2025-01-28 - Warm Drinks & Pleasant Conversations

The morning has come and gone, leaving the cozy little coffee shop in the heart of the little village of Crescent sparse when it comes to patrons. At least obvious ones. It is three levels so who knows if anyone is lingering upstairs perusing books or reading.

On the main floor though, besides the employees, and one other person typing away at their laptop, is Lee, their long white hair braided back on the sides, but otherwise cascading down their back like a waterfall. They sit at a table near the window, origami animals of all sizes and colors sitting on the table, and surrounding a mug of tea, that was probably hot at one time, but steam no longer rises from it. They are leaned over the table, flipping and folding a blue piece of paper, creating another paper animal to join the menagerie that decorates the table.

Lume had been practicing all morning and was taking a very much needed break down. She makes her way into the cafe wearing thermal leggings and a sweater dress with boots and her hair pulled and pinned back into a bun. She goes to place her order, a large chai latte with caramel syrup added in and a warmed up cinnamon roll.

She steps to the side to wait and happens to spot Lee with their paper menagerie. An amused smile curls her lips. Once her treats are delivered to her, she makes her way over to their table as she asks, "How long has all this taken you to make?" She sounds impressed as she lingers nearby, not yet sitting down.

"Oh."

Artemisia is distracted from her quest for caffeine by the beautiful little paper animals. A large satchel slung over her narrow shoulder, paint brushes peeking out, she bends down next to the table so that she is eye-height with the animals. "These are beautiful," she says softly with a slow smile for Lee.

The arrival of Lume to their table has Lee looking up at her with a warm smile on their face “What time is it?” They question back. There is a glance outside, and then around, clocks have pretty much gone extinct in places so there is no easy answer unless they dig out their phone. “A couple of hours maybe?” They really aren’t sure. “I loose track of time when I am in the zone.”

“Thanks.” Lee says to Arte as she comes over as well, she gets a smile as well, “Feel free to take one or more if you like.” This is offered to both women “I eventually will make a garland of them, but I can spare a few.” They are pretty androgynous today, dressed in flowing black clothes and sandals.

Lume pulls out her phone as she says, "Roughly 2ish? Wow. I didn't realize how long I was practicing. Anyway, they look amazing." She lightens up at the offer as she asks, "Are you sure?" She lowers down to look at them closely without touching just yet. Her warm treats set on the table beside his so there is less chance of accidents.

Artemisia's blonde curls floof up over the small, majestic animals. "Oh, I couldn't they're too delicate," she declines with a smile. "I'd like to paint you working on them sometime though. If that'd be alright?" Remembering herself, she stands to her slight height and brushes out her blue knee length skirt, paired with a fluffy pink jacket, patterned tights in a deep pink floral, and a black turtleneck and boots. "Artemisia Jones," she introduces herself with an offered hand.

Lee’s eyes widen “2:00?” They are startled by the pronouncement of the vague time. “Alright, maybe a bit longer.” Though how much longer is left unanswered “I offered, so yes, I’m sure.” The blue, elongated kite shape paper in their hand is held up “This is going to be a swan.” There are several fowl shapes on the table, one could already be a swan, none of them are blue though. Lee does have the vaguest of accents when speaking, but they mostly sound like every other person that was raised in the northern mid-west.

“But that’s the beauty of them. If one gets smooshed, just flatten out the paper and redo it.” Easy for Lee to say since they are the one with the paper folding skills. “Paint? Me?” Their smile widens, and the braid that had fallen forward as they were recently leaned over is flipped back over their shoulder “That would be delightful.” At her introduction Lee sets the paper down to take the offered hand, “Pleasure. You can call me Lee.” They look to Lume “And you?”

Lume easily mentions, "Everyone calls me Lume. It is nice to mee you Artemisia. What all do you paint?" She looks back to Lee as she responds, "yes, but that happens. We all get lost in our passions from time to time. And it is nice to meet you Lee." She carefully grabs one of the white swans ands slips into the chair as she asks, "What other animals can you fold?"

"Nice to meet you, Lee. And Lume." Artemisia shakes both hands with a smile. "Let me go order coffee, then I'll be right back and possibly human."

"I think it would be easier to list the animals I can't fold." Lee tells Lume. There is basically a paper zoo on the table. "I have never tried a whale." Their face does that contemplative brow furrow as they think "Frogs are hard, and anything with horns or lots of legs...camels." nothing like those on the table.

