It's still could outside. Specially this early in the morning. The Cafe is barelly occupied. Just a few customers are around and about. Mostly picking their orders to go on their way to work or college. At that point, a Fairest comes inside. One with a long bright green hair in a viking style. He looks like one that just woke up, but already has his jogging clothes on. Probably getting a boost to start running around town or something. He glances around, probably looking for someone and yawns.
"But I asked-- not eggs," Kip is saying as a plate is set down in front of him. He ordered pancakes. He got eggs. But his voice is quiet so the plate is dropped on the table and left and he's instead sitting there at a booth that's far too large for him but was at the moment the only seat available when he arrived. Before people trickled out and opened up other spots that would have been far more appropriate. He lets out a sigh of air and is just resigned to what he's been given.
In comes Kyle, wearing a windbreaker over cargo pants, red Chuck Taylors, and a Deadpool t-shirt. The t-shirt has Deadpool riding a unicorn around a rainbow with chimichangas flying around declaring 'Maximum Effort!'. The Cat had been heading to an empty table, but he recognizes Oberon right away and you know. Kip whom he does not recognize but does see is a fellow Lost due to those little tells they all wear to one degree or another. "Hey Dave." he greets warmly, stopping at the table. "What're you guys up to? Hi, I'm Kyle." Completely fur-covered hand waving at Kip. Yeah...this guy has basically been thoroughly worked over with the look-like-a-cat stick.
He needs a haircut like woah. His nondescript brown hair reaches the nape of his neck in the back and hangs in his face more often than not. He'd stand just shy of six feet tall if he bothered to stand up straight, but he seems to always have his shoulders slightly hunched and his neck slightly bent as if he's trying desperately to blend into the woodwork. It's hard to miss him, though, with his mismatched eyes of glowing blue and green, flickering like they are lit from an internal electrical glow. When he moves, there's a faint crackle of blue and green sparkles and light in his wake, trailing after him before wisping away. His skin has a faint look of worn leather, visible only when you look closely, like a buttery soft leather binding a favorited book.
"Hi, Kyle. Good morning." Oberon says giving the other man a very big smile and a pat in the shoulder while heading to Kip's table."I just wandered in to have something to keep me from falling asleep. How are you doing?" He gestures to the Cat to follow him up to the other Lost's table."Hi. Mind if we join you?" When Kyle does his introductions, the Fairest smiles and offers a hand to Kip."Oberon." Then, without waiting for a proper invitation, he just takes a seat at the booth and slides to the far. Then, he pats the empty space by his side and smiles to Kyle.
A hint of sparkle zips around Kip as he looks up, almost like his subtle bits of lightning are a near mood-ring tell of his emotions. Startle him and he sparks. And he is easily startled. Because even making accidental eye contact with him is enough to send him skittishly sinking into the upholstery. "No," he ventures in a nearly questioning sort of way before adding, "Kip," by way of introduction. "Eggs?" He slides the untouched plate of scrambled eggs to the center of the table to linger amid the salt and pepper shakers and the little thing of sugar packets and jelly and all that. "I wanted pancakes." Pause. "Hi, I mean."
Kyle has a seat once it's clear it's okay, sliding in and eyeing Oberon sideways. "Thought your name was Dave." he mentions quietlike, so as not to spread it all over the restaurant. Because you know, private matters. Anyway he looks to Kip and reaches for one of the menus, determined to get into this food business. "Do they serve lunch all day or is it a breakfast-only type thing in the mornings? Sometimes I don't feel like eggs, you know?"
"Dave's my mortal ID. I only use it when I'm around mortals. Like that guy you met in the other day." Oberon explains calmly to no one in particular. He glances at the eggs."I can order you pankakes, Kip, and have your eggs." Then, as the good Fairest he is, he gestures to the waitress and when she comes, he orders a plate of pankakes with syrup with a very kind and sweet voice and when the girl is done taking his order, he gives her a charming smile that makes she blushes."They serve whatever you want, actually." He answers as he turns to Kyle.
