Pursuit of Diligence Chapter 2: Tea and Kindness

Primrose lasted about a week before snapping- if it could be called that. Even when his patience was being tested, he still remained annoyingly composed, much to Temple's chagrin.

 

Temple had kept up his promise, returning daily to tend to the ambrosia flowers. He'd made sure to be on time, and to do everything by the book. The flowers themselves are coming along nicely, with some of the seedlings just beginning to poke above the top of the garden bed's soil. His technique? Immaculate.

 

His attitude? Now there's the issue.

 

Primrose, as the Embassay's head and more often than not, concierge, took it upon himself to supervise Temple. Which puts him in the exact wrong place to have to deal with the succubun's constant complaints.

 

"I'll get gunk in my knee again if you make me kneel there. What, you want to be the one to have to remedy that? Give me a sponge bath? Ooh, didn't know you were into that, Mr. Embassay Head~"

 

"How do you know that a little physical labor won't hurt me? Maybe my crystals will crack under the pressure. You don't know  how brittle they are!"

 

"Look, just because you have a dirt fetish or something doesn't mean I-"

 

"Please don't finish that sentence," Primrose interrupts, pinching the bridge of his nose- a common action when he's dealing with Temple, it seems. His eyes are shut, so he doesn't see Temple's triumphant smirk at successfully getting a rise out of him, but he can just about sense the aura of smugness emanating from the greed bun. "Look, I- hrng, ok. Ok."

 

Primrose takes a breath, composing himself, before dropping his arms, folding them behind his back in his usual proper pose. His lips are pulled into a slight grimace, like the words he's about to say taste bitter on his tongue.

 

"You've been doing well to help, even if you are... vocal about your complaints."

 

"Oh, you wanna hear vocal~? Why don't you buy me d-"

 

"Please don't interrupt me."

 

"..."

 

Primrose sighs, but Temple, at least, listens to him.

 

"I understand that manual labor is not to your liking. While I cannot have you shirk your care for the flowers, I can... offer you... a reward."

 

The last words are grinded out through gritted teeth, and Temple is as surprised as Primrose is pained.

 

"A reward."

 

"Don't get it twisted. I'm not giving you a gift. But... for today, we can change up your duties."

 

Temple narrows his eyes, shifting to one side as he slides off his gardening gloves. "By 'change up my duties', you're not going to make me, I dunno, aerate the fertilizer or something, are you...?"

 

"No," Primrose answers with another sigh. "As I'm sure you know, the Embassay grows more than just the ingredients for ambrosia. Tea is one of our major sources of income helping to support our integration efforts. Today is usually when ambassador Dove would have their order delivered. Typically, we have one of our permanant staff do deliveries, but... orders have been ramping up. So, for your reward, I'd have you run this delivery to Dove for us."

 

Temple's expression cycles through a couple of different emotions- confusion, surprise, confusion, amusement, and finally settling on annoyance.

 

"...you just want me out of your hair, don't you."

 

"Take the offer or not, Mr. Temple. I won't repeat myself."

 

"Yessir."

 

---

 

Temple props the heavy crate of tea leaves on one hip and rummages around in his pockets, looking for the scrap of paper with the address written in beautiful calligraphy that's barely legible that Primrose handed him after sending him off with the honestly ridiculously heavy order of tea leaves. 'Reward' his ass, Temple is pretty sure his muscles are going to be more sore after hauling this crate around than if he'd just shut up and worked in the gardens.

 

He squints- is that a 9 or a 0? Does that say Cir or Ct...? Who writes anything in cursive nowadays, anyway?? He really should have listened more closely when Primrose was explaining the directions to him, but Temple has started a habit of tuning the cherubun out when he talks. In his defense, most of the time, Primrose is just a bag of hot air and criticisms- no, do it this way, Mr. Temple. Please stop waving the trowel around like a sword, Mr. Temple. Kindly refrain from making sexual gestures behind my back, Mr. Temple. Blah blah blah. It's not Temple's fault that the man is harder to listen to than nails on a chalkboard.

 

Temple grimaces, and is about to pick the first apartment he can reach, when, mercifully, he spots a subtle glow coming from one window. It could be a TV, but... the light is soft and warm, reminiscent of the light put off by Primrose's halo, and Temple doubts there will be all that many cherubuns living in a neighborhood full of envy buns.

 

With a grunt, and only a slight fumble, Temple shoves the paper back into his pocket and returns his hand to the bottom of the crate, before shuffling his way towards the (thankfully first-floor) apartment in question.

 

The crate gets dropped to the ground with a muffled thud. Damn, Temple's hands are red and aching, urgh- he makes a face as he knocks, shifting from hoof to hoof impatiently as he waits. He's about to say screw it and just leave the crate there, returning to the Embassay and lying about proof of delivery, when the door opens to a pair of curious eyes beneath silky white hair.

 

"Hello, can I help you with something...?" Dove asks, their voice soft and melodic. They practically radiate kindness and innocence, the aura so strong Temple can feel it wash over him, practically wrapping him in a hug and offering him tea and cookies. He suddenly can understand why Jackal is so protective over the cherubun.

