“Ah, well, um, I’m…not exactly sure. The Teyvan year is 360 days long, and, well, the period of a day could be entirely different from yours, so it would be rather hard to calculate,” Furina temporized, trying to find a way not to admit that she was actually five centuries old, possibly older. She really couldn’t remember her life before becoming Focalor’s double.

I was formed during the Archon War. I rose as one of Egeria’s advisors, becoming one of her most trusted Lieutenants, though not, admittedly, in any sort of combat role. I was one of the Oceanids who longed for humanity, and often took human form. Indeed, I did become human, albeit briefly. But those are memories you are not yet ready for, I think. 

Furina shook her head, the voice of Focalors distracting her. “I’m sorry, what did you say, Charlotte? My mind drifted for a moment.” 

 “Oh I was just saying that you’ll have to write it out for me so I can calculate it! Think of it, I could publish the first accurate Teyvan Calendar!” Charlotte said eagerly.

“After school,” Yennifer said firmly. “And let poor Furina have a day off. She’s been through hell. You know what I was like right after I came to find you after the War. I imagine she’s had a similar experience. Seeing friends die, constant struggle and stress…give her a break, Lotte.” 

“Oh, um, sorry. I know I can be…uh, kind of a lot,” Charlotte said, blushing. “I guess the Truth can wait…for a little while.”

Both Charlotte and Yennifer ended up departing not long after. Before leaving, Yennifer showed Furina how to work the television, as well as the DVD player. Furina browsed the available titles. There were a lot of legal dramas, but Furina honestly did not want to watch something serious right at the moment, even if those were ordinarily her favorite. She ended up selecting something called “H” which claimed to be a comedy and featured, “Humour, Histoire et Hôpital.” 

For the next few hours, Furina was absolutely glued to the TV as she watched the misadventures of the staff of a hospital. She laughed until her sides hurt, and frankly forgot all about her troubles as she giggled and gasped when the raunchier jokes came on. It felt slightly naughty to her, Fontainian society was much more uptight, but it was also something of a relief.

She finished the first two disks of the set, when Furina’s stomach rumbled. She considered going to the refrigerator to simply take out whatever was left over from the previous night’s dinner, but decided against it. On a whim, she got dressed, brushed out her hair, and took the purse she’d gotten the day before, along with her wallet. She counted out 100 francs, leaving the rest on Yennifer’s desk. Then, taking the spare key Yennifer had given her, Furina stepped out of the apartment. 

She was slightly nervous as she made her way down the hall to the elevator. She almost felt like someone would cry out, “there she is, the false Archon, arrest her!” But of course, no one did. She didn’t even see anyone until she got down to the lobby, and then it was only an older man who nodded to her politely before brushing past her into the elevator once she’d gotten out. 

Standing in front of the doors, Furina stared at the street outside. It wasn’t terribly busy, but there were those cars going by, as well as people walking about their business. It was lunchtime, so various workers were out and about, getting food. 

Taking a deep breath, Furina made herself go out onto the street, clutching her purse to herself. At first, she cringed, hoping no one would notice her, then something occurred to her. 

This is a role I have to play. I need to be Furina de Fontaine. Frenchwoman, for whom it is perfectly ordinary to walk down the streets of Paris. I’m new in town, visiting my dear friend Yennifer, but I have every right to be here. 

Her back straightened, her eyes went forward, and Furina walked confidently down the street. She put just the right amount of sway in her step. Not something saucy, or the arrogant saunter that the Hydro Archon used, but the quick, confident steps of a woman who had somewhere to be, and knew how to get there. 

Only, where was she going? She wasn’t quite sure. 

She ended up at the train station, and used the metro pass that Yennifer had helped her purchase the day before. She selected the line she was familiar with, and rode to the stop near Yennifer’s office. She wasn’t headed there, however. There were only so many people in this city that she knew, so she headed for the one place she was certain to run into familiar places. 

