So listen well son to conversation [OPEN]

[presspasskey]

Who: presspasskey and YOU
When: Thursday 10th, mid-morning
Where: S. S. Khave
Summary: Lois people-watches and socializes
Warnings: Probably none?

Comments

[meteor_heart]

The Khave is a regular stop for Tifa in the mornings, even more so on her rare days off. With the weather getting colder it's been harder to ride Fenrir around town, so she's wearing a recently acquired bomber jacket to go with padded glove and goggle to protect her eyes. Said goggle are up on her forehead as she pushes into the coffee shop, smiling at the staff behind the counter.

[presspasskey]

Lois' eyes go up at her entrance. For one, she thinks she recognizes Tifa from the network, and the reminder about brushing up on her martial arts surfaces.

On the other hand? Man is that an awesome jacket. It isn't really Lois' style of dressing, but it is still just so, so neat. Lois herself uses a wool trench--today in a dark pink--to ward against the cold.

As she is sitting near the counter--all the better to catch people easily--she can't help the bright grin. "That," she says with almost vicious glee, "is a fantastic jacket."

[meteor_heart]

Right now Tifa might have had a hard time fully recognizing herself, what with her hair still short and blonde from Halloween. At the familiar voice she checks herself and stops, turning with a bright smile.

"Thanks! I figure if I'm going to drive a motorbike in the cold, I better invest in some serious protection." Pulling off her gloves she looks thoughtful. This woman is familiar, she'd put on a Karaoke night for her and they'd spoken over the network but...did they exchange names?

"I haven't seen you since your very convincing impression of White Snake at our Karaoke night."

[presspasskey]

Lois looks entirely approving. "Absolutely the right kind of investment. It's been a while since I had the bike thing going, though."

At the mention of Karaoke Night (for Great Justice and Great Music, or so Lois thinks) she can't help but grin brightly. "I try to do them justice," she says, duly immodest. "Thanks for hosting it, too; back home there's about one bar that organizes it, and it's hard to find time to go."

She was genuinely happy about that, and man did she need it. "I've got to remember to stop by next time I've got a night free. I'll try to see if I can actually drag Smallville along for once," she adds, even knowing that latter is unlikely.

[believesbeyond]

Luna hasn't visited this particular coffee shop before, but today is as good a time as any she decides, as she makes her way to the Khave during her morning work break. It's not that she doesn't like eating at the bistro, but she was always looking for the opportunity to experience more of what the Port had to offer before the chance might be taken away from her. Apparently, that happened here. Even people who had been living here for a year or more could one day return home and never visit the city again.

She enters the room with a smile on her face, her wand tucked behind an ear, and humming a catchy song she'd been listening to lately under her breath. Although one might almost think she has all the time in the world just by the way she carries herself, she knows she can't stay here for very long. So, she's going to enjoy the moment, pausing several feet away from the counter so she can decide what she wants to order.]

[presspasskey]

Lois hasn't seen this girl in the shop before, not at this hour, and she's starting to recognize the regulars. And-- is that a wand behind her ear?

That makes Lois tilt her head a little, but, then again, the girl also seems to be attempting to figure out what to eat. And that, in Lois' opinion, is always pretty straightforward, even if she needs to suggest to Xion that maple-frosted donuts are clearly the best idea ever.

"If you've got the time," she suggests, "the apple pie here is absolutely fantastic. If not, there is more or less no way to go wrong with bear claws." Lois herself is digging into the pie with enthusiasm, and has a bag which looks suspiciously like it might have a bear claw or three.

[believesbeyond]

Luna had been half-lost in her own little world as she'd been making her decision, but if she's surprised by the older woman's approach she doesn't show it. In fact, it doesn't seem to even register with her immediately, taking her several moments to respond, her head turning slowly to face the direction she'd heard the voice coming from.

"Oh, hello!" She offers a small smile before continuing, her answer making it evident that she had, in fact, been paying attention after all. "I haven't much time today, I'm afraid, but ... what kind of bear is it?"

[presspasskey]

Lois just blinks for a moment, hazel eyes absolutely and utterly baffled.. What kind of bear is it? People here confused the hell out of me sometimes. So she reaches for one of the bear claws she's got stashed in her nice little paper bag as a demonstration.

Waving it a little in Luna's direction she explains, "It's the name of the pastry. One of the best in the way of breakfast foods, and wonderfully portable." It is one of her own go-tos for a reason.

[batgraduate]

Stephanie Brown is on her break. She grabs a coffee all her own and a muffin and lounges against the wall. She could drink the coffee any time really. It's the muffin she wants, and she examines the occupants of the store as she chomps down.

[presspasskey]

That someone else is examining people is noted; not too many people just take the time to sit (or stand) around and people-watch. She wasn't exactly going to comment, not at first--except, well, a muffin? It kind of pings her slight guilt about the sheer sugar and fat content of her own set of glorious morning snacks, and it might be a little of that which makes her comment with some perplexity, "Seriously? A muffin? Morning's all for bear-claws and donuts, because it burns off during the day."

Or at least that's her excuse.

[batgraduate]

She takes the time to finish chewing and swallows the bite in her mouth before waving the pastry at the young woman.

