forum Runes and Coffee (1-1, Closed)

Started November 24, 2022 by @Serpentess health_and_safety language

tune

Holiday? It was a holiday? That might explain why the humans around were unusually festive. Damn, apparently, he needed to do some more research into human traditions. Maybe it would help the neighborhood blend in better, or, at least himself.

But, besides the holiday stuff, Jonathan pondered how much of her statements she was forcing. It seemed to him like she was far more stressed out than she was willing to admit.

“I see. My condolences. And, ‘tis more than an inconvenience. Family is the most important thing in life, and you should not have to be delayed. I only wish I could help you more, though I am honestly unsure how I might do that,”Jonathan said.

“Oh, no. You’ve helped me out a lot. Really. Treating me kindly, finding me a mechanic… it’s more than I could’ve asked for.” She crossed her arms over her chest and began rocking back and forth on her heels, trying to think of some way to change the topic. “Anyways, the people in this town seem pretty nice. This seems like a good neighborhood.”

She wasn’t lying. Well, mostly not. This did seem like a genuinely well-kept neighborhood, and the people were friendly. She would just have to learn to get over the feeling of unease that came over her whenever she was in this place.

“I am always glad to help,”Jonathan replied softly.

He watched her carefully, noting how she changed the subject. So, family was a tender conversation. He understood the feeling quite well.

“Thank you. I am actually the landlord here, and I’ve done my best to brighten this place up. A pity that it has become rather quiet in recent years,”he said, sighing.

Hm. A landlord. She’s was learning more and more about this stranger by the minute. She would’ve guessed he had some sort of fancy, high class job with the way he was dressed, but she never assumed that he was a landlord.

“Quiet?” She began to ease up a slight bit as they continued to converse. “I don’t know if that’s a pity. Many people like more quiet neighborhoods, including myself.”

Jonathan shrugged,”We used to have little festivals every week, yet now, we do none of those. I miss those festivals, honestly, yet… I know not.”

He sighed sorrowfully, then shrugged again. He actually knew exactly why the festivals had stopped, but that was a tender subject, and it had scarred the entire neighborhood, literally and figuratively.

She noticed his change in demeanor, but she was too curious about the matter to let it drop at that. She pressed further.

“Ooh, festivals?” She pulled her coat closer around her. “A festival is always a good way to… you know, lighten things up. Why’d you stop having them?”

Jonathan nodded,”They were not necessarily to celebrate anything. It was just a gathering to… I suppose, enjoy the company of one another. And, it was wonderful to see the creativity in the things everyone brought.”

He hesitated when she asked why the festivals stopped. Memories of a young man, a dear friend, running toward a burning house came to mind. Jonathan had stopped the youth before he ran inside, saving him, but at the cost of so much more.

Jonathan took a deep breath, turning to look at Matthew so the moisture in his eyes was less obvious. After all, his tears were blood.

“About… five years ago, the house of a dear friend burned down. He fled, and I have not seen him since. He was a good friend to everyone here. But, after that day, it seemed… wrong, I suppose, to have the festivals. There’s actually a memorial garden where the house had been,”he explained quietly.

As he finished, his body seemed to stiffen and freeze. His breathing was eerily calm, but he otherwise didn’t move at all.

Andromeda froze for a moment, unsure what to do. She could tell that the disappearance of his friend upset him, and she never quite knew how to act towards people who were suffering from loss. So, instead of saying much of anything, she placed her hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle yet reassuring squeeze.

“I’m really sorry. That- that must’ve been very hard for you,” she said softly. “But… even with your friend gone, maybe it would be a good idea to continue the festivals. There is still a lot to celebrate. The life of your friend, this community… you’ve done a good job with this place.”

Jonathan didn’t respond at all to her actions or words. He didn’t even blink.

Matthew seemed to notice and came over, waving his hand in front of Jonathan’s face. No reaction.

“Well, he’s doing it again. Give him a few minutes and he’ll snap out of it, though he likely didn’t hear a word you said. It’s like a sort of… ‘brain reboot’ thing he’s had since he was a kid. I don’t know. But, I’m going to thank you for him. I was one of his first tenants, and he’s definitely done good here. But, enough of my blabbering, your car should be good now. Though, I’d recommend visiting a mechanic shop before too long, just to be on the safe side,”Matthew said.

Matthew packed up his stuff, shut the hood of the car, and waited for Jonathan to come out of his trance. A few minutes later, Jonathan blinked and relaxed, looking around warily. He then sighed.