“Welcome to Wanmin Restaurant, how many-Oh! Lady Furina!” 

Julie scurried up to Furina, a wide grin on her face. “I’m so glad to see you again! Please, have a seat anywhere. Is Yennifer coming, or are you by yourself?”

“Just me today, Julie,” Furina said, giving the other woman a shy smile. The restaurant wasn’t packed, but there were several parties eating lunch, from lone office workers to older couples and one mother with a few young children. Half of the restaurant’s guests felt French, while the other half felt like they belonged to someone else.

Felt French? Belonged to someone else? What in the Primordial Sea did that mean? 

You can sense them already. Though I still shield you from your mantle, you have already begun the process, and it cannot be reversed. You feel the souls of those who are yours, and can feel those whose ancestry is of other lands. There is something there. An echo, perhaps. Or more accurately, an echo that will be there, one day. I wonder.

Trying to ignore Focalors’ voice, she was quite done with all that, Furina let Julie take her to a corner table, and handed her a menu. “I’ll be right back! Sorry, it’s just me as usual, and the lunch rush is always killer.”

Furina nodded, looking around the restaurant. She did feel…something. From those who were obviously French, she could sense a…connection? Odd. She’d never felt that way about her fellow Fontainians, beyond the normal bonds of fellowship that countrymen shared. But the other half, those who looked Liyuese, or perhaps Inazumi,  she felt…it was hard to describe. But it was like feeling the pressure in the air before a rainstorm. Not something that had happened, but something that surely would. 

She was so wrapped up in it that when Julie scurried back after several long minutes, she started. 

“Oh, um, Sweet and Sour soup and some Fonta-er, you don’t have Fonta, do you?”

“We have Fanta, is that what you mean?” Julie asked, smoothing back a lock of hair from her sweaty brow. 

“Ah, yes,” Furina lied. She just had to hope that this ‘Fanta’ was drinkable.

“Great, I’ll put your order in,” Julie said with a smile. “Will you be wanting a main course as well?”

“I need some more time,” Furina pleaded, and Julie nodded, hurrying off to help more customers. 

To her surprise, Ling came out with her soup, along with several spring rolls. “Hello, Furina!” she said brightly. Though she said ‘Ni Hao’ not ‘Bonjour.’ 

“Oh, thank you, Ling. Busy today?”

“Yeah, Easter Sunday was a dumb day to be open I guess, hardly anyone came in. Guess I didn’t realize how important the holiday was,” Ling laughed, still speaking Chinese. It was easy enough for Furina to follow, so she replied in kind. 

“Well, I was grateful, the food was delicious. What do you recommend that’s something sweet, not spicy?”

“Well, orange chicken is always popular. It’s not really a proper traditional Chinese food, but we put it on the menu because it always sells like gangbusters. If you want something more authentic but still with a nice sweetness, I can whip you up a batch of pearl meatballs. They’re not on the normal menu, but for you I’d be happy to!” 

“The pearl meatballs sound wonderful,” Furina said, handing Ling her menu. “Thank you.”

More people entered the restaurant, and Furina enjoyed the lively atmosphere. She also was rather taken with her food, enjoying the vegetable crunch of the spring rolls and the sweet and savory soup. It really did remind her of Liyuese food, which wasn’t a bad thing. She’d dined on that often enough, depending on what the fashion was at the moment. Though she did try to avoid the spicy dishes. She recalled one dinner where she’d had something that had her gasping for breath and chugging milk, much to the amusement of the guests. She’d played it off, but had very much not enjoyed making a spectacle of herself. 

A frantic Julie brought Furina’s food over sometime later, quickly setting down a platter of what looked like rice dumplings. “Sorry for the wait! It’s a madhouse today!”

“Don’t worry about it, the soup was wonderful,” Furina said as Julie whisked away those dishes. 

