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Audrey, for a change, was reading a book. Not that she had no inclination to ever read, or that she was one of those strange intellectual types who avoided reading. No, what was odd was that this was an actual, physical book. Not an ebook, not an audio book. Not her Kindle, which she loved dearly. It was an all but brand-new copy of Hamlet by Shakespeare, and she was glaring at it with an intensity when a familiar voice startled her.

"OH!" The book fell to the table as she jumped. Her bow bounced and curls tumbled as she twisted her body from its comfortable position on a couch corner to look at Elzo. She was dressed fairly casual that day for a change. No skirts, just a pair of old jeans and a rather fitted hoodie printed liberally all over with small moose. Multicolored moose. Forest green, dusty rose, brown. The bow reflected this, and was a dusty rose itself. Perfect for a day on the couch, with tasty pastries and coffee within reach.

Audrey loved a good vanilla latte.

"Elzo, hi! And yeah, I guess we were bound to run into each other again, we seem to do that a lot lately." Uncurling, she dusted off the couch and gestured for him to sit, if he cared to do so. "What brings you over here?" Honey eyes caught sight of a couple nearby, who were doing things that probably could have best been done in privacy, and she glared. "Come to enjoy the show?"

"Shakespeare? Depressing? What an absolute shock!" Eyes rolled as she made a face at the book lying again harmlessly on the little coffee table in front of the couch and relegated it to neglect. "I have to read it for a class. Apparently we're being mixed in with the AP students, and they're always a showoffy bunch. Gotta keep my grades up though." Grades were very important to Miss Collins.

She caught the comment, and the blush, and tried to not respond with one of her own. The bluenette was getting better and better at the whole flirting thing, and she'd been practicing. It was shameful, and she would never admit it to anyone ever, but Audrey had spent time in the mirror going over their previous conversations, and even ones with Khaldun, trying to master her blush.

It was decidedly a work in progress.

She'd also caught the look at her chest area as well, and that is what finally triggered the light pink into her cheeks. Trying to keep her tone casual and even a bit wry, she smiled at him before sipping at her own drink. "It's the hair, isn't it? Maybe the bow? I wouldn't want to look too wild and crazy! You know, I might get attacked by some senior citizens, resisting change. As for a show well, too bad Valentine's Day is long gone."

The smile tilted up even more as Audrey left it open on the idea that maybe, just maybe he might have a chance. Maybe.

"That's because he was as gay as a maypole. But then, weren't they all back then? Homosexuality's always been around, it's just more spoken-of these days. I mean, the Queen herself was said to refuse men simply because she preferred the company of women." Absolutely untrue, and Audrey refused to believe that Old Queen Bess was a taco muncher. More like she was, as history stated, far too in love with herself and her power to share with anyone else.

Propping her teal Converse on the table she picked up her cinnamon bun and offered some of the large confection to her companion. "We can share this one, and then maybe another one? And are you sure you're Irish? I mean, there's some silver on your tongue, but a heart of gold? Hmmm..."

Chuckling, she tucked some of the bun into her mouth, careful to suck the frosting off her fingers before picking up a napkin. There was nothing worse on your jeans than the telltale signs of icing! "Thank you for the compliment though. I get made fun of for the bow a lot." A light shrug brushed this off, however, as if it were nothing.

"I can promise you I won't pinch you...unless you ask."

Grinning, she couldn't help but lean her head lightly on his shoulder for a second in a gesture of gratitude, before putting more bun in her mouth and repeating the gesture on her fingers. Had she known the effect she was having on Elzo, she would've gotten a glass of water and more napkins to take care of the stickiness in other ways.

Pretending to totally miss his meaning, she grinned up into his face. "Like your kidneys? Liver? Is that why you're at Hillworth, black market organ dealing? I mean, I hope you have both kidneys. I hear renal failure is ugly." La la la, I don't get your double entendre sir, no I do not! I am simply an innocent girl was the look that shone out of every pore on her face. Except for her eyes, which showed that she absolutely knew what he meant. And she was jerking his chain.

"As for my ah...detractors? I don't think you can beat..." As the disapproving woman cleared her voice again, Audrey stopped mid-sentence to look pointedly at her, willing her to move on. "Fangirl?"

Audrey herself was bright red now, but with anger, and she filed the face away carefully in her brain. She only prayed that soon she might meet that woman on a street at night. That'd be one star seed she would deliver with relish up to her General King. "Smother with hair?! Of all the absolutely moronic things to say!!" Half twisting in her seat, she looked pointedly at Elzo.

"Elzo, was I smothering you?" Her voice was mildly dangerous, and tart. "Next she's going to come back and say that I'm fat! Oooh, if we weren't surrounded by a crowd I'd..." Audrey trailed off, simply seething and taking a sip of her sweet coffee. "At least she didn't take potshots at my bow."

Dismayed and wondering what she did to potentially drive yet another person off, Audrey was barely paying attention and was trying to not simply pick up her things and run out of the cafe before he could come back from the bathroom. So it was expected that her eyes were dazed when she looked back to the girl.

"What? Oh yes, I'm sure uhm...pardon me!" As a peace offering, she darted up to the counter and ordered half a dozen more cinnamon rolls. It was a bit of a strain on her allowance, especially after her shopping spree before the ridiculous wedding last weekend. But it was for a good cause, she enjoyed this new friend quite a lot!

However, she absolutely intended to eat half of them herself. Sitting down with the steaming, sticky pastries, she picked one up and quietly waited. Hopefully, he hadn't hopped out a bathroom window. Did they even have windows? Was her company that bad?

She hoped not!

Relieved more than she wanted to admit that he ACTUALLY CAME BACK, she was back to her own methodical way of eating the delicious cinnamon-y goodness. "I like them, and besides, you can probably take some home. Or I'll take some home. My mom's a killer cook, but nobody makes cinnamon rolls like the Shufflepuck people. It's like, some weird secret magic or something.

"And let me guess, next you're going to tell me how you absolutely adore melons." Her own chest heaved with her sigh. "But I am not going to get you any canteloupe, watermelon, or honeydew. They are out of season!" Her sticky finger wagged in his direction before she started to clean it.

"Mm, yeah. Drew was holing up at his apartment like a slug. Made me his own personal shopper, not that I mind. Guy lives like a Spartan. Goes with the personality, I suppose." Adoration for the brutish gym assistant was evident in her voice. "What about my reputation? Hear anything....interesting?" Eyebrows raised teasingly.