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Post by The Wyrd on Feb 25, 2021 21:43:51 GMT -8
Was there anything better than hash browns? Sweet Tomato did them just the way plenty of people liked them: crispy and salty on the outside, soft in the middle. Plenty of people struggled not to give into them too often, but as many came to convince themselves, they deserved it. Hash browns. Eggs. Dry toast. Side of bacon. Their signature single pancake that took up an entire plate. Comfort food, through and through. Here, you always had a steaming mug in front of you. Here, it was always full of coffee. It was basically a must. The diner was cute, but nothing special to look at: red booths, black and white tiled floor, chrome stools. Windows ran all the way down the front and side, and it was set up in one long row. At one end were the washrooms; the other, the fire exit. Opposite the front door was the kitchen area, which could be accessed from a double door in the center. It never quite made it out of the fifties. The bright haired and tattooed staff were the main sign of progress. Eleven in the evening, and the Lost could hear the kitchen staff laughing. The host had their phone tucked next to the till, ready to serve anyone that came through but not pretending it was an exciting time. Aside from the kitchen staff working in the back, there were seven people present. In one booth, down at the end of the row by the washrooms, sat Firebringer and Rowan. At the bar, an unobtrusive Lost with a half-eaten meal in front of him. At a booth on the opposite side, a female Beast bearing a Summer Mantle tucked into a steaming, bloody steak. Extra rare. She looked hungry. The three regular folk present in the room were the tattooed brunette server with a punky, short haircut at the host's station, a hipster with a curly beard at the bar three seats down from the unobtrusive Lost, and an obvious trucker in a plaid jacket and hat who was reading a copy of the Las Vegas Sun. In the background, a lilting Spanish tune quietly hummed.
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Post by Alecto on Feb 25, 2021 22:07:56 GMT -8
Her lips twisted, rolling the flesh in her mouth as she watched the bubbles of melted fat break apart along the trail of blood. A finger was dipped idly before she pressed it to her bottom lip, glancing at her reflection in the glass before focusing onto the street. The dry heat was familiar as anything else in Vegas; the smoke she was reluctant to call something gentle like nostalgic.
This had been the third time she silently willed herself to converse with the pair, and end her isolation.
Alecto leaned and glanced from their plates to the pair, tempting a smile despite the faint whispering. She couldn't think of anything to comment on to make it less awkward, hovering for an uncomfortable stretch as she seemed to forget what she was wanting to accomplish.
"Um- hi. Mind if I join...?"
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Firebringer
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Elemental Ifrit, Presence 3 (Intimidating)
Posts: 634
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Post by Firebringer on Feb 25, 2021 22:41:03 GMT -8
Fire feels the hint of that summer mantle approaching and she takes a look over, seeing a face she doesn't recognize. She wears a pleasant smile, though it rivals with her naturally intimidating presence. As she watches the girl, she just looks kind of... tense? Though as soon as she began talking, she seemed well enough to converse.
For a moment, Dani is rather distracted by the glittering flurry of shiny that is her mantle. So different from the fiery crackling of her own.
The Elemental speaks up and nods, "Yeah, sure. Plenty of room." she eyes over on the other side of the table and gestures her over.
"I'm Dani and this is Rowan," She says, nods to the Darkling next to her. "And you are?"
Of course, they are out in a public place, she'll use her mundie name.
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Post by Rowan on Feb 26, 2021 0:02:11 GMT -8
The coffee mug was sitting on the table in front of him, happily steaming away. The plate was right next to it, empty, with traces of grease and ketchup running across it. Rowan kept eyeing the coffee. Someone moved up to their booth and he turned around to face them.
Gold - that was the first visual he registered. Female, presenting at least. Summer. Another one.
Dani had introduced the both of them and he managed to not show any signs of annoyance at that. He raised his right hand in a 'Hi' that came across about was warm as his coffee was getting. He scooted over closer to the window to make some room for the newcomer.
"Like the berry."
His eyes drifted back to the cuppa joe. Still steaming.
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Post by Alecto on Feb 26, 2021 13:13:45 GMT -8
"Oh, mountain-ash," she said, grabbing her plate and sliding into the booth with a small shiver. Her Northern Floridian accent was deep and a little hoarse, like she was a smoker or getting over a sore throat. Winter in Vegas didn't see much of a drop in temperature, but she had a powder blue cardigan with embroidered snow drops over the lapel. The high waisted jeans were dirty, with swatches of paint and grit.
