capeandcowl2020 | Open Post 002

Nepeta is rarely out this early - it's too dangerous, even for her. But there had been a rally that she just couldn't miss and now she's on her way back from it, veil firmly in place and keeping her face from giving her away. Her eyes flick behind it all over the scenery, drinking it in with the sort of eagerness only people who don't get out much possess. It's the only reason she stares for more than a few seconds at the occupants of the nearby cafe, but the double take she does is completely intentional - there's a woman there who looks too too familiar.

She slows as she draws level with the cafe, dropping down to her knee by Rose's table under the pretense of tying her shoe. Hands shielded by overlarge hoodie sleeves pull diligently but thoughtless at her laces as she subtly looks over the woman's face, the woman's table, making absolutely certain that it's not just wishful thinking.

"Purrl grey? Really?" she murmurs softly, eyes catching on the teabag sitting on the saucer. The comment is quiet enough that it can easily be brushed off by the woman if she's wrong, and meaningful enough to catch attention if Nepeta is still as good at recognizing faces as she used to be.

She isn't really paying attention to her surroundings, but she is paying attention enough that she notices Nepeta walk in. She notices enough when she crouches down. It's the pun that gets her. She had already glanced down once, but it's the Purrl that has her giving Nepeta a second glance. She raises an eyebrow. She puts her pen down and discreetly lowers her voice. "Do you not like Earl Grey?"

She needs a closer look to be sure.

It could be a coincidence, of course. This could be anyone with a liking for catpuns. It could be anyone at all. "Or perhaps it's the milk you don't like?"

"It's a waste of purrfectly good tea," she replies lightly, trying to keep the giddiness out of her voice. It's been so long since she's spoken with someone that she knows (or might know, a voice in her head cautions her) that dancing this close is agonizing. She finally looks up from her shoes to lock eyes with Rose, gambling on being right as she allows the other woman full access to admire her pretty golden eyes. "Especially since cats can't have much milk to begin with."

She glances around vaguely. It's mostly empty, the few patrons here tucked into corners. Rose gestures to the seat opposite her.

"They do regular tea, too. Why don't you join me?"

She is quick to fold her paper up. "I was just about to order another pot anyway."

"Well, if you're offering..."

The grin plastering her face goes unseen thanks to the veil, but her body language conveys some of it as she seats herself in the offered chair. Thank god she was right.

"It's been a while since I've had some, anyway."

"What kind would you like?"

Rose is not sure how to feel right now. It's been a long time since she has seen anyone except Roxy. She is half-way excited and half-way nervous.

She shuts her notebook.

"I can drink almost anything."

"Cameowmile, please."

She's not even sure what they're going to talk about - 'my that disguise looks fetching how's being on the run from the law treating you' doesn't seem to feel like the sort of thing appropriate for this setting. But it doesn't really matter, barely registers in Nepeta's mind for more than a moment. She finally found someone.

She catches the eye of a waiter and beckons him over. "Two pots of camomile, please and some honey, if you have any."

Rose has no idea what to talk about either. This isn't really the place for in depth catch-up. They could use code, of course, but that seems incredibly taxing and overzealous, especially over tea.

Instead, she thinks of questions that will get her answers without Nepeta having to say too much. "How have you been?"

"Pretty busy! I don't get out too much anymore, so when I do there's always lots of stuff I need to get done."

She wishes that she could tell Rose how happy she is to see her, how she doesn't care what they talk about or whether they talk at all, but that's just a little too odd for what needs to look like a chance encounter between friends.

"How about you? You look purretty relaxed fur the middle of the day, haha."

"I come here often," she says. She shrugs; there isn't much more to it than that. "To write, mostly. The perils of being a published author is that I never seem to stop writing. Sometimes it's interesting to listen in to conversations. Far more entertaining than day-time TV."

She glances at the counter and their tea being brewed. She lowers her voice. "It's good to see you, Nepeta."

"You too," she replies in kind, although the painful sincerity of her words leak through regardless of volume. Her hands clasp together in her lap, almost a safeguard keeping herself from becoming too emotional. "You're the furst purrson I've seen since...a while. I didn't even know you were writing fur real."

"We're all scattered about."

Rose hasn't seen Kanaya for a long, long time. Nepeta is the first troll she has seen since ... well. Things went to shit. She gives her a kind look as their tea is set onto the table.

