Chasing Pavements

The Moonstone Cafe was nestled in a quiet street of London, just after a corner from a busy avenues, filled with shops and eateries. It provided easiness of access for curious and regulars, but it remained nestled away from the most crowded areas. Roxane considered she had the best of both worlds as such. This place had been her baby for the past years, and she was very happy of how successful it had become. It had become some hub for an esoteric community, whether regular humans oblivious to most of the supernatural world around them, or for some London-based preternatural beings such as herself, a Bastet. Being quiet about her exact kind, one of the few surviving Ceilican Bastet, had been her motto for centuries now, which was also why she hadn't lived under her birth name in the longest time. Some days, she didn't even think about the fact she once was known differently.

A recent letter had jogged back memories from another century. She had been nicely surprised to receive a note from one who had given her shelter when running away from the massacre that almost destroyed her tribe fully. She had been glad to hear that Maalik was well and still in Paris. As persecuted rarities, they had also bonded over a great thirst for knowledge. Being invited to join him for an event in Versailles was a surprise, but she would definitely give him a positive response. It would be an opportunity to travel back to France, which she hadn't done in a few years, and to reconnect.

She lifted her eyes from the books she had been organizing on the shelves in the shop corner of the Cafe, where she provided occult volumes as well as supplies for practitioners. While some may think it was just fluff, Roxane prided herself in only offering quality items. As a mystic herself, she hated the idea of selling cheap crap. That was also why she had expanded on what started as a small coffee and tea booth, with some muffins. At this point the tea choice and pastries of the Moonstone Cafe had built up their own reputation, and several tables and a couple of comfortable armchairs occupied a section of the place.

She had to get away and disconnect fully as not to drive herself crazy as a Bastet, but after having lived for so long, and having better income, she was able to stay based in a given city, and just taking one extended vacation a year, off the grid, for she needed to reinvent herself to stay sane.

Humming to herself, she sashayed across the book section, waving at a couple of patrons coming in. She went to make herself a cup of earl grey, chatting with Lila, one of her employees. She had suggested multiple times that Lila could do something else than handling the food section, but Lila had always made it clear the only person she would let have her place was Roxane herself, which the owner found hilarious. Leaning against the wall, she sipped on the hot tea, enjoying a quiet break during her busy day.

It hadn’t been a conscious decision to get lost in London, but now that she’d done it, Penny was actually pretty pleased with the results. After an hour or so jostling with the tourist crowds - which she was determined not to count herself a member of, in spite of not being a resident of the city - she’d found herself at last on a patch of pavement where it didn’t feel like she was in the way.

With a huff of breath, she let the hiking backpack slip from her shoulders and, brushing wind-swept strands of faded-blue hair from her face, considered where she was. Every where she’d walked in London, she’d seen people with their eyes glowed to smartphones. Although a reluctant owner of one such piece of technology, it felt wrong somehow to rely on some data-goggling tech giant to tell her where to go in a city like London. No, she had something much more effective and reliable to lead the way. Her nose. One of Gaia’s many blessings.

She sniffed the air. The scents of the city were a rich tapestry, with more threads than even her better-than-average sense of smell could untangle.

It was the scent of tea, however, that caught her attention. Turning abruptly on her heel, Penny realised that she was standing one door down from the ‘Moonstone Cafe’. From its exterior, it looked like the exterior would be the kind with big armchairs that you could practically lose yourself in, and a range of baked goods of sufficient quality that she was going to regret eating too many of them later.

Shouldering her pack once again, she carefully pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The quick break in the business of the day was always welcome. Roxane was debating snagging one of the fresh muffins for herself, which Lila was encouraging her to, when the sound of the entrance doors caught her attention. Her sharp eyes fell upon the new customer, one she had never seen before. The rare Bastet had a really good memory, even during the times her madness was threatening to take over and she had to get away from everyone to reassess her wildness. It was ironic that the experiences weren't necessarily ones she was so aware when they occurred but reminiscences remained imprinted in her mind. It was weird and she had often wondered about the phenomenon; but her kind was about extinct so there weren't really any meetup or people to turn to at this point in time. And Roxane very much preferred still being alive over having unlocked all mysteries about her own soul.

As the newcomer made her way closer to the counter, she got a better look at her and was intrigued. She couldn't help wondering whether people coming in were mere humans or different. Her sixth sense was strong; but frankly, it was mostly years of having observed and learned about different kinds of individuals, especially as erudition was one of her traits that had only bloomed more over centuries of existence. She smiled warmly to the blue-haired woman while Lila refilled her cup of tea.

"Welcome to the Moonstone Cafe," she said politely, knowing better than overwhelming new patrons.

Penny beamed back a smile.

“Hi,” she said, conscious of her own voice and how loud that one word had seemed in the cosy confines of the cafef. The soft, stillness in the room seemed to warrant speaking in a quieter tone.

Carefully letting her pack slip from her shoulders, mindful of not dropping the heavy bag on the ground, she took in the interior of the cafe with a quick glance. There was something about shelves full of books that did wonderful things with her sense of smell, but it was the aroma of warm baked goods that had her by the nose right hten.

“Gosh, those smell good.”

She nodded at the tray of what had to be freshly made muffins, and felt hunger pull ever so slightly at her stomach.

“Could I… get one, with some tea?”

Lila was her bubbly but slightly hush-toned self, as the newcomer complimented the delicious fragrance of the pastries. "Of course! What kind of tea would you like? If you go for our blueberry scones, I would recommend English Breakfast; but with a chocolate one, I would go for Darjeeling," she said smiling, and always eager to give recommendations.

