[Ashley McGowen] Loose leaf tea has gotten more and more popular with the yuppie set. It's a bit of a trade: on one hand a greater variety of tea is to be found, and on the other, it means long, unpleasant lines when Ashley goes to the teahouse she likes.
She asks for a cup once she's bought a few fifty gram bags and tucked them away in the black messenger bag she often slings over a shoulder. Then the Hermetic retreats to one of the tables toward the back and pulls out her laptop. She's been trying to pay more attention to her thesis lately; such concerns have been neglected more and more over the course of the past year between a bad Jhor episode, chantry responsibilities, and a dead mother and girlfriend.
Ashley looks a little worse for wear (she often does.) Her hair and the black buttondown she's wearing are both rumpled and her eyes have the red, sleepless sort of look they've had of late.
In other words, she looks exactly like a graduate student on a Sunday.
[Molly Quincannon] Molly does like to immerse herself in things, and tea ... well, that's a very new thing. She's still not entirely sure about it, but the only way to learn is to try it, or so goes Molly's feeling on it (this applies to almost everything, though there is a short checklist of things that don't fit into that philosophy at all; 'Nephandic worldview' is currently at the top of that list). So on a routine shopping mission, she stops into a tea shop she remembers seeing Ashley and Emily at to pick up a sampler pack or something. Also something nice to stash at the house for when Ashley and other tea drinkers in the house are on sentry duty.
This, or course, involves looking around the place a bit, and thus Molly spots Ashley in her table towards the back. There's a lot to be curious about that Ashley might be able to answer, and that's not counting the 'what's doing on the laptop?' question. So, once she's got her own beverage and her sampler pack (and a raspberry physalis white tea to stash with the other fifty-gram bags around the Chantry house), she approaches Ashley with a wave. "Hey. You okay?" She does look worse for wear, after all. However curious Molly is about other things, concern comes first.
[Ashley McGowen] Ashley feels Molly before she sees her. The Hunger that churns beneath her conscious thoughts is a restless thing, always attuned to the world around it - much the same way a sea monster keeps tabs on the fish in the ocean around it (just in case it wants to go hunting.) The world passes in and out of her perceptions like water strained through a filter, even if she doesn't always choose to actively pay attention to those things she senses at the bottom of her brainstem.
Nevertheless, when Molly speaks she looks up. She's in the process of lifting her cup to her lips to take a sip, or at least to test it - it's still a little hot for her to drink as yet. She's been drinking a lot of black teas lately. They remind her of Kage, who is away, who gets called to travel to odd places (usually California) to offer up the esoterics she knows for movies or books or bits of research. Ashley misses Kage. She wouldn't admit to it.
"Hey," she says. Then, "I'm fine, why?" The toes of one foot light on the leg of the chair next to her and push it out, an invitation for Molly to sit. She doesn't want for Molly to answer the question. "Decided to experiment?"
[Molly Quincannon] Since 'you look like hell' never goes over well, Molly decides to be diplomatic as she smiles thanks and takes the offered chair. "I dunno; there's a sort of 'all work and no play' feel to you just now. Higher education working you hard?" This with a glance at the laptop. She doesn't know Ashley well, but at least she's pretty sure that Ashley isn't noodling around on TV Tropes.
Then she looks at the bag of teas she's got and smiles, a bit sheepish. "Yeah. I figured if I was going to taste-test, I'd do it without wasting tea that I know other people are drinking. Though I got this for the house. Dunno what you think of it, but there wasn't any at the house when I last checked so I figured it might be nice to add to the selection over there." She rummages out the bag of raspberry physalis white and sets it on the table for Ashley's inspection. "I also got that gunpowder stuff and the peach thing and a few others. I'm gonna need a teapot. Man, get a kitchen and all of a sudden there's a list the length of Lady Liberty's arm of stuff you need." She then rolls her eyes. "But I'm needlessly complaining. How's doings?"
[Ashley McGowen] "People tell me that I usually feel that way," Ashley says, because they do. She's an Adept of the Order of Hermes, after all, not one of the more relaxed Traditions, even if she does have her quirks. "But yeah. I've been trying to focus more on my thesis lately. It's kind of gotten neglected." And indeed, the laptop is open to a word processing program, a large document in progress, not a browser with TV Tropes or YouTube.
She does look at the tea when Molly shows her the bag she picked up. "That's a good one," she says. "I have a bag at home." A glance over her shoulder around the shop. "You should be able to pick up a teapot here." A beat. "I'm all right, though. Busy. Feel like there's a lot to pay attention to even if the city's quiet right now."
[Molly Quincannon] "Oh yeah." Molly rubs her forehead at that. "I know from busy. I had a couple of nibbles on the subject of Henri's ... problems with some of the community just recently. When I'm the voice of reason in any given conversation, run screaming. Seriously." The chuckle with which she follows that statement is all kinds of wry and a little tired. "I need to brush up on my spokesperson and leadership skills, I think. I guess the community's gone through a lot in a short space of time, even before I got here."
Then she takes her own glance at the shop, eyeing teapots for a second, then shrugs and looks back. "Maybe. Might comparison shop, though. If I'm going to have a teapot, I'm going to have one teapot and it is going to be an awesome teapot. Probably something ... quirky. I have my rep to think about."
