Pub Lunch

[Morgan Lake] A pub, at . . . lunch time. Morgan is here for the turkey and cheddar sandwich on a pretzel roll and a coke please, dressed as ever in preppy casual that would look right at home . . . on a tennis court, today, in the white, pleated skirt and matching top. She walks in like she owns the place, all long limbs and red hair, and she's led to a table between the bar and the booths, being a single and all. This leaves her in sight (and hearing, if hailed or if she felt like listening in - but she doesn't usually, and today is no exception) of Thomas and Lara, one of whom she knows and the other, she doesn't.

She may well see them first, and when she does, she blinks - but only gives a little wave and a smile, if either of them looks her way.

[Thomas Taylor] He downs a good portion of his larger. He waits until she order and then looks back to her. “Oh pet it ain’t you an Nat, don’t fret, am sure she rocks yer world an you ‘ers, go for gold 69 all the way!” He holds up his drink.

“Nuthin’ you need to worry ‘bout pet, it’s not my business to messin’ in the affairs of others, that just ends badly, trust me with that.” Fingers tap on the table...James the player, the deaf, singing player. After that bloody sob story about his wife dying and everything. He would not be surprised if it was all made up bullshit.

Lara see’s a temper now in Thomas, a passionate wellspring of hormones and rage. He takes a breath, a deep breath as he closes his eyes and when they open it is dulled, almost gone. He was still weak from everything that outburst should not have been seen.

“Don’t fret ‘bout it pet, all back of the bus.” So focused at the moment he does not notice Morgan

[Lara Wrathburn] Lara listens to the man's outburst...but doesn't seem put off by it. If anythign it makes her far more curious as to what lay beneath. But when he says he's alright, Lara looks about the room, examining the pretty little thing called Morgan, but doesn't call out to her just yet, if their gaze meet however she would waggle fingers in greeting a smile on her face before she looked back to Thomas.

"Have another drink Tommy...it looks like you need one."

[Morgan Lake] Morgan's pointed to a table and she nods her thanks and puts in her order all at once, so as to save time but doesn't sit down just yet - she gives Lara a smile, friendly in a preppy sort of way, then moves closer once she realizes it's Thomas that she's with. "Hey," she says, and it's warm, comfortable, for all that they are three very different bits of the social spectrum. "I won't intrude for long, but I saw it was you, so . . . hi." That's for Thomas, of course, and then?

"I'm Morgan," for Lara. "I think I've seen you before - we have people in common, maybe."

[Thomas Taylor] "Have another drink Tommy...it looks like you need one."

He downs his bottle wipping his lips with the back of his hand “Yeah pet, I cud.” He then looks up as he senses her also now she got closer. An eyebrow raises on his face What were the odds...He looks between the two women as they do introductions “Yer not intrudin’ pet, pull up a pew join us.” He pats a place in the booth moving around which of course put him closer to Lara.

“Le Fay meet Succ, Succ meet Le Fay.” As they do there real names.

[Lara Wrathburn] Lara smiles at that and accepts Morgan's greetings in a very friendly way, Morgan might think she might try to hug her...if she weren't sitting down, but then the worst happens, and Lara's cell phone goes off. She frowns, and she looks at it.

"Sorry I've got to go." She says as she slides out and puts her leather coat back on. "Business calls." She says with a wink as she throws down forty dollars. "That should cover my round...and the poppers. Enjoy it...both of you." She says with a waggle of fingers and a wink towards Tommy.

"See you later." And at that...she saunters out.

[Morgan Lake] ".....Succ?" It's asked with a raised eyebrow of her own, curious but as if she's not sure she wants to know; then there's Lara's phone, a polite nod good bye, and hesitation before sitting down. "Sure you want the company? She was . . ."

Something. And Morgan the Confident, the Arrogant, isn't completely immune to girlish insecurity - far from it - even when there's nothing in her relationship with Thomas to be insecure of. They're friends, and him having other girl friends (or girlfriends) has nothing to do with that. So says her logical mind, anyway, and her less logical mind is muzzled and caged quickly. And, assuming Thomas does want the company, she slides in next to him rather than across from him.

"Anyway, you're looking a little better than yesterday. Feeling it?"

