Mai-Ly (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
formidable) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
sunfloras2021-01-06 03:33 pm
formidable) wrote in sunfloras2021-01-06 03:33 pm
π₯ππ ππππππππ₯ ππ£πππ
 It so happens that on a dark and stormy night in a city, (somewhere, anywhere really), someone may spot a beautiful gilded wooden door nearby wherever they are. Side of a building? In an alleyway? Near a dumpster?? Usually, it appears somewhere that's out of sight and out of mind, where the majority of people can't see it. The door looks warm and inviting and it's just a secret begging to be opened up so you can find what lies within... ... It's surprisingly normal inside; a surprisingly normal cafe actually. The interior is a warm mixture of red brick walls and sleek wooden floors and tables, along with comfortable looking sofa chairs and a large couch with a coffee table to accompany it. The ceiling is decorated with colorful hanging lanterns that cast interesting shadows on the walls and floors. A large black bookshelf sits next to the counter where there are various books and novels that have an age to them from past readers and customers. Behind the counter are the usual machines, bottles of syrups, jars of coffee beans, and tea blends in decorative jars. The black chalkboards aligned on the wall are strangely empty except for the special of that day and a lavishly illustrated logo which can only be the establishment's name. There's no other way to say it. This place is cozy. There is someone behind the counter, but depending on when you come in, it's going to be a different barista who will serve you. Or you can say hi to other customers and hang out with them! The Midnight Grind is a magical cafe with a door that appears in any location, across different universes and even time periods. It is a place to relax, eat, and drink, and collect yourself before heading back to whatever business you were in the middle of. It is run and owned by a witch named Iona J. Oakes, her golem companion Oren, and their main barista, Monts. Volunteers to help out with busy shifts are welcome and will be compensated appropriately. β€ it's just a blur β’ "Why'd I Wait?". |
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The German catches Monts' attention as well as... Her blue-green eyes widen ever so slightly, but she takes a second to regard the new customer before replying.]
Guten tag? Well, that's all the German I know.
I speak English and Spanish mostly.
[There's a pause as if waiting for him to react to something, but then she decides just to casually move along.]
So is that just a regular black coffee you'd like?
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[ Color him surpised on several levels. First, a shop in Germany that doesn't speak German, second - ]
Uh, yeah to start. If your German is just Guten tag, then you did well to get the black coffee part.
[ Also what was with that pause? He took off his glove and rubbed his face thinking there was something on it. That'd be embarassing. ]
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Well, that's what we have here thankfully. Welcome to the Midnight Grind.
As a new customer, the first drink is always on the house. So I'll get you that black coffee.
[If there's one thing she's good at, it's pretending. Pretending not to notice, pretending not to know him, and pretending that their surroundings are anything, but normal.]
Any milk and sugar or do you drink it straight up?
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[ A beat. ]
Thank you very much! Sorry! It's the location, I've been speaking German for almost a month, hard to turn off sometimes.
[ Her reaction was a little odd, but he's not turning away free coffee. ]
Just straight black, thanks.
[ With that he goes to take a seat on one of the comfier chairs, the hefty backpack he's carrying set beside him as he literally takes a load off and sigh with relief. After a moment he opens the top of the bag and rummaged through it before taking out a black container with a finger print scanner.
Popping it open, he pulls out wads of cash of different currencies and a few cards too, and he begins to count the euros. ]
Ummm, excuse me but do you take euros or...?
[ He asked while holding up a card and some cash. ]
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[Easier and more straightforward to convert than the more "foreign" currencies. It's also a way for them to handle customers who come from seemingly more mundane areas, or at least it doesn't raise any further questions.
She's already grinding the espresso beans, compacting them, behind the machine. In the meanwhile, she'll make small chat (just to probe slightly).]
Cold isn't it? Good thing we have good heating in here.
[Not too stuffy, not too dry... The conditions at the Grind are almost always perfect.]
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[ He says tucking some bills into his pocket then returning the others to the box and starts putting it away. ]
Believe it or not I walked here from Wittenberg following the abandoned railway. Took me a week because of the blizzard, would have frozen to death if I wasn't so resiliant.
[ Once he has it tucked away he looks at the items strapped to or stored in the outer pockets of his bag. ]
Oh you gotta be kidding me.
[ He pulls out a heavy duty radio device, but the big hole in the front suggests it's very broken. ]
Great, now I gotta get another one.
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[Very subtle distinction in using "a" from "the." Part of the masquerade you see. At least she can also pretend to know what Wittenberg is. The bean extraction begins and she continues to chat through it.
His radio device does make her raise a brow.]
That poor thing looks like it was part of a disagreement if you don't mind me saying.
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[ He turned the knobs and pressed buttons on the damaged radio hoping some part of it would come to life but it was very very broken. The only thing to come loose and fall out was a sharp bone or tooth like object, burn marks around, the size of a bullet fell out. ]
Ah yeah, that'll do it. Shit. I'll have to get a new one while I'm here.
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[So she remarks lightly... In any case, Monts finishes his coffee and it's served, steaming hot and aromatic; with hints of some sort of dark fruit, caramel, and spice, but no sweeteners. Along with his order, he even gets a large chocolate chip cookie served on a plate and it's dotted with...]
Here's your black coffee. And just as another free extra, a chocolate chip cookie with some sea salt sprinkled on top.
[She beams at him and points to his damaged radio, pointedly ignoring the bullet-shaped bone object.]
Want to have that thrown away or are you gonna try and salvage it here? I guess we have a recycling bin for a reason.
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[ He gave her a strange look as if he were trying to figure out if she was being sarcastic or not. It sounded too genuine to be sarcasm, but a strange thing to say about the state of the world. His world anyway. ]
No it's fine. I gotta guy, takes busted up things like this and trades for cash. Might as well get something out of this, even if it's just a handful of euros.
[ He takes a sip of the coffee, pauses, and nods in approval with a 'mmm'. ]
Do you have a menu for food as well? I haven't eaten anything proper in a while.
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[As indicated by the mostly blank menu blackboards that are mounted on the wall behind the counter.]
But if there's something you like eating, I can see if our other barista can whip something up! Within reason of course. Maybe something German today...?
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[ How did he miss that? But it's still nice that she offered. ]
Then in that case, some soup would be nice. Something like....oh, pumpkin soup sounds great.
[ He's not going to turn her offer down, not when he was chilled to the bone. ]
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[Monts goes to the back to place the order with Oren. He's a bit miffed (she can tell now, compared to before despite his stony expressions) about her asking for soup since it'll take time to prepare.
But he cooks it anyway, part clever shortcuts, part magic, and when Monts comes out with Bishop's order, it's a fairly fragrant and hearty pumpkin soup that is set down in front of him.]
Here you go! Pumpkin soup with crispy bacon bits and thyme. Hope it sort of works for you.
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He hasn't touched the cookie yet, but he has unloaded more from his backpack - primarily a map and a burgandy leather notebook. He's charting his route and has gone terribly terribly far if the markers on the map are to be believed. From the coast of France, right into the heart of Belgium, to it's coast then back, before going into Germany - he's clearly been around and it's clear he's not finished as the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen, is encircled. ]
Oh, thank you! Wow! Looks stunning.
[ He says setting the map aside and taking mouthful of soup and accidentally burning the roof of his mouth. ]
Oof! Hot, but very tasty. My compliments to the chef.