Rocking Coffee Beans

With a long lecture still ringing in his ears, Lapis stumbled through the Heavenly Embassy's halls and out the front door, his arms straining from the weight of the large coffee bean bag he carried.

He should be grateful for the chance to get away from the gardens. Primrose had given him quite the earful earlier and it had continued on for hours, all because Lapis’ headphones came loose and his phone happened to play at full volume one of The Fifth Circle’s more… explicit songs.

But it really wasn’t his fault, he didn’t know that would happen and he didn’t want to be blamed for it! Even if he was now unfortunately confident he scandalized some of the other cherubuns. He still felt bad about the one that turned bright red and covered their mouth in horror.

It came as no surprise when Primrose pushed the coffee beans bag against his chest after his scolding and demanded Lapis run an errand. Honestly that was a much better punishment than anything else he was sure Primrose could come up with. Not that he was punished, no he decided what he did when he did it. It was just hard to say no when Primrose glared.

Lapis sighed as he eventually reached the cafe, heaving slightly as he used his shoulder to push the door. He found it a little silly that Primrose hadn’t give him anything to help carry the heavy bag, but then again, it might have something to do with how he should be used to hard work. That other cherubun’s work etiquette was scary, not even chasing the band around was this time consuming.

He approached the cafe’s counter and cleared his throat, “Um hello?”

Beanny looked up from where she was wiping down the counter from a coffee spill, “That you Lapis? Just give me a moment and I’ll get your order in.”

“Oh! No I'm not here for coffee,” Lapis shook his head as he weakly tried to raise the coffee beans bag high enough for Beanny to see. “Primrose sent me on a delivery.”

She grinned, her tail twitching as she stood up, “Finally, I have some new recipes to try but I was running short on coffee beans.” She opened the counter flap and moved towards him, easily lifting the bag out of Lapis’ arms. “I’m not sure why he had you do the delivery? I’m right next door.”

“I got a bit in trouble.” Lapis seemed a bit awkward as he looked down at the counter, “I might have played rock music really loud in the gardens.”

There was silence for a few moments, until Beanny started to snicker under her breath, “You played rock music in the embassy? Here? I’m surprised this is the only thing Primrose has you doing, you know how he is.”

Lapis nodded, “I really didn’t mean to, it’s just my headphone cord got catch on the watering can and I-”

Beanny shifted the bag to one arm and raised her hand, cutting him off, “You don’t need to explain yourself, it was an accident. It’s not like music was going to hurt the plants or anyone in the embassy.” Although with what little she knew of the music from Lapis’ little succubun band, she really had to figure out the song that got played. She was sure it had Primrose clenching his teeth in outrage.

Lapis seemed graceful she was trying to cheer him, but he didn’t stop him from slumping against the counter, his head barely missing a sticky spot. He pouted, “It wasn’t even that bad, he’s just a stick in the mud.”

Beanny shrugged, “Maybe but I think it’s because he cares too much.”

Lapis tilted his head, “Huh cares too much?”

“About the cherubuns that followed after us all down here, it can be hard for them to adjust and it doesn’t help how different succubuns are.” That wasn’t to say she didn’t like succubuns, but it was no surprise that some cherubuns were struggling.

“I guess, but I’ve had so much fun here. Way more than I ever had in the meadow.” He was still a little bitter about how naive and foolish he used to be. “I thought listening and obeying was all I was good for, now I have a job I can do whatever I want in.”

Beanny nodded, “You’re not wrong, being in the burrows has given me the chance to do all the experiments I want. Figuring out drinks for both succubuns and cherubuns, ones they can enjoy together, I would never have been able to do that in the meadow.” Not with Melangel’s presence at every turn, they were always watching.

Lapis brightened, “Exactly, we have so much freedom here!”

Beanny smiled, “We do, but you should still be careful Lapis, you were always a little more trusting than others.”

“I was not.”

She gave him a blank look, “You’re follow around every cherubun here until you went into the burrows and befriended the first succubuns you saw.”

Lapis wanted to deny that, but he did think mentioning that the band kinda kidnapped him when he first got here was a bad idea. “I guess, but I am having a lot of fun.”

Beanny shrugged as she went back behind the counter, setting the coffee bean bag down. “True enough, say you what a coffee before you go back? I just put on a fresh batch.” She didn’t mean to rush him, but it was close to lunch time and she expected more customers would come in.

He shook his head, “That’s okay. I should probably get back before Primrose gets mad that I’m taking so long. It was nice talking to you, Beanny.”

“You too, Lapis, see you around,” She waved him away as he left through the front door.

Lapis knew he was a bit eccentric compared to the other/, but he did appreciate when cherubuns like Beanny knew he was a good bun, he was just living another life now. One that adored breaking the rules and listening to music so loudly it made his ears ache.

At least he still got to help his fellow cherubuns by assisting Primrose with everything that had to do with ambrosia.