ArchivedLogs:Too Quiet

Too Quiet
Dramatis Personae Hanna, Melinda
In Absentia	2015-03-06 "Can’t help but feel like something awful is going to happen when it is too quiet for too long.”
Location <NYC> Montagues - SoHo
Montagues harkens back to the day when SoHo was filled to the brim with artists, with its mismatched furniture, all plush and decorated heavily with carved wood, but remains trendy enough to keep its newer patrons by making sure that furniture is clean, in good repair and inviting. The antique tables all have been reinforced to seem less creaky. The real draw of the cafe is the smell: fresh roasted coffee mingles with perfectly steeped teas. Spices from crisp pastries mingle with the tang of clotted cream but don't overwhelm too much the scent of chalk on the menu boards. There is a lull in foot traffic at the cafe in SoHo, some time after lunch.  It's still too early for the influx people coming in after work, so the population is mostly comprised of the crowd that uses coffee shops with free wifi as an office.  Melinda is out amongst the tables at this time, wiping them down and straightening chairs.  She is wearing an orange and cranberry sweater, the yarn variegated from light near her shoulders to dark near her belly, a large cowl neck drooping down to break up the gradation.  Her legs are protected from the elements by a standard pair of black trousers over black ballet flats she most certainly did not wear outside.  Her hair rests on one shoulder, twisted into a haphazard braid, mostly to keep it out of her face.  She hums as she works, casting a glance outside to check on the weather every so often. Early mornings make for early departures, and Hanna’s baker hours let her make an early afternoon escape from her business.  As she steps into Montagues, the native Hawaiian is bundled up against the wintry chill, her layered outfit perhaps a bit of overkill.  Wearing thick black leggings and knee-high boots edged in a bright green faux-fur, the voluminous ruffle of petticoats in a similarly obnoxious hue peek out from beneath her bright blue wool day dress, topped with a heavy wool peacoat that is buttoned and belted securely.  A fluffy knit hat and matching sweater in black and neon pink chunky yarn complete the bundled up look.  Shuffling her feet to dislodge the slush that clings to them, Hanna spots Melinda, offering a be-mittened wave to her friend.   Shuffling her scarf down to expose her grinning lips, and make talking easier, “Hey there, Mel.” "Oh, hey, Hanna!" Mel leaves the wash cloth on the table she is working on as she makes her way over to woman in question to give her a hug in greeting.  "Didn't know if I'd see you out of the house until the weather warmed considerably.  How's it going?"  She releases her friend and wrinkles her nose at the amount of layering.  "Still cold?  Can I get you something warm to drink?" Hanna grins and returns the hug, a bit stiffly perhaps, because of all the layers.  Chuckling, she shakes her head, “Eh, I have to get used to the cold eventually.”  Because two years worth of New York weather hadn’t gotten her used to it yet.  “Wanted to get some coffee, and couldn’t bring myself to pester Jayna in this cold,” she admits, starting to unbutton her overcoat to keep from overheating.  Tugging her hat off, the thick braid of her hair flops down her back, streaked with visible strands of silver in a few places.  “Coffee would be awesome, yes,” she says after a moment, an easy smile on her lips. "Well, have a seat.  I'll get you some.  Cream?  Sugar?  Fingerfood?"  Melinda heads back to her cloth and picks it up on her way back behind the bar, turning to look over her shoulder at the other woman as she walks.  When she reaches the divide between the public and employee areas, she refocuses to ensure she doesn't run into the countertops.  Cloth discarded, she turns to the coffee urns, grabbing a fresh mug and starting to pour.  "Well, this winter certainly has been a truly frigid experience - so if you can't get used to it after this --- well, we'll have to send you to Antarctica." Pulling out a chair at one of the seats near the front of the shop, Hanna sets her purse down beside it and settles in to the seat.  Heavy outcoat shed, she’s wearing a cheery blue house dress with bright daisy yellow buttons down the front.  “Almond milk and extra sugar,” Hanna requests, perking up and following Melinda’s path behind the counter.  “Ach, no.  I’ll adjust,” she responds and holds her hands up in defeat, “Just won’t like it.”  She chuckles, resting her elbows on the table and watching the goings on around the shop idly. "Certainly," Melinda replies, pulling out a tray and adding a small pitcher of almond milk so Hanna can fix the coffee the way she likes then swings back her way, sliding the tray onto Hanna's table. She places her own rear end in a chair soon after. "So, what brings you out this way today?" “Thanks,” Hanna says, grinning at her friend before setting about fixing her coffee, idly stirring it to incorporate the somewhat over the top amount of sugar.  “Needed to run a few errands in the afternoon, and found myself over this way,” she explains, taking a test sip from the mug, “Figured I’d swing by and say hello.”  