Keira flinched when Nerys touched her shoulder, immediately shrugging away from the contact. She glanced sideways at the woman, and then glanced back at the front. She had been about to answer when two regulars came in. They were decidedly not Keira's favorite customers. But then, she didn't have any favorites.
If she were any other person, her eye probably would have twitched, and she would have sighed. As it were, she simply looked at them with an almost blank expression, avoiding looking at Ephraim altogether, and asking, "And what can I get the two of you to go, then?"
She let Nari down, who instantly jumped up on the front counter, rubbing against Virgil's hand. Keira glanced down at the fox, frowning slightly. She could feel the tremors trying to make themselves known along her spine. She always got this way whenever the two brothers [so they called themselves, Keira thought otherwise] came into the establishment.
As an afterthought, she turned back to Nerys, saying, "I'll just take their order, and then I'll go home."
Nerys frowned when Keira recoiled from her hand, but replaced it immediately with a smile thereafter. She would break through Keira's wall eventually, she just had to work at her own pace and not push things too far. She didn't want to have Keira hate her for that. Instead, she turned towards the two customers that walked in, her eyes light with recognition. She offered them a bright smile as she blinked a bit, watching as Nari rubbed up against Virgil's hand. She was about to say something when Keira spoke, stating she would go home after she took their orders. Nerys merely shook her head.
"It's okay Keira, I have this. I am staying a bit late to begin with anyways. You should go home and get some rest," she stated with a bright smile, turning towards Virgil and Ephraim. "I can never say no to the both of you, of course it won't be too much trouble!" she stated a bit enthusiastically, grabbing a note pad and a pen. With a soft click, she placed the pen across the paper, turning back towards the two brothers. "Is it the usual scone for you Ephraim?" she stated. Ephraim usually always chose the scones, but Virgil was more inclined to try something different every time they came in, which wasn't very often, but often enough to know their faces and names.
Virgil could feel the discomfort radiating from the medium; he found her proclivity to try and hide such things very amusing. The foxes that followed her around, however, showed absolutely no reservations about him whatsoever, and he would have found it more than passing strange if they did. He scratched at the little one’s ears, leaning forward so that his elbow hit the counter and his chin rested in his hand. This put him basically on a level with Keira, though the wood and granite of the counter separated them. The way he smiled, and the mischievous glint in his eye, promised that this was a formality he was observing only because he wanted to, not because it would actually provide any sort of protection should he desire to cross it.
“Not even a hello?” he purred, in a voice like honey. “You wound me so.”But in the end, he did not press any further than that, merely winking one of his bright blue eyes at her and straightening himself back into a more proper stand, not particularly mindful of the fact that Nari had climbed up his arm to rest over his shoulders like some kind of living scarf.
Ephraim sighed through his nose and rolled his eyes at Virgil, who only shrugged lightly, not enough to disturb the fox draped over his person. The taller of the two men nodded at Nerys. “And the usual coffee.” He said, though he did at least manage to keep most of his general crankiness out of his tone. It was hard, but people on this plane really relied on manners. It lacked the formal ritual of some of the other realms, but not snapping at them was expected. Not that he was particularly inclined to snap at these two, but abrasiveness was in his nature, and a certain kind of coldness.
“He means thank you, Nerys,” Virgil corrected with a smile. “I’ll have the chamomile tea and…” He trailed off, looking at the mostly-empty pastry case. The detriment of arriving just before closing. Nevertheless, everything was delectable, so it wasn’t like he was put-out by this. “Oh, one of the blueberry tarts, I should think. Much obliged, dear.”
Keira's eyes narrowed further, but she didn't say anything as Nerys took their order. Instead, she returned to the back room, leaning against the wall for a minute, trying to get her body under control. The fear she felt around Ephraim was potent, and she understood little of it. She sighed, grabbing her jacket and her keys, and walked back out to the front, intent on leaving, the two foxes following on her heels. At the door, however, she paused, glancing over at the men, now the only people in the cafe aside from Nerys.
"Goodbye, Mr. Solomon." She said flatly, exiting the building. The night was cool and brisk, and she sighed, turning down the dark alleyway. Ghosts and spectres floated around her, but she ignored most of them. She'd spoken to all of them before, and most of them had been around so long that they had begun to lose themselves, repeating the same thing over and over. There was even a male native american indian. Virgil poked around in the back of her mind, causing her to scowl.
