2019-11-09 - Post Paranormal

Diana is seated at the counter, nursing a very tall cup of cappuccino. She's studying a pocket-sized notepad, occasionally making little notes or checking something off. She flips between the pages often, frowning to herself. Still, the frown appears to be one of concentration; if anything, she seems to be in a pleasant enough mood.

Ignacio eventually arrives, so far by himself, messenger bag over his shoulder. He's texting in to his phone coming into the room. If there are things bothering him he's in 'manage he mood mode' and burying anything else o a fair clip. Except the slight discomfort. Right leg pulls the rest of him forward in a casual limp-saunter he manages before greeting the barrista, "Heeeey yeah just a ... something that tastes like sunshine in a cup. I don't even care at this point. Hazelnut tho? Please? Gracias m'man." He goes to take his own table, pauses and looks to Diana, "Heey you were - you, um, you okay?" The casual breaks for some honest concern.

Diana turns as she realizes she's being spoken to, eyes lifting from her notepad. She smiles as she recognizes Ignacio, and she nods her head to the question, saying, "Yeah. Was a little discomfited, but... that happens of course." She pauses, then asks with concern of her own, "How about you? You okay?" She takes a drink of her cappuccino before adding, "Hazelnut's always a good choice."

Ignacio considers this before answering and pauses frowning slightly, "Yeah, I wasn't the one shook like a ragdoll. Still, no fun to see someone life that scared ya know? That whole room was in a state of disorder." attention perks as the barista calls out, Nacio? He turns to get the coffee and comes back pausing, but not inviting himself to sit. He offers a hand, "Ignacio. Yeah I was hoping we'd talk some science and theory. Not so much I guess."

Diana takes his hand, giving him a smile as she nods. "Diana. A pleasure to meet you. And I sort of hoped so, too. But honestly, just meeting so many sparklers and hearing about various specialties was a good start, at least. That poor man, though. And that poor woman-- I think her name was Nicole, but I'd have to double-check my notes-- that got shaken." She frowns, looking off to the side. "I was more afraid than I expected. It's been awhile since I dealt with someone in a... heightened state like that."

Ignacio shakes her hand. There's a smile, comfort in normalcy and civility it seems. Looking at his coffee and notebook he pauses gesturing awkwardly to the chair, "Well if you're up for company I don't mind talking about it. Totally cool if you want to sit aloe and gather your thoughts and stuff. That?" His cheeks puff out slowly considering that and exhales slowly deflating them. "That was... something." He pauses and tilts his head, "Also damn unwise to go "Oh yeah I'm a super sayen and I can throw a level 9000 fireball. Like... you don't know who is in that room and why they want to know." Pausing he shakes his head, "Not you. I'm just... " He sighs. "Lo siento.."

Diana nods her head, and gathers her things to take them over to his table, sitting across from him. "I am definitely up for company, and also talking about Things and Stuff." She grins, and then cants her head to the side, looking curious. "What sorts of harm could come from someone hearing that sort of thing? Beyond the potential for being committed, mind you. I'm well aware of that. For the record, I'm not a super saiyan, and I also cannot throw a level 1 fireball, let alone a level 9000. It's a shame, really." Her tone is a teasing one, at least for that last bit.

The bell on the door dings, announcing the arrival of a familiar and still rather irritated-looking face. Vyv is texting as he walks, and takes only a fleeting glance around on entry, enough to recognize a couple people from the recent events and give them a brief head-inclination of acknowledgement on the way to the counter before his phone vibrates again and he glances down to check what it might say.

Ignacio dips his head in a nod, one eyebrow going up and with no further prompting the messengerbag comes off shoulder and he drops into a seat. Eyes pick up at the doorbell and follow the Brit with the Bad Day(tm). "Mr. Vydal. Sorry about the um... that bullshit." The author's brow furrows and he looks back to Diana with a lopsided, half-grin. "Well if you ever played cards it's called tipping the hand. Letting people know what you got to work with lets them play against you. The world's dangerous and caution and temperance in these things is never wasted. Less exciting as it is, I know. You from around here or you move like I am?" Am? Not did, am.

Arriving right behind Vyv is Erin, closing the door behind her before she walks over to the ordering counter. Since she's second in line she takes a quick look around and notices a few familiar faces. A smile and brief wave is offered over to Ignacio and Diana, but like Ignacio, her eyes settle on Vyv and she nods, not real sure of his current mood and not wanting to set anything off there. She waits in line for now.

