Difference between revisions of "Breakfast At The Crossroads"

2017.03.23

The Crossroads Cafe gets slammed for breakfast and a huge conversation ensues.

The Crossroads Cafe

The cafe today is slightly crowded. Most of the customers picking their orders to go and just a few tables really filled. Most of the people over the bar. One of the tables, though, in the far corner of the stabilishment, is occupied by a pair of young looking man. One is local looking while the second is an asian small framed man. To those that can see through the Mask, at the counter lies a huge demon-like creature with a Summer mantle that is trying to get someone's attention in a very indiscreet and unpolite way while in the far table, a Spring courtier with bright green hair braided like a viking is holding a white flower with his hands cupped together.

"Hmmm..." The Fairest says and glances at the counter trying to look as casual as possible."Maybe? I mean, I don't know. I know him. Do you want introductions?" He asks and without waiting for the answer he gestures to the other man."Hey, Cobalt. Come here. Join us." He says and smiles to the big man when he/if he looks back.

Haruki shakes his head even as Dave invites Cobalt over, and what can he do but shrug and smile. "Cobalt? Wow... it is him. Cobalt Rasender, from Mired! They totally trashed a hotel in Vegas. It was nuclear."

Cobalt is, admittedly, pretty nuclear. And to Lost eyes, pretty demonic. He turns his head over his shoulder at the sound of his name, holding up one impatient finger before turning back and knocking on the counter again. "Hey! I'm picking up an order here!" Someone finally comes over, a flustered-looking young guy. "Brown sugar pecan pancakes and a side of bacon." That's a relatively small meal for the likes of Cobalt. Maybe it's just a snack.

The door to the cafe opens and there's a bit of a hesitation from the tall woman that enters. Kerrigan's eyes flick over the occupants of the crowded cafe and there's a moment where she looks like she might gracefully retreat and find a quieter place. She then sees her brother and that makes the decision to stay. She takes her sunglasses off and then heads over towards Oberon's table. She's dressed in her usual black jeans and t-shirt along with her blue jean jacket.

Dave is about to say something else regarding the man at the counter when the door opens again and a very known face comes inside. His smile, once more, become wide and bright and when the woman is close enough to him be heard, he greets her."Hey, sis. Look. This is Haruki. He's a stage magician and just made me a white flower off from a silk napkin." He says very excited lifting his hands so Kerrigan can take a look at it."Come join us. I ordered pacakes with syrup." Then, he turns to Haruki."This is my sister. Kerrigan."

"It's lovely to meet you," Haruki says to Kerrigan. He shuffles his chair over a bit in case she needs room to get in to the table. He does glance between the two, trying to see the family resemblance.

Cobalt is busy finishing his transaction, which consists of grabbing his paper bag full of takeout and paying for his food in cash. Though he glowers at the poor counter dude, he also tips. So there's that. Then he turns and approaches the three of you, green eyes moving to the faces he doesn't know. They linger particularly on Kerrigan, narrowing a little as though he is trying to place her. But all he does for a greeting is grunt, nod a little, and fall into one of the chairs.

"Hiya, Dave." Kerrigan gives a smile to her brother and she places a hand on the back of a chair that's available, long fingers curling as if it might be an anchor. The otherworldly looking woman gives a nod to Haruki, "It's nice to meet you, Haruki." she states. Given her dyed hair and pale skin, the resemblance might be hidden. Then there's a look to Cobalt and a chuckle, "Mister Rasender. It's good to see you mingling in the daytime." she muses at her fellow musician.

Dave looks from his sister to Cobalt as he finally land the white flower over the table and uncupes his hands to retrieve his mug of coffee."Do you know each other?" He asks as he stares at Cobalt with suspicious.

A pretty vision in sunlight, this Asian man is small and delicate of build. His features are mostly soft, gentle jawline, fine brows. A perfect smile with pearly white teeth. Long hair that shimmers with movement, shades of sepia. His eyes are placid, a warm brown swirled through with gold, like the stone tiger's eye.

Haruki's not asking for an autograph, or taking a photo and he moves his chair again to make sure he's giving Cobalt plenty of room, just in case he decides to kick off at his snack not being perfect. He does steal another look that aways though. Yep, still at a table with an infamous metal musician. He finishes off his soup.

"Kerrigan Desrochers, right?" /Now/ Cobalt places her. A slight hint of a smirk comes to his face as he nods. "How's it going?" He takes a brief moment to appreciate her appearance, eyes roving up and down her form, because he's true to his reputation. Then he opens the paper bag and pulls out the takeout container and the plastic silverware. He gestures between Kerrigan and Oberon. "You two're related?" Haruki is ignored, for now, not necessarily out of rudeness. Well. Cobalt is also not the most polite guy around, maybe. So it could be out of rudeness.

"Not in the biblical sense." Kerrigan offers with a laugh. "Tend to keep track of other musicians." she tells Oberon. She does give another smile to Haruki so he's not being ignored. When Cobalt addresses her there's a nod of her head, "Aye, that's me." she tells him. "I'm doing alright. Working on some new stuff, how are you doing?" she asks Cobalt. The roving eyes of the Summer are ignored. Which is true to the Nightsingers reputation. Is she dead inside? "And yes, he's one of my older brothers." the woman states.

Dave grins when his little sister answers the huge man's question and slides the flower discreetly back to Haruki."Make more magic, please." He gestures with his mouth without letting the sound out. Then, he offers the mortal another big smile.

