2021-11-22 - Nice Young People All In A Row

Quiet afternoon, in Gray Harbor?

At least for Ravn Abildgaard, they are surprisingly common. Largely because he's really, really good at finding the quiet corners in which to do his essay reading and online tutoring while drinking large amounts of coffee. Espresso Yourself is the kind of place where writers congregate -- and apparently he includes himself in that lot, though he is not technically a published author (unless you count that PhD). He's seated, quite relaxedly, with his laptop open at a table, staring balefully at the whipped-cream filled dessert that Della the Day Manager informed him passes for coffee around here. Yes. It's been a year. That war is still going on.

Ahhhh, coffee in the morning. Gail's usually a make-your-own type, but the elderly retired group need socialization also, and so she has come to buy a nice pastry and bend the ear of some poor schmuck. Oh look! That nice boy from across the street. Pastry first, "A lemon bar please," and a nice tea order that the player is not knowledgeable enough to make.

Ravn looks up and raises a gloved hand in a friendly wave as he recognises the voice -- and really, how many older women voices does he know in this town? He's got no family here of his own, and among his friends he tends to be if not the oldest, then at least among the older of the lot. "Morning, Mrs Leigh," he calls out in that accent of his. "How's the day treating you so far?"

Granny Gail TISKS at the Mrs. Leigh comment. "Granny or Gail my dear. I'm too old to be Mrsed any longer." Apparently that's a thing now. She's told it will be a bit and to go have a seat. A beaming thanks and the older woman makes her way down to Ravn's table to set herself down with a nice happy sigh. "You leave for five years and they move everything about. It really is lovely.:

Coffee. That black elixir of life. Having hidden away for ages, writing code, Tanasha emerges into the world once more, laptop back slung over her shoulder, heading straight for the source. She orders, clearly on autopilot, turning at the sound of Ravn's voice, her brown eyes narrowing. A reluctant tug at the corner of her lips acknowledges the other, even as she takes the cup from the counter, leaving money and a tip behind her. "Got your first draft..."

"Oh hello," Ravn replies and smiles up at Tanasha, then nods at another empty chair even as he closes his own laptop in some attempt to be a socially high functioning adult. "Have you two met? Tanasha's new in town and Gail is -- well, coming back to town. Not sorry to hear about first draft -- not going to lie, I'm a little tired of keeping all our paperwork in a pair of binders in the back. Mostly because somebody keeps borrowing from it because they don't want to go to Safeway for tissue paper, and that's a conversation I never thought I'd find myself having with a homeless guy twenty years older than myself."

Oh good, a new person. Gail likes new people. Their laptops get an indulgent smile, but in HER era you sat and TALKED in a coffee shop. Not work. But it's fine. It's fine. She's here now to show them the error of their ways. "Nice to meet you Tanasha. Welcome to Gray Harbor. Are you a writer than?"

Tanasha gives Gail a nod, and a quick flash of a smile, one that is friendly enough. "Well, you can road test this baby but don't rely on it until we've broken it a few more dozen times." The warning is given in a muffled voice as she bends to pull her laptop out, preparing to open it. Straight to business, without passing go, but she hesitates, glancing at Gail. "I should bring this to your work, not now..." Some level of ruefulness slips into her face. "I get obsessed." She hesitates, her face warming as she replies to Gail "No, I'm a software engineer."

Ravn cracks another small smile and adjusts his black gloves; a closer look might reveal that there are still bandaids underneath the leather. "I suppose you should. Although I'm almost as enthusiastic -- mostly because Denny is getting on my nerves about those binders. He is of the firm conviction that paper has two uses, and the other is to print warnings about mermaids."

The Dane glances at the sugary, whipped-cream filled thing in a cup that tries to masquerade as his coffee; it does nothing whatsoever back beyond sit there and look absolutely diabetes-inducing. "I don't suppose either of you have dramatically low blood sugar and need a boost? I think I'd rather try to ride another angry bull than engage this thing."

