Lulu is already in the cafe. She's settled at a table and humming to herself in time to the music that trails through the speakers. She wobbles back and forth as she occasionally sips at her syrupy tea; a bowl of salad in in front of her. It's undressed and the tomatos have all been chased to the side as she idly holds a green leaf to her mouth and chews. The other hand is slowly laying out cards in a game of solitaire. The cards are so old and worn they're almost a cloth like quality.
Stepping in with a reflexive duck of his head and sideways step to clear the doorway, the abnormally broad-shouldered man adjusts his coat as he straightens up to look around the room. Face set in what seems a perpetual scowl, his eyes scan the customers, then linger on Lulu until the hostess comes to guide him to a seat. He chooses one near enough for conversation, orders a coffee and some eggs, and carefully leans back in his seat, furniture creaking under his weight, to study the moth.
Lulu is careful to treat the cards delicately, the outer edges are smudged and dusted, iridescent in a slightly darker color than Lulu's darkest points. She munches away, not seeming to notice much of anything for a long moment. She's perfectly still in her spot, legs folded under her lotus style and her layered skirts draping like wings. It's after a moment though that the little moth's head perks and she turns to look towards the massive man who's delicately perching himself on a cafe chair. For a moment her eyes are wide and her mouth is a tiny 'o' but it only takes a moment before Lulu's face bloms into a crooked if dimpled smile. "My don't you fill a room with your presence. Good evening, good evening. Since it seems the Best Model is not here to make the introductions I will do so myself; would you like to join me?"
AJ slips on in not far behind Martin. There's a good chance she saw the man going in, because, well. How do you miss that guy? The result is that the fox's curiosity is able to peek past the exhaustion that clings to her. Yeah, she's yawning as she comes in. She stop, though, once inside, to eye Martin. Then a glance to Lulu, with some vague recognition there. Then right back to Martin. Her already squinty eyes narrow.
And AJ is dressed Vermont Classy! Which is to say, a red flannel and cut offs. The flannel is worn open, with a wife beater under it, thing enough to make her black bra apparent. Under the cut-offs, heavy black tights. And over it all, also open, is her barn jacket. Because even foxes get chilly.
Perversely, the moth's smiling reply only seems to set the man-mountain further on guard, the Ogre's scowl firming within the frown lines deeply etched into his earth-brown face. He scrapes his chair back, looms by default, and gingerly settles down across from the dimpled stranger to repeat his care not to break the furniture, taking up his side of the table and more in sheer breadth alone. Bringing the stinging heat of Summer with him, he nods to Lulu, and, with his back to the door, doesn't risk the chair by attempting to twist in it and see who came in. Being a changeling doesn't mean you can get out of paying fees for said breaking furniture. Staring at Lulu, he demands a slow, "What's your name?" in a low, gravelly voice.
Lulu tilts her head at the Ogre and her brows draw up and then down. She sits up a little straighter and sets the half-eaten leafy green down and a rapid blink blurs across her matte black eyes. She leans a bit, holds her shoulders at a square angle. Attempting, it would appear, to adopt the body language of the large Ogre she's communicating with. "My name?! It's Lulu. Lulu Petit." She leans a little to spot AJ come in the door granting the warmly dressed redhead a finger wiggle before turning her attention towards the Ogre. "What do people call you?"
AJ replies to LUlu's wave with a tight smile, then a nod towards Martin, and then a narrowing of her eyes. It's not exactly the clearest pantomime, but she does add to it. She lifts a hand - with her sharp little nails/claws - and makes a clawing gesture, then shows teeth. That clears it up, right? She'll claw and bite Martin! She then turns and heads for the counter, angling to put herself into a proper place to watch and listen, but she doesn't intervene yet. She'll let Lulu and Martin sit and chat for a bit.
