Working at the coffee shop felt almost too painfully normal in comparison to the rest of what she'd experienced. It made the days pass quicker, especially when the hotel felt so empty during the waking hours, before Angel Dust woke up and sought her out for entertainment or Husker stirred enough to pour her a drink. It was different, out in the 'world' again, too normal.
"Latte, for, uh...Bimbo?"
"It's fuckin- You know what, I'll take it! Bimbo for a day it is!"
"...Have fun with that."
Well, normal except for the demons and imps.
Cyrus's snickering drew her attention, snapping her out of her trance as he leaned on the bar beside her. His smile widened when Clover began to speak.
"You do that on purpose."
"Do what, doll?"
"Write the names wrong."
"I don't know what you're talkin' about."
He knew she wasn't buying it, but a forked tongue still darted between his lips as her eyes rolled, and he continued.
"It's hell, and what's the most hellish thing about ordering a coffee? The barista gettin' your name wrong. Besides-s-s, s-s-sometimes they get real' upset and I get to fight."
"Fight?"
"Yea, fight. Yell, throw s-s-shit, I even jumped the bar and punched a guy once. Keeps-s-s things interestin'."
"You're an asshole."
Nothing else was said as more customers came in, more of the day passing through with little circumstance as morning turned into the late afternoon. The clientele turned darker, fewer and far between. Cyrus disappeared into the back for a few hours, counting the money and locking it away in the heavy safe he kept under the desk in the back office before returning and taking a seat at one of the café tables with a sandwich and a beer. Clover sighed, feeling herself become annoyingly fond of her new boss in the same way she had been for those she'd been close to in life.
Making friends was an unlucky talent, she guessed.
A small rush of what she would assume was of an "after work" variety picked up her pace, but it was nothing she couldn't handle by herself. Being in hell meant she could make people wait, after all. She'd just finished a simple order and began to clean up her station as things slowed down again when the ringing bell above the door drew a small greeting, and the scraping of a chair drew her attention.
Cyrus was standing, quickly cleaning up his plate and wiping down the table with the rag he kept draped over his shoulder, his eyes trained on the latest addition to their café. The reptile seemed on high alert, slitted eyes narrowed as his tail flicked from side to side, ready to strike as a soft hiss filled the air around him. In fact, the air in the room seemed to have entirely changed the longer Clover listened, the soft upbeat pop gone in the wake of the soft swing melody that grew louder with each hard click of hard-soled shoes that marked the passing seconds. Finally, she turned towards their newest customer, trying her best to mask the confusion still evident on her face with a trade-marked customer service smile.
When her smile was met with one of the patrons' own, her heart twisted into her lungs, but luckily she still found the air to speak.
"Oh, hi Alastor."
"Hello! I didn't know you'd found an occupation, and so quickly! How ambitious!"
"It's not glamorous, but it's work. Would you like something?"
"Ah, yes. Just coffee please, black."
"You got it, any sugar, or is it dealer's choice?"
It was impossible to miss the small quirk that pulled his ever present smile slightly wider on one side.
"Nothing too sweet, thank you."
She only nodded, turning her back on him for a moment as she disappeared behind the bar's barrier to start the simple cup of coffee. The conversation continued, as best it could.
"Do you want a real cup while you stay or are you taking it somewhere?"
"I prefer a mug, but I won't be long."
"Burning the midnight oil, huh?"
"You could say that, but even so, rest does not come easily to either of us, I believe."
"Oh yeah, I remember. Sorry, it's been a few too many days and a few less drinks since that conversation."
A lie, she remembered every single second of that night, but their witty banter was far too entertaining to give up. Clover just wanted to keep Alastor talking, she knew it, she was too curious about the man that she'd somehow gotten herself acquainted with.
"Has it? I hope the hotel is still standing in my absence."
Clover couldn't help but laugh, sneaking in a sprinkle of the spices that sat near her sugar as the coffee poured before setting the mug down in front of him, forgoing the handoff counter entirely since he hadn't moved towards it.
"So do I. I'd like to be able to listen to the radio before going to bed tonight."
Another quirk of his smile sped up her heart rate ever so slightly; perhaps due to the thrill of talking so casually to 'The Radio Demon' with an audience, or for another reason entirely. Either way, she tried her best to hide the small tremors it sent into her fingertips as she slid the porcelain mug towards him. Alastor held out a folded bill between two fingers, waiting patiently for her to take it with that ever present pleasant grin. High on the thrill of it all, Clover took the first thought that passed through her head as she looked at it and ran with it, at a full sprint no less.
"It's complimentary for my guests, I can assure you."
