Au lait

The culture festival was still in full swing outside as Roko cleaned his drink glasses. His last visit was a few hours ago when Momo left, giving Roko a period of peaceful quietness before his next customer came walking in.

"See? I told you I knew where he was."

"Why's he in such a weird one off place like this?"

Kaguya and Aida walked into Roko's bar, holding hands like a parent and child while Mikado followed behind them.

"Afternoon, Roko!" Kaguya smiled as they stepped up to the bar, "My little event has ended for the day and I heard you were hosting your own event so we came over. I met Aida wandering about looking for you so I brought her over."

"I wasn't looking for him." Aida muttered, "Anyway, what is this place? Kind of dark in here. Is this your room?"

"It used to be." Roko sighed, "Now it's a bar."

"What's a bar?"

"It's...a place to get drinks."

"So it's a restaurant?"

"One more equipped to serve special drinks yeah." Roko frowned, "Kaguya, are you sure taking a child to a bar was a good idea?"

"Hey, I'm twelve and a half now!"

"Well, she wanted to see you so what else could I do?" Kaguya giggled, "Plus, the drinks you serve are non-alcoholic aren't they?"

"I suppose." Roko sighed.

"Alcohol?" Aida tilted her head, "That's that drink all the adults were drinking right?"

"You know about it?"

"I tried a sip of it before. Didn't really taste good."

"Well, I might have something more to your taste." Roko said as he prepared a glass.

"Is it going to taste weird? I tried some of the food people were giving out and not everything tasted good."

"What did you try?" Kaguya asked as she sat down next to her.

"It was called 'Deep Fried Peanut Butter and Jelly'."

"What kind of monstrosity is that?!" Kaguya cried, "Who's making stuff like that?"

"I don't know who they are but they've been deep frying whatever they want. They said this should be healthy enough for a little girl like me."

"I think any nutritional value that might have had was lost when it was dropped into a vat of oil."

"Is that how you deep fry things?" Aida blinked, "How does one get that much oil?"

"You'll learn once you get more integrated." Roko said as he placed down a drink in front of her, "Try this."

Aida looked down at the melty brown liquid in front of her, "What is this?"

"Hot chocolate." Kaguya smiled, "This is your signature drink isn't it, Roko?"

"What do you mean signature drink?" Roko frowned, "I don't drink it because I want to."

"Hmhmm..." Kaguya just continued to smile smugly as she watched Aida pick up her drink, "Like father, like daughter."

"Watch it." Roko whapped Kaguya in the head with a dish rag, "Don't make harmful suggestions like that."

"I think it's pretty harmless." Kaguya giggled.

"It's too sweet." Aida said as she placed the hot chocolate down after two sips, "I can't finish this."

"I thought so." Roko said as he picked up the drink, "I figured I'd treat you to a new way of consuming chocolate."

"It was interesting." Aida nodded, "But I can't drink such sweet things for too long. I just can't stomach it."

"Maybe if you used dark chocolate?" Kaguya suggested.

"What's that?"

"I think I have a piece here." Roko reached under the counter and pulled out a piece of dark chocolate, "Try this."

Aida took the dark chocolate and sniffed it, causing her nose to crinkle a little. She nibbled it a little, made a conflicted look before staring it it a little more and finally took a full bite out of it.

"It's too bitter." She reported as she returned the dark chocolate, "This is about all I can eat."

"Finicky little girl aren't you?" Kaguya raised an eyebrow, "That isn't very good for a girl your age."

"I can eat more, I just don't want to." Aida said as she took out her normal chocolate from yesterday and took a nibble from it, "I prefer eating normal chocolate like this."

"Well, at least you know what you like." Roko said as he sipped the hot chocolate.

"Got anything else for her, Roko?" Kaguya asked.

"I could give you some fruit cocktails. How does an Orange Au Lait sound? Maybe without the coffee?"

"What's an au lait and what's a coffee?"

"It'll be easier to just show you." Roko said as he began to prepare the next drink.

"Oh, I'll take a Cafe Caribbean while you're at it." Kaguya added.

"Right. Mikado, want anything?"

"Just a Gin and Tonic please."

After testing a few more non-alcoholic fruit drinks, Aida fell asleep on the bar table among a collection of empty glasses.

"Seems like she's had quite the day." Kaguya smiled as she drank her Daiquiri, "And it's all thanks to you."

"I feel like then entire festival going on outside was more fun than my little bar here." Roko sighed as he began cleaning the glasses again.

"But her father figure is here. That's more important than a silly fair full of people she doesn't know."

