THE MOMENT
"Oh hang on," Craig said. He looked at the sandy-blonde teenager on the other side of the counter. It was the middle of the morning and the coffee shop was full of people that should have all been at work or at school. At least, that was Craig's initial, bitter take when he first started the job three years ago. By now, he'd seen and grown accustomed to things he never could have imagined before. "You have enough points for a free one; would you like to use them or save them for next time?"
"This is my first time here...," The teenager tilted his head as he looked up at Craig. He was a tall, lean man and the kid was on the shorter end of his age range. Craig glanced at the information and sighed. He hoped his day wasn't about to get worse; scammers tended to make a scene when things didn't work out in their favor. He didn't know what the scam was yet; but, the teen was already lying about it being his first time there. Gloria's Coffeehouse got customers from everywhere, including other universes. Tracking them was a top priority.
"You're a Muerte, right?" Craig asked. The information on screen told him the answer; but, if the teen had a different answer maybe not everything was what it seemed. That was one of the first lessons he learned on the job, and he always tried to take it into consideration. There was a photo in the file; but, that didn't mean much. Shapeshifters and shapeshifting magic were ridiculously common. Even then, the kid in the photo looked similar even if not identical.
"Yeah," the teen nodded.
"I'm just an employee, I don't have an explanation," Craig shrugged. "Your node is already in the system; do you want to use the points or save them?"
"Sure," the teen shrugged. As he gave his answer, another teenager walked up from the side and tapped him on the shoulder.
"Hi, I'm Turbo," the new teen introduced himself. Craig listened while he put the order through. "You're in the system; but, you said this is your first time here?" he asked. The teen nodded.
"All set, thank you," Craig returned the teen's node to him; then, he felt a tap on his own shoulder.
"Yeah?" He asked Mary. She was one of his coworkers and the only employee newer than he was. But, she wouldn't last long.
"Will you make a vampcoffee, black? Pleeeeeeasse?" she pleaded. "The blood smell makes me gag," she stuck her tongue out for effect. Craig glanced at the counter and saw no one waiting. Then, he nodded and chuckled to himself; there wasn't a lot of trouble for her to get into.
"Sure, no problem," he said. It had taken him months to get used to the overwhelming scent that came from boiling blood. At her current rate, Mary would be gone long before she got used to it. Craig wandered into the galley kitchen and began gathering what he needed. He set out a cup and a mesh filter and reached for a scoop of coffee grounds.
"Here you go, Mrs. Sharp," Craig recognized his bosses voice from the other side of the kitchen and looked up. His boss, Gloria, stood next to a short, plump woman with dark hair. The woman wore a black suit with a white tie and red shirt beneath. The woman smiled at Craig and he sighed internally. It had to be an inspection of some sort. Just the kind of added pressure he didn't need.
He didn't know who she was; but, she had to be important for Gloria to welcome her into the kitchen; and, her name couldn't have been a coincidence. Gloria's Coffeehouse was owned by a corporation named Sharp Development. This would be the first time in two years he remembered anyone visiting from Corporate. And, she wanted to see Craig.
"Please continue," Mrs. Sharp said as Gloria walked away. Craig was already fitting the loaded filter to the cup even as she suggested it.
"You're probably wondering why I'm here," Mrs. Sharp said. Craig shrugged and shook his head.
"Not really," he said. He walked to the oven and put a mitt on. Then, he opened the oven and grabbed one of the solid black iron kettles from the row. "Either you're going to tell me, or you're not. I don't get paid extra if I care." He returned to the loaded filter and tipped the kettle over. Steaming dark red liquid poured out of the nozzle and a wave of putrid, coppery scent filled the kitchen. The woman giggled.
"I like your attitude," she said. "This isn't why I'm here; but, how'd you like a job with Sharp Development?" she asked.
"Doing what?" Craig asked. He stopped pouring blood for a moment to let it drain down through the coffee. Mrs. Sharp glanced at the red watch on her wrist, then shook her head.
"We'll have that conversation another time," she said. Craig began pouring more blood over the coffee grains. "For now, you understand that I am your boss's boss, right? In effect, I am also your boss, is that clear?" she asked.
"Sure," Craig shrugged. He returned the iron kettle to the oven, then put a lid over the coffee and made sure it was tight. The coffee was ready and he grabbed it to head out of the kitchen.
"Wait," Mrs. Sharp told him. He stopped and turned around.
"Yes?" he asked. Mrs. Sharp approached, then walked past him. She glanced at her watch and then out at the shop full of patrons. Craig was curious and followed her to look over her shoulder. Gloria was at the register helping a flustered Mary deal with an irate dragon customer.
He looked around trying to see what she was looking for; but, nothing stood out to him. He noticed the teen Muerte he helped was still talking to Turbo. They'd found a table to sit down; but, as he spotted them, they stood up to approach the counter again. They got in line behind the angry customer and suddenly, Mrs. Sharp stepped aside.
"Okay, now you may go," she said.
"Huh, okay...," Craig walked past her and to the counter.
"RUIN!!!" he called out the name. A towering, pale, mountain of a man stood and was immediately taller than everyone else. His bald head shined like a beacon reflecting the lights as he approached the counter. But, he stopped suddenly with wide eyes as he passed Turbo and his new friend in the line.
"What did you say!??" his voice carried as he focused on Turbo. But, after that outburst, their voices went quiet again as they whispered amongst themselves.
"Feel free to stop in when you're ready to start," Mrs. Sharp appeared next to Craig and she offered him a black Traverse card.
"Still haven't told me what I'd be doing...," Craig shrugged as he accepted the card. Mrs. Sharp winked at him to make sure she had his attention; then, she turned slowly and cast a long glance at Ruin and Turbo whispering animatedly. She turned back to Craig as a portal began to swallow her from below.
"You could call it, running the universe."