“I did it again, didn’t I?”he asked.

“Yeah,”Matthew said.

Jonathan sighed again.

“Well, now that you’re back in this reality, I’m going back home. It was nice to meet you, Andy,”Matthew said, waving at her. He then left.

Jonathan watched Matthew, then wiped his still moist eyes and turned back to Andromeda.

“I suspect I missed something. Am I right?”he asked.

She raised an eyebrow, a bit taken aback by the entire encounter. Sure, she had had weird conversations with people before, but never had she had someone completely blank out on her like that. Maybe he had PTSD or something?

“Oh, uh… yeah, it was nothing. Matthew just finished up on my car, so… I guess I’ll get out of your hair now. Still have the family gathering to get to.” She sighed. “Sorry for all the trouble. But, here. I wanna give you something.”

She took his hand and scribbled down her phone number on his hand. She felt weird giving it to a guy that she had met a half an hour ago, but she couldn’t help but feel bad for him. He was obviously dealing with a lot, and she was unsure if he had someone to talk to about it.

“Mhm…”

He didn’t really believe her, but he didn’t want to push the issue. Besides, Matthew likely heard what she’d said. It was a bit dismaying that he’d missed it, though.

“It was no trouble, lass, truly,”he said, watching her.

He was a bit confused by the phone number, as he barely even knew how to use his phone, but he wasn’t going to complain. Though, in a strange way, it inspired something in him. Andromeda had such delicate hands, and seemed like a nice woman. He also didn’t know too many people outside of his neighborhood.

“I… If you ever come this way again, you’re always welcome to stop by for a cup of coffee and casual conversation. You know where I live,”he offered, chuckling a bit.

Why did his words suddenly seem so… awkward? And why was he being self-conscious about it? He was rarely ever shy, even when he was being particularly quiet!

Though… he was talking to a woman, that he’d just helped, and who seemed quite pleasant to be around…

By the skies, he needed coffee, and probably a snack.

“Oh, yeah. Of course. I’m sure y’all have nice cafes around here…”

The words simply flowed out of her mouth, and Andromeda had no clue what exactly she was saying. Would she accept his offer? Would she come back to this town that clearly bothered in some strange way? But if there was one person who didn’t make her uneasy, it was this man. Maybe she would think about the offer.

After she finished writing down the number, she told him goodbye, got into vehicle, and started driving down the road towards her sister’s house. She still had an hour to go, and she couldn’t help but feel some sort of heaviness in her heart as she drove away. She tried to convince herself it was because of the long drive, but in reality, there was a whole different reason that had much more to do with this town. And especially him.

When she arrived at her sister’s home, she managed to somewhat forget about the man. She enjoyed spending time with her family for a few days, but when she was sitting in her car, ready to go home, the memories of him began to return. As she drove once again through the strange town, they came back sharper than ever.

Should she accept his offer? She was there, in the town, after all, and it wouldn’t be out her way to stop by for coffee and a chat. After all, what was there to lose?

So, without another thought, Andromeda turned down the road that led to his home just as she remembered and parked in front of her house. She got out of the car, walked up to the gate, rang the buzzer, and waited. Just… waited in a nervous silence.

Jonathan chuckled,”I know one or two.”

He left it at that, though he had actually meant coffee in his house. He was a bit of a coffee connoisseur, and didn’t get many visitors. But, maybe it was better to start at a cafe instead. Less personal, not as intrusive. Maybe.

He nodded his goodbye to her, then watched her leave, saddened by her departure. After a moment, he glanced down at his hand, at her phone number. A small smile lifted the corners of his lips, and he headed back home.

When he got back, he grabbed his phone and put Andromeda’s number in as a contact. That was one of the few things he knew how to do with ease. Then, he made himself a cup of black coffee, and sat down at his customary table. His thoughts lingered on Andromeda.

The next few days were quiet and lonely for Jonathan. He did his routine as usual, but he secretly hoped he might get a surprise visit. And, he did.

He was having his usual coffee while reading when his buzzer abruptly went off, startling him. Quickly, he shut the book and glanced out his front window. A grin split his face at the person he saw.

Jonathan walked out and opened the gate, a cheery expression still on his face.

“Greetings to you, lass. Come for coffee, have you?”he asked humorously.

She let out a small laugh. Last time they spoke, she hadn’t smiled much, nor had she laughed at all. But now that she was back, she seemed to be almost beaming.

