A Promise Fulfilled

Jul 14th, 2018 09:02 PM

Jason walks down the street, enjoying the sound of bustling human activity. As much as he likes the silence of a library, broken only by the hushed rasp of pages turning, there's something to be said for the sheer life of a busy thoroughfare. It's something he's come to enjoy more and more since his return from the Hedge, possibly because it represents a source of Glamour? It's sometimes a shame that the Mask protects the lost so thoroughly, he thinks, there's so much to be learned, and so few of use seeking to learn it. His thoughts keeps him busy until the smell of tea wafts past his nose. Proper tea. Not that rubbish excuse for gumboot tea that Starbucks insists is the actual fare.

He swivels around, searching for the source of the smell and spots it, a small cafe, nestled in between to larger shops. He makes a beeline for the shop, almost tripping over the doorstop in his enthusiasm to get inside. His eyes rake over the interior, taking in the understated decor and surprisingly well rounded menu of drinks. An almost giddy smile slips onto his face as the pleasant cool of the AC, the scent of the drinks, and the quiet murmur of conversation wash over him. With barely another though he pulls out his phone and opens up the depressingly short contacts list. His finger brushes across the name James, 'I've found a lovely little coffee shop that serves actual tea, if you're free and felt like indulging me and my desire for conversation?'

He sends the text off before curing under his breath and following it up with another text, letting Quick know who it was, as he hadn't actually texted the man yet, and the address of the shop in case Quick wanted to join him.

**Quick** · Jul 15th, 2018 07:09 PM

Quick is already out walking the streets when his phone buzzes. It's what he does. He grins a little to himself and sends in a short response:

"Sure. About a block away. BRT."

The Elemental's Mask is in place, obscuring the otherworldly features bestowed on him. He glances at his reflection in a shop window and smooths non-existent wrinkles on his white, button-down shirt. It's no magical hedgespun outfit, but it's light and breathable. And the neutral color works fine with his jeans. He didn't even have to plan this outfit.

After he's satisfied that everything is in order, Quick heads off towards the coffee shop. Or, at least, the one he thinks Jason is talking about. It'd be pretty embarrassing if he turned out to be wrong. But - eventually - Quick gets there. He takes a quick peek inside to be sure, but once he spots Jason he smiles.

"So tea, huh? Not usually my speed." He says, by way of a 'hello'. "Open to suggestions, though. If you have them." Quick's eyes work a quick once-over on the fairest. He also decides almost immediately that flickering lights are a whole lot easier to handle than farmboy smell. If anything, Jason is more normal looking than Quick is. Which makes him slightly self-conscious. Good thing the Mask is on.

Jul 15th, 2018 07:51 PM

Jason doesn't notice Quick immediately as he walks in, waiting as he is for the more obvious changeling traits. He gives Quick a politely curious look as he approaches and right up until he starts speaking. So he's hardened his Mask. I wonder why? Once he hears the voice his face breaks into a small grin as he takes in Quick's mask for the first time. That's not even remotely fair.

"Well, it is a coffee shop if you feel the need to torture your taste-buds," Jason's lips purse with distaste for a moment at the thought of coffee before his face slips back into a grin, "And I have several suggestions. Most of them unfit for a public conversation, granted, but I'm eyeing up the earl grey, personally. I haven't had a decent cup since I got to this side of the pond."

He pauses for a moment, considering how to word his question, "But if I'm not prying, may I ask what prompted you to put your game face on? Not that the view is at all unpleasant, of course, but is there a protocol here that I'm unaware of?" Am I laying it on too thick, maybe?

Jason starts pulling on the gentle hum and thrum of glamour coursing trough his skin, getting ready to spin it out into the mask if there's some rule he's breaking, and basks in the warmth of the energy flowing through his body and soul. There was a comfort to the magic of the Fair Folk. A dangerous comfort, perhaps, but a comfort nonetheless. The exchange may not have been fair but Jason didn't come out of Arcadia empty handed, and he was determined to make what peace he could with that fact.

