It's A Beautiful Day Don't Let It Get Away
Summer 2021, Week 3
Monday morning
Royal Metro Library
Sorin Fionn
It may be common to a regular passerby or visitor of the library to look up and see a man wearing comfortable jeans, a plain button-down shirt and an old gray fedora with the back part of its brim slightly turned up like a very worn out trilby passing by, running of to attend to his own business, but this time he strolls to the steps of the Royal Metro Library, with a light smile ever present on his face. Opening the front doors of the library, he is greeted with a sight he found both wondrous and daunting ahead of him; a veritable trove of written records and documented history lay in wait before him. Cripes, how am I ever going ta find what I'm lookin' for? I've barely set foot in this library, let alone know where ta look... With a deep breath, he strides briskly forward, looking for indicators and signs leading towards a history section, specifically for Evo related historical accounts.Lavrentis
A librarian working at the desk sees the man with a very confused expression on his face and walks over. Finding out he wants to learn about Evos, the librarian directs him to the third floor, adding "Our head librarian is spending time up there. With so many folks wanting to learn, they decided that it would be good to have someone up there at all of the peak library times to help."Sorin Fionn
He bows his head and puts his right hand over his heart, saying "Thank ye kindly, friend. With the Sanctuary Initiative bein' implemented, I want to make myself informed on what I could be dealin' with before I make any rash assumptions, so this will help tremendously." He bids the helpful librarian farewell, and proceeds to ascend to the third floor in hopes of finding the head librarian. The man quickly ascends the stairs, the nerves and muscles in his legs tingling slightly as they 'remember' months of step aerobics, a muscle memory acquired from a random person at a gym. Now ta find this head librarian person... maybe they can help me find the information I need. A sideways grin ever present on his face, he begins looking and asking around if someone can point him in the librarian's direction.[Basic x1, -0EP]
Lavrentis
A person just outside the room points in, and there he sees the head librarian, sitting and just finishing up a conversation with another person before sitting down in a very comfortable looking armchair, legs crossed, and book in their lap. They look up and see Sorin approach, and smile. "You look a bit lost," they say. "How can I help?"Sorin Fionn
"Aye, m'friend. This is my first time in the library fer a long while, so I am a fair bit lost." He gestures to the space around them. "The library is pretty massive, and there's so much that I haven't the foggiest idea on where to look for a bit o' history on... evolved humans." He pauses because he doesn't want to use the colloquial term 'Evo'. "With th' sanctuary initiative in place, I want ta know what I'll be looking at in terms of capabilities of certain people, and to form my own opinions rather than feed into a common view and get jus' one side of the story." He reaches out a hand and winks. "But I forget ma manners. Th' name's Sorin, and it's a pleasure ta meet your acquaintance."Lavrentis
Noticing the difference in wording, they nod. "You were directed to the right place. This room is a constantly growing corner of knowledge - that I hope will over fill this room and go into another - of everything we know about Evolved Humans. It is separate from the nonevolved human section, to put the rest of the public at ease. Well, those who remember the war with Ragnarok, and the aftermath and fear of that." They pause, giving the rundown of the room. "Each shelf is for a different power. The easily reachable shelves contain the known history for each, and the higher up shelves involve techniques should you or someone you know have questions about what's happened to them." Each shelf is clearly labeled for the power, and there are numerous tables with pens, pencils, and papers for note taking. "I, myself, am evolved - knowledge based." They smile. "I aid in compiling this section of the library, as well as learning about different powers. I can't use them, but I can impart the knowledge to those that can."Sorin Fionn
Sorin retracts his hand. looks like a handshake is out of the question "Thank ye kindly" He grins and nods. "I'm curious about the extent your abilities, but that can wait for another time. Looks like you just sat down, and I'd hate to disturb ya any more than I already have..." Sorin looks to the shelves, debating where to try and place what his ability might be. Eh, may as well come sorta clean Sorin takes a deep breath and speaks, still looking to the shelves. "Truth be told someone I know very well is looking for more information on their ability, but are very bashful about it still, if ya know what I mean." He smiles and looks to the androgynous figure once more. "But either case I should get ta researchin'. Thank ya again... Sir?" The last word searching for confirmation or denial.Lavrentis
