Toni
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Episode One Hundred and Thirty: Unnoticed Changes
🕑 Added 2025-04-04 14:00:04 +0000 UTC“So, what’s on the schedule today?” I asked the Cat while sipping my mocha, which contained way too much chocolate. The shop appeared in its coffeehouse form. The long wooden table rested near the window, and bookshelves lined the far wall. It was one of my favorite kinds of days.
Whipped cream towered on top of his teacup and I didn’t expect a response for several moments. Not that he usually had information about coffeeshop days. Normally, I just went with the flow, keeping an eye out for magic.
The Cat lapped at the whipped cream, seemingly in a cheerful mood, which honestly helped my own.
My brain froze seeing a stand with cinnamon rolls piled on it next to the register. It took two seconds to pull one onto a plate and take a giant bite. Cinnamon and cream cheese frosting burst in my mouth, making me want to groan.
By the time I finished it and licked my fingers, the Cat sat staring at me.
“What? It was amazing…”
The Cat shook his head and turned toward the door, while I headed into the kitchen to clean my hands.
By the time I got back, he appeared to be napping.
“So, no input on today?” I asked.
He opened one eye at me. “You do better with these types of days than I do.”
He wasn’t wrong.
The door’s lock snapped open, and I prepared myself to handle the morning rush. Yet, it didn’t really come. The students who usually filled the space, just didn’t.
A couple of people came in for coffee to go, but not any of the regulars.
Time ticked by slower than I’d have liked, and I wondered if we were even in the same place as normal. The truth was, I had no way of telling.
A loud group of shifters entered, their way-too-bright eyes giving them away.
“Can we lot get a whole round of coffees?” asked a younger guy at the head of the pack. “Seven, just black, to go. We don’t want to miss our ride.”
I quickly got to work on the Americanos, since I didn’t do drip. “Oh, you guys going on a trip?”
“Just home to our pack for the holidays,” muttered the guy keeping an eye on the rest of them, who were talking way too quickly for me to follow.
“Oh, the semester must be out,” I said, figuring out why we were so slow.
He gave me a strange look.
“I must have spaced about it. Caught up in my own plans, you know?”
“Yeah, the last day was yesterday.” He nodded. “Guys, quiet down a little…”
The entire group of them quieted down and started grabbing coffees off the counter as I set them down. It didn’t take long before he tapped his credit card, left me a tip, and they were on their way.
“Well, today's going to be boring,” I mumbled to myself as the door jingled again.
This time a quiet Elven girl came in with a heavy coat and a backpack over one shoulder. Her ears pointed to the ceiling, and her eyes darted all over as she headed to the counter.
“Can I get something warm and sweet?” she asked.
“Sure. Do you want lots of caffeine, or something a little less caffeinated?” I asked, thinking of different things.
“Some coffee isn’t bad…”
I quickly started on a mocha, but with only one shot. “I hope you like chocolate.”
She nodded, and as she did her eyes landed on the Cat and she smiled.
“He’s friendly, if you want to pet him,” I said as I steamed the milk with chocolate.
She reached out and scratched under his chin. The Cat’s tail twitched, and he began purring. She chuckled at his antics.
“Are you staying, or do you want it to go?” I asked, my fingers hovering over a thick mug.
“I’ll hang out for a while, I have some time to kill.”
I yanked the dark green mug and tossed in the shot before I filled it with the steamed milk. “One nice mocha, just for you.”
She smiled brilliantly at me and tapped her credit card to pay. Carefully, she picked up the mug and headed to the long table facing the window.
I tried my best to not stare at her as she situated herself. It didn’t take long for her to grab a pad of paper out, along with some pencils. The art book sparkled a bit out of the corner of my eye, but I didn’t ask about it, not yet.
The Cat stared at her, not even being subtle about it. I sipped on my mug and grabbed my book out from beneath the counter. It was pulp fantasy, but both distracting and something I could put down if something came up.
“She’s sick,” said the Cat. “When she petted me, I knew…”
There really wasn’t a way to respond, since no one else was in the shop.
He turned to look at me, and meowed.
The woman stopped her drawing and glanced up as I reached out to the Cat.
“Hey kitty, you doing okay?” I asked him.
He meowed again, before turning back to the table the woman sat at and jumping off the counter. It didn’t take long for him to leap onto her table and lay down next to her mug.
“Watch out, he might steal some of your drink,” I called out.
“No worries, he’s adorable.” She leaned closer to the Cat. “Aren’t you…”
Now the Cat left me in a horrible situation. Did she know she was sick? Was that why she was here? Yet, it was her art book that glittered a bit.
My thoughts were interrupted as the door opened and a familiar troll strolled inside.
I smiled as he approached the counter, already working on the Americano.
“Are you staying today, or getting coffee to go?” I asked.
“Staying, I’m not leaving for the holidays. Not worth it to go home for me.”
I nodded. “So, what’s your name? I figure I should get you a custom mug at this point.”
“My name’s Fred.” He chuckled and smiled. “Well, this place is my favorite place to get coffee and study.”
I wasn’t sure he looked like a Fred, but I went with it. “How’s Samantha doing?”
“Good, really good.” His eyes brightened. “I’m going to meet her parents after the holidays.”
“Woah, big step there.”
“Like my mom says, when you know, you just know.”
I finished making his Americano and handed over the forest green mug.
“Well, enjoy.”
He turned around and headed to the table, then he paused, blinking, at seeing someone already at the long table.
“Allisa! I thought you were taking the semester off?”
