New Line   von Xanderionas
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                             Kapitel 2: Chapter 2
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“That’s it, I’ve had enough!”

Yagami’s voice shot across the empty workplace. She had decided on another all
nighter despite Rin and the other’s protests. It had taken all her remaining
energy to explain to Aoba that she was merely attempting to finish work ahead of
time. Whether she had accepted it or not, Yagami couldn’t spare the energy to
determine. So they left her well in peace, Rin leaving another hot coffee before
departing.

As the clock approached the next day however, she couldn’t deal with the lack
of success anymore.

“Forget this! If I can’t draw while I’m sober, then I’ll do it while
drunk!”

Deep down in her subconscious, a voice yelled at her to forget the idea, yet it
was drowned out by her reaching for her jacket and phone. She packed up her
workplace and turned off the lights before leaving, reaching for the freshness
that wasn’t stale office air.

As she exited the building, she took a deep breath and relished in the smell of
cars passing by, thankful for some change at last. She thought for a moment
where to head for a drink, only to call out:

“Oh who cares! I’ll just find some random bar and drink there.”

Again ignoring her own rationality, she headed off to the nearest street where
bars were stacked aplenty. The bright lights of the neon signs assaulted her
vision from every angle, yet she welcomed it. Any change from her last week of
torment was preferable. Yet as she wandered the street, she came to one
definitive conclusion:

“There’s way too many people here.”

Indeed, every bar she visited was filled to the brim with customers. While
Yagami wanted a stiff drink herself, she also didn’t want to do it at a place
where she might get trampled to death by accident or worse, get carried off by
somebody she didn’t know. So she searched along the less frequented end of the
street, only to find the same commotion as before. Already beginning to regret
coming out, she kicked a pebble down the street in frustration. 
She hit it harder than expected, striking a precariously-stood sign that
subsequently folded on itself and fell down, causing an audible crash. Cringing
a bit for the commotion she herself caused, she quickly moved to raise it up
again. As she grabbed hold of it though, she noticed the elegant writing on it.

“The Masked Glass? What a weird name. And this character…”

Yagami’s eyes shifted to the little figure that hung off one of the flowery
kanji with its oversized arms. It wasn’t professional nor high-quality, many
proportions being off to the point where she would have simply shredded the
concept. Yet somehow, it’s joyful expression carried something deeper within
it, the corners of its smile hinting at a side she couldn’t find by merely
looking at it. 
What was more, she felt something oddly familiar with the style. 

Shaking her head at getting so drawn into a mere mascot, she stood the sign up
and glanced into the lit alleyway that the sign pointed towards. Halfway down
the alley, she noticed the same name emblazoned on a wooden sign under a warm
light. She alternated looking at the crowded street and the empty alley, before
shrugging and heading into the latter. She had wanted a quiet place regardless
and she wasn’t likely to find another one like this any time soon. 

As she left the busy street behind herself, she began to hear a light piano tune
echoing from the open door of the bar, its notes gentle on her ears yet poignant
with emotion. Becoming slightly enchanted by the tune, she lifted the cloth
cover and entered.

“Excuse me…” she called out into the interior, before stopping short. 

She had visited many bars in her last few years with Rin and the other
co-workers. Their excursions with Aoba and the rest were a recent, yet welcome
addition. At those times, the establishments had been clearly been catered to
one’s needs, whether it be food or alcohol. Yet this place remained elusive to
both sides. 

The entrance she stood in opened to a room lit by a large sphere of yellow
light, providing gentle illumination to every corner. To the left against the
wall stood the bar counter, made out of rich wood carved to represent a variety
of trees that reached up to the countertop. Stools were stacked against the
counter, showcasing a dark brown color with a bright green, padded seat. The
wall behind it was filled with bottle shelves, all arranged such that their
color complemented the light green of the wall itself. Small lamps shone white
beams from above, giving the illusion of sunlight breaking through tree
branches. As she shifted her gaze to the right, she saw it being sparsely
decorated with tables and chairs, not granting more than perhaps thirty people
someplace to sit. 

