Iris tightly gripped the fork, her hand trembling. Her face reddened with blushes that tickled her cheeks. The awkward silence descended as Quasi rested her head on her hands and stared at the confused Iris, unblinking. There was no clock in the bar, no other customers, just the two of them, merrily isolated from the outside. Not even sunlight could leak in and disturb them.
"What do you mean?" Iris murmured, though her voice was louder than she expected. Her words endlessly echoed inside the bar. "We've just met, Miss Quasi. This is too fast; I haven't prepared myself yet."
"Iris, you're overthinking it." Quasi grasped Iris's hand and caressed it. Her cold, robotic fingers grazed the bouncy skin. "The Corruption Power has thoroughly permeated your soul that the first implication you thought was about sensual pleasure. I'm amazed that you still possess some reluctance."
Iris frowned as she contemplated her behaviour. Despite trying to keep her principle, everyone around her was a Monster Girl, a being of insatiable lust. Though her standing was higher than the other Monster Girls, it had already fallen beneath what it once was, irreversibly. In her heart, a rift cracked open, little by little, pouring out embarrassment and disbelief.
"What do you mean, then?" Iris said, then cut the sliced cake and ate it. Its soft texture dissolved in her mouth, giving her magical clarity, which cleared her confusion. "You didn't mean that you want my body, right?"
"How could I wish for your lovely body? I'm merely an owner of a small bar, not the authority." Quasi giggled. "What I want is your tales, the tales of the travellers, the tales of the wondrous places, of places I dare not venture, of places where I could never experience."
Quasi's calm voice fluctuated, her dim eyes glittering. She shuddered and smiled as an invisible ecstasy overcame her aloof demeanour, flaming her passion into a spirit which surpassed machinery into the realm of life. Iris almost thought of Quasi as a new kind of Monster Girl, not an automaton from the ancient past.
"You expect too much from me, Miss Quasi," Iris said. "Compared to you, I'm too young and feeble; my stories wouldn’t be able to quench your thirst. So, please don't be too disappointed when you hear them."
"What you thought mundane might be exotic for others. I can sense a special power inside you. As I said, the world had changed so much that it’d become irrecognisable to me." Quasi retrieved another fork from under the counter, sliced the cake, and put it in front of Iris. "Is my dessert not to your liking? This Remembrance Cake will evoke sentimentality, unearthing your forgotten memories."
While the piece was dangling in front of Iris, she closed her eyes and nibbled on it. The pleasant sugary taste flowed inside her mouth as the cake melted into her slime, tainting its monochromatic blue with sweet pink. Iris took a deep breath and placed her arms on the counter, leaning forwards, expecting another feast. Like a doting lover, Quasi patiently fed Iris until the plate was empty.
While Quasi took care of the plate, Iris sank into a serene silence, her mind drifting in the sea of her consciousness. Countless vague thoughts boiled and surged into a current. These bubbles displayed hazy recollections, yet their clarity rapidly freshened, blowing away the mist of time, forming a complete picture. Iris found herself in the middle of her existence, which stretched from her new life to the olden one, watching each sequence playing, rewinding, stopping.
Like reviewing her lessons, Iris blankly stared at herself, but a subtle understanding emerged from all the missing pieces, sometimes irrelevant, sometimes meaningful. Inside this state of half-conscious, the knowledge of her past world surfaced and merged into her soul, from the mundane subjects to the importance of faith and the principle of magic.
Because of the greater clarity of her mind, the reflection blended her knowledge and experience, forming a unique combination, a budding path no one had trodden. Just as Iris was about to grasp her truth, a strange urge manifested and clouded her mind. The mist of time and bias flooded her sea of consciousness, drowning her, pulling her back to reality.
She was leaning on the counter, sleeping on her arms, which Quasi gently massaged. A tingling yet comforting sensation rushed through her membrane as the smooth fingers lightly squeezed her slime. As her awareness came back, Iris slowly got up and turned to Quasi, opening her mouth, failing to find an excuse.
"I'm sorry," Iris said. "I'm not too good with alcohol. I shouldn't have overestimated myself. Please forgive me if I've caused any inconvenience."
"Your sleeping posture is cute. That alone is enough as compensation." Quasi tapped the glass Iris hadn't drunk yet. A melodious noise rang throughout the bar. "It's been so long since I've got a customer that I forgot how sleeping looks like. Iris, you've given me an unexpected reward."
"My sleeping posture? Did I sleep weird? For how long?"
"It was a light nap, and you're lovely. Don't worry; everyone who ate a whole slice of Remembrance Cake will fall asleep as you did. However, the benefits you will get depends on your comprehension and a little bit of luck."
"You've given me another valuable opportunity, but I'm afraid I don't have anything to compensate you."
"I do not desire your body or your soul, Iris. As I've stated earlier, I want to hear your story, good or bad, boring or interesting. The more detail the better."
"I'll feel like I've cheated you out of the deal."
"Then please compose your words with truth and candour. A storyteller takes her listener into the land where imagination breathes and illusion lives. I'm sure your words will move me, for your scent and aura tells me of your extraordinary experience."
"If you insist, I’ll try my best. Please don’t fall asleep when I start."
"Our time together will be a pleasant one, Iris." Quasi rubbed the wine glass, caressing its rim. "This is a strong wine named the Burning Sky. It'll refill your vitality, which you must have exhausted after a long journey."
