Asli stared at the cup of coffee with her name written on it. She narrowed her eyes as she carefully read the loopy name with what appeared to be a heart drawn at the end. At least she hadn't gotten a number; why people insisted on doing that, Asli would never know. Americans. But this.
"Excuse me," she said, her voice clipped. The barista didn't seem to notice her, likely because she found her phone far more fascinating. "I said," Asli said, tapping, "pardon me," she waited a few more seconds while an exasperated teenager looked her way. "There seems to be a problem with my order."
The girl pulled a face that certainly did not improve her appearance, and Asli had to take a deep breath and tilt her cup. "You apparently wrote that this cup is for an 'Ashlee,' with two 'E's,'" who even spelled the name that way? It was definitely grammatically incorrect. You'd think someone using their native tongue would get that right. "But my name is Asli."
"Yeah, Ashley, I heard you."
"No, no, no, you misunderstand," Asli said again. She enunciated clearly now: "Asli. As-li. There is no 'H' in my name," when the girl kept staring, Asli sighed and turned to the nearest person. "Excuse me, I presume you heard this. Could you possibly help explain this, or is there a translation issue I am unaware of?"
Post by Felix Nicholas on Nov 9, 2016 18:29:16 GMT
Felix's coffee need was NOT a problem. Well, he'd quickly become one of the coffee shop's was frequented early morning patrons, but still, that was far from an addiction to caffeine, surely? He needed it anyway, if he intended to fight off the dawn get up's heavy sleep deprivation and work into the night on his latest piece of newly delivered radio equipment. He need school work he needed finishing, but that paled, as it always did, to his work with sound and the joys of music. Vanilla Latte, his favourite beverage, ordered so often all he needed to do was smile at the coffee clerk and she knew exactly what his order would be, was placed down before him. The radio host grinned, taking hold of the cup labelled "Felix " with a polite nod, just as the young woman beside him in the queue spoke, the sharp, irritated tone layered in her voice pricking the host's ears. Since he'd mutated, he found himself very intune with changes in sounds, especially in voice patterns. His smile faded as he listened to the dark haired female snap at the clerk, frowning a little, the customer seemingly irritate at the fact her name had been spelled incorrectly.
Felix then suddenly found himself thrown into the conversation as the woman in question addressed him. He paused for a moment. "Hmm... Let me fix this," He hummed softly, pouting out his bottom lip before slipping his free hand into his pocket, retrieving a pen with a flourish. He placed his own cup down, taking hold of the young woman's and with a few quick strokes of the pen, crossed out the "Ashley" as best he could, and wrote "Asli" along with a smiley face. Rather messily, but it was just about readable as such. "Ta da, problem solved!" He grinned, his goofy smile beaming as he held up the cup to the clerk. "Like this next time for the lady, okay?" He offered it out the young woman, called Asli. Not Ashley.
Asli raised her brows as the young man pulled a pen. She held still while he worked at the cup, fixing the name with a slight flourish and what he probably thought was a charming smile. Asli's eyes narrowed slightly, uncertain whether he actually meant it or if he were somehow playing her in some form or fashion. She could already get a few emotions; his were certainly close to the surface, but she couldn't say for sure just yet.
"Yes, it's that simple," Asli said, making sure the clerk could see the cup, she was already rolling her eyes, and Asli narrowed hers again. She could feel the clerk's overall annoyance and overall frustration, which was just close enough to several quite negative emotions. Technically you weren't supposed to use your power, but really that came down more to flaunting it.
Asli's eyes narrowed as she focused all her energy on the barista ignoring her, mentally working to change just a few paths. Some guilt would surely do her some good. There was no other movement from the Turkish girl, however: just the stillness and hard staring.
Post by Felix Nicholas on Nov 13, 2016 11:31:35 GMT
Felix continued to smile as the woman had turned her attention to him, noting the slight narrow of her eyes, before he raised an eyebrow as he pocketed the pen; She had turned away from him now, and still seemed very insistent on not only the barista getting her name right, but for her to apologise for it. Granted, the coffee clerk was being significantly rude, and rather disrespectful, but the harsh tone of the lady was doing little to aid the situation. His smile dropped a fraction as she turned her attention again to the barista, the radio host giving a gentle sigh; She was now, as far as he could tell, glaring intently at the server.