"Oh thank you sweetie," Gail enthuses as someone in the coffee shop actually brings her the tea and her lemon bar. Apparently they didn't want the old woman to get up. Talk of software and thing of that like just go right over Gail's head. So she just sit and smiles mildly till they come back to talking a language she speaks.

Tanasha glances at the Thing in a Cup, her eyebrows rising, "Not on your life." She pushes the laptop back into the bag, her gaze flickering between the pair of them, "I don't want to think about that paper..." The murmur is soft and she wraps her fingers around that mug, cuddling her coffee as she leans back in her chair. "So... uh, everything recovered from that time..." The question is very vague, her gaze flickering between the two of them, hesitantly.

"Gail moved in this week, across the street from me," Ravn explains and proceeds to ignore the Lovecraftian Cup. "I think she missed the part where all of us missed twelve weeks. I think we've more or less settled in -- Aidan and I, I mean. Place looks like a Seattle art gallery on the inside, but that's what I'd expect when rooming up with a street artist. Haven't got an artistic bone of my own unless you count playing the violin a little. We did soundproof the garage."

He chuckles and then glances at Tanasha. "How about you? Getting on top of things? Gray Harbor been giving you a hard time? I'm finding that recently, I've tried my hand at bull fighting -- which was not a success -- and at prancing around in a medieval woman costume, which was also not a success."

"I am sure his taste is quite tasteful." Is that how people pt things? Apparently it's how Gail puts things? ANYWAY.\
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"Well, very well. Your friend Alexander Clayton showed up. He has changed quite a bit, it was lovely to see. I cannot wait till I can sit down with Elizabeth, she must be over the moon. Such a polite young man." Gail enthuses happily, "And then I met such a nice man in the store. I believe he said his name was Javier. I do need to find his address to drop off a thank you." \
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The coffee abomination gets FULLY IGNORED. She's drinking tea thanks.

"Cool..." The murmur is soft, the younger woman inhaling the scent of the coffee, glancing over the brim of it, "I've been hunkered down because apparently, I took on a lot of work." Her voice has a slightly rueful touch to it, "You've met more than me then. I see the take-out delivery guy... " Her smile widens, a tiny amount of humour glinting in her eyes.

"Is the take-out guy at least worth looking at?" Ravn can't resist a gentle jibe. He doesn't look very guilty about the work -- he may have dumped a considerable project on the programmer but he also intends to pay for her time and effort. "Don't work yourself too hard, though. The more you get to know folks around here, the less trouble when... well... trouble finds you."

He glances at Gail and manages to not laugh at her descriptions of people familiar to him. Clayton, a nice young man -- okay, he can see that, though Clayton's a decade older than him. Diplomatically he volunteers, "Javier de la Vega is the Chief of Police, did he say? He's very competent."

Nice is not the word Ravn would use, though.

"Oh that is so good." Gail exclaims at hearing that. "He was such a dear to reach the flour. The poor safeway, it only managed to keep one ingredient from me." Personal battle with the store. At Tanasha she reaches out to pat her hand lightly. "Dear, a pretty young thing like you should be out and about. Why don't you come and join Ravn at my house for dinner this Sunday?"

She hesitates, her forehead creasing, "Is it bad that I didn't even look at him?" Tanasha lifts her eyebrows, "Safe to say my interest in men is ... limited." She shrugs, lifting one shoulder slightly, "Competent is a good thing in a police chief." The words lilt upwards in a questioning tone though, Ravn studied closely. The invitation is met with a warm smile, her eyebrows arching up, "Um, sure, why not..." That slightly stunned look is directed at Ravn...

"Oh, my interest in men is limited too," Ravn returns blithely, having missed the point of that look by half a mile. "Although I do have several friends who will lecture for quite some time on the matter, one of whom is making it her mission that no hunky fireman in this town shall sleep alone if he doesn't want to."

