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 Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 2:47 am
An RP between Redbud-Tree [Aisling, Riley, and their Spark], Roots of the Cosmos [Dimitri, Josev, & his Spark].
Location: The Avant-Garden Cafe and surrounding streets.
Time: Late Morning.
Weather: The skies are hidden by fog, proving to be quite the chilly morning indeed in these winter days...
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 3:37 am
Frigid wind cut through the crisp morning air this day, the early birds rewarded by Jack Frost's version of a slap to the face. Yet the plaza was bustling as usual, though big, poofy, scarf-wrapped figures replaced the normal crowd. There were many available shopping locales nearby, but one in particular really seemed to be taking in the patronage.
The Avant-Garden Café, open early as usual, was positively filled with guests this morning, defying even its own standard of occupation. Next to every table was filled, and might you wonder why? Outside, there was a simple chalkboard propped up with a non-obtrusive message:
"Cold enough for you?
Why not stop by the Avant-Garden?
Free cups of hot cocoa to warm your bodies until supplies [or bodies] run out!
-Dimitri"
And the message, however plainly writ, certainly attracted attention. Dimitri, the manager of the cafe, was having a hell of a fun time trying to find out how to fit everyone in. The patio, even, was mostly taken. Why was it that people so much hated sitting at a table with someone else? You don't all need your own private table, sheesh...
Even though the cocoa was free, the inbound customers were buying an endless menagerie of hot drinks after that, and this was turning out to be quite the profitable day, even with all the prices on Dimitri’s Solstice Discount. He was very glad he’d hired shop assistants to run the side-jobs, it was astounding how much time they saved him on days like these.
On one end of the room was a table, mostly empty, sat at by one man alone. It was somewhat near the door, and thus somewhat colder, and that had deterred most anyone else from joining him. The cold certainly didn’t seem to bother him, however. Before him sat a mug of some dark coffee or another, didn’t seem much sweetened. This was the same drink he liked to order most every day, every morning, to stop by and enjoy before he left to open his tailor shop for the day.
He was astoundingly well-dressed, whilst avoiding appearing flashy by some miracle or another. Dark, chocolate-leather shoes, nicely shined, housed his feet with matching socks. Long thick denim jeans, cut slender to the leg, were of a color not dissimilar to mocha. A plain cotton shirt of some chocolate hue snugly wrapped his fit torso, covered again by a coffee-bean collared shirt with cream-colored embroidery comfortably stitched around the breast pocket. Tight, thermal, yet stylish gloves of the same chocolate-leather hue as his footwear were keeping his long fingers from the bite of the air. If one were close enough, they might notice the man’s cologne smelled pleasantly of some rich latte. He was reading a small black appointment book, stealthily unsheathed from some pocket or another, glasses perched upon his nose. Behind him an evenly auburn-toned leather jacket was carefully slung across the chair’s back to keep out wrinkles.
The man’s peculiar, violet eyes scanned across the pages, seeming to even swirl about every now and then, perhaps even glow. On occasion, he would lift his mug to his calm lips, taking in a savored sip of his coffee. This drink, here, may lack the frills of what cafes usually offered, may be simple, but was made with what he found to be the richest-flavored coffee beans; it would be a crime to dilute their flavor with the sludge people seemed to enjoy polluting their drinks with. Next to the mug, upon a paper napkin was some sort of bread, a small chunk perfect for a quick snack in the morning, baked with coffee in it along with a few other natural ingredients to form a recipe the café guarded like nuclear codes. Just another reason the café saw so much business. The man took a clean bite out of the moist, fresh-baked bread, a smile-curve slightly gracing his expression as he enjoyed the flavor. And now, back to reading through those appointments.
The massive, black leather-bound volume he had sitting on the table was garnering attention every now and then, mostly because of the rather menacing-looking blood-red gems that were encrusted in its spine, or perhaps the powerful scarlet symbols inscribed, nearly cut into the ancient-looking cover.
...did it just growl at a passerby?
Just another day in the life of Josev Maestern.
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Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 1:04 pm
"S-sis'er, I'm cold," Riley said, whimpering as she cuddled close to Aisling, riding in her lap as the two wheeled down the street. Dilly, miraculously, was asleep in the bag she'd designated as 'hers' a few days before, and seemed to be doing well despite her impromptu mode of transportation and change in living space. The same could not be said of her two-legged caretakers, both of whom were looking more than a bit worse for wear since being forced to run for their sanity and their lives a few days before. Both girls seemed far too cold to be healthy, and had the look of people who haven't eaten much of anything in the last few days.
Aisling sighed a little and stroked Riley's hair, murmuring a quiet, "I know, weean, I know. . ." She said, keeping an eye out for any place that looked warm and like it would offer them a refuge from the cold for a few hours. Spotting a sign that said free hot chocolate, her eyes lit up and she nudged the little girl in her lap. "Oi, Riley, wan' some free hot chocolate?"