Diana follows Ignacio's gaze to the door, and she gives a polite enough nod to Vyv, clearly at least a little wary like the others. For her part, she says nothing, and then shifts her attention to Erin, who's given a quick wave and a smile back. Returning her attention to her tablemate, she answers his question first: "I moved here, yes. Definitely not a local." She pauses, then leans in to ask, "But... why would someone be playing something against me?" Oh, you sweet summer child. "That said, I'll definitely keep it in mind, thank you."

Vyv still looks faintly irritated, but he often looks faintly irritated. Whatever comes in next on his phone gets a small but genuine smile, though he looks up again rather than replying immediately. "Mr. de Santos," he replies, inclining his head to the other man again, this time with a little more intention. "That was in fact some of the most bovine excrement I've had the misfortune to encounter since arriving here, yes. But I appreciated your input." So he did notice it. "Thank you." Erin's nod is returned with a half-smile and a, "Miss Addington," before he takes his turn to order. Something large and vanilla-hazelnut and involving whipped cream and chocolate shavings, today, which is really not his usual form of coffee at all. He waits near the counter afterward, getting around to replying to that last text.

Yes, Ignacio, why? The smile eases to Erin and he says, "Hey, I was surprised your friend didn't make it to the meeting." Alexander he'd have thought clearly. Looking back to Diana he considers biting the inside of his bad cheek without the working nerves, "Beeeecause the world is full of assholes and some assholes get off on people being afraid. Not much different than fear news-casting or any other form of social terrorism. Just a bigger stake. It's really... really, how do I technically put this," he considers many options and settles on, "a dick move." They let this man write in the newspaper. Food for thought. Something is very wrong with Gray Harbor.

"It's good to see you again." Erin tells Vyv. Though she might agree on the cow patties, she doesn't input anything, but she does smile at least. Her own order is placed. "Large to-go cup. Half French vanilla cappuccino and half hot chocolate." Order placed, she realizes she still has her star crunch, that would serve well for dinner tonight, so she reaches into her small clutch and pays while drawing out the cake. Nothing Vyv quality, but it would suffice. Once she has paid, she looks back to Ignacio. "All of my friends are busy lately." Though Isabella had made it so there was that. "I haven't spoken to him for awhile. Busy lives." A smile at it though. Collecting her cup when it is finished, she walks out with every intention of finding a table. Her lips twitch at the assholes comment though. "Eloquent."

Diana listens carefully, and can't help letting out a soft laugh at the 'dick move' comment, herself. "And erudite as fuck," she agrees with Erin in a dry but clearly also amused tone, nodding her head. She smiles over at her, and then looks over to Vyv, tilting her head. A pause, and then she's back to her tablemate, telling him, "That's definitely worth knowing. Thank you. I'll have to check out your column, if all your advice is this good." She grins.

It doesn't take long before Vyv's drink is made. It's like they're professionals at this here or something! And that it's not excessively busy right now. Vyv meanwhile gives the danishes and muffins an assessing look; the verdict is not good enough for him to order one at present, but it's at least clearly better than the flicker of an actually pained look that greets the production of Erin's plastic-wrapped... treat. "Good to see you too," he says very definitely to her and not to it, and he and cup and phone move properly into the room, considering tables.

Ignacio and Diana's erudite (as fuck) remarks make the corner of his mouth quirk up slightly, and after a moment of thought he pauses near their table. "Dr. Wilkerson, isn't it? Of 'Parting the Veil: Haunted Places in North America'?"

"You write for the paper. I think I knew that but had forgotten it. I read your advice column and I try and guess who is who, just for kicks. Do you even know who writes in?" Erin finds a seat nearby the two at an adjacent table as not to crowd anyone as she places her things down and opens her star crunch to have with her drink. She had caught the look from Vyv. "Joey spoils me sometimes by bringing me treats from your place. Speaking of that. I'm going to have to come by and place an order soon. A sampler box. Times a thousand or so."

Ignacio grins so casual and so damn proud of that one lifting his cup pointing between Erin and Diana, "Yeah but you laughed and ya got it." He looks to Diana arching an eyebrow with a warm grin, "Oh fellow author? No shit. Pleasure. " Looking to Erin the amusement warms his tone to curiosity, "You know I really don't know. And yeah, Jessica thought having a published author would help proliferate the paper and I hope it's helping. Not too far off from what my editor grabs from me so." Looking back to Diana he pauses and says curiously, "I think.. I'd like to talk to you about Baltimore when i get back. I think yooooou and I might be able to compare some really, really good notes concerning the Veil in weird places."

Ignacio checks his phone and looks up as a bit of a beater car pulls up. "And that's my ride." He pulls out his notepad and scribbles on it sliding Diana info. "Text or email if you're interested." He pauses hanging his head and rolling his finger in a circle, "Regarding the thing. Alright off to pack. Erin, if they're busy shit, I'm usually here in the am for working on things. Feel free to say hey."