He smiles at Gail. "I'll let Aidan know -- you wanted him to come over as well if he is home, yes? Local boy and all. I have to warn you, he is into experimental cooking. Last year he tried to deep fry a Thanksgiving turkey."

The three of them sit, Gail with tea and pastry, and Ravn with a monstrosity of coffee. There are two laptops and Gail has given BOTH of them some serious stink-eye for WORKING in a store.

"Yes, that would be lovely. Oh and Thanksgiving!" Gail claps her weathered hands together. "I insist you both come. My daughters are quite put out that I will not be joining them this year, but it is for their own good."

"Let them lecture..." Tanasha, having tucked her laptop away in response to a look from Gail, is busy inhaling the bliss of black coffee, "Thanksgiving. It is a long time since I celebrated it..." She takes a swig of the coffee, adding lightly, "Might be nice. I could bring something from the shop?"

Eleanor Roen, owner of Espresso Yourself, and one of the town's resident Glimmer Gurus and Conspiracy Theorists, comes out of the back room where her little office is. She's in a cute maternity outfit over her 22 week belly, a white tank top, red and blue plaid shirt unbuttoned over it, jeans with that big stretchy panel in the front, and a brand new pair of sneakers. Why is it no one tells you your FEET might get bigger due to ligament loosening hormones?

The redhead has her hair in a messy braid, and she's forgone her contacts today for glasses. She looks tired, and ravenously hungry, as she sweeps by the pastry case and grabs a lemon danish, and a snickerdoodle cookie. The latter is shoved in her mouth to hold it while she pours herself a glass of milk to drink. The no caffeine aspect of her pregnancy is clearly rough on her. She trundles into the seating area and spots some familiar faces, heading towards Ravn and Gail.

"Mrs. Leigh!" she exclaims around the cookie in her mouth, plucking it back out when she realizes it's still there. "When did you get back in town? It's been forever!" And clearly many things have changed for the shop owner if that belly and the wedding ring on her finger are any indication. "Ravn, how are you doing to...." Pause as she looks at his drink, then looks back at Della. "She got you again? You want just a black coffee? On the house?" Tanasha gets a nod of greeting.

"Oh please. I'll gladly pay." Ravn can't help laugh; his war with Eleanor's Day Manager is passing into local legend -- and after a year, he's still not managed to actually acquire a cup of regular joe from her. It started out as an argument, skipped the stades of flirtation, and went right into the country of that's what we've always done around here, ribbing the Dane about his coffee habits.

He braces a little for impact; women respond strangely to other pregnant women, and grandmother age women more so. "Eleanor, meet Tanasha. Eleanor runs this place when she is not busy spawning."

"Eleanor!" Sorry, thanksgiving gets set aside for the moment as Eleanor appears. Gail rises from her chair and throws her arms open for Eleanor. There is going to be a huge hug hug happening. Then she'll clasp Eleanor by the shoulder (if allowed) and looked up and down from tip to bottom. "A ring and a baby? My dear you have to tell me everything. Come, sit with us, you do have time for this? Ravn be a dear and, pull her out a chair."

Tanasha leans back in her chair, her expression faintly amused as she watches local life taking place in front of her. The nod is returned, with a small smile, as her gaze moves from the pregnant woman to Ravn, to Gail, and back. "A pleasure." The murmur is soft, and she lifts a foot to push a chair out for Eleanor, nudging it gently across to make space.

While Eleanor's being introduced to people by the resident Dane, the door chimes (if that's what it do) and a sturdy looking fella shoulders his way in. No mistaking the baseball cap, battered jacket and faded black jeans, with a tee shirt that proclaims he's into fitness - fitness burrito into my mouth. With a picture of a burrito on it, naturally.

Digging for his wallet as he heads up to the counter, Javier twitches a lopsided almost-smile at whoever's behind it today, and murmurs a hola before placing his order for a black coffee.

