Coffee in the Corner

[Mhairi Ankaa]

Continued from here

At hop, skip and a jump later, Mhairi presented to Seraphina the coffee shop that she'd spoken of. Only it wasn't really a coffee shop, it was more of a diner that served coffee, but Mhairi figured it was close, warm and it served more then just coffee.

"You can get the coffee, and I'll get dinner." Says Mhairi as the Wisp lead the Dragoness in. "But they do have the best milkshakes here too. Sooo, maybe we could do that for desert, unless you want some pie. They have amazing apple pie here too."

With Mhairi's light chatter, interrupted by a wave at one of the waitresses in her muted yellow uniform, The Queen of Autumn moved to one of the tables in the back. In one of the corners, the windows and exits in sight.

[Seraphina]

Well, this worked too, she was kinda hungry. Though she was surprised at the Elementals offer.

"You don't have to do that, but thank you!" her tone grateful. Eyes widen, "Pie?! Well damn, that sounds awfully tempting! Guess I'll be hitting the gym extra hard tomorrow!" she says with a laugh following Mhairi to the booth.

"Have to be honest, I love little places like this! The food is always great, the service is wonderful and it's usually quiet and out of the way. Best places!" and she didn't draw as much attention in a hole in the wall. Well, not usually.

"So, have you lived in Sacramento long?"

[Mhairi Ankaa]

"I thought here would be great. When I first got here, the first club members I met were in a diner." Mhairi's fell-flames flicker as she frown. Ramona, Evelynn and Hank. None of which were still in Sacramento. "And talking over coffee, or pie sounds a whole lot better then milling round a store." she says with a crooked grin.

"Me too. They're slower, and you can almost taste the love in the food." finding the waitress who'd she waved at when they entered, Mhairi pointed, "That's Peggie. She's been working here forever. And she's really nice."

The women, Peggie, older with sensible shoes caught Mhairi pointing and gave them a look saying she'd be over soon as she could.

At Sera's question Mhairi turns back around to face her, "Oh. Umm-a year? Yeah. A year December."

[Seraphina]

Nodding, “Don’t get me wrong, I love milling around stores, but these days most sales people are quick to get rid of you if you aren’t going to buy something. Now diners? You can get coffee and they’ll let you chat all night. And pie makes everything better anyways!” the grin was returned.

She looks over to the waitress, Peggie, and smiles. “Most are in these smaller diners. You’re able to establish a real connection with them.” Another bonus!

“Wow, a year, and you’ve become one of the Club Directors? Nice.” It spoke volumes about her, at least to Sera it did.

“Running a boarding house, you must come across a lot of interesting and fun people. Do a lot of our fellow Club members use the boarding house?”

She then laughs that musical laugh again, “Sorry, I’m being noisy! I just like learning about people.”

[Mhairi Ankaa]

"Yes! That's exactly it!" Mhairi says with a nod, and a bright smile.

Bustling over to them with a pleasant smile and a pot of coffee. Peggie was quick to fill Mhairi's and Sera's mugs, "I'm assuming you want you usual sug?" to which Mhairi gives Peggie a smile and a happy nod, "But maybe your friend'll need some more time deciding? No problem, I'll be back in a few." and just like that the women was moving away with a quick, "William! Let me get that plate away, and get you a slice of strawberry-rhubarb,"

"Mmm! That sounds good. I might want that instead of apple...Oh. Uh sorry." Mhairi blinks, looking back at Sera with a sheepish grin. "This is why I like coming here."

Shaking her head to bring her back to the topic at hand, "It's been a really crazy year. Near the beginning of it, all of the club directors left." surly Sera would understand the significance of all four Sovereigns just leaving the 'hold. "We had to scramble to get everything sorted. Which we did. But there was some more upheaval, which lead me to being a Club Directer." Mhairi explains, anything else would have to wait until they were out of public, and for Sera to make her Pledge to the Freehold.

Mhairi says shaking her head, it wasn't a place for muggles. "It's a safe place for the Lost souls of Sacramento to stay. And there's several who do."

"It's okay," says Mhairi with a smile, "I get it."

[Seraphina]

Ah, well this is going well, Sera thinks with a happy smile. Mhairi was either actually really friendly, or really good at lying. It wouldn’t do the Treasured any good to always think the worst of someone. Especially someone who had been nothing but nice thus far.

When the mug was filled, Sera absently added creamer while watching the interaction between the Elemental and the waitress.

A hand stops pouring cream half way as she looks to Mhairi, “Did she say strawberry-rhubard?!” she asks with obvious excitement. “I haven’t had that since I left home! We should totally do a dinner of just pies!” well, before she was Taken. “I should try baking pies! Everyone loves pie.” She adds while stirring the coffee, which was now a lovely shade of light brown.

Eyes widen at hearing about the loss of Sovereigns, “Oh, wow, damn.” Her head shakes as she ties to imagine what a mess it must have been. “I can’t even begin to imagine what a hectic mess that had to have been! With such a mass leaving, are our numbers still strong? Or did it kinda disrupt everything?” she knew most Lost were not only Sworn to their Sovereigns, but emotionally attached to them as well. If one left, it seemed natural the masses would follow. While understandable, it didn’t bode well for a Freehold.