Iris grasped the glass's stem and carefully touched its bowl. A peculiar chill seeped through the glass and pricked Iris. The tingling sensation wasn't painful but refreshing. As expectation rose in her gleaming eyes, Iris sipped the wine, tasting the searing sourness, which imploded into a sweetness that lingered after the burn.
As the wine dispersed inside her body, it exuded foreign energy that rapidly assimilated into Iris, merging with the Corruption Power, flowing into her soul. She shivered, her mind rejuvenated, her body brimming with vigour. The unknown energy compressed and polished the Corruption Power, allowing her to squeeze more vitality from her potential.
"I've underestimated your drink again, Miss Quasi," Iris said. "I thought it would be similar to an energy drink, but it even increases my power."
"Our Merrily Isolated Bar only serves the best of the best. Though we are in the countryside, our quality rivals those in the inner section."
"It must be challenging running this bar alone. I can't even imagine how I would manage a simple store, let alone an exquisite bar with this amount of exotic material."
"It is forlorn at times, but with you here, Iris, it won’t be anymore." Quasi giggled. "I'll make for you the best drinks you'll ever have, so please pay me with the best stories you’ll ever tell."
Before Iris could say anything, Quasi turned around and prepared more glasses and plates, which she gracefully filled with alluring spirits and dessert. Despite the small size of the counter, Quasi somehow found everything she needed in the cabinets and the exhibit shelves.
Watching her elegant movement, Iris felt a soothing sensation swelling in her chest. She placed her hands on the counter and sat upright, waiting, anticipating the more explosive, memorable flavours. Everything she had was mesmerising, but she suddenly frowned as she realised she had no money to pay for anything.
The ingredients Quasi processed was foreign to Iris, but their subtle aura radiated a grandness only a mystical object could possess. Though Quasi didn't display any oddity, Iris remained apprehensive towards the peculiar bar and its beautiful owner.
Despite the tranquil appearance, this strange world was a part of the Puppeteer Legacy Ground. Before coming here, Iris had gone through the unending corridor, which inflicted grave terror onto her mind. She wouldn't get too relaxed even if Quasi treated her like royalty. Still, Iris had her principle; she had already promised Quasi and would follow it through.
"What kind of tale do you want to hear, Miss Quasi?" Iris said.
"Anything worth telling. If you find it interesting, I too will find it interesting."
"My experience within this world is limited, so I apologise in advance if I can't satisfy your craving." Iris closed her eyes. "I reckon that the customers before me are all strong and wise. My puny life can't be compared with their rich history."
"You have something they don't, Iris. No matter what they do, they are stuck in this hollow world, while you, a traveller from afar, has seen much more than they ever could."
"If you insist so, please don't be disappointed."
While observing Quasi preparing various beverages and snacks, Iris started narrating bits of her experience. Though she didn't have much time to prepare, she still did well. She was a scholar in her past life and had done multiple presentations. Though it was different from telling a story, their fundamental was the same.
Iris chose a moment from her past life where she first entered the Church of the Lord. It was a bitter memory, but Iris coldly narrated it like she wasn’t the innocent little girl who lived in a bubble of praises and expectation. When she looked back, only faint nostalgia and pity surfaced in her heart. If she answered her calling that day, would her life have changed?
Listening to Iris, Quasi smiled as she touched Iris's arm, lightly tapping her, infusing into her slime a hint of power. It dissipated the weariness and the sorrow, comforting Iris from her bitter memory.
"I've never heard of such custom before," Quasi said. "The land you travelled from is indeed extraordinary. Their technological progress is even more advanced than ours."
"Are you surprised? Is the story interesting enough?"
"If I could, I would heal your heart with my embrace, but this cold, hard body isn't capable of providing such warmth." Quasi picked up a piece of snack and pushed it onto Iris's lips. "Dear Iris, please let me help you, even if it was just a little. This sweet will chase away your worry, exceptionally good when pairing with this wine."
Not satisfied with the answer, Iris felt her pride threatened. Though Quasi accepted the story as a payment, the experience failed to move Quasi, who desired extraordinary tales. Iris couldn’t endure such failure. It was saying that her bitter memory wasn't touching; her burnt passion wasn't moving.
Iris refused the cookie and took a deep breath, her eyes blazing. Her next story was about the most luxurious vocation she had ever gone to, but it still failed to excite Quasi. Though the detailed description of the technology fascinated Quasi, she had listened to too many magical phenomena to be impressed by mere tools.
Seeing Iris flushed red, Quasi could guess what Iris was thinking and chuckled. Her playful tease made Iris sulk.
"There is no need to exert yourself, Iris. You can slowly tell me what comes to your mind. We still have time," Quasi said.
Hearing the last sentence, Iris froze as melancholy washed over her. Her bright slime dimmed as she sighed. The sudden change in her demeanour affected the atmosphere, turning it cold. Even Quasi retracted her hands and silently observed Iris, intensely waiting for her speech.
"Time," Iris said. "Miss Quasi, fate is too cruel, isn't it?"
"If you are uncomfortable, you don't need to tell me every story." Quasi averted her gaze from Iris. "We all have a history we can only keep to ourselves."
"Because it's uncomfortable, it will be an experience."
Before Iris could request it, Quasi swiftly prepared the strongest wine and poured it for Iris, who took the glass and drank it in one go. The pain permeated her body, but it loosened her mind and let her drift into a state where her soul remained at peace.
"Before coming to this world, I met a Goddess."
Taverius· Aug 11, 2021