"They were spelling my name incorrectly for weeks," He spoke up with a small chuckle, his tone light hearted. "Felis. Feelicx...And a million other seemingly ridiculous combinations." He lightly tapped the side of his own cup, which displayed his name correctly. "But here we are! It just took a little patience, and a few prompts in the right direction." He rose a hand, waving it slightly in order to try and gain the attention of the barista. "Miss? Miss, if you don't mind, would you just get this lady a fresh cup to slot hers in?" He smiled warmly, putting his arm down and leaning on the counter casually. "I'll pay any difference. And if you could get the name right, that would be great." The young woman must surely have had a poor start to her morning, and if he could cheer the stranger up, however small, well that was his good deed for the day.
Asli could vaguely hear the young man blathering on about something. Names, perhaps? It really was rather easy to block out the incessant noises these idiots so frequently made, particularly when they were all but prattling. It wasn't until the barista turned, her emotions shifting, that Asli realized that the young man was doing something. She'd been able to get at least some of the guilt she'd wanted embedded in the young barista, but not quite to the level she'd hoped. The woman just had a slight expression of sorrow on her face.
In fact, it was just enough to get her to quickly agree to Felix's reasonable request. She mumbled something to that effect, likely tossing an apology into the mix as well. Asli glanced over to the young man, feeling his own... good humor? about the whole situation. "Rather forgiving of you," she said, unable to keep her voice from sounding stiff (speaking in her third or fourth language generally helped there anyway). "Best be careful: if you're too generous; everyone will merely walk over you."
Oh, how tempting it was to start playing with his emotions too. Asli knew that a large part of that was her power itself; the addicting nature of it. Knowing that didn't diminish the desire; simply made it a little easier to resist.
Post by Felix Nicholas on Nov 13, 2016 16:44:41 GMT
Thankfully, the barista's attitude seemed to have a shift towards regret, and she tossed a small apology to the irritated young woman, before she began preparation on a replacement. Felix gave her one of his usual warm smiles, before giving her a nod of thanks; Of course he was completely unaware that the reason for this reaction had not solely been on his request alone. At the situation's resolve, the woman named Asli turned her gaze once again back to the radio host, who offered her the same friendly expression he'd just given the barista. She gave him little in the way of any form of appreciation, which he hadn't exactly been looking for regardless, instead almost warning him of his generous manner. He replied with a chuckle, waving his hand a little at her to politely dismiss the comment. "You sound like my Father," He joked, before giving a light hearted shrug of his shoulders. "But unfortunately, it's pretty much hardwired into me, miss." Felix was a firm believer in being kind, and that in doing so you not only enhanced the lives of others but also your own. The world was cruel enough as it was, without people being unnecessarily disrespectful or harmful to each other; It was perhaps an overly romanticised opinion, but it was one Felix embraced completely... As he said, it was practically in his DNA. "It was no trouble, I just hope she gets your name right this time," He smiled, before bringing his own correctly labelled cup to his lips and taking a small sip of his coffee. Caramel Latte. The sweetness swept over his tongue, and he casually glanced over towards the coffee clerk, who was nearly finished with the young woman's replacement. "Well, you're welcome to join me if you want company," He offered. "I'll be over by the window." He gestured to a small table in corner of the coffee house, which offered a decent view out of the window to the busy street.
Felix was more then happy to offer for her to sit with him, but if she chose otherwise, he wasn't about to take any offence. Not everyone wants to sit with a total stranger.
Like his father? that intrigued Asli, particularly since she hadn't gotten a name besides "Felix." Did she know of any Felixes in, say, the Bellefonte family? Or any of the other families? This felt like something that Asli should know. He did, at least, display quite a bit of manners.
"One can hope," Asli drawled lightly. She took the offered cup, glad to see that her name and the drink inside were correct. She took a sip while eying the young man. Asli dug into her pocket for a moment to check her phone, wanting to make sure she had some time. There had been time allotted for the drink, but what about socializing? Or should Asli put it off to get a better read of this young man? His emotions were quite stable, after all.
