Working fast food is not exactly a stretch of the brain. I mean, it's exhausting, and every moment a customer is about to do something stupid and make you and your coworkers break out the fucking mop bucket again, but the actual routine is mind numbingly dull. Some days it feels like BaobaCo has reached its squid-mascoted tentacles down your throat to feed you the words.
It's got you by the throat again. "Hi, welcome to Baoba, how can I help you today?"
The girl drums her fingers on the counter. She's wearing a black facemask screenprinted with wolf teeth, or maybe something gnarlier, big tusks. Real edgy. Kinda cute. She hums. "I'd like a rose milk tea, half sweet, with black jelly, please."
Your fingers punch the keypad mechanically. "Rose milk tea, half sweet, black jelly. Any snacks for you today?"
The girl hums again, though the mask hides her exact expression. "Mm... hold on." And she reaches into her pocket and fishes out a doll.
A little marionette thing, face carved with the same wooden tusks as the girl's mask, but otherwise beautifully made; its little limbs and fingers all articulated. It sits in the girl's palm as if leaning comfortably against a tree. "What do you think?" the girl asks it.
The doll's head tilts sideways. Its little marionette jaw clacks open. "Get the popcorn chicken," it advises in the girl's exact own voice. "You'll need the energy in the coming fights."
The girl nods seriously and slides the doll back into her pocket. "Add one popcorn chicken, please."
Rote habit overrides bemusement and your fingers punch the order in too. "That'll be 130.5 wen, please."
The girl reaches into her pocket again, frowns, rummages around a little. Her hand's caught on something. She pulls a little harder, and a little harder and finally yanks, and her whole arm falls apart.
The hand tumbles out of her pocket, metal ball-and joint threaded with all the little threads that must pull the musculature. Her forearm too, dangling from her upper arm. An elbow-cap or something twists free and threatens to tangle in the now exposed threads.
The girl stares down at her arm, ignoring the shrieks of literally everyone in line behind her. She looks back up at the menu again. She sighs, deeper than you have ever heard anyone sigh, almost as deeply as you feel it in your soul right now. She looks back down at you. "Sorry. Better make that two orders of popcorn chicken."
I LOVE YOUR WRITING! I am so excited for beneath the ashes of our broken oaths (can i start calling it baoba lol) to get started.
How many parts do you think it will be?
Also what are the other series you are talking about? Any previews?
OMGG stop i love you. and yes baoba sounds so funny i love it. i currently have 15 parts planned! theres a lil delay now because im working on a research proposal that i have to submit and thats taking ALL of my time.
as for other series..... HERES SOME OF MY FAVS!! im wondering if i should make the series masterlists now to start taglists/introduce them or just wait until they go live? anyways lmk!!:
Rhysand x Reader where tropes are: an au, fake dating, enemies (but more like annoyance) to lovers
Cassian x Reader where the tropes are: childhood friends, the one that got away, single mom!!!
Eris x Reader: arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, unlikely allies ( lots of scheming)
Lucien x Reader: basically two wallflowers. reader is weird/quirky and luciens total match and she owns a lil potion and strange object shop!!!
Azriel x Reader: exes, the one that got away, right person wrong time, pining and centuries worth of love!!
and of course like 15 one shots (that we all know r gonna be like as long as series anyways)
Ethan:
[TXT] morning! for me at least. saw your sponsor peck on pidger ab the match for boaba. he hates me but its also been like so long since ive just watched a good battle. seeing you again will be nice too. we should meet up while im in town. if you’re d ofc.
Leaf:
[TXT DRAFT] YAY!!! YOU'RE IN TOWN?!??
{... Backspace backspace backspace. Retype. OK, send...}
[TXT] Oh my god! You're finally here! Yes, I would love that.
[TXT] Baoba- I have mixed feelings now that I suspect him of being ex-Rocket... I mean innocent until proven guilty but!!! Wait why does he hate you?
Ethan:
[TXT] used to sneak into the safari zone when it was still abandoned. it was my private skate park after they drained all the reservoirs until officer jenny and her squirtles caught me doing kick flips in zone 4.
Leaf:
[TXT] Another tally mark for the rat column. Actually, when we were growing up and it was still under construction, Blue and I used to break into the quarry and swim in the ponds. Go figure.
Ethan:
[TXT] that’s so funny. even back then you 2 were a few steps ahead of me
[TXT] i’m just always fashionably late.
{is wearing Cherrygrove High School gym shorts}
Leaf:
[TXT] Oh, whatever! We’re just your basic Kanto townies. When we lived in Ecruteak you and Kris had already done everything cool on the other side of the train tracks.
[TXT] I just got out of work. Where d’you you wanna meet?
Ethan:
[TXT] lol. lets go to the tipsy tyrogue in ecruteak.
Leaf:
[TXT] Sure, for old times' sake. Order my usual if you get there first.
there’s this specific aesthetic in my head like le petit prince 14 bis (the airplane) fuzzy scarves edwardian era golden hues art nouveau stained glass fantastic mr. fox spring in paris baoba trees sunlight coming through a window, do u understand?