They jump slightly, belatedly putting their hand out. "My apologies, I was focusing on other things at the moment. Today I am a sir, tomorrow I might be a madam. It all depends." They shrug, "Usually you can tell by what accessories I'm wearing but regardless. Lavrentis today, but sometimes Lavrentia." They smile. "I have a strict secret keeping policy, sir, and an even more private office if you'd prefer. Not everyone is at liberty to openly discuss such things - not yet, anyhow, though more are coming in - and it's the same for if it's for themselves or a friend." They move to stand up, ready to move the conversation to their office if Sorin wants to. "Also...Irish descent? Both by name and accent." They guess, not trying to be mean, but rather genuinely curious.Sorin Fionn
Sorin grins and takes their hand in a warm handshake. "No trouble at all, active minds wander restlessly. I'd like to give ya a better idea of what I may be looking for in terms of research, if you're willing and not busy." His grin spreads even wider. "And I'm not quite sure. Father Marsh decided my name when he found me and his accent is... well, infectious to say the least." He gives a small chuckle.Lavrentis
"I'm not busy at all. It's one of the parts of my job that I do enjoy - both learning about other people's well...interests, what they like and are able to do, and also being able to share and help them get better at it." They pat an equally comfy looking armchair across from a table, "Or, as I said, my office is open as well."Sorin Fionn
He takes a quick look around and sees the area is relatively safe, and sits in the armchair, sitting forward and taking out a pack of custom-made playing cards in case he needs to make a demonstration. "I'm not quite sure how to classify what... what I'm able to do. It's almost as if I 'learn' a skill or physical feat by simply watching them. For example," With one fluid motion, he cuts the deck, rotates one cut and farrows the cards in a perfect shuffle with one hand, the hand and fingers's nerves and muscles still tingling, though this motion is so practiced the tingle is near imperceptible to Sorin anymore. "I watched someone on YouTube do this flourish once, and immediately I could replicate it."[Type 1, Basic x1, -0EP]
"I want to know if it's something I can develop and grow, do more things than just mimic motion."Lavrentis
They nod, amazed at the trick - they like to have fun, and enjoy seeing the magic in the world, even if it's just a well-practiced, or not, in Sorin's case, card move. "That is impressive. After one try, you say?" They ask. They stand and move to the enhanced shelves first. "This is your first stop, it seems like you, well, enhance your skills by observation, no matter what that happens to be. If, however, the thing you're looking for isn't on this shelf," they pause, pointing to a shelf - two, actually - across the room, "over there. It's larger as it's more individual skills, what we can't quite place in the other areas."Sorin Fionn
He grins, seeing the look of amazement upon their face. Enhancement, huh? ... Never woulda guessed that. "Aye, first try every time, though some things are a bit trickier ta deal with, like Olympic athletics or parkour." He puts the cards back in their place, tucking the pack in his shirt pocket, and adds jokingly with a wink "A body like mine isn't built to do things like that for very long." He stands and bows his head, hand over his heart. "Thank ya again, Lavrentis, other days Lavrentia. If ya like, I can stop in from time to time and show ya some other tricks I like to do. It's th' least I can do for bein' so helpful." His eyes widen with realization, and he makes a facepalm motion "Cripes, I'll need ta get myself a library card, won't I?"Lavrentis
"That makes sense. Some of the things, like parkour, or being an Olympic level athlete, take a bit of training no matter if you can go through the motions first time. It's important to be safe, and your body wants that for you, too." They say. They smile. "I'd appreciate that! I enjoy seeing things like what you've managed to learn. Even though there is literal magic that's been discovered, I like to see the things we believed we got on by before World War two." They chuckle at his reaction. "Yep, you will. Luckily, I can get that settled for you. If you can use some paper to write down your address and let me know which of Roy G Biv you prefer the most, I can have it ready for you by the time you come down with your finds. Up to ten, that is, but you have 28 days, or 4 weeks, to go through them. No late fees to worry about, however, and you can add three films to your count, but those have a return time of two weeks instead."Sorin Fionn
"Aces, 28 fer books and 14 fer films." He grabs a paper and pen and writes down the address for his apartment, roughly a 1/2 hour walk from the library and makes a note 'Blue, Navy blue if you've got it, please'. Folding the paper in half, he hands it to Lavrentis. "I'll likely start with two books, so I have an excuse ta come back often." He gives them a grin and a wink. "Thank ya kindly, once more. I'll make a stop at the front desk ta check out and finish up anything that needs done fer the card." Bidding them farewell, even if for just a short moment, Sorin scours the books, first looking for a book in the section on Enhanced types, then looking through Individual types for something similar. Finding one that is a summation of known Enhanced type abilities and another that is a historical account of evolved humans throughout history, he makes his way to the front desk with his findings.Sorin Fionn's Apartment, Old Towne