As she ate, the lunch crowd just intensified, and Furina did her best to eat quickly, enjoying the savory yet sweet dish. It was rather different from what she was used to, but there was no denying the flavor and texture was exquisite. When she finished, Furina sighed and leaned back, relaxing for several moments. 

Then she blinked. What did she do now? What was the etiquette for paying a bill here? She honestly wasn’t sure what the etiquette for paying a bill even was in Fontaine. Everyone knew who Lady Furina was, half of them wouldn’t charge her, and the other half would just bill the Palais Mermonia. How that even worked, Furina had no earthly clue. 

So, she walked over to the kitchen, where Julie was hurrying in and out. “Um, excuse me-”

“I’ll get with you in a moment!” Julie said, bustling back out. “Sorry, we’re really backed up! If you’re looking for the WC, it’s just through the door there.”

Furina glanced that way, then heard Chef Mao call in Chinese, “Yu! I’m nearly out of dishes! We need some clean ones!”

“I haven’t had time to clean them!” Julie called back in the same language. 

“Do you need help?” Furina asked nervously, poking her head in the door. 

Chef Mao blinked at Furina. “What? You’re a customer! Or are you saying you can’t pay?”

“No, no, I just…I’m actually looking for a job,” Furina admitted. “And er, I don’t have that much work experience, so-”

“You’re hired,” Mao cut her off, pointing towards a sink that was piled high with dirty dishes. “You clean those! I especially need plates!”

“Oh! Right!” Furina agreed, stepping towards the sink.

“Here!” Ling called, tossing Furina an apron, a paper hat, and a pair of gloves. “Put those on.”

Furina complied, and then got to work cleaning. She was, to be blunt, rather bad at it. She’d never really cleaned dishes before, but it was one of those things that was so simple that it wasn’t exactly hard to figure out. Julie quickly showed her how to use the three separate sinks: one of hot soapy water, one of warm water with no soap, and a third with a disinfectant that they were dunked in before being stacked in a rack for drying. 

Furina made a tremendous mess, getting soapy water everywhere, and taking much too long on the first few dishes, until Ling yelled at her to “Hurry it up, I’m out of plates!” 

 The frantic pace Furina set made even more of a mess, getting her practically soaked in the hot water and getting plenty of liquid in her gloves, to the point that she ripped them off and tossed them in the trash can in frustration. Still, she did manage to keep up with Ling’s demands for new plates, barely, though the pile of dishes never seemed to actually diminish. 

Finally, after an hour of scrubbing, things began to die down, and Julie came over to help Furina deal with the mess. “Thanks, you really saved us. I don’t know what we would have done without you! Normally we’re much busier on Fridays and Saturdays, not on a Wednesday lunch hour!”

“Well, it’s one way to work off my meal,” Furina laughed, then glanced down at her hands. They were red and puffy, with her fingers having pruned. She’d also chipped several nails, which she’d have to deal with later. But somehow…somehow it was all very satisfying. It was only some dirty dishes, yes, but Furina had dealt with a problem. Maybe it wasn’t of cosmic importance, but did that matter? She’d helped some friends, and she’d done a job. Maybe not a good job, but she was learning quickly. 

“Ever washed dishes before?” Chef Mao asked, glancing at the slick floor and haphazard pile. 

“Um, no, actually,” Furina admitted. “I, um…I grew up very privileged…and, er, I’m used to having someone else prepare my meals, or just use disposable containers.”

“Don’t feel bad, I grew up pretty rich too,” Ling called, bustling in from helping wait tables while Julie washed. “Though dad did make me learn how to clean dishes at the restaurant, a servant did all my laundry and we had a driver who took us everywhere. What happened to you? Endbringer? Or Archon?”

“Um, well, neither. More just…things changed. And the life I had was gone,” Furina admitted, going back to scrubbing dishes. A few tears ran down her red cheeks, and she shook her head, trying to force them away. “But that’s all over, now. I’m starting over.”

“You were some sort of singer or actor, right?”  Julie asked. 