Haruki seems all too happy to be even ignored by his esteemed company. He's smiling, especially in response to the others smiles. He holds up a hand to refuse the offer of that real rose back though. "How will you know if it's going to turn back into a napkin the moment I leave, if I take it with me?" he asks. "Isn't that the real magic?" He then smiles. "You wanted to see cards, appear from thin air? Or some coins?"

Cobalt takes another look at Dave, a slight twitch of his lips that's hard to place. What is he thinking? His green eyes trail over Haruki for a moment, seemingly unimpressed by whatever it is he's doing, before they return to Kerrigan. "I'm good." He's cutting his pancakes into huge pieces. "Haven't heard you play in a little while. You getting rusty?" Seems like playful ribbing, because he's sort of smiling a little.

Kerrigan's phone chimes quietly and she looks to see who it is. A quizzical look is given to the number and the words and then a chuckle, "Hmm. Wonder why he's texting me." she murmurs. Then she looks about the table and watches as her brother tries to give back the pretty rose, but Haruki doesn't accept it. There's a small smile to that. Then there's a look back to Cobalt and a chuckle, "I still have a dayjob. Dead bodies won't make themselves look pretty for burial." she shakes her head. "I've got a gig coming up and I could probably take over the corner at the bar sometime if the family didn't mind." she explains.

Dave tries to not get into the musicians conversation since he doesn't have anything to add to that. Instead, he grins to Haruki and gestures the word /cards/ to the stage magician. A sparkle of that same childish excitment into his green eyes. A second later, he adds a /please/ to his wordless request.

Haruki casts a quizical look at Kerrigan as she mentions her job, but he doesn't comment. Alas it seems he does want to get involved in the music conversation. "What sort of gig?" he asks. "What do you play?" He puts his soup aside and then shows both his hands to them, fingers stretched wide. See, nothing in them. He then picks up, another napkin from the table. He shakes it out, and then folds it up, so it's roughly card deck size, and then with a twist of his hand it's suddenly an actual deck of cards. He pulls the cards out from within, and fans them, to display they're already all mixed up. "All different?" He cuts the deck in half, and then again, riffling the cards into eachother. "Pick a card," he fans them out again, offering first to Kerrigan, and then to Dave. Nope, not going to try Cobalt, unless he looks interested.

"A day job?" Cobalt snorts at Kerrigan. He's sitting at a table with the other three -- probably taking up much of the room, honestly, because that's what he does. Spread out. He's also tearing into pecan pancakes and bacon in takeout containers -- to Lost eyes, ripping at the food with rather large fangs. "Day jobs are for squares. Although being a mortician is pretty cool, I guess." He tosses his head with a sniff. "You should come sing with me sometime. Your voice ain't half bad." Of course, the fact that Haruki passed him over, interest or not, is going to win him a big ol' glare from the metal musician. "I'll take one," he declares, and does just that. Like it or not.

Dave was going to pick a card when Cobalt suddenly moves and does it first. The Fairest looks slightly tense since the huge man came to the table and when he moves to pick a card, Dave leans backwards just an inche. Despite that, he doesn't say anything neither try to stop the magic that is going on.

Kerrigan gives a look to her brother, "Will you believe this guy. He thinks having money to do the things we like is bad." she chuckles as she comments on Cobalts words. She does reach nimble fingers out to take a card from Haruki and presses it on the table to where no one can see it. She liked magic tricks! The Dusk then gives a look to Cobalt, "Nah, we need something that will ground us and remind us. I've turned down more than a few record deals. Just because I'm not ready to take that head first dive." she tells the Summer. Then she chuckles, "Sure. I don't mind singing with people." she adds.

Haruki laughs and is not about to say no to Cobalt, so he too indeed gets a 'completely random' card from the deck. He then offers the deck to Dave again as well. Three cards. "Now don't let me see what they are." He then offers the deck first to Cobalt, thne to Kerrigan, then to Dave. "Put the card back in wherever you like."

"So you're chicken," is the conclusion that Cobalt ultimately comes to about Kerrigan, though he looks amused. He's the kind of guy who might give her a 'pass' because she's a woman. "Fear of success. I get it. I make my money /through/ my music, by the way." Cobalt crunches on some bacon, gnashing it in his teeth. "Well, you sing with me, you'll get all of the right kind of exposure. You want that. Trust me." He smiles. It's supposed to be nice. "Don't sell yourself short. Most people have zero talent. You got talent, you gotta use it, or it's wasted." He then looks at his card and, with one eyebrow raised, slides it back into Haruki's deck.

Dave, this time, picks a card, looks at it and puts it back when he's ordered to do so. He's a mix of curiosity and tension in his chair. One of his hands is still holding his mug of coffee that he, apparently, forgot.

A gust of chilly Winter wind comes in on Ting's heels when she enters the cafe. Though she would live in sundresses year-round if given a choice, Vermont is no California, so the Spring Waterborn has been forced - forced - to adhere to the logic of bundling up. Leggings, over-long sweat shirt, knit boots. Black, grey, charcoal. To mortal eyes, pale red hair is enough of an accesory to make her dull fashion choices work. To Changeling eyes she has a sloppy bun of iridescent hair going on, so things are hardly ever visually boring. She parks at the entrance a moment and gives the room a cursory glance. She is looking for someone, and instantly finds him. Cobalt is too big, too loud, too metal to miss. She hooks her thumbs under the straps of her backpack and waits a beat before heading over. It's a bizarre kind of politeness given that she was invited here (and works here, as it turns out).

