Spring Time Coffee!

[Seraphina]

Spring was here and in the air! And as such, Garden Grounds was busy! The flowers on the ceiling had been changed out for a brighter, more vibrant wisteria. Its sweet scent was light, nothing overpowering, very pleasant to the senses. The faire lights were still mixed in, offering a soft, gentle light, almost star like in quality.

The patio was open, double iron French doors wide open, showing outdoor seating. There was a small koi pond, as well as some hanging pod chairs. Tables were under a large tree with outdoor lights hanging in the branches.

And the Treasured was behind the counter, Mantle in full effect, for those that could see it. The wildflowers grew into more bright spring like colors wherever she walked and stood, the pink petals dancing around her were more vibrant. She wore a white, long sleeved short dress that was made of light, airy fabric. Heels added a few inches to her already tall frame, and she of course had her engagement ring on. Long hair was style into a bun with a special hair clip and long pieces hung down her back and framed her face. Currently, she was adding water to a cold brew setup.

[Kaze]

Kaze arrives, getting a table and looking like he’s waiting for someone.
He’s wearing a black leather jacket over a solid black shirt and black trousers and athletic shoes, with a tactical sling bag over his shoulder.

[Eulogy]

Mordechai walked toward the café almost nervously. Taking his time in experiencing the delicate ambiance. He paused at the patio to take in the Koi pond, the various colors of gold and white koi blissfully existing in the provided ecosystem. He could not help but smile. Oh to be a fish and have all my needs met by a faithful and considerate owner. Musing complete, he continued his adventure into the Jungle.

Upon actually entering the coffee house Mordechai was impacted with sense experience. The light and breezy scent of wisteria accented the vibrant colors of the decoration. The twinkling of lights like tiny stars peppered throughout instantly increased his happiness a step. The feeling of pure LIFE is tangible. Makes a stark contrast from the morgue. the death mage thought.

Mordechai's quick survey of the room revealed the person he was here to see already sitting at a table. Kaze looked like he hadn't ordered yet. As Mordechai walked toward the other will worker he got the usual feeling of inadequacy that came over him whenever he found himself in the company of overly beautiful people. It wasn't jealousy per se, more a sense of unfairness. Mordechai didn't think of himself as ugly by any means but he knew deep down that no matter how hard he tried he would never fit in the supermodel club, with the likes of Brad, Angelina, Kaze, and apparently the enchantingly stunning woman behind the counter. Seraphina He tried not to stare at the woman but he could not help his eyes lingering for that too long moment. Returning to himself with a blush he turned away and continued on.

At the table, he removed his Snap Brim Fedora and placed it on a chair. "Hey, Thanks for telling me about this place it, you were right it is super awesome." He took a moment to remove his black suit jacket and placed it over the back of the chair. He still looked rather smart in his white button-down shirt and pinstripe waistcoat but removing the jacket was his nod to the casual atmosphere. "I feel refreshed just walking in. So have you ordered? Can I get you something?" he says with a thumb pointing at the counter.

[James Turner]

James walked into Garden Grounds, practically a regular with coffee and tea pickups, sometimes a light night coffee between meetings as he worked on his schedule of where he had to be and who had to meet. Sometimes leaving in the middle as he got a call from a client in distress, though he hadn't been around as much over the last few months. The Winter season had been long for the Monarch in both good and bad ways.


It was no longer his season and this was no a formal occasion so he was back to the wear most of his fellows were used to. Black slacks and a hand picked band tee for the day. Though all of it couldn't help but smell like cigarette smoke, even if he wasn't a smoker himself he was around enough the smell would permeate one way or another.


His eyes marveled at the décor as he looked around and chuckled, shaking his head. "I definitely can't name everything you've changed this time. It's not a short list but you really do go all out for the special occasions. I love it. Hope you've been well, I know it's the busy time of year for you what with the influx of business and all." He said with a smile, eyes lingering over to the super model. He looked familiar.


He took a second, mental fingers flipping through mental files. Flick, flick, flick, ahhh there it was. No name, just a face though it looks like he'd lost a little weight judging by the jawline, definitely more lean now that would need updated. It only had one note in his mental file -Other, unknown and undetermined. Eyes looking to Sera, his heart racing for a second. It was fine. Everything was fine. Offering Kaze a smile and looking at his dapper friend. "I really like your hat sir."