“Yes,” Furina admitted. “You said you were a singer as well, right?”

“I want to be one, I trained for it,” Julie said, furiously scrubbing at the dishes. “But I’m almost always ‘not what we’re looking for.’ It’s because I don’t look French.”

“Oh,” Furina said, wilting. She touched her blue hair absently and winced. “Um, I am thinking of dyeing my hair a more…natural color…and you can see I’ve started wearing contacts…”

“I noticed that, figured you didn’t want to draw attention. Blue hair is assorted with Cryo Visions, and that’s not the sort of notice you want,” Julia said with a shake of her head. 

Furina very nearly asked about Hydro Visions, but then reminded herself, The Hydro Archon has yet to appear…

The world awaits with baited breath for you to take the stage, dear Furina. For now, I am withholding Visions, while you decide upon your ideal. Hurry. I cannot do so for long. I sense the ambition of these mortals, and I long to recognize it. But it is your Aspect that must be recognized, not my own. Though I wonder…as my daughter, as my mortal self…how different will yours be?

Furina shook her head again, trying to focus on washing dishes. But tears still trickled down her cheeks. 

“You alright?” Julie asked quietly. 

“No,” Furina whispered. “Everyone I loved now hates me, and everything I knew is gone. I suppose there’s Yennifer and Charlotte, and you, and Ling, and Mr. Mao, but…but it’s all gone. I have to start over. But I don’t know who I am. Where I am. What I should do…”

Julie wiped her hands off on her apron, then gave Furina a hug, which shocked her. She froze at the unexpected contact, but when she looked down at Julie, she saw the other woman was weeping. 

“You’re just like us,” Julie whispered. “My parents, Ling’s mother…all of China…it’s just gone now.”

Slowly, Furina lifted her soapy hands, then returned Julie’s hug. “Yes. But it’s OK. We’re still alive. We’ll find out what comes next. And find our Justice.”

“Ha! I don’t think we’ll ever have justice against the Raiden Shogun,” Julie laughed bitterly. She let Furina go, then gave her an embarrassed bow. “Sorry! I know that was rude, it’s just…I remembered your song. It was so sad, so tragic…you just…you understand us, don’t you?”

Furina slowly nodded. Julie wasn’t like Ling or Mao. She also wasn’t quite like the other French people. She felt like she was…sort of someone Furina knew? It was very strange. “I suppose.”

“Alright, Julie, go take your break,” Mao ordered. “We’ve got an hour before the dinner crowd starts coming in. Furina, you’re a lifesaver, get those dishes finished. For someone who’s never washed dishes before, that wasn’t half bad.”

“Oh! Thank you!” Furina said, and beamed happily at Mao.

He blinked at her, then rubbed his chin. “You were actually serious, weren’t you? Back to work! No break until Julie and Ling get there.”

“What about you?” Furina asked, turning back to her sinks. 

“Ha! Head chefs don’t take breaks,” Mao laughed, and got back to his cooking. 

Furina ended up getting a short break to sit down and have some more of the Fanta, which was rather like Fonta in that it was a sweet, citrus-flavored sparkling beverage that was probably very bad for you, but tasted delightful. To her surprise, Chef Mao sat down with her, taking off his hat and drinking a similar beverage, though his was dark brown instead of bright orange. 

“Right, we’ll have to fill out the paperwork to hire you properly,” Mao said, running a hand through his thick dark hair, though it was going grey in places. “That probably won’t be an issue, but bring your official documents tomorrow and I’ll figure out what paperwork to fill out. I’m afraid we can’t offer much, no more than ₣7.60 an hour. We’ll get you in front of the house to get some tips too, that way you’re not just washing dishes all the time.”

“Oh! Um, thank you,” Furina said, blushing. “I, um…well, I have a fairly good idea of how a waiter is to behave, but you’ll have to show me how to properly take orders. You use some sort of shorthand?”