"You look human enough to me." Lee calls out after Arte before looking back to Lume. "What were you practicing?" They slide the paper animals into a pile on the table to make room for drinks and such.

Lume laughs softly, "Fair. Could you make a bunny?" She laughs at Lee's comment to Arte about looking human enough, "I get her about the coffee though. I struggle without mine in the morning before I do things. As for what I am practicing, my fire performance routine. Not with them lit yet but still just trying to make sure I get the weight correct for the routine still. I am sure I will eventually get there."

After a few minutes and a call of, "Art!" Artemisia returns with a spicy mocha in hand and a cinnamon bun balanced carefully on a plate. She walks with great care as she makes it back to the table. "Fire routine?" She says to Lume with wide eyes. "Also looks are deceiving. I could be a monster in disguise." She giggles at her own stupid joke.

The question has Lee reaching into the small messenger bag on the floor beside their chair to pull out a pastel rainbow of origami paper “I can definitely do a bunny.” They fan out the paper and hold it out to Lume “Pick your bunny color.” The reminder of drinks has them shuffling the paper to be held in one hand so they can get a sip of their now room temp tea “I never could acquire the taste for coffee.”

They too are intrigued by the fire routine mention, and Lee’s snowy brows lift “What do you do with fire?” That’s a lot more interesting than origami. Arte’s return and joking has Lee looking at her appraisingly “You are hardly the cliche that a beautiful face hides a wicked heart.”

Lume laughs softly at the wide eyed look from Arte as she says, "Yes. I do fire spinning with poi as well as hoops, working in fans and already have the knives." She laughs softly as she says, "if you are a monster in disguise, you are a nice one at least."

She looks at the pastel rainbow papers with a soft coo, "Ooh yes, I love bunnies. Just so cute with their little wiggly noses. And I think that light purple would be perfect. Please. And I alternate between the two. Either one I drink, I have to add a lot of milk and sugary things."

"I like mine sweet," Artemisia admits of coffee, carefully taking a seat amid the paper animals. "This has chocolate, cinnamon, and spice. I like tea as well, but not most black teas unless it's boba." She lifts her brows at Lume. "That's a lot of things! When do you work? I wanna come see you spin," she rattles off excitedly, slipping her bag off her shoulder and setting it down next to her. There's a wry grin flashed at Lee's appraising look. "Maybe not. I'm too soft to be truly mean," she admits, threading a blonde curl behind her ear.

Soft. The word suits her. At least, it suits her outward appearance. "I work as a performer too, actually. I play piano around the park, paint, and do duels at the spookeasy." Artemisia ducks her head a moment. "Still getting good at that last one."

To Lee poi is a dish made of puréed taro root, not something to be caught on fire and spun around. That would be extremely messy and a hazard. Though spinning fire is a hazard in general. “I’m sorry, what’s a poi?” Their confusion is almost palpable and their face shows it.

The lavender paper is pulled out and the rest is returned to the bag, “I will drink just about any tea, though I prefer it unadulterated.” He does give a nod to Arte and her boba mention “Though I do make an exception with boba tea.”

Lee bites their lip with a grin, holding back comments on Arte looking soft, instead dropping their head to start folding the bunny “It seems I have found myself in illustrious company.” It’s a sincere comment since the performers are the face of the park.

"I love me some boba tea, I get the vanilla black tea with extra bobas," Lume mentions about the yummy tea. "Oh I still have to get my costume finished but it should be in roughly two or three weeks at the Circus."

She looks to Lee as she explains, "They are weighted orbs that are spun on chains or ropes, I use chains and they are usually on fire when they are spun around the dancer. Very painful if you accidentally hit yourself with one, lit or unlit. They often can make little temporary designs in the air when done in low light or the darkness." She looks to Arte as she offers, "You are more than welcome to take some stills of me and paint one if you want after you see the show by the way."

She pauses before she asks Lee, "Are you visiting? Or do you work here? I am still new and meeting everyone myself."

"Boba is so good," Arte sighs. "Like? That was some true genius brain to come up with that." She brightens as she looks at Lume. "That's so exciting."

Her eyes go wide as Lume explains what poi are. "That sounds dangerous. Impressive! But dangerous." Especially the fire part. That part sounds super dangerous. "I'd love that," Arte says with a smile about painting, taking a sip of her coffee. "I'll probably sketch while watching and take photos. I'm not like a master but I love painting people."