Roxane stepped in. "Go for earl grey if you want something with chocolate. I'd say you may want to trust the owner," she teased. Lila made a face at her, and waited for the newcomer to decide, before offering her what she chose.

The blonde Bastet canted her head to the side, not wanting to be overbearing; but willing to offer assistance if need be. "Can I help with anything you may be looking for?"

London was committing the cardinal sin.

It was becoming boring.

Liam Dunsirn prowled the streets while his cousin slept, in search of diversion. He was a big, shaggy sort of man who soaked in the smiles of the women around him like a thirsty plant, always ready with a roguish grin. Still, one could only fuck so much and Ewan had forbidden him from bringing anyone back to the flat after the last time.

A blue-haired woman caught his eye, and he followed her for a while. She was obviously a tourist, easy prey, but the stalk was almost as much fun as the pounce at the end of it.

He was certain she hadn't noticed him, and after a few minutes he followed her steps into what appeared to be a tiny cafe. It felt even smaller when he entered, his 6'4" frame taking up a good bit of space. Liam adjusted his white t-shirt and flashed a smile at the girls behind the counter as he took his place in line behind the blue-haired bird.

“I’m just…”

Penny’s nose wrinkled. The wonderful warm smell of the bookshop was… muted, all of a sudden. A little prickle up the back of her neck compelled Penny to look over her shoulder.

Behind her, there was a man big enough to fill a doorway. Not just a man, she thought. Not if her nose was to be trusted.

“Browsing?”

Penny turned back to face the self-confessed owner of the cafe, her smile now tinged with a little nervous energy. She swallowed, trying to keep her cool.

“I’m… visiting from out of town. Trying to find all of the interesting little places to see, and your cafe seemed like one of them.”

Roxane's nose wrinkled as well and she felt her feline nervous system come to life as the large man stepped inside her cafe. The place wasn't so tiny, especially as she had been adding tables and display areas; but the cozy atmosphere of the place was definitely put on the line with his looming presence. She stared at him, hoping he would behave; otherwise things might get heated.

She returned her attention to the woman before her, seeing the hint of nervousness in her.

"I hope you enjoy the place. I'm happy to answer any question you might have," she responded with an encouraging smile, though there was a slight rigidity in her posture that wasn't here earlier. She hadn't survived that long without having developed her survival skills to significant lengths.

Her gaze quietly alternated between both customers, while Lila peeked at the large man, looking her usual warm and welcoming self. "Hello, sir. Can I help you with anything? Coffee? Tea? Pastries?"

Liam looked around the shop, senses expanding as the multitude of different smells began to sort themselves out. His eyes settled on the blue-haired American even as one of the women who worked at the cafe talked to him.

”Coffee,” he said, finally looking across the counter. “Irish if you’ve got it, Americano if nah.” Liam grinned, a puppy-dog expression coupled with his Scottish accent that usually put people at ease. “A couple of those pastries, too, they look brilliant.”

“You know what? I would love just a... regular old breakfast tea, and a scone. That would be fab.” She turned, intending to try and spot a place to sit, but was confronted with the grinning face of the big, rugged, Scottish guy standing incredibly close behind her. Maybe it was just a British thing, as opposed to - what she both, inexplicably, hoped and feared - that he sensed what she was.

“I’ll just…” She took a step to the right, to move around him and head towards the cafes seating area, but realised there was a trolley of books in the way, so went left instead. “Sorry, excuse me, I just-” To the left, her bag was propped against a low set of shelves, also blocking her way. She reached for it, and bumped into him. "Oh, fuck," she said, definitely louder than was appropriate for a bookshop. "Sorry! Sorry."

He grinned down at her, and then stepped gallantly to the side. "Sorry, miss."

As she pressed past him he let her go, and turned back to the counter, awaiting confirmation of his order from the girl behind the counter.

While Roxane took care of the blue-haired girl's order, she observed the exchange between Lila and the massive man. Her nose was definitely picking things up for both these new customers, and she wondered how they had landed at the Moonstone Cafe, which was usual for her. It wasn't uncommon for new patrons to show up by accident, but it also happened that people recommended it to fellow preternatural. Roxane had made this place not just for show to some humans into esoteric matters, but for practitioners at large, and also as a safe place for other people like her. Being the last or one of the last, for she hoped others had survived the massacre, had made her willing to provide a replacement or temporary pack to others, at least temporarily.

"Enjoy," she told the blue-haired girl before she scampered off, or at least attempted to for the massive man had to let her pass, which he did. Yet Roxane was wondering what might be up. She had one of these inklings she wasn't sure what to make of, making her wary.

Lila was already fetching the man's order, and as he turned back to check, Roxane stepped in. "Irish coffee it is, sir." She told him the price and waited for him to pay for his order. "I hope you enjoy your time with us." She bet he could smell she wasn't human either but her Bastet smell could annoy some other species, even though cats and dogs could get along just fine as her life had shown. Of course the sayings about cats and dogs could also be proven true. As long as no damage happened in her Cafe, and patrons behaved, she had no reasons to be anything besides polite.

The blonde was flat out gorgeous, and Liam happily handed over his money to her, with a little extra. “Keep the change,” he winked, accepting his coffee and pastry in exchange.

She had a peculiar smell - not a bad one, just... different. He’d enjoy holding her down and getting his fill of her scent, to satisfy the Beast’s urge to know what she was. Not human, and not Garou, that much he could tell.

Liam could almost hear his cousin telling him to behave, so he simply turned to the rest of the cafe to look for a place to sit. There were plenty of options, but he chose a table close to the blue-haired tourist.