13282/CofFee Zombies of New York City

CofFee Zombies of New York City
Date of Scene:	05 November 2022
Location:	Chelsea Market
Synopsis:	Two immortals share morning coffee.
Cast of Characters:	Ariah Olivie, Saeko

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Ariah Olivie has posed:
    In the city that never sleeps, several substances and items fuel the over eighteen million people who call New York City home. Money. Gasoline. And of course: Coffee. Like clockwork, at 7 am Chelsea Market opens, allowing the citizenry who aren't on their way to work immediately to file in and start their days. Shopping. Eating. Whatever. So many blearly-eyed residents in a formless blob of a barely-contained mob.

    It's November. The halls are appropriately decked. Streamers, decorations, and jingle-bell-y music permeate every corner of this indoor mall. Joining the joyful holiday tunes is a cacophony of footsteps, mutterances, morning greetings, and more than a few 'Hey I'm walkin' here!'s. But finally, the horrid mob gets their fix. Their morning cup of joe.

    At the fringes of this mob, sitting alone at a table at the edge of the food court, a small woman sits. The girl in the red dress holds a cup of something steaming in both hands, eyes on a morning newspaper that's been spread across the table, discouraging anyone else from sitting there with her. A messenger bag with books visible in the open flap seem to indicate that this girl is a student, even with her fancier dress and shock of white hair.

    Sip. Maybe vampires don't need their morning coffee, but Ariah seems to like the taste.

Saeko has posed:
Technically speaking Saeko didn't need coffee either, but that didn't mean she hadn't come to enjoy it. Still, she'd happily indulge in it...and the usually accompanying sweets. Even if Christmas was now well known in the land she'd once considered home it was still a novelty to her...but she was getting in the spirit of it!

In her 'human' guise lacking tails, ears or whiskermarks of a fox variety she was dressed in what appeared to be a deep red sweater that was long enough and shaped enough it might also count as a dress and what appeared to be shorts that left her legs bare.

Pushing into the door, the kitsune in disguise takes a loving inhale of the scents within

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    In the course of an hour, the morning rush seems to be over and a more sedate feeling falls over the market. It's still busy, to be sure, but many individuals who had rushed the doors were on their way to other offices around and nearby, having wished to say hello to their favorite vendors, meet their friends, and then be off to their nine-to-five. But even as the crowds thin out to people doing more general shopping or grabbing breakfast for later shifts, Ariah is still there.

    The little white-haired woman is still reading the paper, still nursing a cup of coffee that's still steaming. An attentive observer will see the faint hint of a glow just under the bottom of the cup whenever she lifts it to take a sip, a little bit of magic keeping the temperature pleasant while she reads. She's certainly taking her time this morning.

Saeko has posed:
With vampiric senses Ariah would probably pick up that weird mix that was Saeko, familier as it might be but also distinctly different. Of course, the kitsune herself wasn't much different. Her latte claimed and then a scone with it? Well she was sitting herself down at the white-haired girl's table, tilting her head to the side with a grin. "Hello Ariah..." formality might be the norm, but it seemed familiar given their last meeting, even if it had been oh so long ago.

"You look well..."

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    Ariah can detect that oddness. She can detect a lot of oddness in the crowd, really. Mutants with strange scents rubbing shoulders with aliens who have irregular heartbeats. It's a lot of white noise to filter out. Maybe that's why she's been nursing her coffee for so long. A nice, warm, sweet latte. When Saeko sits down, she adjusts the newspaper that's laying on the table, making room for the kitsune to sit down with her. "Bonjour, fox," she says in her usual icy tone.

    Then her head lifts and mismatched eyes wander over Saeko's features and she gives the kitsune a ghost of a smile. "It has been some time, non?" she offers, bobbing her head in a nod. "I would say that I am well, oui. You?"

Saeko has posed:
"I am certainly well," Saeko purrs, herself raising her drink to her lips and taking a sip. "You could say our outing helping those in need lead me to make a habit of it, especially as other mystic threats descended on the city." Another sip, she gently lets her her wander in return. "I had wondered how you had been some nights..." of course, it was also nice to speak with another creature less likely to be affected by the ravages of time.

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    "I am glad to hear it," Ariah says absently as she finishes an article. Then slowly, carefully, she closes up the newspaper and folds it up. No specific sections, just local news headlines. Catching up on the events that made it to print. Fold. Fold. And then away in her bag it goes. "There are many mystic threats, here and elsewhere," she says with a small frown. "I have been spending time in Gotham. It is... gloomy." The way she says the word makes it seem like she's giving it some small amount of praise.

    "But as Mademoiselle is here in New York, so will New York remain my home."

Saeko has posed:
"I have seen Gotham!" Saeko offers lightly, smiling a little. "It's people are...interesting. I met their 'Batman' in passing, he seemed quite interesting though even to me much remains a mystery." She trails off there, nodding her head. "The shrine that is here in New York is the one some have come to know as mine, though it is for Inari of course...and so I find myself called here many a time."

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    "Is there such a shrine in Gotham?" Ariah asks, curious. She takes another sip of her coffee, curling both of her hands around the cup now. She's giving Saeko her full attention. "And oui, Gotham is... interesting. Gloomy. But. Hardy people..." she says. "It is as if they are used to their lot and simply... plod onwards towards a morning that will someday come, non?"

Saeko has posed:
"Not as of yet, not that I have felt...perhaps some will build one eventually." A shrug, the fox-in-disguise considers for a moment. "A discussion to have with a friend of mine who invited me to attend the city. Perhaps she would be interested in such an idea." Ariah's assessment brings a smil, a little nod of her head. "Human beings are amazing, what they will learn and overcome to go about their lives."

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    Ariah nods slowly, "They are. It is not so long ago that I was human. And in that time, it was a fight for survival at an extreme..." she says quietly. "I and my people had to overcome much. But in the end," she says soberly, "Most of them now are dead, but it is with a legacy of hope to carry forward. That is not strictly a human concept. Hope. An unbreakable desire that drives many forward." Another slow sip of her coffee. "Even one such as myself has hope for a future, for instance. A better one. Yet mistakes of the past and demons, both literal and figurative, remain."