[Ashley McGowen] At the mention of Henri, Ashley's brow furrows. It's a look of patience, of mild frustration, but she offers no opinion on Henri's problems with the community or difficulties with Henri in the past. "The city's been through a lot," she agrees, "and it's been dangerous for...almost a year, now. Long before you got here."
Ashley has told the story of the chantry's founding a few times now, and the glance she gives to Molly out of the corner of her eye suggests that she is expecting to be asked to tell it. Only a few of the magi who were present for the ordeal are in Chicago any longer, and the cabalmate of hers that is still on their side of the Veil is a difficult man to find.
Ashley glances between the teapots, shrugs, and says, "You don't need a really crazy one. If it strains..."
[Molly Quincannon] "Don't need; want." She addresses the last first, with a smile - perhaps an attempt to start with levity. "Besides, it has to go with my particularly eclectic decorating scheme. Or I think it should, anyway. I want something ... funky."
The look of expectation isn't entirely met with the query of the chantry's founding. There is, however, still a question ... though that's hardly a surprise, given Ashley's conversational companion. "I get why she's so pissed with Wharil. I don't necessarily agree with it, but I get it, y'know? What happened there - how the Society got started - that must have been hard on her. But ... what happened with the two of you? I mean, she gave me what her problem is, in very brief, but I don't think you'd be ... um, invasive--" she taps two fingers to her temple to illustrate her point (see? Molly can be discreet, if circumstances call for it) "--without some seriously good reasons or permission or both. And I'd rather have those circumstances from someone who isn't ... um..." Molly's fond of Henri, that much is clear, so the next bit is hard to say, but she's being honest. "...Someone who isn't hopping up and down having the kind of tantrum my mother would have reddened my butt for before my fifth birthday."
[Ashley McGowen] Ashley, perhaps, would have had something to say about the teapot. Perhaps not; while she certainly understands the difference between need and want (there's so much wanting in her, after all) her own decorative tastes tend to run rather simple. A call to how she was raised, perhaps, to her Akashic father, or just a focus elsewhere.
But whether or not she might have said something, it's left by the wayside when Molly moves on to the information that she got from Henri. Ashley lets out a sharp sigh when the topic of the Marauder (not the Marauder, Dylan Willis) surfaces, and she takes a sip from her cup of tea. Winces a little when she burns her mouth, sets the cup back down.
"When I told her about Dylan," she says, "she tried to run off to find him. She wouldn't believe me, that he'd gone Marauder...she said he was just sad. And then she tried to run off and wouldn't listen to me. So I tried to command her to stay put and calm down, because if she had found him, with as upset as she was, we might've ended up dealing with two Marauders instead of one." Ashley looks up and directly at Molly while she explains, as though challenging her to reprimand. "She broke away. So it's lucky she didn't find him."
[Molly Quincannon] The challenge to reprimand is not met. Molly wasn't there and has no idea what she'd have done in that situation. Of course, she wouldn't have done what Ashley did ... but possibly only because that's not in her skill set. She also knows that Henri doesn't listen to reason at the best of times - at least not without a lot of patience. Sometimes, there's no time for patience. So, after watching Ashley for a moment - meeting that challenging look with a general, benign sort of assessment, she nods. "Yeah. Just as well, I guess. Not an ideal situation, but ... you do what you gotta. I don't think she understands that, though." She heaves a sigh. "Thanks for telling me. It'll help at crew meet. Maybe if I talk to her long enough, she'll understand. She's smart enough to at least grasp simple pragmatic logic."
Then she perks up a bit. "Oh, on the subject of talking to people who need to understand things; I've been quasi-mentoring Isabel. She's actually pretty quick, if you break things down into chunks. She's got the hang of a few simple bits and pieces in her skill set, and I've explained ... y'know, what we are, some of the dangers, that kind of thing. I dunno if she's ever going to hook up with the Trad, but she's not wandering around from a position where she doesn't know what's out there and how to defend herself, anyway. It's getting her less scared of the whole deal. Thought you'd want to know." Then, with a slight blush, she adds, "You ... might also get a sparkly invitation card to a party at some point soon. She heard I was having a Halloween party and wanted to get involved to promote community togetherness or something."
[Ashley McGowen] "I've tried explaining it to her," Ashley says. "She doesn't want to hear it. And for a long time I was the only person dealing with all of these issues as they came up. I was more concerned with minimizing problems than making friends." A shrug; she gave up on trying to repair bridges with Henri a long time ago. Around the time Henri nearly broke her nose with a book.
Mention of Isabel gets Molly a nod. Ashley doesn't seem to have trouble flitting between the different topics, or following the steady flow of information. She's a Mind mage, after all, and this is what they do. Holding someone else's mind in your own is much more confusing than this, and she manages to parse all of the detail there. "Good. I'm glad Isabel has a mentor. There were more apprentices than I could keep track of, for a while." Several of them now successful initiates, her own included.
"You can tell her I don't attend parties, though."
