haha yeah same

It'd need to be supercritical if not liquid. Gases just don't have the density to do anything useful as blood.

Time passes faster and faster after the consecutive appearance of geniuses throughout centuries. Their innovation quickly made things easier for the people affected by them. As such, things become faster. New things taking over the old ones.

Although having experienced the rapid development of different civilizations a few times, it still exhausts me to "catch up".

A sage once said, "It's ok to be tired. Find peace. Relax. Things will flow naturally after."

"... Yeah, I think I'll try that."

So, I followed the recommendation of my latest apprentice and walk into this small shop, that is gaining fame for making coffee in a style used during the old times.

"Heh. I'll be the judge of that."

I scoffed at the claim. Few had ever managed to preserve and recreate the old ways. Others just use old tools but the art used is amateurish at best. Pretenders I call them.

But I am here to relax not to criticize people for doing their job the best they can.

The bells chime upon opening the door, making the worker there come right up the desk.

"Hello, Sir. May I take your order?" The lad said.

"A chai latte please" I ordered after looking at the menu on the desk.

"Would you like anything with your order, Sir? Cookies or Crackers perhaps? We also have bread biscuits and honey."

I replied "No thank you." to the lad before he goes to the back.

"Oldman! One Chai Latte at the front!" is what I heard before the sound of a computer booting up and lunching a game.

"Teenagers. " I commented on their habits.

My order came quickly but it was not brought to me by the lad.

"This is not what I expected when I say I want to relax, dammit!" I murmured in frustration.

Sure, brawling this one out would make me feel better but I had left that life behind me. I don't want to fight anymore.

So with a sigh I called out his name.

"Hello, Meiyak'Taul."

This startled him out of his mind making him drop my latte on the desk.

"Now look what you've done, what a mess. " I said in disappointment. He didn't even clean the mess as he continued to glare at me.

"What do you want." He growled.

I raised a brow at him.

"My latte. That you oh so had made a mess of."

This didn't calm him down.

"I am not going to play your game, R'yanaku! Now tell me what do YOU WANT!?"

Ah, R'yanaku. The Champion of the Sun. Haven't been called that for a long-long time now.

"What...? Can't even call me by my name? How cold, I thought we had things better."

After I finished he strode toward me and lifts me up by my suit. Anger buring within his eyes.

"This is a nice and expensive suit you know...?"

My comment went ignored.

"I am not going to ask again, Lahar'Kaoum. WHAT. DO. YOU. WANT?"

"Well, at least you called me by my name." I sigh and phase out of his grip and walk through his body.

"Like I had said. I want my Chai Latte."

He didn't like the way I separated myself from him and his response was to literally flare up his eyes and blast me with beams of heat.

I tilted to the side, dodging the beam.

"Well... that's new. Might I presume that's what you are using to heat up your product?"

"ENOUGH OF YOUR GAME! I want to know what is the reason why had come here!?"

"Firstly, how rude. Second-"

I stopped myself mid-sentence as I have to bend back to avoid another beam, this time being stronger than the last.

"Ok, this is getting out of hand. <Randum>"

Upon my call, my chosen weapon appeared before me.

I swing my golden spear and cut off Taul's connection to a Sun Deity, whom I don't know the name of.

Another swing and I brought him to his knees. Blood dripped from his forearms, chest, and tights. Slash marks dip enough that one might not want to eat meat for a while and can kill any mortal man.

"You've become weaker. " I commented to him, as his wounds started to slowly heal up.

I tried blessing him to accelerate his healing but he slapped my hands away.

"Wha...What do you want...?" he growled.

"This again? As I said, I want my latte."

Had he also gone dumb? Is the thought running through my head looking at him.

"I... I had been good. Haven't killed anyone for a long time. Haven't even made contact with beings on the side of O'kyamu. I've been running this business legally! So I ask again! What do you want from me!"

Well... that's a good thing to know.

He started talking about me possibly coming here just to humiliate him or something along the line. But before I can say again what I want, the lad comes back.

"Dad!!"

Clear fright is within his shout.