“Well, having only just met you, you seem like an honest a capable director. First impressions and all.” She added with a grin. Though how she was while dealing with Lost politics and all that fun stuff remained to be seen.

“That’s awesome! It’s so hard for us to find a place where we not only ‘fit in’,” long elegant fingers make air quotes, “but where we feel safe as well. So I think it’s awesome.” With that she took a sip of the coffee. Eyes closing and a pleased smile spreading across her lips, “Ah, wonderful!”

[Mhairi Ankaa]

"I think she did!" Mhairi says with a grin, surprised and happy that Sera seemed to like it too. "And yes, pies would go over well. Everyone likes pie." She nods, and mimics Sera's motions with her own coffee, a little cream with a lot of sugar.

"Yeah-huh. Damn's one word for it." taking a sip, "It was totally a mess. And yeah...it distrupted everything. People who've been here left because they left. Then after everything settled a bit more, folks just got that feeling. You know how it is. When you just feel like finding someone new." at least that's what Mhairi hopes happened to the Lost who've wandered away. That it was their choice and they were happy. Not that they met their end. Or found their way into a Privateer's hand, sent to the Flesh Market to be bought and sold. Again and again and again.

"Thanks." Mhairi gives the Fairest a crooked grin. "You wouldn't have thought that a few months ago. I was a stuttering mess. I-uh found something that helped, and I did get some speak therapy in. So." Mhairi offers a small shrug as she sips her coffee.

"It is very awesome." Mhairi smiles, "And. Yep. The coffee's always this good."

[Seraphina]

A serious look appears on the Treasured face, “Well, I think I know what’s for supper! Cause we're adults, desert is totally acceptable for dinner.” a goofy grin then appeared as she laughs. “And I figured if I’ll be helping with cooking, I might as well throw some dessert in too!” and pies were easy.

Her head nods in understanding as she sips her coffee. You can totally do that, all a matter of moving the cup with your head. “Yeah, I get that, and I’ve been there. Change is really hard, especially for us. So when we find a director we connect with or who gets us, it’s hard to adjust if they leave. But, we also need to learn to deal with and go with change. A weird thing.” She shrugs, they lead complicated lives.

Her eyes widen to show her surprise, “Stuttering? Really? I would have never guessed! Well, congrats! I’m sure that couldn’t have been easy to overcome.” But did she use magic or maybe even a Contract? It didn’t matter to Sera either way.

“Do you do anything else beside run the boarding house? I mean, not that it’s not important or anything, just curious if you have another job or if it’s your main focus.”

[Mhairi Ankaa]

Mhairi looked at the Fairest and broke out into giggles, "Heheh, I already told Peggie I was gonna have my usual. but I'm still going to have a slice for desert for sure!" Taking another sip, "That would be amazing. And I'm sure we could get a few of the guys together and like help. Mixing, rolling out the dough..." might help sooth some heartache when people were feeling homesick.

"Change is necessary." The Cycle of the Seasons is why the Courts worked to protect the Lost. Spring to Summer, to Autumn, to Winter, to Spring, and around and around again. "But yeah. It hurts sometimes."

"Yep. Stuttering. It, well. I was very...nervous," she settles on because admitting in public to a near-stranger that you wee scared, didn't sound like a smart plan. Besides she was an Autumn. Many Lost found themselves in Autumn becaus they wanted, or needed to master their own Fear. "And back There. I had to talk a lot, but the words weren't really mine. So when I found my way Here, I needed to find my own voice. It...was harder then I thought it would be." Mhairi gives Sera a smile, "Thanks."

"No, it's just the Boarding House." Mhairi frowns, because before Rick and the Coronation and everything...she wanted to do something. She wanted to be more then a maid, she wanted to learn how to sew properly, and maybe even set up a shop at the Quick Silver Gate if she ever got good enough. "Everything's been really hectic, so I haven't really had the time to do anything else. And yourself? Have you found work yet?"

[Seraphina]

Smirking, “Ok, so I’m curious, what’s your usual?” she points to the menu, “Cause everything looks and sounds good. What do you recommend? Beside the pie, cause that is totally happening.” Yup, they were having pie. “Hey, that sounds like a good idea!” though she usually used store bought crust, having never made a crust from scratch. “But a little secret,” she leans forward, “I’ve never made pie crust from scratch. But hell, I can learn.” She then grins.

Nodding, “It is, but it never gets easier to deal with.” Especially for them. They had been through the biggest change, then escape back into society, a society where they had to hide and adapt.

“Ah, yeah. Nerves, I can understand that. I used to get horrible stage fright, I’d get physically sick every time I had to go onto a stage. Even a simple pageant would set off my nerves.” Now? She loved being able to get in front of a crowd and sing. Though she hadn’t since she escaped.

“I used to have to be ready to sing at the drop of a hat, so I get how your voice and words didn’t feel like your own. But I’m glad you were able to find your own voice. It’s a wonderful feeling.” There was understanding in her eyes as she spoke.

There was a slight frown, “Not really. I’ve picked up a few waitressing jobs here and there, but nothing solid yet. It’s not really my thing, or something I enjoy, but it gives me some money, so I make due. I’d rather sing, but that’s something I can find once I get settled.” Seeing the frown, “Is there something else you’d enjoy doing? No reason you can’t split your time, well, if your Club commitments allow and all that.”