"That is a fact. And truly, the point of communication is to be understood, and to cause laughter while you do it if possible." Diana grins to Ignacio and Erin, and then looks up in surprise at the title of her book. She casts a quick smile to Ignacio's 'fellow author' comment, and she nods, saying, "And a pleasure here, as well!" She turns to look at Vyv, replying, "Oh! I'm not used to people having read it. Yes, that's me! A pleasure to meet a reader. Do you ... mind if I ask what you thought of it? I know it's a terrible faux pas, but I'm practically made of those." She turns back to Ignacio as he prepares to leave, taking his details and tucking them into her pocket. "Of course! Expect a call or a text sometime soon! Thank you. ...and have a good evening."

That mass-manufactured snack just makes Vyv sad. Sad, Erin. Sad for her tastebuds. Sad for humanity. Somehow he manfully soldiers on. Ignacio gets a vague phone-shift of farewell, which would probably be small hand-lift if his hand weren't full of phone, and Erin at least improves Vyv's despair for the human condition by complimenting his work. Also the rest is intriguing. "That's quite a few sampler boxes," he says, "but I'm sure we can make that happen. What's the occasion?"

He gestures at the seat Iggy's abandoned with a 'may I?' sort of look to Diana, and gives her another faint smile at the question. "I thought it was fascinating," he says, "Interesting information as far as places that might carry a resemblance to each other, as far as that sense or rumour of being haunted." A slight pause. "Bit dry in style, perhaps, but if I were looking for ghost stories per se I would have been in a different genre."

"Oh I didn't realize you're an author too. That's really fun I imagine. Setting your own hours and taking inspiration from the world around you." Erin wasn't up to date on her book reading or best sellers, unfortunately. Give her a clothing line though and she could point out what was couture and trending currently, but not so much books. Lifting her eyes to Ignacio she smiles, "I'm sure I'll see you soon. Have a good night and whatever you're packing for, be safe." Erin hasn't taken a bite of it yet, but she's opened it. The drink has thoroughly been sampled though. "I was considering putting them into gift bags to be given out at that event Clarissa is hosting. I'm not sure it will be that many, but until I have a head count, I always over plan. Rather have too many than too few."

Diana nods her head quickly to Vyv's 'may I' look, and even pulls out the seat for him. Such a gentlelady! She smiles as he answers about her book, even when he says it's a bit dry. She wrinkles up her nose, admitting, "You're not the first one to tell me that. Though for my next book, I'm collaborating with another author who's really got a way with words, so. That should help!" She grins, then nods to Erin. "It can be wonderful, certainly." Though her book was anything but a best seller. Still, it sold well in certain circles. "Mostly I like the freedom to explore my own leads."

Vyv gives a small, quiet laugh when Erin says for what. "Ah, the Historical Society's New Years Eve event? Yes, I'm doing desserts for that." Hyacinth's a part of the Society and likely involved with the planning, so it was more or less inevitable, really. "Not averse to your idea, however. Chocolates, for example, do make particularly good favours." He settles in with his drink, giving Diana a quiet "Ta," for the seat-pulling, and sets the phone down, practiced fingers dashing off a quick reply to something. "You're writing another, then? About Gray Harbor, I presume?"

"Yeah that. Ohhh I didn't realize. If you are already doing desserts. That makes sense. I'll think of something.." Erin hesitates and nods as she contemplates it. "Chocolates are a wonderful idea. I want something classy and of course your place is the first I thought of. I'm going to speak with the boutique in town also, about purchasing gift certificates perhaps. Do you have an approximate head count yet? I should speak with my cousin for sure." Erin says, finally taking a bite of the severely lacking Little Debbie.

"I am. This place... it's incredible. Honestly. And I have so many leads to follow up on, here. I don't have to dig to get started, which is a relief, honestly. Say, I-- I hope you don't think this is too hasty, but I'd love if we could exchange numbers so I can ask you some questions sometime, about things you've seen, or that sort of thing." Diana turns to look at Erin, adding, "And you as well. In a perfect world, I'd get to talk to everyone who was at that meeting, but." She smiles. "Or I can give you my number and email address, if you're uncertain of giving yours."

"We do have particularly good ones, and an interesting variety," Vyv says, without even a nod toward 'if I do say so myself'. He DOES say so himself. "And, of course, attractively presented." Because looks do matter. Particularly when it comes to food! He takes a somewhat ginger sip of his coffee, careful to avoid getting whipped cream on his nose, and his brows lift a touch at Diana's suggestion they exchange numbers -- but not, it seems, in refusal. "Oh, but this is all so sudden," he says with a clear touch of amsement, and after a couple more taps to the phone, he turns it toward her so that she can enter her number in. "I'd be interested to know what sorts of things you find out, certainly." Belatedly, he adds to Erin, "I don't have a proper head count yet, no. But I do expect we'll hear about that shortly."