Kerrigan gives a look to the phone again and there's a laugh before she texts back, "Khal Drogo...what." she muses as she puts the phone down. She then places the card back into the deck and gives a smile to Haruki. Then there's a look to Cobalt and she just laughs, "Nah, not chicken. Just haven't been back home from things to really go with a huge step like that. I'm talented. Not dumb." she tells the Summer. Then there's a look to the door and there's a smile to Ting, though another chime on her phone and she reads the text. She straightens and gives another look to the door, waiting for Ballcap.

---TING!---

No, not the person, the bell above the door. Letting in plenty of the cold air, the door swings open and a man doing his best to keep to himself walks through. An old, black Boston Bruins cap is tucked low over his eyes, concealing most of his light chin scruff as he looks down and scrapes his heavy, black boots over the doormat. He blows some warmth into his fingers and pulls a leather jacket off of his shoulders, leaving him in two more layers: A faded, gray hoodie and a TOOL tee shirt. Stomping once more, he apparently decides his boots are clean and walks with old, faded jeans and a swinging chain wallet towards the main sitting area, pausing to browse some of the emptier tables.

"Sounds brave to me," Haruki says. "Fame and money's not the only method of measuring success. Turning down record deals, forging your own path instead of following in others, that takes courage. Not letting others mould you into what they want you to be, that's brave. Surely a beautiful voice is a beautiful voice, regardless of how many people hear it? Perhaps even more so, because it's so rarely heard?" He shuffles the cards with all the flair of a vegas card shark, riffling them together, cutting them in half, it's fancy, and flamboyant, and there's cards moving everywhere.

Standing over six feet tall, this man is a walking mound of muscle. Muscle that is, strangely, starting to shade over in different colors. A few strips of black around his neck, a finger or two in reds or blues, all of the color and mottled blends in with his many tattoos, all of it growing more detailed by the years, it seems. Regardless, he's got strands of long hair, many of which are old dreadlocks, and he walks with a sigh on the wind, a hopeless remnant of his Dusk Mantle. Lastly, a steel collar is permanently locked about his throat. With two chains dangling from it, as if he'd broken it to free himself, it is the sort of decoration that registers as a mere necklace in the Waking.

"Whatever," Cobalt says to Kerrigan lightly, waving a hand. "Gimme all the excuses you want. We'll sing together, that'll work out." And that's that. Sorted. Then the door opens, bringing a Ting with it, and Cobalt raises his chin. He actually smiles, too. A real smile. "Princess!" he calls out, waving her over. Not shy. Though when he hears what Haruki has to say, he snorts. "What the fuck are you on about? I'm on an independent label. I make my own goddamn decisions. I just also get paid for them. How is it brave to be poor?" Chomp, chomp on some more bacon. "Jesus christ. Don't talk shit about something you know nothing about."

With the sudden departure of Cobalt and the arrival of Ting, Dave relaxes. When Ting reaches the table, the Fairest offers his fellow courtier a huge smile."Hello, there, Ting. This guy here is making some magic for us. Haruki's his name.He's a stage magician." He says and turns to the asian man."This is Ting."

Kerrigan gives a look to the next person that's came through the door and the Nightsinger smiles, a hand waving to Henrik, "Khal Drogo." she calls out. Apparently she knows the incoming Dusk. She then looks to Haruki and smiles, "Thanks for that. Some people just see success and well...I'm a bit more grounded." she tells the man. Then there's a look to Ting and a smile, "Nice to meet you Ting. I'm this ones sister." she hooks a thumb at Oberon. There's a look to Cobalt last and she gives the man a nod, "Fair enough." she states to the Summer.

"I wasn't speaking of /you/" Haruki says. "You're Cobalt Rasender! Of course no one tells you what to do. But you know all those people who're less fortunate, who're selling their souls for five minutes of fame on Americas got Talent, or American Idol, or X Factor, or The Voice, or any of those shows. And they're willing to do anything for it, they're so hungry for the fame and the celebrity. And how many musicians, that's what they dream of when they think of success, not being better musicians, just the spotlight, even if it means selling out." He throws a card down onto the table space where Cobalt was, face up. His card, whatever it was. "I just think, it's okay to not want that. It doesn't make someone less of a musician if they want different things. It doesn't cheapen the art." He smiles at Ting. "Pleasure to meet you. I'm Haruki." And he's busy shuffling cards. He smiles at Kerrigan and nods. "I'd love to hear you sing, sometime. Do you have a webpage or something?"

Ting answers to quite a few things. Princess, Ting, Go, Margo, Hey You. She grins when Cobalt bellows across the cafe to her (Does he ever do anything that isn't a bellow?). Having zero clue what they were all going on about with respect to music contracts, labels, blah blah blah, the Spring comes to the table with little to add to the conversation just yet. "Hello, everyone," she offers, her voice a calm and vaguely accented hum of sweetness that really has no place near a brutish demon like Cobalt. "I'm Ting," she announces, though people already got that from Oberon. She upnods to the Fairest and smiles. "I like magic." Kerrigan is offered a wave, and Haruki is as well. The Summer is assaulted by phone calls, per the norm, and is given a quick nod before he stalks off. Apparently, that happens a lot. Rock stars gotta rock, or something. A chair is pulled up and the Waterborn joins everyone, a quick glance offered to Henrik. The cafe is bustling! "What are we talking about? How are you?" she asks Oberon/Dave.