At least she should get his name. Asli nodded, slid her phone back, and walked over, extending a hand. "Asli Tilki," she offered along with it. "I work at Bellefonte, and am originally from Turkey," since the inevitable questions regarding her name and/or accent were bound to be soon in following.
Post by Felix Nicholas on Nov 13, 2016 20:57:47 GMT
Felix tilted his head slightly as she took out a phone, he assumed checking weather or not she could grant him more of her time; The fact she was willing to consider it after the manner in which she'd acted led the radio host to hope that his interjection had lifted her mood... When she spoke next, she did seem calmer, offering him a hand and an introduction. Felix smiled warmly, and gave her a handshake, his eyes lighting up at her mention of Bellefonte. "Ah! so that's where I know you from!" He replied brightly; He was sure he'd seen her face somewhere before, but until she mentioned the school had been unable to place it. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Felix Nicholas." Felix was aware his last name might spark some recognition; Although he was willing to talk about his family, it wasn't a topic he went out looking to discuss with others, and especially not a stranger... But if she had questions, he was polite enough to answer. "I'm a student at Bellefonte... College... You might have also heard me on the radio. I run the Academy's radio station."
He spoke that last part with a clear sense of pride; what he'd done with the radio over his time at the Academy had always been so important to him, and he couldn't help the uplight in his voice when he spoke about it. She might have heard him, or she might be someone who saw little point in the radio. Either way, the fact they both spent a significant amount of time at the Academy gave them a good starting topic. "Well, if you need to head up to the Academy after this, I could drive you," He offered, smiling as he made his way over towards the table by the window, taking another sip of his coffee. "... Turkey, huh? You're far from home, if you don't mind me saying so, Miss.Asli. Did Bellefonte bring you here?"
He knew her from the school? Asli hadn't thought that she'd caused quite that much of a stir upon her arrival, and surely she hadn't been there long enough to be too readily recognizable. Was this young man perhaps as interested in discovering the people around him as she? Or was this merely a case of his having generally seen her and extrapolating from those results?
Nicholas... that did sound vaguely familiar. His next bit had Asli nodding. "I believe I have tuned in before," she admitted. It struck her as a good way to study some of the way the student body exchanged information. From what she'd heard the radio was at least somewhat popular, particularly since it had a decent streaming service built into the school itself. When everyone had the device to access what you were putting out, you had to be at least somewhat popular.
"You Americans are so fond of your vehicles," Asli said, fluttering a hand. "It's not that far of a walk, or the bus would get me there," she took a sip. His next question had her face going deadpan. "No, I clearly came here for the coffee," she said, before taking another sip. How was it that they always managed to make it taste so sweet, regardless of what she did to it?
Post by Felix Nicholas on Nov 14, 2016 13:19:40 GMT
Felix would not have certainly recognised her outright, and it wouldn't have been able to put a name to the face had he not already known it, but more he had been certain that he'd seen her face somewhere recently... And likely where had now been established. He did take note of new faces that walked the Academy's halls when he could, mostly since moving to the school for most was unlikely to be a pleasurable experience, and if he could be some form of support for those that needed it, he would be. The fact she had tuned in before strengthened the brightness in Felix's expression; It always did when he found a listener, no matter how fleeting their time tuned in was. Felix then took a long sip of his warming coffee, chuckling a little at her comment regarding Americans and their cars. "I must admit, I do sometimes skip the car and take a leisurely walk to the Academy," Felix replied brightly, sheepishly running a hand through his messy fringe with his free hand. "But I am a little guilty of relying on my car." Her next comment had Felix blinking at the young woman, before a laugh escaped him. So, she had herself a sense of humour! Although Felix was unsure if she meant it that way. "Oh, I wouldn't underestimate the allure of good coffee, Miss.Asli. This place had me at Caramel Latte." He placed a hand on his chest for a fleeting moment as he spoke, before taking another sip of his drink. He had a bit of a sweet tooth, and his place had a habit of adding in more syrup then perhaps was necessary... Perfect for his taste. "I like to think of myself as a coffee connoisseur." He paused then as he took another sip, taking more of a note of the young woman before him; How long had she been at Bellefonte? Felix couldn't be certain, but then he did spend most of his time in the radio station. "... When did you move here, if it's not too much to ask?"