Instantly the little girl was bouncing with excitement, clapping her hands happily. "Oh, yes, sis'er, yes! Can I hae some, p'eaase?" If there was a touch of whine to the little one's voice, Aisling ignored and forgave it. Riley was being such a tough little girl lately, and she could hardly begrudge her the tiny little whimper. "O' course, weean, le's go inside," she said, heading in and almost savoring the warmth inside despite the pain it brought to too-cold hands and feet. going over to the only table that was free, Aisling let Riley down and watch the little girl climb into a free seat. Somewhat nervously, she smiled at the man who was already sitting there.
"Ye donnae mind us sittin' here, do ye, sir?"
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 3:14 pm
The small square of coffee cake now forever vanished from its napkin placemat, violet eyes scanned the café crowd. All seemed so merry despite the bleak cold that reigned from outside. It was odd, seeing how this forced communion within these few, warm places truly brought people together with one another, odd to see the usual petty façades they usually wore just fade away as the blood and body of a coffee savior was exchanged between these many worshipers of the god of warmth.
No detail escaped him, this seemingly simple tailor; the rich, dense grain of the cherrywood furniture and countertops, the clean, honey hue of the oak floors. It was rather astounding, actually, that the owner of the café managed to make the building so tastefully decorated on a non-corporate budget. Whatever the case, Josev knew he had good reason to choose this as his favorite spot for coffee, that much was quite certain.
But what is this, it would seem a rather worse-for wear pair of women were headed his way. Ah, they were aimed for the extra seating at his table, apparently. As Aisling asked her inquiry of him, Josev stood up from his seat, to pull out a chair for Riley and move a chair out of the way to allow for Aisling to fit her wheelchair in its place.
“Ah, certainly; I would be happy to have such lovely company to share a table with.”, he spoke, voice hinted with his accent and painted with a suave tone.
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 3:51 pm
Aisling smiled at the man who was kind enough to help them, somehow not bothered by his politeness, while from others she would essentially tell them to shove off. Maybe it was because he was being so kind to Riley. . . and because it didn't seem like there was any pity in his actions. "Thank ye, sir," she said quietly watching Riley clamor about, looking for hot chocolate. "Riley, say thank ye," she admonished gently, and the four-year-old turned a startled glance upon her sister before looking at the man who'd helped her chair out for her.
"Hullo! Thank ye' f'r lettin' me an' sis'er si' wiv ye!" She chirped happily, then asked boldly, "How do we get th' hot chocolate, Mis'er?"
Aisling would have reminded her sister of her manners, but really, they'd been too cold the last few days for her to be too pushy towards the little girl. That wasn't even counting the trauma that she'd endured, with having both of their parents gone and leaving Farstep. Aisling sighed a little and rubbed at her head, trying to ignore the lingering, hunger-induced headache she was suffering.
"Riley, we'll ge' th' hot chocolate in a few minutes," she said, nodding to the man they were sitting with and trying to adjust the bags she had with her. "Sorry fae takin' up ye're space, sir," she said, watching Riley start to play with a napkin, scooting it around the table and talking about a flying carpet. "Wha's yer name, sir, if'n it's alright tae ask."
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 4:39 pm
Josev nodded once the woman and her daughter? Sister? Were seated, returning to his own seat. “You are both quite welcome.”, he stated calmly, politely. Noting their apparent malnutrition, Josev flagged down a waitress [who had been flirting with him earlier] who immediately began to head over after writing down someone’s order.
"Ah, yes, could you get some hot chocolate for my friends here?", he asked. The waitress took the order with a slight blush, a thought in the back of her mind wondering just what sort of friendship the older girl had with the man. She’d flirted with him every time he came here, and while he never rejected her…he never really acknowledged anything, either. But he was always so polite to her…
With a few subtle gestures, making sure neither of his tablemates could see them, Josev got the point across that some coffeecake should be inconspicuously paired with the girls’ drinks. He turned to the girls in mention, looking at Riley directly. “Would you like marshmallows in your cocoa?”
After the waitress wrote down whatever Riley answered with and left to stew in her own questions about just how familiar Josev might be with the older girl, Josev turned his attention back to Aisling. “No need to apologize, Miss, it is my pleasure to share the table.” He listened to her question. “You may call me Josev. Might you grace me with yours?” Another charmed smile made its way upon his face.
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 5:12 pm
"Marshmallows? Ooooh, yes, yes p'ease mis'er Josev!" Riley squealed, clapping her hands and being the proverbial excited small child. "Yaaaay! Marshmallws! Marshmallows! I ge' marshmallows!" Aisling tried to shush her sister a bit, to little effect. Rubbing at her head again, Aisling managed a smile for the man - Josev.
"Aisling Grady, an' m' sister there's Riley," she said, subtly trying to push a curiously-peeking Dilly back into her bag. "Is there any way we can repay ye for this?" she asked tentatively, aware that somehow, this man was being kinder than he needed to be.
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 5:25 pm
Josev’s smile widened a bit upon seeing Riley’s sudden happiness – he could see these two had definitely been through less than optimal fortune, and the fact that Riley could still be so joyous brought a certain warmth to his heart. She reminded him so much of her...but he quickly directed his thoughts away from those memories.
