In the Garden of Virtues II

Isanghan loved going back to the Heavenly Embassy. He couldn’t make it every day over the last week, but he made it as often as he could. Primrose had mentioned a first task, but despite the fact that they’d spent more time together, he hadn’t followed up. Maybe he was satisfied with the work in the gardens– which now drew a small crowd of succubuns every day, attracted by Isanghan’s posts. Few spent much time in there, but at least everyone seemed to be more or less respectful.

That day, the gardens had attracted more people than usual. Isanghan had to push through the crowd (easier said than done, what with everyone trying to talk to him) to find his friend.

“Prim!” he called, finally finding him.

“Yes- oh, Isanghan,” he said. “I have your second task.”

“Oh! Okay.” Isanghan winced as someone roughly pushed past him. “What is it? Also, you should put a limit on how many people can be in here at a time.”

“I’ll get around to it,” Primrose sighed. “I need you to deliver some tea leaves.” He held out a small cardboard box. “The address is on the box. You’re delivering them to a cherubun named Dove.”

“Cool!” The name meant nothing to Isanghan. “Alright– do you wanna get coffee together when I get back?”

“I think I’ll have my hands full until the gardens close,” he answered. “Some other time.”

“Alright!”

Isanghan headed out of the greenhouse, and as he reached the door, he turned and called,

“Okay, everyone, let’s go!”

Like magic, most of the crowd inside the gardens followed Isanghan out, granting Primrose a modicum of peace– hopefully enough peace to very quickly make a sign.

Finally alone again, Isanghan observed the box in his hands more closely. Primrose’s handwriting was very neat, and very cursive. He squinted, trying to parse the address. He could sort of piece a couple of letters together, but all of the little flourishes and loops mostly blended together, making this completely illegible. He sighed.

His first instinct was to take a picture and let the masses decipher it, but as quickly as he thought of it, he dismissed it.

They call that doxxing, he reminded himself.

Still, there was one person he could text… someone who knew all about this sort of annoying, fanciful bullshit… Ugh. He rolled his eyes, took a picture, and sent it to Illumine.

See, Isanghan was a kind person. He thought so, anyways; he always tried to do what was best for everybody, sometimes to his own detriment. He always held the door open, was always polite at the barest minimum; it was part of, he hoped, what made him so well-liked.

Illumine provided him with release. Definitely in a sexual context, but even more than that, he could say whatever he wanted to Illumine. He could honestly say that he really, truly, did not care at all about their opinion of him. And he did not like them at all, whatsoever. They were haughty and annoying; overly-concerned with “fairy lore” and how he was doing the aesthetic wrong– and if not that, they were pranking people. He hated them, they hated him; they both knew it, and they mutually benefited from half-maintaining that relationship.

This was why his text to them read only,

translate this

He sat down on some bench nearby, waiting about twenty minutes for an answer.

What, can’t you read? was Illumine’s response.

not cursive lmao 

sorry i dont have time to learn a whole new language. im busy

It’s not a new language. Your ever-uninhibited lack of wit should render you too embarrassed to leave your bed. And yet.

Anyhow, what will you do to make this worth my while?

what do you want?

i can head to yours after im finished with this delivery

mouth only

No rebuttal? You aren't dying, are you?  

Ugh. No. Make me an offer that isn’t thoroughly underwhelming.

idk do you want money? im not paying you more than 2 carats for this

and no im not dying. thanks for the concern though

makes me feel so warm inside <3

Hm…

Your attitude today is awfully irritating...

so what? you won’t do it?

Generally, people are more inclined to succumb to requests that are phrased more politely.

I thought you would know something so simple, people pleaser that you are.

you're going to police me on politeness when you literally chew with your mouth open??? okay lmao

anyways i dont really have time for this

please oh great and powerful faerie illumine would you please translate the address on the box pretty please for me???? <3<3<3

You’re boring today.

Here’s the address. I expect you at mine in two hours.

Yeah, he’d probably end up going.

Without bothering to thank them, Isanghan put his phone back in his pocket and made his way toward the address Illumine had translated for him. Conveniently, it wasn’t all that far.

