** This is an adapted piece and is truly a joint posting effort. Thanks to everyone involved! It was great fun **
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Russ waited until London was good and gone before he threw on his jacket. It didn't seem like a big thing but considering the date, London leaving the flat on his own accord after calling a friend to see if he wanted to hang out - well, that was huge after the weeks of binging. Russ first called Bast and let him know. They talked a few minutes then Russ decided he would take advantage of the alone time. What better thing to do than taking a walk to clear his head? He shrugged into his jacket and headed out, hands in his pockets. The snow was starting again and was falling in fluffy flakes. It was the kind of snow that was pretty as it fell and would coat all the grime for a while giving RhyDin a fresh and almost innocent look. It was cold though and Russ wasn't of a mind to go back so quickly. The inn held no allure for him and not even the call of the beer was enough to get Russ to turn his course that way. There was always the Teas. He glanced around and realized he was only a couple of turns from Katie's shop. Now there was an idea. He could go by and say hello to Katie. He adjusted his course and stepped up his pace. Before too long it was in sight and he was able to pull the door open, the bell ringing to announce his arrival. He took a few steps into the welcome warmth, bangs falling freely over half his face. "Hello?"
Katie sat in her place behind the main counter. She had been considering closing up but hadn't gotten quite enough motivation to actually go lock the door just yet. She heard the familiar door bell and smiled. The papers she was holding fluttered when she lowered them to peer toward the front door of her precious shoppe but a display she'd recently moved stood between her and the door so she didn't get a good initial view of the visitor. She wore her usual; comfortable baggy sweater over equally comfortable slacks and big fluffy slippers since it was her shoppe after all and she was quite able to wear slippers if she wanted to wear slippers. Her hair was a little longer than it had been, dark layers loose around her face and shoulders. "Can I help you?" She leaned a little to get a better view of the front door and then her face lit up. There were only a few people who could get her to smile quite that quickly quite that large and he was one of them, the newest to the circle of friends. "Russ." She stood and came shuffling around the counter in her slippers so she could give London's best mate a hug of greeting. Her fingers darted up to push his bangs back and then she pressed her cheek against his in greeting. She leaned back to pat his cheek. "It's good to see you." She looked toward the door then up to Russ again in question as if to inquire where London was.
Russ carefully closed the door behind him and then grinned when he heard Katie say his name. She was a sweet and gentle soul. He often wondered how she and London had met; they were an odd pairing if you asked Russ but Russ was not yet bold enough to ask that question of either of them. In spite of the sweet and gentle part, Russ had to admit that Katie intimidated Russ somewhat. It wasn't the same way that Russ was intimidated by Bast. Maybe it was because Katie had known London for as long as she had. It was important to Russ that Katie like him as well. He gave her a polite hug back and grinned at the press of her hand to his cheek. "It's nice in here as usual, Katie." It was warm and cozy here. It always was. "I wasn't sure if you would still be here or not. Figured I might stop by to say hello." He shifted from one foot to the other. Russ wasn't a huge tea drinker but then his experience with tea was limited. Ice tea, long island iced tea and that black stuff were all the options he really was fluent with. On the occasions that he'd visited before, she had always had something interesting to try though.
After the hug of greeting, Katie took Russ by the arm and led Russ back to the counter. "I'm glad you did. It really is good to see you. I'm surprised London isn't with you though." She dragged a stool out for him to take and then went around behind the counter as was her normal custom. Without giving Russ much opportunity to object, she set water on the heater and began warming it for a pot of tea. She knew of his lack of tea experience and had taken it upon herself to broaden his horizons. "Is everything okay?"
Russ watched her get the pot on the heating element and gave a grin wondering what she was going to brew this time. "Everything's fine. London called up an old friend and went off to go to a fair or something with him."
She turned quickly, brows lifting quite high. "London went out? On his own?" She grinned wide. "Really? With who?"
Russ chuckled at her grin. It really lit up her face. "Keegan, I think."
