Bean Scene Cafe
Bean Scene is a small coffee shop and cafe that caters primarily to a younger crowd. The cafe has always been at least a year late in joining any given fad, and in the past it's been done in western-style, set up as a beatnik hangout, a go-go disco, a fern bar, and once even attempted to cash in on breakdancing. A plaque has recently been placed above the door, and says, "No fad is dead until it appears to Bean Scene".
Case in point, the cafe has a grungy feel to it.A grey brick facade has been placed over the walls, the flooring looking more like a worn down metal grid, complete with old sewer grates every few feet. Tables and chairs set about the cafe are quite casual in appearance, made of metal meant to look rusty and splattered with multi-colored paints. Metal street signs hang from the wall amid images of garage bands. Behind the counter is a black chalkboard displaying the available items and costs.
It's difficult to believe that in all the time her two cousins have been in the city they have yet to interact with the Umbra coven. She's been in the city for but a few days and not only has met a relative, but also has a family name to go by. Tracing the family will not prove to be difficult, but her first task is to find her cousins. As they are in class and she has absolutely no desire for the first meeting to go that poorly, Quinn is currently located in the local coffee shop not too far from campus. Before her is a latte that has barely been touched, her gaze focused to the side to stare out the window.
Damn Doris and her need for coffee! Chloe would much rather be hiding at the library this afternoon, so that she could get her work done and get out of there before Mischa begins his shift. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem that her desires are being taken into account. "No foam latte," she says to the person behind the counter, her mind sending gentle fingers out to search the customers in the shop. An exercise to see if she's still able to keep things under control.
With everything that is going on, the mere thought of shielding her mind against the possible presence of psychics is far from the top of her priority list. This being so, Quinn offers no resistance to anyone who might be trying to take a peak. She's wondering about how it is possible for a member of the Umbra clan to be considered a good witch and to so openly dismiss her family. Who is this Fontane anyway? A hand reaches for her latte at about the same time she hears Chloe's order. It brings her attention to the librarian but as she doesn't know her she remains alone with her thoughts.
Through the usual mire of work, school, family irritations, and the like, Chloe is able to pick up on one name and focus on it. Fontane. Her brow furrows slightly, then she waves to the woman behind the counter. "I've changed my mind. Make it a mochacino, extra foam." She can't pinpot the thinker just yet, but she's going to continue trying to single out that one voice. This is her exercise of the day.
Nothing interesting there, really. Nothing to see, so Quinn doesn't really see it, or at least she doesn't stare. Scarlett Fontane. She's not going to become obsessed but she should find out more about her family just in case the others actually are a fan of genocide. As she turns back to her window, she accidentally knocks over her latte. It's still hot as she learns once it hits her lap. "Ow!" She isn't trying to make a scene but it hurts. "Great move." Yes, she's making fun of herself. She'll have to be better than this if she's to protect her family against the Fontane's.
The cry does it. Chloe snaps her head in the woman's direction. Her mochacino is delivered, and she carries it along with a whole container of napkins over to the table. "Careful," she offers, in a friendly wariness. "Don't make it any worse for yourself."
If she were to even be thinking about psychics she would take the warning as more than what it appears. As it is, Quinn merely accepts the offered napkins with a red face and a laugh. "I'm normally not like this. Thank you, though." She'd likely not be this friendly if she wasn't so embarrassed. The desire to change her clothes makes her consider ditching her efforts to meet up with her cousins and research the Fontane's. "That's what I get for being lost in thought, huh?"
There is no way that the woman can know, so Chloe simply smiles. "Everyone gets lost in thought, some just more clumsily so than others." Her smile mutates into a wry grin, and she hands over more napkins. "I know these will hardly sop up that mess, but at least you'll be able to get the worst of it off. What were you thinking about?"
To this Quinn just looks at Chloe rather blankly. Her people skills are apparently lacking. There are no ill thoughts, however. In fact she believes that this other woman is rather nice. "Yeah, I guess." Her smile fades slightly as she begins to dab at her outfit in hopes that it isn't ruined. "Oh, nothing, really… it's just…" How to phrase this without sounding like a psycho stalker. "I have the name Fontane in my head. Last name. But I just can't figure out where I know it from."
"Fontane? I think my brother has a friend with that name," Chloe replies, almost nonchalantly. "For being such a large city, Dallas sometimes seems so small." She nods toward a wet newspaper under foot. "Perhaps you saw it somewhere? The name, I mean. Like on the news?"
It is a very small world, indeed. "Really? A woman about this tall?" Her hands indicate the height of Scarlett and she even describes her further. "For some reason I want to say that's her name but I don't remember. How bad is that?" Quinn is lying, obviously, but she's going to have to in this case. Her eyes drift down to the paper as she tries to remember where she might have heard it. "Wait. The Mayor's little peon?"
"Not sure. I haven't spoken to my brother since our father died." At least not /much/ at any rate. "You know her height and her description, but not her name?" Chloe frowns at this. "It's bad, and I don't like being lied to." Walking lie detector, this telepath can be. Fun times. "Depends what you want with them. The Fontane's I mean."