Sorin Fionn
Excitedly, he makes his way back to the apartment with a spring in his step. Upon entering, he is greeted by a "prreow?" from a very relaxed Hex, lounging on the back of the living room's sofa. "Time ta get some research done, Hexie." he said as he gives her a few scritches on her head and proceeds to turn on his speakers, pairing them with his phone for some background music. As he sits down on the sofa, Hex moves from the back to his lap as he settled in. "Now let's see what we can find..." He opens up the table of contents, which divided the book by chapters of known Enhancement categories and recorded powers of each. After reading through the book thoroughly, he comes across the chapter he was looking forward to.[Type 2, Basic, -0EP]
Agility - Enhanced learning speedIndividuals that have exhibited traits of enhanced agility, as a whole, are typically faster to react in most situations, and have been proven to be able to pull of incredible feats of speed and dexterity. Such individuals are shown to learn feats of finesse very rapidly, having reported them telling researchers that it is akin to a "bullet time moment", a feature in many games that slows down time around the player's character and thus can perform more accurately. Evolved individuals that make use of this state of "bullet time" (most researchers found this state achieved by the body producing a large amount of adrenaline) can use it to perfect feats of agility and dexterity, and researchers have labeled this phenomenon as 'Enhanced Learning Speed'. In most cases, it is simply a matter of the evolved person to repeat such an action until it is devoted to muscle memory. There are the rare exceptions where an evolved person exhibits traits of an enhanced visual ability in addition to enhanced agility, and it has been theorized that such individuals would be exceptionally rapid in learning and acquiring feats of manual dexterity. Well, that's fascinating and so... vague... He continues to read through the book, slightly disappointed he doesn't have much to go on, and commits the contents to memory. May as well be read up on what I might be seeing, never know if I'll run into one of the other types... Maybe I should learn about all of the different types so I can learn how ta deal with 'em before I have to. Best ta be sure ta be sure.
[Type 2, -1 EP]
After a few hours of reading, he finally finishes his book on Enhanced abilities, and is ready to move on to the next after giving Hex some attention, eliciting a soft purr as she kneads the air near Sorin's leg. "Maybe I should make my way over somewhere I can try ta develop.. this... Eh, Hexie?" Hex simply purrs in response, sprawled across his lap. He looks at the clock, reading 12:34 PM "Yer right, maybe after lunchtime. C'mon, let's get up" He scoops up Hex and gently places her on the floor, her ears flat with annoyance as if to say, "But I was comfy." He sways in time with the gentle music as he makes his way over to the kitchen, the song one from a game he found simply enchanting. "I'm feelin' somewhere new, so I'll get ya some din din afore I go." Making sure Hex had some food and water, he waited and danced with an invisible partner until the song was over to turn off the speakers, and headed out, making sure to grab his old fedora, turning up the back of the brim in a loose trilby fashion. "Yer the queen of the castle while I'm gone, so be a good little monarch, aye?" He closes and locks the door, humming the song that's still in his head as he makes his way out.William Side Diner, Museum District
Sorin Fionn
Sorin makes his way off the subway, and into the streets of the Museum District, his destination in mind. Wearing his usual casual attire of comfortable jeans, a slate grey button-down shirt with his matching fedora, the worn-out brim loosely turned up in the back in a trilby fashion. Along for the ride today is a brown leather satchel filled with various things, among them three packs of cards, the book on Evo history he loaned from the library, and a bandanna to hide his face in case he decided to try some free running on his way home. I wonder what they'll have ta eat... I kinda want somethin' breakfast-y, but I also'd like a burger... Decisions, decisi- That's a panda. He blinks in surprise at the horticultural masterpiece outside the diner, stopping in his tracks for a moment. Is it... Yea, it's a happy bear with a cuppa in its paws. Adorable He walks in, the area a little busy due to it being lunch time, and patiently waits to be seated with a smile on his face, taking in the interior of the diner. Happy. Curious.Sofia Taylor