"I had waffles before work. This is just my delicious break snack. Have you had the muffins here? They're wonderful." The other woman's people watching habits were noted as well, included with the information that she wasn't simply staring off into space. If she took the time to engage the people she was watching then she must have been paying attention.

[presspasskey]

Lois does pay attention, though certainly not with the kind of insane detail the Batfamily is all trained to do. She does, however, enjoy taking the measure of people, and who knows? Maybe one of them will be a good contact or ally some day. She needs more of those in this city, which isn't Metropolis and therefore she doesn't know it like the back of her hand. This place is good for the allies bit, especially when she needs to get people who will support, watch, and enjoy the planned News Network.

Plus, sometimes she just likes to meet people.

"Waffles are good," she allows. "But muffins are for the afternoon snacks. You grab the sugar as often as possible in the morning, when you can still work it off over the day."

Her philosophy might be mildly flawed somewhere, but she really doesn't care.

[mirroredmemory]

Xion is busy clearing up the table two away from Lois. It had been a loud group of students who had dropped in for a caffeine hit before classes at the University; apparently they had been cramming for a test of some sort. Xion had listened with half an ear open, and quietly wondered why they were so concerned about the value of pie. The price was on the menu after all, and it wasn't 3.14159. You couldn't get that many cents in a dollar in Canadian munny anyway.

"Do you need a refill, Lois?"

[presspasskey]

Lois had also been rolling her eyes, mostly because she had long since outgrown the era of Loud University Students. It had just a little bit to do with getting kicked out due to a little incident with under-age drinking. Besides, math was never her shtick.

She glances up with a smile at Xion. "That'd be nice, actually," she admits. "Though I don't want to put you to the trouble."

There are very few people for whom she'd say that--actually, approximately one, and that's her boyfriend's mother.

[mirroredmemory]

"It's what I'm here for," Xion replies with a smile, bringing the pot over from behind the counter and filling up Lois's cup. "It's no trouble, really."

She retreats to put the pot back, but as the store's enjoying a temporary lull, she takes the opportunity to lean against the counter and keep up the conversation. She hasn't talked to Lois for a while, she'd be sad if she didn't take this opportunity to catch up.

"Besides, I'd be a terrible barista if I didn't keep one of our best customers happy. How've you been?"

[presspasskey]

Lois can't help but smile--man she likes this girl, and she kind of envies the ease and skill with which Xion can do this stuff. Her own stint as barrista... well, it doesn't really bear mentioning. Everyone was relieved when it ended.

At the question, however, the reporter pauses a moment. God, what does she even say? Most of what's been occupying her little family wasn't anything she can talk about in public, or to outsiders. After a moment, she figures out how to phrase things. "A little crazy. That blackout day? Yeah, we had a few problems at home, got a little bloodied. And Halloween was, eh, special." Pause. "And now we're hosting a kid for a couple weeks."

Just a month in the life of the Lane-Kent household. "What about you?"

[runebladeknight]

Celes knew she had to get herself out of the house more. Withdrawing so much into herself would do her no favours and would in fact only cause her to flounder. Only her pride kept her from allowing that to happen

[presspasskey]

As far as Lois is concerned, a woman with poise and grace and ordering delicious, delicious sugar and spice and frosting. In fact, that is just the Normal State of the World, in Lois' opinion. After all, she's sitting there with about three bear-claws stashed in a bag to nibble on all the day, and is making her way through delicious, delicious apple pie.

And, for all her flippancy and snark and playfulness, and the relaxed air she has as she relaxes in a much-loved bastion of caffeination, Lois can be poised and graceful when she needs to be.

Still, there is something that mildly catches her attention, but it brings a smile to her face. Having grown up on a military base, and being the daughter of a now-four-star General, Lois knows a soldier when she sees one, and a high-ranking one at that.

And this is why Lois can't help the grin in Celes' direction widening even more before she takes another bite of pie. High-ranking military woman with a taste for sweets? She approves. Strongly.

[runebladeknight]

Sweets were a small indulgance that Celes enjoyed when she could. The Empire "strongly encouraged" healthful diets for all of its soldiers, most especially their pet projects -- like her. Some of her fondest childhood memories were of Cid sneaking little treats in to her when he came back from visiting the city proper, just to see her face light up. She was grateful for that to this day; he had been one of the precious few to treat her as a human being rather than a weapon to be moulded.

He was probably the one that she had missed the most since she'd been in Siren's Port. He was family.

Her eyes eventually lighted upon a young brunette who was clearly very much enjoying her pie. She couldn't help but return that grin with a small smile of her own; it was kind of infectious.

"Good morning. From how much you're enjoying that, I have a feeling I'm going to like the baked goods here."

Guess how I realized she's from Final Fantasy.

[presspasskey]

Lois in a good mood can be lightening to a room as a rule; on the other hand, her good moods can also hit the absolutely intolerable. Today, however, she is in a fine mood: life is getting back to better times, she and her boyfriend are patching up, no close family friends are dead, her cousin's arrived, and she has the best coffee and pie in the city.

Yes, as far as Lois is concerned, today is a Good Day, and so she is rather relaxed about sharing her approval of life in general.

"Oh yes," Lois agrees. "The pie's the closest I've found to the best from back home--not, y'know, quite the same, but it's fantastic all the same. I really should bring some home. It might be cheering."