Late Night at the Cheerful Corvid

Log Info

• Title: Late Night at the Cheerful Corvid

• Emitter: Ravenstongue

• Characters: Dirk, Eztli, Ravenstongue, Skielstregar

• Place: University District - The Cheerful Corvid Coffee Shop

• Summary: Ravenstongue is having a white chocolate mocha at her cousin's coffee shop when Dirk, Eztli, and Skielstregar all come in for a bite to eat and a cup to drink. Addy Branfeax, Ravenstongue's cousin, is more than happy to introduce Skielstregar to his first real coffee drink, serve a delicious cheesecake to Dirk, and provide Eztli with a baker's dozen of cookies. Ravenstongue's fey heritage is discussed and eventually, the coffee shop becomes quiet again.

University District, late evening.

It's a Ceriday evening in a part of the city that, in some respects, never sleeps. There's always eccentric students of magic that are up into the wee hours of the morning finishing their essays on magical theorems, and there's always the same eccentric students attending a party held by their classmates or piling into pubs. On a Ceriday evening, there's more students attending the pubs than there are in the libraries or in the cafes that cater to the late-night studies of the students.

But the ambience of the laughter and the hollering from the pubs a couple of streets down is quiet on one particular street. It's only a turn of a corner away from a house owned by two half-elf sorcerers, and there's a coffee shop with a sign of a cute, stylized white raven announcing it to be the Cheerful Corvid Coffee Shop.

Inside the cafe are two half-elves--there's Cor'lana, of course, but there's also a girl that could almost pass for Cor'lana's twin standing behind the counter. She's a few inches taller, with green eyes that match her apron that's tied around her waist. "Thank the gods you're here," she says to Cor'lana, handing her a mug of coffee that smells of white chocolate, topped with whipped cream and a small dust of espresso powder. "Ceriday nights are usually so boring. But I make a killing on the drunk kids who come in wanting cheesecake and cookies, so I stay open."

"You mean the cheesecake recipe I gave you, Addy?" Cor'lana says with a snicker. She goes to sit at the 'bar' that's built into the service counter and takes a sip, humming appreciatively.

Dirk comes lumbering into the coffee shop, having spent a productive and lucrative day peddling his furs and wares in the market. It's late now, and he's in the mood for coffee and a morsel of something sweet, rather than a night of carousing in a pub. He really is a black sheep of his people. He leaves his pony Thistle hitched to a post out front, leaving his thunderbelcher holstered in the saddle holster as he makes his way in, reaching up to doff his tricorne. Lulu hop-hop-hops along his shoulder, head twisting this way and that as she blink-blinks at the new surrounds.

"Oh! Hello, Missus Lana!" he booms cheerfully. "Lovely tae see ye again. An' such a fine establishment this is as well!" He looks to the other half-elf nearby and straightens himself up. "A relative of yers, perhaps?" he inquires. Lulu turns her head around and peers at Addy, tilting to one side, then the other. "Hoo hoo!"

Why was he here. He was sore. And tired. His armor was put away. Weapons stashed. Even his usual halberd wasn't present, as it was being tended to by the shamans at the university to get fixed up from an expedition.

The door's bell chime ring-a-ding-ding's as the door slowly opens.

The temperature drops a step as a hulking, lumbering figure walks in. Almost scouring the ceiling. Dead gaze looking down on the two half sil and dwarf. Fangs. Muscles. Scales.

Nervous cough?

"Erm... do... you... you ssserve coffee thissss late...?" the rumbling, deep voice of Skielstregar in his brown tunic and pants timidly asks, tips of his index fingers poking together. "Oh. Shaman Ravenssss. Peace on your nessst."

Coffee, cheesecake, and other delicious snacks late at night? What was there to lose? Eztli had heard from a few students at the society about a small coffee shop that was out of the way. So this night when she had very little to do, it was worth checking out finally! Always a good idea to have decent hang out spots in the back of your mind, anyways.

So the small makari opened the door and shut it behind her, before taking a look around.

"Oh! Hello miss Ravenstongue, and Dirk and Skielstregar! Piece on your nests, it's nice to see you!" She greets. "You're here to get something to drink or eat? I heard it's good, so I figured I'd give it a look for something."

The identified Addy grins as she sees that she now has three new customers. And none of them appear to be inebriated! "Look at you!" she says to Cor'lana. "You're bringing me new customers, too. You really are my 'good luck charm'." She says this part with a wink and a devious snicker.