Nerys smiled as she took the orders, shaking her head slightly when Ephraim spoke and Virgil clarified. "It's alright Virgil. I know he means nothing by it. It's just how he speaks. Everyone has their own way of speaking, some people are just not inclined to notice the variations of one's speech patterns though so they might have taken offense to it. I shall be back in five minutes! Oh, and here's your blueberry tart!" she spoke, rambling a bit as she dived underneath the counter to produce Virgil his requested item. She wrapped it in a light blue napkin as she handed it to him.
"Be careful Keira!" Nerys called out after Keira as she left, frowning momentarily before shaking her head. "You two can take a seat. It won't be long I promise," she spoke to the Solomon brothers, turning her back to them in the process. "One of these days!" she mused to herself as she walked towards the back, heading straight for the coffee machine. She brewed the coffee, made it as Ephraim usually liked it before she set work to Virgil's tea. Once both were done, she exited the kitchen area, drinks in hand. "Here you go, one coffee and one chamomile tea," she stated, smiling softly in the process.
Virgil didn’t move as the fox on his shoulders left them to follow his mistress, though he did smile a little. Nobody ever left his company without thinking about him for a while afterwards—not if he wanted them to. And he rather enjoyed the thought of her being unable to tear her mind away, for a little bit. He took the offered seat, and though Ephraim moved with him, the Hound remained standing, another habit of his.
He’d blinked slowly at Nerys’s little ramble, something which Virgil found honestly rather adorable. Ephraim, on the other hand, was simply mildly confused. The younger of the two men nibbled on his blueberry tart, enjoying the mixture of sweet and tangy flavors. The woman really did know how to bake a sweet. When she returned with their beverages, Ephraim succeeded in remembering his manners. “Thank you, Nerys.” Virgil glanced up at his brother and half-smiled coyly, but whatever was on his mind, he kept to himself for the moment, accepting the tea and paying for the both of them.
“Thank you indeed, dearheart. We’ll see each other soon enough, I’m sure. Try not to miss us in the meantime.”. It was entirely a joke, of course, but that didn’t make his parting grin any less lascivious, not even when his brother frowned at him. The two departed, leaving the proprietor of the shop to her own devices for the eve. There was, after all, business to be attended to, and Solomon Brothers, Inc, did most of its work after dark.
If she were any other person, her eye probably would have twitched, and she would have sighed. As it were, she simply looked at them with an almost blank expression, avoiding looking at Ephraim altogether, and asking, "And what can I get the two of you to go, then?"
She let Nari down, who instantly jumped up on the front counter, rubbing against Virgil's hand. Keira glanced down at the fox, frowning slightly. She could feel the tremors trying to make themselves known along her spine. She always got this way whenever the two brothers [so they called themselves, Keira thought otherwise] came into the establishment.
As an afterthought, she turned back to Nerys, saying, "I'll just take their order, and then I'll go home."
Nerys frowned when Keira recoiled from her hand, but replaced it immediately with a smile thereafter. She would break through Keira's wall eventually, she just had to work at her own pace and not push things too far. She didn't want to have Keira hate her for that. Instead, she turned towards the two customers that walked in, her eyes light with recognition. She offered them a bright smile as she blinked a bit, watching as Nari rubbed up against Virgil's hand. She was about to say something when Keira spoke, stating she would go home after she took their orders. Nerys merely shook her head.
"It's okay Keira, I have this. I am staying a bit late to begin with anyways. You should go home and get some rest," she stated with a bright smile, turning towards Virgil and Ephraim. "I can never say no to the both of you, of course it won't be too much trouble!" she stated a bit enthusiastically, grabbing a note pad and a pen. With a soft click, she placed the pen across the paper, turning back towards the two brothers. "Is it the usual scone for you Ephraim?" she stated. Ephraim usually always chose the scones, but Virgil was more inclined to try something different every time they came in, which wasn't very often, but often enough to know their faces and names.
Virgil could feel the discomfort radiating from the medium; he found her proclivity to try and hide such things very amusing. The foxes that followed her around, however, showed absolutely no reservations about him whatsoever, and he would have found it more than passing strange if they did. He scratched at the little one’s ears, leaning forward so that his elbow hit the counter and his chin rested in his hand. This put him basically on a level with Keira, though the wood and granite of the counter separated them. The way he smiled, and the mischievous glint in his eye, promised that this was a formality he was observing only because he wanted to, not because it would actually provide any sort of protection should he desire to cross it.
