Gold Tinted Blush

On the outskirts of the city, on the very edge of Burrowgatory society, lay the Heavenly Embassy on a bed of clouds. Awash in shining light and an all together dizzying array of gold and white, Blush began to regret his decision so step foot in holy ground. Or rather, as holy as one could find deep in the burrows.

At first, he argued with himself that as a priest of the Church of Sulfur, it was both his duty and responsibility to find out more about the cherubuns that might one day seek his guidance. The guidance to indulge in vices and to be encouraged to understand the world around them. But another part of himself, a more honest part, only wished to see for himself the foolishness of virtues that he heard preached here.

To think there could be a bun of any kind that would suggest their vices were degenerate in nature, it unnerved him. It might as well have even angered him. He refused such a thought, his mind straying to Murmur and what the demon might believe. He was not one to think too heavily on the demons that were just beyond the succubuns, but he couldn’t imagine there was much desire for heavenly creatures in a world so close to their own.

These feelings only grew as Blush passed through the embassy’s doors, his tail whipping back and forth in agitation. It felt odd to be here, a strong sensation of wrongness that settled into his skin with each step.

From what he gathered, the cherubun he was after, was known as Primrose. A bun he didn’t have to search for, not when he could see him briskly walking towards him. Blush had to give him credit, he had been here for less than a minute and he had already gained his attention.

Blush stood straight, unashamed, as he waited for the cherubun to approach him. He had a feeling he would be quickly outed as a priest, especially given he wore his robes and his earring depicting the church’s symbol.

“Excuse me.” The cherubun’s voice was a haughty hiss, pushed through perfectly straight teeth and an irritatingly pinched face. “What business do you have in the embassy?”

Blush rolled his head around for a moment, breathing slowly as he forced himself into the kind role of a priest. It was helpful for members of his parish that tested his patience. “I only wanted to extend my welcome, to the newest members of the burrows.” He bowed stiffly, but still verging on polite. “I’m Blush, a priest of the Church of Sulfur.”

Primrose tutted in displeasure, his expression souring, “That church that celebrates demons?”

Blush felt his jaw tense. “Murmur is the demon that is key to our existence.”

“Demons are key to your existence? What a place this burrows is.”

“You shouldn’t speak so ill of the ones most succubuns believe in.”

Primrose raised his nose, his eyes narrowing. “You have extended your welcome, haven’t you, shouldn’t you now leave?”

Blush’s tail froze, his eyes widening, “Are all cherubuns as rude as you? Or do you just spew your fucking judgements as you see fit?”

Primrose reared back in shock, his shoulders trembling, “You should learn some etiquette before you speak.”

“Etiquette?” Blush rolled his eyes, “Oh yes, please teach me etiquette, I certainly don’t have enough of it.”

There was a moment of silence, before Primrose suddenly nodded, “Very well, if it will get you to act more proper.”

Blush’s brows furrowed, “I’m sorry what?”

Before he could stutter out another question, Blush’s wrist was caught in Primrose’s grasp as he was pulled into another room. A room that was eerily similar to one of the church’s offices.

Blush couldn’t even think to fight being moved even as he was gestured to sit down. Instead, he found himself looking up at Primrose in disbelief.

The cherubun approached a desk sat in the middle of the room, picking up what seemed to be a bound book. It reminded Blush of his own book of scripture and it also gave him a nauseating realization of what he was in for.

Primrose picked up his etiquette lessons and flipped open the book to one of the first pages. “I’m not sure what they teach you here, but it’s important to have the very basics of etiquette. I’m sure this will be challenging for someone like you, no doubt you haven’t a clue on the right way to act.”

Blush felt his anger brewing again, the indignant burn in his chest. “You can’t just assume-”

Primrose snapped his fingers together, the sound sharp enough to silence Blush. “Perhaps that should be the first rule of our lesson, you shouldn’t interrupt me when I’m teaching.”