As she came to terms with the whole expanse of the room, she suddenly realised
that it was completely silent, not hearing a single voice. Her bewilderment was
relieved somewhat though when she heard the sudden end of the piano music,
followed by a pleased female tone:

“Oh my, we have a customer.”

Yagami looked around for the source, before noticing the high piano against the
window to her left. A woman sat behind it, her silvery hair pulled into a tight
bun that revealed her elderly features. She didn’t appear sickly in the least
though, her lightly wrinkled skin still shining with youthful energy. Her eyes
were a beautiful prismarine color, twinkling with experiences beyond one’s
imagination. She stood up and bowed before Yagami, revealing a traditional
bartender uniform with the addition of a white lily hooked to her breast pocket.


“Welcome to the Masked Glass. Are you awaiting company?”

Yagami blinked, before bowing herself:

“Oh no, it's just me. I was searching for a quiet place to drink and I
happened to knock over your sign…”

Yagami hit herself mentally for that slip-up, yet the woman’s features
didn’t drop in the slightest. 

“Is that so?” she mused with a small smile, “Then I must thank the spirits
to have guided you to our small establishment. Please, take a seat.”

Yagami obliged, settling down in one of the comfortable stools before
remarking:

“Wait, the spirits?”

The woman gave a mysterious smile.

“Yes. This is a safe haven for those who are burdened by their daily lives and
seek solace and isolation. The spirits guide those they choose to arrive. We do
not provide aid for all but for those who require particular treatment.”

“Treatment?” Yagami remarked with a hint of apprehension in her voice,
recalling how drained she was, “So the people that come here are like
patients?”

“Not at all.” she remarked, pulling out a shaker and strainer from below the
counter, “The spirits guide those who seek relief to our doorstep and we offer
precisely that. May I ask if you prefer your drinks with or without alcohol?”

“What? Why would you serve drinks without alcohol here? Isn’t this a
bar?”

Another mysterious glint shone in the woman’s eyes.

“The world is vast. Some people cannot use alcohol to soothe their wounds.
Take the gentleman over there.”

Confused, Yagami followed the woman’s outstretched hand to the other end of
the counter, being startled as she caught sight of somebody else. He had melted
into the background through his dark green coat, though what was more surprising
was his large build. He hunched over the counter, his large yet slender hand
grabbing a glass of whisky. Little could be seen of his face, the high collar of
his coat blocking most of the view. Yet, as he soon turned his head slightly to
acknowledge their conversation, she noticed his eyes being the same shade of
blue as her own, shining amongst the rest of his dark appearance. He gave a
quiet nod and downed his glass, making Yagami feel slightly impressed. 

“He’s trying to look cool, but that’s actually apple juice.”

The man spat out the rest of the juice in a fine spray, wiping his mouth and
glaring at the bartender with a betrayed expression. Yagami held a hand before
her face to hide her giggle, only becoming louder when she saw his face turn red
in embarrassment. She glanced at him while recovering, finding to her surprise
that he was younger than she expected. He appeared to be a little bit older than
her, his chin accentuated with a thin beard that didn’t suit him. The longer
she observed him though, the more obvious it was that he wasn’t Japanese, or
at least fully so. She couldn’t say what country exactly, but there was a
clear hint of Western in him. His hair was an odd mix of dark over blond, giving
it a dirtied appearance. As he recovered though, he quickly turned his face away
again while waving the empty glass. The bartender walked over to refill it,
before returning to Yagami, who had just managed to recollect herself.

“He’s a funny one.” she mentioned, earning a nod from the bartender.

“Just one of the many souls that have journeyed through that entrance. It
pleases me however that there are very few who come by here as of recent.”

Her words caught Yagami’s interest.

“Why would you be happy about few customers?”

Again, that indiscernible twinkle.

“It means that people have begun to understand how to handle their problems by
themselves.”

Now fully confused, she tried to talk but was interrupted by the bartender
grabbing the shaker:

“Now then, what would you like?”

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