Dove's Tea

     As the crisp autumn air meets Halcyon’s nose once again, the scent of leaves and spices filled his mind. Rousing him from sleep, the cherubun rubs his weary eyes and looks around his room. The crystal’s light is already quite bright for this time of the day - Halcyon normally rises well before the morning begins - and he checks his clock to- 9:30 AM, that can’t be correct. Halcyon’s imps all lounge about the room, most still asleep save for his corvat and avia who prefer rising with the light. Woodland the uniqor nuzzles their owner’s leg, as they usually sleep at the foot of the bed. Halcyon pets their long tail and yawns deeply. If he had slept in this late, he must’ve needed the rest.

     What exactly had they done the night prior? The cherubun rubs their temples, the light from their ophanim pulsing in thought. They remember being in the greenhouse for most of the night, planting, and Primrose. That’s right, Primrose had taken them to their bed and tucked them in ever so gently with a loving kiss on the forehead. Despite being so close in the Heavenly Meadow, the two have never formed any sort of romantic pairing. The love they hold for each other is deep, and affectionate, but not so in an amorous way. At least, that’s what they each think given their relationships to Melangel and the strict edict of purity they were forced to uphold. Pleasure and love were primarily for procreation, and though Primrose would never admit he was afraid to die, it is Halcyon’s biggest fear.  Getting paired off wasn’t seen as something to do out of emotion - no, it was simply for ecological purposes. Halcyon shudders. Now that they had the chance to pursue a partner simply for the sake of it, Melangel’s strange obsession with perpetuating the cherubun lineage is concerning to say the least. Their lifespans no longer limit them, and their succubun counterparts encourage coupling just for the sake of it. The idea had some merit, but it isn't one Halcyon thought capable of pursuing. At least, not yet.

     Halcyon sighs and shakes his head to clear the unwanted thoughts away. No, no today would be a good day, he’d make certain of that. Yawning and stretching once more before he wiggles out of bed, Halcyon finally rises to greet the day. Woodland makes a small neigh and then hops down from the bed, shaking themself off. Halcyon absentmindedly pets them again and heads for the bathroom. His morning routine is pretty easy in bun form, just a simple brushing of fur and teeth, fixing of hair, and polishing of hooves. Just as he was about to slip out the door to find Primrose, Primrose technically finds him first. Halcyon steps on a letter that had been pushed underneath his doorframe. As he carefully opens the sealed envelop[e, his head tilts to the side. It isn't written hastily or haphazardly, instead Primrose's ever-elegant cursive lines the paper:

     "Dearest Halcyon,

     Thank you once more for your assistance and willingness to help plant yesterday. I am writing to ask if you could deliver Dove's tea leaves in my stead today, as an urgent medical matter requiring my time has come up. I will inform you as to the outcome of it this evening upon your return. Please join me for supper at my room, if you would be so kind.

     Sincerely,

     Primrose"

     Halcyon smiles. An easily completed request. Though they're still cautious about venturing into Burrowgatory alone, Dove's a bun that constantly inspires Halcyon to break free of their moral trappings to discover all that their new lease on life has to offer. Any opportunity to chat with them is a welcome one. The air is getting chillier thanks to the transition of seasons, but Halcyon is more than prepared thanks to their fluffy neck fur. They tie their ears around the front, snuggled against said neck fur. Halcyon gives their room one more look before heading out the door. Just as they start into the hallway, a soft whinny cries out from behind the door.

     “Woodland, wouldn’t you like to stay home and mind the others?”

     A beat passes, and an even more pitiful whinny rings out. Halcyon smiles slightly.

     “Alright, alright… please be mindful and take a scarf with you.”

     Woodland noses around their owner’s small hamper of bun and imp approved seasonal garb, and chooses a red, white and gold plaid scarf. They wiggle their head up, around and through the scarf until it’s more or less tied. Halcyon chuckles, and pulls the uniqor closer to him, adjusting the scarf. “There, now you’ll look lovely and be warm.”

     Woodland whinnies again, and the pair set off down the hallway. The building Halcyon resides in lies next to the main embassy building, as Primrose would hate to live more than a few meters away from his workplace. ‘The less time traveled, the more time used’ he would often say. Not a very eloquent saying especially coming from him, but Primrose has said it long enough that others in the embassy often say it in his stead. Halcyon passes the reception area, waves goodbye to the door bun, and heads to the greenhouse. They unlock the door and sneak just inside the main area, where a small rack of special order plants are kept. Primrose prefers those to be as close as possible to the door, so deliveries are speedy. Halcyon browses for Dove's signature tea leaf bag, and plucks it from the shelf. Mmm, a warm aroma of herbs and floral notes, with a hint of sweetness graces their nose. Tucking it beneath their arm, Halcyon leaves the greenhouse for the elevator as quickly as they came.

     The collective buildings of the embassy sit nestled in the cloud above the elevator. Heading down to it is a shimmering golden path inlaid with ethereal designs, a few rows of flowers lining it. Halcyon skips a bit, their hooves clicking rhythmically onto the pavement along with Woodland’s. Arriving at the elevator and entering inside, Halcyon takes a breath, their uniqor nuzzling their leg with reassurance. Going down to Burrowgatory is still a feeling they're trying to get used to, but their imps make it worth it. The conversation convincing Primrose to let Halcyon keep a multitude of imps in their room was an arduous one, but... their life has been so enriched by the presence of these little critters.

