Broken Hourglass (Sanscest Multiship)

Cats, Coffee, and Tax Fraud

Ccino was out of options. After being rejected by every single bank around, the only place left to get funding was the mob. Somehow it seemed to be working a little too well.

"All I'm asking for is money. I just need to know what you want in return," Ccino said, staying as calm as possible.

"Here's the deal: I'll give you the money, but you have to allow me to use your business as a front," Mafia said. He was a very intimidating man on the best of days, and even more so when it comes to business deals.

Not to be deterred, Ccino agreed. "It's a deal."

Things were going surprisingly well. It had only been a couple months but the cats adjusted to their new environment quite nicely and Ccino had even begun to get used to seeing the various gang members around his shop. Although he doubted he'd ever be completely fine with it, he wasn't as alarmed as he had been at first.

That was until Mafia showed with a stack of papers. In only a minute the entire shop was empty except for the two of them. The papers made a thud as they were dropped onto the table. Ccino sighed and went to cover the windows before returning and taking a seat across from the mob boss. It was quiet except for the cats, but Ccino was very used to tuning out their thoughts.

"No bodyguards this time?," the shop owner asked.

"That would draw too much attention, besides, I could take you any day. Onto the matter at hand." Mafia turned the papers so Ccino could more easily read them. "Those are for you. I assume you know what to do with them."

He did, but tax fraud wasn't exactly something to be excited about. One of the cats, a black tom named Agate, hopped onto the table for some attention, and to Ccino surprise, Mafia scratched the cat behind the ear earning a purr from the small animal.

'Pets' Agate was thinking. Being able to read the thoughts of animals was far less interesting than expected. They were only really capable of a couple words thoughts, far less complex than the thoughts of an intelligent being, but hearing that a cat found you warm or fun was cute.

"Has he been here long?"

Ccino was caught off guard by the question, he hadn't expected the other to take an interest in what he did. "Only about a week, there's been some interest but I'm worried about finding a good home," he admitted. "I was thinking about the family who owns that bakery on 7th street."

"They're decent people, although the father has a bit of gambling problem." Seeing the confused reaction the mob boss continued, "I have dirt on everyone in this city. If you need intel, I'm the one you go to. You got any coffee? Get yourself one too"

The shop owner grabbed two cups of coffee from the kitchen and returned to the table, noting that Agate had settled into the other's lap. 'Comfy' He sipped on the drink. "I assume there's a price for your knowledge."

"I'm gonna be straightforward with you, Ccino. You're driven. You're passionate. You don't seem to be doing this money. From the moment you stepped into my office you knew what you wanted and you weren't going to take 'no' for an answer. I admire that. So, for you, this information has no charge. Consider it an act of philanthropy."

"Thank you"

They sat in the shop talking about the cats until it was dark outside. Mafia was actually quite charming and well spoken, very different from what Ccino had expected. It was very easy to understand how he had amassed all that wealth and power so quickly.

It happened again the next week, and then the next and then the next, often times without any actual reason, but like clockwork, every Thursday the shop would close early and the two of them would talk over coffee and play with the cats until far past sundown.