Prompt: What goes around, comes around

Harlow pushed his dolly to his truck after his final delivery for the day, his mind wandering off. He met with Quince and Hutch recently, both of which did not provide any fruitful information. Neither knew someone who could provide the organic produce he'd need to solve his soil problem. Fuck sakes. As the weeks ticked on, he started getting antsy over the situation. He was so absorbed in his thoughts, he walked past the envy Succubun sitting on the staircase. 

She took a puff and then called out to him, "Yo, farm boy."

He stopped abruptly and looked back to see Jackal sitting, smoking a cigarette. "Oh, hey. Sorry, did not see you there."

"Yea, I could tell," she remained sitting when Harlow walked back over to her. "Done for the day?"

"I am," he wiped his forehead from the sweat accumulated there.

"You don't look so good."

Harlow appreciated her straightforward attitude. "You bet I am not....." Jackal did not respond, waiting for him to elaborate. "Remember when I told you about the produce shortage?" Jackal nodded, "Found out it is the soil." He rubbed his hand through his hair. "It's been....rough."

Jackal kept smoking, staring at him, then she spoke up, "What's wrong with the soil?"

"It's low on nutrients. My usual remedy doesn't work anymore. I have to find new source of replenishing it."

"You got any ideas?"

"I am looking for large amount of organic matter like compost...but fuck, no one in Burrowgatory has the amount I need. I might need to talk to the city," frustration rising in him.

She took another puff on her cigarette, looking at the pavement in front of her, deep in thought. Harlow wondered if the topic was too boring that Jackal stopped listening, but she eventually spoke up, "You free right now?"

"....Yea?" Harlow was not in a good mood.

"Why don't you come on in," Jackal stood up on the step.

Harlow looked at the partially open door behind her, above the steps. "This your place?"

"Yup," she finished up her cigarette and walked right up to the door, pushing it wide open. "Can serve you some tea, if you'd like."

The farmer laughed, "Tea? What the fuck? You?"

"I told you, I live with someone now. Remember?"

"Oh shit, right. Yea, yea."

As Harlow entered in the building, he could tell Jackal was not lying. There were styles that were clearly Jackal's, but also some more ornate and delicate decor that would be hilarious to him if they were hers. Jackal led him into the small kitchen where a Cherubun could be seen sitting at the dining table.

"Hey, Dove. I brought a friend over. Hope you don't mind," Jackal pointed her thumb back at Harlow. "This is Harlow, he helped me that time I told you 'bout."

The Cherubun clasped their hands together, looking delighted. "Oh hello! How do you do?" Their demeanor was wildly different from Jackal's standoffish personality.

"I am good, miss," Harlow tilted his head out of politeness at them. "Dove, was it?"

"Yes," they smiled, placing their hands around the mug in front of them on the table. "Oh! I have just made some fresh tea. Would you like some?"

Jackal smiled back at Harlow, "I told you there would be tea."

Harlow ignored Jackal, "Sure, I can have some tea."

Dove grabbed two more mugs and poured tea in them from a cutesy teapot. Most definitely the Cherubun's, thought Harlow as he watched from the dining table. Jackal sat in between him and Dove. Dove passed the mugs over and they all took a sip before chatting. Harlow savoured the tea's bitterness. He still preferred coffee over tea, but it was a nice change, nevertheless.

"You mentioned needing organic sources," begun Jackal.

"Yea?" Harlow let his ears droop a bit. He hated going back to this topic, but he could not fault Jackal for bringing it up.

"I think I might be able to help you."

Harlow frozed, confused at what Jackal just said. He ran her words through his mind. While they were conversing, Dove had pulled out pastries from who-knows-where and placed them on the table. Harlow just gawked at Jackal, not noticing them. "What?" he finally managed to say.

"I said I could help you."

"Yea, but how?"

Jackal leaned back in her chair and smirked at him. "All the envy Succubuns eat too."

"What's your point?" Harlow was in no mood for riddles.