[Molly Quincannon] "Maybe she doesn't want to," says Molly, looking determined, "but she has to. I'll keep trying. It's bound to be easier on everyone if she doesn't outright throw a hissy at anyone who mentions the chantry." With a rueful look, she adds, "It'll sure as hell be easier on me. Plus she deserves some peace of mind, and she's not going to get it the way she's going." In short, Molly's worried. Nearly psychotically overconfident herself, she does worry about those around her. She's never met a Marauder, but such a self-contained reality as the one that Henri seems to be cultivating just ... worries her on principle.
Mention of more apprentices than Ashley can keep track of reminds Molly: "Oh, speaking of, I need to introduce you to another one; Ellie James. She was in and out of the foster system and lived on the streets for awhile, currently crashing at my place while I try to help her sort eye-dee and a job. Good kid, and helped Isabel out of a tight spot awhile back. Just ... well, she had mentorship for awhile so she's not clueless but she doesn't know Chicago from a hole in a wall. She'll be good to have around once she gets her bearings."
The mention of not attending parties gets a nod and a bit of a sympathetic smile. "Okay, I'll try to tell her." Then, curious, she goes on to say, "Yeah, you did say that you weren't much on them, couple of months back when I was talking about a housewarming. Any particular reason you don't, or just not your scene? I think with Isabel planning it, it's going to be more 'ice cream social' than 'loud obnoxious rave', if that helps."
[Ashley McGowen] Ashley has wondered, for a long time, whether Henri might not be headed the way of a Marauder anyway. Dylan's death was a blow to the girl, who always tended toward a little unstable to begin with; Henri has not handled it well. Still, Ashley does not worry about those around her to nearly the extent that Molly does. She's a pragmatist, and a touch insensitive, and she has her own losses to cope with (which she's handling quite well, thank you.) "I need to speak with her soon anyway," Ashley says. "I wanted to put up a memorial for Dylan at the house. I thought she might want to help."
Mention of Ellie James gets a pair of raised eyebrows and a nod. "Does she have a phone of her own or anything?" Ashley asks, pulling a Blackberry out of her pocket. It's an older model (she's a grad student) but still quite serviceable. "If not, I guess I can arrange to meet with her through you or something."
The mention of parties brings on a shrug as she returns the phone to her pocket. "Too many people," she says. "And there's usually loud music at most of them. I have amusia."
[Molly Quincannon] If Molly has any particular thoughts on Ashley and Henri staying in the same room for longer than ten seconds (like, perhaps, Sell tickets, get it on pay-per-view web streaming and have lots of popcorn and a good Life mage on call), she doesn't show it. Instead she nods and says, "I didn't know him, but it sounds like a nice idea. Might help."
Ellie and cellphones; that gets a nod and the rattling off of a cellphone number from memory. "It's one of my old phones and she's not really used to carrying it yet, so if you don't get pickup, try my landline." Which Ashley already has to the best of Molly's recollection. "I might refer her to Jarod or Natyana if she needs more in-depth tutelage; she's unaffiliated but they'd mesh up best with the training she's already had, I think."
Amusia ... Molly spends a lot of time trawling random Wikipedia pages, and she has that memory, so after a moment's search through the mess of data that is her grey matter, she blinks and nods. "Oh. Ow. Yeah, that'd make parties a bit of a suckfest. Add to that the 'too many people' issue and ... yeah." That brings up a question in Molly's mind, and she asks, "So ... what do you do for fun? Not saying that parties are the only way or anything; just ... curious. Most of my hobbies involve music in the background."
[Ashley McGowen] At the mention of Jarod's name Ashley just laughs. It's not a sound that carries a lot of mirth - just a low, dry chuckle, the sort that's mostly a few quick exhalations of air. "Jarod's not going to take on an apprentice. But I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have her talk to him. Who was she trained by in the past?" Chicago is home to remarkably few Verbena and Dreamspeakers; Ashley herself has had a difficult time finding someone to speak with in order to progress her own studies.
They come and go, inconsistent. Ashley is unsure of whether or not it's a trait typical of primals or if the city has just had bad luck.
She offers no further comment or elaboration about her amusia, other than "It was a Paradox backlash." The sort of tone that doesn't invite questions, a little abrupt and clipped even if it's not directly unfriendly. "I do a lot of reading and writing, usually. And walking. I have a dog." Ashley shrugs. It's a quiet life, the one she has outside of managing the chantry.
[Molly Quincannon] Molly looks perplexed at Ashley's chuckle. "Well, I didn't necessarily think 'apprentice' in any formal way; just ... exchange of ideas and stuff. But ... he struck me as kind of helpful. Cagey, maybe, but that's par for the course around here." Really, she's bewildered, but she has learned not to ask too much about some mages' opinions about others. She can learn that through observation and experience, for the most part. "Anyway, Ellie learned a few things on her own, figured out stuff for herself, but she did get some semi-formal tutelage from a Verbena who found her in the foster system. It didn't work out in the long run, but I figure something in that vein would probably suit her better than anything I could actually teach. Though I seem to be doing okay with Isabel. She can at least guard her own headspace now."
