The Little Coffee Girl

Prakis had gotten a tip about this coffee shop, in a side alleyway a few streets down from the palace. “Very unusual,” Yopiez had said.

Prakis could tell – There was a giant symbol on the door, an octagon with lines springing from it, and some of those lines had smaller lines. He eventually realized it was something he had read about but neve seen - A snowflake.

The second was the … stuff that drifted down when he stepped inside. Like sand, but cold and wet. It should have melted in the heat, but the room was freezing cold.

It was a windowless room with sandstone walls, a squashy couch besides a messy bookshelf and a few tables on thick rugs. A counter inlaid with coffee beans was in the back, beneath multiple shelves of beans, syrups, pots, cups – and a little mynci plushie.

No one was behind the counter. The orange gelert perused the menu. Everything…iced.

Cold.

There was even a ‘room temperature’ option. He shuddered.

In a culture where coffee equaled hot, Prakis was beginning to feel wary. After three minutes, he called out a hesitant. “....Hello?”

A curtain leading to a back room was pushed aside.

“Hi! Oh - hi!”

A pale acara wearing a huge blue coat with white trim carried a stool almost as tall as she was. She looked like a child.

Placing it at the counter, she struggled to climb upon it.

Prakis blinked. She definitely was a child.

“Hold - on - I got it - “ After another few seconds, she made it to the top with a huff. “Welcome to Pikenzy’s Ice Box.” She folder her paws and smiled.

Prakis looked around. “Uh…erm…and you’re Pikenzy?”

She nodded. “And what’s your name?”

“P-Prakis.” He was feeling awkward as the silence lingered. He only wanted specialty coffee…

“This is the part where you order.” She whispered.

The gelert was still surprised. He looked behind her. “Shouldn’t you have…adult supervision?”

She huffs. “I can do it!” She stuck her bottom lip out. “What do you want?”

The gelert considered leaving. But….he had made it this far. And word on the street said it was delicious… “Spiced iced mocha, with saffron flakes.” He placed four hundred neopoints on the counter, which were snatched up.

“Okey dokey.” She slid off the stool…before remembering she couldn’t reach it, and struggled back on, grabbed a syrup and canister, and jumped back down, heading back behind the curtain. “Be right back!”

Prakis stared after Pikenzy for a moment, then cast his gaze around the small room, rubbing his arms to generate heat. The snow didn’t stick to surfaces - perhaps it was fake?

A corkboard on the closest wall had lots of flyers and sticky notes posted -

MISSING - Nuk. Answers to Ralgi. Likes zeenana peels.

Tombs and Treasures tabletop group - looking for new members! Starts Tuesday at 6. Bring your own dice (not cursed).

Wanted - who can do laundry on mummy wrappings? Offering 5000 neopoints a wash. Contact -

“Ready!” Prakis jumped; Pikenzy walked past the counter, holding a tray with the beverage on top. “Ta-dah!” She placed it on a nearby table.

The mug was smudged; Clearly a bit of sauce spilled on the side and hastily wiped away. The whipped cream on top did look quite appetizing as did the bright pops of saffron.

Prakis took a sip.

It was - quite simply - the best mocha he had ever had.

He hadn’t had many - one in Faerieland, on a visit - and it didn’t compare to this.

A good balance of coffee and the bittersweet mocha sauce - when he saw a child about to make his beverage, Prakis worried it would be too sugary. He also tasted a hint of clove and cinnamon in the drink.

Prakis licked a bit of whipped cream off, and the bright saffron paired wonderfully. “Wow,” was all he could say.

“Good, huh?”

“It - it is!” He looked around the empty room. “How is this place not full all the time?”

Pikenzy shrugged, “It gets busier. Just a real slow time right now. Give me time to do my homework.”

For the next month, every two or three days, Prakis would return, trying something different on the menu. Word got out; From his first visit where he sat alone, there was a steady stream of customers. Pikenzy couldn’t say much more than “Hi, Prak!” before rushing to prepare a drink.

Something was odd, however.

Every time he entered, it was always Pikenzy brewing, pouring, cleaning, working - alone.