Mao grimaced. “Actually, we use Chinese characters. I don’t suppose you’re familiar?”

“Oh, so you mean, for sweet and sour soup, you’d write this?” Furina asked, then wrote down 酸辣汤 on a napkin, which meant ‘sour spicy soup.’ 

“Hey, that’s perfect! Who taught you calligraphy?” Chef Mao asked, picking up the napkin and raising an eyebrow. 

“Um, er…I studied Chinese for a role I took,” Furina offered. Which was sort of true. Only that role was “Furina the Chinese Restaurant Kitchen Worker” and the studying had been “whatever magic had been worked on her.” 

“Well, that makes it easier. We’ve been talking about getting more help since the restaurant’s been getting more and more popular. They really like Ling’s cooking,” Mao said, his broad face breaking into a wide smile. “My daughter isn’t so bad, eh?”

“Yes, she’s one of the finest chefs I’ve met,” Furina said, and realized she meant it. Everything she had eaten at Wanmin had been delicious. 

“Ha! You’re too kind, but at least it’s keeping a roof over our heads. At the beginning, I was pretty worried, actually. But, word’s gotten around. It was one of our only slow days when you came in on that Sunday. Something about a holiday, I don’t understand it.”

Furina nodded. She had no idea what Easter was herself. 

“I’m just surprised you’re not getting a job at a theater as a singer or actor. That song you sang,” Chef Mao’s eyes got misty for a moment. “It was…I can’t describe it. Powerful. Yes. Very powerful.”

“Well, a lot of actresses have to support themselves with a second job,” Furina said. That was, to the best of her knowledge, true. At least, she’d read a number of articles about some starlet or other who had been working at a restaurant up until they got their big break. She, obviously, had never done any such thing, at least not until now. But Archons didn’t get their hands wrinkly with soapy water. 

You will truly be an Archon of the people. You will know what Justice is, because you will know their pains, their struggles, in a way that one who was only ever a god could never do so. I am so, so proud of you, Furina. 

Honestly, Focalor’s voice in Furina’s head would be getting annoying if it wasn’t so warm and loving. It actually made Furina tear up a little, but she did her best to play it off. Wouldn’t do to cry over hallucinations, after all.

“Well, I’ll be happy to learn on the job, and it’s a comfort to know I’ll have some income, even if a modest one.” She was fairly certain ₣7.60 an hour wasn’t much. Yennifer had said ₣5000 was enough to live on frugally for a couple of months, which meant she would have to work about 660 hours. A normal workweek was 60 hours, so it would take her three months to earn that much. Still, it was a start, and at least she’d be contributing something. 

“Good, now get ready, the dinner crowd will be here starting at about 7:30pm, and we’ll need all our dishes cleaned before then.”

Furina did manage to get all the dishes cleaned, and Julie went over with her how to wait tables, having Furina practice with a few customers who wandered in around 4pm. 

“A lot of places close down for the afternoon, but we don’t. Mostly because up until recently, we were barely scraping by,” Julie explained. “Plus, we’re not really a traditional Parisian dining experience, and people expect Chinese at all hours of the day, so we’re open from 11am to 11pm, six days a week.”

Ah, apparently they hadn’t passed reforms in this world to limit working hours. Furina would have to ask Yennifer about that one. In Fontaine, Furina had championed workers rights, and forced factories to pay a minimum wage, as well as give a lunch break of no less than 20 minutes, and limit a workers hours to no more than 60 per week. 

“That sounds exhausting,” Furina said, but added a smile. “I’m used to long hours though.” That was something of an exaggeration, as while she had limited workers hours, she had placed no such limits on herself. If she hadn’t required sleep, she would have struggled around the clock to find a way to save Fontaine. 

“We won’t make you work that long, don’t worry! We really only need a washer during the dinner and lunch rushes. The shifts will be inconvenient, but we’ll make it work. Uncle Mao has been saying we need to hire new people, so this is just a stroke of good fortune,” Julie told her.