Molly hadn't asked about how Ashley developed the amusia, so that bit of information gets a blink of surprise, followed by a slightly sympathetic wince but no further comment. The rest of it does, though: "Yeah, I met Zane. He's a good dog. I couldn't manage a pet I had to walk daily. I have a ferret now - Neal. That does me fine. And the Habitrail set up is some of my better design work, if I say so myself. And reading is good. So's writing, though I mainly know from online op-ed stuff, when I do it at all. What sort of stuff do you write?"
[Ashley McGowen] "He is," Ashley says, "but if it requires him to be in any way responsible, he's not going to do it. I like Jarod...just don't expect much from him." To think: she and Jarod used to have a very similar outlook, once upon a time. Times change (or maybe they don't change as much as they appear to.) She frowns, thoughtful, when Molly continues on about Ellie. Reaches a hand back and runs it through the hair at the back of her neck as though she's processing, but doesn't ultimately voice whatever is giving her pause.
Then, "Unfortunately Jarod's the only Verbena in town right now. She could talk to him, but..." Another shrug. "If that falls through I'm sure there are other options for her."
She listens to what Molly says about the ferret, and Ashley isn't the sort to feign interest, not really, so the nod she gives is genuine even if she doesn't have much to contribute. She doesn't know much about them. "I write poetry, mostly," she says. "I don't really count all the writing for school or on magical theory, but I do that too."
[Molly Quincannon] There's a thoughtful frown, and that's enough to get Molly's interest. "What's up? I mean, the look. I just ... if there's an issue ... she's staying at my place, and I'd like your views if you've got any based on what I've said. I miss things sometimes; everyone does." That's not to say she's going to kick Ellie out on Ashley's say-so of course, but she likes the additional input. The rest gets a shrug, though. "Well, she's not strictly a Verbena and I don't know if she parted company with her last mentor because their views didn't mesh. Nat might be better for her in terms of talking, but I figured options were a good thing, like you said. I can help with some stuff - the stuff I do more esoteric, or the very core of what I do - but the actual application ... mine tends to run more towards the tech end, sort of, and Ellie's not exactly savvy that way."
The mention of poetry gets a smile. "I really have to admire poets," she says, apparently apropos of nothing. It's not idle flattery, that much is certain. "I mean, I can write something that'll get an idea across, sure; I can write an op-ed that'll make people think and maybe get them to feel, but a poet ... so few words to sum up something as complex as emotion. Anyway, I count writing for school and magical theory as writing. It's still using just the right words at just the right point to get a message across. It's an awesome thing." Then, a bit sheepish, she adds, "I'd ask ... if I could see any of your poetry, but I do get it if it's more of a ... private thing."
[K. R. Jakes] [Doo de doo.]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 1, 1, 2, 3, 3, 7, 9 (Failure at target 6)
[K. R. Jakes] Chicago is a rainwater city, a city of runnels and rivulets. A city of temporary rivers, tributaries; water running toward the underground - the sewers - the city's stinking guts; water running down, down, down, going down as quickly as it can. The sky is tarnished up right now, washed so dim and dull it's like clouded metal [or condensation; a mirror someone's breathed on, glinting].
Kage is not worth a second glance. She isn't what anybody'd mark as a woman who could change reality, if not with a thought, at very least with a ritual, with a gesture, with a certain kind of look. She doesn't look like she could do the improbable, or would. She just looks like a weary girl in her mid-twenties, hair pulled away from her face into a mussy ponytail. Hair, burnished; it's darker today than usual, because she needs to wash it. The dark circles around her eyes add a haunted, no wonder you're in a coffee shop, but perhaps you should let some of that caffiene go some other way touch. She's even wearing a pair of glasses today, which is rare; her eyesight's remarkably good. Clothes ... a sweatshirt, falling off of one shoulder, sleeves rolled up to her elbows (it's not cold), and a pair of patchwork pants, slippers with an Indian flavor bought at some Free Trade shop. And a laptop.
Which she is working on or trying to work on.
It's the first time in a long while she hasn't been able to just get up and move on. The first time in a long while she feels drained (vampirized [emptied]).
[Thomas Taylor] ((For the dashing rogue, Cha & Exp))
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 2, 4, 5, 5, 7, 7, 7 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[Thomas Taylor] Three black sedans lined up in a row are perfect cover for the man running, he had a head start who knew how long it would last, he dashes across the road and dives between the sedans using them as cover...a head peeks out as he looks left and then right...he darts across the road and runs straight into the coffee shop...
There was no time to plan or anything he needed to get settled let reality play it’s game, the mask to come back over him so he picks the first table he see’s not noticing at all who was there just caught a flash of red and a female figure, a red head it works...He pulls off the hoody he was wearing and puts it down in an empty seat of someone who had just gone to the toilet. A wicked play on lips as he walks past someone else and picks up there half drunken coffee as they are on the phone obvlious to the thief even if caught he would have played the staff card and then worked from there
He pulls a seat out across from Kage as the coffee gets placed down as he lays on the charm thick and fast, a dashing smile and wanton eyes with such a charming enticing play on his tongue as he attempts to seek favour with the (would be) stranger “Hello there precious, me names Tommy, cudn’t ‘elp but notice you from across the way just wondered if you cud ‘elp me out you see I got a case of the runnin’ pig an I” He stops talking and blinks peering forward..He was wearing a faded superman top, a little wet on the shoulder and black jeans, his feet went under the table to fast to see what it was but they make a squelching noise as he leans forward
“Grimm?” A double edged sword that, a play on her name and perhaps the feeling coming from her but he had little time behind him the door opens as a police man steps in eyes looking around searching eyes filtering, moving to examine.
