Morning Joe

Posted on Sat Nov 30th, 2024 @ 13:19 by Magali Isebeart & Sarah Bright

Chapter: Besieged
Location: Avalon Institute
Timeline: tbd
2749 words - 5.5 OF Standard Post Measure

The Avalon Institute was an impressive and majestic place by day, few would argue that. But at night? It was a horror writer's delight. Centuries old floorboards creaked and groaned incessantly while underfoot, and the wooden supports hidden behind walls and between floors often joined in the eerie chorus. The latter was likely due to expansion from the proximity of more modern hot water pipes nestled in wherever space had been found. The highland winds rattled every windowpane not tightly caulked, and whistled ominously during their constant search for any way inside they could find. Dim emergency lighting cast ghostly shadows everywhere, especially where the suits of armor and other medieval artifacts kept their silent vigil. And then there were the occasional screams and misfiring powers of the sleeping students, evidence of night terrors caused by the lingering trauma that had led them to this place.

Even for those who firmly didn't believe in ghosts, at night the Avalon Institute could still be a very creepy place.

Thankfully Sarah was one of the few who'd gotten used to it, mostly by being on the of few that regularly experienced it. Normally she was an early riser, her internal alarm clock waking her around 5 am. Several days a week, however, she got up even earlier, around three in the morning--called by some as the witching hour. Even though she had at various points in her life considered identifying herself as a witch, she did not exactly embrace the term. No, she did not get up early to cast spells. But she did often get up early to get coffee... the best coffee she'd ever had.

Today was one of those days, and so Sarah found herself up and fully dressed by quarter past three, and headed to the cafeteria to rinse out her thermos, before bundling up for the early morning bike ride into town to fill it back up. As she did, she couldn't help but wonder what methods Avalon would today employ in trying to scare her out of her shoes.

"Oh, hey, miss Bright," the strange woman with the head of feathers and sharp features offered a happy, toothy smile and a wave. "Off to get your coffee?" she asked, a tall, feathered ear flicking once, twice, thrice in quick succession even as they pivoted towards Sarah. "Speaking of which, I've been wondering, would you like to try some of mine?"

In this instance Sarah's heart did not skip a beat at the surprise greeting. The librarian rarely ever saw Avalon's night custodian before hearing her, but by now Sarah was used to tell-tale sounds of Maggie's presence, usually the swish and splash or a mop or the soft whirring of a floor burnisher, sometimes only the clicking of her taloned feet. Today it had been the latter.

"Oh, good morning, Miss Isebea--" Sarah began to say. She'd told Maggie a few times to call her Sarah, as no one was about at this hour, but they always seemed to carry on with the formalities like it was the middle of the school day. They'd shared this exchange a few times, but just as Sarah prepared for the usual pleasantries her ears registered something different from their usual conversation.

"You've been holding out on coffee?" Sarah said with light, feigned indignation, but then she realized something else in what Maggie had said, something in her tone that emphasized the possessive. "Wait... you make coffee?" She added with a measure of shock. The emphasis in her own phrasing suggested that there was more to her understanding than just the simple act of brewing the drink.

"I uh, I dabble," The owl-coded mutant's ears twitched in amusement, sharp features smiling. She motioned towards the cafeteria proper, as she was just heading there herself. "I experiment a bit with teas and coffees. My potions," the added with a soft chuckle. Once at the cafeteria proper she headed over to the coffee machine, producing a small pouch of crushed beans from a pocket and setting about preparing the coffee. "I get beans from all over the world, then experiment with the flavor, add things until I'm happy. These are Guatemalan beans, lovely with - well, I'd rather surprise you instead of tell you," she added with a smile. "If you trust me, that is."

"Of course." Sarah nodded solemnly, a bit excited about finding another coffee aficionado. Tea was all well and good, Sarah did enjoy it and understood that it was the more popular drink in the UK. She would never turn away a cuppa if she was offered one, but given the choice she was likely to choose coffee every time.

"I used to be in a flavor the month club too!" Sarah said with barely restrained delight as she watched Maggie set up. "My first job was at this boutique cafe near Harvard U. Some days it was fun learning new ways to prep and flavor a cup. Other days it was more fun to tell the die-hard coffee snobs to get lost." It was Sarah's turn to chuckle. "Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against coffee snobs, but when I could serve ten customers in the time it took to make their drink... sometimes you've gotta draw a line."