     The elevator chimes softly, signaling their arrival on the surface. Halcyon blinks and shakes their head. Getting lost in thought, now there's a thought worth thinking about! Woodland gently nudges Halcyon forward, what would they do without them? With tentative steps, Halcyon adjusts their ears and heads in the direction of Jackal and Dove's apartment. Though always crystal clear skies greet Halcyon above, underground now the sky lay overcast and cloudy, the light from the crystals barely peeking through in weaker spots. A few buns out on the late morning streets head to their day-to-day lives, nine-to-fives, favors for friends, errands for enemies... most pay Halcyon and Woodland no mind, though the cherubun does catch a few stray glances thanks to their large, glowing halo. Halcyon had trouble finding the apartment their first few visits, but since then, it's the only location they know for certain in the city.

     After weaving through various streets, passing different districts and wholesale wares, Halcyon spots Dove from a block away, their white halo and fluffy tail catching his eye immediately. Woodland spots her as well and gallops along, neighing loudly. Halcyon stumbles to catch up to them, and instead they see Dove, surprised to see the uniqor, bend over to pet them.

     "Hello, Woodland! Where's your owner?" Dove asks. Woodland chirps and struts about Dove, rubbing themselves on their legs. Dove peers down to see Halcyon, breathing heavily, clutching something in his hoof. "Halcyon, there you are!" They smile warmly at the black and gold cherubun. "What brings you down today? I don't think I had anything planned."

     Halcyon shakes his head, holding out the bag of tea leaves. "T-this... for you..." He stops to finally catch his breath. "Primrose had a medical emergency to attend to, he said he will inform me of it come suppertime." Dove reaches down to take the tea leaves from Halcyon. "Oh, thank you! Truth be told, I'm not running low on my stock or anything of that nature. I imagine Primrose just wanted me to be stocked up for the coming cold. I hope the emergency will resolve itself." Dove smiles again. "Would you like to stay for some tea in the meantime? Jackal's just gone out to lead the envy support group, so I'm in need of company for my lunch."

     Halcyon smiles slightly. "I would never miss an opportunity to chat with you!"

     Dove heads to the front door and opens it for Halcyon and Woodland. "By all means, come on in!"

     The seasonal aroma of gingerbread and cinnamon hangs heavy in the air. As the pair of buns enter the kitchen, Halcyon notices gingerbread cookies cooling down on a baking tray. Dove gets a kettle of water going on the stovetop. "I was planning to have sandwiches for an easy meal today, if that's alright with you."

     Halcyon nods as Woodland settles at his feet. Dove hums quietly to themselves, busily preparing the meal. Halcyon takes in the atmosphere, thinking about the days ahead of him. A few minutes and one tea kettle whistle later, Dove returns to the table with cucumber sandwiches, carrot and celery sticks, and a pot of tea. "Let me go change so we're more comfortable!" Dove retreats to their bedroom and returns, now in bun form. Woodland nuzzles them as they climb into the kitchen chair, eager to share a meal with Halcyon.

      "By the way," Halcyon asks, finishing off the last of his sandwich, "I was meaning to ask you. How did you and Jackal... get together?"

     Dove stops for a moment, then takes a sip of tea. "Well, she took care of me when I first landed here." Their eyes turn wistful, staring into their drink. "I'd never have thought that... succubuns would be so, so kind. At first, I foolishly judged them on their vices and not their virtues." Dove's face twists and contorts into a smirk. "Some cherubun I am, huh?"

     "No! No, Dove, you're amazing." Halcyon reaches across the table to look into Dove's eyes. "You've learnt and grown! You inspired so many of us to take the leap of faith, and well... I'd love your advice on the subject."

     Dove returns the look into Halcyon's eyes. "Yes, certainly."

     Halcyon clears his throat. "How would I... how would you, y'know... ask to see if someone's interested in you?"

     "Just ask them."

     Halcyon shifts nervously in his seat. "It's not that simple. I've known this bun for a long time, and we've been close, but we never had the... idea before. It never seemed possible.
" He twiddles his hooves. "But now...? I think... maybe, we could..." Halcyon covers his face with his hooves. Dove giggles, both at Halcyon's reaction and at Woodland sneaking a celery stick off of their owner's plate.

     "Don't be silly! If this bun is who I'm thinking they are, you'll just have to take that leap of faith to find out."

     The cherubuns continue chatting for an hour more, about life and all of its intricacies. After the meal had been eaten, cleared away, and goodbyes said, Halcyon leaves the apartment with perspective and a heart full of fear. He stares up at the sky, and sees a slight ray of crystal light stray through the clouds. The light dances across his body, the golden inlay of Halcyon's body twinkling. Yes, maybe... maybe tonight at supper, Halcyon would be able to make heads or tails of his predicament. Woodland nudged their owner's hoof, kick-starting the two's journey back home. Hopefully, the evening would be filled with revelations as much as it was companionship.