The Ogre doesn't seem to notice the imitation, though he does notice AJ's pantomime in peripheral vision, snorting under his breath as he half-twists to watch the fox settling at the counter. Turning to Lulu, the man mutters, "Marty," and glances up when a waitress appears with his coffee and a plate of eggs. The plate, in comparison to his bulky frame, seems scarcely enough to qualify as a snack, but he calmly begins layering salt and pepper on the food regardless. "You been here long?"
It's early enough that Thorn is still a bit groggy as he lumbers into the restaurant for some breakfast. The entrance is apparently tiny and so he manuevers through it in a state of half-wakefulness and then stops once he's inside. Where to go? He stares left and then right and then moves toward the counter at the same plodding pace. Blinking slowly, he takes a seat and hunches down over the flat top. Hasn't noticed anyone just yet, not paying enough attention. Even if there's an ogre, a fox, and a fluff head all gathered around. He orders coffee.
Lulu idly reaches up to smooth her hands over her head for a good ten seconds, forgetting for the moment the game of Solitaire that sits in front of her. A bit of iridescent dust drifts about her aught on a warm Autumn breeze that flares for a moment and then is gone the next. AJ's progress is given a quick few glances before she leans into Martin's presence once more. "Marty!" The waitress appearing and the appearance of food has Lulu remembering to take another bite of her greens with a thoughtful chew. After filling a cheek Lulu nods and replies, "Six entire months." She checks her phone and then nods, "Yes. Six. You seem like the type of guy who likes to stay in a place though. Am I right?" She idly collects her dust-stained cards putting away her game of solitaire.
"Coffee, please... and some bacon and eggs. And... toast, I guess," AJ is ordering, as she slips into a stool at the counter. She glances back, to eye Thorn for a moment. She debates, and then finally just decides to pull out her phone. And then, yes, she's focused on that. There's no chance she's heightening her foxy senses to eavesdrop, right?!
Marty gives Lulu an odd look when she exclaims his name, salt shaker pausing mid-shake, then finishes applying enough sodium to choke a goat and takes a small bite of his breakfast. "Six months," he repeats, gravelly voice not improved by the beginnings of egg breath. Fixing small, dark eyes on hers, he answers her with an irritable, "I hold the ground that's mine." There's a subtle emphasis on 'mine' when he speaks, a hint of dual meanings. He doesn't appear to notice being spied on.
At some point the coffee arrives and Thorn takes his first few sips. The caffeine couldn't possibly work that quickly so it must be a psychological effect but he perks up a little bit. When he hears AJ, he turns his head to look down and over at the fox and gives her a bleary stare before he smiles for a second or two, "Hey." he greets in a low rumble, one hand still wrapped around the coffee mug. Bacon and eggs and toast sounds good so he orders that at his next opportunity. "Gotta talk to you later. Somewhere else." she's on her phone. Kids and their phones. Probably not even hearing him. With a grunt, the ogre sips some more coffee. Then his own phone beeps a few times and he has to pull it out to see what's up. It's not just kids. He looks down and then looks over at AJ and then back to his phone.
Hazel is not waitstaff today; today that honor goes to one of her cute little waitresses. Hazel can be heard calling, "Order ... UP!" from the kitchen in the back, largely out of sight. Largely. Every so often, her eyes peek past the order window in a way that hints that the short order cook is paying attention to more than the eggs and bacon on the grill today.
Lu shuffles the cards and sets them aside and lets her fingers drift to the table top, fidgeting there with furtive little movements while the rest of her seems placid. The fuzzy-headed wide-eyed 'blonde' might be intimidated by Martin's general. It might account for the occasional shimmer of moth dust that comes off her. Despite this, she presses on ever curious. "Yes. It's about the longest I think I've ever been anywhere. But then it's too cold to go much farther east right now. She lowers her voice a bit to a more conversational tone. "Oh? Do you find it often needs to be held? I suppose I'm not down on the local gossip on if there are land thieves about I wouldn't really know."
Marty the Ogre calmly forks up another mouthful of his salt-and-pepper eggs, though when a glance around the room reveals that he is now by -far- outnumbered by strange changelings, in and out of the kitchen, his shoulders tense, lips twisting as though the food were somehow soured by the realisation. "If you've been here six months," he grates to Lulu, unpleasant, "I think you know more about the land thieves hereabout than I do. Newcomers." The others in the room get pointed looks and long stares, unfriendly.
