Pumpkin Spice . . .and everything nice.

[Vesta Voui]

"Heh. Well. Whadahyanno, this place has a Starbucks." Shifting her weight to the left hip Vesta tugged on her green, orange, and violet stripped arm warmers as she stood outside of the Rhydin Starbucks. Blink- her furry squirrel companion - sat atop the violet fedora Vesta wore and dropped his tail down to brush along her face. He was talking to her. Lotta strange things since she found him during one of her journeys.

Anyway.

"No. I don't think it's like the Starbucks we saw in the other place, this looks normal." Stopping for a moment to observe the people straggling in and out of the place. They looked normal. Rhy'din normal anyway. An elf here, couple of fauns there, fairies fluttering their wings about and other types of humanoid creatures milling about. Normal. "Besides, it's the holidays around here right?" Having seen a few various decorations from various holidays around she could only assume. "So maybe, if they are like the chain back home and have holiday drink specials. Oh! Like pumpkin spice! Always liked that."

Time for all the talking and thinking about it to be done. Vesta stood out the way as a pair of city guards left the shop, steaming drinks in their hands and talking in low tones, before she scooted in. "Well, all's well so far."

Blink swishes his tail a time or two more across Vesta's cheeck before bringing it up to wrap around him. He was drawing Vestas attention to the fact that this place had nuts. Somewhere. He could smell them. Now they got in line and waited.

[-:|[ Titania ]|:-]

The paper insulated cups were flying. Not really flying, but they were running out of them awfully quickly, as the line seemed to go on for miles today. Taking only a moment to herself as she pushed the pump down on the chocolate syrup holder, glancing at her watch, a shake of her head, a hour to go. They had no sales going on, nor was there a one day special, or a after Christmas get it while it lasts, yet the line was slightly winding. Moving the cup to the next station to fill it with some hot concoction of some sort, before grabbing the whipped cream from a tube, spraying it on top, drizzling it with more chocolate syrup, and a few shaved chunks of chocolate, placing the top on, and back to the counter. Handing to the man whom just paid for the cup, with a smile and a “Have a great day.”

“Be right back.” Was called out to the other’s working at the counter, she had taken it upon herself to fill the orders, not take the money today. It seemed to work quicker that way, for the cashier could ring up a few people, get the simple things like the donuts and cheesecakes, while she helped getting the drinks. Slipping away from the counter she disappeared only to return with a fresh stack of cups, and the bubble lids. Bubbly lids were going rather quickly today.

When the lady with the squirrel finally got up to the counter, the cashier, a young male who suddenly looked a bit hot under the collar, spoke to her. How he itched to run his hands up through his red hair, that was covered with the hat. “Hi, what can I…we get for you today.” His voice had broken, and he looked down right embarrassed, but he did not look away, it was nature. Titania had told him that all the time, when it happened, and she was right next to him, which gave him a small boost of confidence.

Titania stood waiting, a smile upon her lips, uniforms were mandatory, so they were all dressed alike. Though she did not have the normal baseball cap hat, she had a visor, though it still sported the Starbucks name across the top.

[Vesta Voui]

She could wait patiently. Vesta knew what it was like to work behind a counter when faced with a line that was a mile long and never ending: working the floor at retail stores was a real blast. Just ask her and she'd tell all about the glory of sale days. At least most of the people here were patient?

Okay well maybe not all of them. While she was inchign forward in line she did catch an eccentric man who seemed infested with a jitterbug, and then there was other person who was harshly whispering into their phone but hey, that's to be expected. When it was finally her turn she slide up to the counter and leaned up against it on her right side, palm flat against the counter as all her weight was shifted to the right and she flashed the young guy a smile. "S'up?"

Now she wasn't about to get all super-casual and stall up the line by being one of those people who had an eternity to look at the menu and then didn't know what they wanted when it was their turn. No. But she did want to be friendly. "Can I get a pumpkin spice in the large container," indicating the size with her left hand, "With a shot of Caramel and vanilla? And instead of making it with water - I don't know if you all do or not - can I have it with steamed milk?" So she might not be a person who wasted time, but she could be a bit particular. Who wasn't when you could get your drink made any way you wanted, right?"

"Oh and... an acorn muffin? Do you all have those?" Vesta pushed up from the counter and looked around for that casing of sweets. She didn't see it while in line - too many people in the way . "If not some kinda pastry with nuts." Blink flicked his tail in approval at Vesta's order, especially the part about the nuts. Now all she had to do was wait and here what type of payment they accepted here. She had a few various coins from the odd jobs here and there that she's done so something should work!

As long as this drink doesn't cost her an appendage.

While she waited to see if the guy - and his barista - had the order she looked around the counter and saw a flyer that was there, cause you know, advertisements were everywhere? She looked over papers anyway for their design structure (some where absolutely horrid) but one caught her eye for something else.