Blush’s mouth fell open in disbelief, but there might yet something to gain in understanding how this cherubun worked and the beliefs he was raised with. As much as he wanted to, Blush couldn’t cause a scene just yet.

So he stayed silent.

Primrose nodded in a vague, almost disinterested kind of approval. “Exactly like that, yes.” He looked down at his books of lessons and skimmed the page on what he should speak of first. “Perhaps I should explain what etiquette is, a simple enough explanation for a succubun.”

Blush had to pride himself on keeping his expression neutral, he’s sure if he allowed his own emotions he would be swiftly kicked out of the embassy. That still didn’t mean he wasn’t completely infuriated.

Primrose continued, “Etiquette in its most basic definition is a set of codes on behavior and manner. Especially in terms of polite and respectful social interactions.” He shifted his book in his arms. “The problem with succubuns is that they lack an understanding of how their salacious behavior makes them look. All these indecent acts and the things they do with one again, it’s no wonder this world is in such disaster.”

Blush opened his mouth to protest, but it seemed Primrose was hellbent on continuing his rant.

Primrose shook his head, “You would never see this behavior in the Heavenly Meadow, it’s distasteful.” He took a deep breath, before letting it out slowly. “But enough of that, let’s return to the lesson.”

Blush barely bit back a groan. He was starting to think that maybe he should have never visited here.

“Right, the first lesson should be on basic manners. Such as being aware of the language you use.” Primrose raised an eyebrow, looking pointedly at Blush. “Cursing might be the norm here in the burrows, but it is altogether distasteful. You also shouldn’t speak so harshly, a polite tone of voice should be enough to get your point cross without being crass. You seem the type to have that issue of speaking, it’s something that needs to be immediately worked on.”

It was almost as if Primrose didn’t need to breathe, the way he instantly continued. “There’s also the basis of kind greetings, you should always introduce yourself with your name and the reason for your visit. I suppose you did something similar, but you were too causal about it. The embassy is for cherubuns, you should explain yourself faster so we don’t think the worst of you.”

He turned towards Blush, “Do you understand so far?”

Blush nodded awkwardly, his neck tense. “Yes, I understand everything you said.”

Primrose seemed satisfied with his answer. “Good, another large part of etiquette is having listening skills. You should endeavor to listen to whomever you’re speaking with and you have to be engaging when you talk. A conversation should never be so one-sided that it causes insult.”

Blush knew better than to pipe in with his own feelings on how Primrose was speaking to him, but that didn’t mean he was accepting all of this nonsense. He would never go so low as to believe anything that was caught to the cherubuns by an angel. From what he had heard of that Melangel, they were not a creature to be trusted.

Primrose, unaware of Blush’s conflicting thoughts, simply flipped to another page of his book. He seemed particular attached to his next words of what he considered wisdom, “Adding on to listening skills, you should also listen before you speak and even then you should speak with caution.” He smiled smugly, “A fair amount of succubuns do not understand that, you’re much too pushy and think it’s alright to say the most horrendous things to each other.”

Blush had a feeling Primrose was talking about buns with his own vice of lust. He couldn’t exactly argue against that, he did know a few other lust buns that were very explicit when they spoke. He didn’t see much wrong with it if they were talking to someone willing to listen, it was all about what an other bun’s comfort was. It shouldn’t be about some arbitrary rules that an angel made up. He couldn’t even be sure where that angel learned those rules, but then again he didn’t know much about angels and their kind. He barely knew anything about demons.

He realized with a start that he had begun to tone out Primrose, watching the cherubun’s voice move with each word he spoke. He hoped he didn’t off like this when he read his scripture, that know it all attitude and that belief he knew exactly what was best.

As for Primrose, himself, he seemed relieved that Blush appeared to be so receptive and was completely unaware of the priest having lost interest in his lesson. Instead, he continued to flip through pages and read out more lessons. It seemed the longer he spoke of the lessons, the more assured of himself he sounded.

