"Uh, seriously? The lights went out again! What the fuck!"
The face groaned as their rocked their heads to one side before sighing, a few people stared at him as he quickly sank into the background.
Complains rose for the crowd inside, their voice clashing with others as their frustration and disappointment played across their faces.
For little Yan, it meant nothing. She kept nibbling on her sweet round bread—soft and warm, topped with a layer of sugar cut semi neatly.
Her bites were followed by the breaking of the bread as a few crumbs of sugar stuck to her face. She swallowed her bite before ripping a pulling a piece from the soft bread, and giving it to the woman with a soft smile.
"Thank you." The woman replied, tossing the piece into her mouth before chewing slowly, the faint hum of boiling water the only sound as the brewers fell silent.
The headlights from the cars outside bringing them some comfort, illuminating the inside in the moving stripes of light.
clnng—clnng—clnng!
Heads turned where the sound came from, seeing a flashlight hanging from a minimalist chandelier as one of the baristas grabbed the ladder, and folded it. Quickly lifting it as they hauled it somewhere out from their sight.
A young man stepped forward, clearing his throat into his fist. A few people shushed as he opened his mouth. "Ahm—"
The lights turned back on, the sound of the brewers turning on, clicks repeating on as someone cursed from the back, the sound of something crashed to the floor filling their ears.
"Never mind...would you like anything?" the barista asked, moving behind a register as he asked the person in line for his order. A sheepish smile plastered on face.
Pulling a ladder before unfolding it, climbing on and removing the still light flashlight and turning it off.
Another worker came from somewhere as he unfolded the latter before climbing onto the steps again, reaching up to unbind the flashlight and switching it off.
The woman's bracelet let a soft ding, regaining some semblance of a connection as the screen finished loading. They waited several minutes before her name was called.
"Dos para Valentina!" A Coelhinho barista called out to her, his floppy ears flat on his head as they looked rather aggressive.
Valentina stood before walking to the counter. She spun two warm cups, picking them up as after reading her name on both of them and carrying them back to their table.
Taking a sip from one, she slid her chair out with her foot and sat down with a soft thud.
Her face scrunched up from the bitter taste, offering it to the man as she extended her hand, taking a sip from the other drink. He took it before taking a sip, his expression barely changing—if any at all.
Her bracelet rang softly as a screen popped up, she swallowed her sip quickly as flicked her wrist as if she were about to throw a thumbs up.
The caller ID glitched around as a distorted voice came through—"H-Hello?...lo..."—The voice questioning before it repeated a few more times, the call cutting off after a short moment of anticipation.
"Ahh! Again...whyyy..." Valentina whined, placing her cheek on a propped up hand. Sighing as complained for the whatever number of times it had been.
"Its been this way the whole month...Tch...I don't even have their address." She took another sip of her coffee, lifting the led up before blowing on it.
She watched the screen as a message popped up, reading it as little Yan ate the last of her sweet bread, who wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
She flicked a finger, the message up top taking center as it opened up—the image of an older couple at the very top, right atop the caller ID.
「Sorry! I've been trying to answer but it would never works...」
She continued reading, watching three dots bounce up and down before another message appeared.
「I sent an address—it's the library that was renovated a few months ago. Sorry again!」
She hummed quietly, the man gulping down his coffee before opening his mouth. "Where we going?"
"A library" Her calm voice flowed through his ears, standing up as she took a few more sips.
"Alrighty then...up we go little Yan!" He also stood up, catching the little girl's attention as she jumped to the floor—her shoes hitting the floor with a soft tap.
"Did they send an address or anything?" He asked.
She dragged one finger up, the screen mimicking the motion but, their was no luck.
"No..." Her tone sounding dishearten towards the end, she looked back up and saw the man cleaning the girls with his hand. "Wow...so we're just walking now then?"
He threw a questioning look her way, his brows furrowing as they walked towards the exit—tossing her coffee cup into the trash bin as she closed in near the front door. She grabbed the handle, pulling as the door opened, the chilly air hit her face as a soft bell playing over her head.
"Maybe don't hog the doorway?"
"Hah?"
She turned around as she looked him straight in the eyes—staring intently as she looked mildly offended, looking him up and down as she placed one hand on her hip before barely leaning forward. "I'm not fat!...I just need more than than you is all.."
Her voice pitched higher as he pushed her out the way, a few people around them glanced at them, but they ignored the stares. "I ain't say you fat—that's all you."
He pointed, his finger aimed right at her forehead as she clicked her tongue. She looked around before pulling up her bracelet again.
"So...lead the way."
The man's head perched atop little Yan head, keeping her in place as she paid no heed to their bickering.
She scrolled around before finding the search engine, her fingers lightly tapping the air before looking for something as her eyes finally landed on something promising.
"I think its this one? Look."
She stood next to him as he leaned closed as his eyes read everything. A map spread across the screen, tracing several routes before settling on the shortest.
"Lets get going then."
She took a few steps forward as the man followed suit, guiding the little girl as he moved her head away from anyone who got to close.
They walked in silence for who knew how long, their steps reverberating in their heads as little Yan hummed away. Keeping her plushie clenched tightly in her arm as she looked all around.
Every now and then, a cruiser passed—its lights flickering on or off. Yan would raise her head to look, only for the man to turn her gently away for being nosy but it did little to stop her from trying, huffing away at each failed attempt.
"Should we really be walking that far? A cab would be better no?"
His suggestion hung in the air accepted only by the silence as they stopped at an intersection, he pressed the pedestrian button. Waiting for the light to change.
The little girl peeked around, barely moving her head as her eyes darted in every direction. She spotted a crowd just outside her line of sight—several cruisers parked with their lights flashing. Some people in the crowd whistled while others stood quietly, their faces unreadable from so far away.
Her eyes spotted a man standing on something as he shouted away, barely able to understand the person but the folks under him listening intently.
Her eyes questioning as her head was guided away as they crossed the street—only to feel a drop fall on her feathers, blinking and looked both ways instinctively from the sensation. A shiver ran through the soft feathers before finding their way down her spine, shaking her little head away.
She lifted one hand over her head before she grabbed on the tuft, pulling repeatedly as if it would remove the wetness and grime from it. After a few stubborn pulls, she flattened both tufts in triumph—satisfied with her work, only for it to go to waste as a few more drops fell on them.
Valentina looked on in amusement, feeling a vibration from her bracelet.
Lifting her wrist up, she saw an address flash across the screen as the display came to life. "I just got the address."
She voiced the fact, the man looking surprised as he looked over her shoulder. The coffee in his hand long gone as he spoke up. "Just now?"
He looked up, feeling a drop hit his brow as he blinked. "We should get a cab." His voice flat as another drop hit his head when he lowered his gaze.
"Gimme a minuteee..." Her tone dragging towards the latter half, already looking for an icon. The man sighed, taking her free hand and gently guiding the little girl while pulling Valentina along. His eyes landed on a nearby bus shelter—its roof just enough to shield them from the drizzle.
A few moments later, they settled on the bench inside, the soft patter of rain tapping against the glass roof.
"Ten minutes." Valentina said, her screen glowing faintly as she held it toward him. On the screen, the cab's route ticked second by second.
The quiet minutes ticked down until a flash of red and blue washed over them. The siren blared—loud and sharp, shaking the thin wall's of the shelter.
Vehicles shifted out of the way as best they could, barely making way for the ambulance.
Little Yan squinted, her eyes narrowing to slits as she followed the ambulance, the colors streaking across her reflection in the glass.