“Hm, well, I’ve never been a huge fan of coffee. I’ve always believed it to be overrated,” she said, pulling her jacket close around her. “But maybe you can prove me wrong.”

Jonathan’s smile widened at her laugh. It was a beautiful sound, and very fitting for her.

At her words, he couldn’t help snickering.

“Well, I’m probably the best connoisseur of the overrated icon called ‘black coffee’ that you will ever find in this neighborhood, or possibly town. And, I know there is two cafes nearby, then my own stash of coffee in the house. Just tell me where you want to go, and I’ll have a list from best to worst,”he replied, his tone still cheery and humorous.

He noticed the way she shifted her jacket and wondered if it was actually cold. If it was, Jonathan couldn’t tell at all.

“Hm, well, I suppose we should go to one of the better coffee shops,” she replied. “Unless they’re too expensive.”

Andromeda smiled. It had a long time since she had had coffee. Years, most likely. The last time she went to a coffee shop was when she was dating her last boyfriend, and that was before he… well, she didn’t want to start thinking about that.

“Unless, of course, you just want to have coffee at your home. It is free, after all.”

She hesitated for a moment after saying this. Should she really be suggesting doing this at his home? Well, he did suggest it, and besides, she didn’t have much money to spend at cafes anyways.

Jonathan gave a casual shrug, smiling softly.

“The better cafe is Lucky’s, and some of their coffees can be pricy. Yet, we can go wherever you want, lass, I’m buying, even if it is already bought,”he said.

Even though he generally preferred his own coffee, particularly in his favorite mug, Jonathan was well known in Lucky’s. They even knew Jonathan’s secret habit of drawing runes in his coffee, so they started supplying him with little stir sticks just for that. It was rather hilarious.

To anyone else, this probably sounded awful close to a date. After all, they were going out together one on one, and he had insisted on paying. But, even if it did, Andromeda didn’t mind. Let people think what they want. Besides, she wasn’t sure if she would mind people thinking they were dating; he was rather handsome.

Andy nodded. “Lucky’s it is, then.” She began to walk down the sidewalk with him towards the coffee shop. “You know, you don’t have to pay. I have a bit of money, so I can probably afford my own.”

“Very well,”Jonathan said with a charming smile.

He then followed her for a moment as she walked off, before moving to walk beside her, and between her and the road. It was something he’d learned a long time ago, that walking on the side closest to the road, or, in essence, ‘shielding’ a woman from the road was a gentlemanly thing among humans. And, Jonathan had been raised in a culture that prized honor above most things.

At her words, Jonathan glanced at her with a gentle gaze.

“I insist, lass. It would be rude of me to make you pay,”he said.

“Well then, I’m paying for the next time we go out?” Andy winked at him before she walked into the coffee shop.

What had come over her? She was normally a fairly quiet and reserved person, but with him, she felt a lot more confident and outgoing. And now she was even going out to get coffee with him? She didn’t know why, but she didn’t think of it as a big deal. She liked to be around him, after all. He made her feel safe; it was a feeling she didn’t feel much in her life.

The coffee shop was small and cute. It reminded of the one back at her home with its warm, dim lights and its soft music playing in the background. She ordered her usual— a chai tea with vanilla— and got her drink before she sat down on the sofa with him.

“You know, when I was approaching your door, I was nervous, but I’m glad we did this.” She sent him a warm smile. “You seem like a really genuine person.”

She couldn’t say the same for some of the other people in the establishment. They hadn’t said anything to her, but the way some of them looked in her direction unnerved her a bit.

“Hmm, sounds fair,”Jonathan replied, grinning at her wink.

Entering Lucky’s brought a wave of nostalgia that momentarily froze him. It had been a while since he’d last visited. In fact… he hadn’t come since the house of his friend had burned down. Maybe Andromeda was an omen of change, and one that he’d been needing. That thought broke him out of the nostalgia.

Marie, one of the waitresses, a petite and chipper woman with red hair, saw him almost immediately and gasped.

“Oh my god, Jonathan! Where have you been?”she burst.

She turned back to a menacing, black haired man with dark green eyes, apologized for her outburst, and finished serving him his drink. Then, Marie rushed over and hugged Jonathan before he had moved five feet from the door. Jonathan had no idea what to do.

“I’ve made your favorite cup of coffee everyday in hopes that you might step back in here one day. And now, you finally have! I’ll go grab that cup,”Marie said after letting go of him.

