The Perk, Sunday Afternoon

[not_a_goddamn_princess]

Newbie watching got boring after a while, so Margo had skipped over the picnic to spend more time pouring over useless magical tomes. It had become a ritual of sorts, more than something she thought would offer them an actual way out. But it made her feel like she was at least trying.

"Two caramel shots, two mocha," she told the barista at the Perk, with barely repressed impatience.

Even trying, after a while, felt too much like failing.

She was in a mood. She took her drink and sank down into a seat, wearing her ridiculously high-waisted pants, and stared moodily out the window.

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Comments

[pun_king]

Well, Margo was about to have a rather large-sized capybara staring (not moodily, but actually quite blankly) staring back at her from the other side of the window, as Graham parked Triumph right outside of it before dismounting and heading into the Perk. He'd long since learned that the baristas tended to give him the most disparaging of looks when he brought Triumph inside with him, and, not one to cause displeasure with those making his beverages, he was just glad that Triumph didn't seem to care either way, and was actually pretty content to just stand there by the windows, waiting, and either staring in at Margo right now or (even more likely) his own reflection in the glass, which Margo conveniently was behind.

"One double caramel mocha triple shot half-caf extra whip breve cappuccino with a cherry on top, please!" Graham recited, proudly, happily, once he got to the counter, because ordering a fancy drink at the cafe always felt like reciting a spell, one that manifested some of the most amazing liquid creations the mind could ever conceive "And also four of those maple glazed custard-filled doughnuts, and the largest cup of water you can give me!"

It was important to stay hydrated, after all! And, with his order put in and several coins of various value and origin tossed into the tip cup, Graham awaited his order, taking a moment to look happily around the shop with a contented sigh, and a ready wave and greeting for anyone who caught his eye.

And also probably even for the people who didn't.

[not_a_goddamn_princess]

Margo eyed the capybara with the look of a woman who had seen a million magical fuzzy things in her time and wasn't impressed, just annoyed. It felt like a taunt, honestly.

"Does it talk?" she asked, raising her voice.

[pun_king]

"Hmmm?" Graham may have drifted off slightly, dreaming about the drink and doughnuts in his near future, but when he caught up with the question, he met it with a bright grin.

"Oh, yes," he said, emphatically, proudly. "Of course he does! But he can be a little difficult to understand sometimes, it really helps if you know Capybara. Do you know Capybara? I've known it pretty much since I could talk, we've always had Triumphs around when I was growing up, so it was a good language to know! I'm actually pretty fluent in most Woodland Creatures, though I definitely need to work more on my Birds. They're kind of tricky, they have so many different dialects!"

[not_a_goddamn_princess]

That sure was a lot of exposition. She ignored it.

"You probably shouldn't make it wait outside like a fuckin' dog if it's a talking capybara," Margo drawled.

[pun_king]

Useless Exposition had almost been Graham's middle name!

"Well, dogs talk, too," Graham pointed out, wondering if she'd even heard any of that. "All animals do, it's just a matter of whether of not you can understand them. And he doesn't mind, but these guys," he hitched a thumb over his shoulder toward the counter with a roll of his eyes, "sure seem to!"

He dropped his voice to the kind of whisper that wasn't fooling anyone. "I think they're just still a little mad," he revealed, hand to his mouth clandestinely as if that would help, "about that one time he tried to get all the sugar packets."

But, really, now, if they didn't want people (and capybaras) to have them, they why would they just leave them all out like that?

[not_a_goddamn_princess]

"In my experience, you got talking animals and dumb animals," Margo said, finally tearing her eyes away from the capybara to look at the little man. "You really going to cop to a bunch of baristas getting all speciesist on you?"

[sith_happened]

Wearing sunglasses, however tempted Anakin was today, was just not part of his aesthetic.

So there he was squinting against the sun and ordering the biggest coffee the Perk had that didn't actually come in a bucket.

He gave Margo a slightly pained nod in greeting.

Stupid tequila shots last night.

[not_a_goddamn_princess]

"Holy shit," Margo voiced, way too amused as she took note of Anakin with a lift of her chin. "Someone was up partying past his bedtime."

[sith_happened]

"And remembering today why I haven't done that in years," Anakin said, gulping from his too-hot cup.

[not_a_goddamn_princess]

"Getting old sucks," Margo agreed. She sipped her drink. "Glad I'm not in your shoes."

[sith_happened]

"Wish I wasn't in my shoes either," Anakin admitted. "May I sit?"

[not_a_goddamn_princess]

"Sure, knock yourself out," Margo said, with a wave of her hand and a snicker.

What? With a hangover like that, he easily could.

[unusual_sith]

Lana eyed him a bit bemusedly. Then a bit amusedly. "Master Skywalker, are you hungover?"

[sith_happened]

"Yes," Anakin said to his coffee. Wonderful, wonderful coffee that didn't ask questions.

[unusual_sith]

Lana weighed her options. She thought about it. She sighed. "Do you trust me? At least enough to know that I don't want to harm you?"

[sith_happened]

Anakin was exhausted and worried about Rey and so incredibly pissed off that the Emperor had somehow returned even though he'd been perfectly dead decades ago he'd made sure of it and he was not in a mood for this.

"Why the kriff would I possibly believe that?" he asked.

[unusual_sith]

Lana sighed and rolled her eyes. "Because I've been in Fandom years and haven't yet? Not to mention we're in a very public place. Look, I'm a healer. If you don't want my help, I won't give it."

[needsacatchphrase]

Well, Jane was set on the school end of things (she hoped) and now was taking a moment to explore the cute little town. Which meant ending that session of wandering around with a coffee and pastry reward.

Because she had an Asgardian level appetite these days and it was going to be fully taken advantage of. "Can I take the top row of things?" Jane asked. "Oh, and a black coffee. Large."

She offered a smile to the lady who she hoped, probably unrealistically, wouldn't judge her for this.

[not_a_goddamn_princess]

"Living your best life, huh."

Margo loved judging people for basically breathing. But indulging in food and coffee? Especially with biceps like that?

Fuck, go for it.

(Just as long as she could stare at those biceps a second longer.)

[needsacatchphrase]

They were just there and ready to be ogled by anyone in sight, it was true.

"You know what?" Jane replied. " I'm certainly trying to."

[not_a_goddamn_princess]

"Good," Margo said, taking another sip of her drink. "Life's too short, yadda yadda. Especially with that exercise regime you gotta have going on."

[needsacatchphrase]

"Exactly," Jane said as he mass quantity of food was being loaded up for her. "I'd love to take more credit for it, but it's been a sort of sudden thing."

Because it was hammer time. Which might make a good catch phrase if a little played out.

[unusual_sith]

Lana had settled back into her apartment and was back to Earth clothing again now, a smart shirt and trousers she could fight in if she had to.

Also she was back to getting a good coffee, because they just didn't have iced mochas on Odessen.

She nodded to Margo and went to get her own seat.

[not_a_goddamn_princess]

Margo nodded back at her, and immediately lifted her drink back to her face.

Everyone was chatty today.

[unusual_sith]

Eh, Lana could take a hint. And she knew brooding when she saw it; you hadn't seen a really good brood until you'd caught Arcann at it.

She took her seat with a faint smile, just close enough to be available if the brooding turned into needing to rant at a stranger.