Cobalt? That seems to get a lift of a chin out of the man with the ballcap, aka Henrik, aka KHAL DROGO. His chin juts up to look to the man, then nods nonchalantly to him in passing on his way to the table. The last few feet to the table, the quiet man lifts his eyes to glance over everyone present, lifting a few fingers in an off-the-brim wave to them in meeting. "Hey, people." It's really like Korben Dallas with Ruby Rhod's microphone in his face. He turns around, looking for a chair to drag over, which he does with an awkward SC-R-R-R-R-REECH, that horrible Freddy Kreuger nails-on-pipe sound.

"Khal Drogo, really?" He ask as in a joke to his sister before turning to face the new guy."Hi. I'm Dave. This one's brother." He then turns to Ting."I'm pretty good. What about yourself? I haven't seen you at the Wayhouse these past few days." He says to the Waterborn with the usual kindness on his voice.

Kerrigan gives a bit of a smile to Haruki, "I have one, yes. And I think I'll have a little get together at Desrochers sometime if the family doesn't mind. So you can come hear me sing. Place is too crowded to just bust into song like a Disney Princess." she tells the man. Then she gives a smile to Ting again before looking to Henrik and then to her brother, "It's a joke. I told him that Khal Drogo was the dead guy." she chuckles. "Everyone, this is Henrik, Henrik this is Dave, Haruki and Ting." she introduces them. "And Cobalt had to take a call." she adds.

Haruki grimaces at that screeeching sound, as it goes right through his teeth, and he stops in his shuffling of cards. He squares of the deck and straightens it up against the table, and a card rises up from the centre of it. "Is that your card?" he asks Kerrigan. It is. He laughs. "The villains always got the better songs anyway."

Ting sways her head from side to side then shrugs in response to Oberon. "I stay at a boat sometimes, to be near the lake. But Cobalt has a place and I sometimes stay there too." The Spring doesn't look like the boat owning type, but stranger things have happened. She does, however, give off a couch-surfer vibe. "I could come to the Wayhouse if things are quiet and lonely," she offers with a grin. "I thought the additional space would be best for those truly in need. My need is far less these days." Is there food on the table? Surely Cobalt left a plate of something. Many plates of somethings. That is just how the Summer rolls. Tons of food. Whatever is left there is soon stolen by the Waterborn. She is plucking up bits of pancakes, waffles, whatever. "I think you should bust into song like a Disney Princess," she tells Kerrigan. "I know the owner here. She's super cool."

Dave nods to Kerrigan in confirmation that he got the job."Well. The Wayhouse is usually quiet. Come on over one day so I can cook us something." He says to Ting before turning to the card that Haruki put on the table and unsure if that is really it as he says, he looks at his sister looking for confirmation.

"Inside joke, something like that. Drogo burned out at his peak." Henrik smirks a toothy tooth from under his ballcap as he gets settled in. His voice carries a slight Euro accent to it, a blend of Dutch to it. The chair is spun around so that he can sit against the back of it. His leather jacket is draped over the backrest, and down he goes. The rugged-looking Fight Club extra-type sits down with a rattle of chain wallet and an arm extended over to Oberon. "Nice to meet you, Dave." Henrik offers his hand to the man first, nodding upwards to the other. He'll shake at them in a second. "Is this some kind of occasion, or just breakfast for dinner?"

Kerrigan's eyes a light when her card is revealed, "Yes, that's awesome." the Dusk tells him. To those that can see her eyes in the mien, they do glow. Creepy Lord Sages. She then gives a nod of agreement, "They usually do." she muses. Then she chuckles at Ting, "I would...but I think I'll save it for later." she tells the Spring. Then there's a look to Henrik and she just watches her fellow Dusk for a moment. She then shakes her head, "Just having some breakfast for lunch really." she tells him.

Ting nods to Dave then continues to steal bites of food. Soon, the plate will be empty. Summer rage incoming. This is nothing new to her, and as people get to know Cobalt, it will be nothing new to them either. "So, were you reconsidering asking that thing you said you might be asking yesterday?" she says conversationally to Dave, like it is the most innocent of subjects. He is offered a sly side-eye, so the Spring can gauge his reaction. Apparently, he should know exactly what she is referring to. "Some villains get the better songs. Sometimes the Princesses win. Elsa kind of wears the crown. The Winter crown," she adds with a grin. "I think this is just a lots-of-food-means-happiness gathering. I work here," she announces with a grin to Henrik. "I bake stuff. If anyone ever needs something for a party I love baking cakes."

Haruki goes back to shuffling cards, almost absently. He cuts the deck, and then shows off the ace of hearts. "Is this your card?" he asks Dave this time. He smiles and nods at Ting. "Elsa does." He looks curious as she mentions she bakes. "Do you do those fancy cake sculptures?"

The Spring courtier shakes hands with Henrik and smiles to the Dusk courtier. Then, suddenly, Dave's cheeks get pinky when he hears Ting's weird question. It takes a little while to him to formulate something to say."Well. I didn't have the opportunity yet, I guess. Not sure if the answer will be affirmative, also. So I'm still trying the field, maybe?" He says looking a bit nervously before turning to look at the magician. Then, he shows off another huge smile and picks his card."Yes, this is it." He grins."Now it's my time to do a little magic. Look carefully." A moment later, the Fairest puts his card into his cup of coffee and sinks it there until there is no more card. To that, he does a theatrical surprise face and then starts sipping from the beverage until it is done and with a confident smile, he shows everyone the bottom of the now empty mug of coffee. And it is empty. No coffee and no card. With that, he bows slightly.