The owner of the diner certainly had a thing for a retro style that existed too long ago, and it was subtly shown in various places around the establishment. Terrazzo checkered floor had been recently swept clear and the red n’ chrome plated stools at the counter held an assortment of patrons that usually popped in for a quick bite of lunch. Sandwiches and burgers were the more popular items on the menu for this time of day, but they did serve breakfast all day long. The cooking area, which was situated right behind the counter, held all stainless-steel appliances and the cook was deftly juggling multiple orders and rarely ever messed them up, because Bob was pretty awesome like that. There was a jukebox somewhere in the back corner and the beautiful crooning of Buddy Holly could be heard over the speakers, though softly, because this was a classy diner and not some club. Sofia had been removing dirty dishes from the counter when she heard the tinkling sound of the bell and upon seeing a new person, a warm smile affixed itself to her face. “Welcome, welcome. You can sit anywhere you like and I’ll be with you in just a moment.” A soft clatter as she disposed of the dishes on a rolling cart and she proceeds to heavily wipe down that part of the counter, making sure to remove all bits of grease and stickiness from its surface. That cart would later be taken by another employee that worked in the back area, where the magic happened. Cleaning. Oh, baby.Sorin Fionn
"Thank ye kindly" he responds with an even bigger grin than before. He strides over to a small, open booth and takes a seat, pulling out a pack of red Bicycle cards and beginning to quietly faro them to start a game of Klondike solitaire, humming The Gambler softly. One game of Klondike. Then I'll start readin' a bit while I wait fer food and soda. The retro 50's diner styled pieces seemed a bit out of place in the otherwise normal-styled diner to Sorin, but he didn't judge. Confused. Happy. People had their own preferences and stories, and Sorin found joy in hearing the stories of people's quirks and experiences. He takes off his hat and sets it down on the table and begins to lay down the cards for his game. I should ask why the themes seem to be mismatched, both that glorious panda and the retro stools and bits. He begins to quickly play his game, looking like it is a good and easy game already. Pleased. Curious. Determined.Sofia Taylor
It didn’t take the redhead very long to finish her task and a moment later, just as she said, Sofia was standing by his table. A menu and glass of ice water was set in front of him. Holy crap, he’s attractive. Why is everyone in this city attractive? Why am I like this? Despite the internal conflict and her warring hormones, Sofia was pretty good at hiding it on the surface. “Hi and welcome to William Side Diner. What can I do for you?” Dulcet tones slipped out from behind another cordial smile and with her notepad and pen in hand, she awaited his response.Sorin Fionn
Sorin looks up from his game and happily grins toward the waitress, noting her name as Sofia from her nametag. "Hello, m'dear. First and foremost, can ya tell me where ya get your hair done? Ya look wonderful." He asks, adding the genuine compliment in hopes of seeing more of a smile than the usual customer service-required grin. All too familiar with that look at work, especially with people dealing with th' assholes Happy. Curious. Hopeful.Sofia Taylor
Oh heck. The compliment was unexpected, and a fierce blush spread across her lightly freckled face and her smile suddenly became bashful. “Oh! Oh, um, thank you.” I, uh... go to a place down the road and get a trim every other month or so.” Light green eyes sweep over him quickly and her attention lingers over his hairstyle, wondering if maybe he was looking for a hairdresser or something. “You have nice ha-- I mean, what would you like to order, sir? We do serve breakfast all day, if that’s something you’re into.” She quickly tried to swerve the conversation back to work and off of the pretty stranger in front of her. Get a hold of yourself, Sofia. You’re a professional.Sorin Fionn
Giving a warm chuckle at her reaction, he returns to the topic of food. "I think I'm in th' mood fer either pancakes with scrambled eggs and bacon, or a burger and fries." He looks to the man furiously cooking up a storm before his dark hazel eyes return their gaze to Sofia. "Whichever is easier on th' cook, I think," He adds with a wink.Sofia Taylor
Bob was a fucking champ and could handle anything that was thrown at him, but in any case, Sofia already had an answer. Indecisiveness was not going to be a problem for her today, at least, not at work. Professional, remember? “I’ll tell Bob he has an admirer.” She gave a smirk. “I would go for the breakfast option then. Would you like a coffee? Tea? Something else?”Sorin Fionn
"Coffee, of course. Gotta stay thematic with breakfast, aye?" He grins coyly, adding "Though I have no doubt Bob is a legend in th' kitchen, I doubt he'd compare ta th' absolute treat yer company seems ta be." Playful...? Curious. "Though I certainly have a few questions fer ya, Miss Sofia, ya seem ta have yer hands full and I don't want ta be a bother while yer workin' hard." Appreciative. Melancholy.Sofia Taylor
Oh. Oh my. His flattering words and the accent were almost too much for her and the woman could feel her face growing hotter. Don’t flirt with the customer. Don’t you fucking dare. Biting her lip, she gave a quick glance over her shoulder to scan the diner for anyone who needed her attention and thankfully --Shut up, Sofia-- she was in the clear. For the moment. “I... I might be able to answer some questions for you. But only one for now, until I turn your order in.” Wait. Did he say coffee or tea?Storyteller