The lad runs toward us and hugs Taul. The lad's back facing towards me. Making it very clear that he was trying to separate me from his father.

wait....

"....Dad....?"

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"So... can I stay in your realm?"

I entered the "coffee shop" and was greeted by a familiar, albeit surprised, face behind the counter. "Y-you! I thought I killed you a houndred years ago!". "Nah, not really, I just was too bored to come back." "T-to... bored?" The expression on his face was priceless. He has been trieing to kill me for the better of six houndred years, one would think he'd have it figured out by now.
You see, there are two kinds of immortality - functional and real. Functional immortality means you don't die of old age, and usually not of sickness, but loosing your head might still do the trick. For me... it was the latter kind. Luck me. In Earl's eyes that made me biggest threat humanity could ever face and his sworn goal was to kill me for good. That even led to him seeking out immoartality as well, tho he only achieved the functional kind.
Some runes lit up on my skin as the teleportation spell he oh-so-sneakily weaved broke around me. Oh yeah that was the other thing. Amazing adaptibility. Sure, the last time he used it to teleport me into some black hole, incidentally that was how he thought he "killed" me, but to be honest - it was just an amazingly quite place to medidate. Once I grew bored tho, I just came back to earth. Sweat broke out on earls face, and I saw even more mana beeing pulled into his body. "Came back to take your revenge then?" he hissed.
"Huh?" had he really still not figured out that if I ever wanted him dead he would be dead? "Nah, just something to drink, thanks". That startled him and the flow of mana was briefly interrupted, then disspiated as his face quickly went through multiple motions: Surprise follwed his concentration, then a smile as he formed what I assumed was another scheme to kill me and finally the perfect friendly mask of customer service. "Oh, I didn't realize. I will bring one right up, just wait here". "Sure" I nodded, and went to the neirest chair. On the way there 3 different enchantments were automatically broken by my magic aura - one set to dismember, one teleport spell set directly into a sun (really, teleport again? When would earl learn that my auto-adaption made anything he threw at me a second time even more useless than the first?) and the last one with the intention to freeze me to absolute zero. I pittied the destruction of the last one, it would have made for a great drink cooler, I'm sure.
Anyways, it seems like Earl didn't really think me dead and prepared for my inevitable return. When I sat down the heat of a newborn star errupted below me, and I quickly contained it. "You are aware that the heatspell you weaved into the chair would have destroyed earth and all of humanity if I hadn't contained it when I set it off?". No answer. Typical. But I was the danger. Then again Earl was never one to consider collaterals on his path to save humanity from me.
Finally Earl returned. He seemed... hasty. And the cup he held practically glowed with enchantments. I wonder what he mixed up. "Here Miss, one Chai Latte Special, just for you, on the house". As I grabbed the Cup the enchantments broke. Their purpose was obviously some kind of reinforcement, as the cup instantly disintegrated as its contents splattered all over me and to the ground... and in the ground... and... deeper in the ground... fast... . I noticed my clothes were also disintegrating. "Awww, I wanted to drink that" I complained. Wonder how that would have tasted, I'm sure I never had anything like it. Once you grew into your second millenium you started to appreciate novel experiences. Earls face was shocked as I survived what he surely expected to be disintegrating me. "I... I'm sorry Miss, I will get you a new cup right away, on the house". "Thats so sweet, thanks Earl!". I smiled as he hurried past the kitchen into what was his laboratory... or.. .arcane sanctum? Experimentation place? Whatever. After a few minutes I threw another look into the holes in the ground. My drink was making its path towards the core of the earth, where it would wreck some serious havock. I sighed. Earl really should be more careful. A few guestures from me turned whatever that was into harmless water, forming a little puddle in the now several kilometers deep hole it tore into the earth.
Soon after Earl returned, with another cup. "Thanks Earl!" I exclaimed as I took the cup from him - not before replacing his enchantments with my own. This time there was one preventing any fumes from escaping the cup. Interesting. "Cheers!" I exclaimed sipping the "Chai Latte special #2". Not like anything I've ever tasted, but also not bad. Also, highly Toxic. As in: I would probably spent the next couple of days on Mars, as I was sure even sweating some of that stuff out would kill anyone in a couple-mile radius. Urinating into a toilet would probably kill the city and devastate the land for a couple of kilometers at least. Maybe even a houndred. Earls eyes bulged as I downed the rest of the cup. "Thanks Earl, that was great! What do I owe you... wait, what to people even pay with right now?". "Its... Euros. And don't worry, its on the house" Earl pressed out between clenched teeth. "Okay than, great, thanks!" I exclaimed cheerfully and waved my goodbye "I'll surely come around again, see you Earl!".
Earl really was a good sport, I thought painting smileys into the red earth of mars. A little bit reckless in his attempts to murder me, but he had good intentions at hearth and he was a nice little distraction from the endless boredom of immortality. I sighed, preparing myself for another 4 days of red sand and nothing else.

