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"Anyway, I went on a date last week that was so silly, but the coffee was good, so I can't really complain." The tight-lipped Canthan woman smiled, sipping her tea, nodding at the others at the table, looking for someone else to chime in.
"Ah, you've been trying so hard to get a partner, don't you get tired of it?" Another asked the first woman. She laughed and shook her head.
"No, no, the dates are a good excuse to get out of my everyday routine. I mean, relationships are nice and all, but- oh I'm so sorry, I don't mean to offend our Tyrian Ambassador." Kasmeer peeked over her tea cup as she took a sip, startled at being addressed.
"Oh, don't worry about me. I know being in a relationship can be challenging." Kasmeer smiled stiffly, still nervous about being in the Canthan gossip circles. The other women laughed heartily.
"Ahh, but you just got engaged! Lucky you, no more going on unsuccessful dates!" Kasmeer laughed alongside the others, hoping someone would take the spotlight off her soon.
"Unsuccessful dates mean more free food!" Another chirped, causing even more laughter. Kasmeer sipped her tea, trying to disappear.
"Wait, Ambassador Meade, have you gone to any of the New Kaineng coffee shops? Oh there's some of the most fabulous Canthan coffee brewers there!" The women all turned back to Kasmeer. She scratched her head nervously, smiling as she shook her head.
"No, I'm sorry, there hasn't been much time to explore." The coffee lovers amongst the group gasped.
"Oh, no need to stick around for gossip then! Go collect your partner and go!" Kasmeer nodded, suddenly realizing that meant she got to leave this dreadful circle, putting her tea cup down and giving the group a deep bow before marching off to find Marjory.
Truthfully Kasmeer did not really want to go to a coffee shop, especially in the afternoon, but when given an opportunity to escape the noble drudgery and gossip, who was she to refuse?
Marjory was still sitting in the library Kasmeer had left her in before heading to her gossip chats. Kasmeer took a moment to appreciate how sweet she looked, one hand propping her head up as she read.
"Hey, Jory, the meeting got done early. Want to grab some coffee?" Kas tapped her fiancée on the shoulder. Jory turned, a smile on her face as she stretched.
"Oh, a coffee date? Really this time of day?" Jory pulled Kas in for a quick kiss before Kas nodded.
"Mmhm, I guess there's some of the best Canthan coffee here. So I'm on my Ambassador Duty to try it. With you, of course." Jory grinned, laughing lightly.
"Why, I can't quite refuse the Ambassador, can I?" Kas reached a hand out for Jory to take and the two walked out of the library hand in hand.
New Kaineng was difficult to navigate, and it took them a while to find the coffee shop the Canthan gossipers were mentioning, but once they got there, they understood why it was a big deal. The smell of warm, freshly roasted coffee beans drifted through the air. The baristas smiled at every person coming through and seemed to be making their coffees with an artisanal level of skill.
"Oh wow. Canthans really enjoy their tea and their coffee." Jory whispered to Kas. Kas was beaming, looking quickly around at everything. Compared to the greens and reds of New Kaineng, the interior was a medium brown with brass accents. Even the coffee makers (Jade tech of course) were accented with the brass details. It was so beautiful and it smelled wonderful.
"You two look like Tyrians. Want some recommendations for good Canthan coffee?" The young barista asked them as they approached the counter. Kas nodded excitedly and the barista chuckled.
"Alrighty, so if you want just drip coffee, we have the Seitung Blend, which features some of the best fruity, bright flavors of the Seitung islands. Or if you want something darker, we also have the Echovald Blend, their beans don't get as much sunlight so it's warm, earthy, rich flavors. Or if you want an espresso drink, our espresso is the Seitung Blend and we have all kinds of flavors." The barista beamed, Kas looked positively enamored with the whole experience and Jory…
"How about a cup of coffee?" The barista laughed at her frankness, turning to pour her a drip coffee into a mug, passing it over. He gestured for Kas's order.
"Oh! Uhm. Would you make a recommendation?"
"Sure, what kind of flavors do you like?"
"She's as sweet as honey and she likes everything to be sweeter than that." Jory gave the barista a wink as she sipped her coffee.
"I think I can whip you up something good then. Give me just a moment. Oh, and since you're clearly new around here, it's on me today."
"Aww, thank you so much!" Kas was watching him make her coffee as Jory continued to slurp her coffee. "Is it good, Jory?"
"Oh yeah. Can really taste the coffee." Kas stuck her tongue out at her rather blunt fiancée.
"Here's that for you. It's a honey latte. Made with oat milk to bring out the sweetness even more. Enjoy!" Kas gripped her latte with both hands, studying the foam art on top. She pressed the warm mug to her lips, her eyes getting large when she tasted the sweet coffee drink.
"This is amazing! Thank you!" The barista nodded at them both and they walked off to a table.
"Well, is this coffee date everything you imagined?"
"Maybe not everything I imagined, but I didn't really have a lot of time to imagine, did I? This drink is amazing though."
"Nothing but the best for my sweet honey lady." Jory leaned over the table to give Kas's hand a kiss, making her laugh.
"I love you."
'I love you too. Coffee dates are strange, aren't they?"
"They can be… with the wrong company."
"Yeah. Good thing you're with your black coffee drinking fiancée so I can fend off the wrong company." Jory gave Kas a wink as she finished off her mug of coffee. Kas just shook her head, sipping slowly on her coffee, enjoying the date for what it was. Silly but sweet. Warm. Happy even. Just for a moment.