He watched her take out a rag and wipe the table and could stand it no longer.

“Pikenzy, how did you end up here? A kid, maintaining a coffee shop in a hole in the wall? You can’t be from here, not wearing that.”

Pikenzy paused a moment. “Nope. I’m from Happy Valley. Me and Heleni…” She rubbed her head. “Helini is my … well, she’s not my mom or dad. Maybe she’s my aunt? But we lived up there, and she takes care of me. We sold coffee up north - at the Annual Bruce Slide, and the Weekly Snow Brawls - but so did near everyone else.”

“One day, she said ‘We, Pikenzy, can’t sell our coffee up here. It’s iced! Who wants iced coffee in the snow?’”

“Loads!”

“‘Exactly. Loads. That means competition is high, my dear, very high. Now think, what shall we do?’”

“Sell hot coffee?”

“‘I think we need a change in scenery…who would benefit the most from an iced coffee?’”

So I thought - who would benefit the very, very most from an iced coffee? A mocha slushie? “Somewhere hot - Like Mystery Island?”

“‘Good thinking. Close to the source of our beans - but far too many mosquitos.’”

“The Lost Desert!” I was proud of thinking that up because Helini looked super surprised.

“‘Very smart, Pikenzy. Yes, I think that’s where we shall go.’”

It took way longer than I thought but we got here eventually! And we set up this shop! It was kind of slow, but I hadn’t been to the Lost Desert before so there was lots of tasty things to try – and put into coffee drinks.

We didn’t bring a lot of our special flavors. I missed the Icetor flowers especially. It’s a pretty flower that you dry and grind up, add some water, a bit more sugar, and you get a spicy-sweet syrup!

I mentioned it, and Helini thought you all might like it down here, and said “‘So, I shall go and get it.’”

At this point, the little acara took a deep breath.

“And I said ‘You’re leaving me here? By myself?’”

“‘Why, of course! It shan’t be more than three or four days - and aren’t you a brave girl?’ Then she ruffled my head - and left. I think she missed it up there, being a Bruce.”

“She said, ‘Mind the shop until I get back’”, Pikenzy looked away. “So I’m minding it.”

“And it’s been…months?” Pikenzy nodded.

“That’s…” Prakis leaned back in the chair, having sat at the beginning of her story. It didn’t take months to get to Happy Valley. He didn’t know about this plant, but it sounded more like Helini came across trouble that delayed - or killed - her.

“I still get supplies, and I get to make neat stuff. Like that,” She pointed to Prakis’ empty glass. “Didja like it?”

He smiled, fleetingly. “Very much,” The date syrup iced coffee with ummagine whipped cream was his favorite drink so far - but his smile faded. “Are you sure you don’t need…help?”

She shook her head. “No, I got a bed, money for food…I’m alright.” She smiled. “Really.” Taking the glass, she hopped from her chair and went behind the counter again.

“No - You’re a kid! And you should be out there making friends, playing games, and…” He wasn’t sure what kids did. “A-anyway, You’ve done a - surprisingly - good job running the shop without Heleni, but -” Helini is likely dead. He didn’t say it. It wouldn’t make her feel better.

She didn’t respond. Then he heard sniffles.

Prakis moved to see Pikenzy sitting behind the counter, hugging her knees to her chest, trying - and failing not to cry.

He sat on the ground and scooched over, putting an arm around her, and she buried her face in his side, quietly shaking with sobs.

“How about…” He could let Queen Amira know – there was help for wards of the state. But He couldn’t imagine this girl in the foster system. “I…come check on you. A few times a week – “

“Can I live with you?”

What? “No,” He said quickly, and her face crumpled. “I mean -”

He didn’t feel good, but Prakis did not want a child in his home. Even one who could make delicious coffee drinks.

He stood up. “I’ll come by - Bring you a good meal sometimes. See if I can get some extra guards around -”

After a moment, she stood up, wiping her eyes. “There’s a field trip to the quicksand gardens next week. Can ….you sign my permission slip?” She gave a big sniff.

After a blink, Prakis sighed. “Why not?”