[Comm] Pursuit of Diligence: IV

It’s another week before Ashes ends up back at the Heavenly Embassy for round four. He wants to learn more about Cherubuns and the only thing he’s ended up learning about is how to take care of flowers. It hardly seems like a fair trade to him given how he’s only getting crumbs out of the various Cherubuns, even if it’s mostly Primrose. To say that he's prepared for no answers yet again is an understatement.

“Ah, you’ve arrived,” Primrose says just as he steps outside of the elevator. He doesn’t want to do more work with plants, thank you. Sure, he has to harvest them later down the line, but this is too soon even for his liking. What are Cherubuns even putting in those flowers?

“I need you to run another favor for me, well, another delivery,” Primrose continues and it’s like music to Ashes’ ears. Oh the joys of not having to plant and worry about more flowers! He’s never been happier in his life to hear the word ‘delivery’. “I need you to deliver coffee beans to Beanny, at the Paradise Cafe.”

“Oh,” he replies instead. Internally he could not be happier, oh he would love some coffee right now and coffee beans are nothing if not a step towards happiness. While he’s not well read enough on tea, coffee is a whole other game and he would like to hear Beanny’s opinions. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

Primrose looks at him funny though before handing over the literal bag of coffee beans to him. It’s a gloriously large bag filled with the most beautiful type of beans in them and Ashes will not hear otherwise.

“And I thought you would hate doing this again,” Primrose remarks as he bolts out of the door of the Embassy to find Paradise Cafe.

It’s not far away but he still finds himself out of breath by the time he reaches those wonderful doors. Beanny is busy tending another customer when he steps through the doors with the large bag of coffee beans. The bag must make him look ridiculous as the customer and the cherubun turn to look at him with perplexed expressions.

“Oh, is it already that time of the month already?” Beanny prompts without putting down the mug in their hands. “Primrose never gives me a warning whenever he ends up sending someone over. Or maybe he hasn’t figured out how to use a phone yet.”

Hold up. Hold on, what? Ashes’ brain is spinning because apparently phones have spread so fast in Burrowgatory that Cherubuns have them now though it makes sense. The real question is how much technology Cherubuns have adopted into their usual life and if they’re good with them.

“I have coffee beans,” he says instead because it’s easier to start the conversation about coffee than about technology. Ashes is very nosy about this though and he truly does believe that Beanny will indulge his questions. “For your inventory.”

Beanny only smiles at him. “Why don’t you bring them here and I’ll weigh them before throwing it in the back for inventory? There’s some more work, but that can wait after the day is over.”

“Do you happen to run this place with the same system that Burrowgatory uses?” he finds himself asking instead. And here Ashes thought that he came here to ask about coffee opinions but instead he’s asking about how the Cherubun’s coffee business is doing. He’s already guessing that it’s doing well if Beanny’s expression means anything. The bag of coffee beans still sits heavy on his back.

“I mean, I take carats and while it’s a bit more expensive but everyone loves coffee,” Beanny says with a shrug. “You know how it is.”

“Right, then how do you know what coffee beans are the best?”

“Mixing and matching to see what’s nice. Follow me,” Beanny then tells him as they open up the side door by the counter so he can haul the coffee beans inside. Then there’s another door which he guesses is the actual inventory and it’s cool in there. Oh, Ashes actually doesn’t know anything about selling beverages actually.

“Is this just to preserve the beans so they don’t expire?”

Beanny shrugs. “It’s some of our inventory, we also have a freezer for the milkweed but past that, well it’s all in the grinders and dicing that all up before the cafe opens up.”

Ashes suddenly fears what Beanny’s sleep schedule is, obviously it must be better than his if they look this fine despite grinding coffee extremely up in the morning. Meanwhile he simply loathes the idea of getting out of bed on somedays, please he would like to put off his research and sleep in. However, his research notes will not write themselves nor will his experiments conduct themselves.

“At least you’re being productive, I can’t say the others in Burrowgatory can get up that early in the morning,” he points out only for Beanny to shrug. So apparently anyone is willing to do anything for a cup of coffee, really, Ashes gets it. He too would be willing to do anything for said cup of coffee and he could use one afterwards if he needs to hear Primrose talk once more about flowers again.

“Oh you haven’t seen those working in retail or something like that trying to get their coffee before clocking in for work and you look like you need a cup too,” Beanny replies easily as he sets down the bag of coffee. “C’mon, it’s on the house.”

Ashes has never felt happier after running an errand. Really, if this was all Primrose was requesting for him to do then he’d die a happy succubun and he’d be the best worker everyday. Though it does mildly pain him that the Cherubuns aren’t looking for new employees of this sort, he could always make do with a part time job on the side.

“Thank you. And I hope you don’t mind if I ask some questions about how you Cherubuns are liking Burrowgatory? And maybe some things about your life here and in the past,” he then prompts sheepishly. “Only if you don’t mind. Primrose hasn’t given me a straight answer for the days I’ve gone to bother him.”

“Don’t worry, there’s the rest of us and we’re more than happy to answer some questions, provided you also tell us a bit about yourself too.”

Ashes concludes that Beanny is the best Cherubun and he will definitely be crashing here for some more coffee after work if he can.