lionhandler | IC Contact

Yᴇᴀʜ, 2 ɪs ꜰɪɴᴇ. Sᴇᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜᴇɴ.

-Sʜɪʀᴏ

[ Just like his letters, Shiro's arrival at the restaurant is prompt--he gets there a couple of minutes before two, in fact.

...Buuuuut he figures Alice to be the "at least fifteen minutes early" type, so he starts glancing around for her as soon as he gets there. ]

[He would be right on his mark. The blonde is indeed already there, settled in a corner seat with a general good view of the cafe itself. There's a brown leather jacket draped over the back of her chair, the strap of a bag visible over one side as well. The woman herself is dressed fairly blandly - off-white short sleeved button up and dark brown slacks.

There's a notebook opened up before her that she appears to be reading over. It's fairly obvious she fully intended an early arrival to do just that, though she has at least had a coffee pot and cups brought by. She seems about to pick up her cup when she blinks a bit and her eyes snap up to focus around the room. The slight tingle against the back of her neck isn't harsh but there's certainly something here that ought to draw her attention.

That something is evident though when she makes note of Shiro. At least it's a small enough place that a light wave of her hand ought to be enough to garner attention, if not from Shiro himself then from a waitress who can lead him over.]

[ Ah, there she is, just like he figured. He gives her a friendly smile and wave in return as he makes his way over. And... oh, she really did bring notes. He's not surprised, but he hopes he doesn't seem unprepared for not having any of his own. He's always been one of those obnoxious people that picks up on things quickly enough to make notes kind of superfluous.

It's warm enough here in the cafe that he takes his own coat off and deposits it over the back of his chair before he sits down. Which makes this the first time Alice would have an opportunity to see his prosthetic arm in full. Oh, he's wearing a long-sleeved shirt, sure, but fabrics less thick and stiff than leather tend to get caught in the elbow joint, and not only is that bad news for any shirts it happens to, it's also a really weird and unpleasant sensation, so. Painted-on shirts cut short on one side and vests over top to make up the difference is just his aesthetic now, he's accepted this.

Buuuuuut they're not here to talk about Shiro's fashion troubles. ]

Hey. Have you already ordered?

Just the coffee at the moment.

[She considers her cup a moment, adding with a little chagrin to her tone:]

It seemed like the best way to start.

[They always did that at meetings anyhow. And that's about the extent of her regular socializing beyond visiting her sisters or overly stuffy nobility parties.]

I've never really cared for the stuff, personally.

[ He has... probably also had to deal with worse living among aliens, but the beauty of being in a place populated by humans again is he doesn't have to settle for things he doesn't like. ]

Do you want suggestions? The Reuben here is pretty good, and they've got a grilled cheese with tomatoes and bacon in it, I like that one.

It's an acquired taste, I think. I've had too many late nights to really hate it now.

[Plus Sergent Major Lili prided herself far too much on her coffee and tea making skills to let anyone in the office go without a cup.

At the suggestions Alice actually pays attention to the menu now, Miss One-Track Mind that she is. It's not exactly extensive but one wouldn't imagine it to be in a cafe like this.]

I've never heard of a Reuben.

[After a moment she notes in an interested tone:]

That wouldn't be the first new thing I've run into here, of course.

It's a corned beef sandwich with sauerkraut and a special kind of sauce. It's sour, if you like that kind of thing.

[ A thoughtful look crosses his face. ]

It's a pretty specific sandwich. I wonder if they have it here by coincidence or if they learned how to make it from an Otherworlder. Have you been to From the Hearth yet? They specialize in Otherworlder dishes, so it's a great place if you're missing something from home or if you want to try something new.

[ He eats there a lot. ...He eats at a lot of places a lot, really, but the Hearth is a particular favorite. ]

Oh, sauerkraut! Now that's certainly familiar.

[What pseudo-German world wouldn't have sauerkraut? There's a soft glow around the blonde as she seems pleasantly intrigued by the new dish. At the question she shakes her head a little, though her smile does quirk a bit.]

I haven't been but I do know someone who works there. She's cleaning the rest of the glitter off my uniform actually. I tried my best but... well, I'm afraid I'm no laundress really.

[That's putting it mildly. This is about when the waitress comes up to take their orders and there's no hesitation on the blonde's part. She does ask for tea though to replace her empty coffee cup.]

[ He's still not tired of seeing her glow. It takes a lot for him to feel happy enough to manifest any signs, so the ease and frequency of hers is charming.

Shiro orders a glass of water and a double order of the grilled cheese he mentioned earlier, and while the waitress is here, he takes the opportunity to ask where they got the Reuben. Turns out it is something that they learned from an Otherworlder, after all. The conversation doesn't take long, but it's long enough to give the impression that he eats here often enough to be familiar with the staff (because he does) or perhaps just that he's naturally very sociable and charismatic (which, to be fair, is also true).

After that's all taken care of, he turns his attention back to Alice. ]

I'm glad you found somebody who could help you with your coat. I didn't realize it'd cause so much trouble, or else I would've used my coat instead.

[At that Alice looks surprised. Was it a mistake to mention that? There's a brief moment of horror that Shiro may feel guilty and it leads to the blonde waving both hands quickly.]

No, of course not! As a military coat, it really ought to be used in these sorts of situations.

[Ah. She scratches at her cheek a little. The other Alice had found that sentiment a little odd, hadn't she? It's not the first time something about her has been odd of course but Shiro seems a good enough ... friend? Yes, of course, he wasn't a colleague after all. He seemed good enough to deserve a little somewhat bashful explanation.]

In the end it's just a coat. I do attach meaning and memories to it but the memories are the most important part. If it can be useful to someone else then I don't mind damage of any sort.

[ He really just meant that his coat would be easier to clean, but he's not going to make an argument about it. The memories attached to the coat are a more interesting subject. He definitely gets attaching meaning to a uniform, with his feelings towards his Galaxy Garrison uniform or his Paladin armor. But there's a pretty major difference between the two, based mostly on one very significant factor. ]

Has it seen you through combat before?

[At that the blonde smiles a bit. Her glow has slacked off but she's obviously pleased.]

Many times. It's what reminds me of my purpose after all and my pride in who I am.

[If it sounds a little dramatic, it probably is. Alice is a creature of heroic idealizations at heart, even if they do come tempered in realism nowadays.]

Then you should take care of it. It's not like you can get a replacement here.

[Alice can't help but laugh there.]

I've been lectured on that already. I promise that it's been retired for now.

[Her brows perk curiously. She'd come today to talk more about the worlds around Verens but she's ending up more curious about things in Verens itself today.]

You don't happen to know another Alice, do you?

I think you're the only Alice I've met here.

[ He actually has spoken to Alice Margatroid before, but they didn't exchange names, and it didn't leave him with a very positive impression of her anyway. ]

Why?

She's the one who lectured me on my coat.

[Her expression flattens some.]

Actually she lectured me about dressing appropriately for events. It was a very confusing conversation.

Is something wrong with the way you dress?

[ It seems fine to him? Not very stylish, admittedly, but there's nothing wrong with that. It's not like the Boreas Harvest Festival was anything to dress up for, anyway. ]

Apparently military wear isn't appropriate for a festival. It's not an occasion for fancy dress however.

[She settles back into her seat now, arms crossed even as one hand drifts to her chin. It looks like she's really, honestly contemplating this.]

My sisters insisted a military uniform has no place at any sort of party. I could understand field uniforms but formal military dress --

[This is where the returning waitress cuts her off to deliver food. It's for the best honestly and it seems to remind Alice what she's here for in the first place as she has to pick up her notebooks to make room for her own plate.]

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