"You wish." comes the ogre's response to AJ. Thorn shakes his head and finishes off his coffee. Hot liquids probably aren't much of a problem for the fire ogre. Once it's gone, he asks for more. His phone is set down on the flat surface in front of him now so he can monitor it. Occasionally, he taps away. Fortunately, he has a large phone. In the meantime, he waits patiently for his food and turns to look over his shoulder at Lulu and Martin. AJ may be subtly spying on the conversation but Thorn just stares for a little while. Oh good, the guy is staring back! Staredown! Thorn won't turn away if Martin catches his eye.
Lulu raspberries and wrinkles her nose. "No. That's silly, the only thing I steal are lost socks." She bounces a little and smiles, "I'm really bad at this thing. maybe they should have a permanent greeter here." She waves a long-fingered hand in a flutter towards AJ, trying to wave her over. She looks back to Martin and scratches at her hair lightly fluffing that spot up a bit more than the rest and shaking loose a little more dust. "But um.. I didn't...like.. actually steal some of your lands did I?" The question is not mocking, it's legitimate. She starts to fret a bit more, fingers fidgeting lightly finding a flaw in the wood table and working at it.
AJ is on her phone, she's eating, she's drinking. It's actually remarkable how much the adorable fox can go still and blend right in like she belongs. There's no reaction to Marty's gaze falling on her. She's not paying attention! But, then, oh! That's her cue. A little wave to Lulu and AJ looks over, hyperaware of her surroundings. AJ grabs a piece of bacon in one hand, then her coffee in the other. Her jacket is left behind, and she walks right over, and helps herself to a seat at Marty and Lulu's table. "Sup, Biggy," she says, with a sweet smile. She's just about the exact same small as Lulu. In stature, at least. "AJ. Nice to meet you. Even if you are talking some really weird talk." She bites into her strip of bacon, flashing pointed teeth as she does.
Marty stares at Thorn until the moth answers his question. "That depends," comes the slow reply, head turning back to redirect that stare. It's a heavy weight of censure for such a little Lulu, and, soon, a little AJ. "You one of that rabble calls itself a freehold here?" His voice is a low rumble, the clink and clatter of cutlery on plates and other conversations loud enough to disguise it from mortal ears. Foxes, obviously not. The little eavesdropper gets a scowl.
Hazel often does a casual walk through on the restaurant floor while she's making the food, checking quality and service. In this case, the little Wizened is also bringing out one of the daily specials, a chai cinnamon roll that smells of all things spicy and good. She passes close enough to hear Marty and call out in a rather barbed fashion, "If your business is particularly personal you can take it to my back room out of the way of the nosy sorts." She slides the roll tray into the display and dusts off her hands.
Thorn can't hear a damn thing with his normal ears. But he wins the smallest and pettiest of victories. Staring contest. He'll party it out later tonight. Once AJ is further away and he can't hear the conversation, he keeps facing the now trio from his seat, considering whether he'll go over there and invite himself to the other ogre's table. Considering takes a long time and so he sits there, sipping his coffee, watching. Weirdo. Hazel's barbed comment distracts him and he looks toward the woman with a brief grin, "Probably a good idea."
Lulu shrugs, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." Comes the little moths reply, head tilting and shoulders tensing at the stare and although she is cringing a little she gives her most earnest attempt at openness. Hazel's words make her blink a few times and she looks towards Martin. "Ad infinitum. Thank you for the offer, Ma'am!" To hazel, "Would you come with me?" Is her pleased question to AJ and Martin while she moves to squirm out of her seat, cards in one hand and salad in the other. Headed for the back room, perhaps with far too much confidence that she'll be followed.