Picking it up she mumbled to herself. "Hey. I know her."

[-:|[ Titania ]|:-]

There were all kinds inside the busy shop. Usually business picked up for the holidays and slowed back down, that was the norm…but the norm was no in effect here. It seemed that all of the normal hustle and bustle that went away after the holidays had decided that they liked this Starbucks the best and kept coming back. Poor guy, just blushed more when the woman addressed him, which got him a small almost unseeing pat to his back, just a bit of a confidence booster!

When the lady at the counter gave her order, Titania just gave a small nod of her head, “Comin’ right up.” She went on to make the drink, the large cup was taken, and the drink was made exactly as it was ordered. She was used to custom orders, enough that she just had to say it once to herself, and then off she would go and rarely did she get one wrong. But the few times it happened she fixed it right in a jiffy, and over half of those had been because the customer changed something right as she was doing it, not that she ever made a fuss of it. She had been pretty patient when she was at work. The glass was brought back and slide into a paper ring of a sort that hugged the cup so that the woman would not burn her hands and fingers upon the hot cup.

In the time it took Titania to get the drink, the boy behind the counter gave a bob of his head. “This is the last week for those, so your just in time.” As he spoke he moved over to the pastry display counter, and opened the door, with one hand while the other grabbed a tissue paper to grab the muffin with. Using the tissue he picked up the acorn muffin and placed it in the bag, carefully so it did not even tilt on its side a little bit. Then he would close the door, drop the tissue into the garbage and flip down the top of the bag fingers picking it up carefully and placing it on the counter before her.

He would put something in the computer/cash register before him, tapping a few keys, he decided he was going to give her his discount for he wasn’t going to be using it today. He rarely did. Normally he did not just pop those numbers in, but he knew that others did it, and really the manager at this Starbucks did not care as long as your discount only came up once per shift. “The total is 2.18”

Even as the boy spoke up, when Titania noticed what the woman was looking at, for the form was familiar from the other night. She spoke quietly. “You know her?” Her chocolate gaze darted around the place. “I wouldn’t say that to loud. I think she’s in some sort of trouble.” She looked thoughtful.

[Vesta Voui]

What a shame to hear that it was the last day on the acron muffins as the news caused a dip in Blinks' tail. Or, perhaps it was the last day for the Pumpkin Spice? That brought a slight frown to Vesta's face. So there it was, a girl and a squirrel both looking a bit down trodden because it was the 'last week' for one of the items and neither of them knew for sure which one it actually was.

"For the muffins or the drink? Both go hand in hand I bet though . . ." Seasonal or holiday items and the latest wintery holiday ( that she knew of anyway ) was past. Then she gave a flick to the flyer in it had and caused it to make that paper snapping noise. The lady behind the counter got the order right and she as going to put some faith in it! Sometimes people did it but it wasn't right, but this one looked like she knew what she was doing! If it's the last week for these items then maybe she should think of coming back and buying it up.

Her train of thought got derailed when the cashier told her how much this was going to cost and she actually stole a cue from her squirrel and blinked. "What? Only two dollars and eighteen cents? Gotta be joking. That's wicked. " In the good sense of the term. Never know how 'wicked' is taken in a place like this. Vesta was sure to say the amount because it sounded as though the payment was in Earth dollars. Not very odd considering the people she's run into here that were from there.

Rhydin had the best monetary conversion system she'd ever seen, guess they needed it considering that people used currency from al over. She dug around in her pocket and pulled out $2.25. Yeah she had a few dollars from back home - not to mention she's had first hand experience with the money system here! Putting the money down on the counter she looked to the flyer and took the bag with the muffin. Before she could do anything else Blink reached down and snatched it from her hand. What followed was the sounds of the bag being torn as Blink started into the food.

"Trouble? You can keep the change." Was said to the cashier. Now that her order was placed she moved down the bar. That's how it was done right? Pick up your drink at the other end? And it gave her a moment to glance at the one making the drink and who made the comment.

"Like wanted by the cops trouble?" Something she knew about. The girl on the flyer had checked her into the Inn when she first arrived, and she saw her here and there, but she didn't seem like someone who got in trouble with the law.

[-:|[ Titania ]|:-]

The boy behind the counter gave a gulp, and a helpless look over at Titania. He did not like seeing the young lady looking so crestfallen and he had a hard time thinking of anything to say, he did not want to answer the question, so he didn’t. He hoped that Titania would come through for him again. It was why he often asked when he had to work a cash register if he could work her shifts, though he never told her.

And she would ride to the rescue again. “It’s that time of the year that they both are facing the end of their run. Although, we will be replacing the acorn muffins with a cinnamon streusel with or without pecans.” A small thoughtful look, “The one drink I can remember is going to a cinnamon apple with red hot hearts.” Perhaps that sounded a bit odd, but she did not make up the drinks, she just served them.