Oh, wow. Awkward. "I-I'm sorry to hear that." It's a bit of truth that she's just not exactly expecting. Quinn's about to leave it at that but then she's called out for lying. She stares at Chloe, instantly trying to figure out what's going on. Her mind doesn't immediately jump to any conclusions but she decides not to puzzle it out just yet. "It's a family issue," she explains. "I'm not seeking them out to engage them, but rather to avoid them. Or keep my family from them before they commit more genocide." Hey, Chloe was calling her out, after all. And Quinn's thoughts mirror her words.
"It happened and there's nothing that can change it, but thanks for the sentiment." Chloe lifts the mochacino to her lips and takes a long drink from it. "The Mayor's little peon can be a jerk, or so I've heard, but I hardly think he's at all able to commit genocide." No mention that she may just know him personally.
Still awkward and someone seems rather upset about it. Okay, dropping subject and moving on. "Well, his family is. I don't know -him- to know if I can say the same. History just has a way of repeating itself." She's remembering the names of her slaughtered loves ones and pictures that she was shown. "I just want to make sure that's the case. I don't want to bring issues where there aren't any but I refuse to allow my family to suffer further." If Quinn knew about his dealings with vampires she very likely would accuse him of being capable of genocide.
There would be less upset feelings were Chloe not indirectly responsible for the death. "History only has a way of repeating itself if one drudges up the past and makes an issue of it." The images are set aside in her mind, and for once she wishes she were able to print them out as physical proof. "You're treading a fine line between leaving things alone and escalating them to a point of no return, it sounds like." Without even having to ask, she's positive that this woman must also be a witch, to have such a hatred for Ivan and his family.
She doesn't have hatred for Ivan as much as she has hatred for the Umbra. "When I brought it up to the woman she seemed just as suspicious and cautious as I am." The scene replays in her mind as she's not exactly able to turn it off. "The only difference is that she said that she has nothing to do with that. With them. And I want to believe her but I can't tell how the rest of her family feels." If she just let the issue drop because of Scarlett alone and then something happened? Quinn would never be able to forgive herself. "I was raised to hate that family with every ounce of my being. I can hate what happened and that will never change. I moved away for a reason, though, and I'd much prefer the drama to remain where I came from." It honestly seems her intent to merely investigate and then avoid rather than engage the Fontane clan.
"Yet by dredging things up, by persisting with it, you're really no better than those where you come from that can't let it go," Chloe points out gently. "Far be it from me to stop your investigation or whatever it is you're intending on doing, Miss…?" There is a pause as she awaits a name. "I just happen to think that you'll come across much more drama in doing so than you would just living your life normally." The coffee is sipped from again, and she glances at her wristwatch to discern the time.
This woman can't understand, not really. To an outsider it seems so simple. In a way it is so simple, yet it's not. Scarlett was the aggressor when it came to that particular part of the conversation, not Quinn. "I need to do what I have to in order to keep my family safe." Yet the prompting of a name causes the woman to snap from her thoughts. "Oh, sorry. Quinn Niveus, PhD." She's earned that title so she may as well use it. "So say I ignore this threat completely and find that the family comes down on mine anyway. I'm not suggesting that I wouldn't love to just let it go but I can't tell if they will be so willing." She's already planning a nice delivery to Scarlett. Something of a peace offering, but that's only because she likes the woman.
To an outsider it really is so simple. A fight between past generations doesn't make sense to perpetuate. Chloe sighs. "Keeping family safe is one thing. Looking for trouble is another." It's not as though her opinion was really asked for. "Chloe Cornett," she offers in return. "The only way to tell if they're willing to let it go is to ask."
There is no winning this debate, not with someone who hasn't been raised to hate. Umbra are a racial enemy, more or less. "The last time I spoke with one of them she immediately accused me of something." Quinn was technically the original aggressor but only to learn the truth. No harm was ever meant. "Do you honestly believe, Ms. Cornett, that knowing your enemy is such a bad thing?" She'll not have to even go digging if Ivan keeps making headlines about dating a mental patient. "Although honestly I would much rather prefer to focus my time on other things."
"I have very few friends, and less enemies, so I doubt I'm the best person to talk to." Chloe sets the unfinished coffee on the table, and then shakes her head. "There was likely a reason she accused you. People /generally/ don't throw out wild accusations unless they feel threatened." Hint-hint. You're not perfect, Quinn. "But I do think that if you want answers, the best way to get them is to ask instead of carrying around a grudge."
Not the person to ask and not one who really knows. And by this point Quinn's just sort of stopped thinking. She doesn't exactly know that Chloe is a psychic but she's been given a few hints and is just generally on guard. "It is rather funny how the mention of my last name set her off." That's how it looked to her. Quinn shrugs, not having the people skills to even try and be civil. "I already know what I'm going to do. It will work or it won't. My ire is better placed elsewhere."
People never really /stop/ thinking, but they generally stop thinking about fun or important things when they put their guards up. Chloe ignores the fact that she's likely been found out. It would have bothered her before, but not since she's gotten confidence. "If things are as awful as you say they are, then wouldn't it stand to reason that they expect some sort of retribution?" There's a shrug from the telepath as well. "That's a good attitude to have."
Stop complete thinking, no, but when her thoughts drift to the weather it is a clear sign. "Guilty conscious, perhaps. I know that I wouldn't be all that thrilled to be linked to a family with such a past. I guess I might expect something but then again I wouldn't be paranoid about it. It is what it is." Then again, her family didn't murder innocent people. Quinn waves it all off in order to focus on something else, something school related. "I should probably get going. Lots to do." Messages to send.