Erin checks the time and finds it getting later than she imagined. "Sure." Reaching in her clutch she tugs out a pen and writes out her name and number before passing it over. "There you go." She puts her pen away and gathers her cup before rising. "I need to get home. It's terribly late. I'll give you a call soon at the shop and we'll see what all we need." The snack cake is discarded and she walks for the door. "Take care, see you both soon."

Diana smirks at both Vyv's compliments to himself, AND his 'oh so sudden' comment. She enters in her phone number and email in the contact information, along with her first name because duh, before leaning back in her seat. "And sure, I'd be happy to update you from time to time, as long as I remember! No sense keeping research to yourself." She stops just short of saying, 'information wants to be free,' but she's THINKING it, no doubt. She sits up again as Erin prepares to leave, and she takes the number with a grateful nod of her head and a, "Thank you! And take care, yourself. May your sleep be pleasantly long, and all that."

Discarding sub-par snack cakes? That, Vyv approves of. "Good night," he says to Erin, giving her another small smile, "and please do. If you come by, you could make a more direct appraisal of the options. We have a new apple-pecan caramel you might like to try, for example." He accepts his phone back and pokes at the contact a few times, then a few more taps have her own phone doing whatever it does when someone sends her a text. Exchange complete! "It's an... interesting journey, attempting to learn things in this town."

"Apple pecan caramel. I'm so afraid I'll buy you out if I come by, but now that I think about it, I know where I am buying family Christmas this year. Do you deliver?" Hesitating at the door. Her smile is still in place but she does look tired. "Thank you, Diana it was good to see you again also."

"Agreed," Diana says to Vyv, smiling. "Some parts can be remarkably sticky. But others are just waiting to be found." She looks to Erin then, smiling. "Of course. I think I didn't get to tell you, that night, but I was glad to meet you and your friends."

"Mm. We don't, as a rule, but I'm sure something could be arranged if need be," Vyv says, "You might need to speak with my assistant about that."

Taking another sip of the coffee, he considers Diana. "Have you discovered much, so far? How long have you been in town? I believe I've been here, mm, about five months or so, now, full-time. ...and are you focusing still mainly on hauntings?"

Diana smiles at Erin as she heads out, and then looks to Vyv. As he considers her, she's watching him right back, and might be rather hard to read. Definitely studying him, though, that much is obvious. "I've discovered... well, I hesitate to say 'a lot' because honestly I'm sure there's endless information out there to be discovered, even on so narrow a topic. But I've found a lot to go on, I'll put it that way." She pauses, and then adds, "I've not been here that long. I'm not focusing mainly on ghosts, no. My bigger focus is the curtain between worlds, the Shine, all of that. It's the real focus of my efforts. Though I promised someone I'd look into ghost banishings, and..." She pauses. "I'm given to understand you may or may not be able to help me on that one."

Vyv continues to regard her thoughtfully, listening quite closely to the answer he gets. Small nods to her note about things to go on, and what her bigger focus is; he seems about to reply on that point when she moves on to the ghost banishings and specifically that he might or might not be helpful on that front. It gets a distinctly exasperated huff of a sigh, though the irritation doesn't seem to be at her, at least.

"I'm not sure how much I could actually help on that, no," he says quietly -- not soft enough to catch the attention of others as sounding secretive, but a little lower than the previous speech. "There was a... mn. It's a bit complicated; might be better suited to discuss somewhere a bit less... here. Not certain it will do you much good, nor that I'm the best person to tell you about it, as I wasn't precisely in the center of it all, but I'm willing to tell you what I can. Anyway -- that's why I'm here, as well. That 'bigger focus'. It's remarkably difficult to find much out on one's own..." And that is also annoying.

That exasperated sort of sigh has Diana tilting her head curiously, but she doesn't actually ask about it. Instead, she listens carefully to what he has to say, frowning very lightly, and then nods. "If there's a place that's better to talk in, I'd be more than willing to accompany you. I understand though, if you'd rather not." She smiles politely.

Vyv considers this over a sip of his coffee, and then nods. "All right. Come along, then," he says, and pauses fleetingly as he stands, glancing at the phone before he slips it away. "I'll need to make one quick stop along the way, but it's not far. One moment." It truly isn't very long, a brief stop at the counter to pick up a second to-go drink, and he leads the way out.

Diana follows along like the little duckling she is!