[Thomas Taylor] He waves after her “Let me know wen yer playin’ next, I’ll set up me market booth!” He looks back to Morgan. He smiles to her, it always seems to brighten his day a little bit when he saw her. He looks to his empty bottle and the 40 on the table then back to her “Course I want company, pull up a pew, Succ for Succubus she’s an OD...” He waits until she sits next to him and he speaks quieter then “A cultist, an kind of a flirtly one, told me sum gorl like ‘er wud eat me soul, seemed fittin’ but told ‘er I wasn’t into older women.” He laughs at that, they had some good banter him and Lara, it was amusing.

“Well am feelin’ alot better actually pet, ‘ad an amazin’ day yesterday, with this lovely red head..” He smirks “You most likely don’t know ‘er but yes am robin ‘ow you doin’?”

[Morgan Lake] The waitress comes with Morgan's drink and sandwich, and asks Thomas if he'd like another beer (Morgan says nothing, though there's always that feeling of quiet judgment, whether she means it or not), just when Morgan's chuckling her amusement. "Good to know you're having some fun. And that you're feeling better," she adds, nudging a shoulder companionably - there's space enough between them that they aren't touching unless one of them initiates it, but she's close enough that it could be initiated, like at the bench over the water yesterday.

"I'm alright. A good night's sleep works wonders and all that."

[Thomas Taylor] She told him some other things as well, some things that he wanted to let spill, let slip but that was not fair, it was unsporting and he tried, tried his damn hardest not to get involved with the affairs of others, it was none of his business...thought he wanted it to be.

Then the waitress comes over as he nods “Aye pet that be grand.” He smiles and looks back to Morgan. She can judge him if she wants, he will still be him. “Yer right a robin’ night sleep can do you wonders thought I always ‘ave a great sleep, deep sleeper me bro always said I could sleep through a fire alarm if I ad too.” She knew about his brother, he was feeling better today more upbeat so he mentions it. Not for their conversation to get deep, it was more of openness to it, an honesty.

“Met Succ in the buskin’ thing over in the park, robin laugh she was checkin’ out the competition.” He turns to her “So everything robin, no overnight drama?”

[Morgan Lake] "I just sleep normal," she says with a shrug. "Though Daddy had a hard time getting me out of bed for school at least as often as not. Early mornings are only good when they're spent running, and thank goodness I don't have any classes until nine this semester."

It's still fairly early, and a light mention of her dad as well; tinged with just a hint of sadness (of someone important to her missing), it hovers there, but she's not aiming for depth or seriousness either. Instead, she's going for what she said she wanted - friendship - and never mind . . . well, never mind a lot of things. There are way more important things to focus on than feelings and the like - there's university starting in two weeks, and a quickly approaching new course of magical studies as well. Everything else is secondary to those at best.

"What's she play? Or does she sing?"

[Thomas Taylor] “Succ does loads, plays violin and piano, does a touch of singin’ says she dances like a demon...” He chuckles lightly, trying to focus on now the other things she said than the one playing in his mind. It was early and the waitress comes over with the poppers and his drink. He looks at the cheese filled jalapenos and shrugs “He who dares right...” He picks one up and bites into it he chews it for a few seconds then his eyes widen...he looks around picking up a napkin and putting it too his mouth and spitting it out...

“Mouth...fire...fire...” He snatches his beer and takes two big gulps, sat back a finger touching his tender lips “Jesus....” Ah it would seem Thomas has not had proper Jalapeno’s before.

[Morgan Lake] ".....really? It's hard to get properly spicy jalapenos here. May I?" Morgan looks surprised at Thomas' reaction and knew exactly what the fried things were once she saw them. Assuming permission granted, she takes one and eats it, then pushes her plate between the two of them so Thomas knows he's welcome to try her sandwich if he so desires. "Yeah, not so spicy. A bit of kick, but that's about it. Try them with ranch dressing, maybe?"

Almost a normal couple of late-teen early twenty-somethings, sitting there - an attractive pair, if oddly mismatched. It's not lost on Morgan how strange the two of them must look together, and how much more fitting of a companion (by appearances, anyway) Lara is for Thomas. It leaves her lips quirked wryly, amused at something in her head.

[Thomas Taylor] He blows air through his lips “’elp yerself pet, jesus, me gobs on fire...” Then she mentions they are not that hot “They get hotter....give me a vinderloo anyday, or sum spicy sauce on a kebab.” He looks at her sandwich but she had hardly touched it, it was rude she relies on his liquid diet to sustain him for now.

He watches her eat it like it was nothing and nods “don’t really ‘ave these over the pond, a small one like on a curry sum lemons.” He then leans forward as she smirks closer to her but not breaking her personnel space “Wat you amused at pet, old Tommy lookin’ a tit?” He laughs, an infectious laugh.

