Caffeine and Chaos (Part 1)

2 • Zi

•2•

Elazi

•☽•⸸•☾•

Cuties was just as sickly sweet as the name suggested. 

While our place had a cozy and quirky vibe to the place, think sleek black metal furniture surrounded by brighter décor, signs and trinkets that somehow matched with all the plants Bow brought in to 'work her magic on'. Cuties... Bubblegum pink, fluffy pillows and everything sugary sweet or positive affirmation related covered the walls. 

It was nice sure, just in small doses.

Like a rich cake. 

"You do the ordering." Kali told me as we neared the pretty shop front, little white table and chairs full of cheery people. "If I speak I'm just going to insult her."

I couldn't hold back my snort. "You can't be nice for even five minutes ?" Though as I ask I already know the answer.

"No or she'll think I'm going soft." 

"I can guarantee she doesn't." 

"I'm not risking it." She plastered on a psychotically big grin, as if her smiling was any less weirder then her being there and not being a bitch.

"Hiya, welcome to Cuties." The woman herself skipped to the counter, her pink braided pony tails and pink plaid skirt bouncing with each step. "What can I get you guys ?" She glanced up, her pink painted smile tightening at the sight of us. "Hey it's you." No, make that the sight of Kali. "Long time no see."

Two minutes, she just had to shut up for two minutes. 

"Not long enough." 

Two seconds. Might be a new record. 

Elbowing her in the side I tried to give Cutie a nice smile. "You think you can hook us up with some coffee ? Machines being cleaned and its taking forever." She seemed to relax a little at that, though keeping an eye on Kali as I started rattling off our order, asking to stay in when Kali pinched me for asking for to-go cups.

We rarely came to Cuties, partly due to Kali's klepto tendencies with their mugs but mostly since it felt like helping our competition win. It was nice, the walls and shelves were covered in a variety of knicknacks and floral pieces, cutesy pillows and even plush toys sat on the sofas, everything just had such a cozy and homey feeling. Even the doors weren't safe, the 'Staff Only' door covered in a ton of pastel cutesy stickers.

I liked it.

I was never admitting that out loud to Kali.

Kali bumped her hip into mine, moving us along. "The coffee can't be that good, can it ?" She tapped a beat along the counter, fiddling with the little charm attached to the counter door lock. "Maybe she's a secret drug dealer, all those smiles for extra 'sugar' specials ? It's not sugar at all, it's-"

"The coffees enchanted." A small voice interrupted her, drawing both of our attention to a goblin kid at a nearby table. "Heard them talking about it the other day." He shrugged, blowing his black curls out of his face.

"Huh." The town was a more human and bard focused place, people who's families had lived there for generations and didn't really leave, so beside Kali, Bow and I there wasn't too many out of town faces around. Especially ones we didn't notice. So how did we not notice him before ? "You hear them a lot?"

"I hear some." 

Kali looked at our tray of cake before picking out the slice of coffee cake, sliding the plate over to him. "Cake for information ?"