[Kaze]

"Oh wow, um...sure. Thanks!" Kaze says, accepting Eulogy's generosity. "Um, how about the bubble tea? Green?"

When the orders are ready and retrieved, Kaze says, "So, how are you settling in? Do you have a place yet? Like, not just a hotel room?" He asks.

[Seraphina]

Looking over from what she was doing, it was hard to miss the guy with the fit and healthy glow. Though…he looked familiar. Was that the guy from Halloween? She thinks so, and offers a wave as he sits. Maybe waiting for someone?

The guy who joined him was unfamiliar, but the look wasn’t. It was one she had grown accustomed to over the years. A friendly smile was offered. Seemed that was who the familiar face was waiting for.

But John got the warmest smile, “Hey you!” she greets as she laughs, “And thank you! With Spring comes new growth and beauty.” Hence the new wisteria. “I’ve been pretty good, busy, but good. How about you? Can I get you a coffee or tea?” then a nod, “There has been an influx of customers, I think it’s the patio and having it open, people love sitting outside when the weather warms.” True story, she had been busy all day. But she loved it. Looking at his shirt, “Can’t say I know the band, do you recommend them?” finding new music was always exciting.

[Eulogy]

Mordechai acknowledged the stranger James Turner with a warm friendly smile. "Oh? why thank you. I always felt that a good Fedora can compliment any ensemble without breaking the bank. Even a tee, I bet it would especially go with a trad goth-punk band like the Smiths." he said pleasantly.

He approached the counter nervously. His eyes flit about uncomfortably not knowing where to look. He placed his order in a quiet voice, staring down at the counter. "Ummm, Can I..um..get a green tea, bubble thing.....and..um...a house coffee?....please?" his cheeks colored again as he spoke to Seraphina obviously intimidated by the woman.

When he eventually made it back to his table he got around to answering Kaze . "Still the hotel I am afraid. It's ok though it's nice to not have to worry about cleaning and they have a dry cleaning service for my suits so nothing to complain about. I am currently looking at properties to buy. It is actually the reason I came here in the first place. I am intending to open a death education center slash funeral home. There have been many advancements in green burial and most of the public is not educated on their rights and options." He paused to take breath mostly to stop from rambling about a subject the he was deeply invested in but made most other people's eyes glaze over.

[James Turner]

"Beauty is putting it lightly, I can see why the outdoor seating is popular. It's got a really nice atmosphere and this is the perfect weather for it." He offered a small smile in return and a dip of his head, still not comfortable with her serving but she was Hostess and she'd made it clear it wasn't a problem before so as stubborn as he was this was a battle he'd lost long ago. "I wouldn't mind a coffee, light roast if it's not too much trouble."


Offering the dapper gentleman a smile as his words struck a chord with John. He couldn't help but regard the stranger a little more positively than he might another. "I can't argue with that, doesn't hurt that it seems to suit you. Credit in that one goes to the Tee not the wearer, you like the Smiths?" The Smiths were well known so the recognition wasn't as surprising as the breakdown of the genre. "John, nice to meet you." Giving a nod to Kaze as well. "And you as well sir."


He couldn't blame his reaction as he spoke with Sera. Yea, he sympathized with that. The time they'd spent together, the victories and defeats had helped him grow more comfortable around her. That and he knew Rhodes would give him nightmares forever if anything were to happen to her so he'd have to act as pseudo lookout, but he was always on the lookout for danger anyway.


"Good music, can probably find a greatest hits if you're interested. Just don't look at any of Morrisey's statements or interviews, he's kind of a dick." John shrugged his shoulders, he liked their art and the band was bigger than one person anyway. "I'm still partial to Siouxsie and the Banshees myself. What are you working on currently?" He couldn't help but grin, it was a guess but he thought it was a good one.


No he couldn't help but eavesdrop, ears free as the two gentleman spoke. Mortician? He wondered to himself curiously, there was some overlap between the two professions as loss was a common reason people ended up at meetings unfortunately. He kept quiet for now though, any interjection would give him away.

[Kaze]

Kaze doesn't stare or otherwise give an indication when he notices...something about the guy who just walked in. He's...hyper calm. And taking everything in. He looks, in short, a little like an operator, someone who spots all the exits in a place and has a plan to kill everyone there if necessary. Only the eyes don't seem sufficiently hard for that.

