this is probably not what full of beans is supposed to imply

[spelleton]

WHO: Ekkehardt, Ren Amamiya, and anyone who needs coffee
WHAT: So much caffeine
WHEN: All through March, in the evenings
WHERE: Somewhere central on campus
NOTES: I'll match you! Also if you want to use this as the basis for other threads between characters that is absolutely fine.



It's a lovely evening, with the sun setting over the mountains and throwing sharp shadows across the Academy. When the sun starts to go down and the lights go up, a new, temporary stall can be found on the school's grounds. Populated with square tables and benches for comfortable communal seating, with candles and old-fashioned looking lamps for light, the distinct smell of good coffee is prevalent; a few modest flyers and a few sandwich board signs proclaim that coffee is provided by the Cafe Club, which is now accepting members and employees from the student body, and the stall is open for business for anyone who might need coffee and a more relaxed space to recover from midterms or to study for finals.

Oh, and Ekkehardt is there too, quietly serving coffee. A stack of paperwork and his laptop on a nearby table suggests that when he's not being one of the waitstaff, he's certainly not wasting his time. You might even catch him working on his laptop instead of serving customers.

Or, if it's a certain time early on in the month, muttering something darkly and brushing stray flecks of glitter off his clothing, but that's probably nothing to worry about, right.

Comments

Ky Kiske | OTA

[bejustorbedead]

Ky didn't need to work, and he really didn't need much sleep - he was nursing a mug of coffee which had turned a milk chocolate-color by the cream he mixed in. He was pouring over his own papers, humming softly to himself, pushing to toss a long, loose strand of hair from the table back over his shoulders.

He gives a quiet nod of appreciation to Ekkehardt when the man refills his mug, and if anyone approaches his table, he moves the documents to clear a space for them, before glancing up.

"...Is that glitter?" He asks the man quietly.

[spelleton]

"Yes. Atchison's little joke. I suppose he's paying me back for getting on his nerves a little too much." Like they've been doing for some time, you know how it is.

"Still perpetually sleepless, are you?" He'd thought it was just some kind of odd side-effect that would eventually wear off, but...Ky barely seems to sleep, and is still fine. It's something he tends to keep an eye on, just in case.

[bejustorbedead]

"One of these days I expect you be covered with feathers or have your clothes replaced with a jester's garb." Ky gives a quiet snicker at the mental image that came up. "How did it even start in the first place?" He gestures with the pen.

[spelleton]

"He got on my nerves, I got on his in retaliation." He waves a hand, dismissively, in a sort of 'this is how it is' way. "And don't give him ideas. He'll try to find a way to tar and feather me next. As if glitter isn't bad enough!

Though I suppose your templars weren't the pranking sort?" He has no idea.

[nor_iron_bars]

[Jail is, of course, here for Ekkehardt in his time of need.]

Y'know, it's not a bad look for you.

[...Not there to help, mind you. She's just around. Sitting on a table like a gremlin. Taunting him.]

Body glitter's a little retro, sure, but hey- it's always the eighties as long as it's the eighties in your heart.

[spelleton]

[ She's certainly there. ]

I tend to lean more towards old-fashioned than retro, aesthetically.

[ He brushes off another sprinkle of glitter. ]

Are you here for coffee, or just to comment on my newest fashion accessory? [ His voice is a bit dry. ]

[nor_iron_bars]

[Deadpan:]

Yes.

[The answer is always both, naturally.]

Got any recommendations, or should I just go with the house blend?

[spelleton]

[ Of course. ]

Mr Amamiya is quite good at what he does, so I doubt you'll get a bad experience. The house blend is a solid choice, however. Will you go with that?

[suddenlybees]

[ They should just replace all the water fountains in school with coffee, maybe, with how prevent the drink seems to be around campus— especially when it's exam time, and it was just exam time and it's exam time again and how is that fair?? ]

Ekkehardt~

[ Kano comes trotting up to him sometime mid-afternoon, hands in his pockets and looking curiously at what papers he's working on at the moment; and even more curiously at the glitter, eyes drawn to the shine like a bird miles away. ]

You weren't at the infirmary! I had to come all the way out here to find you!! You're not leaving, are you?

[spelleton]

If I left, who would supply you with bandaids? [ He sounds vaguely fond. The papers appear to be schedules for someone's class. ] I'm not going anywhere.

[ He brushes another bit of glitter out of his hair...sigh. ] My apologies for the inconvenience, however.

[suddenlybees]

That's right, that's why you gotta stay and never leave. What would I do without you otherwise?

