My Copperminds

Thalia. Archivist. Cat & coffee lover. Push me out of my comfort zone. (rp blog for elendel united)

[sinclxr]

Sin cupped his hands around the paper cup of black coffee and then looked up at the professor’s face. Where to begin? “First of all,” he said hesitantly, “I didn’t forget about the perpetual motion machine, but I might not have an answer for you for a while. But, um…” Sin unlatched his briefcase and took out the diagram, placing it on the table.

"I made a copy of it so I could keep working—this is more of a logic and physics problem, you see. Perpetual motion, technically, cannot exist. It’s rather impossible in a literal sense—the notion of perpetuity in machinery assumes that there is no beginning to the force in question. But I could probably find a way around it—ah, if you’ve ever heard of something called a half-life? Or! Or, er…" He colored and decided against mentioning spermatogenesis. "Never mind. The point is, with a bit of time and some bending of physics, I could probably do it."

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[that-thalia]

  Thalia hadn't forgotten about the schematics she had shown the inventor all those weeks ago, and she hadn't assumed he had forgotten about them either. She just figured he was busy with his own work and would get around to her little passion project when he had time. But all that logic didn't stop Thalia from feeling pleasantly surprised when Sin brought it up. And not only had he remembered, he had obviously put time and thought into it. If there was anyone who could bend physics, she decided with a small smile, it was Sinclar Rofton. Allomancers be damned!

As Sin moved on to his second point, Thalia mirrored him by taking a sip of her own coffee. What he said next brought about a whole other kind of surprise: she wasn't used to friends being so candid with her. But she felt almost honored that Sin was comfortable enough in their friendship to share something so personal with her. 

Thalia listened intently, relating closely to some things, like what it was like to leave home and not look back or how easy it was to get caught up in the enigma that was Emalyn. But the news of his mother's death was something she couldn't comprehend. What could she say that would be anywhere close to appropriate?

In a split second decision, Thalia opted against words and reached out to take Sin's hands in her own. She wasn't thinking about how forward it was of her, only of how it was the best way she could let him know that she was there for him. 

"Thanks, Sin." She said, ignoring his questions but meeting his gaze with a supportive smile. "For sharing that with me. It couldn't have been easy for you, so I'm glad Ema was there for you." Even if Ema had missed a few too many classes already, this was something Thalia could overlook.

"Are you...?" She was going to ask if he was okay, but that seemed a little lame. It would probably take him more than a week to be okay. "How are you?"

[sinclxr]

Sinclar beamed at her, thanking the professor profusely. The office was cozy—it reminded him a little of his own workshop, and this was naturally the mark of a busy person. “I hope I’m not disturbing you, Thalia—I’m actually here on behalf of Emalyn, though I also did want to see you to catch up. Ema, um…”

Sin rubbed the back of his neck guiltily, and then crossed his arms over his chest. “She wasn’t in class for the last week, and it was my fault. It’s something of a long story. Do you have time for a cup of something and a chat?”

[that-thalia]

"Ah, not to worry, I've actually been wondering where you and Emalyn disappeared to!" It was pretty normal to have Ema skipping at least one out of the tree lecture classes they had each week, but all three? Not so much. But there had to be a legitimate reason if Sinclar was standing there vouching for her. Thalia trusted Sin and was glad he had asked her to catch up as well, rather than just talk about Ema. "And it would be lovely to have a chance to talk." 

She then asked Sin if he would be willing to wait for a moment as she gathered a few of her things. The junk that she had just cleared off the chair went back on it, and Thalia then moved around the office quickly and efficiently, grabbing all the things she would need to work on at home that night. 

Once she was ready, she faced the inventor with a smile and exited the office with him. 

                                         [*~*~Sometime in the near future~*~*]

Thalia sat down at the table Sin had picked out for them and then gently blew on her coffee, willing it to cool down faster. The shop was pretty empty considering the time, which was nice because they had a bit of privacy. 

"So...where do we begin?" She asked. It felt right to let him have control of this conversation for some reason.

[antiexplosionsquad-blog-blog]

     Basil trailed after Thalia quite contentedly, making an occasional comment about the decor—a painting or photograph he liked, or how organized her bookshelves were, or about her attention to detail. It was always nice to have validation, and it really was a nice little apartment. Far nicer than his, that was for sure. Overall, the feel he got from the place was one of warmth, and he felt totally comfortable, just like he did with Thalia. It suited her.

