2020-04-13 - Fire is (Probably) Not the Answer

The coffee shop's morning rush had passed. Kip had claimed a table somewhere near the counter and was researching a few things on her laptop. There was a partially eaten muffin and and already empty wrapper on the table along with a large coffee cup. She was wearing a pair of black Jeans and a gray tshirt.

And then there's a James! He's looking a little bleary-eyed, like he probably didn't sleep much last night, and shambles in with that unique gait that all caffeine fiends recognize as NEED COFFEE. He's wearing his usual get-up: pair of jeans, sneakers, and a hoodie. Today's hoodie has a drawing of 3 goblins in a trenchcoat running away from a dragon, and the words GOBLIN BURRITO. He shuffles over to the counter, and makes noises that the experienced barista on the other side of the counter easily interprets as 'large coffee, milk, extra sugar'.

Kip looks over as James shuffles in, stifling a giggle as she sees his hoodie. "Long night?" She asks after he's put his order in. Recognizing him vaguely from the other day at Memento Mori. "I like your hoodie." a motion towards the outerwear.

Abby looks peppy enough at this time of day that she's probably not here for her morning caffeine injection. Her hair is a mildly messy ponytail. She's in warm plaid flannel, red and blue over a green t-shirt, plus jeans and gray sneakers, looking comfy. "Good morning!" She announces her entrance with a greeting for just about everyone. Everyone gets a friendly smile too. That's just how she rolls. "I'll have a cup of tea. Just plain black tea! And a..." She makes a face, nose scrunched, and eyes her choices, "...mmmmmmmuffin."

"... they're all long nights around here.", James replies reflexively before even looking up, then blinks slightly bloodshot eyes over in Kip's direction. He's about to say something more, when Abby rolls in with all that cheer, and he recoils like a vampire from a cross. He grabs his coffee as soon as it's served, clutching it in both hands reverently. Abby's friendly smile is returned with a weak, slightly cautious one- he does recognize her, but hasn't ruled her out as a potential threat, yet. Turning back to try and find a spot to sit, he does glance at Kip once more and gives a slightly less cautious smile. "... uhm, thanks.", he says, tugging lightly on his hoodie.

Kip's attention was briefly diverted by Abby too. "Good morning." She returns with an easy smile. "The muffins are great." Kip nods approvingly as she lifts her own nearly done muffin. Looking back towards James, "You can sit here if you want." Motioning to one of the empty chairs at her table. "How have you been since the last time I saw you?" A beat of pause. "Oh, my name is Kip by the way? I'm sorry I don't remember yours."

"They usually are!" Abby replies with a smile in Kip's direction, and just a flick of tongue between her lips before she rubs them together to mimic her anticipation of yumminess. But it'll take a little bit for her tree, so she stands there, toying with a button on her shirt before digging out her phone for a quick glance. "Oooh. Hmmm."

"Probably for the best, but..", James murmurs, more to himself than anything, and approaches Kip's table, with only a quick glance back at Abby and all that... cheer. He eyes the offered seat, quickly scanning it for beartraps, and, finding none, settles in. "Oh, uh. James. James Hecker.", he says. "Nice to, uhm, meet you, Kip. Again. I've been...", he says, and pauses, eyes going a little distant (or maybe a little thousand-yard stare) as he remembers... things. "... I've been ok."

Oh, Kip remembers now. A little bit. She remembered someone saying 'A Hecker and a ...something else and Kip had been confused because it sounded like some kind of slang. "James. Right. I am glad you have been okay." She nods to him as she types a few more things on her laptop. "I'm glad the weather is turning. A bit of the gloom is rising off the city." The comment geared towards both him and Abby.

"I'm Abby!" Everyone's introducing themselves, so why not? Her tea eventually arrives, still too hot too do much with, so she blows ripples across the surface while her eyes dart over towards Kip. From her, she looks out towards the windows. "It is nicer today, isn't it? I'm not sure I would blame the gloom on the weather, with the - everything else - but the weather's nice! Lots of Vitamin D." She carefully picks up her tea, then her muffin.

"The problem is no one knows where it's rising to. Probably my attic.", James grouses, and takes a long sip of his coffee, then blinks. He's self-conscious enough to know when his perfectly rational statements might come off as weird, and he winces slightly. "Err, I mean. Yeah, it's nice that it's finally warming up a bit. Even my coat was having trouble there for a bit."

In an Audrey Hepburn style black A-line dress with daisy print and wedge tan heels Atli walks with purpose into the coffee shop. She appears to have a Nicholas Sparks book in one hand and a briefcase in the other. Her hair is curled in pristine ringlets, and a signature Barbie smile is glued to her face. She takes a deep inhalation of ground coffee beans, savoring the scent as though someone was meant to capture a face of bliss for an ad. The cover girl orders a half sweetened skim white Mocha and then notices James and Kip first. “Mr.Hecker! Pleasure to see you out! And, I didn’t quite catch your name at the shop the other day?” The second half is directed at Kip.

