Lucrecia had heard of this bar from a few of the locals and decided it would be a good place to start looking for someone who could cook decently. The scientist herself wasn't very adept with a stove and cooking supplies, but occasionally she could whip something up that would serve her needs for the day. But that got old really quickly.
So today she decided to look for this place she hadn't been to yet. With any luck, she could avoid awkward scenes here.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door. She'd left her lab coat at home for the moment, so hopefully she wouldn't be as noticeable. Walking up to the counter, she looked around for the bartender or a menu or something of the sort. She wasn't even sure what she was in the mood for, but she knew it was something edible.
Lucrecia was startled to be addressed by a woman, but the surprised look was erased, to be replaced by a small hesitant smile. She hadn't expected to be served by a woman here, but at least now she knew she wouldn't be patronized or anything.
"I, um.... haven't decideed yet," she answered, meeting the other woman's eyes before glancing away. "Is there anything you could suggest for me? I admit it's been a while since I've been out and about in the city's restaurants."
Years in fact... or something of the sort. It felt like forever since she'd done anything remotely like this and her mind was still on its slow trajectory towards being more stable. Lucrecia hoped every small step she took towards being more social would help her in the long run.
"Well," Tifa thought about it. There was really far too much on her mental menu to suggest one thing. "We have free hotdogs right now, but other than that, I can make you virtually anything you like."
Tifa looked at the woman a bit more appraisingly, and noticed that she seemed somewhat frazzled. She was like a zombie in this big city - not knowing where to go for food.
A look of relief washed over Lucrecia's features as the bartender suggested something and the scientist nodded gently. "Actually.. a hotdog would be great. Thank you." She hadn't had one in so long. Usually, she ate the easiest thing: ramen or some other such thing.
Sometimes Lucrecia felt like a zombie in the real world, particularly today and she shuddered a little to herself, eyes dropping to the counter. "Um.. do you happen to have a diet soda too?"
It might be too much to ask for a bar to have something other than alcoholic drinks, but it was worth a shot. Hotdogs went better with drinks anyway.
"Sure thing," Tifa nodded. She headed to the back to retrieve a hotdog and some diet soda. This woman was the first one ever to request a diet drink, she thought. I should ask about her.
"Here you are," the bartender sang when she came back. She put a paper plate in front of the lady that contained one hotdog and an assortment of condiments.
"I didn't know what you'd like on it."
She also placed down the cold soda, which precipitated in her hands.
Lucrecia's faint smile faded slightly as the woman behind the counter moved to get the requested hotdog. The scientist's eyes moved around the bar as she waited, taking in the other people around and the hum of steady conversation. At least it wasn't overbearing and would allow her to think, but it wasn't soft enough that anyone would be easily overheard. It was a nice place, to be sure. She'd probably end up spending a lot of time here.
Lucrecia's attention was brought back to the bartender as she returned with the hotdog and diet coke, the brunette's favorite. "Thank you." The scientist offered a soft, yet small smile in return as she picked up the ketchup. "This is fine."
She felt like she should say something else, something conversational, but she had no idea what a good thing to say would be. So she settled on the obvious. "This is a nice place. Is it yours?"
Tifa turned around and leaned against the bar for lack of something better to do. Her eyes roved around the colorful liquor bottles and landed on a hot pink one. The loudness of it made her tilt her head to read the label. Hm.
She was snapped out of her reverie when she heard the soft voice of the other woman speak again. She turned slowly around and grabbed the edge of the counter with her hands.
"Thank you. Yes, it is."
She smiled a little and leaned back, still keeping a hold on the counter so she could stretch out her arms.
Lucrecia wanted to say something else, keep up this conversation with a stranger, but she had absolutely no idea what else to say. She was so bad at small talk it was ridiculous. So instead of talking, the scientist busied herself with eating, head turned downwards for a moment.
It wasn't that she was trying to brush the bartender off. It was just that this being social thing was so new to her that she didn't know what to do.
The hotdog was good, though, and she figured she should say something about that, show her appreciation. "Your cook here is very good," she murmured, glancing up to find the bartender again. She didn't know who did it, but whoever it was made a dynamite hotdog. She'd be coming back here more often for sure.
She winked and patted herself on the chest to signify that she was the cook. She was the everything. Sometimes thinking how she did it all by herself was unfathomable.
"Oh!" Lucrecia's brown eyes widened slightly when she made the connection that the bartender was indeed the cook and she blushed a bit. "Well, it's true." Stop sticking your foot in your mouth, doctor.
She cleared her throat softly, trying to shake herself out of her thoughts, and looked up when Tifa asked if she needed anything else. "No. I think this will do me. Thank you." A slight smile crossed her features. "Though... I suppose I do owe you for the drink, even if it is free hotdog night."
She dug into one of her pockets and produced a small change purse, which she opened and brought forth the correct amount of change for the drink, offering it over to Tifa. "I'll have to keep coming here. It's so... nice."