Oh I liked that - very creative

You all talking about chemistry and stuff, when "metallic" in this prompt could can simply mean texture, not composition. Captain cuts himself and liquid silver like blood comes out instead of our regular paprika borscht.

Im thinking defense is the hard way to go about it. You will always be fighting enemies on their terms, when they are ready.

What you should do is fake your own death or go into hiding, then go on the hunt. Get them on your terms and when they arent ready for it.

If you are in a fair fight, you didn't plan it properly!

"The thing about being a wolf is that existence is all immediate. Hungry? Time to hunt. Thirsty? Let's go to to the river. Mating season? Time to make a buffoon of yourself picking fights with the other males and hoping that a female picks you."

"Doesn't sound that much different from most human men I know."

"Don't trivialise what I'm saying with humour please. Human existence is hell. I'm constantly thinking about what happened. What might happen. God, I'm constantly thinking about what might have happened instead of what actually happened. What's the point of that?"

"I guess I'm used to it. I don't really understand what you want from me? "

"I need more words."

"Really? You seem pretty articulate for an ex-wolf."

"Grrrrrhhh. I need emotion words. Ways to express the sheer frustration that is human existence."

"... ah. You want SWEAR words. THAT I can help with."

CH3 is short version of ethane i believe,full molecule is C2H6 ...while CH4 is methane...oh,thanks for the comment just realized where I fked up in prior comments... wasn't really paying attention

CH4.

Methane is carbon and hydrogen

Ahahaha sorry about that

Man I got real excited for a interesting writing prompt with 21 comments and so many different stories instead I got my daily chemistry lesson. Thank you for such but damn you for such

Not an intentional one, but my brain is sneaky, so who knows 😜

Nice! And was that a Sherlock Holmes reference in there?

i rush into the coffee shop and shake the rain off before putting my umbrella into the waiting holder and joining the queue. I stare at the menu deciding if I want anything different or just the usual before looking down at the barrister on the till.

"you?" I mutter looking at count Von Krapht, vampire lord of the 15th century standing there behind the work top.

"you..." he replies glaring at me before he tailors his expression again and hands over a coffee to the waiting customer, I take a step forwards and stare at him. and notably the hair thick red line around his exposed neck...from where I'd ripped it off about 500 years prior. as I step I shrug one shoulder causing my hand to slip up my coat sleeve and touch the handle of the silver knife I keep tucked there.

"me? you were a..."

"What can I get you...Sir" he interrupts.

"what?" I ask now thoroughly confused. especially since its about a thousand years too early to meet him

"late, cappuccino, espresso?" he says, the mask of a serviceman settling over him.

if this is how its going then fine I'll play along. "right, a toffee late with some cream on top." I tell him. he nods and presses some buttons on his register and I quickly pull out a card to pay.

that done he turns around and with just enough supernatural to his movements makes the coffee. I watch him like a hawk as he quickly works three separate machines in sequence. the espresso machine brewing a thick golden brown shot whilst he preps the mug with toffee, just as the first drips fall the mug is underneath them. and as the last drip falls the mug swiftly transfers over to where steamed milk is waiting, he pours it out before artfully creating a rose out of the aerolised cream, a single pink marshmallow is gently pushed into the centre before he hands it back.