LEON THE LOCKSMITH. That's what can be read through the front window as a little Nissan van comes in to park outside. A tall man, gets out, leaving one to wonder if his true profession was advertised or perhaps more clown-like. His T-shirt at least confirmed the Locksmith part, printed in block across his chest. Usual jeans and work boots accompany this. Leon pushes his way into the coffee shop, the type of man that holds the door for other traffic, even Addingtons, before making his way in towards the counter. He was regular enough a large coffee was likely already being poured, and he was already digging his wallet from his pocket. His eyes were alert, spying James, Atli, and the two others he'd had previous run-ins with. He gives friendly nods and a soft grin, then swipes his card without incident.

"Nice to meet you Abby." Kip offers with a bright smile. She eyes James and gives a little 'tsk'. "Call me if it does go to your attic. I'll want to investigate." Only half joking. Her attention shifts when Atli enters and spies the lock smith van pulling up too. It was like a Memento Mori reunion. "Good morning." She nods to Atli, briefly eyeing her book before looking back up to her. "My name is Kapitsa. Kip if you'd rather. You look very pretty."

"You could open a window so the gloom can get out," Abby suggests, like this is a perfectly sensible response to a real problem. She carries her tea and muffin to a table and drops into a chair with a sigh and a small wiggle, startng with a tiny bite of muffin and another puff of breath hoping to cool her tea. "Of course, then bats can get in. You probably don't want bats." She adds with a smile in Jame's direction. Spotting Leon, she raises a hand for a quick little wave, then takes another nip at her muffin. Then her eyes dart curiously between Kip and Atli while she munches.

"Well my kitchen belongs to the Roach Tribe and they seem uninsterested in peace talks so I have to come out if I want coffee.", James quips back at Atli reflexively, because Addington. "And, uh, please. Just James." Leon's arrival actually gets him to relax, just a smidge. Leon's alright. Even if he is tall. That just means he can spot oncoming threats easier. Tall people are useful. Smol people need to be protected from all harm. Medium-sized people are probably threats. He raises his coffee lightly in the man's direction, then takes a long sip before glancing back at Kip and blinking. "... oh, gods, no. You, ah, don't wanna go into the attic. At least, not unarmed." And then Abby mentions her idea, and he tilts his head, as if considering it. "... probably for the best if it stays cooped up up there. Most of y'all are nice folks."

“Kapitsa is so unique! Quite lovely! I do prefer full first names. Much better than abbreviations or, heaven forbid, text speak.” That actually makes her cringe for a split second. She places her things down near the growing cluster and pauses prior to sitting. “Also thank you so much, you also look marvelous! James would you mind if I joined you all?” Atli corrects herself dramatically and ignores the rest of whatever nonsense he was spewing. Poor addled man.

Seeing Leon the pale blonde gives a small wave before smoothing her skirt to sit, not having waited for an answer from the red headed man. She takes a sip of her non-fat half sweet mocha and looks shocked towards Abby’s direction. “I am so sorry! Where are my manners?! Atli Addington.” She extends a hand formally, French manicured nails gleaming.

Leon raises his cup in return to James and Abby's greetings, but Atli gets a small nod of his head. As he saunters up, he is making that typical point to the chair, questioning inquiry on his face, 'Is anyone sitting here and do you mind?' sort of motion before pulling the seat out and lowering himself into it. All body language, little talking. He leans back so he can tug his phone out of his pocket and just sets it on the table, ever-present taskmaker it was.

"Still havin' problems cleaning that house out, then?" He angles himself so he can stretch his legs out, crossing them at the ankles, but avoiding others' space or the walkway as best he can.

The bell over the door tinkles and a man in suspenders and a GHFD t-shirt makes his way in. By the time he gets to the counter they have a drink already for him, he doesn't even go to the register at all. He turns as he scans the room, smiling and nodding in Abby's direction, and then seeing Atli present as well, just lifts his drink to his lips to hide whatever expression was about to come to his face. Lucas finds a spot on the counter to lean on and seems to be in quiet contemplation for a few moments enjoying his beverage of choice.

Abby's tea seems to have finally cooled down for her to have a tentative sip, a small thing followed by a sharp breath. It's still very warm. Her eyebrows climb high above her eyes, fixed curiously in James's direction. "Oh. Well. At least it's not wasps or something. I don't think wasps would care if you were armed." She sounds terribly optimistic. Whatever it is, at least it's not wasps. There's always a silver lining. Then she looks to Atli again.