**Quick** · Jul 15th, 2018 08:14 PM

Quick laughs lightly. Shakes his head a little. "Guess you've got opinions, huh? Some of us like coffee." His tone is light. Playful, even. It takes him a moment to get a read on it, but Jason might be that tongue-in-cheek type for humor. Suggestions that are 'unfit for public conversation'? He could be misreading it, but that sounds like innuendo if he's ever heard it. "Well, wouldn't want to offend people's, uh... sensibilities. Guess it's earl grey then."

The question shouldn't catch him off-guard. Keyword being shouldn't. The Elemental still finds himself blinking a few times and averting his gaze for a second. But he comes back with a confident smile which he hopes will cover for it. "No, no, nothing like that. It's just what I prefer. Have to look good on town, right?" Maybe Jason would buy it, maybe not. "That and principal, I guess. But that's my club's thing." He wouldn't go into how he'd been doing that long before he joined the Winter Court. Especially since he wouldn't even know how to word that out in public.

"So you mentioned 'the pond'? Where you from? Originally?" The Levinquick is quick to get the conversation back on track. To keep looking confident.

Jul 15th, 2018 09:05 PM

Jason shakes his head, smile still adorning his features, “I’m just teasing, order what you like. Coffee isn’t so distasteful that I’ll shun you for drinking it.”

Pause, reassurance, plausible excuse, redirect. Discomfort if ever I’ve seen it. The only question is if I let it slide, or make a point. He ponders for a moment before sighing, Gently I think. His smile shifts from happy to tentative, “Look, there's no elegant way to put this, but I don’t mind if there are things you don’t want to discuss. I can hardly fault you for that, everyone has their secrets. And with… your level of clearance, as it were, I suspect I’m right in thinking you have more than a few things you can’t or won’t talk about. So I’ll not press, but I’d prefer to be stonewalled than deceived, if it’s not too presumptuous of me to ask?”

He looks down to his lap and let his words sit for a moment before looking back up, his face back to the soft smile he was wearing earlier, “That being said, where I’m from depends on who you ask. According to my family we’re English, but legally I’m from Wales. My family... doesn’t precisely agree with where the borders were drawn. It's something of a sore point for my father's side of the family tree. It left our ancestral home, and I quote, ‘stranded among the welsh barbarians’."

His smile goes from soft to mischievous, and as he speaks his accent has shifted from tightly controlled RP English into a lilting Welsh glide, "Personally I identify as Welsh, mostly because it annoys the ever living hell out of my father. And frankly he needs his nose tweaked occasionally, or not even the ballroom doors will be big enough to fit his ego."

Jason's grin smooths out into a look of curiosity and his accent moves back into his normal RP as he asks, "And what about you? You sound American, but I’m terrible at placing American accents.”

**Quick** · Jul 17th, 2018 08:58 PM

Quick holds up a hand. "No way. Too late. Can't back out on the tea now." He smiles.

The smile dwindles a little when Jason (really politely) calls him out. "No, that's fair. But you're right: not ready to talk about all that. Not right now, anyways." Then the more enthusiastic smile appears again. "Just getting to know each other, anyway. No point in starting out heavy, right?"

The Onyx shakes his head. "Daddy issues, then?" He holds a mostly neutral face and a raised brow for an impressive few seconds before cracking a smile. "Kidding. So Welsh-slash-English, huh? That's probably why I couldn't figure out, you know, your accent."

"Me? Manhattan. New York. Born - as far as I know - and raised. Ever been there? New York. Not... specifically Manhattan." A beat. Quick blinks. "What do you do with tea, usually? Coffee is usually cream and sugar, stateside. Figure you can tell me how to make a 'proper' cup."

Jul 17th, 2018 10:29 PM

Jason smiles softly, a little relieved that Quick took it so well, "I appreciate the candor. And you're right, it's probably best we don't start out quite that heavy."

"And no, to answer your question, I've never been to New York. I'd love to go some day, especially for Pride, I'm told the festivals in Britain don't even come close to comparing. Not that I ever really got a chance to go to those either..." His voice goes soft and quiet and his gaze drops to the table before he shakes his head and looks back up. And right after we agreed that we're avoiding the deep stuff. Still, his reaction should be telling, one way or the other. Jason gives a one shouldered shrug before speaking again, "Either way, no, I've had precious little time to explore the states, I'm afraid. Our lifestyle doesn't lend itself well to wandering, outside of a few specific exceptions."