Cor'lana groans mid-pull on her coffee. "You told me you weren't going to reference that," she says as she puts the cup of coffee down. She turns around and waves to Dirk, Skielstregar, and Eztli. "Hey there, everyone! Yes, this is my cousin's place--mom's side of the family. Adelaide Branfeax, best pastry chef and espresso maker this side of the city."

Addy grins and mock-curtsies from behind the counter. "Call me Addy, please. Adelaide's an old lady's name. I'll make you whatever you want if it's on the menu! Even coffee in the dead of night. Can't be a coffee shop in the University District open twenty-four hours a week, seven days a week, and not brew coffee for all the magic folk that walk in here needing a pick-me-up." She's a chatty one, that's for sure.

Dirk offers a little bow from his waist, offering Addy a warm smile. "Dirk Stormgrip. An' this bonny lass is Lulu! Pleased tae meet ye, Missus Addy." He perks at the mention of pastry. "Ohh, that sounds lovely! I do love me sweets! But most dwarves do, I'll warrant. Got tae keep me figure up, nay? Har!" He slaps his hefty middle with a grin. As the others arrive, he offers them smiles and friendly waves as well. "'lo Etzli! 'lo Skiel! Peace be on yer nest!" He trundles over to a table and hops up into the seat, taking up a menu to peruse. He gives his beard a thoughtful tug, then pokes the menu with a meaty fingertip. "A mocha latte would be delightful, an' a slice o' the cheesecake as well. An' could I get extra cherry with it?" Lulu wings off his shoulder to hop-hop-hop on the table, fluttering her wings. "An' if ye have a crust o' bread or bit o' dinner roll fer Lulu, that'd be a kindness."

Skielstregar turns slightly, his brows perking up at seeing Eztli. "Ah. Eztli. Peace on your nesst," he rumbles, carefully stepping aside so she could get in.

He turns to the others, ducking so he doesn't rip anything off the ceiling. "Er.. hello. Um. Dirk. Peace on your nessst."

He scratches his head. "Thisss one doesss not know thessse wordsss. What isss a la-tay. Thisss one thought thisss place smelled of coffee."

He winces as he shifts a bit, trying to stand very still.

He's way too big for this place.

"Adelaid is an old lady's name? Sounds alright to me." Eztli shrugs. "Still, nice to meet you Addy!"

"Pastry chef too? Oh! Well, that sounds really good, I bet you have some really good desserts. What's your specialty? Oh, and what's your house blend of coffee? I always think it's best to start with what a place is known for, really."

"I guess they don't have coffee shops in Mictlan or Am'shere, so that makes sense. Always a first time to try it, though!" She laughs while addressing the silver makari.

Addy nods to Dirk. "Mocha latte, cheesecake with extra cherry, and Pothy's special, got it," she says, already making her way over to her rather impressive looking espresso machine, appearing to be of gnomish artifice make. She slaps it on the side before pulling a lever. The machine hisses out steam before it begins to do its work.

"House blend's a medium roast. It's imported from Veyshan from a small farm. I haven't been able to visit myself, but I discovered it at the last place I worked at before I opened this place, and the owner said he'd been there to visit and was impressed. That place is out of business now, so I swooped in and grabbed the contract."

She also motions to the espresso machine as it finishes its work, before grabbing the mug and finishing up the process of turning it into a mocha latte with steamed milk and a hit of chocolate syrup. "My machine's from the old shop, too. They were getting rid of it and I wasn't a fan of the new one's output. I have to slap it every now and then, but it makes the best stuff. As for my specialty? Try my cookies. They're the size of most folks' hands, so that's why they're a pretty silver compared to the little ones you get at the market. Lots of room for love and flavor, as I like to say."

She finishes up the mocha latte and pushes it out to the counter for Dirk to take before she reaches into her bakery display case and pulls out the cheesecake. It appears everything in it is kept fresh by a touch of magic. She cuts off a slice and garnishes it with extra cherries, as Dirk requested, before presenting it on a plate with a fork and a folded napkin underneath the plate. And finally... A little bowl filled with peanuts and breadcrumbs is presented--Pothy's special. "Order's up!" she cheerfully informs Dirk.

She finally turns to Skielstregar and grins. "Well, honey, I can help you there. What do you like? Sweet? Bitter? Dark? I'll make something for you if you tell me what flavors you might want to drink down."

