07-12-2013, 02:01 PM
Rune paused in a brief spot of shade and fanned herself. She'd been walking forever it seemed like, though really she hadn't left the few square blocks of Old Arbat all day, just snaked up and down all the streets, and doubling back to criss cross the side ones so nothing would be missed.
She switched the bag from one shoulder to the other, and tugged the strap of her tank higher from where it'd fallen, and gathered her bearings. She knew she'd walked by a cafe around here earlier, somewhere with an open door and comfortable looking chairs ..... and shade. She wasn't fantastic when it came to mapping stuff out in her head, but that was why she was wandering in the first place, so she put her hand to her eyes and squinted at one of the corner street-signs. Then she was set straight. The cafe should be around the corner.
She started to go, but immediately bumped into a girl she hadn't seen. The girl was maybe her age, but it was hard to tell with that smooth porcelain skin so perfect it looked like it'd never seen a makeup sponge or a sunburn in its entire life. Her size and outfit didn't help either. She could be anywhere from twelve to thirty years old.
"Sorry," Rune murmured as the other woman lifted her hands and started apologizing before quickly rushing onward. Rune was confused at first, but when the woman glanced over her shoulder to see if Rune was following, she got it then.
She just shrugged and carefully palmed the side of her scalp to see how her hair was holding up and went on her merry way once more. She caught a glimpse of herself in a passing window, which confirmed the palm's appraisal of hair-awesomeness, but also revealed why the woman was worried. A black tank, zippered cargo pants, and a sneaker-boots was not exactly haute coutoure in Moscow. She'd peter around Texas and nobody'd think twice. Oh well. Arbat better get used to it.
A few minutes later she was pleased with locating the cafe pictured in her head. Unlike this morning where people were coming and going rapidly for pre-work coffees, now the patrons were milling about. There were lots of tourists. There was also a girl outside who looked super comfortable and unlikely to be going anywhere anytime soon. To that girl, Rune must look like a tourist. Although, until she paid rent somewhere for more than a weekly rate, she technically was one.
Inside, she looked around at the space while waiting in line. It was legit cool, but not enough to make her want to investigate finding a place to live in this neighborhood. It was nice enough to visit, probably not to live. Besides, she had a couple of places around the city to investigate first. Also, she doubted the Atharim would pay for something this pricey.
"Iced tea please." She ordered at the counter. The man behind which leveled her with an annoyed stare. "Well whats the problem?"
"We have tea. No iced tea. If you want tea, I will get you tea." He said, and Rune looked up from digging in her back for her cash card.
"Do you have ice?"
"Yes."
She leaned forward, elbows on the counter, the card perched between two fingers. "Here i'll help out. Iced tea is just tea with ice in it." Twin pink lines that were her eyebrows lifted as she nodded along, bright lips quirked playfully.
He didn't budge. "Do you want tea or not?"
Rune rolled her eyes and gave up. Freaking Moscow. "Coffee. Black." She swiped her card in front of the scanner and added, "No ice." The man didn't seem to find her joke too funny.
As she actually was here looking for artsy stuff, the display on the back wall drew her over while the man was pouring (and probably spitting in) her coffee. The centerpiece lured her in like a moth to the flame. The style was all swirly and decorated. But there were lines and shapes. It wasn't all smooshed and foggy like some painters painted, like they couldn't decide which color to use so they just used them all. This one, Rune could make out each individual flower, an actual flower, not just a smudge of a paint brush.
"Your coffee!" The man yelled and Rune rolled her eyes where he couldn't see it.
"Hey, who made that?" She asked while eyeing the cup for anything swirling like saliva, and gestured toward the painting.
The man pointed to the woman sitting outside.
There was no way to tell about the spit, so Rune was just going to have to go with it. Unfortunately, the coffee was molten lava hot. She half wondered if it'd be worth it: Hey? Do you think I could get a chip of ice for this? Its really hot. But in Moscow, the man was liable to pull a gun on her. And she really didn't want to have to deal with that at the moment. So, that meant letting the coffee cool off a bit.
She sat outside next to the artist. The bag slumped next to her feet, but she clearly wasn't going to let it out of her possession should anyone get any cockamamie ideas. The coffee went on the table, tendrils of steam curling off the surface as it cooled.
"That's your painting in there?" She asked, not at all worried about interrupting. "It's really cool. Are you like a famous artist or something," she added, the sarcasm bright in her eyes.
