Cocoa and words

[Corn]

Corn, dressed casually in dark colors was sitting at the small cafe a little out of downtown Sacramento that specialized in cocoa, hot chocolate and similar beverages. "Over 150 different chocolate flavors!" the big sign outside wrote. Some of his students have suggested it and Corn thought to try it. The place was quite empty at this early afternoon time, offering reasonable privacy. With the increased scrutiny over mages' secrecy - and actually an apostate mage angry with him on the loose - Corn didn't want to risk a public place. But this was both homey and private.
The perfect place to get to know the new mage Moira .

He has also texted Belle , Aurora , Crystal and Zeromancer in case they wanted some cocoa or time with the new girl.

[Zeromancer]

Zeromancer had received the text and decided that he would join his new friend. He arrived at the place Corn had messaged him and when he walked in he saw him sitting alone. He must be early, "Good afternoon my friend, what brings us together?"

[Corn]

Corn smiled when he saw Zeromancer . "Oh hello... " took him a moment " ... Hector! Pleased to see you. Have a seat. Have some cocoa. Well, I haven't decided what to take yet. The choices are overwhelming. What brings us together is hopefully our mutual love for cocoa and a desire to spend some time with the new arrival, get to know her better. You never know what fate has in store. " Yeap, he was in good mood.
Corn had a large catalogue with hot chocolate flavors in front of him, flipping through the pages. Zero can't feel any magic from Corn.

[Aurora]

The text had been a surprise, but she remembered Corn mentioning a get together at some point. So the Shaman decides to be social, get out of her loft for a bit.

Hot chocolate place meant probably no alcohol, which made her debate bringing a flask. But she thought better of it, not everyone enjoyed drinking, and she could always throw a party later if she wanted.

Casual was name of game for this, she went with a leather wrap skirt. A lightweight jacket completed the whole thing.

Walking in, she takes in the place, it was…quaint. Yeah, that was the word. But spots Corn and Zero, a hand raised in a wave as she walked over. Tossing the jacket over a seat, she sits, “Hey guys.” A warm smile on her face. “Have I missed anything exciting?” secretly wanting a color packet again to get Zero back, the thought making her smirk to herself.

[Moira]

Moira blew into the shop, talking into her cell phone, with the video imaging on. "I'm getting something to power me through the afternoon Blake, but could you please send me the new submissions from the dancers, and I will yay or nay them before the end of business, okay? I know you are anxious as I am to get all the feedback in so we can show everything to the animators, and then we can send the final submissions for approval to the creative director. I am doing the presentation when I am in the office tomorrow late afternoon. Make sure you chase the rest of the team down to let them know for me. I need theirs in by first thing in the morning." They said goodbye and Moira waved seeing Corn, Aurora and Zero, but hurried over to order something. Her dark brown eyes reading over the selections with a slight smile. She didn't know why she bothered. She knew what she wanted. Something dark and rich. French sipping chocolate was her favorite. With all the crazy flavor combinations that was her favorite. A plain one, but rich, complex and dark.

The enchanter had her floofy, spiky, and usually wild hair tamed: worn down for once. She was dressed in a medium wash jean jacket, and a peasant dress, that was sheer from her natural waist down, so she wore a pair of matching wash skinny jeans and some white flats to finish the look. She shoved her phone back into her sunshine yellow purse. Ordered the sipping chocolate and went to sit down with the burgeoning group.

"Hey guys! I'm not late am I?" She asked the group, putting her purse strap around the chair to get it off her shoulder. "What are you guys ordering? I got the French sipping chocolate."

[Zeromancer]

Zeromancer was not one to look down at an opportunity to try something new, and this was new. He didn't even know there were were different kinds of Hot Chocolate. He decided on an Irish Hot Chocolate with extra whipped cream. He was feeling playful and thought the whipped cream would come in handy. Zero then said, "Yeah I am thinking of getting the Irish Hot Chocolate, not sure what it is but it sounds good. And coming from the Boston area anything Irish sounds good to me." Zero then added, "So how have you been since the I last saw you two, last I saw you Madison, you had a lot more color on." he said with a snicker.

[Corn]

Corn puts up a hand to stop Zero with a sage-y, mock-stern look. "Easy young padawan. You exposed me to new and interesting flavors of drinks, alcoholic and not. Don't expect this will end with you just tasting one kind of hot chocolate. You will walk out of here a wiser man." Then he turned to the waitress "Miss, don't go overboard with the cup sizes for my friend here. We will be having several rounds of your tasty beverages." Aurora got a short salute-like wave while Corn was explaining to Zero that he would be educated in the various different flavors of chocolate before turning to the other Daduchos.