Of course, Abby's in the next table over, but they're close enough that it's no trouble at all to reach out to shake Atli's hand. She could probably use a manicure. "Abby! Well. I suppose technically it's Abigail, but no one calls me that. It's very nice to meet you."

And, look, Lucas also gets a smile and a quick wiggle of her fingers for a wave.

"Do I have a choi-", James begins to mumble, but, ah, there she is, Atli sitting down. Really, she's got the right approach to James, it's hard to fault her. Just ignore his babblings. He's mostly harmless anyway.

Mostly.

He takes a resigned sip from his coffee, and motions to Leon to please take a seat as well, because it's a party now. And he could use a buffer between himself and... people. "Problems is... one way to put it yeah. It's ok. I think Lilith is getting us flamethrowers.", he tells the mythic giant sitting next to his tiny self. When Abby mentions that at least it's not wasps, there's a moment of solidarity there. "... fuck. You're right. At least it's not wasps.", he says, and he seems to mean that.

Does Atli notice the door open? Only the fact that it does, not who enters. She is entirely absorbed in learning the ammuniti- uh information she can about new people at the moment. The grip on the shake is purposeful yet oddly soft, like the skin is made of petals or very expensive moisturizer. She ignores half of what she is told. “Abagail! Like a heroine in a mid century novel! Just beautiful.”

Atli beams at both Abby and James as though they had both just agreed with her entirely. Her back is to the counter, so she has yet to see Lucas. This is part of the problem with being mostly self absorbed. To Leon she plays cautious. He was after-all not hiding from her this time. “What are your preferred hours Leon? I do very much need some locks looked at.”

"Oh, thank you." Kip offered a smile to the compliment about her name. Not that it was so unique back home. "Atli is a very unique name too. I haven't met an Atli before." Kip shakes her hand, quickly, confidently. She is still so new and not in the loop that the name 'Addington' doesn't really do much for her. She briefly looks towards Lucas who is new to her and offers a nod of greeting. "And how about you, Leon was it? How have you been?" She asks the locksmith as she breaks off a piece of her remaining muffin to eat.

Actually strangely familiar with the type of armament James is describing, Leon opens his mouth, taking a breath, then closing it again as his quirked somehow arches even further. He didn't know if James was serious or not. "I don't... Think those are easy to get... Or legal... Around here. Do you even know..." Suddenly, blinking, his palms come up, a look of surrender on his face, a stare made far out the front window, "Know what? Less I know the better... probably." After a second, he side-eyes James, asking hopefully, "The house isn't off Spruce... right?" Because untrained yahoos with flamethrowers were probably not covered by his homeowners insurance.

"Uhh, I've been ok. The event went pretty well, made like 5k? To donate?" He was rounding up, "Curious how Easton made out last night. That cowboy event was wild." Which as he says, his eyes lock on Lucas, perhaps meaningfully, perhaps not. To Atli, he turns his face, eyes lingering a few moments more before actually looking at her. "Anything bank hours is preferred, but I do answer emergencies. I'm actually pretty curious what you got over there."

The Firefighter leans on the counter and sips his hot chocolate, he smiles and nods at the friendly greeting from Kip, as well as the glance from Leon and the waves from Abby. His eyes though are locked for a few more seconds on the short curled ringlets of the blonde who is totally oblivious to his presence before he shakes his head, and moves toward the tip jar to put some bills in, possibly in preparation for departing.

"Hmm. Sure, like one of those!" Abby goes along with it. The words are accompanied by a flicker of uncertainty, but mostly she's just decided to ignore it. "Thank you," she adds, then hides her mouth behind the rim of her tea cup, sipping lightly on the hot beverage while her eyes try to track the rest of the conversations and looks in her vicinity. "Oh, if it's on Spruce definitely don't chase away the wasps! Or the not-wasps." She adds, switching from tea to muffin.

"42 Spruce. Don't worry, though. I don't expect whatever's in the attic to let us get a shot off anyway, we're probably doomed.", James replies to Leon, almost cheerfully. Another long sip of his coffee and he leans back in his seat. The smile from Atli causes him to tense- showing teeth is a sign of aggression in most predators, after all. Abby's comment causes him to glance in her direction, and he gives a little smile. "It's ok. I don't really have a lot of hope we'll survive this, so the not-wasps will probably be fine."

"Oh that's a lot of money! That's awesome." Kip grinned. "Congratulations." Then a curious look. "...There was a....cowboy thing? I'm sorry I missed it. That sounds like it would have been fun!" She gives Lucas another curious look - mostly because of the few glaces he's tossed towards Atli. And the investigator in her is entirely too curious. However, Abby and James' conversation has distracted her just enough so she doesn't put her foot in her mouth. So...yay? "Why would you not want to get rid of wasps?...and what are not-wasps?"