"And coffee?" Kip tags on hopefully to the waitress, tugging at a tendril of her attention that is so focused on Oberon. Oberon who is given a smiling expression of gratitude and relief. Thank you for letting me get what I really want. It's likely if Oberon were not there to help fix the situation, Kip would have grudingly eaten what is likely not the first wrong order he's ever gotten. Something about him just screams that he has given up in a way. "I think they will make other things," he ventures uncertainly.
"Good!" declares Kyle simply, putting the menu down. "I want a cheeseburger." And he proceeds to order this from the waitress, giving her a winning grin. Once they're more or less alone as just the table, he continues, "I got you, Oberon. Roger check, understood will comply." He has to lean over the table toward Kip though and whisper in a loud-whisper, "You seem like something's kind of getting to you...are you okay?"
"And Coffee, please, sweetheart." Oberon reinforces in case the young lady didn'y pay attention to Kip. When she's finally gone, he too turns to look at Kip and pays attention to the fragile looking Lost.
"I-- my ID says Scott, but I hate that name," Kip mentions, calling back to Oberon's earlier commentary regarding being called Dave. "Didn't pick it." He looks over to Kyle. "Yes?" It's almost a question. "I-- it's just--" He leans in across the table. His voice, even when raised, has a hushed quality to it. "Everything is really loud and bright. And I was... alone. For a long time. Not used... others being around. Trying not to use these." 'These' must be the contents of the small amber prescription bottle he produces from his pocket. Anxiety meds. Do they even /work/ on Lost? Maybe he's in it for the placebo effect.
"Aw hell." Kyle says this mournfully and gazes at the pill bottle. He sits back and looks uncertain, his ears laying back as he thinks it over. "Do those actually do anything productive?" He doesn't have the first clue really even what they're for. It's not like they say 'anxiety medication' in bold print. Maybe small print, but he's not looking that closely.
Oberon nods to Kyle and puts a hand on Kip's hand in a gesture of kindness."Look. I know how hard it is when we first arrived from There. If you need help and a safe and quiet place to stay, you can come to the Wayhouse. I can allocate you in one of the far bedrooms so you'll have all the silence and peace you need." He grins."Are you already pledged to our Freehold?" His voice is even more kinder than before but keeps itself low while his bright green eyes stare at kip's.
Kip lets one hand stay there to linger under Oberon's as the other turns the bottle a bit to look at it, as if studying the words on the label will somehow give him an answer to provide Kyle. "I... think?" Even if they don't help, the act of taking them seems to help so that's something. "Have you been out long?" is inquired in that paper-thin quiet voice, the hushed tone of someone in a library. His gaze includes Kyle in that question before it shifts to meet Oberon's. "No, I... New York. I came from upstate New York. It was... too close. My other self was there. So came here. I have a place. Sort of. Store. Not ready yet. Staying there." He clears his throat softly, the tone of his voice coming out a touch firmer yet still low in volume. "I'm supposed to introduce myself to the Freehold. But haven't. Yet. It's manners. I was told-- didn't have to pledge anything yet. But need to meet the leadership or something? It's been confusing. I've been gone from there for ... five weeks? Time is--" he motions a finger near his head. Loopy. Time is loopy still to him.
"Oh that's a good question," Kyle mutters as he sits back, looking distant as he tries to recall how long he's been out. "Yeah. I mean sort of? I've been halfway out for a while but it took a long time to get the rest of the way out, you know?" Which means escape from Faerie? Check. Escape from Hedge? Longer check. He kind of snaps out of it and nods along with what Oberon asked to add for Kip, "You should talk to Ava. She'll hook you up. She's very nice. Very understanding. Honestly everyone here has been great to me so far, and I'm new here too."
