The Perk, Thursday morning

[auntie-vida.livejournal.com]

Vida had totes spaced on posting the flower shop on Monday discovered the Perk and was partaking of the delightful flavored coffees offered therein. She treated herself to a pastry, but only a small one. A lady had to watch her figure, after all.

[[Open for your coffee or drag queen needs.]]

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[berserkerminsc.livejournal.com]

Boo wanted coffee. And Minsc rarely could say no to the whims of his hamster, especially not when his hamster gave him that doleful hamster expression while chewing apart a book as he did this morning. So there they were, armoured man and miniature giant space hamster, coming into the Perk that morning and looking at the menu thoughtfully.

"Now, Boo," Minsc chided the hamster, who seemed to be more occupied with a sugar packet, anyway, "remember, if you get a latte, I expect you to drink it all. I'm not paying three seventy five for a coffee that you'll just have a sip or two of and then just leave it there to get cold, got it?"

Boo managed to get the sugar packet open, which spilled the grains over the counter and Minsc shook his head.

"Hamsters," he said, to no one and everyone else in the coffee shop in particular, and shook his head in dismay.

[auntie-vida.livejournal.com]

Vida really couldn't help but stare, unladylike though it was. "That is the largest hamster I have ever seen," she said, clutching her pearls. "What have you been feeding it?"

[berserkerminsc.livejournal.com]

"Oh," said Minsc, shrugging his large shoulders, "you know. Pizza, burgers, french fries, salads, carrots, donuts, muffins, lobster bisque...the usual! But he is a miniature giant space hamster, so that might be why he's such a formidable presence."

No, he wasn't. He was about as earth-bound as any other hamster. His appetite, however, might be out of this world, though, even if Boo was rolling around in the sugar mess he'd made rather than eating it for the moment.

[auntie-vida.livejournal.com]

"Everything a growing boy needs," Vida said, rolling with the miniature giant comment. "He's quite fierce, isn't he?"

[berserkerminsc.livejournal.com]

"Indeed!" agreed Minsc brightly, with a rousing lift of a balled fist. "A very worthy companion for buttkicking! And while Boo is a fierce miniature giant space hamster, I am afraid his friend is a rude cur who has not made introductions yet! I am called Minsc, defender of Goodness, and, of course, you've heard plenty so far about my good comrade Boo here!"

[auntie-vida.livejournal.com]

"Vida Boheme, defender of those in need of flower purchases," Vida said. "I'm not one for the kicking of the butt, but when it comes to the wearing of the hat, there are few who can match my power."

[berserkerminsc.livejournal.com]

"Ah, I've never been one for hats myself," admitted Minsc, rubbing his bald head proudly. "Too confining! But I do like flowers! So pretty! And they smell nice! So it is a pleasure to meet such a defender of people who need them, Lady Vida!"

[auntie-vida.livejournal.com]

"I've just taken over the local flower shop," Vida said, beaming. "You must stop by some time."

[berserkerminsc.livejournal.com]

"I must!" Minsc agreed with exhuberance. "I shall! One can always use flowers! Although..." His bald head tilted. "If you have taken it over, does that mean Lady Eliza is out?"

[auntie-vida.livejournal.com]

"I am in and Miss Eliza is out," Vida said. "I believe she decided it was time for her to return home. She wasn't auf'd by Heidi or anything like that." Vida may have been a little excited about Project Runway returning that night.

[berserkerminsc.livejournal.com]

"Well," said Minsc, frowning, "I am very sad to hear of her going, especially since I didn't get the chance to say good-bye, but you can't always say good-bye to everyone, and it's, so far, lovely to have you here now, Lady Vida!"

[auntie-vida.livejournal.com]

"You are such a charmer, Minsc, defender of Goodness," Vida said, smiling at him. "Are there more like you back home, or are you one of a kind?"

[berserkerminsc.livejournal.com]

...now there was a word Minsc was really, really never going to get used to being applied to him, although similar ones, it would seem, seemed popular among certain ladies.

Well, popular in the sense of how it was before he got here...

But even his uncertainty about being a charmer, he couldn't deny the fact of the matter, with a bright, proud grin. "Most certainly>!" he said. "There are many berserkers and warriors and rangers where I am from, but none like Minsc, mark my words, Lady Vida! And thank you for your kind words, although my ability in charm usually is with animals, not so much people."

