ArchivedLogs:Rusty Signs

Rusty Signs
Dramatis Personae Gabriel, Lyric
In Absentia	2013-08-07 '
Location <WES> The Grindstone - Salem Center
Bright and cheery, this coffeeshop is Salem Center's social hub. Its black-and-white tiled floors are always kept spotless, and the deep wooden tables are polished smooth. Seating here is abundant, found in the clusters of large and social tables and tucked away at smaller booths, or along the stools at the window counters where the large windows make for ideal people-watching along the main street of Salem Center. Exam time has just ended at Xavier's and with it, vacation /for real/, a whole month of break before classes resume again. Tiny as the school is, the start of break has caused an only very minor increase in the traffic coming through Salem, a small trickle of students unleashed on the nearby world to relax and enjoy themselves for the next couple weeks. Between being a student at school and having a family business in Salem, Lyric is a familiar face in the neighborhood businesses. The girl is greeted with a warm smile from the barista as she enters the coffeeshop. She looks summery-bright, today. A long flowing ankle-length skirt in pale green, embroidered intricately with darker green vinery; a lacy yellow tank top, a paler yellow gauzy long-sleeved shirt over it; a similarly gauzy green scarf wrapped around her enormous poof of curls. Her sandals are quiet against the floor as she makes her way over to the counter; she doesn't bother to place an order, just pulls a wallet out of her brightly crocheted purse to pay for what is evidently her regular order. It's quite a nice day, and as such, Gabriel has decided to head out to Salem at the moment. Gabriel's dressed casually, in a light-gray t-shirt, blue jeans, and tennis shoes, with his brown satchel by his side. Stepping inside the coffee shop, he takes a deep breath, as he approaches the counter. As he speaks to the barista, he smiles. "Could I have just a cup of coffee, black?". He smiles again, as the barista takes his order. He checks his phone for a second, before looking over to Lyric. "Beautiful day, isn't it?". He scrolls through his phone again, typing up a quick text and sending it, before putting his phone away. "I always love days like these, I guess.". Lyric steps aside as the man approaches the counter, nodding her thanks to the cashier as she accepts her change and drops a dollar in the tip jar. She tucks her money into her wallet, tucks her wallet into her bag. Only once this is taken care of does she look up, brows creasing in noncomprehension at the tail end of Gabriel's words. Her head shakes faintly, one shoulder lifting in a shrug and one forefinger tapping her ear with her puzzled expression still in place. Gabriel takes a moment to figure out what she means, before he sighs. He's thinking for a second, before moving his hands slowly, as he slowly signs letters out, spelling out H-E-L-L-O. He nods to her, as he smiles. As his coffee is made, he drinks it, before thinking again. Apparently, this caffeine boost helps him, as he's signing a bit more. Signing, he dictates "{Hello. How are you? This is a nice day, no?}". He looks down at his fingers, making sure he did it correctly. As he slightly mumbles. "I think I'm a little rusty. Hopefully I didn't insult her.". He smiles as he says this a bit, looking back at her. Lyric's expression lights at the fingerspelling, a quick note of amusement in the sudden bright twinkle of her eyes. She waves, rocking back a step as her drink comes, something large and iced and very coffeeful together with an apple fritter. "{Where did you learn to sign? Today's gorgeous! I just finished class so that makes it /even better/.}" Her signs are not slow, quick and enthusiastic. Sighing in relief that he didn't incorrectly mistake her for a deaf person, he sighs in relief, as his signs become slightly faster, but still slow, as to not screw up. "{My sister's deaf, so I was always trying to learn, all through school and still now. Class? I thought it was summer. Wait, no, that Peter kid seemed like..}". Gabriel's signing is now speaking out his thoughts, unintentionally. He shakes his head, looking back at her. "{Sorry if I was interrupting anything. I guess I just, like talking to people, perhaps?}". He smile sagain, taking another sip of his coffee. He puts his face in disgust from the bitterness, placing some sugar in it. "Bleh.". "{It is summer! Summer school just finished, though. -- Do you not like coffee? Why are you drinking coffee if you don't like it?}" Gabriel's expression makes Lyric giggle. She sips at her own drink (her coffee is very milky and very caramel-sweet), moving aside from the counter to take a seat at a table nearby. "{You're not interrupting. I can drink coffee /and/ talk.}" Which prompts another giggle. "{People who talk with their mouths can't do that as well. It's my superpower.