Oberon gently waits until Kyle stops talking."I'm out for a couple years, actually. But I got here a month ago. I was travelling around Europe. And Kyle's right. People here are very kind to everyone who has good intentions. But they're also very worried about those that refuse to pledge. So, if you want an advice, I'd say talk to the Queen as soon as possible. I can arrange that meeting if you want me to. It's just an informal meeting and will not take too long." He explains."Once you're formally part of us, we can assist you in many ways. Including that." He gestures to the pills."There are other ways to heal your anxiety."
Kip's fingers curl around his bottle and he secrets it back into a pocket like it's a treasure he's loathe to give up. "Not so bad. I just spend time alone. Trying. To be out. Immersion therapy my therapist called it. I try." Apparently he tries hard, though he pretends not to. "Is Ava the Queen? I'd like to meet her. And I don't... I don't /not/ want to pledge? I just..." his words trail off and he instead offers a tilt of a smile as if to say he's not really sure what else to say.
"Ava's the Waymistress. I think it's called?" Kyle tries the title out but looks to Oberon as if checking with him for confirmation. "Don't worry, man. It's cool. Just ask questions, let them answer the questions, then decide what you need to do to stay true to yourself." For the most part though he lets Oberon do most of the offering of help.
"It's called WayLady, actually. But he's right. Just listen what the Queen has to say, answer her questions and do yours. When it's done, it's up to you to pledge or not. We're not going to force you if you don't want to be part of it. But, bear in mind that not pledging has its ups and downs. One of these dows is that we'll protect first our members and secondly the outsiders in a case of emergency." He pauses for a second to check if the man is following."That doesn't mean we'll ignore you on purpose. But if we're short in assets, they'll go first to the members of the Freehold." He then gives an apologetic smile.
Kip looks a bit wary for a moment. "Protection from... You mean..." His hand makes a sight wave to the air just in front and over him as if to indicate THEM. "I'll meet whomever you think I should." Look at him, putting his wellbeing in the hands of Oberon, and also Kyle though Oberon seems to be the lead in this whole thing.
Kyle looks kind of awkward but solemn at the same time as he tells Kip, "Yeah. Protection from Those." Things. Things that Lost typically eschew naming if they can at all avoid doing so, because naming them draws attention. Still he's focusing a lot on poor Kip here and says, "Man you look nervous. I'm so sorry. What kind of things help you feel better? I mean like...what's your happy place?" One presumes it may include Carl Weathers and a midget on a tricycle for some people.
Oberon arches a brow."Probably I'm what's making him nervous." He says to Kyle before turning to look at Kip once more."I'm sorry, okay? Tell me when you feel confortable to talk to the Queen and I'll make it happen." At that point, the waitress finally comes with the plate of pancakes, the coffee and the cheeseburguer, blushing when Oberon smiles to her again in a thanks. The Fairest waits patiently until the mortal is gone and smiles to those around him."I hope food makes you feel better, Kip."
Nervous. Anxious. Skittish. Overwhelmed. All these and more can be used to describe Kip's general demeanor. "You don't... make me nervous," he says, stammering over the words haltingly as if he's not sure he's using the right words. Writing is easier than talking, simply because when he writes things, he can go over them and tweak the words again and again before settling on them as satisfactory. The waitress, bearing the pancakes that he did want in the first place and the coffee that he wants all the time, is given a flash of a smile as she sets the items down and fills the little ceramic diner mug in front of him. He watches her go before turning back to Oberon. "Set it up. I'll be ready."
Kyle is friendly and all that but he really tries to avoid talking while the waitress is there. It's just a subtle way of him being careful not to talk shop with strangers around. Once they're alone again he gazes lustfully at the cheeseburger. "...finally." he breathes, a hint of lust in his eyes as he picks the cheeseburger up in both furry hands and begins to nosh on it without shame. His feline eyes even roll a little in the abject pleasure of it. This cat LOVES his food.
"Alright. I'll see with the Queen and Ava a good date to do it and will let you know. Just give me a way to keep in touch with you, alright?" Oberon says before starting to eat the eggs Kip had offered him."Bon appetit, garçons."
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