The loud bark of a laugh that came from Alastor shook everyone in the café from their frozen state, Cyrus visibly distressed as he looked between them and backed slowly towards the office in retreat. The bill Alastor held made its way into the small jar sat at the end of the bar as he passed it, the quick wave of his hand almost unnoticeable; to someone that hadn't been staring at him, at least. He took the now-vacant spot that Cyrus had so quickly left empty, crossing long legs at the knees before pulling a newspaper out of the air with a soft pop. The now-growing-familiar sound of radio channels flickering hung for only a moment before a pleasant jazz filled the room, and the rest of its inhabitants tried their best to go back to their business.
Cyrus was at Clover's side in an instance, tugging her as far out of earshot as he could without leaving the bar before hissing at her.
"What the fuck was that?"
"I'll pay for the coffee, I'm sorry, I know him."
"Yea, I got that. How the fuck do you know him?"
"He helps at the hotel."
"And you're just...friends-s-s with the Radio Demon because of that."
"I don't think we're friends, but we've like… talked?"
"...You're gonna' get your s-s-soul s-s-stolen."
"Very funny."
"I'm s-s-serious! That is a deal maker, an Overlord, that is s-s-someone that has gotten his power through bloodshed and empty promises-s-s. That is exactly who you should s-s-stay as far away from as possible."
Clover felt a flare in her chest, burning to the tips of her ears as they twitched away from what she was hearing before falling flat behind her head. Overlord or not, Alastor had been nothing but pleasant towards her since they met, and even if his intentions were sallow, that was her cross to bear, not Cyrus's. Besides, she highly doubted that her employer had ever spoken more than two words to Alastor, if how he reacted to him just entering the café was any indication of his attitude. Her heart raced as she breathed, trying to fight back the sick feeling of upset that had settled into her stomach and leveling her voice.
"...I know you're trying to look out for me, and I appreciate it. I don't want to talk about this anymore, besides, it sounds like me being on his good side is probably a plus for everyone."
Cyrus only nodded, crossing his arms as he looked over her before gesturing to the small group of chatty demon women that had collected by the front door. He called out a greeting, taking his place at the cash register and allowing Clover to march back to her spot behind the bar, ignoring the irritated twitching of her ears. Clover didn't know why she was so aggravated by their conversation, but the feeling didn't fade even as the gaggle of girls giggled through their orders and collected by the end of the bar. Her body was just going through the motions, making drink after drink as her mind whirred alongside the grinding of espresso. Being in hell was becoming far more confusing than she'd imagined, more so a continuation of the monotony and turmoil of living than the fiery depths of suffering she'd been scared with as a child.
The feeling of being watched finally snapped her out of her frustration-induced trance, making her aware that she was setting things down far harder than she needed to as the bang of her steaming pitcher rang in her ears. A few short breaths, and she sought out the eyes that were trained on her, first turning to the group of women waiting on their last drinks. None of them were looking at her, they were involved in their own whispering and giggling. Cyrus was involved with a customer, walking the slender demon through the menu slowly, so it wasn't that either. Clover dealt with the feeling, handing out the last of the order with a smile and returning to cleaning up after herself.
"Thank you."
Clover nearly jumped at the sudden voice above her, looking up from her constant cleaning circles so quickly that it almost sent her still-new ears flopping into her face as they perked up again. Alastor stood in front of her, still smiling as he placed his priorly used mug gently on the countertop. Clover fumbled through her response, her attention diverted half way through by another order being slid her way. She started the drink quickly, thanking her luck that it was simple enough to leave alone for a moment while she returned her attention to the scarlet coated demon who hadn't moved away after returning his drinkware. He seemed to be waiting to say something, head tilted sharply at an almost-endearing angle as he watched her expectantly.
Manners, she thought, and then took a steady breath to speak.
"You're welcome, I hope it was alright."
Alastor's frozen posture sprung to life, his coat swinging behind him as he rocked on his heels and waved a hand towards the mug in a graceful gesture. His smile never changed.
"Usually, I would be wary of another person altering something I'm consuming, but I admire your tastes! It was very pleasant, I shall have to ask you for it again!"
Clover couldn't help the heavy beating of her heart at the near-mistake of surprising him, but the smile that grew as he spoke was even harder to hide. The approval boosted her confidence, and she hoped the excited flush she felt growing didn't read through whatever velvet down made up her fur. The sound of espresso finishing it's grinding tore her attention away, allowing her to quickly center herself while she finished the drink, called its name and set it on the counter before turning her attention back to Alastor.
"I'm glad you liked it, I'll make it for you anytime."
