-Over a year later-
It was almost like the war had never happened. No trace of damage remained, and those who survived it were thriving prosperously. If all the death hadn’t happened, some people would have sworn it hadn’t been their reality.
Infinite had not been seen since the day he had decided to destroy the phantom ruby, and Eggman still had yet to return. When Gadget’s friends pressed him on the subject of the masked menace, Gadget had to tell them that he’d broken things off, and requested to be returned to his family. He could hardly recount the events that had occurred from the time he had been put under an illusion, up until the day his friends told him that Infinite had destroyed the phantom ruby. Presently, he was so busy with his life as a post-secondary student and part-time worker, that the thought of what he went through a year ago didn’t cross his mind too often. Blessed with extraordinary family and friends, he was able to forgive and move on in due time. It was rare for him to have moments of weakness in which the trauma resurfaced, and he was proud of how far he’d come.
Hungry after a long day of classes and a shift at the campus bookstore, he stepped into a recently opened cafe that some of his classmates were raving about. It was out of the way for him, but his friends had tempted him with pictures of their orders, and he wanted to treat himself too. Inside, a dark furred mobian was behind the counter. His classmates had mentioned only ever seeing one guy working, so he presumed that it was the owner. He donned an apron with a small patch of flour on it. He looked up at the red wolf as he entered, and Gadget’s breath stilled for a moment as he soaked in a gaze that looked so familiar... but this face had monochromatic eyes and no scar, just as most other jackals appeared. He internally scoffed at himself and figured he was just tired. He had been left without closure on the whole situation, and he never really did figure out what was going on.
“Good evening. What can I get for you?”
It was the same voice though.
Quit being stupid, Gadget. You’re just overworked and sleep-deprived. Also very hungry.
He stared at the menu for a moment, and settled on something he recognized.
“I just want the egg and avocado toast to go. I like breakfast for supper.”
“How do you want your eggs done?”
Gadget only knew how to scramble them, but felt like it would be childish to order them that way. He was also tempted to ask if he could add on toppings, but never liked being the type of person to modify their orders. He was on a budget and didn’t want any extra charges anyway.
“Um… doesn’t matter. Anything goes.”
The jackal nodded and rung his order in, before getting to work on it. Gadget sat down at one of the tables, and observed the small establishment. It seemed as if whoever designed it struggled with art conception, but put in enough time and effort to achieve a quaint arrangement regardless. It wasn’t too long before the apron-wearing mobian approached him and placed a recyclable box in front of him. The red canine flinched, having zoned out while eyeballing the decorum.
“I hope this is to your liking. Enjoy the rest of your day.”
The dark-furred jackal strode off, and Gadget stared in bewilderment.
“I… didn’t pay though? What…”
Without turning around, a gloved hand rose to wave off his concerns.
“It’s on me.”
The crimson wolf peered down at his box of food. He could already smell how good it was going to be, and it made up for how hectic his day had been.
“Thank you!”
He had already disappeared to the back room, but Gadget was sure he’d heard. He always marveled at how huge jackal’s ears were. He peered inside to see his egg and avocado toast, along with a small biodegradable container. Opening it had his mouth automatically watering, as it held a hearty portion of smoked salmon. The jackal had reappeared with cleaning supplies, and Gadget was immediately in his face at the counter.
“I didn’t know it came with salmon!”
The cafe owner flinched at the energetic exclamation, then smiled reticently.
“I had a hunch that you would appreciate it, but kept it separate in the event that I was wrong.”
He moved to the other side of the counter and began cleaning. Gadget observed him for a moment before retrieving his box.
“Thanks again! This is the best thing a student could ever ask for.”
“You deserve it.”
The dark-furred canine retreated to the back room once again, and the red wolf finally exited the establishment. Glancing through the window, he rapidly shook himself out of his confused daze and made his way home. He was definitely going to be treating himself to that place again.
