The station is the destination

[Kray]

The sound of trains was something the Ogre found soothing. He wasn’t sure why the comings the going, the possibility the whole thing.

The whys the endless reasons to take a trip it was a good place to watch a mix of people … and scare said people out of the corner of the café he was sitting in as he watched. Flannel and denim served him well enough today, the long coat absent, but his hat ever present.

Valley station was large an active and while he most definitely got looks, he got less so then in sparsely populated places. Between people not wanting to make eye contact, his general air of menace and that they had places to be meant he could remind himself what this was like about the little nuisances of life without to much hassle.

[Circe]

Train wasn't a usual way to travel for the Summer Queen, but sometimes different was good. Shake things up, avoid rush hour. Very avoid rush hour.


One significant advantage of the Hedge and instant gates, you could smuggle like crazy IF you are willing to risk the contents sitting in the Hedge. Sometimes it worked out, sometimes it didn't. Circe always found it amusing to take multiple guns out of a too small container. Magician jokes abound! Today it mostly did, no biting, only a few broken pistols, so free spare parts for the buyers. Thus, Circe had no illegal guns on her as she returned on the train to the station.


She was returning with some cash, a few sparkly rocks in her suit's pocket, well secured in place and hard to get with the suit jacket buttoned up. Her briefcase was a decoy. Some Euros on top of literal Monopoly money, stationary, and napkins.


And after such a success, Circe felt she could use a coffee now. Even it is vastly inferior to Seraphina's place. Oh, there's a cafe.


Circe heads to the register to place an order for something, hopefully not too terrible. "Ya have Americano at least?" she gruffly asks the barista.

[Kray]

He was watching with a mild amusement, someone belting past the café clearing about to miss whatever train they needed to catch, when a far more interesting and known figure strolls in.

The Ogre waits for her to get her coffee first, that's only polite. And gives him a chance to finish watching the runner miss his train and hit his knees in defeat, which is the point he stops being worth watching. Once the summer sovereign has her beverage Kray will slam today's copy of the Sacramento Bee down harder then necessary on the table to get her attention. He would have whistled but thanks to his vastly overpacked jaw keeping his mouth open he can't.

The rumbling baritone then rolls out. 'Ah. And this is why I like coming here, never know who will pass through. Afternoon.' Flint pupils trying to catch the ruby. Not that it would be hard to figure out who he was talking to.

[Circe]

The barista nods, grumbling something pretentious and rude, "Here's a tip, I got good ears." Making the barista stiffen and rush at the job. Giving them shit? Well, customer service is a thing after all. Circe gets her coffee but ignores the tapping of the tip jar, "Ya already got one. And yes I am," cutting off the barista calling her a bitch with a troll-ish smile.


And the loud bang would make most Summers draw a weapon or ready to battle. Circe however is very familiar with gunfire. That would have been a 22 at most, and her suit was good for that. She had a low opinion of low calibers. She looks to see where the noise came from. Had she picked a fight with a customer seeking to defend a rude employee?


Oh. She perks up at the sight of ashen and scabbed troll is a welcome surprise. Circe smirks and gives Kray a salute, walking over to him, "Indeed. A surprise meeting, though a welcome one." Ruby eyes meet flint, the rubies are sparking with something. Mirth. Circe was in a good mood. She draws a chair and joins him, briefcase put beside the table. As if baiting some thief to find out how she would help them find out about Summer.


"How are you my friend? Awaiting a train?" the Larcenist sips the coffee and frowns, "Gotta complain, it ain't up ta Common Grounds standards." Kray will notice the barista making a rude gesture at Circe behind her back.

[Kray]

Kray returns the smirk if with way more teeth, then looks past the summer sovereign to stare down the barista. 'Ah. Would you like me to make their life worse?' the question directed to Circe while he directs menace over her shoulder.

Attention returning to the queen. 'Hm. Seems its your turn to rock the formal wear. Looks good.' Returning her compliment from the solstice.

He shakes his head. 'Oh. No. I'm not going anywhere.' Eyes Drill in the Barista again. 'Just people watching. Always a good place to see all sorts.' And being around people helped him view them as more then a dinner option. 'Yourself, coming or going?'

Kray will sip a large cup of strong tea. Milk two sugars. 'I've heard, its good in there. Haven't got around to giving it a visit.' He tries to convey with a look he knows who runs the show.

[Circe]

The barista is not up to staring down Kray. Very much not up to it. Circe pays them no mind, "Eh, they're working min wage. Too much effort to make it worse, I ain't in the mood for extra work. Though my mood is so changeable, so we'll see," Circe cheerfully laughs.


