2019-07-14 - Meeting At The Waffle Shop

It's heading into the late afternoon and Minerva's last patient cancelled on her for the day. So she decided to close up the office and head over to the Waffle Stop for something to eat. As she didn't want to cook. She's seated at the counter and sipping on a ice water while she waits for the waitress to come back. Her hat is off and settled on the counter beside her while her sunglasses are still on at the moment.

Another steps into The Waffle Shoppe, someone who doesn't really look like he belongs in here, somehow. He's tall, thin, pale, besunglassed, and clad in a black suit with thin lapels, a black shirt, and a black tie. The tie has an extremely small pattern etched into it that one one need to strain their eyes to see. Pointed black boots click on the linoleum as he, too, joins the counter, taking off his shades. He does not reach for the menu, but he does glance over Minerva's way to have a look, soot-colored eyes slowly taking her in.

Minerva gives a look up when she hears the chiming of another entrant. The raven haired woman has to look fully over at Edison. She gives a nod of greeting and a half smile as she takes her shades off and settles them into her hat. She's wearing a patch over her left eye. "Afternoon." she states in her normal quiet tone.

The waitress comes back about the time Edison settles into his seat, "Would you like something to drink?" she asks him.

"Good afternoon," Edison replies. His voice is also soft, though always easy to understand, and lightly accented. British, perhaps? "Coffee," he tells the waitress. "Black." After a moment, he has a second thought: "And a bowl of porridge. No butter. No sweeteners. Thank you." After the waitress heads off to put his order in, he goes back to appraising Minerva. There's a nod in her direction of the eyepatch. "A good look for you. Though my guess is you don't wear it for fashion."

Minerva takes note of the order, but doesn't comment on it. People had their likes. Though there's a chuckle, "Ah, no. It's not for fashion." she tells him. Though some think it is until they realize I lost my left eye." she admits. "Kind of weirds people out." she shrugs a bit. "But it's life." she adds. "Are you new to our little spooky town?" she asks him.

"Yes, part of life," Edison declares. He stares at her for a longer moment, unblinking, like he very much would like to ask her to flip up that eyepatch and show him what's underneath, but...well, they have only just met. "Quite." A thin smile spreads across his face. "I've been here about -- oh, six weeks. You say 'our,' so you must be a local."

Minerva smiles at that, but doesn't comment. She didn't want to tell a gruesome story while awaiting her order. "Six weeks is a good stretch of time, I think I must need to get out more." she chuckles. "Yes, I'm a local. I'm Doctor Irvriya Kosimar. Most just call me Minerva though." she offers in way of an introduction. "What brought you here?" she asks him.

"I've been busy. It doesn't surprise me you haven't seen me." Edison extends a hand -- he has a large palm and long, pale fingers, with well-manicured nails. "Edison Baxter." There's a pause after he says that, almost like he's expecting...something. Maybe even relishing it. "I came here for a change of scenery. I'm employed as Ms. Hyacinth Addington's personal assistant. A pleasure to meet you, Dr. Kosimar. Or Minerva, if you prefer." He smirks a little, like that strikes him as funny.

"Seems like we are getting a lot of new people in town. Which is nice to see really." Minerva tells him with a bit of a smile. "Miss Addington. That's a really well known name. Family has a lot of history in this place." she admits to that. "So where are you from originally?" she asks him as she looks to him.

Edison's eyebrow arches, for some reason. He seems amused about something. Then again, maybe that comes naturally to him. "Yes, family certainly does seem to have a lot of...history here." He nearly hisses the 'his' in 'history.' "I'm from Canada," he says. Rather vague. "It's not so different from here, really. Many places are more alike than different, don't you agree?"

Minerva gives a look to him and there's a bit of a chuckle, "Some of it is tied to the oddness I think, but, no reason to get into that so early on." she chuckles as she sips her ice water. "Canada. Seems like a nice place the few times I've been up that way." she smiles. "The healthcare is decidedly better than here." she grins. Then there's a curious look to him, "Well, if there's another place like Gray Harbor I'm definitely going to avoid it like the plague." she admits.

Finally, Edison's order is set down in front of him: that odd porridge and a steaming mug of coffee. He wraps his long, spindly fingers around the mug, bringing it close to his mouth, but not yet taking a sip. There's a snort of amusement, again, at the mention of Canada's healthcare. "Actually," he says, "you'd be surprised at the number of places out there as odd as Gray Harbor." His grey eyes narrow as he looks into her good eye. "Curious, isn't it?"

Minerva gives a chuckle at that, "I figure there is the possibility of other towns like ours. Just...makes me wonder if they are going through what we do." she admits. Then she looks to his eyes, "I don't really travel. So I don't know the other places. I just hope it's less to deal with than here." she admits. Then she clears her throat, "Besides hearing the locals talk about the crazy town, how have you been finding the place?" she asks him.

"And what are 'we' going through, exactly?" The eyes that stare back at Minerva are clear, unblinking, and rather cold. He takes a slow sip of coffee, tilting the cup upwards and towards his lips with hardly any movement. "Dull," he tells her, "but not as dul
l as it could be. The town's unusual qualities, even if it's not unique, is part of the charm."

Minerva gives him a curious look and there's a bit of a nod, "This place holds a certain charm while it tries to kill you sometimes." she muses. "It can be a little dull, yeah. Just find someone that can liven the place up a bit. Stay away from certain places unless you like the rush of adrenaline." she admits. "Or missing limbs." she mutters.