Haruki looks a little puzzled, maybe even suspicious when Dave declares it is his card. But he ends up smiling quickly afterwards, especially wehen the card ends up dipped into the coffee cup. His eyes are wide with amazement, he stands up and peers over, and that smile's gentle, and filled with wonder as if this is the best thing ever. "You drank it?" he laughs. "That's only half the trick, you know."

Henrik lifts his eyes up long enough to make eye contact with Dave in the shake. His smirk is a bit more of a toothy grin, complete with a strip of black skin curling up over the edge of his jaw, that would look like a tattoo if it didn't seem so painted into place. It's a weak smile, though, nothing belaying actual pleasure. Social lives are weird things. "Nice trick," He adds, offering his hand to Kerrigan next, where he finds a brief few seconds of eye contact. "Ting? Kerrigan? Haruki? I don't get out here, much, so any strong suggestions on the menu, or whatever?" Henrik lifts a blithe shoulder to Kerrigan, silent-communication failed, before swiveling his eyes over to Haruki and Ting. "Not to be a downer, I haven't had cake in years."

Someone interested in cake is instantly interesting to Ting. She grins and nods at Haruki. "I can, yes. They take time. We used to have this big kitchen, and I would go buy the supplies as I needed them." Something falters in her expression and the Spring suddenly goes quiet with a polite smile. As the magic tricks keep coming the Waterborn falls into engrossed staring. She has a child-like wonder to her, gasping and clapping when things appear and disappear! Oberon's disappearing card has her reaching out to touch his mouth. "Where is it? Did you eat it?" There is no more mystery discussion about the question the Fairest is gearing up to ask. "The pecan pancakes are great," she tells Henrik idly. There is an empty plate on the table to prove it.

"I didn't bring Alocer in today, so I'm without my beast to do a proper Disney princess moment." Kerrigan snickers at that. She does give a look over to her brother when Ting looks at him all side eye. There's a quirk of a dark eyebrow at him when he's blushing a bit, "You okay?" she asks him with a smile. Then she looks back to Haruki with a smile. Her gaze then settles on Henrik again. When he asks about suggestions there's a smile, "I like their french toast with apples and pecans. Lots of syrup and whip cream." she nods sagely. She looks to Oberon when he does his trick and she grins a bit, "Did you eat it?" she asks.

Dave grins."Maybe." He says to everyone and no one in particular. Then, he lifts his head as to prepare to take something big from inside of his mouth. Like sword swallowers do. And with a hand he takes he card out of himself and gives it back to Haruki. The trick, to the stage magician, is a really well executed one and, apparently, has no fault. Like a pro would do."We should come up with a celebration at the Wayhouse. Ting and I could cook and bake and you could sing, sister." He offers regarding the food conversation that is going on on the side.

Haruki doesn't offer any suggestions of food. No he's too enthralled with the magic trick, wondering where that card went. He does ask. "Who's Alocer?" though, it's a quiet and distracted question though as he watches transfixed when Dave pulls out the card "Wow." He smiles he does take the card back, wiping it off on a napkin though.

"That sounds like a perfect idea. Wayhouse Open House. Buffet style food and all the singing people can handle. Oh, Tomcat is an excellent singer, I learned. He is great. Likes beer. Has a pretty girl called Zee." Ting is into the details. "I like to sing. In the shower or while I cook. I sing to myself when I surf, but there isn't much chance to surf here. No ocean," she laments with a sudden sadness. At least there is a lake and river. She glances to the blushing Oberon and pats his hand. There, there, Fairest. She glances to the hallway where Cobalt disappeared to take his call, then looks back at her tablemates with a smile. "The French toast is good," she adds randomly.

Leaning back against one half of his chair, Henrik flips over the menu. His lips fall silent, mouth expressionless while he reads, keeping his eyes far under the brim of his stupid, black ball cap. The menu page is flipped, flipped again, and while he reads, he reaches out across the table to pluck a coffee cup and turn it rightside-up in the international request for COFFEE PLEASE. "Technically, if it was in his mouth, it qualifies as eating." Henrik mutters from the peanut gallery, then leans back to order over his shoulder. "Protein pancakes, hot syrup, two sides of sausage links, rye, all of the coffee. Thanks." The menu is handed over, and the drifter returns to the conversation, folding his tattooed forearms across his chest. "How is the Wayhouse, these days? I pass by from time to time. Never went in."

"I'd be happy to sing for you guys at the gathering." Kerrigan gives a smile to Oberon. Then there's a look to Haruki, "He's my service dog. A big fluffy Tibetan Mastiff." she tells him. Can't really tell him he's a hellhound. Then there's a smile to Ting and a nod of agreement. Finally she looks back to Henrik as he orders and there's a bit of a laugh, "Hungry?" she asks her fellow Courtier.

The cafe is, by now, almost empty since most of the customers are already back to their own chores. But in the far corner of the business is a crowded table. A few Lost are gathered there and there is also a mortal. Yes. A poor mortal that, apparently, has no clue what he'd surrounded himself with. There is food and coffee at the table and the participants of the gathering are smiling and talking about something.