She puts down the coffee and sweeps her arms wide, "Fashion help when yer bashing, let me know if ya want a suit," Circe is proudly bragging to Kray, "I got a tailor."


Circe pauses as she considers what someone else would say. "Always fun ta watch folks trip. And if I had a more giddy than temperamental mindset," she nods, "I'd probably make a lewd joke. But I'm proudly violent. Returning from business." She leans forward with a toothy smile and her left hand up with just her index finger pointed up, "Successful business."


She leans back and takes a sip. "I'm addicted to coffee. Sera has one of the best," she assures Kray. "I'd recommend it. Food is stellar, but I much prefer the coffee," she sips the cup she has with a grimace, "This is not as good."

[Kray]

Besting the mortal was nothing to brag about, they seemed pretty weak willed if they needed to gesture behind someone's back to feel big. Still I wonder if you could really see us which would you be nicer to? 'Eh. Its not that much effort.' But he doesn't say it with enthusiasm. 'But fair enough I'll leave them. Though the offer stands.' What happened to good parenting, why do so few even pretend to have manners anymore.

The Ogre will give the suit and the sovereign the admiration they deserve when Circe shows off her attire. 'Uh. One day I'll take you up on that. Though a tailor might be a little pricey for me at the moment.' And plenty of demands on what I do have as is. 'That'll change though and yeah.' He nods his great head in agreement. 'Proper fashion helps many things.' He wasn't one to over look such things, when he could afford them.

Fun is a way to phrase it yes. He points to someone sat on a bench. 'Hm. That one has had his head in hands for the last forty five minutes.' If the Ogre had to wager he would say in the grips of despair. 'Someone came belting through clearly late for something important as you got your drink.' Not the deep-seated behavior altering fear he preferred but it served his point. 'You get all sorts coming through places like this. I like to guess what they are doing.' Summer business hey, good to know your active. His respect for the fairest mounting some. 'Ah. Always good to hear things are going well.' He wouldn't pry. it wasn't his business after all.

Oh okay we can talk about that openly, good to know. 'Yes. I've heard she's very good. Got quite the range as well from what she was telling me.' She also mentioned the food. He'll pat his obese gut. It doesn't move as much as it should if it were just a blob of fat. 'Ah. feeding me can get expensive.' And tricky. 'So best keep me away from good food.' Neither my wallet nor their pantry would survive it. 'Hm. The thing about bad tea is its always a surprise. There are so many ways to get such a simple mix not quite right.' That and everyone seemed to make it different. 'But it does the job.'

[Circe]

"Very tempting, perhaps on the way out we can incite something," and she certainly meant it. The mundy had seemed too pathetic to be worth the time. But getting another to do it or allowing Kray to if he enjoyed engaging his Wrath on someone that was rude to Circe? Yeah, she'd support those options. "I'd just wanna fuck with Wifi and cameras before first blood."


Circe shrugs as Kray turns down the suit offer, "Eh, I've been gifting them ta the angrier club members. Look good while kicking ass," she gives him a thumbs up. Though there had been another reason. What was it? Oh, right, "And uniforms, something tactical to that, but business suits are the only option that don't get odd looks. Plus pockets."


Circe turns, sipping the mid coffee to look at the mundy on the bench. "Deductive reasoning practice?" SHe suggests. "That would be a fun way to phrase it," she looks around as well, noticing someone in an bouncing on their feet, smiling, and holding a cardboard sign at their side. She nods her head, "That is someone about fuck with a friend," as she certainly knows trolling. "I can see how this could get amusing my friend."


"Business is always good," she assures the Gristle Grinder, "Helps provide for the groundskeeping supplies in stock too." Which was entirely true. It made getting brass really easy. Bombs. Armor. Stuff.


"Eh," she shrugs as Kray makes a joke about his gut. Muscle or just his Mein? She wasn't sure. "Just get the chef ta owe ya. Then they don't have a choice," she sips the coffee with a grimace. It wasn't mid-mid. Lower-mid. Lower-mid is a thing and distracting her from their talk. "Or a CostCo card. But Sera is a better cook. Like, I knew that edible gold was a thing, but Sera showed me edible glitter is legit."


That had been a surprise. And he was having tea? Really? "Huh," she wasn't sure about that. "Don't try tea myself," she admits, "I have seen epic fails in cooking. And coffee brewing, though that is mostly when I watch Gremlins. I'll stick to the boiled bean juice over charred leaves," the Fairest sends the Troll a smirk. "And I don't trust that the green type. Like at all," she widdens her eyes for emphasis. "Looks kinda, uh, like water that stagnated among the Thorns," Circe admits to her distrust. Trying to find a better word. "Swampish? It that a word?"

