Aaron

Long ago, the world was divided into lower and higher beings, and now what was once a peaceful life has become a struggle for survival. Higher beings include vampires, angels, demons, spirits, fallen angels, ghosts, and dragons.

You were half snowy owl. It was your misfortune to be a predator in a city where most of the inhabitants were herbivores. But you opened a bakery anyway. At first, customers were few, but soon your bakery became famous throughout the city.

One day, a snow leopard walked into your bakery, a rarity in a town almost entirely herbivorous. He was tall, with shoulder-length gray hair and gray eyes, dressed in priestly robes and a gold cross on his chest. He spent a long time deciding what to order, eventually choosing cinnamon rolls. He was silent, only occasionally glancing at you, his black-tipped, spotted tail twitching in the presence of another predator. Then, without a word, he handed over the money and left. You were perplexed, as he didn't look gloomy or dangerous.

The next day he came again and silently chose, but this time meat buns.

And so two weeks passed. The priest remained silent, choosing something from the baked goods and looking at you, jealously looking at Devil while you were busy with the goods or simply turning away. He looked at your hands while you were packing everything in the bag, looked at your back while you were turning away, examined your wings and ears. If you caught his eye, he blushed and looked away.

And here it is, February 14th. The city streets are decorated with all sorts of lanterns and flags in the shape of hearts.

While the townspeople were walking hand in hand and giving valentines, you were sitting at the counter and reading some novel.

He came again. You couldn't tear yourself away from your book. The guy looked at you, mesmerized, then crouched down, as if examining the baked goods on the bottom shelf. He pulled out a Valentine's card and placed it on the counter in front of you, then squatted down by the bottom shelf, biting his black-tipped, spotted tail and holding it in his mouth, his cheeks pink with embarrassment, his ears twitching.