"That's right, sexy," AJ says, with a sweet smile on that adorable face of hers. One ear even twitches, to highlight just how adorable she is! "Since the very, very beginning. Founding member, been keeping this lands safe ever since," she says, in a quiet voice. "Good thing for it, too. The town needs someone to protect it," she says. Was that a jab? Noooo, couldn't have been! She's smiling too sweet for something so underhanded. AJ glances back, to Hazel, and then to Lulu, and finally Marty. "How about it, Biggy?"
For a weighty moment there, it does seem Lulu's confidence may be misplaced, but Martin does eventually lumber up onto his feet, chair scraping over the floor, and reach down to grab his coffee and eggs. He firms his jaw, narrows already small eyes, and ambles toward the back room at a large man's careful pace between the aisles of tables and booths, half-sideways to avoid the other customers. He lingers in the doorway just long enough to mutter a curt, "Everyone knows foxes are thieves," down AJ's way, then steps inside.
Though he wasn't specifically invited to the back room, he's going to tag along. Waiting until the others are up and moving, Thorn comes along behind them, closing the door once everyone is in. The tables are circular and he's going to drop into a chair at whichever one everyone else is at. At one point he seems as if he's about to say something but he's just going to take a sip of his coffee. Of course he brought it along with him. Hunched over the new table, regretting not bringing his plate of food, he stares across at Martin and spares a few glances for Lulu and AJ.
Lulu's head tilts on her way past little nose twitching contemplatively. "Traditionally. So are Trolls." She's helpful, this Lulu. Momentarily distracted by staring at Thorn for a good few moments and bumbling her way into a chair. "Ow." She straightens herself and decides that that chair will do just fine for sitting in. She's not picky where her flutter lands her. "So, hmm, about us being a part of the freehold. Does this automagically mean we're thieves? I was not aware of this title when I joined I admit."
"I assure you, Marty," AJ says, once she's up. She steps aside, to snag another piece of bacon off her forgotten plate, then she's following along. "Only hen houses I enter are the ones I'm invited into," she says, smiling so sweetly still. She then glances to Lulu, and gives a little laugh. The little fox moves over and places herself directly next to Lulu. Because camaraderie! Or maybe she is debating chasing and pouncing on the bug. Probably not until after tense meeting. She fixes her gaze, and those honey colored eyes with vertical pupils, back on Marty. "So, Martin. Now that we're in private... Think you could pretty please outline your objection?" she asks. "Like, you all weren't here three years ago. Or two years ago. Or one year ago. But now... now you are?"
Martin takes a seat at the table, plate of eggs and coffee set down, chair drawn out, and body settled with the same ponderous care, awareness of size and accidental strength. Stolid, he forks up another mouthful of his breakfast, chews, swallows, and washes his eggs down with a good swig of plain black joe before addressing the others. "You Fated, Harvesters," his lips twist, "-whatever you call yourselves, were warned early on that this valley was dangerous." Truth. The danger was, in part, -why- the founders chose to settle in it. To protect it. "We've been guarding this land for a long while. You don't want to know what you'll wake up if you go on as you've been doing."
Thorn laughs at AJ's response and her sweet smile, head shaking slowly. "This is Martin." he rumbles, looking not at the man but at Lulu, "A member of a Freehold about twenty miles from here. They claim this land is theirs for some reason, even though none of them have been here since Fate's Harvest showed up." as far as he knows, "So now they...what? Want to oust us? Evict us?" again, his head shakes, "That's not going to happen." he takes a sip from his mug and then sets it down with a solid thump. Then he listens to Martin's response quietly, considering. "If you've been guarding it, why weren't you here? If I want to protect something, I don't do it from twenty miles away. And to not show up in three years? That is dereliction of the duty you say you have, Soundless. You're Summer court. So am I. We understand what it is to fight and the struggle. You can't do that from so far away and so now we are here. Vague dangers and threats are meaningless. You hide the reason and hide the danger. Why? Just come out and say it."