"Thank you," Tifa nodded and smiled warmly. It was nice to have proper women such as this one come into the bar. Women who behaved themselves in public. They were a rare find these days.
Tifa took the change for the drink, but almost didn't want to charge the woman at all. There was something about her- something frail and helpless. She lost that 'zombie' image, but was obviously still a little lost.
Lucrecia probably would have laughed and blushed more if she'd known that she really looked like a zombie, even if it was true. She'd never given it much thought, though she did spend most of her time indoors, mainly in the lab. It was nice to have gotten some fresh air today. That was a rarity for her these days... well every day.
The scientist paused a moment when she was asked her name, wondering if she should give it out so readily. There really couldn't be much harm, right? So far she hadn't run into anyone who knew her name, much less anyone who knew the name of the scientist who had recently been rumored to try suicide. It was doubtful that anyone knew she was the one.
"Lucrecia Crescent," came the answer, accompanied by a gentle smile. Well, here was one person who wouldn't flinch at the very sight of her.
So today she decided to look for this place she hadn't been to yet. With any luck, she could avoid awkward scenes here.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door. She'd left her lab coat at home for the moment, so hopefully she wouldn't be as noticeable. Walking up to the counter, she looked around for the bartender or a menu or something of the sort. She wasn't even sure what she was in the mood for, but she knew it was something edible.
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Tifa put a rest to making more hotdogs for the moment and ambled over to the other woman. She looked older than herself, but only just so.
"Hello," she greeted what could only be a first-timer. "Can I get you anything?"
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"I, um.... haven't decideed yet," she answered, meeting the other woman's eyes before glancing away. "Is there anything you could suggest for me? I admit it's been a while since I've been out and about in the city's restaurants."
Years in fact... or something of the sort. It felt like forever since she'd done anything remotely like this and her mind was still on its slow trajectory towards being more stable. Lucrecia hoped every small step she took towards being more social would help her in the long run.
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Tifa looked at the woman a bit more appraisingly, and noticed that she seemed somewhat frazzled. She was like a zombie in this big city - not knowing where to go for food.
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Sometimes Lucrecia felt like a zombie in the real world, particularly today and she shuddered a little to herself, eyes dropping to the counter. "Um.. do you happen to have a diet soda too?"
It might be too much to ask for a bar to have something other than alcoholic drinks, but it was worth a shot. Hotdogs went better with drinks anyway.
Reply
"Here you are," the bartender sang when she came back. She put a paper plate in front of the lady that contained one hotdog and an assortment of condiments.
"I didn't know what you'd like on it."
She also placed down the cold soda, which precipitated in her hands.
Reply
Lucrecia's attention was brought back to the bartender as she returned with the hotdog and diet coke, the brunette's favorite. "Thank you." The scientist offered a soft, yet small smile in return as she picked up the ketchup. "This is fine."
She felt like she should say something else, something conversational, but she had no idea what a good thing to say would be. So she settled on the obvious. "This is a nice place. Is it yours?"
Reply
She was snapped out of her reverie when she heard the soft voice of the other woman speak again. She turned slowly around and grabbed the edge of the counter with her hands.
"Thank you. Yes, it is."
She smiled a little and leaned back, still keeping a hold on the counter so she could stretch out her arms.
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It wasn't that she was trying to brush the bartender off. It was just that this being social thing was so new to her that she didn't know what to do.
The hotdog was good, though, and she figured she should say something about that, show her appreciation. "Your cook here is very good," she murmured, glancing up to find the bartender again. She didn't know who did it, but whoever it was made a dynamite hotdog. She'd be coming back here more often for sure.
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"Thank you. I'll tell her you said that."
She winked and patted herself on the chest to signify that she was the cook. She was the everything. Sometimes thinking how she did it all by herself was unfathomable.
"Do you want another, or are you good?"
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She cleared her throat softly, trying to shake herself out of her thoughts, and looked up when Tifa asked if she needed anything else. "No. I think this will do me. Thank you." A slight smile crossed her features. "Though... I suppose I do owe you for the drink, even if it is free hotdog night."
She dug into one of her pockets and produced a small change purse, which she opened and brought forth the correct amount of change for the drink, offering it over to Tifa. "I'll have to keep coming here. It's so... nice."
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Tifa took the change for the drink, but almost didn't want to charge the woman at all. There was something about her- something frail and helpless. She lost that 'zombie' image, but was obviously still a little lost.
"What's your name, so I'll remember?"
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The scientist paused a moment when she was asked her name, wondering if she should give it out so readily. There really couldn't be much harm, right? So far she hadn't run into anyone who knew her name, much less anyone who knew the name of the scientist who had recently been rumored to try suicide. It was doubtful that anyone knew she was the one.
"Lucrecia Crescent," came the answer, accompanied by a gentle smile. Well, here was one person who wouldn't flinch at the very sight of her.
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