Once more the boy was blushing as he looked at the woman on the other side of the counter. Giving his best aw shucks ma’am look. “I wasn’t going to use my discount today…so I gave it to you. I hope you don’t mind.” Spoken with the look of a over eager happy to please puppy. He really was harmless he wouldn’t be following the woman around or anything. He didn’t even reach for his phone to snap up a picture of the girl.

When the woman picked up the drink, she gave a shake of her head. “Not exactly.” She then leaned closer to the woman, not in a Im in your space and creepy way but in a whispered voice so’s not to be over heard by the others in the establishment. She could take a few moments away from the counter, it had slowed down a bit. And the next person in line was just ordering pastries. “The other night, after I got off work, this man came in here.” Chocolate gaze darted around, making sure no one was paying attention to them. “He was flashing pictures of her, saying he was looking for her, because she was hurt and he wanted to help her.” She shook her head a bit, “So why would he come lookin in here, why not check out the hospitals and other ways of being healed? I think it was shady.” She did all that speaking and not once mentioned the man whom gave her a ride home who thought it was a bit shady as well!

[Om Kennedy Yajna]

Been a couple weeks since he and Sam decided to take a break from the Tel'ranaemyn until they could sort sh-t out. He'd left his work gear in his room that night but he didn't stop going back to work. He needed the demolition right now. Sweat, dirt, wreckage. It kept him from doing other things.

So he'd just bought new gear. Came into this place still wearing it, he was just on break. Black fingerless gloves made out of hide, orange hardhat with a head lamp, safety vest, tool belt with some common tools visible and some uncommon ones not, a Hi-Viz insulated breaker covered up his black suspenders and how dirty his white t-shirt got with the morning's work. Steel-toed construction boots even had traction cleats pulled around them. A red bandanna covered most of his short dreads. Standing in a coffee shop decked out in all this Hi-Viz gear was like a bull in a china shop. He wasn't breaking anything, but people'd obviously see him there.

He was next. The girl in front of him had gotten chatty with the staff, but he didn't start anything over it. He knew what they were talking about. He saw the flier in Vesta's hand. Heard the conversation, until they got all quiet about it. He didn't look at them when they started whispering. Tobias kept his eyes on the guy at the register, waiting for him to say he was ready to take an order.

Didn't mean his ears weren't open. Couldn't hear a lot of what they said, but pieces were better than nothing. Like 'why not hospital' for example. Those words alone said plenty.

[Vesta Voui]

"Like.... seriously?"

What she had been told about the drinks and specials took a back seat when she heard what the lady said about the girl on the flyer. It made her weight shift again and her fingers to pinch the side of the paper. Pinching paper. It was one of her things to do instead of fidget. Vesta didn't know the girl all that much but she assumed that if a member of the Inn's staff had gone missing then there'd be some type of word at the Inn.

Unless it was one of those hush-hush situations and they were keeping the whole thing quiet for a reason. Ask after the person and you get some line like they're on vacation or busy, something like that. Blink was totally wrapped up in his muffin but he was listening in too, having taken a moment to look at the guy who was behind Vesta. Construction worker were good for leaving crumbs around on the ground. Bits of food here and there, even tossing things to the wildlife! He liked them. Raising his nearly gone muffin to the man before deciding to add his squirrelly cents to the conversation by dropping a crumb down on the flyer.

Blink then scurried down from Vesta's head to rest on her shoulder, his tail wrapping around her neck. Vesta brushed the crumb off the flyer and looked at her animal companion as he was talking to her in the way he had. "Hmm? What's that? Go just a bit slower." Sure, she and Blink were communicating well, but she hadn't been speaking Squirrel for that long. Sometimes she still got words mixed up. "Yeah.. Yeah. Okay. Well Blink here agrees with you." She was looking back at the lady and scooted more out the way so she wouldn't be in the way of the people behind her.

"Maybe they did the dirt. Or they're looking 'cause they didn't find her there. Back home they put Missing People flyers everywhere. Kinda thought that here they'd just hire a locator person." a short laughter burst. "Locator spell or something." It was Rhy'din. People here could do all sorts of things.

More or less. Perhaps she shouldn't talk to much about this but the paper she had, but she was still waiting on her drink (it was picked up but not given) and she had a spot for a bit of gossip here and there!

[-:|[ Titania ]|:-]

Now the boy behind the counter, for he was more boy then man, especially seeing he was still a puddle of adolescent hormones currently, looked up after the last lady had left with her pastry. When the man got to the counter, he cast a quick glance down towards Titania and the other woman. He knew he could handle things on his own, but he was a bit nervous of what they were chatting about down there. Trying to clear his mind, from those thoughts he would give the man that happened to be next in line a smile. “Hi! Welcome to the New Haven Starbucks, what can I get for you today?” He did his best to keep his attention on what the man would reply with.

