January 14th (Events that occurred directly after 'Battles')
Rayvinn gave a curt nod at his choice, having no stakes in where they had this conversation, so long as they were off of these streets. She brushed the shards of broken glass as best she could from her clothing and hair, feeling the numerous cuts to her scalp, chest, and face begin to sting now that the thrill of battle was over. Of course, they were mere scratches compared to what she'd experienced in the past so they were ignored for now. Leading him away from the boutique with its ruined window and gruesome litter of bodies, she slowed her pace a bit as they turned a corner and the old fashioned neon sign declared "Jerry's All Night Diner" in pink seemed to fade for a moment before buzzing back to life. "I've frequented this place for the several years since I moved to the City. Jerry is a good guy and doesn't ask many questions. Try the peach cobbler." Yes, let's speak of cobbler after ending the existence of four men. Shadow didn't realize this about the woman he accompanied just yet, but this was more the norm than not.
He'd once been baron of this district, and had never even seen the place - a testament to what he'd actually been doing when he held the barony: building an orphanage. That time had comsumed him, but right now he was filled with a very faint regret that he hadn't gotten to know the district better. With Raye's poise and recent display of skill, he had no doubt she knew the 'underbelly' of this part of the city - he was beginning to actually form some conclusions about what she did. Or at least what she was capable of with those knives, and with that commanding presence. Gang lord would be too simple; she fought like a trained warrior, someone who had seen numerous battles. He had his own cuts and nicks, and he might have been able to heal his, and hers, but a display of magic on the street was not exactly a good way to remain discreet. He did step forward to hold the door for her though, gesturing with a hand. "Peach cobbler it is, my Lady," he said with a slight smile, his eyes following her before he himself did. Whether at the diner's counter, or a table, did not much matter. This was out of the way. The pair must have looked quite odd, fancily enough dressed but with obvious signs of having been in a fight.
At first they were greeted by a cheery faced girl in her early twenties, whose eyes widened a little when Rayvinn stepped through the door. She pressed an old fashioned service bell several tiimes and called through the open space between the counter and the grill area. "Yo pops, Miss Olivia's here." She looked back over at the pair and grinned. "She brought some suit with her." Rayvinn snickered a little and inclined her head. "Good evening to you as well, Maria. It's wonderful to see your lovely face. Before your father gets out here, tell me the truth...is he alright?" There seemed to be genuine affection upon Rayvinn's face followed by concern for the man they spoke of. The girl shrugged but nodded. "Stubborn as always, works too much, and won't do what the doc tells him to but whatya gonna do, right?" She picked up a couple of menus and rolls of silverware and was moving around the counter.
Rayvinn shook her head and frowned. "I would have a talk with him but it wouldn't do any good. The man has his pride and far be it from me to chastise him too harshly for taking care of what is his." She followed the words up with another shrug then turned to gesture towards Shadow. "This is Shadow, a friend of ours." Her gaze lingered upon Maria's for just a brief second and the girl nodded then turned a bright, bubble-gum popping smile the baron's way. "Nice to meet you Shadow. We're all friends here. Make yourself at home." That greeting meant more than the simple words thatwere spoken and Rayvinn offered a quirk of a smile before following behind the girl to a booth secluded at the back of the diner next to the only exit. "Your table as always, Miss Olive." Rayvinn smiled and shrugged out of her coat, tossing it into the booth before she slid in.
He'd made the right call in calling her 'Lady' rather than 'Lady Rayvinn', or so it appeared. If these people knew her as Olivia, so would he, in public. Until she said otherwise. He quirked a brow faintly at the 'suit' reference - he had a suitcoat on, to be sure - but smiled nevertheless at Maria's cheerful greeting. "Maria, a pleasure. Thank you," he replied, keeping his words simple. He was faintly embarrassed to be meeting anyone for the first time, with visible cuts and clothing torn by streetfighting, but he immediately felt at ease in the normalcy of the diner. He doffed his coat as well, hanging it at the booth's seat, and took the side opposite the table from her. Another thought had comeinto his mind, an observation. Friend of ours. Either she was using the royal 'we' in referring to herself, or she was indeed part of some greater organization in some way. Another fact to file away, but not to mention here. He was here for an explanation, not an inquest of his own.
