"Of course Taako cares! They all do. Why else would he keep checking up on you?" Davenport said. "Why else would Lup have worked out a way to tell me to come here, the same way she told Lucretia, without breaking her promise to you? Why would Magus have made a bee line the moment he heard you had a job? Despite not being a coffee person and thinking tea is for chumps."
"Magnus likes tea." Angus interrupted. "Coffee is what he thinks if for chumps."
"Since when?" The captain said.
"I don't know sir, but he started his own slang and menu by accident." Angus explained, indicating his own chump-chump special.
"That bastard." Davenport said, with no further context. "But anyway-! Why would Merle have downplayed this in parley, when you and I know him and Mavis are as thick as thieves. Why would Taako go to such extreme lengths to keep tabs on you?"
"Because he's a dick?" Angus said.
"No-. Well yes. But not the answer I was looking for." Davenport frowned.
"Taako cares for you." The captain continued. "Admittedly he overcompensated here and messed up. But I am very sure his intentions came initially from the heart. So much. Lup maybe half his heart sure but you, young man, take up a significant portion of what is Taako's."
"They keep this up I'm going to get fired!" Angus sulked. "For real, not just a talk. And then Tres- I'm not going to say it- boys and the bobs would throw their weight around with the whole 'we saved the world thing' dragging Mrs Cosie to get me unfired and a raise before they ruined the shop's reputation!"
Davenport was frowning, but an eyebrow betrayed his amusement. Or bemusement. Angus wasn't sure which it was.
"didn't you say Mrs Cosie could bar them, well, all of us from the shop?" He asked.
"I don't want that either." Angus sighed.
"In that case, to quote Taako himself." The captain smiled. "There's a third option."
"There is?" Angus asked.
"Yes. It's that they all stop being dicks but can still come in the shop? And you don't get fired." Davenport said, hands spread. "Hmm? An excellent plan if I do say so myself. Everyone wins."
"You really think everyone could just be cool?" Angus said. "Can you ask them? They didn't listen to me…"
"I certainly can try, true. Whether they listen to me is another matter. Personally, I don't see what the big deal is. On either side." Davenport said, reaching for one of the sticky buns.
"What do you mean on either side?" Angus frowned
"you're being very defensive." The captain shrugged, as he cut the cake in half to eat easier.
Angus blustered, but Davenport continued. "You worked as a detective from the age of seven, correct? Handling some very very dangerous cases including tracking down a serial killer. You worked for the Bureau at aged ten and a half till the world nearly ended. Again, a very dangerous role. And then that next year, you spent it reuniting misplaced and missing family or party members. And if you still want to, you'll have a placement at Taako's school soon." Davenport said counting off on his fingers. "What's so special about this job that they have to have to make such a big deal out of it?"
"I don't know. Maybe because it isn't dangerous? Or boring to them? The twins were rude when they found out. I think they think it's beneath me." Angus sighed sadly.
"And if that is the case why's it so important to you?" Davenport said, suddenly flipping the script around onto Angus. "You don't need the money, the work or information for a case."
"I- well –?" Angus stuttered.
"don't tell me. Tell yourself why." The captain suggested calmly.
Angus nodded and thought about it. Really thought about it. About cradling his coffee cup in hands, and the warmth spreading from it. How they were sat in a quiet patching the hubbub of the city. Close enough to hear the odd clatter of carts and train wagons; but not so that they were distracting or all he could hear. There was the bubble of the river too, and the odd chirp of bird song. The breeze through ornamental bushes and the swinging other over hanging shop signs.
"I like it here." Angus said quietly. "It's right near the park for one. That was my favourite walk or bike route when I needed some air or space. Still is, even."
"And this time of day." He continued. "It's nice not to be just behind my desk. In a job I like. I like this, this being at school and having a part time job at sixteen. It's normal."
"Oh, we're doing normal now?" Davenport sassed ever so slightly.
"no. But I am." Angus sighed. "I just wanted something that was normal. And my own place in my own story. Somewhere I wasn't the greatest detective, or some magic boy protégée. I just wanted…I just needed…."
He trailed off. And stayed quiet for a longer moment.
"Angus." Davenport said, utilising his responsible adult voice. "Come on. Tell?"
Angus rolls and tries to resist, but only gets a three. He sighed again.
"It will seem very silly, but. When I first saw the sign. I didn't realise it would become so important. I didn't realise I needed a job to relax with. Well, no relax is the wrong word, we get very stressed on the bad days …but school is hard. Harder than I thought. Especially the amount of group projects. I wanted something to focus on and get out of my halls. I was really looking for a hobby."
Davenport nods. But don't interrupt as Angus continued,
"Something that wasn't school or studying magic. Or family related. Or an adventure. And while I have friends on the soccer team, I don't have much in common outside of soccer. Same with the magic club and the wrestling fans."
"Most people I know are studying because they're planning on becoming adventures and apprentices. Then there's me? With a teaching job lined up as soon as I graduate. Sooner if Taako had his way. I've had enough adventure thanks. Most of my classes, the other students are nearly in their twenties. I'm at least a year younger than most of the first years. Half of them don't speak to me because I'm a kid. Some only spoke to me once because they're curious about you guys. And the folks I get on with are old enough to go out drinking most nights? But even if I were of age that isn't my cup of tea. If it was just dancing maybe? but it never is. It's always finding the scrappiest little tavern to make trouble for fun."
"Posh boys wanting to play at murder hobos." Davenport surmises.
Angus nods. "I came over this way because I'd been in once and seen they had a notice board. Roleplaying club, pudding club, antisocial meet ups and autism quiet hours that sort of thing. I thought there might be one outside a usual school club. only when I came there was a sign in the window. Help wanted. it was like a beacon. I thought, "Oh, I can help."
"And then coming in here. I wasn't known. I'm always Angus. Just Angus. Mrs Cosie treats everyone as equal. And I mean everyone! not just halving's or students. There's an ex-warlock, a werewolf here. A troll. Some retired adventurers. A couple of fae. Heck pringles used to work here. Mrs Cosie doesn't mind who you are."
"Sometimes I meet people and when I introduce myself, they already know who I am, and I can see it in their face that they are disappointed that I'm not ten years old anymore. Or only speak to me to get near Taako. Or worse to Taako's school,"
Angus says Fiddling with a napkin.
"Here? I'm Angus. I can watch people and guess what they might order, without it being dangerous. I do my work and then I can just leave it in the shop at the end of the day. Sure, it's menial and a bit stressful at times. But I like it. And I like having some structure. It's all a bit weird, especially during exam season. My timetable swings from being packed to sudden free days at the drop of a hat depending on the teachers. Some days if it wasn't for the rota I wouldn't know what day it was."
"I don't miss those days." Davenport agreed. For a moment Angus thought he was going to spin a tale of one of the wild institute times. He likes those. But instead, the captain said, "we should have tried to keep you out of the limelight."
"It's not the limelight." Angus sighed.
"Did you tell any of the others this?" Davenport asked, "how are you feeling?"
"No." Angus admitted. "I didn't want them to laugh at me. or think I wasn't managing my schoolwork load."
"Hmm…" was all Davenport said. Then patted Angus's hand.
"Well, I think Taako's a little jealous you're not studying with him at his school too."
"Yeah, cos we all hate nerd lord miller." Angus scoffed, rolling his eyes.
"No, Angus. Not just that."