“Been ‘ere all lemon isle Grimm...” Blue eyes looks to her, a sudden alibi had been placed before him.
[K. R. Jakes] (( *waves* No AIM, on public library computer, but you know - hop in! Like the new Molly pic. ))
to Molly Quincannon
[Molly Quincannon] [[*giggle* Hi! And thanks!]]
to K. R. Jakes
[K. R. Jakes] (( Aw, shit lady, company. At least pretend you're up-to-snuff. The ever-popular manip+subt. -1.))
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 3, 6, 8 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Molly Quincannon] Today, Molly also looks a little different. Still the floppy black hair, still the glasses, still the stompy boots, but her jeans lack rips and tears, and she's wearing a shirt. A collared shirt, over which she wears a tweed-ish jacket. There is also a bow tie. Basically, Molly has a look today that crosses between the tenth and eleventh Doctors, with a little of her own homebrew style. She's been out and about, and as is usual for her, she's decided to stop for coffee. After all, it's good to keep the tank topped up, as it were.
Three black sedans ... black sedans, they are never good, but then again, they do make up most of the cars on the planet. Therefore, she gives them a funny look, takes down licence plate numbers in her memory database (just in case, and she could always look them up later, for kicks) and then heads into the coffee shop.
Where she spots Kage and Thomas. She's not deliberately going for charm and charisma; she's just on usual form of friendly and curious. "Hey, Kage; Thomas. Long time, no see! What's been up?" She grabs an orphan chair and drags it over - if they mind, they can ask her to go away.
[K. R. Jakes] Just as the speed of light outpaces the speed of sound (so we're told [in good little technocratic paradigm-approved schools]), the speed of Thomas's charm and smarm (and who'd be able to resist [it's just so charming, that charm]) outpace the speed of his wits (to wit - his wits, coupled with his powers of perception), so the latter takes a moment or three to catch up with the former, and while that disconnect is going on, Kage slides her glasses down the bridge of her nose, the better to watch Thomas reprovingly. The better to squint (just a little) at him, as if gauging his solidity. When he leans forward, all, Grimm, Kage's mouth quirks. The shadow of a smirk.
"Naturally, Tom Cat - I don't imagine you'd stray for the life of you. Jesus. Where do you keep the switch for those bedroom eyes?" A beat. "And - decided against Lewis, huh? Hello, Molly," that's on the tail-end of Molly, dragging a chair over. Kage doesn't seem to mind the sudden influx of company, although she does shoot a somewhat haunted look out the window (paranoia, paranoia). It lasts a moment; everything passes -- and autumn's the scene of passages, right? Right. And it's autumn now.
Autumn, and rainy, although it isn't raining. Not yet.
"Like the bowtie. I've been out-of-town; just got in last night."
[Thomas Taylor] The policeman walks over to the chair with the grey hoodie and looks at it before asking the waitress who was sat here. She of course helps and starts speaking to him and points to the toilet. The police man nods and moves towards them as he pushes the door open and walks in.
Meanwhile Thomas ‘had’ partially laid it on thick and fast, his wits were with him the run from the law had resolved that. He grabs Molly’s hand and pulls her down so she is sat in record time “Info, nice.” His eyes glance to Molly a moment then back to Kage “Thought I’d try Grimm on today pet, ‘cos don’t take this pete but you look a lil’...well you get it...”
Thomas then blinks and looks back to Molly his hand coming up and pointing “Bow tie pet” He shrugs and it passes, he had mingled with so many hollow ones individuality was to be expressed not hidden. His eyes flick back to the toilet as it shuts a crafty smile on his face.
“’kay, I ud be makin’ me exit now.” A sigh, he obviously did not expect to run into Kage here or Molly. “Oh welcome hat an all that jazz he says to Kage “An if yer lucky pet I’ll show ya the switch.” He offers a wink to the red head, the darken hair and slight black rings “Looks like a long lemon on the frog Grimm, you sud get a few winks.”
[Molly Quincannon] Molly's wrist is grabbed - no tell-tale tension, no particular stress about it. In fact, she just chuckles. "I have no idea why you need an alibi so badly, but ... y'know, glad I can help?" Her eyes follow the police officers and then move back to Thomas, amused.
Molly beams at the compliment from Kage; it's the usual mischief-tinted thing, her smile. Time apparently heals all things. She adjusts the bow-tie, still with the smile, and says, "Bow ties are cool. But thanks; glad you approve." She follows Kage's gaze out the window, frowning in slight concern. "...Expecting someone? Besides the officers of the law, apparently?"
[K. R. Jakes] "What did you do?" the Orphan asks of Thomas, when the police-officer heads (purposeful [heavy tread]) toward the men's restroom, thinking some poor schlub is the poor schlub Thomas Taylor, Mischief Maker. Go ahead, put it on the business cards. "Unlawful entry? Indecent exposure? Innocently-doing-nothing-when-out-of-nowhere-persecution?"