"Not me, sorry, I..." in that moment she realized she had never actually thought of a code name. The most conversation she had had with the Others was a messy first contact, and swearing the Oath. She knew she was being watched and monitored, but the police officer with the scars seemed reasonable enough.
Whenever she had asked, he gave her names and little tidbits. Likely as an incentive, or poor assumption that she was probing a thread to join herself to.
"Megan." As the waitress passed her table to find it empty, she waved her over. When asked about getting her own coffee, she checked her wallet, fumbling a little paper valentines card with wobbly letters as she counted bills. She shook her head, letting the service move on.
"You can pop in an ice cube," she ventured, tapping the water glass with a thin claw. The Darkling was cold in more ways than one, and her own bloody plate was enough to guess his forlorn vigil with the steam.
"So, I'm new,"
Ish.
"And you lovely people get to be my introduction." Her laugh was soft enough, if cracked, and tired of shouting. "Burden's not on you, though. I've actually been skulking around Whitney for the last year, but being a lone wolf only gets you so far, am I right?"
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Firebringer
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Elemental Ifrit, Presence 3 (Intimidating)
Posts: 634
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Post by Firebringer on Feb 26, 2021 17:40:00 GMT -8
Danica cocks her head to the side a little bit at Meghan speaks. Lone wolf, huh? Weird for a Summer. Right? She took an oddly long moment to ponder that. No, weird brain. Tons of people are loners.
"Well, nice to meet you, Meghan." She picks up her soda, sipping on it slowly as she watches the brunette.
She said introduction though. Part of the freehold? But she's been running around... "Yeah, and skulking tends to get you into weird areas, not necessarily bad ones, but weird ones. Someone might think you're going to go swooping somewhere." Stop making weird references no one gets. ...but it's fun.
She thinks about continuing, beginning to ask questions, but she stops to consider this isn't a two way conversation. So, she turns her gaze over at Rowan a little bit, give him some room to speak. In the meantime, she continues sipping on her soda, nibbling a little bit on the straw before sitting back in her seat.
Why did she get the weird feeling though things were going to get weird tonight?
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Post by Rowan on Feb 26, 2021 19:07:12 GMT -8
Rowan nodded when the Lost understood his reference. He fished a half-melted cube of ice from the glass of water and gingerly dropped it into the cup. It melted with a cracking sound as the temperature difference caused it to fissure.
"I've heard of you," he said without moving his eyes from the liquid. "Rumours. Haven't seen you around Whitney."
Taking the spoon, the started swirling the coffee to spread some of the ice water around. The steaming had gone down, but didn't disappear. "You're rambling," he told Dani. Rowan wasn't in a talkative mood. Imbolc had forced him to review his connections to people and what they meant to him. The mental exercise had brought some facts to light, facts that he felt he needed to address. It was difficult however, as the said facts involved Danica.
He sighed and leaned back on the bench.
"Art teacher?" he asked, hypothesizing from the valentines in the wallet and the paint on the jeans.
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Post by Alecto on Feb 26, 2021 19:30:37 GMT -8
"Rumours usually have some truth to them, unless someone has a reason to dislike you," she said easily, her rough exterior at odds with her practiced movements and her best impression for Gone With The Wind. She had beautiful hands, spinning the fork idlily, like her fingers had extra joints. As Rowan shushes Danica, she blinks,
"Hm? I'm fine. Like I said earlier, the burden's on me. I slid into the middle of your dinner. I don't need you to drive a conversation with surprise company." The Darkling's venture genuinely surprised her, missing the clues he was gathering.
"You haven't seen me, because I spend a lot of energy keeping up the Mask. But gosh, I wish. Just getting an SEA certification took most of the year. Do people do that? Manage a full degree even with our particular set backs?"
There wasn't exactly a scholarship program for abduction. "One of the kids wanted to make sure I got a card. Very sweet," she said, flicking the crude gift before folding it to a safer compartment; only now just realizing that damaging it was better than losing it. Some of the glitter ended up on her fingers and plate, but the tomato continued to disappear.
"What about you two?"
