Abdiel & Ruth

Abdiel does his best to wipe away the tiredness in his eyes as he walks into the Paradise Cafe. It wasn't very busy, and he goes up to the counter, ready to order. 

Ruth looked up in a pleasant surprise. Even though the cafe was located in the embassy, it was rare for her to see another Cherubun come in, they were still few and far between compared to the number of Succubuns who came up here. She stopped refilling the sugar and walked closer to the counter.

“Good morning. Welcome to Paradise Cafe,” she repeated what Beanny had taught her, “What could I get for you?”

Smiling, Abdiel looked up at Ruth. He always seemed to feel more comfortable and at home in the company of other cherubuns.

"Hmm," he pondered momentarily while glancing over the menu. "I'll get a large caramel mocha with an extra shot. Actually, could you kindly make those two extra shots?" He loved to pretend that coffee helped him feel more awake, even if it never actually did. 

Nodding at his order, she made sure to remember. “And will you be having this to go or in house?” Ruth gestured towards the tables behind him. The Cherubun was polite, made her relax some. She could almost hear Melangel’s voice come in to scold her to stand up straighter, but she mentally shoved that thought away. 

"I will take it in house, please," he says, taking out his wallet and going through his cash. He pays for his drink and gives Ruth the bills while smiling.

Since it was not a very busy hour, the cafe had plenty of space for patrons to sit. He strolled over and sat down after noticing a lovely chair in the window's corner.

Taking in his surroundings, he notices a few succubuns in the cafe. ‘Hm, I wonder why they prefer to come here for coffee instead of a succubun-run cafe in Burrowgatory,’ he thought to himself. He didn't quite mind though; just having another Cherubun like Ruth here made him feel at ease.

She watched him take a seat by the window, making sure she remembered to deliver the drink there. Beanny could do this with her eyes closed, she told herself, so she should make an effort to do just as well. Ruth turned around to where the machines sat and began the process of making the caramel mocha with two espresso shots. Her thoughts trailed off for a bit as the machine whirred to life and delivered the brew.

When the drink had been completed, she realized she forgot to ask whether he wanted whipped cream in it as some typically liked. Apologetically, she strode over to him, “I’m sorry, sir, I had forgotten to ask whether you wanted whipped cream in your drink?”

Startled out of his thoughts, he whipped his head around his ears, nearly hitting Ruth. "Ah, forgive me, I'm so sorry!" He frantically apologized while his face turned red in embarrassment. His tired state always had him thinking, maybe a little too much to not pay attention to his surroundings. 

After a few moments, he relaxed again. "If it's not too much trouble, I would love some whipped cream; it always adds the perfect taste to the first sip."

Ruth just dodged his ears in time, after she regained her composure, she giggled. “That’s quite alright.” She adored that he was so flustered, typically she is the one who is flustered.

“I will be more than happy to add some whipped cream. Please wait a moment longer,” she did a little nod then briskly walked off back to her station. Whipped cream, she thought silently as she finished it off with so. A customer came through the door at that moment and ordered a drink to-go. Ruth noted it down and asked them to wait as she delivered the Cherubun’s drink.

“Here you are,” she said politely, this time she said it a bit further away so she would not catch him off guard.

Abdiel nodded gently, taking the coffee from Ruth's hands. 

"Thank you very much; this smells delicious!" he excitedly said as he took the first sip.

The whipped cream was just perfect, and the flavor tasted as if he were back in the heavenly meadows, enjoying the warmth and company of loved ones. "This is perfect. Thank you," he said, watching Ruth go back to the counter, preparing the next order. He sat there for a while, savoring the coffee, watching as new patrons came and old ones left.

He was so grateful for her service that it threw Ruth off, her cheeks flushed a bit at his thankfulness. 

“You’re very welcome,” she said softly. Ruth returned to the counter to finish up with new customers. Each order was different, but she knew the recipes well enough by now. All decided to take their drinks to-go, leaving Ruth and the other Cherubun mostly alone in the shop.

She walked up to check on things again, “How is everything? Is there anything else I could get you?”

Abdiel sat there, savoring his coffee. He was mesmerized and fascinated by the cherubun's elegant back and forth movements as she took numerous orders from the customers who came in. He contemplated how challenging it must be to create and recall every ingredient, but she managed to pull it off with ease.

When the cafe finally quieted down, he saw that everyone else had departed except for himself.

"Everything is perfect; the coffee was wonderful!" he smiled. "I think I'm good, unless you have any recommendations? You seem to really know your coffee, i'm very impressed watching you make all those orders!"

“O-oh,” she blushed at the mention of him seeing her make orders. Ruth was not used to anyone paying attention to her working, at least not that she knew of. “T-thank you. I guess I have been at this longer than I thought,” she let out a little laugh then nodded at him. “Were the two shots of espresso enough? I may have a few recommendations.” Her head tilted curiously at the stranger. 

Abdiel was well aware that caffeine had absolutely no effect on him, but the mere act of drinking it offered him a sense of comfort.

After thinking for a moment, he beamed and remarked, “Those two shots were delightful, but just one more would be the cherry on top! The taste alone never fails to bring a smile to my face, so what difference would another shot make, right?” he chuckled a bit. 

"And how about you get yourself some coffee? You work so hard, you deserve it, and no worries about paying; I have you covered.”

His kind gesture touched Ruth’s heart. The idea of drinking one of the coffees while on the job would not sit right with her. Beanny would not have minded, however, Ruth could not overcome her sense of duty.

She shook her head, “Thank you, that is very kind. But I am happy just chatting.” Ruth walked over to the machines to prepare another drink for him. She continued to speak out loud since it was just the two of them, “Have you visited Burrowgatory?” 

With a nod, Abdiel observed the cherubun skillfully preparing the coffee.

"I've been there a little, but I haven't been very far from here. I try to avoid going too far from the embassy since I'm not sure if I would want to venture too much into Burrowgatory." Abdiel shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"How about you? Have you visited Burrowgatory?

She listened with one ear while focusing on the coffee. And one shot, she thought to herself as she worked.

“I have been several times. In fact I lived down there for a bit, but it wasn’t for me,” her voice had a melancholy tone. Ruth felt like she had somewhat failed for not sticking it through and living within the city. The difference in culture was too much for her soul, she could not live comfortably without feeling Melangel’s glare. As her thoughts drifted to Melangel, she nearly dropped the spoon she had been holding. She snapped back to reality, put on a smile and turned with the coffee in hand to deliver it. 

“Angora Au Lait, with a shot of espresso,” the cup made a small clink as it was placed in front of him.  Ruth sat down across from him, while the cafe was slow, she figured at least they could chat comfortably.