Snagglepuss89 — Roleplayer Guild

 
IN A BRITISH THEMED CAFE    
COLLAB BETWEEN @Snagglepuss89 & @Aewin    

Conrad stared at the woman for a long moment, as if the creature in front of him possessed two heads.  Still, he managed to come to his senses and quickly move his breakfast from the middle of the table, giving her ample room to lay her stuff down. With a clear tone of relief he finally replied:

"Apologies, I thought I was going crazy for a moment. It's not every day you hear proper English in this city."

It would be obvious to any native of Britain that Conrad was not born there. It lacked the same authenticity that his breakfast did. The accent was close, and certainly well practiced, but carried just a bit of unnatural harshness on certain sounds. Still, he had obviously either been living there a long time or was very good at impersonating the accent.

He motioned the seat across from him after speaking, adding for emphasis:

"Sit, sit. I'm not expecting company or anything."

Lucia gratefully took the seat opposite, almost dropping the tray against the table in her haste. She wasn't sure whether to not be surprised to find an English speaking man in a British themed cafe or to be surprised to find someone with a somewhat recognizable accent in Paris on her first day in the city.

"I-I'm sorry if I'm i-intruding, I-I'll finish my tea and be out of your hair in a jiffy!" She took the teapot with shaky hands, pouring herself some tea. The familiar aroma released by the tea caused Lucia to breathe a sigh of relief, feeling her heart-rate go down slightly. She took the cup of tea in both her hands, her palms wrapped comfortably around the cup as the warmth seeped into her skin. "I-It's only been an hour s-since I arrived in this city a-and I'm already here d-drinking t-t-tea. I-it doesn't h-help the stereotype, does i-it?" She averted her eyes, praying that the man in front of her didn't mind the stuttering.

"M-my name is Lucia. Lucia E-Everett. I-It's nice to meet you."

Conrad chuckled in response to that, taking a few moments to look over her as she talks. As she poured her tea he sipped his, and took an extra long look at the envelope she was carrying. The one that was, as far as he could see, identical to his own. Still, he made no comment on it.

"I don't think all stereotypes are bad, it just means the tradition of good taste is still going strong."

He paused once more, with an appreciative sniff of the new aroma making it's way across the table.

"I think the French are finally starting to catch on, though. If we don't work to keep our advantage we might just be importing their tea and their wine before long."

With another sip for emphasis, he finally added:

"Still, no need to hurry. If you're going to be a stereotype in a foreign land on your first day then you may as well go all the way. It may be old-fashioned, but I prefer a nice, relaxed tea. It would be downright American to go rushing about this business."

Lucia let out a surprised laugh, one hand unwrapping itself from the cup to hide her mouth as she giggled. "Or it just m-means we're awfully predictable." Lucia added before taking a sip. It didn't exactly taste like what she was used to brewing at home, but the familiar aroma was comforting enough to soothe her turning stomach. The longer she sat with the cup of tea, the more she forgot about her past queasiness.

"I-I think I got the stereotype c-covered already," Lucia gestured towards her suitcase once more. It was brand new, the case shiny, but it was the design Lucia was pointing out. The maroon suitcase had multiple stickers of the Union Jack pasted over her suitcase. "T-this was the o-only thing in the shops available a-at the time." She added as an afterthought, before sipping her warm tea again.

"Hah! My luggage doesn't look much better. If I didn't love my country though, I wouldn't live in it. I've only been here the better part of a week myself. It's amazing, and a bit embarrassing, how quickly one can grow homesick."

Shaking his head slightly at that, Conrad proceeded to finish off the scone he had started earlier, before splitting the second one in half and fixing it up the same way as the first.

"I guess I'm being a bit rude though, Miss Everett. Conrad Richter, the pleasure's mine."

He extended his hand across the table for a shake after speaking, lifting his empty sleeve visibly with a small smile.

"I'd offer you a proper shake, but the other isn't exactly fit for purpose."

Lucia set the teacup down on the tray in front of her, the cup clicking against the small, minimally designed tea plate. Any comments she had died in her throat, as she awkwardly stared a moment too long at the sleeve. Realizing what she was doing, Lucia covered her mouth, muffling the surprised words as her eyes widened. She shook her head, cheeks reddening.

And in one breath, "I-I-I'm so sorry for staring! T-that was t-t-terribly r-rude of me! I-I didn't mean to make you u-uncomfortable!" Lucia inhaled deeply after speaking as if trying to calm herself down. 