Cor'lana just sips from her cup of white chocolate mocha, just happy to let Addy do all the talking at the moment. She's good at that.

Skielstregar is a bit overwhelmed from all the Tradespeak terms, him looking to and fro between all present. Carefully, he finds the sole giantborn chair and sits down onto it.

He winces. "... erm... thisss one likes... sweet they think. And... strong. They have had coffee before many times, but they have found it isss only ssserved in the morning. Thisss one iss tired and wishes for ssstrong."

"... thisss one sssshould learn how to do the magic to make them ssssmaller."

Dirk rubs his hands eagerly as his late night treat gets set down before him. "Och, marry me, goddess!" he booms with a grin. He sets the bowl of nuts and crumbs aside for Lulu. "Here ye are, lass, eat hearty!" Lulu fluffs her wings and waggles her tail, click-clacking her beak happily towards Addy, before she hop-hop-hops over to the bowl. She ducks down and starts pecking at the delicious mix. For his part, Dirk cuts a large slab of the cheesecake and stuffs it into his bearded maw. His eyes widen and then roll back as he groans. "Ohh... ohh Blesshud Lady," he says, utterly enraptured. He chews slowly and methodically, finally managing to swallow. "Och, this is delicious! Mmh!" He cuts another bite and chompfs it down. The old snowbeard has died and found his heaven, and it is made of cherry cheesecake.

"Medium roast, always a good place to start. And those cookies sound delightful, I'll take a bakers dozen, one to eat now, and the rest to take home with me!" Eztli nods. "Sounds like you've wanted to set this up for a while I guess, huh?"

"Sweet things are a good place to start if you aren't used to coffee. It's really bitter on its own, that's why people add cream and syrups to it."

"It's reasons like that why I learned to cook. It actually worked, well, once." She chuckles to Skielstregar."

Addy looks like... Well, the Pothy that's caught the snack, at Dirk's appreciation of her food. She grins from pointed ear to pointed ear, green eyes twinkling. "You can thank Lana for the cheesecake," she says. "And gods, if my food and drink was enough to get me married, then I oughta be doing something wrong. My little twin sisters are married to very rich people and one of them's having a baby. Me? I had to wait for my long-lost cousin to walk through that door with her fiance before I found anyone worthy of my time and my energy."

"More like willing to listen to everything she has to say without interrupting her," Cor'lana remarks. "Telamon introduced her to his cousin, and they've been an item since the first date."

"Yeah, and I'm getting that damn ring out of him A-S-A-P! He's the only man that's ever listened to me! You better hurry up and have your wedding so I can catch that bouquet," Addy says with a huff to Cor'lana.

She turns to Skielstregar. "How about I make you what Lana's having now?" she asks. "White chocolate mocha--a mocha's a coffee drink with steamed milk and chocolate syrup that's perfect for people with a sweet tooth. I like to dust a little espresso powder on top to balance out the sweet and to really get you going."

"I'll pay for it," Cor'lana interjects.

This gets a look from her cousin, followed by a smirk. "I was gonna give it to him on the house. Not in the business of making people pay for something that they don't even know if they're gonna like. Just buy a cookie or something--and don't give me that whole, 'Oooh, I'm a little fey princess, I don't need to eat' nonsense, Lana."

Addy goes back to the espresso machine while Cor'lana flushes a little from the 'fey princess' remark. This time, the machine doesn't get a slap--apparently Addy's in tune with the thing to the point where she knows when it needs the extra motivation and when it doesn't. She starts brewing the espresso needed for any drink that Skiel decides on. "Yeah," she says to Eztli. "Been my dream since I was a little girl to open and run this place. I make a tidy profit now. I'll getcha your baker's dozen once I've got this drink squared away. How long have you all known my cousin? Are you adventuring folk, too?"

Skielstregar huffs once, a cloud of frozen air rolling out from his. "Thisss one thinksss that might be good," he rumbles, glancing to Dirk's enthusiasm. "But you should eat, Sssshaman Ravensss. Brain mussscle needssss food too."

He shifts on the chair, moving his tail around to find a comfy spot.

"Oh. Erm. Yesss. Thisss one hasss known the Ssshaman for... a number of monthsss. Thisss one. Um. If you cannot tell, holdsss the big weaponsss."

He does a little flex of an arm.

Just a little one. Sparkle sparkle.