Lulu leans in a little more. Her head is tilted some and rather than start back in on her salad the pale-green woman lifts her sleeve to her lips and bites at an already nibbled cuff. She nods along with Aj's questions seconding them as ones she'd like to know as well. But Martin's carefulness with the chair being so counter to his gruff tone makes her smile to herself. Thorn's explanation brings her back from wherever her mind had been. "Hmm, having to do with the land maybe. Since that's what you were talking about. I'm curious what it is, that would keep you from being on the land you'd also claim to protect. Dangerous and valuable then, I'm guessing?" She's musing then pops her fingers to her mouth and looks mildly embarrassed. "Sorry." She aims the apology for her meandering questions towards the wall that is Marty.
"Marty, meet Thorn," AJ says, with an amused sort of look. She gestures, making that introduction. She doesn't seem to have anything ot add, besides that, though. Instead, she eyes Lulu a moment. She shoves the rest of her bacon into her mouth, then switches her coffee cup to that hand. This frees the hand closer to lulu, and that allows AJ to reach out, and drag a finger over Lulu's shoulder. There's a bit of a scratchy noise, as her sharp nail drags on fabric, but it's mostly the pad of her fingertip making contact. She lifts that finger, then eyes the collected moth dust. Curious fox is curious.
Calmly forking up another mouthful, the earth-brown Ogre-wall of Marty-land chews, swallows, sips his coffee. He nods to Thorn and gives Lulu a narrow-eyed look, glaring suspiciously at AJ a moment later despite the foxy woman's ostensibly innocent introduction. His fork clinks on his plate when he sets it down, small eyes returning to his partner in size, Thorn, to grate a deep, slow, "You didn't see us when you got here. You didn't see us when you stayed. You didn't see us 'til WE decided you were digging up what's better left alone." Throughout, his attitude is one of assurance, confidence. Not -self- assurance, but rather, the utter faith and loyalty of one who -knows- that what he says is fact, unswerving. Scowling at Lulu, then, he tells her, "We already spoke to your 'Waylord' with our demands. IF you even -have- a monarch, we have yet to receive a half-decent welcome from them. Maybe you've hurt our feelings."
"Maybe there is something dangerous." he allows, lifting his wide shoulders in a shrug. "Maybe we will need your help to combat whatever danger there is." while he sounds dubious, Thorn is nonetheless allowing for the possibility. "What we don't need, though, is your attitude. You're being condescending and rude. You're surrounded by Lost not of your own Freehold, insulting and antagonizing them. Even if you're not willing to be polite for the sake of politeness, you should at least be willing to be polite for the sake of your own safety." a brow arches and he shrugs again, "Besides, you're not gonna get anyone to do what you want if you're an asshole. Unless you're marching your freehold over here for a war. Which would be stupid." Thorn takes another sip of coffee, "Mostly, stop being an asshole. I'm sure you'll meet the Vernal King soon enough. Maybe you should hole up in your hotel room until you can speak to him and the council."
Lulu squirms and flutters a bit in her seat as she's poked. She's probably looking at AJ because her brows are skewed towards the Fox with a bemused expression. She's paused in her chewing for the moment at least until she blinks and turning to fully face the Ogre once more. Like much of the moths mantle the residue won't last long, a temporary thick smear of powder. Lulu's head ticks a few times between AJ, Thorn, and Martin before she releases the cuff of her sleeve from her teeth. "No, I'm just a Moth. Not the Monarch." She seems to have misunderstood but doesn't seem offended. "Well, as bad as I'm certain people would feel to know that we've caused offense I'm not sure calling us thieves is the most, ah, felicitous use of diplomacy. But I digress - what balm would you suggest for this most wicked burn?"
"Do you want me to kiss it and make it better?" AJ asks, her eyes diverting from her fingertip to Marty. That is, of course, in response to his hurt feelings. She gives a sweet smile. Then she looks back to her fingertip, then to Lulu. The dust fades, so she goes in for another swipe, and eyes this, too. Then comes a snickers, as Lulu has winged bug issues. Her only contribution is to look back over. "Queen. Vernal Queen," she corrects. And then... well. She pulls her hand closer, and her tongue comes out, and she dots her fingertip - and moth dust - against that tongue.