     That said, he kept his comments to a minimum instead of babbling like he usually did, and explained as much. “I’d say more about your place, Miss Thalia, but I’ve been told that I have absolutely no eye for interior design. In my best friend’s words”—he cleared his throat and imitated Kalrien’s accent—“‘Even Ironeyes, blind as he is, would be offended by your choices of decoration.’” He laughed and followed her into the kitchen, and listened to her intently, processing the words and giving a quirky little grin. “You named your pet Vic—”

     He was interrupted by the meow and immediately, Basil’s already-cheerful countenance brightened. 

     ”CAT!”

     I’m so sorry, Thalia. Basil has fallen in love. With your cat.

[that-thalia]

"Hello there!" Thalia said in a high pitched tone of voice reserved exclusively for cute fluffy animals. The little white cat was currently eyeing their guest with suspicion, so Thalia made a kissing noise with her mouth and rubbed her fingers together to coax her out into the open. Vicky moved out towards them slowly, keeping a wary eye on Basil.

"Her name is actually Victoria." Thalia said reverting back to her natural tone of voice. "It's a strange coincidence that her name is very similar to a certain cop." 

With that, she knelt down, hand extended still. Victoria walked up to the hand without hesitation and rubbed against it, moving in a way that pretty much forced Thalia to pet her (as if she wasn't going to pet the cute little kitty anyway). Thalia motioned for Basil to get a bit closer so that he could try petting the cat as well.

"She normally takes a while to warm up to strangers, but it seems like she likes you already!" 

[vtrystane]

         “ I was just kidding, Thalia. ” Vic had, by then, stopped walking and was          now facing the young woman with an amused expression on his face. He          didn’t mean to embarrass her, of course, Vic just always seemed to forget          that not everyone had the same sense of humour as he did.

                                            “ Do you follow guys on purpose usually, though? ”

[that-thalia]

"Ha!" 

"Uh...no..." Thalia said, averting her gaze to look anywhere that wasn't Vic's face.

She really didn't make a habit of following guys (or girls, for that matter), she just had a talent for making herself seem guilty when she wasn't. And the fact that she knew she sounded guilty only got her more flustered.

"I mean, there was one time but that was only because he'd been avoiding me all week and I needed to gain access to his research but he didn't want me to...oh Harmony, I'm doing a terrible job digging myself out of this hole, aren't I?" 

[sinclxr]

⊱ that-thalia

Being back in the skyscraping campus of Elendel University was jarring. It seemed like it had been so long since he was in college. He truly couldn’t believe it had only been six years. But he wasn’t here for reminiscing—Sinclar Rofton was on a mission.

He had told Emalyn almost jokingly that he was going to write excuse notes for her missing class, but he was not going to stop at that. She had helped him through a rather difficult period, and that was invaluable. The only thing he could really do at this point was his best.

So here he was, after having fought for her with almost all of her professors. They had not been hard battles. He had merely explained that he needed her on this trip for her apprenticeship. And now he was down to the last professor: Thalia Hordreu.

He couldn’t help a small smile; he was just very excited to be seeing his friend again. It seemed like it had been ages since he had spoken to her. He stopped in front of her office, took a deep breath, and knocked softly on the door. All that was left was the waiting.

[that-thalia]

The words of the book on Thalia's desk only entered her consciousness for a brief second before they were immediately placed into her coppermind. Thalia had long ago gotten into the habit of adding new books to her stores whenever she had a spare moment and needed a break. For her, it was relaxing and enjoyable to learn. For her students...not so much.

A sudden knock on the door startled her out of her work flow. Even though it sounded soft and polite, the noise seemed loud in her quiet office. I wonder who that could be...? Thalia thought as she stood up and made her way to open her office door.

"Sinclar!" She exclaimed, surprised but excited to see one of the last people she expected standing before her. It certainly was good to see his face again after what felt like a long while. Normally, she'd see him around Northern Park, either with Ema or by himself, but both of them had been oddly absent the last couple of days. Thalia was curious about it, but didn't want to seem like she was prying into his business by bugging him about it right then and there.

"It's so good to see you! Please, come in." She said, moving aside so he could enter her office. It was somewhat cleaner than usual since she didn't have any papers to grade, but it was still cluttered with books and a variety of her own papers and nicknacks. Thalia quickly scurried past Sinclar to clear a chair of it's debris so that he could have a place to sit. "To what do I own the pleasure?" 

[vtrystane]

open

[vtrystane]

       “ If you’re trying to make it look like you’re not        following me, you’re doing a real shit job at it. ”

[that-thalia]

"I wasn't following you on purpose, I swear!" Thalia blurted out. "You just happen to be going in the exact same direction as me..." 