"I-I'm really sorry, M-Mister Richter, if y-you w-want me to g-go, I'll g-go." Surely she made him uncomfortable with her staring earlier. At least, that was what she believed, and she regretted it. The tea in front of her was long forgotten by now, and she stared down as she toyed with the loose thread of her skirt again.

Conrad's tea was forgotten as well, but he couldn't drink it at the moment even if he wanted to. He was stifling back laughter- with quite admirable success- as the woman in front of him stammered on. Finally, when Lucia quieted down again he added:

"We can't have this, can we?"

He began, almost stern, before taking the next bite of his scone.

"If you're going to represent the UK abroad we need to work on your stiff upper lip, it's the most British stereotype you could have missed."

Lucia paused her stuttering, looking up to finally make eye contact with the man in front of her in surprise. Did he not notice her staring?  Either way, Lucia couldn't hide the confusion from her face. "Y-you're not a-angry?"

With Lucia, there was no such thing as a stiff upper lip. They've barely spent more than ten minutes together but Lucia had already felt a wide range of emotions in that short period of time. She felt too uncomfortable to take her cup of tea back into her hands, fearing it wasn't good manners on her part to carry on drinking as if nothing had happened. "I-I-I suppose I-I do need t-to work on i-it-"

"Angry...?"

He frowned thoughtfully, finishing half of his final scone before coming to his own conclusion.

"Oh, that the hand humor didn't cut the awkwardness any? Well... I guess I do have an odd sense of what funny is. Still, after the first decade or two, you get used to all sorts of reactions. I even had a man once insist that he shake the stump because greeting with the left hand was never proper."

He sighed with exasperation at the memory, unfortunately not making it up for the sake of a joke.

"I think you're a step above that so far, as little of a compliment as that is."

That was what he thought humor was!? Lucia gawked, barely catching her mouth from dropping from surprise. It wasn't every day that you would meet a handicapped person, especially one that was accepting of their condition to the point of using it as humor. The story Conrad was willing to share was even more peculiar. What sort of men does he meet?

Lucia brushed off the 'compliment', the bizarreness of the situation shifting her mood to one of confusion or curiosity. She wondered if that was the only strange story he had. "Y-you don't seem s-surprised b-by my reaction. I-If y-you don't mind t-telling, what is t-the oddest r-reaction you've e-ever gotten?" Part of her wondered whether the man missed having his arm, but that was probably not a very nice question to ask, especially since she only met the man very recently.

He sighed in response, clearly having an answer ready for this question.

"There was one Summer I was with my father in Wien for some business he had there. As I was exploring the city a Swedish woman stopped me on the side of the street, covered nearly head to toe in paint- Bohemian, you know the type- and asked to paint me."

He took a sip of his tea, the hint of a smile at the edge of his lips.

"Of course, I was flattered like any young man would be to have a woman's attention! However, it quickly became apparent that she had no interest in my charming good looks, but rather this:"

He held up the empty sleeve for emphasis.

"Apparently of all the hand stumps in Wien mine had become her muse. Of course I refused, but the damn woman followed me! First begging, and then offering me money! Once she got up to a thousand Schillings, well..."

He shrugged, as if that summed up the memory.

"Somewhere out there is a painting of my stump, and with my luck, it's part of some famous art exhibit by now."

After listening to Conrad's recount of a strange painter's reaction, Lucia almost felt better about her own dramatic reaction. It brought her some relief that she wasn't the worst he's had to experience, but she still didn't feel any less bad about staring as if she had never seen a stump before. Lucia's shoulders slumped slightly, as she let out a soft sigh to release her tensions.

Lucia reached out to touch the teacup, before deciding it was warm enough for her to finish. She took a delicate sip, before returning it back onto the china plate. "M-maybe s-some day there w-will be an a-art class dedicated t-to you." She thought to herself for a minute, before making a face. It didn't sound like a very pleasant thought, and Lucia didn't even want to consider what she would feel if she were in his position.

She poured herself another cup of tea once she was finished with the first one. She wanted to steer the conversation away from his arm, feeling she might be disrespectful if she continued. "S-so i-is this your first time v-visiting Paris?" Small talk, now that she was good with.

Conrad made much the same face she did, welcoming the change in subject as a break from unpleasant possibilities.

"Paris and France, I admit I-"

He lowered his voice somewhat, in an effort not to offend the patrons and servers around him.

"Never had much interest in the bloody country outside of the history books. Sometimes though life sends you a summons you can't ignore."

