[Comm] diligence 05

Waking up bright and early wasn’t Coro’s style. He was the kind of Greed bun to wake up at his own leisure. It wasn’t because he wanted to waste the day away but because he valued his sleep and respected his body’s natural circadian rhythm. This particular morning, he squinted as the lights from the crystalline ceiling filtered into his room, urging the monochrome bun to get on with his day. Remembering he had to be at the Heavenly Embassy to harvest the ambrosia plants with Philos, Coro somehow managed to get himself out of bed without further delay. He gazed upon his bun self and decided what the hell, if he was going to be harvesting it would go a little faster with opposable thumbs right? The transformation happened before he could register it and there he was, standing to his full doll height before pulling out his phone to text Philos he’d be there soon.

Maybe it was all the fresh air and heavenly plants or whatever, but Coro noticed a minor change in him he wouldn’t have otherwise if he didn’t frequent the Heavenly Embassy. Sure, he could visit Philos whenever he wanted but now that the Greed bun saw the Cherubun in their element, he couldn’t help but want to experience more with them. Even with his own littermate, Coronis didn’t harbor the compulsion to visit them or spend as much time with them as he did with the wooden Cherubun. Crossing a sidewalk and towards the gilded elevator up to the Embassy, he pondered what this could entail for him.

Unfortunately, his thoughts were cut short by the chime of the elevator, indicating their arrival. He and various others visiting exited and he turned towards the gardens, ready to get to work.

Passing through heavy glass doors to the greenhouse, Coro smelled the fully bloomed flowers before he could see them. There was a thick, almost syrupy scent that lingered in the air which was no doubt delicious and inviting for any Cherubun who would enjoy its broken down components. In the back of his mind, Coro vaguely recalled the lecture Philos gave him regarding the breakdown of the whole ambrosia flower, ensuring that no part of it was wasted. He squatted near his patch of flowers and brushed his thin, almost bony fingers against the shimmering, soft petals of one close to him. Before any sort of impulsive thought overtook him, his ears perked at the sound of hoof steps behind him, turning to face the Cherubun of the hour.

Philos entered, holding two to-go cups of coffee and a brown baggie of pastries and noticed the new doll in their presence. Self conscious and a little shy, they lowered their gaze, looking anywhere else but the stranger.

“Ah, erm, good morning to thee…” They murmured softly, wishing anyone else was with them to deal with this supposed stranger. “Art thou learning about our ambrosia flowers…? I am afraid this patch is a little advanced for thee, if thou’st are new to our customs…”

Coro stared, surprised at Philos’ sudden shyness. He tilted his head and then rose to his own hooves, approaching the Cherubun in careful consideration. It wasn’t until he was a few feet away did he realize how much taller his doll form was compared to them. Something about being able to peer down at the wooden Cherubun seemed to delight him for some odd reason. He gave a small chuckle before he spoke.

“Good mornin’ to you too, Phi.” He greeted in his usual scratchy voice. Philos’ eyes widened before they looked up to Coro in surprise, gifting the Greed bun with yet another experience shared only between the two of them. “Don’t worry, I think I got a good mentor so these flowers will be in good hands, hm? We should maybe enjoy your treats before we get to work, unless you like cold leftover coffee.”

Philos was at a loss for words. Their emerald eyes searched Coronis’ own, sensing no deceit in that familiar, comforting tone of his. Now that they were looking at him clearly, all the characteristics lined up as they knew him; from his piercings, to his horns, to his monochrome colorings. Everything about this doll was true to the Greed bun Philos spent so much time with over the last year. It was only after this realization did a blush sweep across their face. They shoved Coronis’ drink and pastry bag to him and began rapidly finishing their own drink and pastry, earning a bark of a laugh from the Greed bun.

“I fail to seeth the humor in this Coronis, really…!” Philos huffed, the blush reaching to the base of their ears and shoulders. “I almost believed thy did not careth for a doll form…”

Coro took a sip from his cup before setting it aside, pulling the Cherubun further into the greenhouse and towards the patch of flowers. “I didn’t mean to startle you angel, I just didn’t think about it. I mean, I switch between my bun and doll form regularly. It didn’t click that I haven't shown you this.” After Philos remained silent, Coro continued with a lopsided smile. “I’m sorry. Promise, I wasn’t trying to keep it a secret or anything.”

Philos kept their gaze lowered before letting out a soft sigh, fingers twirling into their hair. They weren’t sure why they were so shy all of a sudden but they had to at least try to make it through this lesson as part of their obligation to their other Cherubuns, especially Primrose. Any scolding or pouting would have to wait until after the harvest. With Coro’s apology in mind, they hesitantly reach out for the Greed bun’s hands, taking one into both of theirs.

“I believeth thee. Well, this does make things easier…the harvesting shall go quicker this way.” They beam, squeezing Coro’s hand before letting go. “Come then, allow me to show you our harvesting methods. Admittedly, my own harvesting could useth some work, compared to Primrose…but nevertheless, I shall endeavor to do my best.”

The mention of the Embassy leader, let alone the softening of Philos’ words and gaze only made Coro focus on them even more. He ignored the strange twist in his stomach as he squatted in tandem with Philos, peering over the flowers they grew together. The Cherubun returned to a previous lecture on the importance of using the whole flower before going into the actual harvesting methods. They plucked one flower out of the soil, using some clippers to separate the roots from the stem, the stem from the leaves, before they finished by plucking the glowing petals into a little pile.

“Then we doeth this for our entire patch! So on and so forth. We keepeth the gardens freshly stocked with every sort of flower for all seasons, in the event a Cherubun wisheth to modify their traits…or if perhaps a specific ailment requires an ambrosia from a different season. The possibilities are endless…” They explained further, snipping carefully as to not disturb the center of the bulb.

Coro copied them as precisely as he could, occasionally glancing back to watch Philos work as he worked on his own. The pair fell into a steady rhythm, eventually tackling the entire patch with their cooperative effort. They shared a comfortable silence as they looked over their piles of harvested ambrosia flowers. Philos tentatively raised their hand before giving Coro a thumbs up.

“Well done, Coronis…”

Coro chuckled and gave a thumbs up back.

“Not too bad yourself, Phi.”

Wanting to escape the attention from their Succubun companion, Philos began consolidating their piles before storing them away into their designated containers. Coro tried to help but was immediately rebuffed. It seemed even the wooden Cherubun had moments of pride.

“Well, now that we have completed our tasks, what would’st thou like to do?” Philos asked, setting aside the now labeled, harvested goods. They nearly squeaked with Coro right next to them, almost appearing out of thin air.

“You live around here right? How about you show me your place and I’ll order us something off BunDash. My treat.” Coro offered, taking the containers of the harvested flowers under his arm before leading Philos out of the greenhouse. The Cherubun didn’t have time to object as they were whisked away, their tail poofing behind them in sheer embarrassment and secret delight. They continued down the path to Philos’ abode, spending the rest of the day happy in each other’s company.