While that was the truth, it didn't help that Thalia had dodged behind the nearest source of cover any time Vic looked back in her direction. She'd just been trying to avoid an awkward confrontation, but that had clearly backfired. 

Oh Harmony, now he probably thinks I'm a creepy stalker. Why can't I just say "hi" and move on like a normal person?

[antiexplosionsquad-blog-blog]

     Basil gave his signature smile as he stepped past Thalia, into her apartment. It was nice, neat, like he expected from her. His place, by comparison, might as well have been a landfill. Not that it was especially dirty, but it was definitely cluttered. 

     He immediately had flashbacks to Thalia asking him where he would prefer to have this little cooking lessons. Memories of Kalrien’s disgust at the state of his apartment—passive little comments about the mess, the broken sink, not to mention the shower… Well, he said passive, but they’d been passive for her. Either way, that was a fair indication to him that anybody who had their lives and their apartments together would not much like a visit to his cluttered home. 

     Not messy. Cluttered.

     ”Actually, your apartment was surprisingly easy to find.” What the fuck, Basil. “Give me the grand tour if you’d like! If not, I’m absolutely ready to start cooking whenever you are.” He clapped his hands together and rubbed them together in anticipation. 

[that-thalia]

"Right!" Thalia exclaimed, clasping her hands together. "Grand tour it is." She led him down the hallway into the living area. Most people had a TV or some other kind of entertainment center prominent in their living room, but not Thalia. Hers was filled with books, art, and plants with just enough room for a cough and a comfy arm chair.

"Here's the living room. It's not much, but it's nice place to come unwind in after a long day." Thalia paused somewhat awkwardly, unsure if she should say anything else about the room. She'd never really given a tour to anyone before, so she wasn't sure what fun facts people normally shared about their homes. Before the silence stretched on too long, she decided that it'd probably be best to move on. 

"Uh...yeah! So on your left is the dining area." Thalia continued, walking on towards the back hallway, hoping/assuming that Basil would just follow her. "And down here on the left is my office." When she reached the door, she swung it opened in order to let Basil take a peek or go in if he was interested. Her desk was spotless at the moment, but normally it was covered with various books and papers. The walls, of course, had more books lining them.

After a few moments, Thalia left the room and made for the end of the hallway. "On the left is the bathroom...which is self-explanatory. And over here is my uh...bedroom." She paused at that door. Would it be weird to show him her bedroom? Would it seem like she was trying to imply something? Oh Harmony, I hope not! 

But at this point in time, it would probably be more weird to not show him the room (this was a grand tour after all), so she opened the door without another thought. At first glance, it might have appeared sparse and unlived in. But really, it was just simply decorated; it still had a very warm and welcoming vibe. 

"Okay, well that only leaves the most important room: the kitchen!" Thalia said suddenly, moving away from her room before her thoughts could wander. "This way." At the end of the hall, she took a right and entered a clean and bright kitchen. She moved for the fridge and was well into the process of getting various vegetables out of it when Basil entered the room.

"I would have had all the ingredients out and ready for us, but I didn't want Vicky or Jemmy nibbling on anything." As if summoned, a loud an persistent 'meow!' sounded out, and a cat's small white face popped out from behind the kitchen counter. "Oh, speak of Ironeyes!"  

[askinwalkerscorned]

    He’s only been observing her long enough to know that she absolutely adores cats, and that must really be all he needs to know.           This is going just as expected, really. 

   He’s long since pushed away the slight imperialistic attitude towards things like this, like legitimately acting like an animal—but if it’ll help him blend in and possibly score a home he has the option to go towards should he need to get off the streets…       It would benefit him in the long run. No shame in that anyway, not as if any of these humans know what they’re dealing with. They never do. 

     Ajax watches intently for a long moment before rising up on all feet, padding towards her and nudging into the hand, tail swaying and brushing along the ground. 

[that-thalia]

Thalia couldn't help but grin when the cat finally decided to grace her with it's attention. It was always so exciting to make a new furry friend! And, while this certainly wasn't the first time she'd done it, it still felt like a major accomplishment. Cats could be fickle, but at least they were easier to understand and befriend than humans...She had accepted long ago that she was most likely going to end up as a crazy old cat lady.

This newest friend had particularly soft fur and seemed very friendly. Plus he (she?) was adorable. In a regal sort of way - the way he approached her made it seem like he had chosen her or something. Thalia couldn't help but wonder if he (she decided right then and there that he seemed like a boy) would get along with her cats Jemima and Victoria. She somehow doubted it, seeing as how they were fixed females and he was probably an unfixed male...But she was getting ahead of herself, now.