"He's a good boy." Katie lifted her shoulder in a little shrug of excitement and then eased herself back onto her stool. "Honestly, I hadn't been as worried about London since you got back. You stay over quite a lot, dont' you? I've noticed that London has really perked since you got back. Though," her fingertips tapped the countertop, "I do think he drinks a dreadful amount. I don't see it getting any better until, well, you know." She offered a wan smile then lifted a hand as if to still any words of excuse from Russ. "I don't blame you for his drinking, Russ. There's only so much we can do for him, isn't there? He is his own person."
Russ nodded. "True." Maybe this was what London needed, getting out and doing things instead of letting the ghosts of the past haunt him. "I'm glad he's out and about. I'm sure he'll have a great time. I almost went to the inn but realized I just don't feel like it tonight." Russ slid off the stool and stepped to one of the displays to get a closer look at some of Katie's wares. "I thought about the Teas. Your shop was closer though."
Katie agreed with a grin. "Yes, I'm sure he'll have a grand time." She watched Russ get up and wander to one of the displays. "You're always welcome, Russ. I'm glad you stopped in. I was thinking about closing up for the night but hadn't quite gotten that far. Besides, I needed someone to share a cup of tea with before I close for the day." Speaking of that, she turned to inspect the tea pot she had warming. Her tone was casual on her next question, "You and London are growing quite close, aren't you?"
"What kind of tea are you going to make?" He was amazed at the number of different kinds of tea that Katie had on her shelves. He didn't dare say anything like 'oh tea is tea'. She might give him that look of displeasure, the one she leveled on Bast at least once when Russ could see it. Russ didn't want that look aimed at him. "London uses the term Best Mates. I'd have to agree that I think he's probably my best friend here." No use bringing up the missing Griff. He wasn't sure how much Katie knew about Griff and at the moment he didn't think it was a good idea to give her something to ask London about. Russ could see that Griff's disappearance was more a bother to London than London openly admitted. Russ peered around the display he'd disappeared behind to inspect and looked in Katie's direction. Russ found that Katie was with the pot of tea she was making so Russ wandered toward the counter and the stool she'd pulled for him. He almost asked why but decided instead to turn the conversation away from himself and London. "So, how's that boy of yours? Jude, I think."
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Russ waited until London was good and gone before he threw on his jacket. It didn't seem like a big thing but considering the date, London leaving the flat on his own accord after calling a friend to see if he wanted to hang out - well, that was huge after the weeks of binging. Russ first called Bast and let him know. They talked a few minutes then Russ decided he would take advantage of the alone time. What better thing to do than taking a walk to clear his head? He shrugged into his jacket and headed out, hands in his pockets. The snow was starting again and was falling in fluffy flakes. It was the kind of snow that was pretty as it fell and would coat all the grime for a while giving RhyDin a fresh and almost innocent look. It was cold though and Russ wasn't of a mind to go back so quickly. The inn held no allure for him and not even the call of the beer was enough to get Russ to turn his course that way. There was always the Teas. He glanced around and realized he was only a couple of turns from Katie's shop. Now there was an idea. He could go by and say hello to Katie. He adjusted his course and stepped up his pace. Before too long it was in sight and he was able to pull the door open, the bell ringing to announce his arrival. He took a few steps into the welcome warmth, bangs falling freely over half his face. "Hello?"
Katie sat in her place behind the main counter. She had been considering closing up but hadn't gotten quite enough motivation to actually go lock the door just yet. She heard the familiar door bell and smiled. The papers she was holding fluttered when she lowered them to peer toward the front door of her precious shoppe but a display she'd recently moved stood between her and the door so she didn't get a good initial view of the visitor. She wore her usual; comfortable baggy sweater over equally comfortable slacks and big fluffy slippers since it was her shoppe after all and she was quite able to wear slippers if she wanted to wear slippers. Her hair was a little longer than it had been, dark layers loose around her face and shoulders. "Can I help you?" She leaned a little to get a better view of the front door and then her face lit up. There were only a few people who could get her to smile quite that quickly quite that large and he was one of them, the newest to the circle of friends. "Russ." She stood and came shuffling around the counter in her slippers so she could give London's best mate a hug of greeting. Her fingers darted up to push his bangs back and then she pressed her cheek against his in greeting. She leaned back to pat his cheek. "It's good to see you." She looked toward the door then up to Russ again in question as if to inquire where London was.