One can hide from the prying eyes of humans in the cafe back room, but not entirely from the prying of Hazel herself, who comes in with coffee and water carafes to set up on the buffet bar. "Refills?" she offers. "Or more orders, I'll take them. If you want the special cinnamon buns, speak up soon, because I'm selling out of 'em." Close as this is to noon, this is about as old and worn out as the diner pixie gets. She might be coming in just to make sure nothing is on fire yet in her business.
Does Marty care about politics? Nope. Does Marty seem to give a flip of Hazel's undoubtedly tasty waffles out there in the kitchen? Nopearoonie. He meets Thorn's attitude with stolid indifference and a few scrapes of his fork over his plate to corral the last morsels of egg so he can push them all into his mouth. Awkwardly. Tusks make plates problematic. He polishes off his coffee, next, and scrapes his chair out from the table, lumbering slowly up to his feet. "You hurt me, you're sending messages to more folks than you know. Ya'll have a good day, now. I've got other appointments." He nods to Hazel when she bustles in, takes up his empty mug and plate, and starts toward the exit.
"Vernal Queen." Thorn nods, corrected. "Stop licking dust." it's what one would say to their cat and what, apparently, Thorn has to say to the fox. Bad fox! Leave the dust alone! He lets out a breath that's sort of a laugh and shakes his head, "Don't think I've seen an ogre conman before. Goodbye." he leans back in his chair and finishes off his coffee, watching as Martin makes his way toward the exit. "I'm Omar Thorn." he's looking to Lulu now, introducing himself to the unfamiliar woman. Hazel is unfamiliar too but she's just in time so he holds up his coffee mug to indicate he'd like some more, "I'll take two cinnamon buns." a pause, "Please. Thanks."
Lulu is too oblivious or unconcerned to correct the mistake about to be made in relation to moth dust. Some lessons are best learned the hard way anyway. She oh's and perks, "Yes please, I would like a warm tea and a half cup of sugar please." She lets her fingers brush the top of the table. Her lips turn down a bit as Marty stands, "What?" Now she's confused and she looks way up at the massive Ogre. "Well. Buh-bye!" She waves after the huge man and scratches her cheek waiting for the Ogre to be gone before humming to herself. "That man needs a serious deep tissue massage."
Lulu finally turns back to the Ifrit again and blinks a few times. "I am Lulu Petit. But just Lulu is just fine." She looks back to AJ and something finally seems to register. "Did." She takes a breath, "Did you just.." Her brows knit and she looks mortified and she squeaks, "Taste... me?"
AJ's face scrunches up and soon she's sort of licking the roof of her mouth, holding that face. No, that's not what she expected. Why in God's name would it be anything but what it is? Still, she does look back at Lulu. Her face settles, and she stares for a moment. That look. That look that a cat gives that's vaguely interested, yet nonchalant, yet almost surely comes before pouncing. She's distracted, by Thorn. "What-..." And then Hazel. "Oh, coffee?" she asks. But before she can, Marty is rising up. "Oh!" she says, and sets her cup aside. She stands up. "Wait, Marty..." She says. A hand fires to her front pocket. She pats. No. Then to her back pocket. Ahh, there it is! She pulls from it a business card, and then from her other front pocket, a pen. "Just... in case you need to call someone," she says, and quickly scribbles down 'AJ' along with a number. The business card is for Desrochers Bar. She hands it to Marty, then steps back.
AJ looks back to Lulu. A sly grin crosses her lips, and this time, the gaze is less of that maybe-about-to-bite, and far more predatory. She does and will bite, this fox! "Yes," she says. And offers nothing else.
Hazel calls after Marty, more chilly than is her norm, "Y'all come back soon. " It's not enthusiastic, and not just because Hazel is moving at the speed of arthritis. "Tea and all the sugar. Two buns." She's pouring out the coffee, but her nonchalant manner suggests more curiosity hiding underneath.
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