"Most of us, anyway."

Her hands wrap around the cup and hold still for a moment, just absorbing the warmth and scent of tea. It's been so long since she's done something as normal as this. For years it's been nothing but riots and dingy streets and the rustle of trees that still couldn't compare to the ancients forests of her memory.

"I figured it was something like that; we were nefur that great at sticking togefur."

She sighs and blows away the steam rising from the cup idly. "It's why I'm still around here - efuryone's got to come back eventually."

"Maybe."

Rose takes a sip of her own tea. She isn't so sure. She isn't sure she will trust anyone except Roxy -- or that Davesprite will ever stop running away. She's long since given up on the hope of ever seeing John or Dave again. Meritless dreams, that sometimes when she and Roxy are drunk, they talk about. What if's. Fortune hasn't shown her a happy future in a long time.

But here is Nepeta Leijon, drinking tea with her.

"It was ... more prudent to separate."

"I guess so. I didn't really have an opinion on it until efuryone was already gone."

Her fingers dart out to drop one, two, five cubes of sugar into the cup. Even now she can't help her sweet tooth, can't beat down the sunny optimism in her despite how gray reality's become. Things can always get better - they had to. And if they didn't, well, she'd make them herself.

"It's ok, though. There's purrlenty fur me to do while I'm waiting."

That is an impressive amount of sugar. She doesn't comment on it.

"We're easier to spot in numbers, don't you think?"

Rose keeps her voice down very low. There's really no telling as to who could be listening. She takes a gulp of her tea and shrugs. "It does get lonely, however."

"Numbers don't change that fur some of us," she points out with no small trace of irony as she skillfully maneuvers her veil to shift just the slightest so that she can enjoy her tea without flashing those fangs of hers. There's always going to be some feeling of alienness to Nepeta no matter who she's seen with or how she dresses; it's a fact of life that she's long ago stopped worrying about.

"I wouldn't mind taking a little more of a chance with that efury now and then. You can only tell yourself so many stories, you know?"

"I know."

She gives Nepeta a kind look. Maybe it has been easier for Rose to live in hiding than it has been for most people. Humans are social creatures, but perhaps trolls even more so. Especially for people like Nepeta who thrive on the attention of their friends.

Her tea tastes bitter as she swallows it.

Nepeta's gaze flicks away from Rose's to stare unseeingly at her tea as she's silent for a moment. This entire time her mind has been filled with hope for reuniting with her friends and stopping this horrible government and things flashing by in the present; she's never thought about what might happen if her faith was rewarded and someone from the past actually did return to her. Where does she go from here? Back to the park, pretending as if she's never crossed paths with Rose, back to skulking in the shadows and staying out of sight? It's a painful option, made even more hurtful by the huge probability that it's her only one.

The teacup clinks quietly as she sets it down into its saucer and looks back up, mannerisms hesitant. It's a horrible risk, but she can't let this go. Not fully. "Are you coming back here tomorrow, do you think?"

She's silent for a moment. She stirs her tea slightly and nods. "Probably. Sometimes I throw all caution to the wind and come here seven days in a row and drink every tea they have."

She is half joking.

She only ever drinks three types of tea.

Even if it's exaggeration (she's never really been able to tell with Rose) the thought still makes her laugh. What better way to fight the power than exhaust a cafe's store of hot leaf juice?

"That sounds like something you might need a purrtner to pull off effectively."

"Would you like to join me?"

It's dangerous, having Nepeta so out in the open. Especially in such a confined space. Rose is throwing caution to the wind here.

Even beneath the veil and layers of clothing it's easy to feel the smile creeping across Nepeta's face. She's always taking just a little too large of a chance than she should - what's one more?

"Purrhaps. Maybe I'd be able to keep the milk where it ought to be this time."

"Oh no, I'm afraid Earl Grey requires milk."

She can't drink it without. She refuses to. She is a sham to tea drinkers everywhere.

"If it's wiggler's furst cup of tea, maybe."

Yes, Rose, she just compared you to a diaper-soiling baby-headed maggot in terms of your skill with tea consumption. Deal with it.

Edited 2013-03-06 19:46 (UTC)

Open Post 002

2

(/w\)!!!

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ'

I can't do fancy stuff on my phone ;_;

that's a relief since it took my forever to find that one

ahaha ps I will tag tomorrow iyt is so late cries

haha aw sweet dreams

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