"Wayhouse Open House? I like that name. We should talk to Ava and ask her if she allows us to organize the party." The bright haired man says. A Fairest. Doing a party organizing thing. What a cliche. Then, he turns to Henrik."The Wayhouse is pretty good. You should come by at any time. I can cook you some cookies and stuff if you want me to." He says gently to the Dusk courtier."That's for you too, sis." He adds a bit later to the other Dusk courtier.

Haruki chuckles at Henrik's 'technically it was eating' comment. He smiles at Kerrigan. "He's not here today?" He glances around as if there might be a dog hiding somewhere. He tries not to look too awkward at the rest of the discussion going on.

Doll now enters the bar. A slender looking girl in a black coat with long, thick hair that ends in waves. Her skin is fair as porcelain and her eyes large and seemingly devoid of emotion. To the rest of the Lost those green eyes are made of glass along with her pointed nails and there are hairline fractures in her exposed skin. With hands folded before her slowly she wanders nearer to the table, tilting her head curiously as well as briefly eyeing the black sheep in the center of them all.

"I'm Khal Drogo, remember?" One eye peeks out from under the brim of the hat to provide Kerrigan with a smirk. Short lived as it is, Henrik reaches out to pour coffee into his mug; nevermind the old, healing scab on two of his knuckles. "The engine needs fuel and I could probably eat half of this table in a sitting." Coffee? Poured. Sugar? In. The man with the Dutch accent sighs and settles back in, blowing into his cup of coffee while eyeballing Dave and the others, including the newcomer, the Doll. The sigh, so much of the 'what am I about to agree to' variety, he licks his lip and then nods. "Sure, I'll come by, Dave. I'll bring - I don't know - a pound of coffee or something to say thanks for the cookies."

"I'll take you up on cookies any day." Kerrigan gives a sweet smile to her brother. Then there's a shake of her head to Haruki, "He's not. He's a bit massive and I had a body to deal with from the morgue. So..." she frowns and doesn't finish. "It'll be alright." she tells him after a moment. Then there's a look to the approaching Doll and a nod to the woman as she gets closer. Her eyes then look back to Henrik and his smirk, "Gonna save your number as that now." she points out to him.

Haruki's definitely the black sheep, seeing as he's all human like. Politeness dictates he does not try and invite himself to the party that everyone else is speaking about, and so he busies himself with pocketting his cards instead. He glances over his shoulder as yet another person comes in, offers a smile on noting that attention. He replaces the cards with a coin, which he starts fidgetting with, letting it dance over his fingers. He nods at Kerrigan.

Dave, now done with his own magic trick, looks at the newcomer with a mild curiosity. Upon seeing that the new girl is one of them, he lifts a hand and wiggles his fingers in a greeting before turning back to his group."It is decided, then. I'll talk to Ava and to the..." Then he shuts up and grins to Haruki apologethicaly."Sorry, Mr magician. It's kind of a private party. BUT. Maybe we can talk to the people who roll the dices and see if we can invite others."

Doll seems to gently drink in the light that touches her, its always a shade darker when the Shadowsoul comes around. She nods back to those who acknowledge her and she finds a seat to slip into. "Hi, I'm Vayle." She says to Haruki all in one soft tone, before anyone can call her Doll in front of the human. Then her gaze is captivated by the coin flipping about his knuckles, head moving like a cats to follow its path as she watches. "You are a magician?" She asks curiously.

Cobalt returns from the back, all big boots stomping and (for the Lost in the room) wings flapping and eyes glowing and Summer heat rising and stuff. Presuming there is still a seat next to Ting, and presuming Ting is still sitting, he lands in it like a bomb, taking up space as he slings his arm around Ting, again presuming she's close enough. Then he frowns down at his takeout containers, which appear to be empty? "Okay. Seriously, Ting? You're buying me more of these."

"It's okay, I'm used to..." Haruki shrugs. "But if you want a magician," he offers Dave. "Although with your talent, I'm sure you're already well set. That trick of yours was amazing." He smiles at Doll. "It's lovely to meet you, Vyale. I'm Haruki." He nods, enthusiastically. "I'm a Magician! Although I was just bested by Dave here, who never even told me he could do magic true. And I've no idea how he did that trick. I know how I'd do it, but it wasn't how he did, and that's all sorts of amazing."

"Forever, Khal Drogo, I am then." With a tick of his head, Henrik fishes his cell phone out of his pocket and starts to one-hand, thumb type into the thing. The coffee mug disappears beneath the brim of his Boston Bruins ballcap while he sips. "Nice to meet you, Vayle. He's a magician. For now." Is that a smirk around the edge of the coffee mug? Quietly, Henrik sips. "After all of the magic and joy is sucked out of the world, we'll be left with dust, ash, and an awful lot of non-biodegradable copies of Bieber's new album to keep us company." Sip. Grin. "That's if the asteroid doesn't get us in twelve years."

Tap. Henrik sends a text. Then, he's looking up and over to Cobalt, peeking one eye out from beneath his cap again. "Hey. I know you. Good shit."

And then Henrik is back to nursing his coffee, only slightly pleased about all of this.