"There you go again with the father figure thing." Roko frowned, "I helped her once and now I'm taking care of her?"

"It's not a matter of what you have or have not done." Kaguya smiled, "In her mind, she's taken to you as a guiding figure. Therefore, you're her new father."

"How do you even know that? I could be her brother."

"I just know." Kaguya winked, "I'm good with kids. And it doesn't matter what position you are. All that matters is that she considers you family."

"Uh huh. And I suppose that makes you the mother then?"

"Who, me?" Kaguya laughed, "No, I haven't really done much to ingratiate myself with her."

"Then I guess I have to find a mother figure then?" Roko rolled his eyes.

"Perhaps." Kaguya giggled, "Or perhaps she already has one."

"And who is that supposed to be?"

"Think about it. Which girl has she spent the most time with?"

"How should I know? I don't think she's made much friends despite how popular she is."

"First impressions are everything. Now, can you take a guess?"

"...Corrisa?"

"I think Corissa would make a great mother, don't you?"

"I mean, you're not wrong, I just don't think she's ever considered herself to be a parental figure to anybody."

"Like I said, all that matters is what's going on on Aida's little head." Kaguya said as she patted Aida's sleeping head, "It must be hard to adjust to such a different life than your old one. Little Aida's really been taking it well all things considered."

"..."

"At any rate, now that the child's asleep, I think I'll take my leave." Kaguya said as she finished her drink and got up.

"You're just going to leave Aida here?" Roko frowned.

"I'm sure she'd prefer to be here anyway." Kaguya smiled, "Outside is a bunch of people she doesn't know doing things she hardly understands. In here it's quiet and she's close to someone she trusts. She's a pretty introverted person you know. Just like her-"

"Just shut up and leave." Roko scowled.

"Have fun." Kaguya winked as she and Mikado left.

Once Kaguya left, Roko relocated the sleeping Aida to a stool behind the bar to avoid getting in the way of the other patrons. Exactly in time too as Roko suddenly began experiencing a flood of customers. Glancing at the time on his phone, Roko realized that the sun was setting outside of the bar and all the festival's events have concluded at this point. Still, the amount of customers were extremely staggering. Roko could barely keep up with all the orders. The only explanation that Roko could come up with is that Helena must have decided this was the best time to push advertisement for his bar. Not just her either probably. Roko couldn't say they weren't effective but he had specifically requested they not advertise his event. Something he knew was futile but he didn't expect them to put this much effort in it. At some point there was even a line outside his bar. But the day was waning and the festival hours were coming to an end and people eventually began leaving, marking the end of Roko's festival experience. But not before a last few customers.

"Pardon us..." Corissa called softly as she entered the empty bar, "Are you still open?"

"I was wondering if you would show up." Roko said as he placed the last glass in the dishwasher and set it on rinse, "What took you so long?"

"We would have come sooner but Corissa was busy with her job." Corissa's mother and father walked into the room with her, "Hello Roko. It's good to see you again."

"Your majesties." Roko bowed slightly as they seated themselves, "I should have known you would come visit the culture festival."

"Oh, there's no need for formalities here." Corissa's mother laughed, "We all know each other here."

"Not by name, though." Roko muttered.

"Sorry, my parents showed up and wanted to come walk around the festival with me." Corissa chuckled, "I was busy so I told them to go experience the festival without me but for some reason they kept following me around instead."

"You couldn't imagine the amount of people trying to snuggle up close to Corissa." Her mother whispered very loudly.

"Mom, they weren't trying to snuggle up to me!" Corissa cried, "They were just asking about the festival!"

"And did that require quite so much touching?"

"T-There was a lot of people around so there wasn't much room." Corissa blushed.

"You see why we had to follow her around?" Her father smirked.

"I see you decided to be the event manager for opening day." Roko said as he glanced over at Corissa's clipboard.

"Yeah!" Corissa grinned, "I was pretty inexperienced but I just tried to think 'What would Roko do'?"

"You did very well sweetie." Her mother patted her on the back, "We were very impressed."

"You accomplished a lot." Her father nodded, "You should be proud."

"Stop it." Corissa blushed again.

"Where's Varis?" Roko asked as he wiped the counter clean.

"He's busy bringing all the stuff my parents bought back to Cordis." Corissa sighed, "I'm surprised at how much they bought despite following me around."

"He was part of the fighting tournament so he wasn't around to protect Corissa." Her mother shook her head, "What are we going to do with that man?"

"Stop it mom! I want Varis to have fun at the festival too!"

"So what can I get you all?" Roko quickly cut in.

"Ah yes. Forgive us." Corissa's father cleared his throat, "Could I order something with alcohol in it?"

