Stories over Coffee

[Seraphina]

She had promised Quick a private evening where they could talk without filters. While she enjoyed his company, she wasn't really looking forward to sharing about her past. It was something she buried a long time ago, and while the wounds were still fresh, she avoid the subject as much as she could.

Tonight was that night. It had been a very successful day in the coffee shop, and she was walking on air with the business. Maybe she really did something right for once.

The sign said Garden Grounds was closed, but she had left the door unlocked for Quick, sending him a text to just come in.

Sera could be found behind the counter, wiping it down and putting cups away from a dishwasher under the counter. She was humming some tune, and even the hum had an angelic quality to it.

Casual had been her attire at the coffee shop now, unless it was open mic night, then she dressed up a little. Never knew who would come in and she always wanted to look her best. Tonight it was green skinny jeans and a white tank top. A towel thrown over her shoulder and her long silver and gold hair hung in lose waves. Golden gilded skin glittered under the fairy lights.
Quick
@Travis06489

[Quick]

Quick doesn't waste time stepping in from the cold. He's had a sweatshirt and jeans on all day, but with the sun no longer kicking around he begins to feel the cold. Plus, the sweatshirt is pretty thin. He's got a brown paper bag in one hand, with just the top portion of a bottle neck sticking out. Spotting Sera behind the counter, Quick gives her a quick wave with his free hand and smiles. "Hey!" He makes his way up to the counter even before she has a chance to answer.

The bag is quickly stripped from his prize, revealing an insidious-looking bottle of tequila. Unless you shoot it often. And Quick doesn't. So it's basically the devil's drink. The look on his face says he's ready to try, though. "Brought some liquid courage. Got a trash can around?" he asks, wadding up the paper bag into a ball. He looks down at it. A ball. Just like his nerves. Sure, he's leaked a few stories about his past as a criminal... but there's a darker story he's been waiting to share. And Sera is about the only one he can trust with it. Cuz besties.

[Seraphina]

Hearing the door open, she turns and waves, “Hey yourself! Is it getting cold out there?” cause if it was, then she was going to regret wearing a tank top. But moving around and cleaning tended to make you feel really warm, so it was weird.

Eyes look down at what the bag had in it.

Tequila. And she blinks a few times.

“What?” she asked, before seeing the bag, “Oh, yeah. I’ll take care of it.” And she’ll toss the bag into a trash can.

She then frowns, “Hate to tell you, but I don’t drink. I, uh, haven’t drank in a few years. And I'm sure by the end of the night you'll know the story and reason behind it.” While her addiction wasn’t alcohol, she still chose to not drink. The temptation of addiction was still there, she still wasn’t pushing it. “And if you spent a lot on it, I’m more than happy to reimburse you the cost.” Cause yeah, now she feels guilty having never mentioned it.

“But don’t worry, I’m not someone who freaks out if everyone else drinks. So I can find you a glass if you like.” She offers with a warm smile.

“And I think I’ll have a coffee.” She pours a cup from a pot she had made just for the evening.

[Quick]

"Yeah... I really picked the wrong Season." he says with a shrug. He doesn't sound serious.

Smiling, he hands her the crumpled up bag. It only fades a little when she mentions she doesn't drink. "Guess I'm facing the demon on my own." He says, before setting down the bottle on the counter top. "But uh... don't worry about all that. Won't go to waste in my hands." he adds, with a dismissive wave. He might not be rich, but he can afford a bottle of liquor here or there.

"Well that's good. Could definitely use a glass." He rolls his eyes for emphasis. "Story time is going to get heavy." Quick grabs the top of the bottle and breaks the paper seal over the cork. "So you're ok with this, right? Sharing secrets?" The light suction 'pop' of the cork brings his eyes back to the Fairest. "Wasn't lying when I said you'd be in control."

[Seraphina]

There was a laugh, “At least it doesn’t snow.” She jokes.

Gently shaking her head, “Oh no, we each have demons.” She winks, as she finds a smaller type glass and hands it to him.

Grabbing her coffee and some pastries, she nods to a table, “Want to sit?” and beings making her way over. Last thing she wanted was for him to start drinking and fall over. At least it wasn’t as far from a chair.

Sipping her coffee, “Hmm, it probably will.” She still was on the fence about this whole thing. But maybe the old saying about talking about things being good for you would prove true.

“I’m as ok as I’m going to get. I won’t lie, it’s not going to be easy, I’ve kept my past and secrets for a long time. But maybe it will be good to share them,” a shrug, “but who knows.” A piece of pastry was picked off and the plate slid towards the middle of the table. The rose in the middle giving off a comforting glow.

“I’ll hold you to that.” She says with a small smile. “So, how do you want to do this?” the pastry popped into her mouth.

[Quick]

Quick nods to her offer, grabbing his glass and the bottle before joining her in a seat.