Ting was there the whole time, of course. Eating food that belongs to others and listening to the conversation fly past her like comets bound for crashing. When Cobalt returns her expression stays eerily serene the whole time. He comes in like a hurricane, sure, but the Waterborn is made of reinforced steel when it comes to him. All that bluster slides off her. Usually. Sometimes he makes a room quake and she takes cover. "/I'm/ buying you more of these?" she asks, looking down at his 12-course breakfast "snack." He is offered a wide grin as she offers her palm to him and nods toward his jacket pocket. The inner one. Yeah. The one with the wallet. When Ting pays for things the money comes from his wallet. It's a clever system she has worked out. "Oberon wants to have a party at the Wayhouse." She said Oberon, because who the hell is Dave? "That means... /cake/," she over-articulates at the Summer.

Cobalt gives the other big dude a once-over. Appraising. Nostrils flare a little, like he's smelling for something. Finally, he nods. Henrik gets the Cobalt seal of approval. For now. Lucky him. He throws him the sign of the horns for good measure. "Then you got good taste." He eyes up the pretty new girl, Doll, who wasn't here before as well, rubbing his chin but not introducing himself. Then he glares at Haruki. "Hey, what happened to my card?" He readjusts his arm around Ting, eyebrows raised as she goes on about the party. Yes, he's already handing her his wallet. Money clip, actually, stuffed with bills. Showoff. "A party, huh?" A dead stare at Oberon next because, yeah, who the hell /is/ Dave?

"Nice to meet you, Vayle." Kerrigan gives a nod of greeting to the woman. Then there's a look to Haruki and a bit of a smile. He's a good sport! Then there's a look to Cobalt when he returns to find all of his food eaten and she doesn't say a word. Her eyes go back to Henrik though and then her phone buzzes with a text and she reads it. There's a stare at Henrik afteer that, "Liar Disney Princess...alright buddy." she whispers to the other Dusk. Then there's a look to Haruki again, "Dave's middle name is Oberon. People call him by both." she tries to save the fact of people calling her brother by different names.

Kerrigan then types out a text message and sends it...

Doll is a little quiet and just looking curious from Haruki to Dave now. "Oh, Dave did a trick? Well no two magicians work alike. I want to see some magic." She says with a nod. Wide eyes look to Cobalt as he looks over her, met with her blank gaze at the end and her attention shifts to Kerrigan. "Nice to meet you as well." She says with a hint of a smile. "There is going to be a party?" She asks.

Dave turns to look at Cobalt and smile, as trying to pass on some hidden message. Then, he turns to look at the Doll, but when he was going to say something, his own phone starts ringing."Oh man." He sighs and turns to Kerrigan."Beua is calling again. I should go back to the farm. The barn is till needing some small fixings." He then sighs and stands up."To all of you, see ya." And with that, he goes away.

"For always," Haruki says. He shakes his head. "There will always be magic and joy, as long as we keep it alive, within us. If we can't find it, make our own. That's what being a magician is about!" He smiles. "To drain all the joy and magic, it'd be like sticking a straw in the ocean and trying to drink it dry. You'd never manage." He does laugh at the mention of Bieber though. "Oh." He looks around the table, for Cobalt's card. It's probably there, underneath the plates, not the most elegant of flourishes. "I guess it vanished?" he shrugs, and then he spots it. "It's beneath the coffee." He gestures. He nods at Kerrigan's explanation. "Makes sense." Does it? He's not questioning it. He nods at Doll. "He did. It was really good."

Tapping out a message on his phone, still, Henrik smirks and nods his head in response to Cobalt Rasender. "Yes, I do." Taste, of course. With one final swallow of the piping hot coffee, he sets the mug down and leans back in his chair, reclining and swatting the heel of his boot onto a rung beneath the table. "Clearly, you've never watched Schindler's List, magician. Pop in Boys Don't Cry, follow it up with Schindler's List, and then that documentary about how those little girls stabbed that other little girl about Slender Man." Tap. Send. Sensing feet behind him, Henrik leans to one side and his plate of pancakes is set in front of him. One more smirk, and he's grabbing his fork.

"I don't mean to be rude, though, sorry. I'm just fucking with you." Henrik adds to Haruki while he spreads butter onto his pancakes. "Find something you love and do it while you're young."

Somewhere in all the card magic, party talk, and food theft, more pancakes were ordered for Cobalt. You know, the one's Ting won't be paying for with her own money. The Spring grins up at the new arrival, the expressionless doll, then glances to Cobalt. "I went grocery shopping and I have to start dinner in..." She looks down at her wrist, where an imaginary watch resides. "...an hour. I am going to do that thing with the potatoes and cheese. That thing from the magazine." Schindler's List followed by Boys Don't Cry sounds awful to Ting, so she stares at Henrik in horror for a moment. Ah, he was joking. Her attention moves around the table, then settles on the Summer demon. "Do you want to meet me back there around six?" So he can stay and play rock star with adoring fans or whatever.

Kerrigan gives a bit of a smile to her brother when he has to go, "Tell Beau I said hi." she states. Then she looks to Doll and the others as they talk. Apparently big brothers make talking easier. She gives a nod to Haruki, "It does, yeah." she tells him. Then there's a look to Henrik and she just laughs at what he says. It's followed by something thumping under the table. Did someone just get smacked? The world may never know. She just shakes her head as she finishes her coffee and then eyes one of the sausages that Henrik has.

Haruki shakes his head at Henrik and then he laughs as Henrik explains. "That's a good way to live life. Do it while you're old too though. I'll let others watch the sad movies." He looks to Kerrigan and smiles.