Their head lifts from looking at the paper being folded. “Oh!” The description of the poi has something triggering in Lee’s brain “There is an ancient kung fu weapon like that…” there is a beat “I can’t think the English name for it. And they didn’t set the balls on fire.” They go back to folding and flipping the paper.

“I would love to see your show. Which island is in on?” They do glance up occasionally as they talk. “Very impressive.” They can’t help but agree with Arte. “I work here, well at the Storybook Resort. I’m a chef at Chapters. I haven’t been here long either. Started in November.”

Lume smiles as she says to Arte, "Yeah, it can be dangerous. Why I practice so much to make sure no one gets hurt. We will not talk about when I first started. T L D R, a lot of bruises. And however it works for you best is fine with me. We all do art in our own way. No judgements from me."

She looks curiously at Lee as she responds, "Really? Interesting. I can see how it can be used as a weapon. Doubt I will ever need to like that. I hope. But interesting. I will need to look that up when I get back to the apartment. And the Mechano Circus is on the Arcana Midway."

"Ouch." Arte's nose crinkle as she winces with sympathy for Lume's past bangs and bruises. "I don't think I could ever be coordinated enough for that," she admits, glancing down at her disappeared cinnamon bun. The girl can eat. She grins at Lume. "Total klutz here. But I love watching people who work with their bodies do their stuff. I went to like every dance performance I could see at Julliard."

The lavender paper has taken on a bunny shape, and after a few tweaks to the ears and tail, Lee is setting a little lavender paper bunny on the table in front of Lume. “I haven’t been to that section of the Fable Island.” Or any of Fable Island for that matter, but they don’t say as much. “That is Fable Island?” They are new, they haven’t memorized it all yet.

“Juilliard?” Lee’s curious attention is brought to Arte. “You attended Juilliard?” They guess she could of just crashed the campus and watched, but it doesn’t sound that way to them.

Lume begins to eat on her cinnamon roll now, she almost forgot about it begins distracted by the origami animals. "I am wonderful at dancing and moving with things for art. But if I were to try and fight, not so fantastic. I was watching some sparring the other day and it was fascinating to watch, truly."

Lume lets out a delighted gasps as the bunny is set down, "Lee, its gorgeous, thank you." She pauses as she thinks, "No, that is on Spellbound Island actually. There is tons to do on all of them truthfully. I still have to go and see some of the shows myself to be honest." Her attention focuses back on Arte as she is asked about the Julliard.

"Uhm. Yeah?" Artemisia blinks at Lee, a small smile on her lips.

“I’m a pretty okay dancer,” Lee then adds, “but only at the club.” They smile brightly at the reaction to the origami rabbit “No problem.” They then go back to the dancing “In my defense I am sober while dancing in the club.” So it isn’t drunken dancing or anything. They are short, almost halfway between Arte’s and Lume’s heights. Hard to say if they are even old enough to drink, they have that ageless look to them.

“I am taking that as a Why yes, I did go to Juilliard, but I am to humble to answer.” Lee grins, clearly teasing the woman.

"Oooo a dance night could be a fun outing, just an idea," Lume mentions to both Arte and Lee. She laughs softly at what Lee says to Arte, taking this moment to just watch as she finishes off her cinnamon roll and start sipping on her latte.

Giggling, Artemisia wrinkles her nose at Lee. "And now I play music in a theme park, can't hold myself up too high," she points out, long fingers wrapped around her coffee cup. "Also so in. I love a dance night. How about you, Lee?"

"Dance night, dance day, dance anytime and anywhere and you can find me." Lee is pro dancing "Turn on some music now and I will dance on the table." they are all bouncy excitement about the whole dancing thing, and rap their knuckles on the table when mentioning dancing on it.

"If you like what you do..." there is no judgment from Lee on Arte's decision to work at Spellbound "I went to a top notch culinary school and I work at Chapters. Where we work doesn't make who we are." or some such.

Lume happily laughs before she teases Lee, "I am not sure how well the staff would react to that but could be entertaining to say the least." Another sip of her tea latte is taken before she says, "Exactly, our jobs aren't who we are, that is just how we make a living."

"True, true," Artemisia agrees with a warm smile. "To enjoying ourselves and our work." She lifts her mug in a small salute.