She then skipped away into the kitchen. Jonathan cleared his throat, glancing around the shop again. The menacing man was someone Jonathan had met only once before, and they shared a mutual dislike. Fortunately, the man wasn’t focused on him anymore, and had gone back to the book in his hands.

Jonathan cleared his throat again and sat down on the sofa, waiting for the enthusiastic Marie to return. And, right on cue, she did, bringing him a small tray with his black coffee, a few boiled eggs, and a handful of stirring sticks. Marie gave him a big smile and a playful wink, then went giddily back to her work.

Jonathan watched her in absolute confusion for a moment, then turned when Andromeda spoke, composing himself. He smiled softly at her words.

“I’m glad too. And, I try to be as genuine as I can,”he said.

Dark eyes boring into him made Jonathan glance off to the side, where the black haired man watched with narrowed eyes. The man then seemed to snort condescendingly at Jonathan before nodding off to the side, where a group of four young humans, three men and one woman, were clearly mocking Jonathan’s entrance, and eyeing Andromeda like she was prey.

You have not been keeping up appearances, Rykethil. There are consequences to everything.

Jonathan instantly locked eyes with the dark haired man.

Stay out of my head, Edward.

The dark haired man, Edward, snorted again.

Oh, Rykethil, you have nothing to worry about from me. I may despise you, yet my methods are far more subtle than that of those youths. Try not to show too much of your scales when they approach, or you might scare off the little human you fancy.

Edward then turned away, sipping on his drink so casually, like he hadn’t just held a telepathic conversation with Jonathan. He could be so irritating, but at least he’d had the courtesy to warn Jonathan of coming trouble.

Jonathan took a subtle deep breath, then grabbed one of the stirring sticks and drew a rune into his coffee. Afterward, he took a drink from the coffee, and had a bite of one of the boiled eggs.

Andy had watched when Marie approached them, smiling but staying silent. She seemed like a pretty nice woman; nothing like the people sitting across the cafe. She hoped they would cause them any trouble. She had been having a nice day, and she planned on keeping it that.

Andy sat mostly in silence as she sipped her tea. With most people, silence would’ve been awkward, but with Jonathan, it wasn’t. They were simply enjoying each other’s company. However, this silence was broken by Andromeda’s phone as it began to buzz. She took it off and frowned before she put it on mute. She wasn’t trying to be rude, but the person messaging her was someone she wanted to speak to at the moment. In fact, she wasn’t sure she wanted to speak to anyone back home.

“Have you ever been kayaking before?” She leaned back on the sofa, stirring her tea. “I saw a lake not too far outside of this town, and I figured it would be fun to do before I go home.”

For a few minutes, it was blissfully quiet. It was nice, hanging out with someone while having coffee and tea. It was definitely less lonely.

Though, the moment was interrupted by a phone ringing. Jonathan glanced at Andromeda, curious, then concerned. He didn’t pry though.

“Kayaking? Hmm… I actually do not think I have. That would be interesting to try,”he said with an intrigued smile.

Jonathan pondered what it would be like in a kayak for a few minutes. He then noticed some nearby activity, glancing to the side just in time to see the three young men approaching, trying their hardest to appear tough and mean. It was rather pitiful… at least, compared to the things Jonathan has experienced before.

“You need to go… Jonathan. We don’t like your kind around here,”one of the men warned as they stopped a few feet away.

Jonathan chuckled, amused by their attempt to scare him. A long list of ways to shoo them away came to mind, ranging from the mild to the drastic. He decided on a somewhat mild approach, for Andromeda’s sake.

“Have you ever eaten a person before? I have. Humans are rather sinewy for my tastes, yet they do have some rather lovely organs, particularly when prepared correctly. I could give you a list of the best to worst organs to try, or, even better, I could demonstrate. One of you want to volunteer?”Jonathan asked.

The men froze, stunned. Jonathan took a bite of one of his boiled eggs, then grinned evilly, staring intensely at the three. The young men looked at each other, one of them whimpering slightly, and they quickly headed for the door. The young woman sighed in annoyance, left money on the table to pay for the group’s meal, and left.

“Definitely too gullible,”Jonathan said, sitting back and chuckling.

“It helps when you speak the truth, Rykethil,”Edward commented aloud.

“No one asked your opinion, Edward. Though if I need a cannibal around, I know who to call,”Jonathan immediately replied.

Edward huffed, then went back to his book.