James' cheerful pessimism does very little to assuage Leon's concerns. He was only five or so houses down from there. No, his forehead seems to gain one more crease as his brows lift another setting into actual worry. "Ok, but maybe carry an extinguisher just in case? Maybe it will make a good smokescreen. Or melee weapon. Or make it so you don't set the whole damn street on fire..."

He sighs, looking to the others to try to take his mind off of it. "Oh yeah, ton of fun. Axe throwing, country music, even a mechanical bull." To which Leon is then lifting his cup to his lips, controlling the quiet mix of embarrassment and pride of the display he had put on the previous night. He expected a good ribbing for that eventually. Too much bourbon for that event.

"Yes, maybe don't try to burn anything in your attic - or, oh, at least do it when it's raining?" Abby with the solutions. She's raising the cup to her lips when it goes still and she gives James a second, longer look. "It's probably better if you don't at all, though. Even if doesn't burn down my house, it's really not a good idea. You don't want burn injuries." She points out with a small wince and a sympathetic look before the cup resumes its journey to her mouth.

"That does sound like fun!" She comments with a curious glance in Leon's direction. "I kind of wanted to go. Not that I can do any of those things. I was working that shift, though."

James holds up his hands. "Listen, this was all Lilith's idea. I don't know how well you know her, but I'm not about to tell her she can't have a flamethrower.", he tells Leon, then shrugs. "Besides. From experience, fire tends to stay pretty self-contained in that damn house." Abby's comments get a light shrug as well. "Really, most of it depends on what we find up there. Lilith thinks mostly just roaches and things she can sell in her pawn shop. Me, I'm thinking something that requires the words 'squamous' and 'cyclopean' to be used." Blase as he is about talking about these potential horrors, as soon as the talk turns to country music, axe throwing, and mechanical bulls, he pales a little and takes a long sip of his coffee. "This town is a neverending nightmare.", he murmurs to himself before glancing out the window.

Kip finishes off her muffin as she listens to the conversations. There's a little chuckle when Leon talks about the bull. "It sounds like a good time." She closes her laptop up. "Ah...yes. I am with Abby. You should refrain from catching your house on fire when possible." A sip taken from her coffee. "I need to get going but it was nice to see you all. Have a good day." Flashing a bright smile to the group as she gathered up her laptop and coffee so she could head out.

Lucas, approaches the table, staying out of the blondes line of sight, "What is this about lighting a house on fire?" the tall man in the GHFD shirt frowns.

It would have appeared there was some separation between those with sanity and those without among the tables. Atli was firmly on the side of not lighting houses on fire as a general personal rule. Mr. Hecker was obviously trying to collect some sort of insurance money, quite unethical in her opinion. The fact that there are apparently droves of others in on this charade was incredulous. Atli's crystal blue eyes widen in horror along with Leon's worry. "Could you not simply fumigate the place? Houses in that area do still have some original features." She looks almost nervous, not for James, for the houses.

Hearing Lucas' voice, her platinum curls whip around so quickly that visually they ripple in the way of a waterfall. "Oh! Hello Lucas! It is so great to see you!"That was one more exclamation point than anyone else got. The smile on her face warms and the apprehension for original architecture dissipates leaving her looking giggly?

The name rung a bell, but eithiut a face or details to connect the few, James could probably tell no true recognition had been had by the Locksmith. Leon slides a card out of his pocket and hands it across to James, commenting, "Just do me a favor and give me a heads up, if only to keep the block from going up?" Though he hurriedly shuts up when the fire brigade of the fuzz bears down on them. "Nothing to worry about. Just some trash burning, totally by the regs."

The obvious blindingly sunny reaction from Atli draws a side-eye, but Leon lets sleeping dogs lie for the moment.

If one runs a tearoom, is it cheating to drop in to a coffee shop? The patisserie isn't even very far from here, inasmuch as nothing downtown is really far from anything else. Perhaps it's a little industrial espionage, although possibly a peacock-blue three-piece suit wouldn't be the ideal garb for that. Nice and spring-like, though, that blue paired with white and shades of yellow. Vyv strides in looking faintly annoyed and in the middle of (probably) texting something, which also isn't likely ideal for any sort of spying, unless one subscribes to the theory of 'if I don't see you, you don't see me'. There's a flicker of a glance across the room, but only enough to establish that the counter hasn't gone anywhere unexpected, no sticky children are within fabric-menacing range, and nothing is actually on fire yet.

James sighs, and shakes his head as everyone gangs up on the anti-flaming-house side. "No, no, no one's setting my house on fire.", he says, then pauses. "... I mean, mostly because I'm fairly certain the house wouldn't allow that. It has its own plans.", he mutters, ominously, then perks up again. "But dang, wouldn't it be lovely if-", he pauses, catching himself. No waxing rhapsodic about that accursed place burning to cinders, leaving nothing behind but a few nightmares and an oily stain among the normals, James. "... err. I mean. Metaphorical flamethrowers. Where would one even get actual flamethrowers, right? Ha. Ha ha. Hah.", he 'corrects' himself, and then sips his coffee with all the innocence he can muster. "Just some early Spring cleaning. Nothing to see here. Boy this is good coffee."