The more they seemed to hang out the more normal their conversations got which was strange; you would think it would be the other way around. Normal first then all serious things like magic and family.

[Morgan Lake] "Of course not," she says with the same wryness that colors her expression. "Just . . . contrasts, I suppose. Shallow stuff." There's a dismissive wave of her hand and another popper snitched, eaten, before she picks up the half of her sandwich she's already nibbled, which leaves a half for him, if he wants it, even if he does wait until she eats a bit more.

Leaning over is what gets him closer to her, as she'd chosen to sit next to him rather than across; when he leans, he can see bare knees and thighs below the hem of her white skirt, and that Morgan sits like a lady at least in these clothes. Though there's a momentary flicker that might be discomfort, there's also resolve and she doesn't move away, but instead turns her head to look at him. (Their faces are very, very close.)

"I like curry and sauce on kebabs, too. But there's something to be said for poppers and face-melting chili and stuff like that, too. I might have to introduce you to these American wonders, some day."

[Thomas Taylor] He does glance downward but just a moment as he stays leant in close “you cud introduce me to alot pet.” He smirks, cheeks hollow a touch with it as his lips move a wink then he sits back letting that distance widen again.

“Le Fay, not sure I cud ‘andle these popper, if thats just the mild kind the real ones most burn yer whistle.” Once she has had half he does pick up the rest “Don’t mind if I do, cheers Le Fay.” He has a few bites careful to mind his manners in front of her.

He almost thinks to ask about James, how he is doing and all that but thinks better of it. Maybe she knew then who would look like a fool, I mean it was no different from the other night. Her and James were not in a relationship (That he knew) so how much of a hypocrite would he seem like. It all comes out in the wash he tells himself, what comes around goes around and he was having too much fun at the moment to be spiteful. She was having fun too and that would be mean.

“I got a guy on the dog this mornin’, think I can ‘rangle ‘im to lend me sum space to work on yer motor, give us a few days will let ya know.”

[Morgan Lake] An eyebrow raises at the first, and her answer is not only wry, but so very, very dry. "You've already been introduced to that, if I remember correctly. My feelings may be hurt if you don't - I would hope I'm not that bad at it." She knows she isn't, in fact, on the bits leading up to, but that's neither here nor there; for the most part, she's teasing.

Then there's the bit about the garage and the car, and pleasure at good news lights up her face; he's moved away and she turns her attention back to her sandwich to take a bite, chew and swallow before answering. "Oh, that's great. I really appreciate it, you know; the garage I take her to is alright, but they all look at me like . . . I don't know, 'the little woman' or something. Like if I'm going to be in their place, it should be in short shorts and a tight, low cut shirt looking like I'm about to give some tool or part a . . . well, you know." She actually blushes a bit, then shrugs. "It'll be good to go to a friend instead, you know?"

[Thomas Taylor] A loud laugh erupts from his lips as he pats the table twice. “Pet thats too robin...I ain’t forgotton. My first American, an only presently, keeps me warm at night” Lips purse a moment with a knowing wink. He did not need to add the last bit but he did. A hint perhaps at the knowledge he had gleaned from Lara not that Morgan would know from his lips. That had been decided already.

“Well pet I’d love to chat all day, got to see a amn ‘bout a dog, and a few other bits an pieces.” He does not stand, not yet.

“Anywhere I can walk ya, if if yer not busy later perhaps give you a buzz on the dog?” He holds up thumb to his ear and little finger to his mouth. Tom’s universal sign for phone.

[Morgan Lake] "Oh, I'm just eating, then sitting around somewhere to study. My books are in the car," she says, then, "You can always call, and if I'm busy I'll say so."

Why 'phone' equates 'dog', Morgan doesn't understand at all - but she's come to a tentative sort of agreement with Thomas' slang. Said agreement is that if she can work out what he means, she just doesn't question it; she's not good at most languages, doesn't retain them anyway, and his Cockney may as well be some obscure form of Ukranian for all she recognizes of it sometimes. "But yeah, you can walk me to my car, if you want."

She, being healthy and young and an athlete, can eat remarkably quickly when the situation calls for it, and her manners are still impeccable. So, once her half of the sandwich and a few more poppers are eaten, she says, "Let's go, yeah?" And puts down her money for the bill so they can do that.

[Thomas Taylor] ((Fade))