Somewhere in the City, a bear who is currently not in a bush fashion, has a pang in his chest. Unsure of the cause.Sorin Fionn
Debating on whether or not to actually ask about the mismatching themes yet, he thinks it is probably best to leave that alone for when there is a bit more time, opting to instead build a little more rapport and forge a friendship. Pulling a pack of Bee brand cards from his leather satchel, he places the pack on the table, off to the side, asking "Do ya like card tricks? If ye've the time ta suffer my company a bit later, I have a few that ya might blow ya away." Confident. Hopeful.Sofia Taylor
Odd. I didn’t expect that. Does he just go around asking people if they want to see card tricks? He must really like cards. Clearly that wasn’t the question she thought he was going to ask, and she stared at the man for a few seconds before giving a wary smile. “Yeeaah, I do enjoy card tricks. I’ve never been any good at them myself.” The tip of her pen tapped the order pad a few times. “You get a triple stack of pancakes and three slices of bacon with that breakfast order. The scrambled eggs don’t have to be scrambled, but Bob isn’t great at poaching, so I’d avoid that. And coffee, yes?” Sofia secretly thought that Bob intentionally fucked up poached eggs so people would avoid ordering them.Sorin Fionn
...Smooth... I guess she had other things on th' brain with a reaction like that... Keep fergettin' that I can give off th' flirty and romantic vibe. He gives a soft and almost forced laugh as his ears go a bit red. "Scrambled will be jus' fine, miss, and coffee, yes. Nothin' too fancy fer me." Nervously, he grabs the pack of Bee cards he put down earlier, and with one hand takes the cards out of their package and separates the deck into five parts in his fingers, letting the cards dance as his fingers tingle with the adopted muscle memory.[Type 1, Minor x2, -2EP 23/25]
Sofia Taylor
After confirming his order was correct, Sofia was meant to pass the order to Bob because that’s how diners work in the real world. Instead the woman’s gaze was on his hands and how they manipulated the cards, her eyes widening with wonder. Was he going to do a trick now? “Wait wait! Let me turn in this order in first!” Wanting to give this the attention it deserved, Sofia also needed to do her job. The girl was hasty with her circuit around the diner: checking in on customers, turning in his order, coming back to his table with a tray full of coffee paraphernalia. Hell, she had even filled up some empty mugs along the way. Now she stood before him flushed and tad breathless, pouring a cup of coffee. A variety of creamers would be placed next to the sweeteners, then a napkin, and finally a spoon. With a look to him that said, 'Let's do this', Sofia was ready to be wow'd by this man. Or you know, talk.Sorin Fionn
He blinks a few times, and returns the cards to a singular deck, setting it down as she makes her circuit. He picks up the remainder of his solitaire game as she is away, cleaning up the table to make more room for incoming coffee. Stunned. Confused. When Sofia returns after quite the rush of waitressing, he clarifies, "I'm sorry, I have a habit of fiddling with cards ta steady m'nerves, but I have tricks aplenty fer ya, and anyone else that would like ta see." He grabs the pack of Bee cards once more, borderless makes for easier tricks with sleight of hand. He shuffles in a normal fashion, or so it seems, for he is employing a subtle trick riffle shuffle to ensure he can force the six of clubs to the top of the deck. "I'll have ya take a look at the top card, and that'll be yer card. Be sure ta memorize it, and when yer ready, put it back wherever in the deck suits yer fancy." He explains as he lays the deck on the table for Sofia to take from.Sorin Fionn
The card in question is, undoubtedly, the six of clubs. Sorin looks away as she puts the card back in the deck. Confident. Happy. "Now, I'm going ta shuffle once, then I'll have ya shuffle as many times as you'd like." He explains as he quickly cuts the deck and forces the six of clubs to the bottom, quickly using his ring finger to palm the card before handing Sofia the remaining cards to shuffle.Sofia Taylor
So, the girl rushed around like a maniac over a fidget? Thankfully he started setting up a trick right then or she’d have died from embarrassment. Making certain to pay extra attention at the times he shuffled as though she’d be able to spot any sleight-of-hand being used, Sofia had way too much confidence in her detective abilities. She saw nothing. The overhand shuffle was the only one she knew, and she didn't even drop any of the cards! Once satisfied that she had mixed them up enough, the deck was passed back to him with a wide grin. "I hope that's good enough."Sorin Fionn