They're not sitting outside, or Kage would go for a cigarette. The impulse is there (she hardly ever smokes, mind, but still - an impulse is an immpulse), and she reaches down to her pocket, then doesn't do anything; instead, she closes up her laptop, pushing it to the side, the better for her to rest her elbow against the table's surface, bring her gaze (an inscrutable colour, today; far darker than the rainless sky, and more green than it is wont to be) back to the mischievous black-haired Cultist and the trouble-follows-him-like-a-shadow Hollow (plague) One.
She smiles at Molly. The sort've smile that draws lines around her eyes, around her mouth; easy, without a shadow. Not luminous, not one of those smiles: but still, easy. "Not expecting someone in particular, per se - but you know. Just got back into town, am sitting at my leisure in a coffee shop, have just collected two of the who's who cards without trying - I'm expecting the rest of the deck to show. Or, possibly, some sort of Suspicious Figure. More suspicious than Tommy Boy here, that is."
"...And, Thomas. I'm afraid I just don't know what 'a long lemon on the frog Grimm' means, beyond possibly the most disgusting Halloween candy concept known to mortal minds."
[K. R. Jakes] (( *grin* On a sidenote, the old guy on the computer across from me is FREAKING OUT at something. ))
to Molly Quincannon, Thomas Taylor
[K. R. Jakes] (( Transcribed - NO. NO. They won't do that something DO THAT another way something something Don't touch it Stupid Nazi Nigger Fucks something thinks their mother's going to be a help but no NO - frantic keyboard pounding. ))
to Molly Quincannon, Thomas Taylor
[Thomas Taylor] The door to the toilet re-opens as the policeman comes back out with a young man in tow with handcuffs, he is screaming about his rights as the officer is holding what looks to be quite a large bag of cocaine. “Info jsut act natural, ladies I swear down I didn’t do...” Thomas looks over and raises an eyebrow “Oh...” He looks back to the two women he shrugs and grins “Fortune favours the bold an all that, guess don’t ‘ave to hit the frog as fast as I thought.” He beams a smile as both ladies watch the man get taken away by the offer as Thomas has a sip of his coffee and sticks his tongue out “Cold, damn...” He pushes it away as he glances over to the table the man was sat at. “Excuse me” He says to the ladies and without looking back he pushes out from the table and dances to his feet as he goes to the counter, orders a tea and comes back picking up the grey hoodie on the way as he sits back down. His converse squelching as he does the laces undone as they were slapping against the floor with every step.
“Luv it wen it works out robin.” As he looks to Kage, a sniff to the air she felt different but he passes over it was not his place to make mention of. But she certainly looked more Grimm than Lewis today, more Red Riding Hood than Alice. A glance to Molly who was obviously going for a female Doctor Who and for once he felt like the wrong one out. “As I was sayin’ I didn’t do nuthin...serious.” And thats all he wants to say on the subject as it quickly changes “Wat I said was, a long time on the road Grimm....” He pronounces each word in proper English for her a cheeky smile on his lips as he glances between the two women.
[Molly Quincannon] "I'm guessing that 'frog' equals 'road' in the sense of 'and toad'? Which I guess makes a certain amount of sense." Molly yoinks Thomas' cold coffee - she doesn't mind it cold and doesn't see any sense in it going to waste. "And the 'time' thing is 'lemon and lime', I think. Cockney rhyming slang is probably one of the best verbal codes in the world."
The change of subject gets a bit of a raised eyebrow, but Molly lets it go - there are ways, after all, and if she's really curious and doesn't get distracted by shinies in the process, she can always check the police database. She does, however, chuckle and ask, "Thomas, since when has my 'acting natural' looked anything that any average person considers normal? You'd be better off if I acted unnatural. Anyway, I'm sure whatever you did, it was in a good cause. Or ... y'know. amusement. Which I guess counts. So where'd you head off to, Kage? Anywhere nice? Looks like it was quite the hectic trip, though." Yes, there's concern in amidst the curiosity.
[K. R. Jakes] (( Hey, yo - you wanna roll Awareness? Kage is mind-scanning the hoodie-dude to make sure he deserves to get taken away *grin* ))
to Molly Quincannon
[Molly Quincannon] [[Yes'm!]]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 1, 2, 2, 4, 5, 6 (Failure at target 6)
to K. R. Jakes
[Molly Quincannon] [[Evidently, Molly's too busy worrying about Kage and pomdering the vagueries of Cockney rhyming slang to notice anything like magic going on. Woe.]]
to K. R. Jakes
[Molly Quincannon] [[...pomdering?!? *headdesk*]]
to K. R. Jakes
[K. R. Jakes] [Meanwhile, can I do a passable immitation of a cockney accent? Char + ... Linguistics? Or performance? Same dicepool, anyway. -1]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 2, 4, 6, 9 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[K. R. Jakes] Thomas's cold coffee has had quite a journey. If the original guy who owned it had a cold (or, say, some kind of disease activated by the levels of quintessence or the activity of an Avatar, released by the Progenitors), it's definitely going to make its rounds in the Awakened Community. Kage, like most of the other denizens of the coffee shop, is watching the officer haul the guy out. And, look. Kage is a creature of poise and composure, even now; exhausted, getting concern from Molly and Thomas. Doesn't change the essentials. So it's not fidgety, this: the way she angles her mug of (cider [hot]) and causes the reflections to dance, or the way she touches her fingertips to her temple, idle, as if she had a headache, or even this - the (demure) sip of the cider, while she watches the boy and cop exit. A moment. Another, and then her attention swings back to Thomas and to Molly, and her mouth goes crooked again.