[Kray]

That's a bit more then the Ogre had bargained for. 'Heh. I was thinking something a little more subtle.' He wasn't about to assault someone in a public place. 'Uh. I can't mess with either, but shouldn't need to for what I have in mind.' No autumn had its own ways of dealing with people who don't know better.

He raises an eyebrow there. 'Hm. They look good no doubt. And, well that's real kind of you but I don't tend to be an angry person.' So why offer me one? He was an Ogre so more than tad brutish on occasion sure, but anger was rarely his motivation. 'And no matter who says to, I'm not wearing a uniform.' Speaking of brutish, there's that stubborn Ogre streak right on que. Why would anyone, if it makes them more singular and less themselves?

He nods and follow her gaze. 'Heh. Yeah that one looks interesting.' He'll be keeping half an eye to see how that situation unfolds. 'Or that one.' Nodding to someone in a cheap suit pacing back and force rigid arm motion and talking to themselves. 'Interview I reckon.' Or sales pitch maybe.


Must be good business if it helps keep our little community afloat with no one taking notice. I wonder what? 'Hm. Sounds like you have something really smart pieced together.' Waiting to see if she elaborates.

Now that ... that's actually very clever. 'Ah. Why didn't I think of that. Pretty skilled at the means of doing so as well.' Although he used those quote un quote deals, to fill a very different need to food and money. But why couldn't I? 'Yeah. that's a good plan. Thanks.' She after had put him onto it. 'Uh. Although I have to admit neither are things I would have considered eating.' Raw meat made up most of his diet. 'Aren't metals hard to digest?' His stomach could handle it if anyone's could but still it didn't sound appetizing.

She must really like that film. Remembering the Summer queen had referenced it at the carol service as well. 'Ha. No not great at much were those little blighters.' It was a good film. But, Kray had given most attention to the rules of the supernatural little creatures. That's what interested him. 'Other the breaking stuff that of course.' And terrorizing. 'Not had green tea myself. Seen it. Everywhere. In all the shops.' He shrugs. 'I just don't get it.' What is it? Tea comes from a plant why isn't that green? She's more brazen then me to talk of that in public. Good on her. 'Um. I think it is. If not I know what you mean.' Coffee did seem to rule the roost in most places but tea had its niche. 'So. Why coffee?'

[Circe]

The Larcenist smirks, "I don't like ta do subtle off the clock," she chuckles. "But we can totally be ninja about it. Digital security is probably not too gooooood," she checks her phone and notices something. "Correction, they have none. Nice." She pockets the phone.


Circe shrugs as Kray rejects suits, "Ta each they're own. Good thing of blending in with suits, camouflage when ya mess with folks," she winks. It was ironic that she was talking about trolling mortals with an actual troll. "They I don't try ta always wear them. None of that James Bond wannabe stupidity."


She notes the person he is pointing out. The question was, interview now or later? "Practice or in talks now? The latter would be stupid with all the train noises." Unless the interviewer was a train nut. Then that might help.


Circe sips the coffee, taking the compliment on her successful career. And not willing to discuss THAT kind of business in a public setting.


"Oh ho ho ho! What can I say, but yer welcome," she isn't sure what chef she just ruined the month for, but she hoped Kray pulled it off. As for the metals, that gets her to smirk as she points at Kray, "True! Actually, ya just poop out the gold if it is small enough." Fun conversation topic. Whatever attention the laugh got, the topic repulsed. "Turns out unlike mercury, it IS safe ta eat," she shrugs, "Who knew. Her glitter is some kind of sugar."


She nods in agreement as Kray jokes about the same film. Circe can't help but agree with the disdain for the green tea fad, "Its a fad. Fancy or something," Circe didn't get it at all. It was just tea that looked like moldy cocain powder. Oh, he didn't get it? "Tea tea looks black or brown. Like cola or beer. Tea colored ya know?" She nods and doesn't wait for a reply, "But the green stuff? Reminds me of algae filled swamp water. Need boilin' and filtering before ya even think of drinking it."


Circe taps the right side of her head, "Instinct says do not drink the swamp sludge." Then sips her mid coffee again. Oh well. As for the coffee thing, "Why? Bitter flavor reminder of things that might be, gaining me extra energy, ta do stupid things faster." The Italian accented Fairest smirks, "Also I'm Italian. I do embrace the coffee addiction that plagues my ancestors," she the coffee again. Empty. Good and bad. She puts the cup down and leans back in the chair, "Hold onta the past and such. Helps with the regular all nighters, though do I ever crash hard when it wears off."