"But very well, if you're feeling bold, then I'll tell you right now that the only way to make a proper cup of tea is to have exactly exactly that. Tea. No sugar, no milk. If I wanted flavored-milky-sugar-water I'd have a hot chocolate. Tea is supposed to be sharp, it's supposed to wake you up. And... I'm rambling." Jason chuckles to himself, a hand coming up to wipe from the top of his face down, "Apologies, and after I promised I wouldn't. In honesty you can drink it how you please. Some like milk or cream, some like sugar or lemon. It's really the kind of tea you want to look out for more than anything. What most people over here seem to be talking about when they think of tea is what we'd call 'builder's tea'. It's cheap and plentiful, but boring. But I'd recommend Early Grey if you're at all partial to orange, or Lady Grey if you're not."

**Quick** · Jul 21st, 2018 09:07 PM

The Onyx shrugs "Never really went to see that, either. Not that... I'd be against it. I was young, back then. Had other things to worry about. High school. Friends. That kind of thing." Quick blinks. "And when you say 'our lifestyle'..." He was either talking about being changed and being back or... or his experiences were even harsher than Quick had imagined.

This time Quick's hands go up. "Look, I'm willing to say you know more about it than I do. I'll try it your way. And I'm sticking with the original plan: Earl Grey." Then he smiles, coyly. "Nothing wrong with confidence. Even if it's based on tea."

Which brings him to a dilemma. A dreaded one. He wouldn't mind if Jason bought their tea, but he doesn't want to seem selfish either. He fusses over it (internally) for a moment before offering "Tea's on me. Both of them. Think of it as a 'welcome' to our, you know, group."

Jul 23rd, 2018 01:50 AM

Jason tilts his head slightly, considering his words carefully, "Those of us who've joined the club, as it were. We tend to prefer the comforts of a familiar environment. It gives us the best chance of spotting when something is... off. And of spotting uninvited guests. Not that I had much in the way of freedom of movement before I... went to study abroad. My family has always been very close knit, they would say. In truth, my parents were loathe to let me wander to far afield, lest I do damage to the family name."

He smiles at Quick's comment about confidence, "Well, if all I had to base my confidence on was tea then I'd be well advised to be concerned. As it is, however, my talents are... far more varied, thankfully. I should probably see about getting some of my qualifications recognized over here, now that I think on it."

Jason blinks in shock at Quick's offer to pay, before a look of absolute horror comes over his face, "Absolutely not, I shan't hear of it! I invited you to join me, and as such you are my guest. Honor, Guest Law, and if nothing else good manners all demand that I take care of any expenses from our outing. I may not have access to the full accounting of my birthright, but I'm not nearly so destitute as to allow a guest to pay for their own meal. If you feel the need to give me a welcoming gift, you'll simply have to invite me out somewhere." The last sentence is said in a softer, more tentative tone, allowing Quick an escape from any future outings without anyone losing any face.

He finishes by muttering under his breath, "Not to mention my mother would have my carcass for a chandelier if she head of it."

**Quick** · Jul 25th, 2018 08:49 PM

This is new. First accents and now 'family names'? This Jason guy Brits out pretty hard. Quick's eyebrow shoots up first, then a teasing grin follows. "What's that name of yours known for? Best I can take credit for is... a dirty restaurant in Manhattan. My parents'. Which, you know, doesn't suffer much from anything I do out here."

"Do tell. Unless you can't. Which I'd completely understand." His tone isn't super-serious, but there's a sympathetic look on his face. "Really can't go talking about all of my 'qualifications'. Not proud of everything I've done."

Quick's eyes widen and he falls silent under Jason's protest. It lasts until the side comment about his mother. Quick chuckles. "Heck of a culture shock. So you've got money. Me and rich kids didn't get on so well back home. But you seem alright. So I guess I'll let you pay. This time."

A Promise Fulfilled

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