"I think you're right, Moll. I like the accent; do. It's like an excellent mystery game. I guess as to where I went off to - " a beat, and she twists her tongue into a passable expression of Cockney Thomas Hisself, except Kage, so - Kage, cockney-style, sounds low, throaty " - earn me bees and honey. Yeah?" She can't keep it up. The rhyming, sure - but the twist of the tongue behind it, no. "And, yes, actually. Was in Los Angeles for a week, and then hied me to Barcelona - and from Barcelona," a gesture, to encompass down the road from Barcelona, I can give you a specific itinerary if you'd like. "It was nice, and it was hectic. Work, not pleasure, you know. Still, there's chocolate at home now - excellent chocolate. You're both welcome to have some any time you want to drop by."
"So - have I missed anything? How are you two?"
[K. R. Jakes] (( *soothes* Pomdering sounds like a delicious drink, at least. ))
to Molly Quincannon
[Molly Quincannon] [[A very, very exotic kind of tea, I suppose.]]
to K. R. Jakes
[Thomas Taylor] He snorts and rolls his eyes towards Kage “You never say the whole bag pet, it’s just the bees, you were out makin’ sum bloody bees.” Thomas head tilts as he sniffs the air he felt it come from her as one eye half closes as he notes the drink, the focus the finger on her -temple- Was she trying to...? He lets his thoughts become engrossed by his wanderlust let them filter through his head like the speed of light (Or sound and Techno’s be damned if you asked Thomas both were bloody fast) like water as hard to grab as the man himself as he tries to make his mind to much to hold like trying to catch rain in cupped hands. But it passes past him by and then he takes something from it...consumption. He smiles as his tea is brought over and has a sip even if it burns his tongue or had not fully brewed.
He then looks to Molly addressing something she said earlier “Pet it also ain’t fun if you spell it out, takes the mystery away but ‘ell it’s all on the internet just don’t translate well you know.” He then sits back one hand brought to rub the stubble of his chin as he glances to the two women picking up on some tells. Molly seemed concerned over Kage and her whereabouts, it was obvious they had met before most likely more so than Thomas and Kage had perhaps even Thomas and Molly so he goes silent letting them speak. Don’t mind Tommy he is all back of the bus and he lets Info there answer the how are you part first.
[Molly Quincannon] Molly grins at Kage's use of the rhyming slang, and watches Thomas' reaction to her doing it. Then she shrugs. "Actually, none of it was what I got from the internet. I always just work it out from first principles from you. It's a good intellectual exercise, y'know? I'm just proud of what I figure out, is all. Cryptographer's privilege!" No, she's not precisely apologetic, to judge by the mischievous little smile, but she does, at least, stop explaining what of the rhyming slang she's picked up she's managed to glean.
The offer of chocolate gets a smile and a mention of, "Well, I'd have to know where you lived to drop by, and I know how sensitive a topic that one can sometimes be. Oh, but I dunno if you've checked email or anything, or the bulletin board?" She means at the Chantry house, of course. "But there's an invitation. Of the sparkly variety. Isabel's planning my Halloween party." No, she does not mention the other occasion that said party celebrates. She's just going to leave that one alone unless she has to. "So if you ever want to drop by ... I haven't got awesome foreign chocolate, but ... there should be party nibbles. And costumes."
As to what she's been doing... "Oh, keeping busy. Day job - work-from-home stuff, mostly - bojutsu lessons, belly dancing, various other sorts of training, and having a wander around some of the more unremarked bits of Chicago. There's some really ... interesting stuff in those abandoned subway tunnels and old built-over walkways all over the city. Oh, and I got new tattoos. So all the good kind of busy, I guess. Mostly, anyway."
[K. R. Jakes] [[ Meep! Apparently the library closes at five today and they're shunting me off the computer. *sob* ]]
[K. R. Jakes] [[ *tries bust out an exit post beforehand* ]]
[Molly Quincannon] [[Awww. But we're glad to have seen you. You are missed, m'dear. *bow*]]
[K. R. Jakes] The red-head doesn't seem to notice Thomas's moment of unease (what's she doing [is she going to]). She shrugs, a touch sheepish (or amused), mouth lilting up again, this time sardonic, at makin' sum bloody bees. "Makin' sum bloody bees," she Echoes, gruffly - MANfully, baby, like she was Thomas himself, man, like she was born in - whereever cockney people are born. Then she scratches the underside of her jaw, and her gaze slides from Thomas to Molly.
"Isabel, huh? If it's the Isabel I met, sparkly seems to be her thing. Has she fallen in with a crowd yet? 'Round what time? You going, Tom Cat? Can I choose your costume?"
