It had gotten much colder in the last week or so; too cold now to really give lessons outside in the Park. Alex was cheerful though. His store was being fixed and things would be completed and ready to re-open after the holidays.
He was heading back to Eiryk's apartment but he'd been at the store for several hours and he'd turned the heat off since he wasn't currently living there. Normally Starbucks wasn't his thing; he'd gotten spoiled on Eiryk's top-of-the-line tastes. But wrapping his hands around a cup of hot chocolate while he walked back to Liefde sounded like a good idea so here he was, in line behind a smallish woman, pale-skinned, dark-haired, kind of goth-looking. Her shoes were squeaking as she moved slowly forward with everyone else.
It was pretty hard to miss the fact that nearly everyone with a shopping bag almost hit the woman in the face. She was short... they were there... Alex didn't say anything, but in the interest of being kind he moved slightly out of the line and out toward where the people whose orders had already been made were traveling. They now had to go around him to get out of the store, conveniently avoiding the woman in front of him.
Tea time ((Secret Santa, attn : Alex))
Celeste stood in line, shuffling along through the ridiculously overpacked Starbucks. Another bunch of shopping bags smacked into her and she tried not to snarl at the "Oh excuse me!" It may smell divine in there between the sweets and the coffee but the blenders whirling, the throngs of people chatting and the generic Christmas music being played in the background were giving her a serious headache. She clutched the little plastic gift card in her hand tighter and envisioned ways to kill her friend. Who gave Starbucks giftcards? Next time that Redd got her something, Celeste would make sure to tell her if it was for someplace this human packed she could just keep it. Well, not in those words because it would be a little difficult to explain. But in that general vein.
Mmmm, veins. She squirmed a little at the thought of tapping into any one of these ridiculous coffee slurping humans' vein and pouring herself a steaming cup of AB positive. Could she get a double shot of that please? Would they all taste like coffee and scones? There was a pleasant thought. Her combat boots squeaked on the tile floor as she slid a little closer to the counter and she watched several people wince at the sound. A small smile appeared and she slid her foot to make another squeak. Ok, so annoying people was fun.
Alex Aristos
14 years ago
Celeste
14 years ago
Trying to stay aware of the people moving around her, just to avoid as many bumps and bangs as she could, Celeste bristled when the guy in line behind her moved. 'Oh hell no, if this S.O.B. thinks he is going to cut in front of ME... I am going to put my foot so far up his ass I'll be wearing him for a slipper til spring!' There was barely enough time to draw herself up into a bristling five foot tall tower of vampiric indignation before she saw the glares he got as a woman and her too cheerful looking boyfriend had to squeeze past him. On the opposite side of her.
Oh. Wow. He was... being nice? Damn this called for like, conversation or something to thank him.
It wasn't her usual facial expression but she gave him a small, grateful smile and a slight nod of thanks. As several more parties moved past him a bit more carefully she wondered what you said to someone. Thanks for saving my face? Nice of you to run interference with those rude jerks? Look, chivalry isn't dead? It had been too long since she'd been nice to random strangers..
And then she was at the counter. A long chant of 'oh thank you God' played through her mind as she waited for the barrista to come back to the register. Pulling the card out she looked at the denomination and winced. For a cup of tea.. she was going to have to come here a LOT to use all this. Bloody hell. And then as they came to take her order she had a thought.
"Yeah a large hot tea..." She looked over her shoulder, up at Alex. "and whatever he wants too."
Oh. Wow. He was... being nice? Damn this called for like, conversation or something to thank him.
It wasn't her usual facial expression but she gave him a small, grateful smile and a slight nod of thanks. As several more parties moved past him a bit more carefully she wondered what you said to someone. Thanks for saving my face? Nice of you to run interference with those rude jerks? Look, chivalry isn't dead? It had been too long since she'd been nice to random strangers..
And then she was at the counter. A long chant of 'oh thank you God' played through her mind as she waited for the barrista to come back to the register. Pulling the card out she looked at the denomination and winced. For a cup of tea.. she was going to have to come here a LOT to use all this. Bloody hell. And then as they came to take her order she had a thought.
"Yeah a large hot tea..." She looked over her shoulder, up at Alex. "and whatever he wants too."
Alex Aristos
14 years ago
Alex crossed his arms as he stood innocently just outside of the line, ignoring the looks he got from the folks whose bags were now whacking him in the kidneys and trying not to chuckle. No one said anything; he was taller than most of them and definitely not out of shape. He wasn't going to get involved in a fight but they didn't know that; they all just went on their way. What a shame. Christmas was supposed to be a time for kindness and giving, not glaring and muttering. He caught the small goth woman's nod and just returned it with a smile and a nod of his own.