Dirk tries so hard to make the delectable confection last. But it's just so damn tasty, he makes short work of it. He lifts his plate, scraping at the tart cherry compote and licking it off his fork, making certain to get every last little smear. He sets the plate down with a happy sigh. "Och, that was the best cheesecake I've ever put in me mouth," he says. He picks up his mocha and hefts it towards Addy in a toast. "Cheers!" He tips back a swallow, getting a good amount of whip stuck in his thick mustache. "Aye, I'm an adventurer," he says. "I met Missus Cor'lana an' her betrothed Master Telamon some weeks back. We run intae one another around town, here an' there, as it might be." Lulu perks her head up from where she's busily nibbling at her own delicious treat, wiggling her tail feathers and fluffing her feathers. "Hoo!" Dirk chuckles, looking down at his owl. "Aye, Lulu's an adventurer too."

"No, no no no, cooking isn't how you get someone, it's how you keep someone. Cooking for someone on your first date is a horrible idea, since you're just inviting someone random into your house that you have no idea if they're actually really trustworthy or not. You keep that in the back pocket, so when they come back to your place, or you end up at theirs, they realize how great your cooking is, and that you can give great massages or fix up their pillow they haven't bothered to sew back shut, things like that." Eztli laughs.

"To be honest, I don't know Ravenstongue, Cor'lana, that well. I just met her when I was falling asleep on the Tarien temple in town, and dropped my crimson pen book into one of the bushes outside. Tarien's idea of a joke, no doubt. And I've just bumped into her a few times from there."

"Besides, if I went on any work with Ravenstongue, I'd be redundant. I'll stick to other jobs for the time being, thank you."

Cor'lana smirks. "Skielstregar's kept Telamon and I safe on a few adventures," she informs her cousin. "He protects things. And he might look like a big gentle giant now, but you get him angry..."

Addy looks at Skielstregar and grins, tilting her head as she finishes off the white chocolate mocha with more steamed milk and chocolate milk. "Aww," she says, "that's like, one of my favorite personality types. People who are all big and tall but don't want to hurt a fly until you get 'em riled up. And your scales are so pretty! Your order's up, big guy." She finishes it off with a little dusting of espresso powder on top of the whipped cream--a coffee treat, indeed.

Then she turns her attention back to her display case, pulling out cookies of a variety of flavors--there's peanut butter cookies, chocolate chip cookies, hazelnut chocolate cookies, shortbread cookies, gingerbread cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies, and a few more flavors beyond that that range from the familiar to the more artisanal. They're all placed delicately in a box in a bed of delicate tissue paper that's sealed with a small foil stamp-sticker that resembles Pothy's head--and then Addy puts a hazelnut chocolate cookie on top of the box as she ties it shut with a blue ribbon. "That's my bestseller flavor," she informs Eztli. "I have to make a massive batch of them in the mornings, and then I have to make another batch of them in the afternoon. Thankfully this place is getting so successful I've hired apprentices that help run the place so I can have time off."

She pushes the box over on the counter. "Order's up," she says to Eztli, and Addy leans on the counter now that she doesn't have anything else to do. "Adventuring's dangerous. I'm glad all of you folk are in one piece and good shape. Lana's told me some stories that are real hair-raisers. She can be the fey princess going on adventures and staring gods down in the face. I'm happy to stay right here, safe and sound."

Cor'lana flushes again. "I'm not a fey princess, Addy," she says. Although it sounds like she's denying the princess bit more than the fey part. "And don't worry, Skielstregar. I... actually don't need to eat these days."

Addy snorts. "Eztli's totally right, though," she says. "Pretty sure that cheesecake of yours is why Telamon thinks you're the greatest thing since sliced bread. Eating's how you keep a man. Or a lady. Algar makes some nice jerky. That boy can cook a steak, too. Mmmmm."

Skielstregar rubs his cheek, some ice flaking off of it. "... this one's personality iss a type?" he mumbles. "O-oh. thank you. They are very bright in the sun."

He reaches over to take the cup. And there's a problem. The entire mug fits between his forefinger, middle finger, and thumb. What is this, a mocha for ants?

He gives it a sniff (it gets on his snoot) , blows on it (it actually cools it), and tries to take a sip (maws don't work with cups). He blinks at Lana. "Nonesssense. Sssoftskinsss may not have our muscles and hips, but they still need food. Don't be a picky hatchling."

He knocks his coffee back like it's s shot. He coughs, shivering a bit as it hits his system. "... that is very tasty," he surmises.