"Hey!" Eleanor grouses at Ravn. "This is my first spawn, thank you very much! And if he or she keeps tapdancing on my bladder all day, it is gonna be my last too, because I am so tired of having to pee all the time!" She smiles to Tanasha nevertheless. "Nice to meet you, Eleanor Roen, new to our little town?" she asks.

She looks over her shoulder at the counter. Laine is on shift with Della, and she makes a few gestures at him. He seems to understand, and begins working on a plain coffee for the poor, beleaguered Dane. This is a dance done often here, apparently. He brings it over and sets it in front of Ravn, removing the whipped cream monstrosity before Eleanor can break her own vow not to caffeinate and taking it back behind the counter.

The cookie is being chomped through at an alarming pace though fortunately is swallowed down before Gail goes in for the hug. It is returned with a chuckle. "Got married to August Roen, the very handsome gentleman who owns Branch and Bole, back in..." pregnancy brain works on calculating after the time jump. "It was a year ago August 30th. We're expecting our first in a smidge less than 18 weeks," she explains with a bright countenance.

She settles into the chair gratefully, setting her milk and danish on the table. "Thank you."

Della smiles back at Ruiz, and gets his order going. Funny how HE gets his black coffee without any kind of fuss.

"I still find it borderline offensive that nice young men can order black coffee and actually get it while I cannot," Ravn murmurs -- not very loudly though. He finds Gail's characterisation of the Chief absolutely hilarious. And makes a mental note to slash Della's tyres or something.

He can spare a wave for de la Vega though, from behind the line of women. "Buenas tardes!" Lord have mercy, his accent is even worse in Spanish. Fluorescent white guys like him should not try speaking Spanish.

"Oh I am so happy to hear that." Gail enthuses, and thankfully banter interrupts before Gail can begin an interrogation of exactly what beyond marriage and a new child has happened in the last five years. Ravn gets the table in front of him patted (instead of his arm, because Gail is nice like that). "Now there is taht nice Javier right now, You didn't tell me you were the chief of police? I wondered when old <insert name here> was going to leave." Reasons why left vague for the sake of not stepping on toes.

"Now Eleanor, does this mean that you and your husband have plans for Thanksgiving? I intend to have both Ravn and Tanasha over, and you Mr. Javier," Gail is ALL OVER THE PLACE, "and your gentleman are welcome."

"Kinda." The reply is friendly enough, but Tanasha doesn't expand on it, instead lifting her coffee to silently gloat at Ravn. One black coffee, right here. But one quietly consumed, in silence, as the woman observes and listens...

Cup of coffee collected and a lid snapped onto it, Javier moseys on over to where the others are sitting and salutes them with his drink before taking a sip. Sugar's for losers, apparently. He? He's had his tastebuds ruined by the military, and now it doesn't seem to matter what he drinks, so long as it's got caffeine in it.

"Well, you didn't fucking ask," is his mumbled reply to Gail, as he takes up a lean nearby. Is this where he ought to point out that he's got two gentlemen? Prooooobably. But his expression is awkward as hell, and he remains silent on the matter. Instead, he decides to check out Tanasha for a minute, with a brazen little up-down of his eyes, before remarking to Ravn, "We need to work on your accent. It's shit."

Milk is sipped before Eleanor begins working on the danish. The greeting Ravn tosses out has her turning to give Ruiz a wave that becomes the beckon gesture to invite the police chief to the table. She blinks back at Gail over the rim of her milk glass. "Oh, we are probably having it with August's family in Portland, and then my folks will likely come up here for Christmas. They moved to Florida a few years back."

She chuckles softly. "Are you sure about inviting Chief de la Vega to dinner? I think he comes as a package with at least 2 fellas and a daughter with a fella of her own. You'll wind up with a full house, Mrs. Leigh, careful now." Then she's talking about the old chief leaving and Eleanor nearly snorts her milk. "Um, Chief Thatchery didn't, um, leave. I mean technically I guess he left, but it was more of a 'murdered by bad people from some kind of drug cartel' situation."