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Post by Ian Black on Feb 26, 2021 19:44:11 GMT -8
Ian watched the woman cross the diner out of the corner of his eye. Making certain it was who he thought it was. He let her settle in first, not much point in being more of the bad guy.
He hated this part of the job but collecting debts was a good secondary source of income and he’d gotten a deal on this one. “Likely difficult to collect on” was what Zhi had said. Ian was patient though and it was going to pay off. He placed some bills on the counter, tucked a copy of last month’s Forbes into his coat pocket and threw it over one arm before approaching the table.
The man, easily in his sixties judging by the graying hair and deep crows feet, offered a tight-lipped smile to the pair before turning to Megan. “Megan, I have been put in charge of your outstanding affairs. How are you holding up?" Concern evident on both his face and in his voice.
He turns back to the other two and a brief look of embarrassment washes over him before settling back on concern. “I’m sorry, I seem to have left my manners at the counter.” He extends a hand. “My name is Ian Black.”
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Firebringer
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Elemental Ifrit, Presence 3 (Intimidating)
Posts: 634
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Post by Firebringer on Feb 26, 2021 20:03:34 GMT -8
Danica was taken a bit by surprise when Rowan bites at her. Her normally calm, carefree expression (that's usually mistaken for slight judgement) turns to confusion and a little bit of hurt. What's gotten into him? Did I say something to hurt his feelings? ...Oh, should I not have introduced him for him? That might have been... But that doesn't seem like a reason to act like that in front of someone we just met.
Then she has to consider, Rowan and social cues. Right? Was this one of those?
She continues sipping on her soda quietly for a moment as she digests that. Maybe it was how terse it came off? She does manage to put on a faint smile as Megan speaks, taking in the information she was offering and possible connection to Rowan via these rumors he's supposedly heard.
"People do, and it boggles my mind. Great for them though. And good for you." She was trying to pick her own spirits up a bit.
Before she is able to respond to Megan's question, a cold mantle makes its way up to them and she pauses to gaze up at the person who'd approached. They had been here before, but Fire hadn't paid them too much mind when they arrived. And then she felt weird. Doubt tickling her mind. Was it actually her or the mantle of the person who'd just joined them?
Ian Black holds out his hand to greet them and Dani awkwardly takes his hand to shake it. "Dani." She says simply, "Uh, what's going on?" Her gaze turns to Rowan before eyeing Megan and Ian again.
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Post by The Wyrd on Feb 26, 2021 20:45:02 GMT -8
The hipster drops a twenty on the table and calls out, "Thanks, Jen!" to the waitress, who smiles at him and tells him she'll see him soon. She picks up the bill and loads his dishes up onto a platter before taking them into the back. As the Lost got to talking and Ian joined the group, the front door opened. Two clean-shaven men wearing the tan duty uniform of the Las Vegas PD entered, laughing about last night's episode of WandaVision before sliding into the booth next to the door on the same side of the diner as the Lost. They were about eight yards away. In the background, Under Pressure came on the radio.
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Post by Alecto on Feb 26, 2021 20:50:39 GMT -8
Ian was earnest, but the question was so rude, and so invasive, given the context. He must have had the social awareness of a brick. The police arrival was too perfect of timing as he rambled about payments, and she didn't live as long as she had on hunches.
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Post by The Wyrd on Feb 26, 2021 21:10:04 GMT -8
The cops seem to have no interest in the group. Apparently, this week's episode of WandaVision was rad. Spoiler alert.
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Post by Rowan on Feb 26, 2021 21:23:08 GMT -8
Apparently, their booth had a five star review on Yelp and The Place to Be.
First Megan, now Ian Black. When even the cops decided to drop by, he considered dipping out. 'How am I going to talk to Dani if she gets tossed in jail?' Coincidence?
He passed his hand on his face and leaned back in. The coffee had finally cooled and he could drink it. He grabbed the cup and took a sip - it was the little things. While the attention seemed to have shifted to the Winter and the cops who walked in, Rowan scoped out Megan. Everything was just so neatly stacked. One Ling, two Lings, cops. Like a bad rhyme.
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Post by The Wyrd on Feb 26, 2021 21:35:57 GMT -8
It's a diner. Sometimes cops show up at them. It wasn't Known For Being a Cop Spot, but it had good coffee, so... it wasn't weird that a pair might show here.
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