Russ carefully closed the door behind him and then grinned when he heard Katie say his name. She was a sweet and gentle soul. He often wondered how she and London had met; they were an odd pairing if you asked Russ but Russ was not yet bold enough to ask that question of either of them. In spite of the sweet and gentle part, Russ had to admit that Katie intimidated Russ somewhat. It wasn't the same way that Russ was intimidated by Bast. Maybe it was because Katie had known London for as long as she had. It was important to Russ that Katie like him as well. He gave her a polite hug back and grinned at the press of her hand to his cheek. "It's nice in here as usual, Katie." It was warm and cozy here. It always was. "I wasn't sure if you would still be here or not. Figured I might stop by to say hello." He shifted from one foot to the other. Russ wasn't a huge tea drinker but then his experience with tea was limited. Ice tea, long island iced tea and that black stuff were all the options he really was fluent with. On the occasions that he'd visited before, she had always had something interesting to try though.
After the hug of greeting, Katie took Russ by the arm and led Russ back to the counter. "I'm glad you did. It really is good to see you. I'm surprised London isn't with you though." She dragged a stool out for him to take and then went around behind the counter as was her normal custom. Without giving Russ much opportunity to object, she set water on the heater and began warming it for a pot of tea. She knew of his lack of tea experience and had taken it upon herself to broaden his horizons. "Is everything okay?"
Russ watched her get the pot on the heating element and gave a grin wondering what she was going to brew this time. "Everything's fine. London called up an old friend and went off to go to a fair or something with him."
She turned quickly, brows lifting quite high. "London went out? On his own?" She grinned wide. "Really? With who?"
Russ chuckled at her grin. It really lit up her face. "Keegan, I think."
"He's a good boy." Katie lifted her shoulder in a little shrug of excitement and then eased herself back onto her stool. "Honestly, I hadn't been as worried about London since you got back. You stay over quite a lot, dont' you? I've noticed that London has really perked since you got back. Though," her fingertips tapped the countertop, "I do think he drinks a dreadful amount. I don't see it getting any better until, well, you know." She offered a wan smile then lifted a hand as if to still any words of excuse from Russ. "I don't blame you for his drinking, Russ. There's only so much we can do for him, isn't there? He is his own person."
Russ nodded. "True." Maybe this was what London needed, getting out and doing things instead of letting the ghosts of the past haunt him. "I'm glad he's out and about. I'm sure he'll have a great time. I almost went to the inn but realized I just don't feel like it tonight." Russ slid off the stool and stepped to one of the displays to get a closer look at some of Katie's wares. "I thought about the Teas. Your shop was closer though."
Katie agreed with a grin. "Yes, I'm sure he'll have a grand time." She watched Russ get up and wander to one of the displays. "You're always welcome, Russ. I'm glad you stopped in. I was thinking about closing up for the night but hadn't quite gotten that far. Besides, I needed someone to share a cup of tea with before I close for the day." Speaking of that, she turned to inspect the tea pot she had warming. Her tone was casual on her next question, "You and London are growing quite close, aren't you?"
"What kind of tea are you going to make?" He was amazed at the number of different kinds of tea that Katie had on her shelves. He didn't dare say anything like 'oh tea is tea'. She might give him that look of displeasure, the one she leveled on Bast at least once when Russ could see it. Russ didn't want that look aimed at him. "London uses the term Best Mates. I'd have to agree that I think he's probably my best friend here." No use bringing up the missing Griff. He wasn't sure how much Katie knew about Griff and at the moment he didn't think it was a good idea to give her something to ask London about. Russ could see that Griff's disappearance was more a bother to London than London openly admitted. Russ peered around the display he'd disappeared behind to inspect and looked in Katie's direction. Russ found that Katie was with the pot of tea she was making so Russ wandered toward the counter and the stool she'd pulled for him. He almost asked why but decided instead to turn the conversation away from himself and London. "So, how's that boy of yours? Jude, I think."