The Perk, Saturday Morning

[future_sandworm]

Stopping by the Perk for a coffee had become a habit for Leto when visiting Fandom, and he saw no reason to change that. He would meet up with Sparkle later for knife training and a karaoke evening -- not that he intended to sing, but he suspected Sparkle would make up for that. Right now he was sipping his coffee, content to just have a peaceful morning.

[Open!]

Comments

[fjordicswagger]

It was a somewhat cranky Tamsin that made it into the Perk that morning. Then again, she was cranky most mornings.

She walked up to the counter and ordered 'the most espresso-est espresso you can make, with extra sugar', then turned around to survey her domain.

Er, the coffee shop on her island.

[future_sandworm]

Of course Leto knew about the possibility of doppelgangers in Fandom, and he had experienced that himself, but that didn't mean that he didn't give the woman entering a surprised and curious look. She looked exactly like Dinah, but her body language and whatever else he noticed was very different indeed.

[fjordicswagger]

Tamsin's eyebrows flew up, though the rest of her face remained a solid plane of decidedly un-Dinah-like icy judgment. "You might want to stop that before your face sticks that way," she said.

[future_sandworm]

Sorry, Leto couldn't help smiling a little, because yes, that was very un-Dinah-like. "You have to be more specific," he said calmly, taking a sip from his coffee.

[fjordicswagger]

"I don't have to do anything. This is my island," Tamsin said dryly.

She reached back without looking; the barista obligingly put her coffee in her hand.

[future_sandworm]

Sorry again, that was funny, and Leto's amused look was going nowhere. "And it obeys you loyally, I assume?"

[fjordicswagger]

Tamsin took a sip of her coffee. "Can I get a cup of milk to go with this? Thanks."

The barista got back to work.

"The important parts do."

[future_sandworm]

"And which parts are that?" Leto asked, still thinking this was funny. He would have to ask Ghani about this woman later.

[fjordicswagger]

The barista handed Tamsin her cup of milk.

She walked slowly towards Leto's table. "Business owners," she said, "The community center, the party plannings... pretty sure my office handles the school's paperwork..."

[future_sandworm]

He leaned back a little. "Quite a responsibility, then. My apologies, I don't live on the island and I didn't know who I as talking to."

He didn't sound that apologetic.

[fjordicswagger]

"Yeah, it happens," Tamsin said dryly. "At least when you're a smug douchebag, I guess." She tilted her head. "I've never been one."

And then her head wasn't the only thing she was tilting. Hope you didn't mind a large splash of warm (though not hot) milk in your lap, Leto.

[future_sandworm]

There was too much water in milk to make soaking his skin in it painless, and it was lucky that Leto noticed in time and made a fast -- blurry fast -- move sideways while trying to push the hand holding the cup away from him. He ended up standing a few feet away from Tamsin, eyes flashing with anger.

"Do all visitors get such a warm welcome?" he snapped.

[fjordicswagger]

Tamsin tilted the cup back to its regular position. "Only the douchebags," she chirped. "Weren't you listening?"

[future_sandworm]

"You judge people quickly," Leto replied cooly. "Not a good strategy in your position."

[fjordicswagger]

"Or maybe you've got to learn a couple of things about making a first impression," Tamsin said.

Neither her expression nor her tone had changed in any way, shape or form, though now she was pouring some of the milk into her coffee.

[future_sandworm]

"You haven't considered following your own advice there?" Leto replied, reaching for his cup.

[fjordicswagger]

"I'm not the one giving people the stink-eye for ordering a coffee," Tamsin replied, sipping from her cup.

[future_sandworm]

"I looked at you because I bear a striking resemblance to a friend of mine," Leto replied, now calmer but clearly not pleased. "In appearance and not when it comes to personality, I should add. How you can be in the position here that you claim and still be bothered by something like that is beyond me."

[fjordicswagger]

Now Tamsin's head tilted again, and her eyes narrowed. "Look, with an attitude like that, I'm sure back home you're the Fish-King of Mermandia with amazing world-shaking cheese-based powers that force you to abstain from dairy or whatever," she said. "But here, you're just another asshole who thinks he's funnier than he really is. So save me the you-stepped-on-my-ego tantrum, I've heard it a million times."

[future_sandworm]

"You have? Perhaps you should try and listen to your own." Leto met her gaze. "Because it seems that you are the one who feels threatened by someone who just looks at you."

[fjordicswagger]

Tamsin rolled her eyes. "He's paying for the milk," she called to the barista. She headed towards the doors.

[future_sandworm]

"She's paying for my coffee," Leto added, in a voice that would probably make the barista nervous. Then he sat down at a nearby table, one that hadn't milk on it.