"Goes without saying, but I'd never use those secrets to hurt you." Quick's eyes meet hers for a moment and hold for a moment after saying so. He needs her to know how serious he takes it. After breaking her gaze, he starts pouring himself a neat glass of the tequila. "Who knows..." he repeats.

Feigning innocence, he blinks a few times and smiles. "Thought we already covered that you would make the rules." He brings the glass to his lips for a tentative taste. Not terrible... if you don't mind the burn. He gives Sera a little salute with his glass before downing what is likely a shot-and-a-half. The Levinquick grimaces a little bit and gives his head a quick shake. "But if you want my input, I'd say share what's on your heart."

[Seraphina]

She just nods. Words were one thing to her, but time and actions would prove if he was honest or not.

The coffee was sipped as eyes watch him pour his drink.

A single shoulder was raised, “We did. I was just reiterating it.” Her trust had been abused too many times in the past. Things like that are not forgotten, but worn daily, in little reminders.

She raises her coffee mug back.

A dark chuckle, “My heart? Not much there I’m afraid. So maybe we best start with things easier to explain. Because you don’t have enough in that bottle to begin a task that great.” A smirk.

Another sip was taken before she began. Setting the cup down, “I’m a recovering addict actually. Not alcohol, I just choose to refrain from it, remove the temptation of relapsing into another addiction.” Her eye study him for a few moments, “And now you are the only one in the Freehold who knows. I’m not embarrassed of it, I just don’t like talking about it because some people are judgmental jerks.” The cup was picked up again, sipped from, “You’re turn. Unless you had questions.”

[Quick]

He spares the bottle a glance at her reference, as if to ask 'this bottle?' That's a statement and a half. Quick settles into his chair more comfortably as Sera begins in earnest. His expression cycles from a look of surprise to one of concern as he comes into the know. And now he feels even more guilty for offering her the drink.

Questions he has. For sure. "What was it, then?" he asks, thinking it the most obvious question to ask. "What had you all wrapped up?" It doesn't sound like he's sitting in judgement. If anything, he sounds genuinely curious. He waits to hear what she has to say before knocking another drink back and starting on his own story.

"So I... don't remember all the details of my Trip. Was too chaotic. Think half the time I was a thing and not a person. But what I do remember is pretty bad." He smiles an almost apologetic smile. "Not proud of it. Not now, anyway. But my Keeper brought the worst out of me. Used to send me to wreck things up. Steal things. Make his 'friends' or whatever look bad." He blinks a few times, looking away slightly. "I think I was proud of it. Like it was all I had. So I had to be good at it. The best." ​

[Seraphina]

The cup was once again set down, this was not her favorite topic.

“A mixture of a few different ones. You need to understand that my mother was pushing me in the pageant world. Always needing me to come in first, pushing me into modeling and pretty much everything in between. Started with pills, meant to keep me awake and hitting my queues and marks. It spiraled into harder drugs, cocaine mainly. But I never used needles, because those leave marks, and we can’t have the body marked in any way.” She said with sarcastic snort. “But then you have to get into pills to bring you down. Cause no one wants to deal with a half-awake model. So it was a nasty cycle of pills and drugs to keep me awake and thin, and pills to bring me down so I could sleep.” There was a pause as she seemed to remember those dark years. “A dark time when no one was my friend, no one was on my side and I don’t realize it until I was at rock bottom.” A heavy sigh and shrug. “There are times when I have flashback of things and wonder if I remember right. Like did I really do somethings while high or looking for my next fix.” It was a dark, dark time for her.

The cup was picked up again and raised to her lips as she listened.

“You may not be proud of it, but it’s helped shape who you are today. It helped you know who you didn’t want to be.” Her voice soft, understanding. “And feeling proud of it is nothing to be ashamed of. Like you said, it was all you had, so you thrived at it, did the best you could. Maybe in some way it was because you longed to please and feel like you accomplished something. Neither which are anything that make you less of a person.” A nod of her head, “I can relate in a way. I was made to do things for my Keeper that I’m not proud of. But I like to think I’m stronger now, I lived through it and came out a better person. The same can be said for you, you’re a better person today because of what you experienced.”

[Quick]

A grimace passes over his face before it's squashed by his lagging self-awareness. Her mother sounds like a trip - in all the worst ways. He shakes his head slowly as she continues, waiting to her the whole of the story.

"I'm... sorry. Sounds like a rough childhood." It probably also explains why she always looks so put together. Pageantry? Must be some kind of subliminal conditioning to gussy up. Or something. Quick blinks. "Those times are over, though. You've got friends here. Lots of them." He conjures up the warmest smile he can manage. "No judgments, by the way. If it's the past... it's the past." It takes him a moment to realize what he just said. It sounds out-of-character to his ears. Not to mention he doesn't really believe that about himself.

Eventually he rights his gaze as Sera offers some consolation. "Well, um, thanks. Guess we all have to do shitty things sometimes." He looks into the bottom of his glass as if it has the answers. He shrugs, deciding it doesn't. "Can't say I know that for sure. But I'm trying. To be better."