"You're an adult so I could." Roko nodded, "Though Corissa isn't old enough to drink I assume."

"No, I'll just have something fruity." Corissa smiled, "What do you recommend?"

"Hmmm..." Roko thought it over, "A Blushing Rose has a few different fruits in it."

"Oh?" Corissa's mother raised an eyebrow, "How appropriate. Were you thinking of Corissa while you were trying to find a cocktail?"

"Not at all." Roko sighed as Corissa blushed, "Now what can I get you two?"

"I'll take the same thing." Corissa's mother giggled mischievously, "But with alcohol. Sounds like an interesting cocktail."

"And you?" Roko turned to Corissa's father as he began to prepare the drinks.

"Give me a little bit more time to think." Her father said, "It's been a while since I last had a cocktail."

In a short while, Roko finished both drinks and placed both drinks on a tray before passing it beneath the bar, "Here you go."

"Really? Fine."

A small shuffling sound was heard and Aida came out from behind the bar with the tray and drinks in hand, walking around to give them to the surprised customers.

"Who's this little angel?!" Corissa's mother cried.

"This is Aida." Corissa smiled, "Are you working here?"

"She came by a while ago and fell asleep after a few drinks." Roko explained, "She woke up when people began showing up for drinks. I said she was free to leave but she said she wanted to help."

"How nice of you!" Corissa's mother rubbed Aida's hair which was already a mess from all the other customers giving her headpats all day, "You're such a cutie!"

"Mom, let's just get our drinks okay?" Corissa said as she took the two drinks off of the tray, "Which one's the alcoholic one?"

"The one with the umbrella." Roko replied.

Aida tucked the tray under her arm and took out a bar of chocolate, nibbling it as she returned behind the counter.

"Adorable." Corissa's mother said as she took a sip of her drink, "I love kids. They're so cute."

"You always did love kids, mom." Corissa smiled as she tried her drink as well.

"Indeed. So when are you going to give me kids, Corissa?"

Corissa spat out her drink, coughing wildly as she tried to regain her breath.

"Oh dear. A napkin if you please." Her father said with the biggest grin on his face.

Roko sighed and turned around to grab a napkin from the cabinet behind him, handing it over to the Corissa. Corissa cleaned herself up, still coughing softly before she turned to her mother, "MOM! Not in front of my friend please!"

"Honestly, I had at least three boyfriends by your age." Her mother sighed, "You don't even have one."

"And whose fault is that?!" Corissa cried, "You think I don't want to find true love either?! You two are the ones who always stop anybody who gets close to me!"

"No we don't."

"That was literally all you were doing today!"

"Well maybe you should look a bit closer." Her mother winked at Roko, "Right, Roko?"

"There is a child here." Roko sighed as he began wiping a glass.

"Should I leave?" Aida called.

"You're welcome to."

"I'll just leave then." Aida said as she got up, "My head hurts from everybody patting it and pinching my cheeks."

"You did well bearing with it." Roko put the glass down and reached into his pocket, "Here."

"What's this?" Aida said as Roko handed her a pouch of coins.

"Consider it your payment for helping me all afternoon."

"Is this a lot?"

"You figure it out."

Aida weighed the coins in her hands before she shrugged and left.

"How strangely mature." Corissa's mother noted.

"That's what's it's like when you're taught how to hunt since you were young I guess." Roko said.

"Still, kids should be more cheerful and carefree." The mother turned to Corissa, "What have you been teaching her?"

"I haven't been teaching her anything!" Corissa cried, "If anything, I've been trying to make her enjoy herself a bit more but I don't really have the time to see her all the time!"

"Mmm." Her mother sipped her drink, "Well, I'm sure you'll be a great mother."

"I'm not her mother." Corissa sniffed as she picked up her drink.

"Really? And here I thought you were taking care of little Aida with Roko." the mother winked at Roko again.

"MOM!" Corissa cried, slamming her drink down on the table as her face grew red.

"Why do people think I'm her father?" Roko muttered.

"What was that, Roko dear?"

"Nothing." Roko sighed.

"Well, we've been having fun at your expense but I really must ask, is there even any other guy that you've had your eye on besides Sir Roko here? Mommy and daddy will be glad to vet them."

"Why would I want you to do that?" Corissa pouted and then in a very quiet voice, "And I guess not really but..."

"There's Varis." Roko spoke up.

"Oh yes." Her mother sighed as Corissa looked up, "That...thing. I honestly don't understand why you keep him around dear, he's not exactly pleasing to look at."

"He does his job." Roko stated, "And very well in fact. I don't see why you would have any complaints."

