lucetilogs | Grand Opening!

Entry tags:

Grand Opening!

Who: Anyone and Everyone!
What: Official Grand Opening of Luceti's coffee shop
When: Monday, July 15th
Where: A Shot in the Dark Cafe
Summary: Stop by for some free coffee, today only! Wait, that's not right...
Rating: With this bunch? Who knows.

Okay, so technically they'd opened on July 1st, but Natasha wanted to give her new staff a few days to get used to working with the machines and getting the hang of things before going all out. Over the weekend, she put up some fliers and started getting the word spread around town where she could. It's not like Luceti's all that big that she doesn't think people will hear about it. Plus, there's a wave of new arrivals now settling in, so it's as good a time as any to have a public event.

Fortunately the weather turns out to be nice for the day, and Natasha's got the outdoor tables set up as well as the ones in the cafe. They're serving both hot and cold drinks - coffees, lattes, even Italian sodas and anything that could possibly be mixed from their menu - as well as some baked goods and snacks to go along with them.

Anyone's welcome to stop by at any point, whether its just to check the place out, catch up with friends or make some new ones.

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[Simon snickers and glances sideways at his friend.] Did you just make a joke? An actual funny joke? This place is obviously the best influence on you.

As opposed to us, who are just lazy layabouts, getting fat off of all the food here?

[Sam looks scandalised.]

I am always funny. You just have a crap sense of humour.

Well, it's not like there are many jobs going and I don't really know how to do much except... hopefully not get Runners killed.

I have the best sense of humor. Everyone knows that. [He smirks, propping his chin in his hands as he surveys the room.]

Yeah and you do that really well, but I'm the only Runner here and we don't exactly have a lot to be running from at the moment. Not that that's likely to stop me. Hey, you're welcome to come out and join me in the mornings, you know. [He glances over at him, just thinking of this.]

I can think of a few people who might disagree.

[He huffs softly, leaning forward on the table.]

Yeah, I know that. But I'm not exactly qualified for anything else. Or good at anything else and...

Me? I can't run.

They're unfairly biased.

[Simon arches an eyebrow at that, giving Sam a wry look.] That's ridiculous. You're good at a lot of things. And none of us were qualified for any of this, technically. Not After. Not here. And hey, you've got plenty of time to learn.

Also anyone can run, that's no excuse.

I was about to flunk out of my degree. Before. [It's an awkward admission because the apocalypse had kind of saved him in some ways, given him a purpose, a reason to keep going.]

You say that! You run all the time! It's your job.

Hey, you still got farther than I did. At least you tried for one. Besides, that doesn't mean anything, other than you were studying the wrong thing. You're good at things you set your mind to and are actually interested in learning. I've seen you.

[He rolls his eyes.] Doesn't that imply getting paid? And so what? That has nothing to do with your ability to run.

All you've seen me do is sit in a shack for sixteen hours a day. [He smiles though because it's kind of nice to hear that. Sometimes, the worst times, he wonders if they just keep him there out of habit.] Engineering. I was studying engineering.

[Is it weird to be telling Simon this now? He's told Five and Maxine and he's not kept it secret, it just... it seems easier to talk about Before here.]

We get paid in Janine not marching us to the gates and kicking us out.

[Simon snorts at that.] All I've seen you do is spend months choreographing grids of Runners looking for supplies in a hostile environment, keep the majority of us alive and uneaten, and helped us avoid... how many invasions are we up to now? I'm losing count. Stop underestimating yourself, Sammy.

Nah. She'd miss us too much.

Didn't do much good last time did I? The people we lost. If I'd paid more attention or- You know how many Nadia's lost the whole time? Three. I can't match that.

[Not even close. He's pretty sure he lost more than that in his first month.]

Speak for yourself.

[A look of absolute distaste flickers over Simon's face at the mention of Nadia, because yeah, he's still got a bit of a grudge.]