Except Kaze knows that his eyes don't give off that dead predator vibe either, and he has the same training. So either they guy is just a normal guy with a really low pulse who doesn't get easily excited and a naturally observant guy...or he's one of the dangerous ones who don't seem so dangerous. Which makes Kaze wonder for a second which category he'd put himself in these days. If the guy was a pro, he's probably noticed Kaze as one too. The situational awareness thing shows.


Then the guy initiates contact. That's interesting, and definitely not something a professional would be likely to do. He looks at Kaze directly and then starts talking to Eulogy.


Kaze smiles back at John, rising from his seat and introducing himself, "Hi. Call me 'Chris'." He says.


Then the woman at the front looks over, and...wow. How did he miss her? He must have been just focused on the physical environment and getting a table for him and Eulogy. Still, it was sloppy, especially since he was just patting himself on the back for being professionally trained at threat assessment! Wow, she's a double threat at least! He could mostly focus in spite of her amazing looks, but that voice! When she spoke, he really couldn't even pretend to concentrate on anything or anyone else!


Kaze grins, and waves back. "Wow. I...did I see you on Halloween?" He asks her. "I was Superman. It was at a club." He offers, mostly coherently. He'd just met Jenna there, and that was the main thing he remembered, but this lady was super memorable...and had been distracting that night too!


He listens rapturously to her voice, even feeling a little jealous as she answers the guy who just came in like they're old friends. But mostly he just enjoys the sound of her voice. Wow.


Eulogy is answering the guy, and ordering. Cool.


When he comes back, he is like the third mage to tell him about Death, though maybe he's not talking about the Arcana so much; it's hard to tell in code, but either way the guy is definitely a fan.


"So, what is a 'death education center'?" Kaze asks. "I mean, seems like mostly people only want to educate me about death to try to get me to buy life insurance or something?"


Kaze grins. "You sound like you're really into it, and that makes it sound kind of interesting. I think I heard about some deal where people can get buried, and like a tree grows up from their plot or something?" He asks, seemingly sincerely curious.f


He'd been through the whole death thing with his mom and then his grandfather, so it wasn't really too mysterious. And then the missions, but that generally didn't involve going to any funeral homes; those burials had been totally private. Like Epitaph's, whatever Winter had done with her headless body, Kaze hadn't been invited.


"Oh, and I have a pickup truck, so just let me know whenever you need help moving boxes or furniture or whatever." Yeah, let's not talk about moving bodies; we really don't know each other well enough for that.


Kaze nods to John when he introduces himself. "Cool. I guess my music is pretty vanilla; pop and oldies mostly." He says with an unapologetic grin. Jazz too, but no reason to get into that.

[Seraphina]

Seeing how uncomfortable he was, she puts on her nicest smile, her voice gentler, “Of course!” setting to work getting the order put together. It didn’t take her very long. “And I think the hat suits you very well.” Trying to put him at ease.

Nodding, “That’s what I was going for.” Glad it came across. “Was even thinking of hosting a movie night out on the patio when it’s warm enough. Get some inflatable chairs and whatnot, get a projector and just enjoy a fun movie outside!” wouldn’t be hard to do. “No trouble at all!” and like she did before, she gets his coffee ready relatively quickly. Setting it down, she pours herself some coffee, nodding to an employee to take over.

“I’m Sarah.” A nod and smile to the other two guys.

“Huh, I’ll have to check it out. I’m always looking to expand my music library.” Her’s mainly consisted of jazz. “Me? A second business actually.” And wedding plans. Of course, wedding plans. But not everyone liked hearing about wedding plans.

“That’s where I recognize you from! You made an excellent Superman by the way, great costume!” compliments the Nix with a smile, “I was wearing a Steampunk costume. How’ve you been?” she knew she saw him somewhere before. And with those looks, it was hard to forget him.

Looking to the other guy, “I’ve never heard of a Death Education Center. It sounds like it would be something very valuable and important.” It had education in the name, it had to be good right?

Laughing, light and musical, “I suppose you could say my music interest are pretty vanilla. I mostly listen to jazz.” And sing it. But that was a different topic.