There’s an easy smile warming her features, though her eyes are a solid dark brown, without the typical color fluctuations - likely contact lenses.  “How have you been?” she asks, taking a larger sip of the coffee, offering a quiet but ernest, “Good coffee.” "It is my intense desire to never work at a place that serves crappy coffee.  I like this blend - went for the medium roast."  Melinda rests her elbows on the table, fingers clasping near her face.  "It's lovely to see you.  I've been okay.  Tola's babbling like a brook these days. Nothing sensible yet, though I'm not sure when the sensible point hits.  I'm fairly sure it's after what they call the first word.  Mostly all parents wishful thinking.  She still signs enough to let me know what she needs, so that's good."  She smiles softly, gaze out of focus.  "Not much else going on." “I can sympathize with that.  Doubt Jayna would ever let me work somewhere with bad coffee,” Hanna says with a chuckle and another sip of coffee.  “It is good to see you again, and have a chance to chat a bit.  Been a while,” she agrees, nodding and setting the coffee mug down on the table.  Her smile brightens considerably at the talk of Tola, and she leans against the table, listening to her friend talk.  “Oh good,” Hanna says, “Eh, if my mom’s anecdotes were any indication, sense is a relative term.  I’m sure she’ll be a wonderfully chatty little darling.”  One eyebrow arches faintly at the out-of-focus look, and she stirs her coffee further, an idle fidget, “Good to have some quiet once in a while, I suppose.” "Oh, far too much quiet sometimes, but there's nothing to be done about that."  Melinda perks up once again, Hanna's voice drawing her back from the place she was drifting.  "Which is a ridiculous thought when a person has an infant.  I hope she hasn't kept you and Jayna awake at all.  She's starting to teeth, even though nothing has really popped out yet.  Just really red gums in places.  My sleep is kind of going out the window -- and I am not looking forward to daylight savings." “Too quiet can be bad, too,” Hanna agrees, sipping her coffee with a sigh, her expression shadowed for a moment, “Can’t help but feel like something awful is going to happen when it is too quiet for too long.”  She snorts and shakes her head, the smile brightening her features once more, “Walls are surprisingly well soundproofed, thus far.  Can’t say either of us have had issues sleeping.”  The baker winces at the mention of teething, “Poor thing.  Can’t imagine teething to be pleasant, especially when you don’t know what is going on.  If you ever need someone to watch her so you can catch a nap, just let me know.  Or if you need anything at all.” "I am not quite, but rapidly approaching the point where quiet is not as welcome as constant noise to let me know where my loved ones are."  Melinda gives a little laughs as she leans back in her chair.  "I'm glad the sound isn't too bad.  And sure.  I'll let you know when I need - or when Tove needs some time off.  I'm sure we could both use a break.  It's just a hard thing - I feel like I see her so rarely, what with work, I don't really want to let her go when I do have her."  She glances over and studies Hanna's face, but doesn't say anything else. “Given what has gone on in this town, I can’t say I blame you for that mindset,” Hanna says with a sigh, glancing out the window at the street beyond.  “I worry when I don’t hear from people on the regular, or when they stop coming around,” she admits sheepishly, knowing she has occasionally been guilty of keeping to herself.  A somewhat tired smile warms her features, crinkling the start of laugh lines around her lips and eyes.  “Understandable, very much so,” Hanna agrees, sipping at her coffee, her expression a relatively relaxed smile, “Work going reasonably well?  Aside from taking up time, of course.” "I don't know.  It's fine, I guess.  I don't think about it most of the time.  I just show up, do my best, and then head home.  It's like a ticking time bomb working like this, because I'm supposed to be running the place..."  Melinda shakes her head and starts to get to her feet.  "I am having problems focusing on it.  The quiet at home is very disconcerting."  She rubs at the back of her neck.  "We ... should talk more at home or something.  I don't know if I can really get into things here." Hanna leans her elbows on the table, regarding Melinda with a somewhat concerned gaze, her brow furrowing slightly, hands clasped around her mostly empty coffee mug.  “Sometimes that is all you can do,” Hanna says with a sigh, draining the last of her coffee in one long pull, “I know the feeling though, just plodding through work, with that nagging feeling something is coming.”  She sighs, setting her mug back on the saucer, “Any time you want to talk, hon, just let me know.  Or just stop over.”  The older woman offers a tired but warm smile, “We don’t exactly live miles apart.” Melinda nods once, then gives a small smile to Hanna before walking away.  "Sure. I'll bring dinner -- or a bottle of wine and make a night of it."  She lifts a hand and waves before disappearing behind the espresso bar.