nexuses | can't a man have some coffee in peace

[The thread that connects him to the supreme primarch's power has unraveled, taking with it his wings. Rent of what makes him an archangel, he's no better than a human with a purpose thrust unto him by a weakened witch. All in all, the whole situation reeks of nonsense.

Indolence won't help his brooding any. Sandalphon tours the city instead, pointedly taking the less populated path. Even then, too many people approach him with their wares and saccharine smiles, and he rebuffs each one with a single-word response. It's not soon enough when he slips into a shop that smells faintly of coffee, hoping for some peace and quiet.

But even here, the employees jump at every person to come around. Sandalphon grits his teeth in reflex annoyance when a rehearsed greeting and a request for an order is thrown his way. He hadn't intended to buy anything. Still, he can't just turn around and leave.]

Fine. Give me coffee.

[That unleashes a whole new can of beans. Regular or decaf? Perhaps a mocha, a latte, or a cappucino? And what about ice?

Does any of this matter? No one makes coffee like Lucifer. It hasn't been more than two hours, and Sandalphon wants to quit Shehui.]

That doesn't matter to me. Make what you want.

[At the very least, the service is quick—too quick. Sandalphon eyes the cup in his grasp with mild suspicion. What's with the lid?]

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...I'm not sure. [That's the honest answer, unfortunately. Lucifer had not been with the kitten very long to know its preferences. He seems thoughtful, looking at the spot below the couch as if he expects the kitten to reappear.] It's difficult to imagine, however.

[He's biased.]

If we can borrow some food, we may be able to entice it out.

[Surely the roommates won't mind if it's for a cute and fluffy cat.]

[Why is it difficult for a kitten to be wary of his scowl? Lucifer makes strange comments, sometimes.]

What type of food does a cat like?

[They can't offer coffee, and the last thing he wants is to kill the kitten on accident.]

[Hmm... Admittedly, this was a pretty minor detail compared to the sorts of things he spent most of his time on, but...]

Some meat would likely get its attention. However, since it's still young, perhaps a bit of milk would be better.

[He was far from an expert on cats. All of what he knew about them was what he'd seen in relation to people and even then it was just not terribly significant.]

Milk . . . There should be some in the refrigerator.

[Sandalphon makes to the appliance in question, from which he pulls out a carton of milk. Since no one in the apartment drinks it with regularity, the carton is fairly full. He pours the milk into a small bowl with a slight dip, then offers the bowl to Lucifer.]

[It's a little endearing, the way that he defers to him anyway when Lucifer did not consider himself much more knowledgeable on the subject. Still, rarely one to show doubt, he accepts the bowl and returns to the other room, where the cat had taken shelter. He kneels down, placing the bowl on the floor near the sofa before standing back up and stepping away.

He turns back to Sandalphon.]

I'd like to call out to him, but I worry we might startle him. I think it may be best to allow him to come out of his own accord.

[There was no telling how long that would take, but trying to force the kitten out would probably be counterproductive.]

[Sandalphon watches from the doorway, because perhaps it really is him and the kitten will be more receptive to Lucifer's approach. As of now, they've got no such luck, but what Lucifer proposes next makes sense. He nods.]

I'd like to keep an eye on it.

[Which is to say, they can park themselves to the side and mind their business until the kitten decides to come out. It's almost ridiculous how much room they have to give the skittish creature.]

Good idea. I would like to see how it responds as well.

[Especially if it was going to be staying here for an undetermined amount of time... It might help for them to get a feel for the kitten's personality this way.

Lucifer joins him by the doorway, glancing in the missing cat's direction once more before he continues:]

Aside from that... incident, the evening was fairly uneventful, on my part. How about yours?

[The way he's situated, it's easy for Sandalphon to see whether the kitten has left its hiding spot or not. So far, not yet.]

The same as always. Nothing of note happened.

[There's always something going on in Shehui. He's learned to weed out the fluff in his observations with each and every day that's passed.]

Are you still concealing your face?

[Read: are the denizens of this place still lacking self-control?]

[He frowns a little at his question, vague frustration apparent on his face.]

Yes, unfortunately. [He probably slacked on it a little more than he should, but... While on one hand, he didn't blame the people for being, er, distracted (after all, it wasn't their fault he'd been made with such a beautiful face), he still didn't like the idea of being forced to hide away for that very same reason. Before, he didn't have much of a say in whether or not he could interact with the world, but now, there was no reason not to... Aside from his apparent beauty.] It's troublesome at times, but I will manage. I'm fortunate in that I have you.

[He felt bad having to rely on Sandalphon in this way, but he was grateful for it nonetheless—his presence made things easier in multiple ways.]

[He knits his eyebrows. To begin with, Lucifer shouldn't have to be forced into this arrangement. Ultimately, though, he gives a nod in response.]

If there's anything that you need, tell me.

[Sandalphon doesn't doubt that Lucifer can take care of himself; however, if there's any way that he can make these difficult accommodations easier on the latter, then he's willing to do whatever it takes—including kitten rearing.]

Of course. I would be grateful for your assistance. [His expression softens.] I only regret that I must burden you with such mundane tasks.

[Like... kitten rearing... Even though he's sure Sandalphon will make a wonderful kitten dad. But between things like that and running errands for him and the like, it felt— a bit beneath him. He considered him an equal, and yet he had no choice but to ask him things like this... It was unfortunate.]

Until we determine what to do with him, I imagine we'll need proper cat food.

[Better him than Lucifer, if they must engage in those mundane tasks.]

Right . . . There are a few stores I can think of that should carry such a thing. I'll look for them in the morning.

[Then snapping his head in the direction of the sofa, Sandalphon squints. He could've sworn that he saw something like a paw sticking out in the open. He keeps his voice even and soft.]

Did you see that?

[He smiles a little, less because of the kitten's movement and more because of Sandalphon's reaction. He turns to look in the direction of the kitten and nods.]

It looks like he may be interested.

[That seems like a good sign, at least!!]

[Listen, that kitten is the whole reason they're loitering in the doorway. Not willing to spook the creature after all that effort, Sandalphon falls quiet. The paw slips back under the sofa, and that seems to be the end of that—until a gray head emerges to sniff tentatively at the bowl of milk.

The kitten, still wary of its surroundings but led by its sensitive nose, slowly inches toward the drink. Sandalphon, meanwhile, may as well be a statue with how still he is.]

can't a man have some coffee in peace

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