"I came here prepared. " he said but then Moira arrived on their table before he had the chance to explain. Announcing she had her choice.
"Greetings fellow choco-drinker." Corn said. "As I was explaining to Hector and Madison, this is no mere gathering over a cup of cocoa. Nope. No. We will expand our collective knowledge on perfectly made hot chocolate. You seem to know your way around a cup and have stated your preference. We will, obviously, bask in your superior knowledge on the subject for the 2nd and 3rd cup - yes, Hector, we will have three different tastes each, and I am paying so don't worry. "

Then the mask falls and his sage tone changes as he addressed Moira. "Look, I am overwhelmed. The choices... the choices are too many! I need your help. What would you suggest that it is rich, sweet, familiar but also exotic? Like tasting a fruit or coctail in a faraway land and finding out that it reminds you somewhat the flavor of the wine your grandfather was drinking with dinner back home for the past 50 years?
Madison, if your expertise expands to chocolate, I would welcome your insight here too.

Anyway, as I was telling Madison, I came prepared..." Corn pulls out a piece of paper.
"I googled some trivia about chocolate and hot chocolate as discussion starters. You may not believe it but similar lists of trivia helped me break the ice with my current wife in our first dates. Although, to be honest, I was picking places with poor wifi reception. Hard to impress a girl when she can access wikipedia too."


Back to Moira and Zero, "I am not boring you guys, do I? I just kinda like those things. It is not a test or anything here. We are just here to have fun and get to know each other - and chocolate - better. If you don't want to hear how the French King Luis XIII, father of the sun King, was the first French to taste chocolate from his future wife, just say so. "

Then he whispers to Moira, "Just to be clear and I apologize, but I seem to have missed your name... I am bad with names. Took me a while to memorize Hector's or Madison's name. What should I call you?"

[Aurora]

The wave was returned with a smile.

“Not late that I know of, how’s it going?” finally picking up one of the books menus, she shrugs, "Not sure yet.” Eyes peer over the menu to the playful Moira's cup, “French sipping chocolate?” was that like, special hot chocolate?

“Irish hot chocolate? Wonder if it’s like Irish coffee.” But probably not. Might be something to try and make at home though. She begins to skim over the menu a bit more, before playful narrowing at Zero, “I did, didn’t I!” laughing, “Let me say, that was a nightmare in the shower.” It was a multicolored shower. “And I’m definitely saving those clothes to hit the clubs in!” the random colors were just fun. “But I’ve been good, preparing for a show.” Money was money. “How about you? You were pretty colorful too.” It was nice to be able to relax and just have fun.

An eyebrow arches at Corn, “Expand our knowledge huh?” shrugging, “Sure.” She was game. “How are you picking which ones to try, cause there’s a lot.” Like, seriously, who knew there was this many flavors! Shaking her head, “No expertise in chocolate. I mean, I know what works for a stout, but that’s about it.” And she knew what flavors she liked.

Smirking to Corn, “So this is like an ice breaker thing?” blue eyes moving to Moira and then to Zero before leaning back, “Why not.”

[Moira]

Moira got comfy in her seat. She appreciated the softer chairs in the décor. She sat with her legs crossed, cradling her cup in her hands. Enjoying the simple sensation of the warmth transferring from the cup to her hands. She smiled as Corn turned to her for advice.


Her smile stepped up to the full megawattage. Corn’s intensity is infectious to the enchanter. It was obvious, as she giggled slightly leaning forward just a little as she spoke to him. She thought over what he asked of her. She knew just where he was going and was only too happy to offer her own suggestion. “Then you should go with the Aztec hot chocolate. It’s your traditional hot chocolate recipe with whole milk and cocoa made with cinnamon and ancho chili. For a sweet and complicated treat. You first taste the yummy warming spice of the cinnamon and then the spicy touch of the chili. It’s delicious and fits the bill for something exotic that can take your taste buds to another time.” She made her case, and raised her own steaming cup to her lips and took a sip of the thick concoction she was drinking. It was incredibly rich. So much so she only took small sips at a time. It coated the tongue like a thick sauce. Perfection.


Trivia! She had Trivia!! Pulling on some Aztec lore, why not!? “Ohhhhh well if you wanna compare trivia! You have to mention the Maya and the Aztecs! The Maya were the first to create the basis of what we consider hot chocolate. The Aztec directly mention Xocolatl, translated as chocolate or 'bitter drink', was made of cocoa beans ground up with spices and served as a beverage. Since they didn't have any way to cultivate sugar, the drink was bitter and spicy.”


“Oh you can call me Allegra. That’s what I go by in these situations…” She whispered back to Corn, and glanced at Madison and Hector, nodding to each to make sure they heard and could make use of that information.


Moira nodded adamantly to Madison. “Yeah, French sipping chocolate. It's super rich and thick and not as sweet as traditional hot chocolate. They make it with a mixture of whole milk, heavy cream, and 60 to 70% pure cocoa nibs or flaked chocolate bars, and just a tiny pinch of salt which naturally mellows the bitterness and brings out the natural depth of the cacao.” This is what she got for being besties with a recovered heroin addict. Their chocolate cravings were intense.

[Zeromancer]

Zeromancer winked at Aurora , "That color was 'fun' to get out of my clothes, but it was a good time. I did not mind the company either. Your friends seemed pretty cool as well." Zero paused, "So when is your show, I would love to attend."

Zero then addressed Corn and Moira , "Okay, okay I get it go ahead and choose my drinks, you and Allegra seem to know more about this than I do. But next time we are out I promise you will have more to drink than some non-alcoholic drinks."