"Do you have a home, buddy?" She asked as she gently rubbed his ears, knowing full well he wouldn't respond. "You're so handsome, I'm surprised you're out here all alone!" Maybe he had gotten lost? But that somehow didn't seem likely. Even though she'd never seen him in the area around her apartment before, he seemed too confident to be a little lost kitty. But maybe with some tuna she could convince him to come stay with her instead of out on the streets...

"Are you hungry?" She continued. It was always so tempting to baby talk cats. But Thalia preferred to talk to them as she would with another person. They're smart and independent creatures, and it was important for her to respect that.

[askinwalkerscorned]

that-thalia

[askinwalkerscorned]

          Meow.

[that-thalia]

"Ohmysweetharmonyabove!!" The words escaped her mouth in a single breath once her eyes finally found the source of the meowing. "Aren't you just the most handsome fella?!" 

Squatting down, Thalia slowly extended her hand towards the cat, stopping about half way between them. She'd learned early on that the best way to approach new cat friends was to let them come to her. Cats tended to be very independent creatures, after all. 

[antiexplosionsquad-blog-blog]

✘ that-thalia

     Basil got lost twice on his way to Thalia’s place, but fortunately, he was not above asking for directions. On the way, he’d made some friends and even gotten a phone number. It was a good day.

     He rapped rhythmically on the door—or, at least, he thought it was rhythmic, but he’d never been especially musical—and rolled back on his heels, waiting for Thalia to open the door so they could do this cooking thing.

     His earring was in because he was praying to Harmony that he wouldn’t set everything on fire. Things tended to blow up in his vicinity.

[that-thalia]

   Thalia rushed around her living room, fluffing a pillow here and moving a plant or book there. It still seemed cluttered to her even though she had moved all of her miscellaneous papers and books into her office. She spared a moment to look at the clock on her phone and almost jumped out of her skin when she saw the time. He'd be there any second! Lightening fast, she propped open a book of maps on her book stand, casually threw a blanket over the back of the armchair, and tilted the shade of one of the lamps just so.

   Perfect. She thought, stepping back to admire her work. Well, actually maybe I should put the big plant over by-- Thalia's line of thought was cut off by a sudden rapping at the door. Her immediate reaction was excitement: she all but ran for the door, stopping just before it as the nervousness set it.

   She turned to examine herself in the hallway mirror in an attempt to calm her nerves. With a deep breath she took in her image: her hair was down for once (mainly because she wasn't woking but also because she had been told it looked nice this way) and a bit of makeup highlighted her features. Like her apartment, Thalia wasn't quite please with what she saw - there was always something to improve - but it would have to do. You can do this. It's not a big deal. Just don't spill any food on him and you should be good. Please, Harmony, protect me and prevent me from making a fool of myself. 

   Not wanting to keep her guest waiting, Thalia reached for the door and swung it open before she had any more time to over think things. Every time she saw Basil she braced herself in preparation for the affect he had on her and every time, simply the sight of him blew past her defenses and filled her with warmth. It was an exhilarating but also somewhat terrifying feeling.    She stood there for a few moments with a hesitant smile before remembering her manners. "Hi, welcome! Come on in." She moved to the side to allow him to move past her and into her apartment. "Did you find the place okay? Oh! Uh, I can give you a quick tour if you'd like...before we start cooking?" Thalia snapped her mouth shut in order to stop herself from bombarding him with any more questions. 

[that-thalia]

[misteranalyst-blog]

[heartlikeiron-blog1]

      “It’s actually rather simple, despite what those stuffy old professors might       have you believe.” Ferra chuckled quietly. Her tutors hadn’t been professors       per se but she felt that she could safely assume those types were all the       same when it came to letting loose.  ”Though it probably does depend on       your personal preferences.”  

      She tilted her head back as a nod to the dance floor behind her.  ”That,       believe it or not, is relaxing for some.  I will admit it’s a great way to blow       off that stress you seem to want to cling to.”  She winked again before       continuing.  ”Me?  I like this.”  She gestured to the room they were in and       raised her glass slightly.

      “Nothing beats a combination of a well mixed drink, attractive people, and       good company.  That means you, dear.”  The last bit she said in a whisper       leaning in closer.  ”Meeting new people is my favorite part about owning a       place like this.  Especially if I get to help them enjoy themselves.”

