Table Over The Borders

[StaolDerg]

Ipara stepped off the trolley into Elenerre's heart, looking about in the morning at the city surrounding her. The paperwork to leave Elenria had taken ages to prepare- a full eight months- but finally, here she was, outside of the borders as a Wanderer. As she started meandering about the street, it occurred to her that she hadn't eaten anything since arriving at the border. She looked about, trying to find something, anything that looked appealing as she shifted the Takpoe-engraved piece on her shoulder to a more comfortable situation.

Ipara's eyes landed on a nearby cafe that felt more quiet than the other surrounding businesses. It was a small corner shop, but whatever they had inside surely had to be better than the crappy coffee that the Takpoe stores sold. Hoping that no one looked too critically at the insignia on her shoulder, she entered to look at the menu.

[callmedelta]

A small bell chimed as Ipara stepped into the cafe. The inside of the cafe was cramped, five tables fit into a space that really only had room for four. Two tables were empty, really calling into question the need for the fifth table, two had a pair of Inselni each sitting at them, chatting, while the last table was occupied by a lone human, reading some sort of novel. At the end of the room was a small counter and register, behind which a small glimpse into the kitchen could be seen, from where the smell of baked goods wafted out. A small set of stairs led up to the second floor of the building. A human woman expertly weaved her way between the cramped tables, setting down a coffee at the lone human's table, and without even turning around, asked, "The usual again, Pierre?" in Franch.

[StaolDerg]

Ipara very awkwardly shuffled towards the counter, unsure how to respond. Finally speaking up, she managed, "I'm very sorry, who?"

In all honesty, maybe she should've been a Wanderer before being a Martial- Fourty years of military service seemed to pale in the face of everyday interaction, especially when those days in the military were spent writing more reports and racking a rifle bolt than actually talking to someone other than a fellow officer or soldier.

Trying again, she managed to clear her throat. "I think you have me mistaken for someone else, ma'am.

[callmedelta]

The woman looked up from the table, shocked to hear an unfamiliar voice. "Oh! Sorry," she said with a chuckle, "We don't get many new customers, so I thought you were one of the regulars. Go ahead and take a seat, I'll have a menu right out for you." The woman wove her way behind the counter, retrieving a menu. One of the pair of Inselni looked up from their conversation, taking note of the new dragonkin who entered, before returning to their conversation. The lone human reading also did the same.

[StaolDerg]

Ipara seated herself a healthy distance away from the others, not knowing if the Inselni here held to the usual customs. She looked about the small cafe, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells. All of was alien to her, but in a good way. The years she'd spent saving up wre absolutely worth it. Though that being said, she'd definitely have to find work down the line to eat. She'd wait for the menu to arrive, then browse for something light to start with.

[callmedelta]

The menu held mostly baked goods and pastries, as well as coffee, with milk and sugar added for a price. The lightest menu item would be a croissant, though macaroons, brioche, and madeleines were also available. The rest of the lunch menu would be occupied by mostly various types of soups, though a few more expensive items, such as pizza, were available.

[StaolDerg]

The Inselni looked over the food, deciding that coffee would be a nice start. As she browsed through, she decided to add some soup. It'd be a nice start to her day, plus get her blood running a bit warmer. Though admittedly, she figured, there was always the bar for later. Ipara raised a hand to catch the waitress' attention, ordering a cup of coffee with milk and sugar. She'd never had it before, but she bet it had to be better than the kind back in Takpoe.

[callmedelta]

The waitress disappeared into the kitchen, and a few minutes later returned with a cup of coffee, a tray of milk and sugar, and a nice Franch Onion Soup. The broth of the soup was mostly covered up by piece of bread covered with cheese, though it didn't cover up the scent of the broth underneath.

[StaolDerg]

Ipara was delighted to try it out, thanking the woman as she figured out how to start eating. Eat the bread and cheese first? Or the broth? It still smelled incredible. Dip the bread in the broth? She eventually decided to start with coffee, confusedly dunking milk and sugar into the dark, steaming liquid. It occurred to her that maybe she ought to ask the other Inselni for help, but then realized that they might not even speak the same version of Old Elenrian nor Kapari as her. She knew just enough Franch to order food at least. She took a sip of the concoction she'd made, realizing it might've been a better idea to add the milk and sugar in increments. Now she just felt silly.

She reached for the bread, wondering how different it'd be from the stale loaves at home. The soup would come last, she decided. She probably should've eaten something with more meat, but oh well. There couldn't be a restaurant that didn't sell a cut of steak later, right?

[callmedelta]

As the bread and cheese hit Ipara's tongue, it began to melt in her mouth as the mixing tastes of the bread, cheese, and garlic that the Inselni hadn't seen flooded over her taste buds. With the bread gone, the dragonkin got a better look at the soup itself, and could now see small chunks of onion and meat floating around.

[StaolDerg]

The Inselni couldn't help but quietly murmur "Damn this is good," as she ate. She knew the other Inselni could most definitely hear her anyway, but at this point she could not have cared less. Moving onto the soup and noticing the meat chunks within the broth, she immediately dug in with the spoon, deciding that a deli trip was absolutely unnecessary. The bowl was empty before she could a full three minutes, eating like she was famished. She drained the bowl towards the end, setting the spoon aside as she tipped what broth was left down her maw, wiping her lips with the napkin afterwards.

Everyone at home is missing out, she thought to herself as she set the bowl down and drank down the rest of the coffee. Ipara made a mental note to leave a tip on her way out as she looked for the waitress.

[callmedelta]

The waitress was sitting at the table with the lone human, as the two were now preparing for a game of chess. The waitress happened to look up at that moment, and seeing that the Inselni had finished her meal, quickly stood up and walked over. "Will you be leaving, then, or staying for awhile?" she asked.

[StaolDerg]

Feeling that she had nothing to stay about for, she shook her head. "I'll be leaving shortly, thank you. Could I have the check, please?" She reached for the purse beneath her cloak, fishing out an approximation of the price she recalled form the menu. She silently found relief in having the foresight to convert currency to Franch Lira, adding a few dozen as tip for the service.

[callmedelta]

The waitress pulled out the check from her apron, handing it to Ipara. As the waitress counted through the money, however, she paused. "Sorry," she said, "but I believe you must have overpaid." The woman handed back the dozen Lira.

[StaolDerg]

The Inselni shook her head, pressing the Lira back into the waitress' hand. "No, no. Tip. Keep it." She got up to leave, brushing herself off.