To Blush, such confidence only spoke of someone that wasn’t really able to think much for themselves. He had to wonder about the Heavenly Meadow and what exactly they were taught up there. The etiquette aside, he had noticed there was something off about cherubuns and not just Primrose. The way they looked at succubuns was usually partially curious, but he had also seen an undercurrent of shame.

He just couldn’t decide what that shame was for or even would demand such an emotion like that angel.

Primrose paused for a moment and Blush thought himself caught, but instead, the cherubun spoke, “Has it truly been that long already?” He looked at a clock on the wall, his expression twisting as he read the numbers. “And just when we were about to start on lesson ten.”

“Well nothing we can do for the time.” Blush felt a wave of relief hit him, he couldn’t be bothered to listen to this anymore and he might even be able to escape without revealing that he barely listened after what he thought was the third lesson. He wasn’t very good at remembering things he had no interest in, but maybe that was some of the etiquette he should learn? To stop pretending he cared about things he didn’t, it would save him a mess of trouble.

Primrose straightened his clothes and closed his lessons book with a heavy snap. He cleared his throat, “I suppose that will have to do for an etiquette lesson, any longer and I won’t be able to tend to the garden.”

Blush nodded along, agreeing in the hopes that he would be able to leave faster. “Of course, you wouldn’t want to neglect your duties for me.”

Primrose seemed almost offended by the thought. “I would never neglect my duties for a succubun, what I do is important.”

Blush was painfully unsure about that, but maybe listening to Primrose starved his desire to be headstrong. He couldn’t change the beliefs of someone he just met and he honestly didn’t think he had the ability to change the mind of somone like Primrose. The cherubun clearly believed in the etiquette he taught and even had that annoying desire to teach everything he learned from that angel to anything that would vaguely listen.

Blush stood up, adjusting his robes with a flourish. If he sat here any longer, he worried he would have to iron his clothes before mass. “Well I believe it’s time I went back down to the burrows.”

Primrose raised his, halting Blush, “Before you leave, given your interest in these lessons, I shall give you a gift.” He walked to the desk and set back his book of lessons, only to open a drawer and pull out an identical book.

Blush thought he might start to hysterically laugh, but luckily he was able to keep that feeling deep inside him.

Primrose dusted off the book and walked to Blush, holding it out. “You should feel lucky, not many succubuns have a book on the proper ways of etiquette. Even if our lessons are done today, this should continue to help you.” He spoke as if he was handing Blush a bag full of carats, it was downright insulting to the priest.

Still Blush could behave and so he grabbed the book. “Thank you Primrose, I’m such all of this will be very enlightening.” If only to understand how Melangel managed to mess up these cherubuns so severely. Although he supposed thinking something like that was against the lessons he just learned, probably falling under being too rude.

Primrose nodded, “There you are finally showing some proper manners. It’s good to be appreciative of any gift, especially one that will help you as much as this will.”

Blush grit his teeth, before smiling, “Right you are, this is certainly a gift.”

Primrose once again adjusted his clothes, “If that is it, I should hope you can see yourself out without any trouble?”

“Of course, I believe the exit is just put this room.”

Primrose slightly bowed his head respectfully and left the office. He even walked like he was trying to prove his etiquette lessons, a sure foot in front of the other without even a hint of being unbalanced.

Blush took a deep breath, before exhaling nosily. He looked down at the book of etiquette lessons and huffed through his teeth. He couldn’t wait to return home and reveal this nonsense to his boyfriend, although now that he thought about it, maybe he could show Mercy. They seemed like the type of bun that would be able to help him understand cherubuns more with seeing the kind of things they were taught.

He walked out of the office, not stopping until he was finally out of the embassy’s doors. Finally, he was free. Free from a stuffed up cherubun and free from those confusing lessons that he couldn’t pay attention to.

He looked around at the building behind him and had the strongest urge to not return here. He got what he wanted and beyond that he felt sick of all this white and gold. He only needed to share his findings with the church and discuss how to handle the new buns in their burrows.