"I've actually been wanting to ask you about that," Ravn intercedes quickly because if a year in Gray Harbor has taught him one thing, it's that we don't talk about the previous Chief of Police. (Thatchery? His name was Thatchery?) He looks at de la Vega. "Well, not about that exactly -- I don't really care if the five words I can say in Spanish identifies me as a hopeless case of lost Scandinavian tourist. That's only accurate, after all. But the -- mind thing you do. I'd like to ask you some questions about it sometime, if you think you have an hour or two to answer silly questions."

Then he winks at Eleanor. "Worst case scenario, we can always expand the party to the next house over. I can say that, I live there. Which reminds me," glance to Tanasha, "Oak Avenue. You can't miss my place, it's the one with the sound proofed garage and the ancient pickup-truck outside. Gail lives just across."

GAil, beaming, reaching out to pat Ruiz lightly on the shoulder. "You and your gentleman are welcome, also, can I have you address please?" She's going to take a moment to dig into her super garish purse to find a pen. When she comes up it's with a very nice pen. Not one of those cheap plastic kinds. It's held out to Ruiz.

"That is so kind of you to visit his parents," Gail puts her stamp of approval on Eleanor's plans. "It really does make all the difference, and you," back to Ruiz, man she is ALL OVER THE PLACE GUYS, "You bring anyone you want. I bought quite a turkey. If you're vegan," because he might be, fried tomatos, "I'll have plenty of salad and other trappings. No tofu now-" admonishment given to the whole table. "That is an ungodly abomination. " The fact that everyone here is invited goes without saying.

"Ah, well, dear Thatchery. It was that or retirement. I'll have to visit his grave and bring some flowers. I find myself doing that more the older I get." Hum, excuse her as she goes into mental introspection for a bit.

Tanasha's eyebrows fly up and she silently lets her gaze trail down Ruiz, returning just as slowly, before her lips quirk and she takes a swig of her coffee, with no sign of the conclusions formed. Less brazen and more leisurely, and she lifts the mug, taking a swig, before she slants a look at Ravn, "Busy place..." The murmur is soft, and faintly amused. "Oak Avenue it is then... I'll pick up some pie." She rises to her feet, heading to the counter to order more coffee. Black. And this time, to go.

Thankfully, Javier's got a cup of coffee to drown his social discomfort in. So he needn't say a word as he's a) outed as a queer polyamourist and b) invited, along with his daughter and her boyfriend, to Thanksgiving dinner. Nope, he just chokes down half of his drink in one go, and surreptitiously watches Tanasha's backside as she walks away to get her refill. Because he's an opportunist like that.

"How's the pregnancy going?" he asks of Eleanor idly, once he comes up for air, turning dark eyes on her. And then Ravn with his question, and the cop squints at him for a moment, appearing confused. And maybe a little wary. "Sure. These the sort of questions that are going to need tequila?"

Eleanor chuckles at Ruiz. "It's somewhere between having to pee constantly, being hungry all the time, and forgetting what I was about to do 30 seconds ago." She rises from her seat with a look of consternation. "In fact, I came out here to grab a danish before I went back in and got the purchase order for next month finished. I swear, this kid is leeching my brain out. I forgot to put on socks yesterday," she exclaims. "SOCKS!" She harumphs. "All right, I'll see if maybe August and I can drop in before we head to Portland, just to say hi, but for now, back to work. Those coffee beans don't order themselves, you know." She gives everyone a little wave of farewell, then meanders her way back to the office, grabbing a muffin in passing.

"Well, I can bring a bottle of tequila to be on the safe side," Ravn agrees, and curls long, gloved fingers around his coffee cup -- bliss is pure, unadulterated, undiluted, unpolluted coffee. "It's mostly about the -- calming thing. I'd like to know more about it. How it works, whether there's any way in hell I might be able to learn to do it myself."