"Complaints? Darling, he doesn't even talk! And to each their own, there's always charm to the strong and silent type but it doesn't make him good at this job. There's more to protecting someone than having the power to protect them. And you must agree that you have to be able to communicate with your charge, right?"

"To some extent, I suppose." Roko sighed as he continued to wipe his glass.

"Thanks for trying, Roko." Corissa whispered with a small smile, "I appreciate it."

"I mean, just imagine if Corissa had a child with that man. What kind of disaster would that look like?"

"MOM, can we please get off the topic of kids?!" Corissa cried, "Geez!"

Corissa grabbed her drink and quickly chugged it along with her frustrations.

"Right, can I serve you anymore drinks?" Roko said, just as tired from the conversation, "There's only a few more hours before the festival ends."

"Hmmm..." Corissa thought it over, "What about you, Roko? What's your favorite drink?"

"Me?" Roko asked, "To make or to drink?"

"One or the other. Or both! I'll take whatever you recommend!"

"..." Roko took a moment to consider her question, "A Kir Royale, I guess?"

"I'll take it!" Corissa grinned.

"Oh!" Corissa's father looked up, "This sounds interesting. Yes, I think I'll take the same thing! But make mine alcoholic!"

"Right." Roko said, relieved he was getting back to making drinks instead of conversation, "Two Kir Royales then."

In short time, Roko pushed two glasses of Kir Royale across the counter, one with an umbrella.

"This looks so good!" Corissa said as she gazed wondrously at her drink, "You're so good at mixing drinks, Roko!"

"Indeed." Corissa's father stirred his glass curiously, "Are you good at cooking as well, Sir Roko?"

"I lived alone so I have to at least decent at it." Roko replied.

"You don't just go to the cafeteria?" Corissa asked.

"I meant in my old life."

"You lived alone?" Corissa's mother raised an eyebrow, "At your age? That's impressive."

"Well, I had...reason to do so." Roko looked away.

"Are you okay? Do you need some money?"

"No, that was my old life." Roko frowned, "I don't need your money and even if I did, I wouldn't be able to bring it with me back to my old world."

"Hmmm..."

"And no, I don't need your money right now." Roko said sternly, "I'll make my own way in this world."

"Hmmmmmm..." Corissa's mom smiled slyly, "How about a hug then?"

"Excuse me?" Roko said, confused.

"I think you need a hug."

"I don't need a hug."

"Nonsense. Corissa, give him a hug."

"I don't need a hug." Roko repeated as he turned to Corissa.

"I think you need a hug." Corissa smiled a pure smile back at him, "If nothing else, you certainly deserve one after all that. And I'll always be willing to give you a hug."

"I don't need a hug..." Roko growled.

Give him a hug dear!" Corissa's mom encouraged her daughter enthusiastically.

Corissa simply hopped off her stool and went around the counter to stand in front of Roko, arms outstretched, inviting him to a hug. Roko scowled, his body fully unwilling to accept her simple gesture but he could feel her parents eye boring into him expectantly and Corissa standing in front of him, a pure smile on her face, waiting patiently for Roko to accept. Roko strained his mind to try and find some way to refuse but his own body was already making small, twitching movements towards Corissa before he fully gave up and hugged the pleased princess.

"There there." Corissa patted his back, "You've always tried your very best."

"Why does my own body betray me?" Roko muttered, extremely irritated at himself.

"Daaawww, look at those two." Corissa's mother nodded approvingly, "So lovely."

"A-Anyway!" Roko said as he gently pushed Corissa off him, "I'm here to mix drinks so please get back to your seats."

"Aw but I wanted to see what's behind the counter some more!" Corissa said as she began poking around the kitchen counter, "Ooohhh! This is a shaker! I always wanted to try using one of these!"

"Stop that." Roko said as he snatched the shaker out of Corissa's hands, "Get back in front of the counter."

"Awww..." Corissa frowned as Roko pushed her back to her seat, "I wanted another hug."

"Just shut up and drink." Roko sighed as he returned to behind the counter, "It's almost time for me to close up so just finish up your drinks."

"Aww..." Corissa pouted a little as she began taking sips of her Kir Royale again.

"Well, you have our apologies if we have troubled you since coming here." Corissa's father nodded.

"It's fine." Roko sighed, "People can't help being themselves."

"How kind. Then how about this, what complaints do you have about Corissa?"

Corissa's eyes widened as she glanced at her parents but she otherwise stayed silent and kept drinking her drink.

"Complaints?" Roko blinked, "Can't say that I do. Corissa has been a big help thus far."