Grinning, he replies "That's perfect. Now..." He fans the 51 cards in a perfect arrangement to see all the pips of the card's values. "I think yer card likes ya quite a bit, so I want ye to take a good look and see if you can find your card in th' deck." Upon not seeing it, he counts that there are, in fact, 51 cards present, and Sorin makes a show of fake scowling. "Looks like I'll hafta ask ma friend, th' king of hearts, which card is yours, so I know who ta look fer." Pulling out the King of hearts, he exclaims, "Ah, but of course! The..." Sorin counts out the number of full club shapes on the crowns of the face card, six in total. "Six of clubs! But where could have it gone?" He looks curiously at Sofia's right ear and says, "Hold on... lemme jus’..." as he reaches for her ear, still palming her card out of sight and flicking it into view, catching it between his middle and index fingers to seemingly make it appear out of nowhere. "Silly six, that's the most cliche magic hiding spot ever!" Satisfied. Happy.Sofia Taylor
The finishing move had her uttering an exclamation of surprise and she gazed at the card in wonder, a hand automatically lifting to touch behind her ear. How did he do that? Using critical thinking skills she could deduce that it hadn’t really been behind her ear in the first place, but earlier she hadn’t seen the card in his hand. She looked over to him with a smile, green eyes searching his own hazel ones as though the secrets were written there. “Oh my goodness. How did you do that?”Sorin Fionn
"That" he replies with a coy grin, a wink and putting one finger to his lips in a shushing manner "Is a trade secret." Happy. Satisfied... Melancholy. "I'm going to hafta get used to solo acts from now on, so may as well practice th' tricks on ma own, aye?" His smile fades ever so slightly. "Ye should go on ahead, I'll wave ya down if I need some more of the dirty beans." He adds, holding up the cup of coffee to clarify what he means by 'dirty beans'. "And... thank ye for bearin' with me. Ye have been too kind."Sofia Taylor
The faltering smile and those small glimpses of sadness she had gleaned from their short interaction had the woman hesitant in returning back to work. That handsome face looked so much better with a smile on it, and she had the urge to know what it was that kept stealing it away. Solo acts? Did he lose someone? Maybe it’s nothing and you’re reading too much into things, Sofia. Just maybe. “I still have to grab the rest of your food, so you’re going to have to put up with my company for just a bit longer. I recall you said it was ‘a treat’, yes? I’ll be back in a few.” She gave a playful smile and then she left his side, ambling off to do the waitress thing.Sorin Fionn
"That ye are." His smile stays present as she leaves until her attention is focused elsewhere. His happy mask is reflected in the coffee as he stares into the dark pool in his cup. "I'll try not ta bring ye down with me." His thoughts were of memories of him and his 'sister', Layla, and still tries to internalize and process how to deal with her coming absence. Blowing on the cup to cool off the coffee, he stirs it with the spoon provided to him, softly humming the tune of Ghost of You by 5 Seconds of Summer, all with half a smile still plastered on his face. Hollow. Hopeful. Melancholy. She'll be just fine. She's a big girl and can more than well take care of herself. She'll be working ta make the world a better place fer evos... fer me... His grip on the spoon tightened. She's willin' to make a difference ta people all over th' country, not just New Victoria. I should at least try and do th' same. His genuine smile starts to return, followed by a sip of coffee. Hmm... Colombian Roast. Not bad.Sofia Taylor
Does he perform somewhere? Is this a hobby? Maybe there’s a venue. You should definitely ask him. You do need to get out and start doing things. Why is he sad? The thoughts swirled around in her head as she waited for Bob to finish up the order, using those precious minutes to formulate her very important questions. Once Bob grunted out ‘Order up!’, which broke the woman out of her reverie, she snatched up her tray again and went to deliver the meal. Upon arriving and with no segue whatsoever, she asked her carefully crafted question while setting his meal before him. “Where would a girl have to go to see more of you?” The inquiry was paired with a nervous smile, but it wasn't until the last syllable left her mouth did Sofia realize what she had actually said. So, she did what any responsible adult would do and panicked. Her eyes widened slowly. “No, not a girl and not you! I mean a person and your card tricks. Wait wait, I’m a girl too and a person, but also not me. I meant others! Oh god. I am so sorry." The slow death of mortification had her hands shaky as she set down the cutlery and syrup bottle, her gaze avoiding him entirely. "I hope you enjoy your meal, sir. Is there anything else I can get you?" Can someone get me a shovel? Dig a fucking hole, so I can crawl into it and die?Sorin Fionn
Stifling his laughter to spare the poor girl any more embarrassment, he answers "Well, a person, a girl, or a certain someone that has both traits, can usually find me working evenin's at the Lucky Spades downtown, in Priory Park. Though I have been ta other parks playin' my heart an' soul on the instrument of my fancy at th' time." Happy. Comforting. Proud. Giving a gentle smile, he takes a pen and some scratch paper from his bag and writes down his cell phone number before handing her the paper. "Give me a call or shoot me a text. I can let ya know if I'll be playin' or doin' some tricks. Though it'll be a lot different without ma accompaniment." "And... As far as what else, just keep bringin' th' sweet smile." He winks playfully.Sofia Taylor