"'Someone?'" Edison echoes, once more bemusedly raising an eyebrow. "Why, do you know anyone interesting?" This may be a dig in her direction. Not particularly malicious, at any rate. No doubt he could do a lot worse. "Which places are those? One supposes one should hold onto one's limbs." He continues to hold the coffee cup close to his face, like he's giving himself a nice facial with that steam.

Minerva gives a look to him and there's a bit of a smile, "I know a lot of pretty girls that like tall, dark and mysterious." she tells him with a chuckle. "That have two working eyes." she adds. "Eh, there's a few places. The Murray House is a local horror show. There's Nielsen's Creek, but it seems to get more active in the fall. Not sure why." she admits. "There's a few clubs around here if you like going out. Bars." she smiles to that.

"Two working eyes are thoroughly overrated, are they not?" Edison briefly examines his nails, which are actually perfect -- so it's kind of pointless. He shifts on the stool, not fidgeting, just readjusting the arrangement of his long, thin limbs. But he seems pleased about something. Perhaps he liked the compliment. "What's so horrible about The Murray House?" He'll start there.

Minerva gives a chuckle to that, "I mean, sometimes when you lose an eye things are clearer to see. If that makes sense?" she asks. "Of course it doesn't. I'm just half crazy." she tells herself. "The Murray House is sort of...a place where there's a bunch of darkness. And I'm not talking Emo Darkness. Real darkness. There's more than a few spirits in the house. One seems to like to try to keep children." she frowns.

"Mm. Like prejudice, against the one-eyed?" Edison could be making a joke. He's so deadpan, it's almost hard to tell. "'A bunch of darkness'?" He takes a casual sip from his coffee cup. "How interesting. And you believe in such things, Doctor? Despite being a woman, one assumes, of science?"

Minerva gives a look to Edison and there's a bit of a chuckle, "I don't think it's a prejudice." she tells him. "It's just...complicated." she frowns. "There's just a concentration of...evil there. It feels like it. I've been stuck in that place before. It's horrible." she shivers. Then there's a look to him, "I'm a woman of science...but I also realize that there is more on this planet than we understand. Whether it is seen or unseen." she points out.

"Oh dear." Edison sounds mild, eyebrows raising, but there's interest there. "Is anyone presently living in this Murray House?" His smirk grows again, and he toasts her with his cup. "I suppose I'll drink to that. To understanding." He takes a small sip of coffee.

Minerva gives a bit of a head shake, "No, no ones lived there for a long time. House just refuses to give up." she admits. "But I'm making a plan and hoping we can get it cleansed." she adds. Then she smiles to him and raises her glass to him. "So what do you like to do when you aren't working?" she asks him. "If that's no too personal?" she adds.

"Then I hope you're successful." Edison puts his cup down again and picks up the spoon, but does nothing with his porridge. "Oh, I've got plenty of little hobbies. I tend to a small tribe of carnivorous plants, for starters." He tilts his head, pale eyes studying her. "What of yourself? You seem to be a woman of style." This seems like a genuine compliment.

"Thank you. It's going to be a long process, but hopefully it'll all be alright in the end." Minerva admits. Then there's a big smile when he talks on carnivorous plants, "Venus fly traps?" she asks him. "I collect occult texts and I have two tarantulas." she tells him.

"Well. If you need any assistance, perhaps I can be of some," Edison says, putting his spoon into his porridge and just...leaving it there. "Not only Venus fly traps," he assures her. "They are the least dangerous of my collection. Hmm." Her interests seem to please him, and he stirs his porridge twice. "What kind of occult texts, and what kind of tarantulas? Spiders are marvelous."

"I think we'll need all the help we can get to be honest." Minerva tells him as she gives a look to him. "What plants do you have?" she asks him. "And I collect a bit of everything really. I focus on Enochian Magics and things of that nature." she admits quietly. Then there's a smile, "I have a Goliath Birdeater named Atilla and a Brazilian White Knee named Beetlejuice." she gives a grin to that. "I have pictures of them." she wiggles her phone. Like they are cats or something.

"Many. Several pitcher plants, a sundew, a butterwort, a bladderwort, some of the flytraps..." Edison stirs the porridge again. "Enochian magic? How esoteric." His lip quirks as she names her tarantulae, and he nods to the phone. "Let's see them." If he has pictures of his plants, and he probably does, he is apparently not one to whip out his phone.

"I have a room in my place for plants, just need to start finding whats good for the place." Minerva admits with a smile. "Yes, Enochian. Angels and all of that. I know it's weird." she murmurs. Then she brings the photos of her tarantula's up on her phone and shows them to him, both are the goliath species, just different branches. "Most people hate spiders. So it's nice to be able to show them to people." she smiles softly. "So are you always on call for Miss Addington or do you have nights off?" she asks him.

"Oh, not so weird," Edison comments airily. "I can advise on plants. I'm quite knowledgeable." He takes a good, long look at those spiders and smiles, slowly. "Lovely," he says, and that seems completely genuine, too. Her question gets a pause out of him, and then a bit of a chuckle. "I have nights off in name," he says. So...yeah, he's probably always on call. Speaking of, his pocket buzzes...he takes out his phone and makes a small sound. "I should attend to this." He slides off his stool, leaving a few crisp bills from a black billfold for his cold porridge and coffee. He also slides a dark gray business card in Minerva's direction. "Should you need assistance of your own...I'm always happy to help. It's been a pleasure, doctor." He smiles at her, eyes lingering for a longer moment, before he heads for the door and back into the day.