"I don't think I consider myself a coffee snob. I can drink insta coffee just fine. Though I normally keep some things on my person to add and make it a bit more palatable," Magali smiled, as she set about preparing Sarah's brew. Err, 'potion'. The cup of coffee poured, she reached into her outfit and produced a small sachet and a vial. The contents of the sachet - light brown powder - added to the coffee, then the vial opened, and - ... a moment's pause. "Do you mind alcohol? Just a drop or two, for texture."

"Oh sorry... I didn't mean to suggest you were." Sarah said, hoping she hadn't offended Maggie. Experimenting with different brews and tastes on one's own time and dime was one thing. Holding up the line in a coffee shop to do the same was a different story. She pursed her lips slightly as she considered Maggie's question. She didn't disapprove of adding alcohol, and no reasonable amount of it would make her drunk, but it could leave a lingering odor on her breath. Today was a school day. The students were already calling her Moonshine. She had no idea why, but she didn't want to give them any more reason to. Still, she was intrigued.

"Just a drop, and only if it won't stay on my breath, please." Sarah said a bit distractedly as she peered at Maggie's ingredients with interest.

"Just a drop. Or two," Magali smiled, doing exactly that. Her own brew deserved no less than three drops. How daring! Finally a little bit of cream added, before she stirred both cups of coffee and slid Sarah's over to her. "Here, have a taste. It's just a simple variant, nothing special, but I like it."

Sarah took the offered cup with silent thanks and a warm smile, holding up to her nose, as if to sample the aroma first. "Mmm.... I can smell the cinnamon." She took a small sip at first, primarily to test its warmth, but also to let it sit on her tongue and flow against her taste buds. "Mmmmmm..." She murmured again, almost to the point of a soft, throaty purr. "Brewed from lowland arabica beans for sure, thought I wouldn't have been able to guess Guatemalan specifically. Definitely a half and half cream, but its delicate, like you blended it yourself. Respect." Sarah nodded approvingly to Maggie before turning back to focus on the brew. The rest of her assessment took longer. "The dash of liquor is... clean... tangy, almost like notes of citrus, but I don't think that's what this is. Definitely not whiskey. Is it gin?" Sarah asked, giving it her best guess. If she put alcohol in her coffee it was almost always whiskey or cream liqueur, so this was her weakest category for sure.

"Vodka," Magali beamed, pleased with Sarah's reaction. Her ears flicked happily as she took a sip of her own, eyes closing slightly out of synch as she savoured the taste. "I find vodka's smooth sweetness interacts well with the milder coffee bean, making the whole concoction just that more pleasant. The cinnamon only adds to that, with a little bit of cream for flavor" the janitor explained. "Some times, you just want something sweet that goes down smoothly, you know? This combination serves that purpose."

"Vodka, of course." Sarah said with a slight groan, as if she should've known the answer. Why had she considered gin and not that? She didn't dwell on her error in judgement long though. She took another full sip.

"It is really smooth." Sarah agreed with another pleased murmur. "I wouldn't have come up with that blend in a million years, I usually go the opposite route." She let out a soft chuckle. "I tend to prefer highland beans, Colombian if I can find them. Sprinkle in some chocolate powder and ground vanilla beans. Bolster it with milk and vanilla extract, and a touch of whiskey if I'm feeling fancy. But I'd have this again any day." "Sarah closed her mouth abruptly, part in realization that she was rambling, but also because a an important question came to mind.

"What do you call it?" Sarah asked, with all the playfulness and excitement of a shower attendee asking the mother if she'd decided on names for her baby.

"Uh - the one with cream, cinnamon and vodka," Magali replied sheepishly. "I'm a simple woman, miss Bright. I don't do with fancy names and things like that. Though if you want to christen this potion with something appropriate, be my guest, I'd say," the owl-woman smiled, tapping a claw on the floor as if to emphasize her amusement. "And what you just described sounds lovely. I should very much like to try it some time."

Sarah looked thoughtful for a moment, but merely shrugged with a small smile. "Eh... it's too early for witty names. I'll think on it." Sarah was a simple woman too, or at least, she liked to think she was. She hadn't put a fancy name to her blend of choice either. But a different idea did come to mind.