"Noted! I-"
The shuffle of feet and heavy sigh caught both of their attention, turning to the person waiting on the sidelines. It was the demon Cyrus had taken an order from, a slender man with features of a hyena that shifted it's gaze between them as the moments passed, a red bandana tied around one arm. Clover quickly moved to busy herself, watching carefully over the bar as radio static fizzled the music to its death. She steamed cream for a drink of her own, hoping the screech of it would drown out the heavy silence that fell over them as Alastor's radio frequency fell silent. She was thankful when the taller demon turned back to her with his trademark smile and a flourish, nodding his head at her as he spoke.
"I'm terribly sorry, but it seems our conversation must be cut short! I suppose we will continue another time."
"I'll see you around the hotel, have a good night."
Clover watched as he nodded, gave the other demon a sideways glance and turned sharply on his heels. Her gaze was quickly occupied when the hyena demon stepped into the newly free spot in front of the counter, removing the lid of his to-go cup and snarling at the contents before pointing to the cream she was pouring into her own cup.
"Can I get some of that, I can't drink this black."
She froze, looking up again in time to catch the snarl turning into a sickening grin as she blinked at him before moving into pure customer service mode.
"Yeah, 'sorry about that."
Something about the way he watched her step out from around the protection of the metal espresso machine and into the open made her nerves tighten to run, her ears twitching to attention as she slowly pulled the open cup towards her sink to pour out enough to make room for the added liquid.
"Ah! Get a bigger cup, I paid for that."
She jumped as his voice raised, acutely aware that the tap of hard soles had abruptly stopped but too afraid to look away from what she was doing. It was too quiet, every breath she took rang in her ears as she poured the still steaming liquid into a larger cup and did as he wished, careful not to spill or stumble. It was placed back between them carefully, her fingers barely bumping the cup as she went to pull them away before they began to shake.
The squeak that was then ripped from her throat echoed off the café walls, and was returned with a screech of radio feedback and a rising hiss.
Clover had no time to look at the source, too focused on the claws that were threatening to puncture the flesh of her arm and ghosting the underside of her chin. The demon's maw was inches from her face, so close she could smell the thick scent of rotting meat and poor hygiene. It took all of her will to not wince away as he spoke, focusing on looking him in the eye instead of the droplets spattering across her clean countertop.
"Do I get to see you later too, rabbit? A hotel sounds like a good time."
"Excuse me?"
"Be nice now. You gonna smile for me like that, or are you playing favorites?"
The grip on her arm tightened, but she said nothing as her teeth ground into a sharp scowl, and it only made him angrier.
"C'mon, gotta please the customers, I'll tip you."
The movement of Cyrus coming towards her pushed her to action, remembering their earlier conversation and where she was exactly through the fog of nauseating fear that had come over her in an instant. Fingers tightened around the still steaming metal pitcher as the sickness in her stomach turned to white hot rage that fueled the quick movement of her muscles. The forgotten cup of coffee was clutched in her fingers, the familiar sting of boiling hot liquid splashing over her hand only an afterthought as she threw it into the too-close face of the demon holding her captive. His scream of pain was cut short, the sick clunk of metal meeting the hard bone of his skull as he was knocked sideways echoing in the stunned silence of the café. She felt the fabric of her button up tear as he let her go, whining loudly as hot liquid soaked into his clothing and fur, his body crumpling into the countertop. Cyrus was on him in an instant, fangs bared and dripping with venom as he manhandled him out of the door before he could retaliate. When the lock clicked into place, Clover could finally breathe again.
She fell into shocked laughter, acutely aware of the group of people staring at her and the enraged cackling of the demon locked outside, but she couldn't help it. She'd given herself a good shock. Her words shook as she found her voice to speak again.
"I've always wanted to do something like that."
A laugh track echoed through the room, turning her attention back to Alastor. He was stopped beside the door, arms folded behind his back as he looked out on the lesser demon that stalked outside. The hyena's gaze was trained on Clover, foaming at the mouth in outrage as his soaked fur still steamed. A sick crack of the Radio Demon's neck finally drew the beast's attention to him, a look of hesitant terror coming over his face before he finally backed away and disappeared into the long shadows of the setting sun. Cyrus returned to the bar, laying a hand on the counter over hers and surveying the chaos before speaking.
"I think we're clos-s-sin' early tonight. You can, uh, head home."
Alastor turned to look at her then, his normal smile widened to an intimidating grin that dropped back to his normally pleasant demeanor as his gaze met hers. A moment of quiet returned the nervous flutter to her chest, and then a decided breath rose his shoulders as he nodded towards the door.
"Perhaps, it would be best if you had an escort."