Contrary to popular opinion, Kage isn't a loner, per se. She just happens to be reserved, and occasionally aloof, and, y'know, careful, cautious, trustworthy but often absent, the one who cleans things up and finds things out, not the one who - okay, so perhaps in the Awakened Community, the Orphan-by-choice is somewhat justifiedly considered a loner (independence first).
Her dark gaze sharpens - or - no; doesn't sharpen, per se. But there's a sea-change, when tunnels, old build-over walkways, etcetera., are mentioned. Thomas knows Kage is always up for a bout of urban exploring. It's how they met, after all. "And no, haven't been to the White Fence House yet. It's still standing, I take it?"
And Thomas is spared whatever it is she was going to say to him by simple dint of her iphone going off, a sudden flurry of piano music - the theme for Ghost World. "Damn, kids. That means I'm off, or I'll never hear the end of it. Nice seeing you again." She's far too (haunted [emptied]) off-game to come up with a wittier exit line than that, alas. But she packs up her stuff, gives Molly or Thomas the remains of her cider, and hies her to a certain Bad Ass Black Truck.
[K. R. Jakes] In record time.
[K. R. Jakes] (( And *grins* feel free to just PM ME ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS a'fore she HIES HERSELF AWAY. As I must now go. Thanks for dropping in, y'all. I am an addict who misses RP sooo much. *misses* *misses, misses*
Also, wee, Thess, a scene! ))
to Molly Quincannon, Thomas Taylor
[Molly Quincannon] [[Indeed! Later!]]
to K. R. Jakes
[Thomas Taylor] Thomas head turns as he watches Kage leave, not really answering her questions just smirking as he did. “See ya Grimm, ‘ave a robin day.” A small wave of a couple of fingers as he reaches for his tea and has another sip, now there was only the two of them, most of Molly’s conversation was directed at Kage leaving Thomas with very little to say.
“Ah, the posh totty...” Thomas says in response to the sparkly invite Emily had told him about “Gilttergirl, old mate of Norths don’t think ‘ave met ‘er.” A shrug as if it was not a big deal, he will wander and meet everyone eventually. “Sounds like you’ve been keepin’ yerself busy pet am well up for an urban wander, me an Grimm there met on walkabout, was funny now, shit myself then...” He taps the table as it was starting...the need to smoke.
[Molly Quincannon] After saying her good-byes to a rapidly-exiting Kage, Molly wrinkles her nose. "Yes you did," she says, puzzled. "That 'Needful Things' thing? She was the one who almost got 'jacked by that necklace. Apparently, Ellie wanted to hit her about the head with a two-by-four. Though I guess that's arguably not 'meeting'. I'm her mentor now, believe it or not. And she mine, at least in the arena of clothing; she's trying to teach me how to not dress like a spaz, with mixed results. And yeah, those urban walkabouts are always funny later, stressy at the time. And they don't always end as ... urban as they start. Still fun. Next time I'm on a wander, I'll give you a call, see if you're available. Sure Nat'd be happy to see you again, and we usually grab pizza afterwards." A nice subtle way of saying, No. No, I have not been going on these walkabouts alone.
Then she asks, just apropos of nothing much but obviously hoping the answer to be yes, "So, you coming to this Halloween bash of mine? There will be interesting costumes and good booze."
[Thomas Taylor] When she mentions who it is eyebrows come together “Oh ‘er the crazy bint!” He blows the air from his lungs as his lips make a noise like raspberry “Them girls were lucky I bloody show’d up, any road congrats on yer follower pet” Because it would be no good to say apprentice in public and he looks perplexed a moment then as he forgets that Molly is a OD and like a second thought it returns and he nods a moment.
On the urban walk about front he just listens Molly may be surprised to find he does not seem to overreact or bothered she is taking someone with her, he let all that go a while ago alas Molly was her own person and in all honesty he stopped caring so he would stop stressing and it worked, the word he had to Seer was the last of it as far as he was concerned so it is not touched on again here. There’s a slight raise of his head when she mentions giving him a call, could be a nod or perhaps a response of sorts.
Then he shakes his head as his shoulders shrugs, unfortunately Thomas had craft things to attend to the resident Hollower had reached out and touched someone “Sorry pet, all hallows eve, got me a ride on the train, got the big event to attend...” He stops himself as he looks to her this was a secret he was going to have to keep “Sorry pet, tis a hollow hallowed thing.”
[Molly Quincannon] "No need to apologise," is Molly's response, along with a grin. "At least, not twice. It'd be nice to have you there, but if you've got more important bits to get to, it's cool. Hope it all goes well, anyway. Still, it'll be interesting to see what 'the crazy bint' comes up with. She's actually not so bad; just needs things explained to her in just the right way. Though..." Slight wince. "She still actually gets depressed over not being allowed to have that stupid necklace."
Her phone starts bleeping and she pulls it out, looking at it with a sigh. "Ah, rounds, how I love thee. I gotta head out. But don't be a stranger, okay? Call; we'll have drinks." With that, she's up, swigging down the rest of someone else's cold coffee, and out with a cheerful wave in Thomas' direction.
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