Raising his voice once more, he continued:

"And you, Mademoiselle? No offense meant, but you don't exactly seem... inclined towards adventure. Have you traveled much?"

"Y-you're right. I- I'm h-here for..." Lucia was unsure how to explain her reason for being in Paris. Would it really be believable to say she had been invited by a super-celebrity that was willing to grant her deepest desire? As she thought it through, she realized it sounded more like fantasy than reality. Her eyes moved to scan the envelope that she had tucked under her tray, just barely peeking out from the corner.

"I- um, I'm here t-to meet s-somebody i-important." It wasn't exactly a lie, but vague enough so she wouldn't have to figure out a way to explain the reason for her meeting.

He nodded as if understanding perfectly. Her age, the nervousness, an otherwise apparently shy girl in a foreign land. Under normal circumstances, they were the symptoms of a typical cause. With an almost mischievous smile he replied:

"You've come to visit a lover then.."

"No!" She didn't even think before crying out a little too loudly. When the patrons of the cafe turned to look in the direction of their table, Lucia sank down in her seat, almost as if she were trying to slide under the table away from their, and Conrad's line of vision. Her face was inflamed, and she gripped her skirt. She vaguely thought about how her reaction probably didn't help in her case, but she couldn't stop herself.

She waited till most of the patrons looked away, before speaking again. "I-I-I me-mean n-n-no- h-he- we h-never m-met a-and i-it's f-for busi-business! S-sort o-of- b-" Lucia then bit down on her lip as if to physically stop herself from digging her own grave. She was a stuttering mess, and Lucia wasn't even sure if he could understand her through all that mess.

He had expected a reaction but didn't have the opportunity to enjoy his own success. The shout, and particularly clutching her skirt afterwards was giving the wrong impression of what had just happened. With a nervous smile, he met the gazes of the other patrons and offered an awkward wave with his hand, as if to say: Don't misunderstand. Please.

"A-apologies, it seems my humor has missed its mark again."

He offered sheepishly, before trying to calm the girl down once more. At the very least no matter how this day ended up going, he could say it started interesting.

"I'm here for similar reasons, business dealings of a sort. With someone important."

Again with the humor? It felt more like teasing than good humor. She kept her face down, waiting until the blush on her face would calm down before building up the courage to look up at him again. "N-no it's o-okay, I-I over r-reacted a-again."

When Conrad shared his reason for being in Paris, she nodded slowly. "I-I h-hope your m-meeting goes well, t-then."

Conrad had at last finished the final piece of his scone as she waiting to calm down, though it had long since lost its warmth. He had probably enjoyed the exchange more than the woman in front of him, but it had been nice to indulge himself with some light conversation before the day's events were destined to turn serious.

"And yours, although truth be told I think should mine go well..."

Throughout the conversation, there had been a... strain in Conrad's face. The look of someone who was trying to remain attentive to the matter at hand, but was ultimately preoccupied with something unseen. For the first time, though, his gaze lightened entirely, and something that could only be described as peace overtook his features. It was, at most, a subtle change, but there all the same.

"A new chapter of my life will finally begin. Sometimes I can't tell if the thought makes me glad or anxious."

It took a few moment for Lucia to finally realize the change in the atmosphere. From a light, teasing atmosphere it had shifted to something different. She leaned back in her seat, thinking to herself. She felt that in some strange way, she could relate. She understood that if she got her wish, her life would change for the better - it was the only reason she was here, braving new land and people. 

Quietly, she gave her input. "N-no matter what will happen, it'll a-always be f-for the best. E-e-even if it doesn't s-seem like it f-first."

He shook his head, the moment of peace having passed.

"If your philosophy helps you sleep at night then I won't try to convince you otherwise. My experience though has taught me that terrible things happen every day to all manner of people, and there is no reason behind it. Nature is cruel, and if there is a God, then he is even crueler for allowing it."

The reply was hard, but not filled with any sorrow or rage. He spoke more like a teacher, instructing his students. 

"Still, there is no point at being angry at what is, fair or unfair. If misfortune strikes, you work around it. If you are unable to, you perish. Plenty of people live and die this way without ever finding their 'Best' to compensate for their losses."

Almost apologetically, he let the words hang in the air as he sipped the last of his tea.

"But, that makes me sound bitter, no? I've been graced with the chance to meet you, Mademoiselle, and have gotten to enjoy what could be an otherwise unpleasant day as a result. If what happens in your business does not turn out for the best, I hope you can make your own luck out of what hand fate chooses to deal you."