How did that work? No, seriously. Dazed from how he took it all in stride, that horrendous display of her conversation skills, she almost missed the comment about him being on his own. It wasn’t the first time that had been brought up and it definitely intrigued her, but she had just brought his food out to him, and this was definitely not the time to be asking personal questions. He needed to eat while the food was still hot. The scrap of paper was pocketed; she would ask him later. “I’ll definitely do that. The call... and the smile. Um, enjoy your meal and I’ll come by later to check you --uh, to check on you.” The girl fled after that, disappearing into a back area of the diner where the walk-in refrigerator was located. It was cold, safe, and no one could hear a person scream in there.Sorin Fionn
Just before she flees, he smiles, raises his coffee cup, and happily says "Thank ya very much, miss Sofia." When he is alone once more, he pours the syrup on each individual pancake before stacking them once more, and happily digs into the brunch. She's right; Bob has an admirer now. he thinks as he savors the sweet, syrup-soaked pancakes, followed by the salty bacon and fluffy scrambled eggs, chased down with the bitter yet tasty black coffee. Grinning, he devises his next trick for when he is given the option to tip. They've both more than earned a great one. Thinking back to talking with the waitresses at the Lucky Spades and personal experiences with being a member of the wait staff in a different restaurant, remembers that it's a thankless, underpaid and somewhat taxing job, especially if you're having a bad day.Sofia Taylor
Two minutes of self-admonishment in the cold was enough to motivate the girl to be better at life, more specifically at work, and she exited the kitchen feeling very confident in having got her shit together in such a short amount of time. She rode that high while playing catch-up with her customers, flitting about the diner taking new orders and clearing old ones. She’d inevitably end up back at his table with a smile plastered to her face, certitude wavering slightly. “How’re you doing over here? Need anything else? Dessert, coffee?” Oh look at that. We are capable of speaking coherently.Sorin Fionn
Smiling happily, he replies "I'm doing much better now, especially seeing ya again. I think I'm just about finished up with ev'rything, sadly. I should definitely come here more often, an' keep ya on yer toes. Can't let ya get bored of me, aye?" He adds with a wink. Confident. Determined. Playful. "Though, I have ta ask... why the mismatch of themes? Th' place seems like it's part modern diner," He looks to the stools. "Part retro 50's diner," he turns his gaze to the entrance. "And I'm not sure what th' happy panda is supposed ta be for, but I like it anyway." Confused. Curious.Sofia Taylor
What was it with these beautiful men thinking she was going to grow bored of them? Like a moth to flame Sofia couldn't resist a pretty face. Nor could she hide the pleased smile at hearing him say he wanted to come back. “I... uh, huh?” She hadn’t expected the conversation to steer in that direction and she gave a blink in surprise as her brain tried to play catch up. “Oh. Oh! I think it originally was the whole 50’s diner thing way back then, with the neon lights, bright colors, chrome everywhere. But as time passed, they decided to change up the style? I'm not actually from here, just been here for a few years and I've never really asked. The panda though...” She glances out the window to the aforementioned shrubbery and grins widely. “That’s Ilya! I mean, not Ilya-Ilya, but that’s his creation. I like it as well.” A bill folder is taken from the pocket of her apron, and she sets it in front of him. “You can pay here or at the front. Whatever works best for you.”Sorin Fionn
Grinning, he starts to pull out a worn leather billfold wallet. "That's an interestin' story, then. Does this Ilya come around often?" He opens up the wallet, revealing to anyone that was paying attention a photo of Sorin and a beautiful redhead, one taken at the Big Island's Bioreserve Botanical Gardens in Hawaii. "I'd like ta pay here, and if ya have th' time, I have another trick fer ya. No cards or cliche hiding spots, I promise." He winks before he takes a look inside the bill folder and pays, leaving about one dollar and some coins for change.Sofia Taylor