"And while we're glad to hear that and appreciate it, there certainly must be something that our daughter has troubled you with. We won't be offended, we'd appreciate it if you be straightforward with us."

"And I honestly have nothing to report." Roko shrugged, "Corissa isn't the strongest one out of all of us but neither am I. She doesn't know how to fight nor have any magic but she is an able healer and a free hand in the middle of the chaos is more help than most people think. She doesn't cause any trouble and can keep herself out of danger. There is no downside to having her around."

"That doesn't sound like our daughter." Corissa's mother grinned, "Are you sure she hasn't tripped on anything since coming here? Perhaps some of the more envious people have spoken ill of her to you?"

"Corissa's fine." Roko sighed, "The only problem surrounding her is Roland and honestly, that's Roland's fault more than Corissa's."

"Ah, come now, you must have some sort of complaint." Her father laughed, "Maybe she doesn't do enough to help around? Maybe she attracts more trouble than she helps solves? Maybe she's always clueless when confronted with a problem?"

"Maybe she can be stubborn on something random? Maybe she's always negative? Maybe she panics way too easily? Maybe she can be easily persuaded?" Her mother jumped in.

"No, I-"

"Maybe she is too gullible?" Corissa's father continued, "Come on my boy, you must have something!"

"I really don-"

"She forced you to sleep with her didn't she?" Her mother suggested, "That must have been difficult for a boy your age!"

"Well-"

"And she got kidnapped!" Her father laughed, "That happened a lot back when she was young you know. There's plenty of problems with our child, just come on and say it!"

"Will you shut up!" Corissa cried as she slammed her hands on the table, "Don't badger Roko like that!"

"Corissa?" Roko turned to her, surprised at the intensity in her voice.

"I know I'm always useless, you don't have to make him say it!" Corissa continued, "I never contribute anything and Varis always does more than I do but I'm trying too you know! If anybody has a complaint, it's me!"

"You do?"

"Yeah! With you!" Corissa cried pointing a shaking finger at Roko, "And you're going to listen to them!"

"Wait, are you drunk?!" Roko cried, "I didn't put any alcohol in your drink, how did you-" Roko stopped as he glared at her smiling parents, "Did you switch drinks with her?!"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Her father replied with the most guilt free smile on his face as he clinked glasses with his wife.

"Are you listening to me, Roko?!" Corissa cried as she drunkenly climbed onto the counter and grabbed onto Roko's face, forcing him to look at her, "You're going to listen to me whenever you like it or not!"

"Umm...Corissa, just calm down for a mome-"

"You work too damn hard!" Corissa cried, "You're always putting yourself in front of the danger all the time and keep all the most dangerous parts of your secret plan to yourself! Do you know what it's like to see your friend always come back in tatters with broken bones and scrapes all over while barely able to keep themselves awake and on their feet?! It's heartwrenching!"

"But I-"

"I'm always afraid you won't come back alive in our next adventure." Corissa said, her eyes beginning to tear up, "Every time you step out into the battlefield, I feel like I might never see you again. More than anybody else. You're so fragile, I feel like I always need to keep an eye on you. Because your own stupid kindness could kill you one day and you would drag your dying body off to a corner of the world where we'd never find you and never know what happened to you. And when we're not fighting, you're always trying to keep to yourself, almost always on your own, always overworking yourself even when you should be recovering. Even now, nobody ever knew you were doing a festival event all by yourself! Even though you worked your mind off just yesterday helping everybody else! You never give yourself time to relax and you never show up by yourself unless someone has a problem and it always about a problem! Everybody feels this way! Everyone's scared of you dying or disappearing one day and it never feels like we spend enough time with you! I really wanted to spend time with you today you know. I wanted to show you around the festival and have fun together but you went off and secluded yourself into this little corner without telling anyone. Never getting to see the results of your own hard work."

"I..." Roko said, unsure of how to take the emotional confession from the drunk and distressed girl.

"You're coming with me to the culture festival tomorrow okay?" Corissa said, her body staring to sway as she began to grow sleepy, "I want...to spend more time with you..."

"...Okay..."

Corissa smiled and collapsed forward, Roko moving quickly to catch her before she fell on the ground. He propped her up against the cupboard, as she slept peacefully. Roko took a moment to process exactly what happened. Then he stood up and looked at her parents, "This is all your fault."

"Oh look at the time, it's about time to close up isn't it?" Her father said with no shame or guilt, "We'll take our daughter to her room, go ahead and clean up okay?"

"I'm doubling your bill."

"You think that matters to a king of a country?"

"I'm tripling it."

"Have fun on your date."