Lucas also lights up a little when Atli turns that gaze on him, "Oh Hi Sunny, didn't see you there" he lies, "Missed you last night at the charity fund raiser," He then looks at James and nods slowly, "You know you want to see what that kind of tom foolery gets you, you can take a look up at Oak street at the house that went up a few months ago. It's not pretty, and its not something to joke about. If you want to get rid of wasps or spiders or what not that is what fumigators are for, fire is not the answer."

Jame's ramblings were originally being about ninety percent ignored, but with Lucas' presence, James himself could have been a wasp buzzing about. Atli had at least nodded to the information that Leon had given her. "I'm not usually a bar sort of person. Was it fun?" The words drip from her lips like honey, thick and overly sweet. It seemed engaging him was far more important than her rapidly cooling caffeinated beverage.

Out of the corner of her eye she catches the perfectly tailored suit of one Vyv, forcing her gaze to move from Lucas only momentarily she calls out "Hello Maître Pâtissier Vydal!", before the dangerously whipping curls snap back in the firefighters direction. The words are said correctly because someone as pretentious as Atli does in fact know some french. Additionally the man had hosted for Hyacinth annnnd it helped that he dressed the way that he did in getting attention from someone with a shorter span of it.

"Fairly sure that depends on the question," Vyv mutters in response to claims overheard, giving first his phone and then the back of the dithering man in front of him a look that suggests he can think of at least a couple relevant questions 'fire' would in fact be the answer to, right off the bat.

It's Atli's greeting that has him actually glancing over, brows lifted in faint surprise, then settling into an only slightly less faint smile as he recognizes her, a quick flick of the gaze assessing the ensemble and apparently approving today. "Miss Addington," he replies, inclining his head a touch; anything else is pre-empted for the immediate moment by the man ahead of him finally making his mind up, an order, and room for Vyv to put in his own.

James's smile fades as Lucas mentions seeing the consequences of fire. He tries to keep his cool. He really does. Normally he's pretty decent about that. But maybe it's because he's got a whole group of folks all of a sudden ganging up on him, maybe it's the constant references to fire in his house, or maybe he's just having a bad day, but whatever it is, he suddenly rounds on Lucas, a sickly smile on his lips. "Oh, buddy. Oh pal. Oh. I know how 'not pretty' fire can be, y'get me? I know. Pretty sure I can still smell my parents cooking when I step into their bedroom. It stays with you, that smell.", he hisses, and then rises to his full, if entirely unimpressive, 5'4" height. He doesn't look like he's about to attack or take a swing or anything, he just keeps smiling that sickly little smile. "I can go into detail. Oh, yeah. Like the way skin crisps and peels as it burns- and the fat! It fucking drips, man." He picks up his coffee cup. "Eighteen hundred degrees Fahrenheit. That's what it takes to reduce a body to ash, which is all that was left- and that fucking house didn't burn. The walls were barely even singed. So, y'know what? I'm not really worried about the house burning up. That goddamn hellhole just laps shit like that up and asks for more." And then he seems to realize he's ranting and raving, and he frowns, sort of shrinking down onto himself. "... fuck. I'm not stoned enough for this. Sorry for disturbing everyone's morning, yeah? Fuckin' hell.", he mutters, and stomps his tiny way off and out of the cafe, like the tiny little red-bearded dramabomb he is.

Abby, as it happens, is drinking tea. There are a few muffin crumbs left, but it's mostly the tea. She's also got her phone out at some point, finding herself distracted by something someone said on the internet somewhere, but her eyes rise from the screen, moving from side to side to keep up, vaguely, with events. Events meaning James, probably. An eyebrow rises slowly, lips pinched into a tight line, then hidden behind the rim of her cup. Is there even any tea left? Surely not enough tea for that sip to take that long. In the time it takes for her to lower the cup again she could easily guzzle down two or three whole cups.

Lucas nods, "It was...interesting...I rode the bull and took a hit to the noggin, and ended up waking up back home on my couch. Someone drove me home, I had to go back to the bar to get my car, but who ever it was had keys to my place because they locked the dead bolt on the way out. Which means Ellie, since she has the only other key, but she wasn't there last night. I do remember seeing a large glowing cow and mooing at it." He shakes his head, "I think August was there I assume he got Ellies keys and ran me home" He then blinks as James just goes off, taking a few moments to take his comments in the big man doesn't react to the aggressive nature of the other mans attitude, letting him get it out of his system, he didn't know that about James's parents, but he just takes it all in. He watches as the man storms out and just sighs and shakes his head, "That's a lot to unpack there"

Oh right. Crispy Parents Club. Leon is much less reserved than Abby with his open-mouthed gape attending James' tirade. Honestly, the outburst has him little stunned, but there's a reason Rothfuss wrote to fear the anger of a gentle man.