He glances after Eleanor. "Take care, and give my regards to August, tell him I may need some advice on a garden before spring. I don't trust Aidan to not grow giant, flesh-eating mushrooms."

"Give my best to your husband!" Gail calls after the departing Eleanor, and that look ALSO brings into focus, "Janice!" And Gail raises to go over to another gray haired woman who is greeted with a large hug. Excuse her a moment.

Returning with her coffee, Tanasha makes her way to Ravn's side to murmur quietly, but audibly if one wanted to, "Your place in the morning? I'll bring the product, you bring the coffee..." There is something mischievous lurking in those dark eyes, tugging at the corner of her mouth as she props her hip against his chair for that moment.

"Nos vemos más tarde," Javier pitches toward the redhead as she departs, gaze traveling back to the pair remaining at the table. Then a rusty little chuckle as Ravn reveals the true nature of what he wants from the cop. "I see," he murmurs, tapping fingers against his coffee cup. "Well, sure. We can talk about it if you like." His eyes flick between the Dane and the girl who's sat down beside him, and he mentions with an absent glance at his watch, "Don't think I caught your name."

"Don't let the fuzz catch wind that you're coding our -- " Ravn makes a point out of looking around shiftily " -- finances and scheduling app." Then he smirks at Tanasha. "It's a date. But be warned, my house mate is prone to springing unusual culinary experiments on visitors."

Deep fried, exploding turkey, you are not forgotten.

He glances after Gail and then muses, ever so blithely, "I'll say, though. I'm the nice boy from across the street and you, Chief, are that nice young man. I think we've all just been... grandmothered."

She reaches past Ravn for her bag, slinging it over her shoulder, as she gives Javier an amused look. "I'll keep it on the DL,..." The murmur is soft, with warm humour in it, "Grandmothering. Something I did not expect today... But I'm not the nice woman from along the road so I feel slighted." She doesn't look like she does mind, not really.

It seems like he's not getting that name, after all. Javier doesn't look too put out by it; maybe he's getting rusty from being out of the game for so long. Another glance at his watch confirms that he's, "Got to go. Text me when you want to get together, yeah?" That's to Ravn, inked knuckles rapped on the tabletop as he pushes off with his coffee. Then he tugs the brim of his hat low over his eyes, and slouches off for the door.

Gail comes back JUST in time to hear Tanasha's murmured words and the look she gives is PURE grandma. "Now don't talk like that in front of our police chief missy. But If you need a place to stay after." She thinks they're going to do drugs. Just jumping RIGHT to the conclusion.

Ravn's words has Gail beaming. "It is so nice to come back into town and see my friends. Oh Mr. Javier," she calls out, "I didn't get your address!" Unless she did then ignore~~~

Scribbled on the bit of paper left behind is a phone number and a name, Javier. No address though.

"Will do, Chief." Ravn smiles at the Mexican has he makes his exit. "And I will bring the best tequila bribe I can find. It is only fair for subjecting you to my accent in Spanish."

He catches Gail's look, though. "Tanasha programs our computers at HOPE," he explains, opting for the very low tech explanation. "I'm really a quite boring and law abiding citizen. These days."

Tanasha's lips quirk into a swift grin at the wink, before she slants Ravn a look, "Cute but knows it." The murmur is soft and she turns back to Gail, giving her a genuine smile, "Code, Mrs Leigh.... Nothing unseemly that my own grandmother couldn't see." She takes a swig of the hot coffee, adding lightly, "And I need to get on with that, otherwise it won't be finished in time." She reaches out for the paper, glancing at it before she hands it to Gail, "For you, I think..."

Gail picks up the paper and shakes her head. "Such an impossible boy." The paper will get tucked into her purse though, and she'll track him down SOMEWHERE.

And back to your regularly scheduled Coffee House.