"You should come into town with me sometime." Sarah said,trying to sound encouraging, but not too enthusiastic. A lot of folks at Avalon did not like to go out into public, and Sarah was trying to be more sensitive about that. She did try to sell the suggestion a little though. "There's this place in town, the Early Birds Cafe. It's a late night diner, but it has the best coffee." If there was a pun to be made, Sarah didn't see it. The notion that the name of the cafe described Magali--wither her nocturnal hours and avian features--a little too well for coincidence went way above her head.

"Uhm - if it's all the same to you, with the current political climate I think I'd rather stay here in the castle where it's safe and I'm not going to be spat on or arrested for the way I look," the owl-woman explained quietly. "But - thank you for the invitation. When - ... .When this all blows over and people like me can walk outside without getting side-eyed I'll surely take you up on the offer."

"Of course." Sarah said, sounding slightly apologetic. She didn't like the way things were, but she understood that fear and consequence were very real things for many people, for many reasons. Simply being brave in defying social conventions could be dangerous and produce lasting effects that not everyone could cope with. There had been women Sarah had been briefly involved with who were fearless, but also exhausting and in some cases terrifying to be around. However strong the chemistry might have been, it couldn't make up for the sensations of dread that spiked every weekend when her date wanted to make plans.

Sarah didn't want to be that kind of friend. She just couldn't help but think that if there was anyplace in town where a mutant might fit in, it would be there... which only seemed plausible because no one truly fit in there. It was a motley mix of night-shift crews, early morning delivery and service workers, and late night sketch balls and drunks. They rarely mingled, but tolerated each other and somehow managed to coexist and a very modest cafe. It was a very interesting social interplay to observe. The reason Sarah thought Maggie might somehow enjoy a visit was because most of the villages other night custodians frequented the place.

For a moment Sarah felt guilty for having the ability to blend into a public setting. Yes, by now most everyone in town knew she worked at Avalon, and would probably assume she was a mutant whether or not she was one, but at least the mere sight of her wasn't going to upend some bigot's already warped hold on reality. Sarah knew better than to dwell on undeserved guilt though.

"Well then maybe we should get together for a coffee here then, when neither of us is working?" Sarah suggested, honestly not knowing if that would be feasible. She had a general idea of when Maggie worked, but knew little about her daily routine outside of the instances when they crossed paths. Sarah was a fairly rigid with her own habits, but by no means immovable.

"I think I would like that very much, yes," Maggie offered with a smile. She'd noticed the apologetic tone and felt a bit bad about that; the other woman was just trying to be kind and friendly and truth be told, she enjoyed her company. Maybe when this whole thing had blown over and spirits had calmed down, they could meet in town for a drink some time. In what little time Magali had spent in New Cresthill - mostly just passing through on her way to Avalon - she had enjoyed the feel of the rustic town with its almost village like atmosphere.

"Me too." Sarah said, returning the smile. She made a show of looking at her wristwatch, not for an excuse to wrap up the conversation, but as an acknowledgement that they both had tasks to complete before the morning arrived. "Well, time to brave the cold then. Thanks for the morning joe." She added after a moment, giving her now-warmed tummy a rub for emphasis before reaching for her ever-present messenger bag to retrieve her beanie and gloves. "Can I get you anything from the cafe? They make great breakfast sandwiches. I'm usually back by half past five."

Maggie considered for a moment, tapping her chin, looking contemplative. "No, thank you, I think I'm good. Thanks for offering though." She said thoughtfully. "I really should get back to work, though. But it was very nice speaking with you and talking potions," she smiled, raising her cup and drinking the last bit. Truth be told, social interactions always took a lot of energy, and she was starting to feel her social battery running low.

"Anytime." Sarah said with an easy brush of her hand, as if to say that she wouldn't think a thing of it were Maggie to ever change her mind. "And it was very nice." Sarah agreed, the corner of her mouth wrinkling in very subtle amusement at the use of that word again--potions. She overheard the D&D kids use that word a lot, but very few others. The hint of amusement was gone in a flash though, as Sarah pulled her beanie onto her head. "Ta ta!" Sarah finished with a wave of her gloves as she turned and headed toward the doors outside to start her day.

Maggie sighed, shoulders slumping a bit, as Sarah left. But, she did so with a soft smile. That was a nice chat, and she had found a kindred spirit in the enjoyment of brews and potions, as well. Maybe this place wasn't so bad after all and could be more than 'just' a place of employment. If only her hermit nature and limited social battery didn't get in the way as much. But those were things she could work on.