“It is a pleasure to meet you both, Miss Aisling, Riley.” He nodded a bit, wondering about the pain Aisling seemed to be in. “And as I’ve said, your company is enjoyable, there is no need to be repaying me for anything. Now, pardon me for asking, but…I notice you seem to be in pain, what is the matter?”
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Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2009 5:57 pm
Riley giggled and sang a song she'd made up on the spot, climbing down for a moment to fetch Puff-Puff from a bag, dragging him up to sit on the table with the declaration of, "Puff-Puff shoul' ge' tae have some tooo!" Aisling watched the little girl amuse herself, then looked over to the man again.
"Oh, err...... just have a headache, tha's all," she said, shrugging, only to be interrupted by Riley as the little one added in her two cents.
"Sis'er al'ays gets a headache when she hasn' had anyfin' tae eat in a long time!"
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Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 4:49 pm
Josev smiled as the young girl entertained herself, a smile more honest than he’d worn in a very long time. “Yes, I’m sure Puff-Puff will have his fill as well.” This smile was short-lived, however, as he heard Riley’s next words.
“Oh, I’m terribly sorry to hear that…hmm, well, I am sure you’ll find a number of filling victuals quite available to you here, Miss Aisling, rest assured.” He smiled kindly as the waitress returned with a tray bearing the hot cups of cocoa with accompanying coffeecake squares, nice and hearty in size. “Here you are, Sir, Misses…we’re having coffeecake specials now, comes with the cocoa, and you came just in time.” A charming smile graced her face as she sat the mugs before Aisling and Riley; Riley’s of course was loaded with mini-marshmallows, as requested. The scent of coffeecake saturated the air temptingly as the waitress topped Josev’s coffee off once more.
Josev nodded a bit in thanks to the waitress; she had explained the coffeecake rather smoothly, and it was worth appreciation for the discretion. Another smile from him, and she was off into the crowd once more. “Ah, there, I certainly hope that will help fill you up?”
Oh, yes, he’d certainly need to do something to aid them, that was definite. But what could he best do for them…?
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Posted: Thu Dec 17, 2009 6:23 pm
Aisling managed to hold herself back from devouring the food before her - not so Riley. The little girl lost all manners and started to shovel the food into her mouth like a starving puppy. Watching her just made her older sister wince. She wasn't doing a very good job of caring for her little sister, Aisling knew, but she couldn't just give her up to be found and raised by - by. . . ugh, she didn't even want to thank the name. Instead she simply spoke a mildly objecting, "Riley," to try and get the little one to slow down at least a little. "Riley, y're goin' tae be sick if'n ye donnae slow down, wee'an." she said a little more loudly when the small girl didn't seem to hear her.
This time Riley just looked up at her, grinned, and finished off the last of the coffeecake, crumbs of it all over her face, and started to fish the marshmallows out of her hot chocolate to eat them, playing a game with the tiny treats and trying to count them as she did so, starting over when she reached the limit of her number knowledge. "One, two, three, four, five. . ."
Aisling sighed then, and gave up. There just was no calming down Riley when she got excited or interested in something.
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Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2009 2:30 am
A sad smile seemed to show upon Josev’s face as he watched Riley eat. “Ah, she certainly seems to enjoy it, at least…” He slyly spotted the waitress making another pass by the table as she made her rounds, quickly making the gesture of a two as she checked on them, then continued on her way. His attention was soon back to the duo before him.
“Hm…if you do not mind me asking, what brings you here, this morning? I do not think I have had the pleasure of seeing you here before, and I come here often.” Away in his mind were schemes of how to get Aisling to allow him to aid the both of them, to provide the assistance they so desperately needed. But for now, so much worth in small talk, let us chat a bit so I might find more out about you…
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2009 12:50 pm
Aisling sighed and gently pushed a curious Dilly back into her bag, looking down and refusing to meet the eyes of their temporary companion, not wanting him to pity her and her sister. "We're jus' here tae ge' th' hot chocolate. . . an' out o' th' cold f'r a while," she said quietly, ashamed of even this half-admission of their circumstances, but knowing that lying was practically impossible, especially with her impressionable little sister sitting there, playing with her marshmallows and yet listening to every single word being said.
Riley was a small girl, but she already knew when it was important not to be too oblivious to what was being said. Still, it didn't affect her much, so she contented herself with her marshmallows and 'feeding' them to Puff-Puff. "Is tha' good, Puff-Puff? Yeah? then here's anovver one!"
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Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2010 8:01 pm
No poignant emotion was shown in the man’s eyes, solely a simple sampling of suavity and compassion. It was a subtle showing, just enough to display concern while never straying near pity. He listened quietly, stirring his coffee as the two largest hints of their suffering came to light. “Out of the cold, you say…” A calm sip silently taken from his cup. “Well, if you would perhaps be interested, I do have a room above my shop that I’ve been searching out a suiting tenant for…I’d say you are quite deserving.”
He was well aware of Riley’s listening, and chose his words carefully to ensure there was no dignity-reducing tones to them. Aisling, here, needed to be convinced to stay, but was too proud for simple charity, he deduced. So how to best convince her…
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