[that-thalia]

Thalia's eye's scanned the room once more. There did seem to be a certain something about the atmosphere that was enjoyable. But that probably had more to do with her being a bit more relaxed now. And only a bit, because as Ferra moved in to whisper to her, she tensed  a little, involuntarily. It couldn't be helped (she was a coward at heart).

"Well...there can't be too many people like me that are inept at enjoy -ing themselves." Thalia joked lightly, willing herself to relax once more. "But I don't doubt for a second that you meet all sorts of characters  here." She smiled and raised her drink to her lips once more. The burn -ing didn't bother her as much, but she could feel the strong spirits going to her head quickly. She felt dizzy, but in a pleasant way. Relax -ing was actually...pretty nice.

[hackerjaxmoved-blog]

    “Mr. Reese?” He asked with a laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.  The     request was enough to snap him out of his brief and rare bout of bash-     fulness.                                                                     Where the hell did that come from?  

    He shook it off, rubbing his hands together as he surveyed the new rooftop.       The one they’d come from was more or less flat and empty, but this one     littered with vents and large box-shaped things covered in tarps.  There was     even a water tower, that’d be perfect for—  Jax stopped himself, nose scrunch-     ing.  Level two she said, not thirty-two.  

              “Level two is only unlocked once you’ve mastered the whole ‘I’m no               longer afraid of plummeting to my death’ phase.  I’m not sure you’re               there yet.  I promise I’m not being a smart ass.  With this kinda thing               if you hesitate, you’re gunna end up hurt or worse.”  

    His legs itched, so he smiled at her before taking off in a run.  He did exactly     what he told her— he just ran, he didn’t think.   He jumped, landing on his hands     on the closest tarp, kicking through with his feet to gain enough momentum to     run up the side of the water tower.  He grabbed a wooden cross beam at the     base of the drum, and with the leverage of the swing he twisted his body in     a flip.  His feet kissed the edge of the roof’s ledge before he kicked off again,     skipping from vent to vent until he returned to his starting spot, sliding into     a seated position, legs dangling over the edge of the covered box.  

               ”See? No doubt allowed.”  His smirk was prideful with a hint of a daring                challenge.  He threw his arms out to the side.  ”That was like…level 14.                Why don’t we jump over the next gap, behind me, it’s got a height change                so that’ll spice it up a bit, yeah?”

[that-thalia]

'No longer afraid of plummeting to my death', huh? Sounds like level 2 is going to be a lot harder than level 1...Thalia thought to herself, but to Jax she only nodded; determined to remain confident. There was no denying that her initial success had boosted her confidence, but he was right. There is a big difference between forgetting about  her fear and ridding herself of her fear.

She was a little surprised when Jax ran off suddenly to demonstrate for level 2, but she was even more surprised when she saw what he could do. Her mouth fell open unconsciously as she watched him hop around the roof with ease. His motions were so fluid; it seemed to be so effortless for him. Would she ever be able to do something like that?

When Jax circled back to her, Thalia answered his smirk with an  impressed smile. "No doubt. Got it." And even as she said it doubt flickered through her. Quickly, she pushed it away. She could do this. There's no room for doubt anymore.

"That looks like something I can manage..." Thalia said as she eyed  the gap that Jax indicated. No doubt. "Actually...yeah, I can easily do  that." Don't think. No doubt. You can do it.

Without further warning or thought, Thalia took off at a run towards the gap, leaving Jax behind. She wanted to prove to him (but mostly herself) that she could do it. She could conquer level two. Don't think. No doubt. You can do it. The mantra repeated in her head as the gap drew nearer. There was nothing else in her head as she took the leap.

A rush of adrenaline hit her again as she left the rooftop behind. At  the apex of her jump she could see the surface of the other, higher rooftop. I can do it! She thought triumphantly. It's working! Don't  think! No Doubt! I can do it!

As Thalia began to fall, so too did the sight of the other rooftop. But things were moving too fast for her to panic. With a loud "UNF" she hit the side of the building. The breath was knocked out of her and  instinct kicked in. Desperately, her arms looked for something on  the roof to grab onto as she slipped backwards towards the ground. They found nothing...

[antiexplosionsquad-blog-blog]

     ”Please, Miss Thalia, talk my ear off, by all means! I love listening!” He settled back eagerly. For all the talking he did, one would think he was more of a talker than a listener, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. He loved learning about people, and listening to people talk about their passions. 

     More than anything, he loved making new friends. He listened in contentment as Thalia started talking, and pitched in whenever he had something to add, or whenever he had a question. He checked the time a while later and gave a start.