He found the apartment with ease, and knocked on the door. A few moments passed, and a woman with dark hair and green envy horns opened the door.

Jackal had actually just finished what she was doing previously, and was wondering how she was going to spend the rest of this incredibly boring day when she head a knock at the door. It wasn’t uncommon– new cherubuns and envy succubuns were often directed to her doorstep; and she’d seen a lot of people since moving, making sure they had the right address.

“What?” she asked, after opening the door. 

“Hi! Is Dove available?” Isanghan asked. “I have a delivery for them.” This woman was intimidating, and her greeting (if he could call it that) was kind of rude, but he smiled through the feeling.

She eyed him up and down. He was not of hers and Dove’s usual clientele: a confident lust succubun adorned in pearls and pastels. “What is it?”

“Primrose from the Embassy sent me to deliver some tea leaves,” he answered. “He was a bit tied up– the gardens have been so busy lately! Have you been?”

“Uh… no.” She shifted. Isanghan’s unwavering demeanour made her feel kind of awkward. 

“Oh, you really should! They’re beautiful. And you don’t have to be a cherubun to appreciate the scent of ambrosia flowers. Speaking of which– is Dove here?”

“Yeah, hold on a sec,” she said. She turned back into the apartment. “DOVE! Delivery for you!”

The announcement was followed by the excited sound of thundering footsteps, and Dove presented themself, pushing to stand just in front of the other woman.

“Hello!” they greeted brightly. “Are those my tea leaves?”

“Yes they are!” Isanghan held out the box.

“Thank you so much!” They took it from him. “Hey– I think I know you from somewhere. Have we met?”

“Oh! I’m actually kind of an idol,” he told them. He loved saying those words.

“That’s wonderful!” Dove exclaimed. “Would you like to come in for a few? I did just get some new tea.”

“Sure!” he agreed. “That would be great, thank you.”

“Of course!”

Dove showed Isanghan inside.

“So, how are you liking Burrowgatory so far?” Isanghan asked. He made himself comfortable at the kitchen table. Jackal sat across from him.

“It’s been a good experience,” Dove answered. “I’m glad I did it.” They set a kettle on the stove. “I was missing my tea, but now that you’ve brought some, that’s a little less for me to yearn for.”

“I’m glad I could help.”

“Do you mind if I ask how you two met? I don’t wanna be invasive or anything– I just feel like cherubuns are so new; we’re kind of not all that integrated, yet. Most of you spend a lot more time at the Embassy.”

“Well, when I first fell, Jackal was the one who took me in.” Dove smiled fondly at the memory. “I had lost my memory, and she worked so hard to help find anything out about my past– anything at all! It was so sweet of her.”

Jackal blushed, and looked away; but her lips were still curved upward. “Oh, c’mon, I can’t take all the credit. What’s-her-face helped.”

“Of course,” Dove nodded, “I can’t forget Worldling! But it’s not like she invited me into her home, and made me feel so welcome, and it’s not like we live together, now.”

Jackal chuckled modestly.

“That’s so sweet,” Isanghan said, propping his head up on his arm. “You must’ve been one of the first cherubuns, then!”

“I was the first cherubun,” Dove said.

“Oh!” A flicker of jealousy licked at Isanghan for half a second. The numbers Dove could do on social media just by existing… He tamped it down. “That’s so neat! Wow, what- wow. I can’t imagine doing what you did. It must have been so scary.”

“It was.” They twined their fingers, looking down. “But I’m- I think I’m better for it. I think a lot of people are going to be better for it.”

He nodded. “I think so, too. Not just cherubuns, but even other succubuns. Like, everyone’s talking about virtues now! I dunno, I just think that there’s going to be a lot of good that comes from that. Thinking about being nice to each other… I dunno, I can’t imagine that being a bad thing.”

“Thank you,” Dove said. “It’s kind of you to say.”

“What? I should be thanking you! You’re the one that did anything.”

The two had a very flattering exchange of, no, thank you until Jackal couldn’t take it anymore and interrupted them.