Cobalt grunts as he gets to his feet, then stretches his arms out overhead, yawning hugely. Like when big cats yawn, and it looks like their heads are about to split open. Like that. "Naw, I'm good." He's no longer the center of attention. That means, he has no reason to stay. Cobalt Logic, in effect. He bends down, puts his big arm around Ting, and hoists her to her feet as well, grabbing his pancakes (to go, we'll say!) with his other hand. A smirk and a quirked eyebrow is given to the assembled at the table. "Later."

Ting floats to her feet suddenly and looks absolutely not-surprised that she got manhandled like someone's trusty backpack. Maybe this happens a lot. "Bye, everybody. The Wayhouse party will happen," she assures the group as a whole. The Spring will make sure of that. Putting Oberon to work party planning seems like a good use of his time, right? Then the duo is off to wherever demon cats and water nymphs hang out.

"So...apparently there's going to be a party." Henrik speaks up, huffing inwardly through his nose as he may or may not have been hit under the table. He holds up a finger to Vayle, pausing a moment to stuff pancakes past his lip ring and into his teeth. "Not sure where, not sure when," Henrik continues while he chews, blindly nudging one of his sausage links towards Kerrigan while he looks over to the darkly clad woman. "And it might have been a good idea or a bad one, but I've been invited, and I'll probably maybe show up, maybe." His hat then dips downwards, back to his food.

"I'm assuming I'm sitting at the table with the people who enjoy parties?" Henrik asks the gallery.

Doll eyes those fluffy pancakes and the rest of the shenanigans around the table, blinking when she hears the hidden thunk below. She side glances Haruki again and mimics that smile of his as she sits there. "Who is hosting the party?" She asks Henrik. She obviously has not heard of it until this point.

Dusk's might be prone to violence. It's not been documented in the wild. Kerrigan gives a look to her phone and a bit of a laugh at the message. She tappity taps out one in return though and then settles the phone down, "Yeah. Supposed to be a party. Dave and Ting will probably host. They just came up with it today." she states. She then picks up the sausage from Henrik's plate and starts to eat it. Because hungry.

Haruki's been pointedly not invited to the party. And so he just looks awkward when Henrik asks that, but he tries to find an answer anyway. "Depends on the type of party? I'm sure there's a party for everyone."

Sawing up another round of food for himself, Henrik's phone buzzes, face down, on the table. Like he's looking at a pair of cards on a poker table, he tilts the phone to see the screen, then offers a sidelong smirk to Kerrigan. The phone flops back down to being face down, and he's back to wolfing in his mountain of food. "Kerrigan here might be a better person to answer what kind of party it is. If there's neckties and dresses involved, I'm probably out. I don't own a necktie. Little bit of a point of pride in that." Henrik taps the necklace he wears around his neck, but to those with the sight, it's a steel collar. "Dave and Ting seem nice, though. I don't see it being some kind of weird trap, magician." A beat. "So, do you have a gig here in town, man? Where do you do your entertainment thing?"

Haruki shakes his head. "I've just arrived. I was going to check out the theatre, see if I can speak to them there. It shouldn't be hard to find somewhere though, people always want magicians." He looks a little alarmed as weird traps are mentioned. "Oh. No I'm not invited."

Doll looks between them. "I haven't really met Ting or Dave, perhaps I should speak with them sometime soon. If I know more about it I might show up if invited." She eyes the phone that is peeked at. "I can't imagine why you wouldn't be invited." She tells Haruki. "Unless its at a provate place." In this case the Hedge. "You should let us know if the theater takes you. I'll want to go and see a show."

"It's a private party at the Wayhouse from what they were saying." Kerrigan states. "It's nothing against you Haruki, I'm sure there will be other parties you can go to." she tells him. When she doesn't get a return text there's a look to Henrik and a bit of a smile. Then she looks at the time on her phone and there's a bit of an 'oh shit!' moment, "I'm late for an appointment. I'll catch you guys later." she states as she scrambles out of her seat. She gives Henrik's arm a little squeeze on her way out.

Haruki nods at what Kerrigan says. "It was nice meeting you." He smiles at Doll. "I've a webpage. So if I do have any shows it'll be up there. But I'll be glad to tell you too. It'll be fun to perform somewhere new, on my own. So different from LA and Vegas."

"Don't feel bad about it, magic man." Henrik sets his fork down, swallowing down his food. He plucks at his fingers with his cloth napkin and looks up to Kerrigan, nodding slowly to her as she prepares to make her leave. "I think a lot of these people know each other a lot better than I catch on, so the first one's probably some kind of intimate friends and family thing. Drop your card and I'll spread it around for you." Picking up his phone, Henrik looks it over, then quickly thumb table something. "As for you, Vayle? I wouldn't want to make Haruki here feel left out, but I heard you're probably on the guest list. Someone must H.E.A.R.T. Y.O.U." Tap. The phone is flopped back down into place. Without another look to Kerrigan, he goes back to his food.

Doll gives a little wave to Kerrigan. "Nice meeting you." She says just after Haruki and then she nods to him. "I'll keep an eye out for it. "You've been to Vegas and performed?" She asks with a wide- eyed expression and a poke at her lower lip with that glass nail of hers. She looks to Henrik then. "Me?" She points. Who in the world would heart her. "I'm barely getting to know people it seems, a few have been quite nice."