You're not Nadia and thank god for that. There's no comparison there, Sam, and I don't mean that as a compliment to her. You do just fine as you are, Sam. All of us know that, know you'll do anything to get us home safe. You're the best bet we've got out there.

[He pauses a moment before making a face, amending that.] I guess it's had out there, technically, since we're here now.

And I was speaking for myself. [His smirk's back with a hint of a knowing grin, because... well, it's Janine.] But I know she's got a soft spot for you, too. No one else can attain quite that level of exasperation in her voice. Mister Yao! [Yeah, okay, that's a scarily close mimicry. Simon hears this over the headsets way too often]

And this still has nothing to do with the fact that you're perfectly capable of running.

[Sam does too, of course he does. It's so recent for him and she'd tried to kill Five. But he can't deny the numbers and he can't deny the faces of the Runners who've died on his watch.]

You're my Runners. Of course I'd do anything. But you deserve better than 'just fine'. [They deserved the absolute best.]

If that's what you call a soft spot, I'm kind of scared to find out what you consider to be the opposite. And that's really creepy.

I'm just not very good at it.

And you're our Sam. [Simon gives him a wry look, because Sam's never quite figured out that protectiveness swings both ways. Or believes it would.] I'm fairly certain I can speak for the grand majority of us when I say we wouldn't want anyone else.

What, that I've heard it so often I can parrot it back. You should be grateful I don't repeat the other things I've heard from her that often. [His smirk turns considerably more wicked at that.]

You just need a little more practice is all.

It's not just me though. I mean, there are other operators, even at Abel and they do just fine too.

[No, he really doesn't get that protectiveness towards him. He's the one who's safe behind the walls while they're out there.

He groans softly at that comment.]

I do not want to know. Really.

And god, why did it have to be a world where fitness nuts have the advantage.

[Simon just gives him a look because yeah, they've got other operators. Amber's alright, and the Doc. Even Eugene, when he's not all crazy and trying to get them killed.] I suppose they do. But they're still not you. It is you. We know you'd do anything to bring us back in safe if you can. We've seen you do it. If you don't think the Runners know, and appreciate that, you're not paying attention.

I can't see Nadia being the sort to stay up all night, just talking to nothing in hopes her lost Runner would hear and know they're not alone, give them something to follow back home. [Because yes, he knew about that. All of them did. Not from Five, of course. Getting information from Five was like talking to a brick wall sometimes. But the Runners had their own way of hearing things. And that? That had mattered.]

Are you sure? I bet I can do a fair imitation.

[Simon just laughed at that.] I'm not sure I count as a fitness nut, but thanks, I think. This is still note getting you out of running, you know.

[He gives Simon a slightly startled look at that, because he'd not really told anyone what had happened, except Maxine and he was sure Janine knew, but they weren't the type to talk. He hadn't mentioned it to Simon certainly.]

Runner gossip mill working overtime as usual I see. [He gives a small smile.] I sent Five out there. I had to bring them back if I could. It's my job and they're my... my friends. [It didn't seem like anything as big as Simon was making it out to be. He was sure that anyone would do the same.]

Very sure.

[He huffed, glaring at Simon.]

You're not allowed to laugh, okay.

You know it. We're better than the tabloids these days. And so much more reliable. [Simon gives him a crooked grin, then rolls his eyes fondly as Sam tries to brush it off.] And you're ours. But I'm pretty sure that goes above and beyond what your normal job would be. I'm just saying... we appreciate it.

[Although he gives Sam a bemused look of confusion at that last bit.] Sammy, telling me not to laugh is pretty much a guaranteed way to make sure I will. But what am I not laughing at? You running? Why?

Yeah but, let's be fair, everyone who worked on the tabloids are dead now. Probably. And let's face it, it would be difficult to be less accurate. Although I'm still not convinced that Red Eye exists.

[He gives a small smile at that, and he's glad for it. He's just not sure it's so fantastic as Simon seems to think.

He huffs softly at this.]

Because I'm rubbish at it. Always have been. I never liked PE.

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Grand Opening!

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