//------------------------------// // Nightmare(Night) Fuel: Part 2 of 2 // Story: The Depresso Expresso // by Q-22 //------------------------------// The rest of the night was equally as uninformative and twice as quiet. Only two sentient beings capable of interaction occupied the cafe/cabin, and neither seemed interested in sparking a conversation. One was a customer thoroughly involved in a Mocha-Mocha Style mocha (yes, that's the official name, blame the board for approving it) and what looked like sheet music. Crux, distant as ever, was perfectly fine with the silence, sipping the remains of his bitter, lukewarm Stalliongrad roast. How they grew beans up there, he'd never know, but it was good stuff. Eventually, the light brownish grey mare with the darker grey mane (not to mention the cutest and most out of place bowtie Crux had ever seen in his life) was on her way out. The train had stopped, evidently, and more ponies were getting off than on. Crux picked up on this by peeking out one of the windows that were adjacent to the counter. Lots of the little costumed children were rushing out, practically herded by their parents and/or guardians. Yet another reason he was glad to not have tiny half-versions of him running around! He went back to his drink, trying to sip down the last bits of it at the bottom. Truly, the bottom of the cup was the most intimidating to finish, being an unholy mix of a few grounds and the strongest coffee in the cup. The tall avian wasn't looking forward to finishing the bottom of the pot. Since the cafe was presently empty, Crux went about tidying up what he could. A few small spills at a window table, some crumbs from the earlier muffin nomming, miscellaneous candy wrappers from passing colts and fillies. He was busying himself by sweeping up the accumulated wrappers, amazed at how many there were. Just by looking, it didn't SEEM like a lot, but, damn. "Really, they don't have the decency to use literally any of the wastebins around the cabin? A bunch of tiny savages, the lot of them!" Crux halfheartedly muttered to himself. He wasn't really upset, what with kids being kids and all, but he still had the right to complain about it. He finished up his little maintenance run and hopped back over the counter, where he proceeded to wait for something to happen. ... Alright, nothing was happening, this was nice. He could doodle now. Yes. No one would interrupt. It's late. All the ponies are out harassing other people for candy. No one's going to just barge in and- "BEHOLD!" Anything else said beyond that was lost to the depths of space and time as an unholy ringing deafened all other sound. That single shout took Crux's eardrums and pounded on them like they were the set of some novice drummer on a sugar high. His pencil tip snapped mid-drawing and he dug a trench through several pages of his small, delicate notebook. Damn. He pushed his shades back up, sighed, and looked up to his newest, and definitely loudest, customer. O' shit. Princess Luna. From all the shaking glass and the deep, sensational vibrating he felt thrumming in his chest, he surmised that she was making heavy use of the Royal Canterlot Voice. Alas, he heard only ringing. He had been briefed about this happening very shortly before he came, and really didn't expect this to happen, much like the board didn't. After a few seconds, the Princess eventually recognized the pained look of incomprehension scrawled onto Crux's birdy face and stopped talking, her expression rapidly going from "behold my royal majesty" to "oh gosh oh geez I stepped on a flower". Or something. A few minutes passed before either of them did, or said, anything (aside from a few dozen unheard apologies on Luna's end.) By then, Crux could mostly hear in one ear, so, he figured he'd be able to take her order. Maybe. "So, ah...you. What can I get ya?" He flipped to an undamaged page in his notebook and grabbed a fresh pencil from under the counter. He figured he'd just roll with the punch, pretend like what just happened didn't just happen. Luna seemed to agree. "We would like a tall, non-fat latte with caramel drizzle." She was quick to order, likely having thought this through beforehand. Crux didn't even flinch at the royal "we". Scribble scribble. Scribble. "Oh, and, ah...Four shots of espresso." Scribble. Crux tapped the eraser of his pencil against his beak. "Anything else?" Luna glanced over her shoulder at the door. Crux's gaze followed, though he didn't move his head. Sunglasses. Good for looking elsewhere when everyone else thinks your attention is still set on them. Outside were two of Luna's guards, making motions with their hooves and mouthing something. Crux didn't know why they hadn't just...been inside to order for themselves, but he wasn't paid to ask questions and he honestly didn't want the answers. When the guards seemed to be finished, both turning back around and disappearing from the train car's tiny door windows, Luna looked back to Crux, looking...well, Crux thought she looked a mix between confused and conflicted. Her brows were furrowed, mouth closed and drawn back, ears flattened longitudinally, etc. etc. He just waited for her to speak, pencil at the ready. "Perhaps just..." Seven second pause. Squinting. Dead silence. "...two Midnight Mochas?" Scribble scribble. "Anything else?" Luna looked back at the door. No one was currently presen- Whomp, nevermind, the large face of a pale unicorn with a translucent rainbow mane was- Nope, just focus on the order, don't think about how two of Equestria's primary leaders are literally- not helping not helping nothelpingjusttaketheorderdamnit. Crux turned his attention solely to his notepad as Celestia traced the outline of an isosceles triangle in the glass with her forehooves. Luna rolled her eyes and sighed. "A small, and we sincerely mean this, small slice of vanilla cheesecake. That will be all. Thank you for waiting that out." Scribble scrabble. Crux nodded in response after looking over the page to summarize everything, promptly getting to his work, preparing...well, everything on the order, duh. Roughly seven, maybe eight, minutes later, three hot drinks had been prepared and a slice of cheesecake sat comfortably on its side in a little takeaway box. Bits were exchanged, Luna thanked Crux for his time, and she left with her purchases. Crux drew a little crescent moon, and some stars, on the upper left corner of the written order. He almost smiled.