 

"Oh, I, um," Temple stumbles over his words, blinking a few times. That's not like him at all. This power, this aura of sweetness... man, Primrose isn't like this at all, so it can't be a cherubun thing but a Dove thing in specific. Weird. "...tea?"

 

Dove follows Temple's gesture with their eyes, lighting up like a bonfire when they see the crate on their doorstep. "Oh! You must be delivering from the Embassay, then! I'm so sorry, usually it's someone else.... goodness, and I've been so rude to you...."

 

Rude? Temple mouths in confusion, trying to figure out what Dove could possibly have done to be considered rude. They let the door swing open all the way and bend down, reaching for the crate. Temple moves to help them, mouth opening with a warning, only to be stopped in his tracks when they pick the crate up with no problem.

 

...well, that's maybe just a little bit humiliating. Dove makes it look like it weighs nothing.

 

"I'm so sorry! Would you like a cup of tea? I don't mind sharing, especially after you came all this way just for little ol' me...!"

 

Temple doesn't exactly say yes, but somehow, he finds himself seated on the softest armchair he's ever felt, with a dainty little teacup and saucer in his hand and a quite literally beaming cherubun across from him with their own matching cup.

 

"I didn't know that Primrose had hired anyone new! And almost everyone he hires I've already met... Temple, you said it was, right? I'm sure you know me already, but... you can call me Dove. It's nice to meet you."

 

"Um, likewise..." Temple hides his awkwardness behind his teacup, taking a sip. His eyes widen a little, because- damn, he usually drinks coffees loaded with milk and sugar to cover up the taste. How does plain tea taste this good?

 

Dove giggles. "I'm surprised you haven't tried the Embassay's tea before. It's... well, quite literally, it's heavenly, isn't it? I go through it so quickly, even when it's mostly just me drinking it..."

 

"I, uh, I haven't been at the Embassay for long," Temple offers, relaxing just slightly. He still wants to just get this done and head home, but... Dove's aura is too powerful. Primrose, he can be rude to easily, but Dove? Temple thinks he might burst into flames if he tried. "And I'm just volunteering in the gardens."

 

"Oh! I'd heard they were having problems with the ambrosia flowers, are you helping with them?" Dove sets their cup down, tilting their head slightly. "That's incredibly kind of you. They really mean a lot to us, and Primrose had been running himself ragged, staying late every evening to get everything done."

 

...huh? Temple frowns. Primrose is always just manning the counter, though, isn't he...? ...come to think of it, Temple isn't sure he's ever seen anyone else behind the counter. Whenever Primrose leaves, he puts a sign up- Temple hasn't noticed anyone coming to releive the cherubun of his duties. And while he does occasionally see other buns in the gardens or moving about the Embassay, more often than not, they're patrons and not employees or volunteers.

 

"It's not me being kind," Temple protests, tapping one finger against the side of his cup absently. "I just... I...." Why is it suddenly so embarassing to admit? "...I want one of the ambrosias. And they can't make more ambrosia until they have flowers to harvest, so... I ended up helping out, I guess." His eyes stay focused on the surface of his tea, a perfect golden-brown reflecting his own gaze back up at him.

 

Dove hums, the sound sweet and thoughtful. "Hm, but even still... you're helping in a way that benefits everyone, right?" Temple looks up, brow furrowed, to see Dove's subdued smile. "Even if it's for your own sake... you're still helping Primrose, and all the other cherubuns that miss home. Even if it's not the goal, you're still doing a kindness for us."

 

Temple's frown deepens, and he shakes his head. "No, I couldn't care less about anyone else. I just want the things I want. It's in my nature." He gestures to his horns. "I'm just gardening for myself, it's Primrose that's forcing it to be a community benefit or whatever."

 

"But you could refuse," Dove points out. "Other buns will end up helping eventually. Or you could do a bad job, only work enough to get what you want. But you came out here, and this isn't related to your gardening, is it? If it was just about the goal, we wouldn't be having tea right now."

 

"...Primrose sent me here to get me out of his hair," Temple admits, grimacing a little. "I 'complain too much', or whatever."

 

Dove laughs. "If he really were unhappy with you, he'd just refuse you entry. No, even if you get on his nerves, I think he's grateful to you. He said this was a... gift, or a reward, I bet, didn't he? Delivering me my tea."

 

Temple nods after a moment, clearly surprised.

 

"Primrose is... a little too uptight, really. But he's a good bun, and he knew I would invite you in and give you time to rest. He's not very good at showing it, but he really cares for others quite a lot. So by helping him, even if it's in your own kind of style... that means a lot. You always have a choice, to leave or to sabotage or any number of other things, but instead you help. And even if it's self serving... well, if it's self serving, but also helps others, then I don't think it's wrong to call it kind in the end."

 

They sit in silence for a bit, Temple ruminating over Dove's words and Dove enjoying the quite silence of deep thought.

 

...huh. Temple thinks, taking another sip of his tea. Kind, even if it's self serving....

 

 

 

...in the end, Temple stays until long after his usual shift at the Embassay's gardens would have ended.