"Maria, peach cobbler and coffee for me," he said to the young lady, allowing himself to ease back gently in his own cushioned seating. Simple, perhaps tacky in color, but as comfortable as any fancy baronial furnishing, after the stresses of the night. He thought of ordering for Raye, but that would be taking the gentlemanly bit too far. She knew what she wanted, and she didn't need him deciding such things for her. He was already formulating his words regarding the purpose of the attack, his own conclusions at least, but he'd wait until orders were made before he began. A slight wince as he tried to shift, and a brief grimace, quickly schooled from his face. With adrenaline's departure, fighting just hurt, no doubt about it.
If Maria noticed that Rayvinn and Shadow were disheveled and looking a little worse for the wear, she gave no hint. Taking out her little order pad and a pen from behind her ear, she wrote down Shadow's order and grinned. "That's Olive's favorite." Then she turned to Rayvinn and readied herself for the onslaught. "Okay Maria, let's start with some mozzarella sticks and your dad's bruschetta...to die for. Then some garlic knots, fettucine alfredo with grilled chicken -- that blackened stuff he makes, not the normal grilled. Extra broccoli with the sauce over it too. Breadsticks, some of that spicy sausage that he grinds himself, but put that with his red sauce over some spaghetti and some of those giant meatballs. Peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream, my special coffee." Then she picked up the menu and twitched her lips back and forth as she tried to decide what else sounded good. "Grilled cheese. The grown up one that he makes with the five cheeses, olives, and tomatoes? Make it adouble. Potato salad with that instead of fries please." She closed the menu and handed it to the girl, who was snickering as she always did when Raye ordered food.
Maria?s gaze shifted to Shadow to see his reaction, she could always tell who was a new acquaintance by how they reacted to her orders. Truthfully, Rayvinn hadn't brought many people here over the years. The fact that she had brought Shadow and introduced him as a friend meant they were to keep an eye out. The diner, a front for something entirely different, was a safe place..a port in the storm per se. "You're sure you just want the peach cobbler and coffee? I'm buying." The waif thin elf that had just ordered enough food to feed six smiled.
Rayvinn gave a curt nod at his choice, having no stakes in where they had this conversation, so long as they were off of these streets. She brushed the shards of broken glass as best she could from her clothing and hair, feeling the numerous cuts to her scalp, chest, and face begin to sting now that the thrill of battle was over. Of course, they were mere scratches compared to what she'd experienced in the past so they were ignored for now. Leading him away from the boutique with its ruined window and gruesome litter of bodies, she slowed her pace a bit as they turned a corner and the old fashioned neon sign declared "Jerry's All Night Diner" in pink seemed to fade for a moment before buzzing back to life. "I've frequented this place for the several years since I moved to the City. Jerry is a good guy and doesn't ask many questions. Try the peach cobbler." Yes, let's speak of cobbler after ending the existence of four men. Shadow didn't realize this about the woman he accompanied just yet, but this was more the norm than not.
He'd once been baron of this district, and had never even seen the place - a testament to what he'd actually been doing when he held the barony: building an orphanage. That time had comsumed him, but right now he was filled with a very faint regret that he hadn't gotten to know the district better. With Raye's poise and recent display of skill, he had no doubt she knew the 'underbelly' of this part of the city - he was beginning to actually form some conclusions about what she did. Or at least what she was capable of with those knives, and with that commanding presence. Gang lord would be too simple; she fought like a trained warrior, someone who had seen numerous battles. He had his own cuts and nicks, and he might have been able to heal his, and hers, but a display of magic on the street was not exactly a good way to remain discreet. He did step forward to hold the door for her though, gesturing with a hand. "Peach cobbler it is, my Lady," he said with a slight smile, his eyes following her before he himself did. Whether at the diner's counter, or a table, did not much matter. This was out of the way. The pair must have looked quite odd, fancily enough dressed but with obvious signs of having been in a fight.