}" "{Oh, I like coffee, it's just, a bit..strong, I guess.}". When she speaks about the school, he thinks for a second, before shrugging. "{I used to go to a prep school around here. I keep seeing alot of these kids around here. You wouldn't happen to go to it, would you?}". He smiles, hoping that he's possibly deducing correctly. He laughs, slightly, and then signs L-O-L slightly jokingly, when she mentions her superpower. "{That is a very cool superpower! I wish I had a superpower like that.}". "{I go to school here. My family lives just a few streets away. Which school did you go to?}" Lyric's legs swing, heels thudding against the leg of her chair. Her eyes widen when Gabriel laughs, and she leans slightly closer; her signs get a little /smaller/ like she is confiding in him a great secret. "{You do have that superpower. You're using it /right now/.}" She points to his hands in indication. Gabriel says, "{I used to go to a prep school, Xavier Institute. You may have seen the big gates, perhaps?}". He smiles, and then laughs again when she gets closer, but quickly quiets it down. "{I guess! But, you're much better than me at this, I haven't actually used it in years, really..}" He's taking another sip of coffee, pouring in more sugar and slowly stirring it. "{I'm Gabriel, by the way.}". He smiles again, taking a sip of the stirred up coffee. He's then grabbing a napkin, spitting a bit of it up. "{Okay, too much sugar.}"." Lyric bounces, slightly, in her seat. "{I go to Xavier's!}" Her eyes sweep over Gabriel again in open curiosity. "{I'm Lyric. I've only been there a year. When did you go?}" Her nose crinkles up as he spits his coffee back out, and she stifles another laugh by taking a sip of her coffee. "{This is like Goldilocks coffee. Too strong, too sweet. Maybe add a little milk and then it'll be just right?}" Gabriel smiles a bit. "{About...five, six years ago, maybe? I haven't been keeping track. Okay, I'm 23..I left when I was 17..maybe I need to go back, I forgot math.}". He laughs a bit, calculating in his head. "{Six years ago, I guess?.}". He's listening to her suggestion, pouring a tiny bit of milk into it. He takes another drink..enjoying it. "{Hey, it works! Thanks!}". He takes another sip. "{By any chance, do you know a boy named Peter? Indigo blue? Slightly A-D-D?}". "{Slightly.}" Lyric echoes this with a quick smile. "{I think I'm taking a class with him next term. You know him? He wasn't here six years ago. You left? Did you not graduate?}" Her head tips at him curiously. "{What are you doing now? Work?}" "{I met him at the arcade. Jumpy kid.}". He takes another sip, and tenses when she asks about work. "{My parents were having struggles with my sister and our restaurant..so I left to help at home. I'm..unemployed right now.}". His hands are jumpy as he says this, as he takes another sip. He quickly tries to deflect the subject. "{I take it you know what they do at Xaviers, hmm? What it's really for?}". He smiles. "{It's a cool place. The staff's lovely, I guess.}". "{I like it. My mom teaches there. The staff is great!}" Lyric shrugs, watching Gabriel curiously through this tensing. Her eyebrows raise, questioningly. "{Are you okay? Do you need more caffeine?}" Her lips curl up into a bright smile. "{Do you need /less/ caffeine? -- that's sad that you didn't graduate. Can you get your GED, at least? I think that might help more in finding a job.}" Gabriel shakes his head. "{Less caffeine? What do you mean?}". He brushes his brow, thinking for a second, before calming down. "{Yeah, I could probably take my GED, I've just been..busy.}". He tenses before he says busy, and quickly gets a hold of himself. "{Your mom's a teacher? Maybe she was a teacher when I was there, perhaps? What does she teach?}". He smiles again. "{It was a small community. Even if I didn't take her class, if she worked there, I probably met her a few times!}". "{She teaches sign language,}" Lyric answers, "{She's been there five years now? They didn't even have sign language classes before. My brother started at the school, and she thought they could use a sign language class, so now they have one.}" She watches his tensing again with another small furrow of brow. "{You're just kind of twitchy, are you feeling OK?}" He brushes his brow off. "{Just anxiety, I guess. I have to go, I was going to bring something to my sister, I was getting it from a store around here. It was very pleasant to meet you!}". He smiles, slowly lifting himself upwards, finishing his cup. "{I like your hair, by the way.}". "{You too!}" Lyric's smile is bright and cheerful. She digs around in her bag as Gabriel stands, fishing out a sleek black smartphone to turn it on. The comment about her hair brightens her smile further. "{Thank you! Maybe I'll see you aruond some time!}" She lifts a hand, waving, before her attention devolves to coffee and texting.