After he silently watches the exit, Leon's judgemental look is fully back, peering at Lucas with an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, may have been before your time, bud, but you may wanna buy Hecker a beer or four next time you see him." With that, Leon taps the table open palmed with both his hands and levers himself out of his seat. "Welp, I'm going to go." He glances around at the table, saying his goodbyes with smiles and nods. "Good to see you again, Abby, Lucas. Ms. Atli, you've got my number. Let me know a good time." He even gives Vyv a proper nod, waving on his way to the door.

Want to see some Gray Harborites try not to fall apart? Start talking about dead parents. For her part Atli entirely understood the backgrounds of those having adverse reactions to James' outburst. She did her best not to draw attention to people's personal travesties, it wasn't very lady like. Doe eyes go wide as teacup saucers for a moment and the line of her mouth tightens. She manages to pull herself to the present for long enough to give a small polite smile to Leon and a nod, turning her body to pick up the white mocha and take a sip.

There is a piece of her that now seems a little distant, more try-hard than usual. The gory details making her think of the morbid loss of Leon's family and then the police report on her father's murder...She is slow to put more conversational pieces together, and unable to laugh despite how genuinely funny she finds Lucas. "I can...take a look at your head if you like..." Her tone is almost sheepish. Atli would not cry in the coffee shop today, at least that is what she kept telling herself.

This town could probably use a support group for the kids of burnt-up parents. Though possibly with a somewhat more tactful name. Vyv is not about to volunteer to be involved, even as a spectator, but it's hard not to notice James's outburst; he spends the moments his coffee's being put together watching this, head slightly cocked and expression registering mild curiosity until his gaze has followed the redhead out. Brows lift then, with a quiet, "Well then," as he turns his attention back to the barista, and picks up the freshly made cappuccino. There are baked goods on display there; they get a strongly judgemental glance and left right where they are, today.

Taking the cup, he heads toward a table not far from where the others are sitting, with a decent view of the window. Leon gets a nod in return to acknowledge the leavetaking, and Lucas gets a more direct assessment now, possibly for setting off the James-bomb, possibly otherwise. "There's been bull-riding going on? Why haven't I heard about this in time to watch people fall off?"

"Right," Abby says quietly to herself, glancing up with a smile and a wave as Leon heads off. She sets down her cup, very empty by now, and drops her hands to the tabletop. Her fingers drum lightly for a couple of seconds. This particular parental issue doesn't seem to affect her, fortunately, but clearly the situation is awkward enough to impel her to her feet. "Hopefully I'll be free for the next... cowboy thing! Speaking of, have a great day, everyone!" She beams a smile all about, pockets her phone and starts to head out.

Lucas watches Atli as she goes a little distance, and his response to her offer to take a look is not to call her on her lack of medical knowledge, but to just take a knee. He bows his head a little so she can see it from where she is sitting, but one hand moves to her arm gripping it in a supportive way, as if to say, /your not alone/ while he gives her something to do so she doesn't have to solely concentrate on not losing it. "It is just a little bump" he does in fact have a nice little goose egg on his skull. He glances at Vy, trying not to move his whole head since Atli is investigating it, "Yeah charity rodeo night last night, lots of people fell off the bull, I didn't but likely should have, it would have been less painful."

Seeing the bump on Lucas' head Atli bites the inside of her bottom lip and gives a shifty glance about the coffee shop. It would be fine...she was probably going to have nightmares about Jame's crispy parents anyway...

For a split second Atli gingerly touches the bump on Lucas' head and closes her eyes. She appears to glow with a halo of light akin to a very flattering Instagram filter, and when the sparkles fade the injury is no longer there. She gives a wink and part of a smile returns from it's wilted state. Her other waves to Abby. She carries on to Vyv normally as though nothing had happened. "They probably needed a medic."

Vyv gives Abby a slight nod of her very own as she takes her leave, and settles in comfortably at his chosen table, taking a sip of his coffee as he watches Atli tend to Lucas's bump. That gets another little quirk of a brow, and a half-smile. "Perhaps you ought to have attended?" he suggests, before studying her patient again. "You managed to get wounded not falling off? A man of talent, clearly. What was the charity?"

Lucas doesn't take note of Atli glowing, but honestly, Atli always glows in his eyes so what would be strange about that? He lets out a sigh and seems to relax a little, "wow...that...actually feels better...a lot better....oh god..." He looks at Atli, "I was a total Ass to Katy last night" He seems to have recovered some of his memories. At Vyv's question he nods, "Yeah,...I am really good at being really stupid....." He then contemplates the second question, "You know what...I never actually asked what charity we were supporting...." He looks back at Atli… "You ok?"

