[NEW] Eeveelution Café

[B1] Chapter 10: Pent-Up Feelings

It has been a week since Volt confessed to Willow, and the group had just gotten word that the Café was done with the redesigns. Lavender was ordering the needed furniture while the rest were doing their own part of the job. Moonshade and Melody, instead, made a package of cinnamon rolls for Cinnamon to snack on later. 
"Hey, so I can put this in the printer and mass-copy now?" Snowbelle asked. 
"Mhm!" Lavender nodded without turning to look at the Glaceon. "Ask Willow, Bonfire or Dewdrop to help you with the menu cover and the ordering."
"Sweet! Does that mean I get to have my own personal serving space that I can just hang around all day?" the Vaporeon cheered. 
"Dew, you're serving like, 20 drinks," Bonfire narrowed his eyes. "On your menu."
"21." Dewdrop corrected with a grin. 
"You should make it 22." the Flareon groaned. "Yo, Moon! Can I have a cinnamon roll later?"
"NO."
"Okay, okay, geez." Bonfire rolled his eyes. "Anyways, when are we leaving to see what we have to work with?"
"Almost, sorry..." Lavender started clicking faster, trying to get everything ordered and placed. "Wait, so, would we need a grand opening event? 25% off all first purchases?" 
"Yeah, sure!" Everybody collectively agreed to the suggestion that came out of nowhere. 
Lavender sighed. "Okay! More banners...balloons..."
"Hey." Volt suddenly appeared behind the Espeon.
"Oh! Hi Volt!" Lavender turned around and smiled. "Do you need anything?"
"Just checking to see if you were stressed, nothing else." the Jolteon smiled back. "You need any help?"
"Not really, but I guess having some company would be really really nice." she admitted. "If it's not a bother, could you suggest for anything else I should get?"
Lavender showed Volt the cart and he examined each item closely. 
"I think you're good," the Jolteon said. "If you think you need anything else, just add."
"Yeah, I think it's alright for now." Lavender started the online paying process without saying anything else, her anxiety stopping her ability to speak to Volt.
"Hey, can I talk to you in private later?" the Jolteon suddenly asked and Lavender's heart dropped to the bottom of her stomach.
"Oh...um...yeah, sure! Or you can just tell me here," Lavender pretended like she had no clue what Volt was talking about. "It's fine, really."
"No, I think it'd be better if it was private private." Volt knew that Lavender was pretending to not know what he meant, but didn't address it. "You know?"
"Mhm, I totally understand." the Espeon wasn't aware. "It's fine."
She officially bought everything and logged out of her account, then shut down the computer. 
"Ooh! Can we go now?" Melody asked with excitement. "I really wanna see how they redid the place!"
"Yeah sure, as long as everyone's set." 
"We should all be ready," Willow looked around. "We can finish the other stuff when we get back and adjust according to plan."

"Whoa!" Lavender unlocked the door and stepped in first, the rest following behind closely.
The interior space had been much bigger than expected, and every requested detail was added to the finest. All the ordered furniture were seemingly perfect for this layout, and the only things missing were the customers and the appliances. Dewdrop and Melody both cheered for their own respective stations, and the first-time visit was going smoothly. Volt stayed close with Lavender, but Snowbelle and Willow still made eye contact with the Espeon to remind her to stay calm. 
"Can I add my own decorations here? I wanna display some of my easy-to-wash plushies! Y'know, for the kids!" Melody asked Lavender. 
"Ooh, can you lend me some of your waterproof ones?" Dewdrop asked the Sylveon with bright eyes. 
"Okay, but next time you're paying for my shopping spree!" the Sylveon had a mischievous grin. 
"50%!" the Vaporeon refused to pay full price. 
"90%!" Melody retorted.
"40%!" Dewdrop lowered her offer.
"75%!" the Sylveon lowered her own offer as well.
Dewdrop shook her head. "60%!"
"70%!" The two didn't notice the café going dead quiet with only their yells.
"60%!" 
"Okay, fine." Melody groaned. "Dude, I got cut off 40%..."
"Hey, I'm still paying around two-thirds of your next shopping spree just for some permanent café keeping waterproof plushies!" Dewdrop rolled her eyes. 
"Geez, alright." the Sylveon shrugged. 
Volt narrowed his eyes. "Dude, Dew, do you just yell while negotiating like this?"
"Does she...do this?" Moonshade whispered to Bonfire with genuine concern. 
"No, at least this is my first time seeing her negotiate this intensely. Unnecessary, if you ask me." the Flareon responded casually. 
"Oh. Okay." the Umbreon thanked him.
"Well, guys, wanna go back or hang out here for a bit?" Lavender asked everyone. 
Melody examined the shelves in her station. "Well, we could go visit Fortune Teller!"
"Or go see Full Moon. When we aren't officially registered as their rivals yet." Snowbelle suggested. "See what the competition are doing."
"Hm, how about you go look for Full Moon and report back?" Volt narrowed his eyes, and Lavender resisted the urge to nudge him and get him to stop.
Who am I even kidding, we're not even official yet.
"I'm just saying we'd have more advantages in business if we notice things earlier!" the Glaceon retorted. 
Volt's expression went from neutral to disgust. "Well, what if we want to visit somewhere more comforting and familiar!?"
"Guys, stop." Willow interrupted the short-lasted argument, and both went silent. "I kinda wanna go to Full Moon with Belle."
"I checked a while ago...I'm pretty sure there's takeout options, so just take a look around the eat-in area and order some takeout back for all of us. Do you have any Coins on you?" Lavender provided another solution.
"Yeah," Snowbelle nodded. "Wills?"
"Not a lot." Willow checked. 
"I'll pay you both back." Lavender smiled. "With the loaned money. This is part of business expenses. And just buy all of the recommended or popular options they have, you're on a tight budget."
"Got it." the siblings left the café without saying anything else. 
"Hm, I wonder if Full Moon's as good as mooncakes..." Melody commented. "Especially those traditional ones."
"Hey, if you give me your waterproof plushies, I'll treat you to mooncakes instead of paying 60% of your next shopping spree! Deal?" Dewdrop grinned. 
"Alright, alright, geez. It better be those authentic ones!" the Sylveon gave up. 
The Vaporeon was happy that she was able to get an even better deal. "I know a really good place for traditional mooncakes, I'm sure you'll love them!"
"And if I don't?" Melody narrowed her eyes, still a bit suspicious. 
"Then I'll pay 33% of your next shopping spree." Dewdrop promised.
"50%." 
"40-"
"Can you both just stop negotiating like this before it becomes a cause for sound pollution, please?" Volt interrupted, annoyed by how loud they were.
"Okay, okay, geez."