The Perk, Thursday Morning

[myownface]

Sparkle did not want to talk about his Tuesday. He'd been an actual, literal frigging ghoul on Tuesday, and that had come with a fair amount of freaking out and mouthwash on Wednesday. In fact, he was still kind of freaking out about it today - yes, he was well aware that 'freaking out' was basically his default state of being these days - but he was determined to at least couple that freaking out with being... like... functional.

So he'd dragged his ass to the Perk, where he made sad eyes at the barista until they agreed to make him anything to drink, so long as there was some mint in it, and he'd found himself a window seat where he could alternate between people-watching and reading copies of different versions of Little Red Riding Hood for class tonight.

Which he'd absolutely get around to reading. Right after his third peppermint hot chocolate.

[OOC: Open Perk!]

Comments

[1000yearstoolate]

For once, Seivarden and Sparkle had something in common. She was still freaked out about Tuesday too, which she had spent as a vampire, drinking far too many bottles of TruBlood, including a few she had stolen from her roommate. So now she was here, trying to order a decent cup of tea.

"No, not that one. The other one." She pointed with a gloved hand.

"And don't try to give me one of those paperbag ones. I can tell the difference, you know."

Why was the staff here always being difficult?

"No! Why would I want milk in my tea?"

[myownface]

Sometimes, people watching turned up the most interesting people, didn't it? Sparkle watched for a minute, and then finally sighed and pulled himself over to his feet, making his way over.

"She wants the loose leaf tea, black," he supplied, mostly for the barista's sake than Seivarden's. He hated seeing people being rude to serving staff who were just trying to do their job. "And if you can please put on gloves while you prepare it, even better."

The barista gave him a thankful look, quietly vowing to put extra peppermint into Sparkle's next hot chocolate.

[1000yearstoolate]

Seivarden turned to look at Sparkle, a little surprised.

"Thank you," she said, then turned to the barista to give a nod in confirmation, one which was ignored.

Sparkle was a confusing person.

[myownface]

Sparkle liked it best that way, really. He shrugged, lifted his hot chocolate in a little half-assed salute, and then said, "Don't worry about it."

And then he paused and added, "Most people order the stuff in the paper bags around here, so you have to specify that isn't what you want. Just say the loose leaf tea. And then order it black, because lots of people also put milk and sugar in."

Just imagine how scandalous it would be if Sparkle had ordered a London fog. Earl grey tea in steamed milk with vanilla syrup. Shut up, it was delicious.

[1000yearstoolate]

Not more scandalous than not wearing gloves.

"I'll keep that in mind," she said, picking up her cup. She wasn't going to comment on the local taste in tea. She was making an effort.

Taking a sip, she added, after a moment of consideration: "Things here are... not what I'm used to."

Which was obvious. And in this case actually did refer to Tea.

[myownface]

"I'm surprised there's not a club for people who get that feeling, yet," Sparkle replied, leaning back against the counter with a tired little smile. "You're not alone in that, even if the ways things are different might not be the same for everyone."

[1000yearstoolate]

"Hm," Seivarden said, taking another sip of tea. It was starting to put her in a slightly better mood. "Yes, I'm trying to forget about Tuesday. And that before that Peter turned into a bat. Is that normal anywhere else?"

[myownface]

"It isn't normal anywhere I've ever lived," Sparkle replied with a shake of his head. "That sounds like pure Fandom weird to me."

Admittedly upsetting Fandom weird. He shrugged.

"I'd say you get used to it, but there's just some stuff you can never really get used to."

[1000yearstoolate]

Seivarden snorted. "I hope I find a way to leave before I get used to that."

She turned, leaning her back against the counter, looking at Sparkle. "So, I hope you haven't been too tormented by this place since we last met."

Sparkle had been generous, and seemed to have good family connections here, so she was making an effort not to make him upset again.

[myownface]

"More than usual? I guess not really," Sparkle replied, shrugging his shoulders. That didn't say much, really. Sparkle was pretty steadily tormented by the island, generally. "Tuesday was rough, but I'm not thinking about that."

You could tell he wasn't thinking about it by how he was talking about it now. Sure, Sparkle.

[1000yearstoolate]

Yeah, Seivarden raised an eyebrow at mentioning not thinking about something.

"Better not," she agreed, taking another sip of tea.

[myownface]

"Easier that way," Sparkle agreed, and then looked down at his hot chocolate.

He was going to need more.

"So, are you settling in any better, now that you've had a bit of time to feel the place out?"

Judging by how she ordered tea, Sparkle was guessing not much.

[1000yearstoolate]

"I am," Seivarden replied, actually meaning it, despite what Sparkle might think.

"Which doesn't mean I'm not planning to leave when I can. Until then, Peter has been kind enough to let me share his home."

She had also learned to use the right pronoun.

[what_the_shock]

Miguel had spent the day as an actual shocking fly, and didn't even want to think about the rotting fruit he'd eaten.

Coffee was a good alternative.

He got a cup of something super strong, and didn't even complain when the barista made it sweet.

Looking around, he spotted Sparkle and came to flop in a chair across from him. "Have I been here long enough to say 'ugh, this island' yet?"

[myownface]

"That depends entirely on what the island pulled on you on Tuesday," Sparkle replied, lifting his hot chocolate to him in greeting. "But hey, you've had a taste of the weirdness. Welcome to the first day of the rest of your vacation."

[what_the_shock]

Miguel snorted. "I was a fly. An actual, talking, kid-sized fly. And this is after I was a spider for about a week a while back. Why does it insist on bugs that eat disgusting things?"

Sorry, Sparkle.

[myownface]

"It thinks it's funny," Sparkle replied, a little dryly. "What, did it have you eating dog shit or something?"

He'd trade you, Miguel.

[what_the_shock]

"Rotting apples," Miguel said. He made a face. "Although yeah, I guess it could've been worse."

[myownface]

"Yeah," Sparkle said, a little too much pleasantness creeping into his voice. "You could've been a ghoul, instead."

Wouldn't that have sucked, Miguel?

[what_the_shock]

"A ghoul?" Miguel asked. "Why a ghoul?"

[myownface]

"Because ghouls raid graveyards for delicious rotting corpses," Sparkle said, giving Miguel a flat look, and then reaching for his hot chocolate. He needed more peppermint.

[what_the_shock]

"...ew. You win."

For a certain value of winning.

"I propose a night of getting very drunk on absolutely nothing that tastes like anything rotting."

[myownface]

"I want that, yes let's please do that?"

Sparkle could stand to be very drunk. Maybe it'd get that aftertaste out of his mouth. The one he knew was long gone now, but could still picture very clearly.

[what_the_shock]

"Is there anyplace good on the mainland?" Miguel asked. "I was going to try heading there to look at computers. And I'm guessing you don't want to drink around zombies."

Call it a hunch.

[myownface]

"I super don't want to drink around zombies," Sparkle agreed, wrinkling his nose. "But I do know a few bars on the mainland, so let's go with that."