“He comes in almost every morning for his usual order. If you’re into interesting stories, our panda love guru might have a few of them to tell.” And of course, she had time for another trick without her needing to mention it outright. It’d be quite clear with her attentive demeanor and smile of anticipation that she was making time for him specifically, quite excited to see what he would do next. But first her job. “I’ll be back in a moment.” The leather folder was whisked off the table as she returned to the front of the diner for his change, coming back a moment later as promised. The bill folder was set down in front of him once more. “Not to come across as weird or anything, but the girl in your wallet; she’s quite beautiful. Where was it taken?” Sofia was referring to the picture from earlier, of course. It looked to be exciting and exotic; a foreign concept for someone who has only lived in two places her whole life.Sorin Fionn
Smiling and relishing the idea of hearing more tales of people's histories, as well as having her full attention, he sets up his trick with a few different crisp dollar bills of varying value while she is gone. When she came back, he opened up the folder, the change was one dollar and some coins. When Sofia asks the last question, his expression becomes a faraway, almost sad smile. "Ah, that's the trip ma sister Layla and I went to Hawaii. That was taken at the bioreserve botanical gardens on the big island." Melancholy. Nostalgic. "She and I have been though nearly everything together, ever since we were little at Saint Marsh's." He shakes his head as if he is shaking away negative thoughts, and his expression becomes excited and almost mischievous. "Though, I think I should show ya th' trick, and settle tips doin' so." He holds the edges of the one-dollar bill in both hands, the different bills folded and hidden away between his fingers. "This bill seems a bit too small. After all, ya came back and saw ma first trick." He elaborates as he simultaneously palms the five-dollar bill from between his index and middle finger, presses the edges of the single dollar bill and swaps the two, giving the illusion as he unfolds the five that it was somehow transmuted. "Ye've also answered all ma questions I've asked and were gracious enough ta come back multiple times fer coffee..." he explains as he does the same thing, but with a ten-dollar bill from between his pinkie and ring finger, grinning wide as he spreads the ten-dollar bill. "And... ye've taken th' time ta see my last trick." Grinning wide with his riskiest exchange, the ten for two twenties, the crisp bills creased a bit to give the illusion that it was one bill, one of them still folded in half and hidden with his hand. Before Sofia can protest, he laughs and adds, "And I gotta show ma appreciation to th' legend behind th' stove, as well." He mocks the appearance of folding the bill in half, when he is actually unfolding the second hidden bill with the skill of a master sleight of hand artist. With a final tap on the 'folded bill', he tucks his fingers and hidden bills into his hand, then takes the two twenty-dollar bills in his other hand. "Go ahead, touch 'em. They're completely real." Handing them both to Sofia, he sneakily tucks the other bills into his pants pocket while he has actively snagged her attention towards the twenty-dollar bills.[Type 1, Normal x3, -9EP, 16/25]
Sofia Taylor
There it is. That particular emotion had been a frequent visitor throughout his time here in the diner and now, after hearing him speak about her and using context clues from their previous interactions today, she was pretty certain that the girl in the photograph was the subject of said melancholy. Yet today was not the day she’d ask more about it. After all, they had just met. Ignoring the pang of sadness slowly worming its way into her chest, she shifted her focus on his trick. And what a trick it was! The expression on her face was a blend of amazement, dazed, and hesitancy as she watched the dollar in his hands ‘magically’ transform into larger bills. She flushed at the ministrations of his warm words and at his behest, she accepted the twenty-dollar bills and crinkled them lightly between her fingers as though actually testing to see if they were real. Of course, they were real, she didn't doubt that. “This is ... this is too much. This is double the price of your meal and you’ve already paid!” Protesting his generosity, she shoves the bills back at h. and waits for him to take it back. Super attractive faces, crazy high tippers. Clearly the men in this city were of a different caliber. What the fuck did they put in the water?Sorin Fionn
He laughs and shakes his head. "I insist. Even in this great city, it likely isn't easy working in th' service industry. Ye deserve a reward fer yer kindness and hard work." He starts to gather his things together, packing them into his satchel as he readies himself to leave. He turns to her and adds with a wink "So th' next time ya get yer hair trimmed, ye can worry a bit less about th' cost. Treat yerself."Sofia Taylor
With a resigned sigh and a shake of her head, Sofia gave up objecting against the man and stepped back to allow him his escape. She already came up with a workaround, a tip jar. Then the outrageous funds could be split with her co-workers. “You’re too kind, sir. In any case, I hope your meal was to your satisfaction and please, come visit us again!” Cue a bright smile and then she would start clearing the table, with a discreet glance from time to time as she watched him leave.
Type
Record, Historical
Medium
Digital Recording, Text
Authoring Date
July 5, 2021
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