Omen [Undertale Multiverse]

Ch5 - Cafe

Ccino's POV

The morning was Ccinos favorite time of day. As a skeleton who suffered constant bouts of insomnia, he was usually still awake when the sun begun to rise, birthing a new day in its brilliant rays of light. He loved that he could spend that time surrounded by cats, his favorite animal, even if some of them weren't as friendly as others.

His routine never strayed much in his day to day life. Ever since the cafe had become a multiversal social point for those wanting to connect outside of their AUs, it had seen a steady flow of alternates, each with their own story to tell.

It was common knowledge that FluffyTale was neutral ground. That meant it welcomed everybody, regardless of their background, regardless of what they did in the other timelines.

That also meant that some of the more violent groups were oddly protective over it. The few who had come to stir trouble ended up dusted, and though Ccino would never agree with the violence, he had to admit he enjoyed that it meant his cafe was always peaceful.

People knew not to damage property, or fight with customers, or steal, or harm the cats. Everyone knew there were consequences to their actions here, even if Ccino wasn't strong enough to enforce much himself.

Cinno had seen so many different alternates. So much so that when he saw Fresh standing outside with a darkly dressed skeleton, he was surprised to realise he did not recognise this variant in even the slightest. He couldn't even tell what kind of AU they came from. Could it be a new AU? An original? A copy that was a tad more unique?

He smiled when he watched the two hug. He didn't know much about Fresh, the two had only met a few times. He knew that the neon skeleton was very social, that he always seemed to be hanging around people, looking for something to entertain himself. But it was rare that he saw Fresh hug somebody so protectively. Were they family members, maybe?

Drawing his attention back to the cat rubbing herself against his legs, he gave the kitten a gentle pat, then made his way over to the main counter, wiping down benches and making sure everything was in order. After all, people only ever came to this AU for the cafe, so the two outside were likely to be coming inside for coffee and a chat soon.

When a full fifteen minutes had passed and nobody had entered, Ccino found himself looking back to the windows, wondering if perhaps they had left to do something else. When he noticed the darkly dressed skeleton standing there alone, he tilted his head.

It wasn't often that Ccino met shyer variants, but that didn't mean he wasn't familiar with how to make them feel welcome. The way the stranger stood awkwardly, fidgeting with their sleeves, eyeing the door as though unsure of what to do, motivated Ccino to move.

Ccino never greeted people at the door, not unless he was just opening for the day and needed to flip over the sign welcoming people inside. Not because he was rude or anything, but because nobody waited there, they just came in and ordered or took a seat. But this was an exception. The figure clearly was too nervous to enter without direct permission.

Cinno waved as he moved closer, earning a cautious wave back. Swinging open the glass decal-decorated door, he couldn't help pick up the intent radiating from the stranger. They... probably didn't even know they were doing it.

CAUTION-ANXIETY-HOPE. Those were the emotions filling the air. Did this stranger come from an unfriendly AU? Had they been abused, maybe? It wasn't normal how nervous they seemed to be.

"Hey there," Ccino hummed. "I'm Ccino, I run the cafe here. I noticed you've been standing here for a little while now. Are you okay? Did you want to come inside, maybe?" He was gentle with his words, not wanting to scare off the potential customer.

They tilted their head, abandoning their fidgeting momentarily. "I am called Omen," they introduced in a quiet but clear voice. "I, uhm. I haven't been here before. Is it... open?"

Ccino smiled and nodded. "We're pretty much always open. Even if the cafe itself is closed, I don't tend to sleep much, so I'm usually happy to have company." Omen simply nodded. "How about you come inside and find a place to sit?"

"...Thankyou," Omen let out quietly, following closely behind.

Almost immediately, a fluffy cat wearing a neon jacket made its way to Omen. It was adorable seeing Omen's gentle white orbs shifted into stars, clearly enamoured with the fluffy creature demanding his attention.

"That one's Neon, I think he likes you, haha. Do you want to lift him up? Most of the cats here like cuddles," Ccino offered.

Omen nodded and gently lifted the critter into his arms, letting out a sigh as some of the tension left him. It seemed they really loved cats. Ccino could tell how gentle their grip was, how carefully they cuddled the kitty as though worried they might hurt it.

"If you'd like to take a seat, I can bring you over a menu. Or, if you'd rather just be left alone for a little while, that's okay too?"

Omen looked hesitant. "Is that okay? I... I could do with a little bit of space to myself. Well, uhm, excluding the kitty cats..."

"Of course. Just let me know if you need anything," he hummed. Ccino watched as the papyrus-type made their way to one of the more isolated areas of the cafe, a spot he knew was usually taken by those who either did not like - or struggled with - social interaction. If he had to guess, Omen probably fit into the latter category.

Several cats moved over to the newcomer, purring as they made themselves comfortable. Cinno tilted his head at the sight. Curiously, the brotherly cats he had named Sun and Moon also looked very interested, curling up either side of Omen. Glitch was watching from a shelf above them, looking mildly irritated as Splot tried to mess with his tail.

Omen looked... tired, Ccino realised, and not necessarily physically. It was curious, the kind of cats that were drawn to him, especially when Ccino considered the skeletons that they represented. That was a little known secret of the cafe - every cat that lived there resembled one of the many alternates, both in appearance and personality. Obviously more catlike, though.

Ccino watched from afar, though only vaguely, not wanting to make them uncomfortable. Omen was clearly traumatised. The way they flinched when the cats moved a little too fast, the way he clung onto Neon as though they were his lifeline, the way they trembled so faintly. He was glad they had come to his little sanctuary of cats. Omen would be safe here

After a short while, Ccino grabbed a few freshly baked cookies and took them to Omen. They were still warm, having just come from the oven.

Omen looked up, confused. "On the house. One is blueberry and the other is chocolate chip flavored, they're fresh from the oven," Ccino spoke cheerfully before they had a chance to decline.

Omen nodded, smiling. "Thankyou," they said simply.

"Listen. If you're tired, I have a room upstairs you could stay in for a while."

"...Why?"

Ccino tilted his head at the question. "This place isn't just a cafe. Its also a sanctuary to those who need a safe place to rest," he explained. "I know that not everybody has a place to go. I'm lucky enough to have a home and a few rooms spare upstairs. Just thought I would offer."

Omen nodded. Ccino could tell the skeleton was thinking it through, trying to figure out if it was a trick. It was a little heartbreaking. Were they really so unused to kindness being shown to them?

"....Okay," they finally said after a long moment. "If... if thats really alright with you, I'd... like to take you up on that." They paused, holding the cat just a little bit tighter. "....Fresh seems to trust you, so I think I can too."