     ”Rust. I’m sorry to cut this short, Miss Thalia, but I should really go. I was supposed to report back an hour ago. The captain probably thinks I’ve blown up a city square or somethin’. I’ll catch you later, I hope?”

[that-thalia]

"Oh! Oh no, I'm so sorry." Thalia froze with guilt. She felt bad for being  the reason someone else was late and hoped Basil didn't get in trouble for it. But that guilt didn't last long. At least they had both had a good time making him late. "I warned you though, didn't I?" She joked lightly.

She smiled at him as he prepared to leave, but didn't make any moves to do so herself. There was some work that she had with her that she  could get done. Plus, how did one say goodbye to a new acquaintance?  Handshake? Hug? Wave? She wasn't sure. So, staying glued to her seat was probably the safest option. "I'll definitely see you around!"

Hopefully she'd see him sooner rather than later.

                                          [~ E  N  D ~]

[ettasomell]

Etta smiled as Thalia agreed with her - about rambling conversation, sleep, work - and rolled her shoulders to relieve a bit of tension. At least she wasn’t out of her stores yet. She could handle the tension and heightened awareness so long as there wasn’t a panic attack looming over her head. When Thalia discreetly showed the contents of her purse, Etta was more than a little relieved. This was a safe area, as far as the Third went, but that was one less thing she had to worry about. Not that Adler couldn’t be hiding on every street corner. For that matter, Thalia could have secret enemies lurking around them too. Stop, Etta. Just focus.

She did manage to tune back in in time to hear Thalia repeat her thoughts about having a friend around. If she could get out of her own head long enough to actually pay attention, that might be where they were going. Other than to the coffee shop, of course.

Etta took a moment to consider her companion. She was working late and alone, on a probably thankless project. (Nothing that required work this late was easy or pleasant. Nothing.) She had been so happy to take a break  with someone she barely knew. And she was making an effort to get to know her and keep the conversation flowing, something Etta was not helping with. Time to perk up and be more like herself.

The bright lights and wide windows of the coffee shop let her drop another layer of tension. She slowed her tapping almost completely and fought back a yawn. “Do you take all your friends here, or just the ones that can barely stay awake? I promise I’ll be much more interesting as soon as I have some food in front of me. So what’s good here?”

[that-thalia]

There was no easy way to say 'I don't really have any friends because books are my friends' without looking like some sort of social failure. Sure, she'd met a lot of new people in recent weeks, but Thalia was   still hesitant to give any of them that title. Not because she didn't  want to! But because she wasn't sure if they wanted that.

"This place is actually my little secret." It was an indirect way to tell the truth. Thalia held open the door of the diner so Etta could walk through. "Not to say that it's a well kept secret. A lot of students  come here, but usually not at this hour. That's why it's perfect for people like us. Just wait until you see the menu."

They we greeted by a waitress who told them that they could pick any seat in the mostly empty diner. Thalia led the way to her favorite corner booth and slid in. The waitress left them with menus that were more like books (15 pages long) and Thalia flipped through it to show Etta some of her favorites.

"Everything is good here. It really depends on what you're in the mood for! If it's something sweet, I'd say the Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes. Somethings savory, then the Terris Omelet. Something light? Then the  Oatmeal and fruit is really good. Or any of the salads." She paused as she realized she'd soon be reading the entirety of the menu. Her stomach rumbled and encouraged her to shut up. "I'm probably going for the Cinnamon Bun Pancakes, myself. It's nice to reward myself after a long day of hard work." She smiled, and even though her exhaustion was more that evident, the smile was sincere  and happy. She patted the laminated (and slightly sticky) tome in front of Etta. "I'll let you make your choice."

[ettasomell]

that-thalia

"So, it’s a bit of a walk back to the university. We should talk about something." Etta bumped her shoulder against Thalia’s and made her best eyebrows-raised-in-a-knowing-way expression. "Tell me about this Basil guy."

[that-thalia]

When the door of Northern Park Coffee Shop closed behind her,  Thalia let out a sigh of relief. Her heart was still racing from what may have been one of the best hugs she's ever received. The thought of that brought some color to her cheeks, but luckily it was pretty dark out. Etta probably wouldn't notice... But, apparently she had noticed something earlier during the more than eventful birthday party. Etta's request sent Thalia into sputtering denial; her flushed cheeks deepening even  even further.

"Basil? Him? He's no one. I mean. He's a friend. I think? He's ...nice." She didn't know what else to say. She wasn't good at admitting her feelings existed let alone talking about them.