[ He swipes his thumb on his tongue and stoops to stick the glitter onto his thumb and wipe it off on the inside of his jacket pocket. Apparently, glitter is worth recycling. ]

I'll let it slide this time, but you're going to have to provide me double next time I'm at the infirmary, as repayment~ Now! I'm curious!! What'cha working on? Are these days you're not going to be working, or what's this?

[spelleton]

I'm sure you'd find a way to manage, truly. Am I that essential? [ It's hard to tell with Kano, and he's not really expecting a honest answer, but it's certainly an interesting question. ]

Alas, it appears I'm in bandaid debt. Shocking. I'll be sure to keep a tally of what I owe you.

Ah, it's just the usual. Schedules, assignment drafts, hazard forms for any special classes the teachers run so we know if we need to prepare anything in advance. Such as... [ He peers at his latest form. ] Building and firing artillery?

[ That sounds WEIRDLY FAMILIAR, HUH ]

[inflictwounds]

[Oh. Oh, dear.]

Did Avery get to you?

[That seems the most likely culprit.

Hieke is there for the coffe, at least, and he gives Ekkehardt a sympathetic look. That glitter's going to be sticking around for a while.]

[spelleton]

Not only did he giftwrap my desk, he sent me a card full of glitter to go along with it.

[ He sounds resigned, not actually angry. While he talks, he's setting a coffee in front of Hieke. ]

So I suppose I'll have to pay him back for his little 'favour'. I hope it hasn't inconvenienced you.

[ What with the glitter probably being somewhat in the infirmary, and everything. ]

[inflictwounds]

Well, he just wanted to be considerate. Obviously.

[He takes the coffee, looking amused.]

It's not an inconvenience at all. It makes the infirmary look seasonal.

ota

[eudaimonikos]

[Michael doesn't require sleep, so caffeine is just a fun bonus chemical for him. He enjoys the taste, though, so he comes to the cafe to hang out. He brings a stack of papers to grade - with red pen despite what grade he's handing out, because he's a big asshole. When that's finished, he...takes out a small block of wood and starts hacking at it with a knife?]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya comes up from the side, book bag slipping from his shoulder as he peers at Michael's wood carving with curiosity.]

Hi... what's that? [He points at it.]

[eudaimonikos]

It's wood.

[someone's being deliberately unhelpful!]

[spelleton]

[ He glances at the stack of papers and the red pen, and feels the need to ask. ] So did they really do that badly, or is this psychological warfare?

[ He just sounds mildly curious rather than like, judgemental or something. ]

[eudaimonikos]

Most of them did okay. It's just fun to do this sometimes, keep 'em on their toes.

OTA

[subconmodo]

The architect of Ekkehardt's misfortune occasionally looks over to admire his handiwork. Avery's laptop, notepad file filled with half-written ideas for finals (and only partially covering an embroidery tutorial) lies mostly forgotten, the Daemon Contracting professor more than happy to people watch, both hands curled protectively astound his steaming cup of coffee.

A prank perfectly executed and a new source of caffeine on campus. It all adds up to a very good day.

[yokeye]

Toki has obtained a very large cup of coffee he definitely doesn't need, but since he financed some of the cafe club's start-up, he gets free coffee and will make the most out of it. Avery doesn't look very busy, so he decides now is a good time to discuss things.

"Professor Atchison~! How are you~!?"

[subconmodo]

The second he sees that large cup of coffee in Toki's hands, a feeling almost like fear settles itself heavily in Avery's heart. Is he even going to be able to understand the boy at all? Did he even hear him just now or was he hallucinating? He can only imagine that Toki on caffeine would only be audible to a dog or some other animal with specialized hearing.

Although if he buys him enough cups of coffee and sets him on someone else...

"Good evening, Rikugou. I'm well enough. Manage to dig up any memories of your midterm performance?"

[spelleton]

"If I wasn't respecting Mr Amamiya's coffee skills, I'd dump glitter in it before I served you," Ekkehardt says, entirely deadpan.

After the odd conversations they've had in the past month or so, it's almost nice to be back to what passes for normal in their interactions. He notes that embroidery tutorial on the screen, but doesn't draw attention to it.

"That mess took me quite a while to clean up. I hope you're proud of yourself."

[subconmodo]

"Extremely," he replies, and honestly Ekkehardt should have expected that response out of him. And it's like coming home after a long, long time, a comfort he didn't know existed before now.

Maybe Ekkehardt had had a point about picking on him making him feel better after all.

"Still... I can't help but wonder if I should have saved that little treat for your birthday."