Dirk sips from his latte, relishing the fine balance of sweet and bitter. Though he has to pause to lick whip from his mustache with every sip. Lana's statement has the old snowbeard boggling a bit. "Ye... ye dinnae have tae eat?" he asks incredulously. "Great Gilead's Ghost, how's that even work? How do ye live wi' yerself? I'd be miserable if I couldn't enjoy a hearty meal! I'd waste away tae naught but skin an' bones!"

"It is dangerous, but it pays well, so, it has its plusses. And you get to meet intersting people like Skielstregar and Dirk." Eztli chuckles. "My thanks for the cookies, I know just who to surprise with some of them.

She takes the cookie on top, which looks even more comically overlarge in her hand, before taking a bite. "Ah, I can see why!" the small makari enthuses. "It tastes like chocolate, but the roasted flavor of the nuts with it is quite good! And it makes me want to have a nice swig of coffee, too."

"They are good, aren't they? I used to know all the coffee shops in town. One of the perks of basically being fireproof, is that you don't need to worry about the heat. You can really appreciate the flavors that way!"

Addy grins as she watches Skielstregar knock back her mocha and then compliments it. "You want another one, I can make it in a bigger size for you. Granted, probably shouldn't have too much more than that or you'll be bouncing off the walls like a hatchling."

And then there's Eztli's compliment to her cookie, which gets another grin and a nod. "Yup! I developed that recipe a few years ago and it's been a hit with just about everyone. The fact it encourages coffee drinking is just, well... Icing on the cake. Speaking of which, buttercream only on my little cakes that aren't the cheesecakes. I don't do that weird sugary dough that the nobility likes on their massive wedding cakes."

Cor'lana looks to Dirk and... she pauses for a long moment, like she's mulling over the exact words to say and how she'll say them. Finally, she says, "Dirk, one of my ancestors on my father's side of the family is a former member of fey nobility. He's... bestowed some gifts onto me. One of them is that I don't need to eat to live. I can still eat, and I do when I want to share a social meal or simply taste something, but my body is sustained even if I eat nothing."

The sorceress smiles, just a little. "It's a bit of an odd thing, but that is one of the gifts that I have been blessed to receive from Grandfather."

Dirk sips from his mug, listening to Cor'lana as he nods. "Aye, ye've mentioned that afore," he says. "Immortal fey an' all that. Seems rather curious, if ye ask me. But I'm a simple man. But at least ye can eat, so yer nae denied that simple pleasure, eh?" Lulu perks her head up, hoo-hoo'ing softly at Lana, before diving face-first into her bowl. She certainly seems to concur! Eating is wonderful.

Skielstregar snakes his head, him buying two cookies and handing over the coinage carefully. "No, thank you, Baker Addy. This one just needed a little pick up after a long ride."

He considers his choice of words as frost gathers on his cheeks. Monch a cookie. "Sustained, but not enriched. This one suggests protein for muscle. Telamon should approve of that," he teases, him wincing as he rises. "Thank you for the drink and snacks. This one has to get going now. Peace on your nest."

He gives a little bow to everyone, and carefully heads out into the night

"Oh, that stuff? I was never a fan. Marzipan is way better anyways, and has a better flavor. It's good for small decorations for cake, though." Eztli chuckles. "They do have a point. Eating is important, it's good for the soul. Even if you don't need to eat, it couldn't hurt to try some more food."

"Fey prince, huh? Or princess. Sounds interesting, one of my ancestors, somewhere was with a dragon pretty sure. That's why I've got all the scales, and a penchant for fire magic. Well, some of the scales, I suppose."

"Oh, going Skielstregar? Well, see you around, peace on your nest!" She offers in parting to the sith-makar.

Both Cor'lana and Addy wave and offer their farewells to Skielstregar as he departs. "Sure hope he comes back," Addy says. "Big guys are the best customers. They're so sweet, and they buy a lot of sweets. Probably a connection there." She snickers.

Cor'lana, meanwhile, nods to Dirk. "I enjoy it on its own merits," she says, "and in a way, I think it's made the act of eating feel more special. I no longer feel hunger, but it does make the act of tasting things its own experience--almost a luxury. But it's a luxury in that I do it when I have people to share meals with. And a lot of those meals are with Telamon." Her smile is quite fond as she mentions Telamon.