Edited by Rune Marx, Jul 12 2013, 02:02 PM.
She switched the bag from one shoulder to the other, and tugged the strap of her tank higher from where it'd fallen, and gathered her bearings. She knew she'd walked by a cafe around here earlier, somewhere with an open door and comfortable looking chairs ..... and shade. She wasn't fantastic when it came to mapping stuff out in her head, but that was why she was wandering in the first place, so she put her hand to her eyes and squinted at one of the corner street-signs. Then she was set straight. The cafe should be around the corner.
She started to go, but immediately bumped into a girl she hadn't seen. The girl was maybe her age, but it was hard to tell with that smooth porcelain skin so perfect it looked like it'd never seen a makeup sponge or a sunburn in its entire life. Her size and outfit didn't help either. She could be anywhere from twelve to thirty years old.
"Sorry," Rune murmured as the other woman lifted her hands and started apologizing before quickly rushing onward. Rune was confused at first, but when the woman glanced over her shoulder to see if Rune was following, she got it then.
She just shrugged and carefully palmed the side of her scalp to see how her hair was holding up and went on her merry way once more. She caught a glimpse of herself in a passing window, which confirmed the palm's appraisal of hair-awesomeness, but also revealed why the woman was worried. A black tank, zippered cargo pants, and a sneaker-boots was not exactly haute coutoure in Moscow. She'd peter around Texas and nobody'd think twice. Oh well. Arbat better get used to it.
A few minutes later she was pleased with locating the cafe pictured in her head. Unlike this morning where people were coming and going rapidly for pre-work coffees, now the patrons were milling about. There were lots of tourists. There was also a girl outside who looked super comfortable and unlikely to be going anywhere anytime soon. To that girl, Rune must look like a tourist. Although, until she paid rent somewhere for more than a weekly rate, she technically was one.
Inside, she looked around at the space while waiting in line. It was legit cool, but not enough to make her want to investigate finding a place to live in this neighborhood. It was nice enough to visit, probably not to live. Besides, she had a couple of places around the city to investigate first. Also, she doubted the Atharim would pay for something this pricey.
"Iced tea please." She ordered at the counter. The man behind which leveled her with an annoyed stare. "Well whats the problem?"
"We have tea. No iced tea. If you want tea, I will get you tea." He said, and Rune looked up from digging in her back for her cash card.
"Do you have ice?"
"Yes."
She leaned forward, elbows on the counter, the card perched between two fingers. "Here i'll help out. Iced tea is just tea with ice in it." Twin pink lines that were her eyebrows lifted as she nodded along, bright lips quirked playfully.
He didn't budge. "Do you want tea or not?"
Rune rolled her eyes and gave up. Freaking Moscow. "Coffee. Black." She swiped her card in front of the scanner and added, "No ice." The man didn't seem to find her joke too funny.
As she actually was here looking for artsy stuff, the display on the back wall drew her over while the man was pouring (and probably spitting in) her coffee. The centerpiece lured her in like a moth to the flame. The style was all swirly and decorated. But there were lines and shapes. It wasn't all smooshed and foggy like some painters painted, like they couldn't decide which color to use so they just used them all. This one, Rune could make out each individual flower, an actual flower, not just a smudge of a paint brush.
"Your coffee!" The man yelled and Rune rolled her eyes where he couldn't see it.
"Hey, who made that?" She asked while eyeing the cup for anything swirling like saliva, and gestured toward the painting.
The man pointed to the woman sitting outside.
There was no way to tell about the spit, so Rune was just going to have to go with it. Unfortunately, the coffee was molten lava hot. She half wondered if it'd be worth it: Hey? Do you think I could get a chip of ice for this? Its really hot. But in Moscow, the man was liable to pull a gun on her. And she really didn't want to have to deal with that at the moment. So, that meant letting the coffee cool off a bit.
She sat outside next to the artist. The bag slumped next to her feet, but she clearly wasn't going to let it out of her possession should anyone get any cockamamie ideas. The coffee went on the table, tendrils of steam curling off the surface as it cooled.
"That's your painting in there?" She asked, not at all worried about interrupting. "It's really cool. Are you like a famous artist or something," she added, the sarcasm bright in her eyes.
Edited by Rune Marx, Jul 12 2013, 02:02 PM.