The first order Furina took was from a middle aged couple who stood out to her. For one thing, they were chubbier than everyone else, with loud hats and shirts that read “I <3 Paris” and “Eiffel Tower” on them, along with odd pouches that rested on their hips. Plus, they just didn’t feel like anyone else she’d seen.

“Hello, welcome to Wanmin Restaurant, what can I get for you? Would you like to start with some soup and drinks?” Furina said, smiling as Julie watched from the side. 

“Oh great, you speak English, I was worried!” the woman said. “That wasn’t mentioned on Yahoo Reviews for this place.”

Oh dear, Furina thought, glancing nervously at Julie, as she’d just revealed yet another language that she spoke flawlessly. Julie just gave her a thumbs up, and mouthed “Tourists.” 

Oh no. Hydro Dragon protect us all…

“Yeah I’m gonna need a diet coke, and my wife wants iced tea. Do y’all have iced tea?” the man asked. 

Ice in tea? Furina had never heard of such a thing. “We, um, do have tea, and I am sure we could put some ice in it?” Furina said, looking to Julie, who shrugged and nodded. 

“Great, just make sure there’s plenty of sugar,” the woman said. “We’ll start with egg drop soup and crab rangoon.”

“Of course, I’ll be right back with the drinks and put that in,” Furina said, then hurried away. “Why would you put ice in tea?” she whispered to Julie.

“They’re Americans. It’s something they do. They want an unholy amount of sugar in it, but it’s not hard to make,” Julie confided. “Good job! But unfortunately, now we’ll make you wait all the tourist tables. My English is only so so, and Ling and Uncle Mao don’t speak it at all.”

Great. Just what Furina wanted. 

Overall, the tourist Americans weren’t so bad, even if they were rather loud and demanding. They did, however, leave a massive tip, which Julie told Furina was highly unusual. “America tourists are either the best customers ever because they are so friendly and tip so well, or the worst because they’re spoiled brats who get mad if you don’t speak English. Though for you, that won’t be a problem.”

The dinner rush was just starting around 7pm, with Furina helping to wait tables, running back and forth to deliver drinks, dishes, and orders to the kitchen. It was again, rather fun, and Furina liked talking with people and making them laugh and smile. It was novel being the servant instead of the one receiving the service, but it was a role Furina was well prepared for.

At around 7:30, a frantic Yennifer accompanied by Charlotte burst into the restaurant, looking around frantically. Furina hurried over, smiling at her. “Bonjour! Welcome to-”

“THERE YOU ARE!” Yennifer cried, and grabbed Furina by the arms, her expression wild. “Furina, we’ve been looking EVERYWHERE for you! I was this close to calling Cookie and mobilizing the knights!” 

“Ah ha, my investigative instincts strike again! I told her we should visit the places you were familiar with!” Charlotte chortled. She looked Furina in her apron up and down. “Got a job already, huh? Couldn’t even relax for one day?”

“Um, well, it was a little unintentional, but-” Furina noted someone raising a hand for attention, and shook her head. “Here, let me get you a table, I’ll have to clear one off, just wait over there, I’ve got customers to see to.”

Furina hastily saw to the needy customer, then cleaned off a small table for Yennifer and Charlotte and seated them. Charlotte was grinning from ear to ear, while Yennifer basically collapsed and looked on the edge of a heart attack. 

“Yen was seriously spazzing out as soon as she came home and you weren’t there. She called me at school and we were practically combing the city! Then I told her, ‘well, where would Furina go?’ and she mentioned you’d eaten here, so I said we should check, and here you are!” 

“Oh, ah, sorry. I intended to just come here for lunch, but then I ended up washing dishes, and now I’m waiting tables,” Furina explained. “Um, can I start you off with the sweet and sour soup?”

“Yep yep! And some crispy wonton too, please!” Charlotte said. “I’ll have a mineral water.”