She leans over to Addy and pushes her empty coffee mug to her cousin. Addy quietly takes the mug and washes it in the sink that's some distance away from the drink preparation area. "A lord," Cor'lana says. "He is known as the Feathered One. But he has withdrawn from noble fey society. He dislikes socializing with them--but he loves mortals. His wife, my ancestor, was a mortal elf woman, and, judging by the way he dotes on me, I imagine he was a dutiful husband to her and a loving father to his children. Occasionally he visits me using a messenger spell--and one day I will visit him in Quelynos."

The sorceress's tone takes on a wistful tone, her violet eyes sparkling a little in the light as she says, "And one day I am bound to live with him there. But that is not for a century or more. I am only to go there when I have lived out my life to my fullest."

Dirk listens to Lana's tale, sipping quietly from his mug. It's all so fantastical to the simple woodsman. Like something out of a literal faerie tale. He leans forward a bit, headtilting curiously. "What about yer betrothed, the Master Telamon?" he asks quietly. "Will... will he be permitted tae venture tae the Faelands wi' ye? An' what of yer children? Surely ye won't leave 'em in this wearying world."

"It'd be nice to know where my ancestor is, wherever they might be. But, I'm not holding my breath really. Possible they just died in dragonier when that place fell." Eztli sighs. "But I'm not here to dwell on that, I'm here to eat cookies and drink coffee."

"Is he still a lord if he withdrew from society though? I really don't know how that works really."

"And what's wrong with this world?" She asks Dirk. "Aside from some of the problems, the feywilds have their own. At least from all the tales I read, it's not some wonderful place to be, just, different."

Cor'lana smiles fondly again as Dirk brings up the idea of her and Telamon having children. "Well," she says, "Grandfather is quite fond of Telamon. He has given his blessing for Telamon and I to grow old and pass in Quelynos with him. And our children would certainly not be abandoned--they would be grown by the time I decide I am ready to live out my twilight years there, and we will find a way for them to visit, just as Grandfather's first few generations of grandchildren used to."

She nods to Eztli's sentiment. "There are... cruel things in the wilds," she says. "Just as there are there. It is beautiful and wonderful and wild. But it is also dark and dangerous. I have spoken to fey queens who were beautiful as they were terrible. There is a reason why Grandfather withdrew from the nobility--he is still a 'lord' and has his title respected, as far as I can tell, as I was treated with respect, albeit as a curiosity, in the Court of the Unseelie and at the meeting with the Wee Queen, but he was right to do so."

She scoots out from her chair and curtsies. "I should head back home," she says. The talk of the fey has an interesting effect on her demeanor--there's joy in her smile, but a sadness in her eyes. "Telamon and Pothy are probably fast asleep by this point. Good night to both of you."

Dirk looks over to Etzli, his expression thoughtful. "When ye live off the land as I do," he says, "ye see first hand how wearying things can be. A flood, or a drought, or a blight, an' the bounty withers an' dies." He smiles, then. "But then... the flood abates, the rains come, an' the land heals. An' the land is green an' good once more. It moves in a circle that never ends, nay? The Blessed Lady breathes herself into the world, an' we prosper by Her bounty." He hops to his feet, setting his tricorne atop his head. "Aye, it's late. I should be findin' a bed. But thank ye most kindly fer the treat, Missus Addy. I'll surely be comin' back again!" He digs a few coins out of his belt pouch to lay on the table next to his plate, before whistling through his teeth. "C'mon, Lulu!" The owl hoots, and peck-pecks the last crumbs and nuts from her bowl, before winging her way up onto her master's shoulder. "Safe journeys, all," he says, before turning and lumbering for the door. He unties Thistle and swings up into the saddle, turning to head for an inn.

"Yeah, bad things everywhere, but not everything is bad." Eztli chuckles. "If I can sort of bounce back form everything that happened, most people could, too."

"Sounds like an interesting life you and your grandfather are living though. But owning your own coffee shop and bakery sounds real swell, too. Hard to tell who has the better deal in life really, but they don't need to be compared, either."

The small makari downs the last of her coffee with no regard for heat and sighs. "I should probably get going, too. Not that I have anywhere to be, but the more sleep I can get, the better." She laughs. "Thanks again for the baked goods. Oh! And my name is Eztli, I didn't even mention it. Horrible with introductions really, but that's just how it is. See you around!"

The small makari waves, hoists the box, and strides out the door, into the night. Hopefully she didn't eat all the cookies before she could share them with Slixvah and Nemori. No promises, though.