When they reached the counter and she offered to buy his drink he blinked in surprise. "Oh. Thanks!" He ordered a small mint hot chocolate and, once the order was paid for, slid a ten dollar bill across the counter.
"Just use that for whoever's next," he said. Behind him was a lady carrying a little girl. He had heard part of the discussion between them and figured Mom was going to have her hands full buying every single present the girl said she wanted Santa to deliver.
The mom behind him heard him and offered her thanks with a smile. As he waited for their own order to finish being made Alex heard her offer to pay for the man behind her. That was much better, he thought. Far more Christmas-y than being glared at by the stressed out and pissed off.
When they reached the counter and she offered to buy his drink he blinked in surprise. "Oh. Thanks!" He ordered a small mint hot chocolate and, once the order was paid for, slid a ten dollar bill across the counter.
"Just use that for whoever's next," he said. Behind him was a lady carrying a little girl. He had heard part of the discussion between them and figured Mom was going to have her hands full buying every single present the girl said she wanted Santa to deliver.
The mom behind him heard him and offered her thanks with a smile. As he waited for their own order to finish being made Alex heard her offer to pay for the man behind her. That was much better, he thought. Far more Christmas-y than being glared at by the stressed out and pissed off.
Celeste
14 years ago
Cel was slipping the gift card back into her pocket when she heard Alex offer to pay for the woman behind him. The vampire glanced up and quirked a brow. It rose a little further as the frazzled Mom continued the holiday spirit. Chuckling, she blew into the lid's vent for a moment, hoping to cool what she knew would be super hot tea, then gave Alex as slightly lopsided smile.
"It looks like we started something. Who knew people still had it in them to get in the Christmas spirit?" It was just her nature but Celeste was cynical. She'd seen so much of the negative side of humans and vampires that, well, it was hard to imagine decent people still were out there. Who were actually decent... and not just putting on an act.
Moving a little away from the counter she eyed Alex then stuck her hand out. "I'm Celeste."
Wow she was being nice and polite and giving... Cel figured either the Aztecs were off a couple years and the world was ending in 2010 not 2012, or maybe she'd been infected with the "spirit of the season". Either way as long as no one she knew found out about her little trip here it was all good.
((And appologies.. between holiday prep, being sick and year end work load it's been.. well yeah =x ))
"It looks like we started something. Who knew people still had it in them to get in the Christmas spirit?" It was just her nature but Celeste was cynical. She'd seen so much of the negative side of humans and vampires that, well, it was hard to imagine decent people still were out there. Who were actually decent... and not just putting on an act.
Moving a little away from the counter she eyed Alex then stuck her hand out. "I'm Celeste."
Wow she was being nice and polite and giving... Cel figured either the Aztecs were off a couple years and the world was ending in 2010 not 2012, or maybe she'd been infected with the "spirit of the season". Either way as long as no one she knew found out about her little trip here it was all good.
((And appologies.. between holiday prep, being sick and year end work load it's been.. well yeah =x ))
Alex Aristos
14 years ago
Alex twisted his mouth up into something resembling half a smile at the small woman's comment. "Too bad it took them until Christmas to get into it," he said with an acidic edge of sarcasm. In Alex's opinion, there was no particular time of the year to embrace having a giving spirit. Kindness should be performed routinely on a daily basis, not given a head-nod at the end of the year as a way to make people feel better about themselves.
When the woman introduced herself as Celeste Alex returned her handshake. "Alex," he replied. "Nice to meet you."
The tables in the shop were all full and standing there, they were only in the way. Alex made his way to the door of the shop and held it open for Celeste. He wasn't sure if she'd intended to leave immediately; maybe she wanted to warm up a little.
In the course of standing by the door Alex ended up opening it and closing it for several people both coming and going. He didn't mind. It was better than waiting with the door open; no sense in freezing the folks who were enjoying their drinks indoors.
((ooc: Closing for inactivity))
When the woman introduced herself as Celeste Alex returned her handshake. "Alex," he replied. "Nice to meet you."
The tables in the shop were all full and standing there, they were only in the way. Alex made his way to the door of the shop and held it open for Celeste. He wasn't sure if she'd intended to leave immediately; maybe she wanted to warm up a little.
In the course of standing by the door Alex ended up opening it and closing it for several people both coming and going. He didn't mind. It was better than waiting with the door open; no sense in freezing the folks who were enjoying their drinks indoors.
((ooc: Closing for inactivity))