Atli gives a side smile to Vyv in a knowing fashion. She was super showy when she did things, but then so were almost all notable philanthropists, she just didn't bring photographers with her. She seemed a little surprised at the mention of Katy, raising an eyebrow. "Most people don't approve of the use of sparkle." She says to Vyv covertly. Lucas' lack of being informed triggers the busybody in her. "It was a veteran's charity, both bars seem to be big on Veteran support lately."

How did Atli know this? She kept a written ledger of every charity event in town and the donations she made to them. A check for Two if by Sea was sitting on her desk addressed to the bar currently. Was that a bit obsessive...good luck telling Atli that. Her eyes turn to look at Lucas' handsome and uninjured face. "You stayed on, that's what matters! I'll be fine. How were Katherine and Jonathan?"

The door opens and in bustles Kailey. She wears a jean with a hoodie. The hood itself is pushed back and she pulls earbuds out as she heads for the counter. She glances around the place, taking in it's people with mild boredom. A few people ahead of her yet she only glances at the baked case while waiting. Seems she knows what she wants, unlike the guy humming and hawing at the counter to the barista.

"Really? How so?" Vyv inquires, regarding Lucas's sudden recollection of ass-ness, which can't but be intriguing. He has a barely-touched cappuccino, which he now further touches, or rather, sips. Atli gets a small, sidelong smile in return for her own, apparently not deeply disapproving of her use of the arts, and he nods at the mention of a veteran's charity. That seems about par for the local course, from what he's seen so far. The opening of the door draws his attention, and the dyed hair keeps it, just an extra moment. Kailey, like everyone else, gets a fleeting, assessing once-over, but alas jeans and a hoodie do not rate the same approval as Hepburn-esque frocks.

Lucas shakes his head, much easier now without the pain it brought. "Johnathon couldn't make it, but Katy wanted to go, so I escorted her down there, bought her a Roy Rogers and threw axes with her. Then I got hurt and she drove me home, That when I really acted like an ass, in the car talking about my sister, and Katy's bridesmaids. I think she was just getting me to talk so I wouldn't pass out. " He looks confused, "I have no idea how she locked the dead bolt though, unless she went out a window."

Atli gives her head a tilt as she processes what she is being told. "Oh! Interesting! I didn't realize the two of you were close." She was certain she knew exactly how the door was locked, or at least hoped considering Lucas hadn't seemed to have given her a key. If you have ever been enjoying a day in the sunlight only to have sudden shade cool your skin unpleasantly by several degrees, you would understand the way it feels for Atli to be jarringly disinterested in what you were doing. Unless you didn't care which could be the case.

She turns toward Vyv, her head still at a tilt. "I'm afraid I only know of you what Hyacinth has given me and by the masterful confections you displayed at her birthday. Did you train in France?"

Wait till Vyv gets a good look at the back of the jacket. An intricately painted and beaded phoenix is decorated there. Taking advantage of the dark blue of the base fabric to create the lines. Gold and flame-colored beads flash when she moves. It's quite stylized.

As she finally gets to the counter she is quick to order. "Large chai with whole milk. A whole wheat bagel with cream cheese, toasted, and one of those chocolate croissants," Kailey says, pointing at the case and making eyes at the named pastry. She slips a small wad of cash and counts out singles for the order. That done she steps out of the way to wait. And as she does her eyes flit to Lucas and then Atli. Curious ears picking up interesting tidbits of their conversation. The word 'confections' and training in France' have her looking Vyv over with greater interest now.

"Just what were you saying about your sister and the bridesmaids?" Vyv inquires, tone and expression both faintly amused. The mention of throwing axes elicits another arch of the brows. "Axe-throwing in a bar full of drunk people. Yes, perhaps a medic would have been wise." Doesn't quite dissuade him from somewhat wanting to have seen this, however.

Kailey's jacket does catch his eye once its more artistic facets become visible, and he studies that for a few moments more over another sip. It is, at the least, much more interesting, though it means she has his attention at the time she refers to something in the case here as a croissant, which gets the bakery case itself a dark look, of the sort that suggests it may have assaulted a donkey or otherwise outraged the tenets of proper society.

Thankfully, relatively-proper-society is talking to him, and in the form of compliments and appropriate questions, no less! It goes some way toward lifting his mood again. "Yes," he answers, "At Ferrandi, and then with the Compagnons du Devoir. A bit in Switzerland and Japan, after that, as well. I think it's important to take a wide view, though could one properly claim to be a patissier without experience in the home of the art?" No. Obviously not.