[auntie-vida.livejournal.com]

Vida was too much of a lady to get the wrong idea about charm, animals, and the miniature space hamster. Really, now.

"Much like moi then, they broke the mold when they made you," she said approvingly. "Conformity is so boring. It's so much nicer to be unique."

[berserkerminsc.livejournal.com]

"And," Minsc added with a chuckle, "it's fun to break things, anyway!"

[canadianpopstar.livejournal.com]

Robin had left town hall in search of coffee with some flavor to it -- she had to stop delegating the coffee-making, because it was just ending in tears lately.

And speaking of such things, Robin was sad to find that the acquisition of a latte wasn't going to save her today, as she managed to catch her heel on her stocking and create a snag. Which, of course, then started to run. "Dammit," she swore, taking a seat and inspecting the tear. Stupid professional clothes. Stupid skirts. Stupid insistence that she had to look hot even if she was working.

She glanced around the shop, and her eye rest on Vida. "Don't suppose you have any nail polish on you, or anything, do you? I tore my stocking."

[auntie-vida.livejournal.com]

"Of course," Vida said, brandishing her purse and fishing out a bottle of clear nail polish and offering it to Robin. "Being prepared isn't just the motto for the Boy Scouts!"

[canadianpopstar.livejournal.com]

Robin was genuinely surprised, but grateful as she took the polish. "Thanks! Wow, I was mostly kidding -- who carries nail polish with them? -- but that's awesome." She offered a hand. "I'm Robin Scherbatsky, by the way. Pretty sure we haven't met."

She was a New Yorker, and recognized a guy in drag when she saw one, but she was pretty sure she didn't know the guy under the makeup, either.

[auntie-vida.livejournal.com]

"Vida Boheme," Vida said. "The new owner of the Covent Garden Flowers. I haven't been in your quaint hamlet very long."

[canadianpopstar.livejournal.com]

"Oooh. Are you settling in okay?" she asked, actually kind of concerned, here. "I'm the deputy mayor -- if you need anything, I'm your girl."

[auntie-vida.livejournal.com]

"I must say this place is not without its surprises," Vida said. "But unusual sums up my life, so I'm taking it all in stride. Thank you for your offer, it's definitely a plus to have friends in high places."

[canadianpopstar.livejournal.com]

"This place is ridiculous," Robin said agreeably. "But the good, overall, outweighs the bad. I promise. Believe me, I nearly bolted in my first month here, and it's been almost two years, now."

[auntie-vida.livejournal.com]

"What kept you here, if you don't mind a girl asking?" Vida said. "It certainly seems pleasant enough, but my floral minions from the school have warned me of all sorts of things."

[canadianpopstar.livejournal.com]

"A few things. I like a little adventure, you know? And nothing too horrible happened until I was well and truly settled. Plus, I had five dogs -- it's eight now -- and it's a pain to travel with them. And the people here are kind of awesome," she added, idly fiddling with her engagement ring. "Seriously, there's the most random stuff here, but the people here are some of the most interesting I've ever met."

[auntie-vida.livejournal.com]

"And you've made some young man very happy, I see," Vida said, peering at the ring, then added, "Interesting is good. Normal is boring."

[canadianpopstar.livejournal.com]

"The nice thing about here is that no one is normal," Robin said, smiling. "So everyone kind of is. I mean, in a town where people turn into animals and zombies invade, something like having a Canadian accent when you're drunk isn't a big deal, for instance."

[auntie-vida.livejournal.com]

"The zombies I know about," Vida mused. "But I didn't hear about the animals. Do we have any choice in the matter? I think I'd make a fabulous peacock."

[canadianpopstar.livejournal.com]

"Not that I've noticed. I was a really cute dog?" she offered. "So you might have a shot at getting to be a peacock! But then, my boyf -- fiancé's been here like, three years, and still hasn't been animal-ized. So you might luck out and not have it happen at all."

[auntie-vida.livejournal.com]

"I'll cross my fingers then," Vida said. She turned into something else every morning; no reason why turning into an animal should phase her much. "No one has turned into something like a goldfish, have they? That could be on the traumatizing side unless they were taking a bath at the time."