The envy Succubun rolled her eyes, then sat forward and grabbed a pastry. Dove promptly handed her a plate. "There has been a steady increase of envy Succubuns," she took a bite of the cookie, mouth partially full, "and they all have organic compost from cooking and unfinished food." Harlow was starting to catch on. "Since I am in contact with all of them, I can get you hooked up."

He was still apalled at her suggestion. Was this the solution he needed? "You are serious, right?"

"Fuck yea, man. Think I would pull your leg at this time?" Jackal seemed mildly offended, crumbs dropping out of her mouth. Dove frowned at her and Jackal quickly picked up whatever crumbs she could find.

Harlow sat still, thinking it over. "Well, yea....shit, if you can get them all to hold their discarded organic matter....I could definitely make use of it." This had to be it. Almost like an epiphany, Harlow was starting to get excited. The number of envy Succubuns have been increasing since the integration, and Jackal was the perfect contact for that. He looked at the plate of pastries sitting in front of him and happily picked out a croissant. Dove smiled and handed him a plate too.

"I could also get in touch with the Cherubuns....," Dove spoke softly but with confidence. "I, like Jackal, have been helping them integrate into Burrowgatory. Oh, and I can talk to the Heavenly Embassy head about the Cherubuns up there too." Their suggestion just made Harlow want to jump for joy.

"Yes, my goodness, please. Please, please, please do that," Harlow could kiss them both right now. With the combination of envy Succubun and Cherubun compost, he could actually save his farm, and maybe even more. His neighbours needed help too. This is perfect, he thought to himself, chewing on the croissant and chugging down his tea out of happiness. Dove quickly poured him some more tea and smiled. Jackal continued to smirk.

"I guess this could be our payback for when you assisted us in the integration, Harlow," said Jackal, clearly pleased.

"Thanks...honestly, I hope it works." This was a start, he still needed to actually implement it all and pray that it works.

Jackal shrugged, "Why not? You sounded like you had it figured out before."

"Yea, I mean.....," he thought back to the experiments he had been running, the research, and the conversation with Beanny, "I think it's the solution to the problem."

"And I---we, got your source of that solution," Jackal patted him on the shoulder, trying to reassure him. Harlow appreciated her, and Dove, more than ever. Jackal would stick their neck out for those truly in need.

"More tea?" offered Dove.

"Yes," he raised his mug to her, suddenly realizing that he might have come off rude since he was at their place and he did not really talk to Dove. "So, Dove, how do you like living with this one?" he chuckled while gesturing to Jackal. Jackal frowned at him, even though she knew he was just teasing.

"Oh, it has been lovely," Dove, once again, clasped their hands together joyfully. Harlow smirked at Jackal and Jackal rolled her eyes, reddening at Dove's statement. "Jackal has been teaching me so much about Burrowgatory and the Succubun culture," they continued.

"Yea, I bet," Harlow winked at Jackal this time, prompting the envy Succubun to give him a punch in the arm. He rubbed the spot and laughed.

Dove tilted her head at the two of them, not quite catching onto what had happened.

They continued to chat more about the Cherubuns this time, helping Harlow understand the struggles they face when they were in the Heavenly Meadows. It broadened his perspective, and he could empathize with them. "Sounds like you guys found freedom," he took another sip of his tea, shaking his head at Dove who tried to offer him more sweets.

"Yes...," they said quietly, "but not everyone wanted to join me." There was a hint of sadness in their voice. Clearly, Dove had given up a lot too in order to be here. "I have to thank the Succubuns, mainly Jackal, for opening my eyes."

Harlow nodded, he remembered how it was for the envy Succubuns too. "To new beginnings," he raised his mug like it were a toast. Jackal raised her mug too. Dove looked from Harlow to Jackal, then they raised their mug and the three of them clinked them. Harlow continued, "If this compost solution works, then the Cherubuns would really be helping Succubuns out too." Indeed, it would be a great big help. Succubuns depended on farmers like Harlow to provide food. It's time to set things into motion, he thought.