At first they were greeted by a cheery faced girl in her early twenties, whose eyes widened a little when Rayvinn stepped through the door. She pressed an old fashioned service bell several tiimes and called through the open space between the counter and the grill area. "Yo pops, Miss Olivia's here." She looked back over at the pair and grinned. "She brought some suit with her." Rayvinn snickered a little and inclined her head. "Good evening to you as well, Maria. It's wonderful to see your lovely face. Before your father gets out here, tell me the truth...is he alright?" There seemed to be genuine affection upon Rayvinn's face followed by concern for the man they spoke of. The girl shrugged but nodded. "Stubborn as always, works too much, and won't do what the doc tells him to but whatya gonna do, right?" She picked up a couple of menus and rolls of silverware and was moving around the counter.
Rayvinn shook her head and frowned. "I would have a talk with him but it wouldn't do any good. The man has his pride and far be it from me to chastise him too harshly for taking care of what is his." She followed the words up with another shrug then turned to gesture towards Shadow. "This is Shadow, a friend of ours." Her gaze lingered upon Maria's for just a brief second and the girl nodded then turned a bright, bubble-gum popping smile the baron's way. "Nice to meet you Shadow. We're all friends here. Make yourself at home." That greeting meant more than the simple words thatwere spoken and Rayvinn offered a quirk of a smile before following behind the girl to a booth secluded at the back of the diner next to the only exit. "Your table as always, Miss Olive." Rayvinn smiled and shrugged out of her coat, tossing it into the booth before she slid in.
He'd made the right call in calling her 'Lady' rather than 'Lady Rayvinn', or so it appeared. If these people knew her as Olivia, so would he, in public. Until she said otherwise. He quirked a brow faintly at the 'suit' reference - he had a suitcoat on, to be sure - but smiled nevertheless at Maria's cheerful greeting. "Maria, a pleasure. Thank you," he replied, keeping his words simple. He was faintly embarrassed to be meeting anyone for the first time, with visible cuts and clothing torn by streetfighting, but he immediately felt at ease in the normalcy of the diner. He doffed his coat as well, hanging it at the booth's seat, and took the side opposite the table from her. Another thought had comeinto his mind, an observation. Friend of ours. Either she was using the royal 'we' in referring to herself, or she was indeed part of some greater organization in some way. Another fact to file away, but not to mention here. He was here for an explanation, not an inquest of his own.
"Maria, peach cobbler and coffee for me," he said to the young lady, allowing himself to ease back gently in his own cushioned seating. Simple, perhaps tacky in color, but as comfortable as any fancy baronial furnishing, after the stresses of the night. He thought of ordering for Raye, but that would be taking the gentlemanly bit too far. She knew what she wanted, and she didn't need him deciding such things for her. He was already formulating his words regarding the purpose of the attack, his own conclusions at least, but he'd wait until orders were made before he began. A slight wince as he tried to shift, and a brief grimace, quickly schooled from his face. With adrenaline's departure, fighting just hurt, no doubt about it.
If Maria noticed that Rayvinn and Shadow were disheveled and looking a little worse for the wear, she gave no hint. Taking out her little order pad and a pen from behind her ear, she wrote down Shadow's order and grinned. "That's Olive's favorite." Then she turned to Rayvinn and readied herself for the onslaught. "Okay Maria, let's start with some mozzarella sticks and your dad's bruschetta...to die for. Then some garlic knots, fettucine alfredo with grilled chicken -- that blackened stuff he makes, not the normal grilled. Extra broccoli with the sauce over it too. Breadsticks, some of that spicy sausage that he grinds himself, but put that with his red sauce over some spaghetti and some of those giant meatballs. Peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream, my special coffee." Then she picked up the menu and twitched her lips back and forth as she tried to decide what else sounded good. "Grilled cheese. The grown up one that he makes with the five cheeses, olives, and tomatoes? Make it adouble. Potato salad with that instead of fries please." She closed the menu and handed it to the girl, who was snickering as she always did when Raye ordered food.
Maria?s gaze shifted to Shadow to see his reaction, she could always tell who was a new acquaintance by how they reacted to her orders. Truthfully, Rayvinn hadn't brought many people here over the years. The fact that she had brought Shadow and introduced him as a friend meant they were to keep an eye out. The diner, a front for something entirely different, was a safe place..a port in the storm per se. "You're sure you just want the peach cobbler and coffee? I'm buying." The waif thin elf that had just ordered enough food to feed six smiled.