Lucas nods, "Yeah me and Kate started hangout when I was in college, we are friends, good friends actually, " he smiles a little, and lets out a low chuckles " she was going to ask me to be one of her bridesmaids but decided I didn't have the legs for those purple dresses." he shakes his head, "speaking of which....weren't you supposed to call me?" He looks at Vyv "What I said about my sister is not for public consumption, and nothing I didn't say previously when I was Seven"

Atli is not attempting to be rude in any way to Kailey, she also is not an aware human. Far more adept at devoting attention to tiny projects directly in front of her. Instead she does just that, responds the those just in front of her. "I quite agree! The Japanese influence was very apparent though as well within the classic artistry. Everything was very balanced rather than painfully sweet. Clever spread of educated influences! Ferrandi in particular was one of my favorite places to pass when I studied abroad."

She motions toward Lucas trying not to react to what he was saying. "Lucas' sister Eleanor became engaged at the celebration you had for Hyacinth, she sang I believe." Looking at Lucas through thick yet preened lashes. "I was planning on today, it would seem you were rather busy anyway. I was working on restoring a jewelry box at the house, simply lost track of time." The subtext would include vibes along the lines of 'girls who call the day of appear desperate' but she does not say this. Atli has a very specific set of etiquette standards.

Kailey now is looking, casually of course, at Vyv with more interest. One might think he was the pastry. But oh look, her name is called for the order. That distracts her and she gathers her to-go coffee and food. However she doesn't immediately leave. Instead she approaches the pastry chef with a polite smile. Waiting till there's a proper pause, and hopefully acknowledgment, she asks, "I couldn't help overhear...you don't happen to have a bakery do you?" Never pass up finding where a French trained baker works. That is Kailey's opinion.

Then she realizes he looks vaguely familiar. Her eyes narrow slightly and she tilts her head. "Oh hey...weren't you at the...uh...Candyland thing?" She glances around the cafe before pulling out her bagel and taking a bite.

"Unrepeatable at seven? Precocious." Vyv sips the coffee again, glancing toward Lucas's legs as though one might be able to assess their dress-worthiness through the trousers, but if any verdict can be reached, it's not one that shows in his mien. That Atli's compliments are quite welcome does, however, the expression best described as 'quietly pleased' with no sign of the discomfort that some people might express. "Thank you. I do try. Where did you study, when you were there?" he inquires. A genuine question, even if Kailey's distracts him somewhat. "Yes -- Pâtisserie Vydal. Not far from here, really," he answers, and there's the short down-the-block-turn-left sort of direction before her other question has him regarding her with similarly narrowed eyes in return. "....the last race. Yes."

Lucas smiles, "You are forgiven" He chuckles playfully, " Have I told you how amazing I think your job is?" He then looks over toward Kailey and Viv, "Yes she got engaged a little while ago, apparently I had an episode during my concussion and made some comments about how no one would ever find her attractive because of her pigtails and braces."

"Hah! I thought you looked- wait. Last race? There were others previously?" Kailey looks vaguely surprised and sips her chai. "This place just gets weirder," She says with a chuckle and shakes her head. "Well, thank you. I was hoping to find a place with real croissants." She flashes Vyv a smile then. A small wave and she turns to head out. Taking another bite of her bagel.

"Oh just the Sorbonne!" She works back up to a half smile in Lucas' direction, at the same time as her phone starts to vibrate with the word 'Mother' across the screen. It is then that Atli notices Kailey. "I do very much recommend his pastries!" Atli is already gathering up her things, having realized the time and the fact that she was supposed to be helping her mother select a couch for the redesigned living room. "Also thank you very much Lucas, but yours is far more important than mine! I must unfortunately be off. I have enjoyed speaking with you all so much!" She blows small kisses towards each of them. "I'll be by for a taste of France soon Maître Pâtissier."

"I recall the performance," Vyv says, one corner of his mouth twitching upward, "Possibly unforgettable. Definitely unexpected. Oddly pleasing it seems to have stuck." The other proposal that night didn't, though whether or not that is pleasing, he doesn't address. "I suspect there are far worse things one could have said, particularly concussed." The tiny smile spreads a bit at Kailey's implication that the croissants here are not real ones, which is of course accurate, just ask him. "I believe we can fulfill your hopes," he says to her by way of farewell.

"Ah, very good choice. The entire time, or as an exchange?" he asks Atli -- in fluent French, perhaps to see whether the rest of her mastery matches the pronunciation of his title -- but alas, she's off as well. "Next time," he says, back to English (and to the English accent, which disappeared entirely with the switch of languages), giving her another small smile and an inclination of the head.

Lucas smiles and collects his now cold chocolate, finishing it off, He listens to the French, without comment, and then says "Sunny...its good to see you again, thank you" he touches his head, "and call me"