“Give me a beer,” Yennifer groaned. “Something dark.”

“Of course! And, um, sorry about worrying you,” Furina said, bowing to Yennifer. 

“It’s fine, but tomorrow, we’re getting you a verdammt phone,” Yennifer grumbled. 

“Um, Yennifer and her sister are here, um, apparently they were looking for me,” Furina told Ling when she put in the orders. 

Ling laughed. “Oh, Yen just likes to worry! Don’t bother getting their orders, I’ll whip up something just for them! Those two like vegetarian dishes, and I have some whopper flower parts I’ve wanted to experiment with! That’s totally vegetarian, right?”

“Uh, I suppose?” Furina hazarded. 

The resulting eggplant and whopper flower tofu did indeed wow both Yennifer and Charlotte, who tucked in with gusto.

“What time do you think you’ll be getting home?” Yennifer asked Furina when she came to clear away their dishes. 

“Um, I don’t know? We close at 11pm, but I’m the dishwasher, so I suppose I’ll be done whenever those are all clean,” Furina admitted. 

“She’s got a key, Yen, and Furina’s a big girl! Or do you want to stay and walk your girlfriend home?” Charlotte teased. 

Both Yennifer and Furina blushed and glared at Charlotte, who just fluttered her eyelashes guilelessly. 

“You think you can get home by yourself safely?” Yennifer asked. 

“Sure, it’s only a short train ride away,” Furina said with a nod. “Um, it’s not too much trouble, I hope?”

“No, I just…well, I panicked a bit. Visions of you ending up in a lab somewhere getting dissected,” Yennifer said with a shudder. 

“Er, I will…try to avoid that,” Furina said with a wince. 

Charlotte and Yennifer departed, though it was two more hours of frantic work for Furina. She had no idea how Chef Mao, Ling, and Julie had ever managed before, as it felt like too much work for four people, let alone just three. 

At the end of it, Furina collapsed into a chair. Her hands were pruned, her nails chipped and battered, her feet felt like they would fall off, and she’d cried twice when customers had been rude to her. 

“Good work,” Chef Mao said, and placed a stack of francs on the table in front of Furina, along with a plate of something hot and steamy. “Here, Ling made this.”

Ling and Julie sat down with them, and they all popped open several bottles of wine. They ended up laughing and chatting until well after midnight, when Furina, half drunk, stumbled to the metro and back to the apartment. To her shock, Yennifer was waiting at the kitchen table for her, and sprang up as soon as the door opened. 

“H-hey! What are you doing up so late?” Furina slurred. 

“I was worried about you, silly,” Yennifer said. “You’re an alien who hasn’t even been here a week!” She sniffed at Furina and wrinkled her nose. “Are you drunk?”

“No.” Furina hiccuped. “Um, maybe? A little? We just…we just had a couple of bottles of wine after the shift…”

“Well you’re not getting in bed until you shower. Come on,” Yennifer sighed, and pushed Furina into the bathroom.

After a brief rinse, Furina collapsed into bed next to Yennifer, looking up at the ceiling, her body half numb. “You know something?” Furina whispered as Yennifer switched the light off and came to lie beside her.

“Hmm?” 

“Today…today was…was a good day. I felt…normal,” Furina said, her mind fuzzy and full of fog.

“That’s good. Sleep well,” Yennifer said, rolling over. 

“Gotta do it again tomorrow though. Be there by noon,” Furina said to herself. 

“Then we’ll wake up early to buy you a phone. Get some sleep, I’ve turned the alarm off,” Yennifer told Furina.

“Thanks. You…you’re my best friend,” Furina said, and rolled over to hug Yennifer. Then she rolled back over and fell asleep, never seeing the blush on Yennifer’s face in the darkness. 

Author’s Note:

If I could have found a reasonable way for Furina to become a carpenter I would have. But a blue-collar dish washer/waiter will have to do.