"one toffee late, just how you like it." he says before whispering quiet enough that only I would hear "there's a bit of nightshade in the marshmellow."

I smile then frown. how the hell does he know i like nightshade...I mull this over as I sit down at a bar stool and sip my butchered coffee. for a long while I was an espresso guy. but lives too short to demand snobbery. or in my case. to fucking long.

"so what brings you to london? last I heard you were in the vattican." Krapht says walking over, apronless and sitting next to me, a suspiciously red coffee steaming in his hands.

"the pope figured out that I was once Jesus. tried to arrange for my second coming, still regret filling in for that kid." I mutter. "wait."

"we keep tabs on you." Krapht explains.

"we?" I ask.

"yea, the other long lived. there's a few constants in life for us. first gossip, when you're 500 years old its all you really have left.

second is moving around, we don't stick together but we keep in touch.

and third is you...you've either killed or tried to kill every one of us at some point."

"not without good reasons." I point out.

Krapht nods. "there's a youngster. Gobels or something who's still mad about the 40's"

"Joe from Germany?"

"that's him... the rest of us kinda just figure that we got what we wanted. mostly. and that ruling really sucks."

"it does." I agree.

"I still like my authority though, which is why I run this coffee shop...that and I like my blood caffeinated." he says nodding to his own cup.

"so how did you live?"

"...my daughter she put me back together over a hundred years or so...thanks for letting her live by the way."

"how is she?" i ask.

"there was a scuffle. she didn't make it."

"who?" I ask.

"don't its settled."

"I wasn't going to."

"we know you!" Krapht hisses, "revenge is for the mortals, let her rest... its more than we can do."

...we sit and sip our drinks, mine tasted as bitter as our moods now.

"you know I could."

"thanks..." Krapht interupts. "but I'm doing ok. like I said, we keep tabs on you. if I wanted to move on I'd have found you."

I nod and drain the last of my coffee leaving behind a skin of creamy foam at the bottom of the mug.

"Well I'd best get moving. I've got some work to do." I say standing up and patting Krapht on the shoulder.

"before you go. can you answer a question?"

"sure." I say turning around.

"when everyone else is gone what will you do?"

"same thing I did last time. put the chairs up, mop the floors, lock the doors and wait for the next universe to come round." I say walking to the door, picking up my umbrella and leaving.

Krapht watches as the friendly middle aged man opens the door to his café and steps out side. when the door closes he watches as the old man disguise drops for a bit, the reaper raising his scythe in fairwell, for now. Krapht sits back for a bit before pulling out his phone to update the group. "deaths in London. he said there's work to do in person. be safe." he sends off before sighing, draining his bloody coffee and getting back to work.

Oh, that's a really good twist!

A door opens, the little bell chimes and I'm awash with easy listening lift-worthy easy listening inoffensive jazz.

I shuffle along to the counter and order "One chai latte please". That's when I notice the eyes. The only problem with a disguise is that it's always a self-portrait. And the eyes always give it away.

They hesitate an instant before attacking. I hold up my hand. "Let's not do this. Not this time. I just want my chai latte. Please let me enjoy this. If you want I can fit you in for a 15:30, bit now I'm just in the mood for a chai latte and some damn peace and quiet." Our previous meeting ended up with the destruction of another of my favorite haunts and this place may be the last place for halfway decent chai latte.

They make the tiniest of nods. "One chai latte coming up. Can I interest you in Norah Jones' latest album?" I decline politely and check out.

She prepares my drink and as I leave the counter meekly smiling, she flashes the tiniest bit of mirth. I try my chai and find it decent, maybe even borderline great. I look back, genuinely surprised. "It was you all along?

"Always have been".

still good story!

That's fair, and possibly a part of what took the story where it is - an unconscious reference to the Percy Jackson/Olympus books.

I was just re-reading this. a golden denarius would make sense, or perhaps a silver drachma. but I'm pretty sure gold drachmae specifically are only from PJO.

[removed]

I mean, to be fair, they break after a single use.