The Perk, Sunday Afternoon

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

THIS WAS NOT QUITE how Miss Elizabeth Bennet had anticipated spending her morning; the church had been nearly empty, and the coffee shop had supplied her with a mug, a saucer, a small pitcher of boiling water, and a paper bag. In place of milk, the young girl at the counter had handed her small plastic containers which had some mixture inside calling itself 'half-and-half.' She didn't dare ask which half was what. Did no one brew tea properly in the future?

She could only be grateful that Lady Atreides had lent her some of this strange-looking currency, and shown her how to count it properly. She had already been rather heavily indebted to Lady Atreides for allowing her room in her ladyship's suite, and for rescuing her from the carriage that would not arrive; she hated to impose further on the woman's kindness, but there had not seemed to be much of an alternative.

Eliza Bennet filled her mug with boiling water and dipped her tea ... bag into it, stirring cautiously and wondering how to explain her absence to her Aunt and Uncle, who must, by now, be quite worried indeed. Dear Aunt Gardiner, you have my sincerest apologies. I seem to have been waylaid nearly two hundred years. Will return when temporal forces allow.

The Perk was very open, and Miss Bennet was distractedly watching all who came and went.

(open!)

Comments

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Roy was very well aware that it was Sunday, but he still decided to go in just for an hour or two to make sure everything was in order at the station. He made a detour past The Perk, deciding coffee was always a good thing.

He nodded at the woman sitting at one of the tables as he entered. Knowing what day it was yesterday, he could make a guess that she probably had to be a new teacher. "Good afternoon."

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"Good afternoon," she said, dipping her head to him. "Forgive me, but -- would you happen to know whether one can obtain milk here? I don't believe this," she held up one of the plastic containers with a frown, "was ever intended as a reliable substitute."

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

Roy halted near her table to see what she was holding up. "It's milk," he assured her. "It's kept in there because it preserves longer. You're new to the island?"

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"I arrived here yesterday, unexpectedly," she admitted, "and quite against my own wishes. I have been told that such things occur, here."

She glance at the container, noting that a few of them did indeed say 'milk.' She breathed a sigh of relief and began pouring one into her mug.

[light-a-spark.livejournal.com]

"It happens," Roy agreed. "One of my staff got stuck here a while ago." He paused, deciding it was best not to worry her with the fact that said man had disappeared in thin air.

"I'm Sheriff Roy Mustang. If there is any way I can help," he offered.

[crazypilotman.livejournal.com]

Coffee. It was likely Murdock couldn't live without it. He got himself a large mug of it and nodded politely, tipping his hat a little at the lady in the cafe.

"Afternoon."

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"Good afternoon," she said, bowing her head slightly in return. "Pardon me, but were you perhaps at the gathering yesterday, near the school?"

[crazypilotman.livejournal.com]

"Yah, I was," he smiled. "I'm one of the teachers. Murdock. Are you one of the new faculty?"

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"I am a gentlewoman," she replied. To her, it was an answer as that functioned as both role and occupation in her society. "Though I shall be pawning brooches shortly if I do not find my return carriage, it seems."

[nojesusfreak.livejournal.com]

Biff had just gotten a job, so it was time to treat himself to coffee. With date sugar, cinnamon and foam.

The barista had gotten used to his slightly weird request.

He smiled over at the unfamiliar face. Of course Biff knew all of the women on the island. This one he didn't recognize.

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"Good afternoon," Eliza said, nodding to the gentleman at the counter.

This island seemed already to function with far less formality than proper society, so she felt it safe to continue.

"You will forgive me, I hope, for impertinence, but did you say 'foam'?"

[nojesusfreak.livejournal.com]

Biff smiled and nodded. "It's pretty much whipped milk," he said, tipping his mug so she could see. "The closest I can get to that 'right out of the goat' feeling."

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"That is far more reassuring than anything I had been imagining," Eliza smiled. "After seeing that tea comes in small bags and half-milk in plastic containers, I was not certain what might replace sugar. I hesitate to find out."

[tyler_gone]

It was the Perk, it was open, therefore Tyler was there for a mug of coffee. He jiggled restlessly as he waited for his order to be up, and spared a distracted smile for the young brunette in the corner.

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

Miss Bennet smiled and nodded to the gentleman at the counter. "Good afternoon," she said. "Am I the last tea-drinker in town?"

[tyler_gone]

Tyler had to think about that one. "Nah, there are a couple of other English people who throw the stuff back," he said. "I'm just way too much of a caffeine addict."

Receiving his drink, he added, "I'm guessing you're new."

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"I believe I might have that statement written in very small letters on my forehead," she admitted with a smile. "As it seems plain to all who notice me. Though perhaps this is the sort of small town where newcomers are known on sight. Miss Elizabeth Bennet."

[atreideslioness]

After finishing preparations for her class, Ghanima decided to go check on her guest.

To be truthful, she was a little worried. Miss Bennet seemed... sensible... and there was very little about Fandom that was sensible. At all.

Which is why she decided to check the Perk, first, in hopes that her new friend had not gone too far.

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"Lady Atreides," Miss Bennet waved, smiling. "Good afternoon. Have you come for tea?"

She couldn't help a small face at that. It was hardly tea, to dip a small bag into boiling water.

[atreideslioness]

"Of a sort," Ghanima laughed, placing her order for a masala chai and watching the staff scramble to prepare it properly. She might have terrorized them once or twice. "I've found that if I want real tea, I must make it myself."

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

"They gave me a small bag and plastic containers," Eliza said, frowning. "Have they no kettles in the future?"

[satedan-soldier.livejournal.com]

Ronon didn't know how he'd managed to end up in a coffee shop. Of course, there were pastries, so he got some and sat down to eat them messily.

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

Eliza Bennet was doing her very best not to stare at the somewhat ... unorthodox man seated across the room, who was making a rather large mess of his pastries.

He did not appear very concerned with the mess, and as a proper woman of good breeding, she should of course politely ignore it, but there was something rather vivid in the way he was devouring his food that struck her attention.

Eliza Bennet tried not to stare, but she most likely was failing.

[satedan-soldier.livejournal.com]

If Ronon was anything, he was observant. So, watching her watching him, he checked out her strange dress, comparing it to what he knew about Earth and deemed her some sort of homespun alien like himself.

But definitely not a fighter. And damn, those pastries were good.

[clevermsbennet.livejournal.com]

Miss Eliza Bennet was many things, but not a fighter. At least not in any physical sense. Some of her verbal spars might count as fighting experience, but none of those left visible wounds.

She offered the gentleman -- and she had a feeling that term was incorrect -- a very forced smile. One hoped he wouldn't growl, in return.