Meanwhile down at the end of the counter, Titania was giving the woman the drink she ordered. She was not known for being a fidgeter, but sometimes she wished she had some sort of odd fidget. But that was neither here nor there for the moment. Her head gave a small bob, as she looked around, perhaps catching sight of those in the lobby and the line, but not thinking anyone was really paying them any attention.

Then she blinked a moment, it was not every day she saw a woman and a squirrel converse. Before she smiled, “Blink is a very wise squirrel.” At least she thought so, and the woman was wise too if she could understand squirrel. “Exactly. I do hope that the girl is alright. He did not seem of the friendly sort.” Now she had not thought that the man might of caused her harm, but it made sense did it not, for him to be searching for her if he just wished to finish the job? “If you do know her, and perhaps if you happen to spot her around, maybe you could drop her a lil heads up?” Titania just thought it would be nice and helpful if someone was looking for someone else, and they could be dastardly to give a heads up.

[Om Kennedy Yajna]

"Heyla. Black coffee, tallest size you got." He put in his order as he stepped up to the counter, putting his hard hat down onto it. Picking through the stuff there he pulled out two packages of some kind of chocolate covered something and added those to the mix.

As he pulled out his wallet, he glanced around the place. Maybe making it look like he was scoping for an empty seat. Gave him an opportunity to make the two gossip girls part of that glance. So he could remember what they both looked like. In case he needed to know down the line. He saw the squirrel raise the muffin to him. He nodded to it and turned back to the kid behind the counter. Money already held out, a bill big enough where he knew he'd need change.

"Thanks." Said to the kid in advance. He tossed his two chocolate covered somethings into his hard hat. It was the first time he let himself look down at the stack of fliers. Yeah, he knew her too. He didn't overhear everything the gossip girls had said, but he'd heard enough. While he waited for his change Toby slid his hand under the bottom left hand corner of the small stack, pulling out the flier on the very bottom. Without touching it anywhere else, he shoved it into his hard hat too. He didn't care about creasing it. He cared about getting his prints all over it.

Hand slid into his pocket and he pulled out his cell phone. Dialing his boss. "Yo. I gotta take care of something, boss-man. A-yeah. Yeah. Seven o' clock. Right on." He had a second call to make, to his science genius sister. He had something he wanted her to take a look at. But he'd wait for his coffee first.

[Vesta Voui]

To note: she wasn't paying attention to the guy behind her aside from the fact that he was another customer. It wasn't her job to watch the people here and she didn't feel any sort of paranoid so all she was concerned about was the current convo, the flier, and the drink. Which was nice and hot and even gave the fingertips that bit of a sting when first held.

"Right, right." She knew where she was going with her drink - back to the Tel'Ranaemyn Inn. Probably finish her drink during the walk there but hey; she was curious now if she really was missing or…what. Because, you know sometimes these fliers were old and people forgot to pick them up. But that was rare. These didn't look that old at all.

"I go to a lot places. I'll keep an eye out." Maybe ask around, but she wasn't going to say that. Surely someone at the Inn has to know something.

Just how Blink had raised his muffin to the man, Vesta raised her cup to the lady she had been talking too. "Later." Before turning to head out of Starbucks.

[-:|[ Titania ]|:-]

The boy could handle the tall black coffee on his own. That was a rather simple request. Not that he could not handle the other orders as well, he was fully trained, just he got nervous sometimes. His back was turned as he went to get the cup, putting a cup holder around the cup, you know those bands so you don't burn yourself, and filling it. Snapping the lid on. Turning back around he set the cup down on the counter, near the small pile the man had made.

Fingers on the keys he would get everything added up. The man's price wasn't as good as the woman whom was still down near Titania. But he wasn' a girl. And he already gave out his employee discount. So the bill was given and taken into the register and change was counted and held out to the man. Once the guy took his stuff, he looked down towards the two girls, before asking to help whom was next.

Titania gave a nod to the woman. "Nice talking with you." She really was not going to try to keep anyone any later, besides she should get back to work. Which she did when the lady stepped away from the counter.

[Om Kennedy Yajna]

"Take care, coz." He nodded to the kid as he took his coffee. He saw that the girls had stopped talking to each other and he didn't watch to see where the one that was a customer went. Not a big deal. She'd already helped him out more than she probably realized.

Toby didn't bother with cream sugar or any of that crap. In his opinion if a person wanted coffee they should just drink coffee. Not to put so much sh-t in it that it the coffee didn't even taste like coffee anymore. He put his hard hat back on on his way out. Making sure to pull out the flier first.

He stared down at it as he started back to where he and Sam were staying. He decided not to call her. He'd just explain what he needed her to do when he got there. She'd understand. And Toby knew she wanted all this crap figured out just as much as he did.

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