“Not even a hello?” he purred, in a voice like honey. “You wound me so.”But in the end, he did not press any further than that, merely winking one of his bright blue eyes at her and straightening himself back into a more proper stand, not particularly mindful of the fact that Nari had climbed up his arm to rest over his shoulders like some kind of living scarf.
Ephraim sighed through his nose and rolled his eyes at Virgil, who only shrugged lightly, not enough to disturb the fox draped over his person. The taller of the two men nodded at Nerys. “And the usual coffee.” He said, though he did at least manage to keep most of his general crankiness out of his tone. It was hard, but people on this plane really relied on manners. It lacked the formal ritual of some of the other realms, but not snapping at them was expected. Not that he was particularly inclined to snap at these two, but abrasiveness was in his nature, and a certain kind of coldness.
“He means thank you, Nerys,” Virgil corrected with a smile. “I’ll have the chamomile tea and…” He trailed off, looking at the mostly-empty pastry case. The detriment of arriving just before closing. Nevertheless, everything was delectable, so it wasn’t like he was put-out by this. “Oh, one of the blueberry tarts, I should think. Much obliged, dear.”
Keira's eyes narrowed further, but she didn't say anything as Nerys took their order. Instead, she returned to the back room, leaning against the wall for a minute, trying to get her body under control. The fear she felt around Ephraim was potent, and she understood little of it. She sighed, grabbing her jacket and her keys, and walked back out to the front, intent on leaving, the two foxes following on her heels. At the door, however, she paused, glancing over at the men, now the only people in the cafe aside from Nerys.
"Goodbye, Mr. Solomon." She said flatly, exiting the building. The night was cool and brisk, and she sighed, turning down the dark alleyway. Ghosts and spectres floated around her, but she ignored most of them. She'd spoken to all of them before, and most of them had been around so long that they had begun to lose themselves, repeating the same thing over and over. There was even a male native american indian. Virgil poked around in the back of her mind, causing her to scowl.
Nerys smiled as she took the orders, shaking her head slightly when Ephraim spoke and Virgil clarified. "It's alright Virgil. I know he means nothing by it. It's just how he speaks. Everyone has their own way of speaking, some people are just not inclined to notice the variations of one's speech patterns though so they might have taken offense to it. I shall be back in five minutes! Oh, and here's your blueberry tart!" she spoke, rambling a bit as she dived underneath the counter to produce Virgil his requested item. She wrapped it in a light blue napkin as she handed it to him.
"Be careful Keira!" Nerys called out after Keira as she left, frowning momentarily before shaking her head. "You two can take a seat. It won't be long I promise," she spoke to the Solomon brothers, turning her back to them in the process. "One of these days!" she mused to herself as she walked towards the back, heading straight for the coffee machine. She brewed the coffee, made it as Ephraim usually liked it before she set work to Virgil's tea. Once both were done, she exited the kitchen area, drinks in hand. "Here you go, one coffee and one chamomile tea," she stated, smiling softly in the process.
Virgil didn’t move as the fox on his shoulders left them to follow his mistress, though he did smile a little. Nobody ever left his company without thinking about him for a while afterwards—not if he wanted them to. And he rather enjoyed the thought of her being unable to tear her mind away, for a little bit. He took the offered seat, and though Ephraim moved with him, the Hound remained standing, another habit of his.
He’d blinked slowly at Nerys’s little ramble, something which Virgil found honestly rather adorable. Ephraim, on the other hand, was simply mildly confused. The younger of the two men nibbled on his blueberry tart, enjoying the mixture of sweet and tangy flavors. The woman really did know how to bake a sweet. When she returned with their beverages, Ephraim succeeded in remembering his manners. “Thank you, Nerys.” Virgil glanced up at his brother and half-smiled coyly, but whatever was on his mind, he kept to himself for the moment, accepting the tea and paying for the both of them.
“Thank you indeed, dearheart. We’ll see each other soon enough, I’m sure. Try not to miss us in the meantime.”. It was entirely a joke, of course, but that didn’t make his parting grin any less lascivious, not even when his brother frowned at him. The two departed, leaving the proprietor of the shop to her own devices for the eve. There was, after all, business to be attended to, and Solomon Brothers, Inc, did most of its work after dark.