Conrad extended his hand once again, the earlier attempt at a shake having been lost in the awkwardness of the moment.

Lucia understood what he meant perfectly, and she felt her shoulders slump slightly as the conversation took a deep and meaningful turn. Lucia bit down on her lip, thinking deeply about what Conrad was saying. She wanted to debate further, try to reason with him and to see why he thought as such, but Lucia didn't feel like it was appropriate to question him, especially since they had just met.

"N-no, i-it makes you sound i-insightful!" Trying to assure him, Lucia then leaned forward to reach her hand to shake his outstretched one. "I-I'm n-not sure h-how the meeting will t-turn out, b-but even if i-it doesn't g-go well, a-at least I can say I t-tried?" She sounded unsure of herself. She felt a mixture of optimism and lack of confidence bubbling inside as she thought about the coming events.

He grasped her outstretched hand and gave it a firm, if weak shake. Conrad's thin frame apparently offered no illusions about his strength.

"The courage to make mistakes and the wisdom to learn from them. It doesn't matter how the meeting goes if you use it to succeed at your next venture." 

Lucia nodded weakly, taking care to listen carefully to the sage advice. It seemed like a wise thing to follow; but would she really able to handle it should everything go so very wrong at the final hurdle? The sides of Lucia's lips curled downwards as she sat back down. The unpleasant thought didn't sit very well with her. Only time would tell how things would go, but she could only hope it would go well.

"I-I suppose I'll s-say the same to you. I wish y-you the best o-of luck, a-and I h-hope the next c-chapter in your l-life is a good one."

He threw back his head and laughed at that, although it sounded rather devoid of any actual enjoy. He tucked his face down envelope on the table behind his dictionary once more, before finally answering:

"I think if my meeting goes poorly then that next chapter probably won't ever come. All the more reason to enjoy the highlights of this one while it lasts."

Conrad made a motion as if reading a watch that wasn't actually on his hand, before adding:

"I still have time before my business is set to begin. Did you want a hand getting your luggage to its destination? Mind you I can only offer one, but you seemed to be struggling earlier." 

Seeing as the remaining tea still in the teapot had already gone cold, Lucia finished what was left of the tea in her cup before dusting off her lap. "I-It's no bother! I w-wouldn't want to burden y-you." Her voice was surprisingly firm for someone so meek, and upon realising it she cleared her throat. "B-but I-I wouldn't mind y-you pointing the way t-towards the airport. I-I'm supposed to be w-waiting at a spot f-for an e-escort to w-where I need to g-go."

He cocked his head in response, looking at the luggage she carried in.

"The airport? It looks like you just came from there, didn't you?"

"H-huh? Oh-" She slid out from the booth. "I-I just landed a couple hours ago." She said as she lifted the tray long enough to grab her envelope from underneath. "I w-would find m-my way back b-but my phone has r-run out of battery."

He nodded, digging out his own phone in response.

"I haven't been in the city long enough to give directions but..."

After a moment of fiddling with it, he grabbed his dictionary and ripped the second-to-last page out of it, one that was always left blank, then proceeded to detail street directions leading from the tea house back to the airport. 

"... If I'm not being lied to, this should get you there without too much trouble."

Sliding the paper over to her, he replaced his dictionary and phone once more. At the very bottom of the directions, a phone number was scrawled.

"I don't know how long I'll be in the city, but it doesn't hurt to have a contact when you're in a foreign land."

Lucia took the paper, peering down at the writing before looking up at Conrad with a grateful smile. "T-thank you!" With the paper in hand, she felt that she could make it back to the airport in time to find the escort to her destination. She made a mental note to keep the sheet safe so she could save his number once she had the opportunity to charge her phone.

Tucking the sheet of paper into her skirt pocket, Lucia pulled her carry-on bag over her shoulder, envelope and guide in her hand before she turned to face Conrad one more time. Her face was a little more relaxed compared to when they had first met, and she offered him a genuine smile. "Thank you f-for your h-help, a-and for giving me a p-place t-to sit." She repeated, her free hand curling over the handle of her suitcase from behind her. "I hope w-we can meet u-up like this again, i-if you'll still b-be in the city. I-it's nice t-to have a friend in an u-unfamiliar p-place."

"Likewise, we'll have to find a more.... authentic place next time. I still haven't decided if this one is charming or tacky. In the meantime though:"

He raised his now empty teacup to her.

"Cheers."
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