Valentino fell silent, struggling inwardly. Using Snapshot to make a name for himself? It wasn't that he didn't come up with this idea himself. But there were two major hindrances. On one hand he didn't want to make a clown out of himself. And on the other he didn't know if others could appreciate his paintings through a screen.
Valentino and Olivier conversed a bit more until the latter finally became curious, asking:
"Could I take a look at your painting?"
"Yes, yes. Here."
Valentino stood up, holding the canvas in his hands. With a dramatic gesture he pulled the black cloth away. The mysterious painting fell into Olivier's eyes. He studied it curiously. But the more he looked, the stranger he felt. The misty green background, grotesque faces, and abstract patterns, to him they were rather… ugly. But Valentino didn't seem to be lying. Perhaps he was really a great artist in his world.
Perhaps he had no eye for art? Or the standards between worlds were too different? Olivier could only find explanations for himself. Not seeking to dishearten his customer, he offered a light smile, praising strongly:
"Mhm. Your painting really has a special air to it. I can see it."
Valentino immediately smiled brightly, his eyes lighting up. Even the Barista could see it! This truly was his masterwork! Valentino tilted the painting slightly, taking a good look himself. The fog moved and the faces danced. The effect wasn't that strong for him. Perhaps similar to smelling a whiff of the coffee made from green beans.
On the counter next to Olivier the black cat opened her sleepy eyes slightly, showing a disdainful look and turning away again. Valentino didn't know why, but a chill ran down his spine and he wrapped the painting up again.
Next, the painter sat down and began conversing with Olivier. He had nothing else to do, stalling for time so the thieves would lose his trail. The two men talked about Valentino's home world. He was quite eager to explain the marvels of technology to the new Barista, who appeared way more approachable to than the former boss. Even though Valentino's knowledge about technology was far from up to par, even facts from a decade ago still surprised Olivier, which was a blessing to Valentino's ego.
Hours passed. Olivier was mostly listening while Valentino talked. After a while he was somewhat confused as Valentino didn't show any eagerness to leave. However, Olivier was happy to have someone to alleviate his boredom. More time passed and the clock in the little café reminded Olivier that it was soon time for him to go to bed. He carefully sounded out Valentino:
"Customer, don't get me wrong but… how long do you plan on staying?"
"Ah, probably a day or two. Wait, am I bothering you, Barista? I'm sorry, you can just tell me if that's the case. I just assumed…"
"Assumed what?"
"Well, when the old boss was still in charge, I often used to stay for a few days in the café."
"Really? What about food?"
"You don't know? One cup of your coffee is enough to survive on for a day. There is no need for food, drink, or sleep. Of course, it can get quite stale to rely only on coffee. The old boss had a wide range of products, attracting some people to basically live only in the Café of Dreams."
Olivier was surprised to hear this. The coffee didn't seem to have the same effects on him, and the taste wasn't to his liking. Even his practice time had reduced by a lot over the last few days. After all, it was plain coffee. There wasn't that much he could do to influence the taste.
Ding!
Just as Olivier was processing the information, a bell sound rang through the café. The door opened and someone came in. Or rather something?
Olivier was shocked by the side. The newcomer was a monster with two legs and four arms. Below its grey, rock-like skin rested thick muscles which emitted an incredible power just from looking at them. The monster had a squarish head without eyes, seemingly orienting himself through the two spiky antennae on his head.
The ever-melodious gramophone changed its tune. A deep, dreadful male voice started singing but the words were incomprehensible to anyone.
Olivier stared at the monster and even the information he could gleam was obscure.
[???
Lifespan: 10.000+/100.000+
Origin: ???, ???, ???]
A profound shock hit the new Barista. A lifespan past 100.000 years? What? Eyes wide open, Olivier kept observing the newcomer. He suddenly saw the latter's body growing, becoming a towering giant sitting on a throne within an underground cave the size of a city. His intuition told him that this was the real body of the newcomer. But through the magic of the café, it's size had been reduced countless times, until it wasn't taller than an average human.
The invisible pressure of a king spread from the newcomer. In his presence, weaker lifeforms found it difficult to even utter a single word. But within the café, this sensation could only be felt vaguely. Valentino was slightly intimidated while Olivier remained oblivious. Instead of being afraid he even became more indifferent, stoic like a rock breaking the waves.
On top of the nameless newcomer's head the antennae bounced around. Olivier's intuition told him that this was a sign of surprise. He watched as the newcomer silently headed for a table at a corner.
"Coffee, please."
A rough, male voice came from the newcomer's mouth. Olivier calmly poured a cup of coffee and brought it to the table. The newcomer nodded. He nodded. And this was the end of their interaction.
Olivier walked back to the counter, watching how the newcomer grabbed the cup of coffee with his thick fingers and flavoured the coffee in small sips. At this point Valentino had recovered. He walked over to the counter and talked in a subdued voice:
"That's Old Demon!"
"You know him?"
"No. I only got this name from the old boss. But didn't I just tell you about how some costumers more or less spend their lives in the café? He's one of them. Maybe the most prominent one."
Olivier nodded, looking towards Old Demon. The 'alien' didn't show any signs of acknowledging the duo whispering at the other end of the room. He was content to sit there and sip his coffee. Maybe to Old Demon Valentino wasn't worth any attention. And of course, it could also be a matter of the language barrier.
However, Old Demon's addition didn't really bring any changes to the café. Olivier and Valentino soon continued their conversation. It lasted for hours, spanning half the night until they both had enough. Silence felt onto the room and only the gramophone continued to sing.
Olivier felt quite awkward observing his two costumers, who were both caught in their own thoughts. Old Demon sat there without moving a single muscle like a hibernating animal. And even Valentino seemed to enter a state akin to meditation. Eventually Olivier came to a decision. If Old Demon really decided to live in the café, he was free to do so. But he, Olivier, couldn't always watch just over him for the low possibility that the alien would say something, right?
Olivier really didn't feel like waiting behind the counter around the clock. And so, he didn't. Ignoring his customers he went to bed, embracing the comfortable sleep. It was one of the few joys he had here in this boring place.
When he woke up the next day, Valentino appeared somewhat restless and even Old Demon turned his head. But no one dared to complain. They both ordered a cup of coffee. While Old Demon drank silently, Valentino downed his cup and soon left the café, proclaiming that he would create a presence on Snapshot.
And so, Olivier was left alone with Old Demon. The latter still didn't show any desire for a conversation. Olivier was just as bored as before. He took care of his plants, sporadically harvested a meatball, gaining 0,1 years of lifespan. And with Old Demon and Valentino each drinking one cup of coffee Olivier received another 0,1 years.
Over the next few days Valentino visited daily, sometimes staying for a few minutes, sometimes for hours. But he never dared to drink more than one cup of coffee. Olivier felt quite relieved by this. He would indeed feel guilty if his customers drank too much coffee, reducing their lifespan instead of increasing it. It was as if he was slowly killing them. But both Valentino and Old Demon seemed to know of this hidden danger, remaining vigilant.
Like this, another week passed in the café. Benjamin also showed up twice, suffering a profound shock upon encountering Old Demon. He was less careful than the other customers, downing three cups of coffee. Olivier was seriously considering changing the rules to only sell one cup per day but weary of the black cat he didn't do so just yet.