At least he seemed somewhat conscious of what he was doing, though Asli still wasn't sure what to make of this young man. That applied not only to his tendency to drive, but just overall. He seemed too... carefree, and it disturbed her. Perhaps it was just the environment; coffee and a warm welcoming place would do that to a person.
"I perfectly understood good coffee," agreed Asli, flicking her fingers toward their drinks, "and as soon as I can find some in the States, I'll let you know," she took another sip of her drink, more to get the caffeine than for the flavor. It took all the control she had not to pull a face like an unruly child. When Asli set her cup down, she heard Felix asking a question that she'd long since grown used to answering:
"A few months, give or take," Asli offered, waving a hand a little. "It's a combination of finishing my studies and taking on some extra work here. Bellefonte provides a unique environment that helps with my research," she set her fingers on her cup, eying Felix. "And yourself? Are you one of the many who seem to have grown up locally?" It did seem like there was a rather high percentage of the school's attendants who were in that situation, but, well, Kalispell was almost an outright mutant community, so it did make sense. Just made for awfully droll conversations.
Post by Felix Nicholas on Nov 14, 2016 14:22:53 GMT
Felix found another laugh escaping him at her jibe towards the quality of the coffee, chuckling as he took another sip; In terms of quality he couldn't quite claim that the coffee house was perfect, but it's blend was far superior of the Academy's insult to the bean... And they were loose with their syrups, which suited Felix just fine, although apparently not his companion. She went on then, answering his curiosity; So she'd only been here a few mere months, which likely explained Felix not knowing her name already, since it was something he did actively try to learn about the Academy's new arrivals. "A few months? I hope you're settling in alright, you know, despite the coffee quality," He batted back with a smile.
Then came the inevitable probing into his own situation. It was understandable, given he'd asked questions of her, that she'd offer him the same. He'd half hoped she'd known about him and had chosen to merely avoid the fact, but given her only recently moving to Kalispell, it was unlikely that she would have done... Her question confirmed that. "No, I'm not a born and bred Kalispellean," He replied lightly, his smile falling just a touch, although remained warm. "I'm from all over, I suppose. My parents do like to move between cities, but the main offices for my Father's business are in New York, so I suppose that's home." He lightly tapped his finger against his cup before he spoke again, giving a soft hum. "... So, I ended up here after the whole... Well. You know. My Father was far from happy, but what are you going to do?" He chuckled again, but this time there was a small edge of sadness to it.
"I manage," Asli allowed in response to the query. Thus far, that nearly summarized her entire existence. Were there really that many stronger claims? Perhaps "I thrive?" Asli did suppose that had been where she'd started before her move, and she intended to do so here as now. Perhaps the beginning of that would be at conversations such as this one.
Not a Kalispellean, a term that Asli logged away for later use. "Seems that we do get a few from the New York area," she commented, "that is one of the few locations in the US that I have actually visited,' she paused, considering the rest. "I would imagine that your father has his own plans for you. This does seem to be the providence of fathers, after all."
She took another sip, recalling her own father. He hadn't been thrilled about Asli's own branching out, but both her parents had eventually been quite pleased with her education, even if it did defy some of the typical norms of their relatively small community. Asli lowered the cup with a grimace.
"I honestly do not understand the American obsession with sugar," she said, tapping the edge of the cup. "It is as if you are all compensating for something," sighing, Asli tapped the cup, but looked up at Felix all the same, studying him intently, reading, catching that hint of sadness. Intriguing, that, but intriguing enough to continue...?
Post by Felix Nicholas on Nov 23, 2016 14:38:53 GMT
Of course Fathers generally held plans for their offspring, but most seemed to take some effort in considering their child's own notions regarding careers; Sadly, Felix's Father was not one of them. His stern business practise was carried into pretty much every aspect of his life, and now he was trying to filter it into Felix's. Safe to say, he was determined to defy that as much as he was able. But, he didn't exactly want to delve into the finer details of his family life, especially to a stranger, not that that he even thought she'd want to hear it... She seemed to be just using him as a manner of something to do while she drank her coffee, which the radio host was quite happy about; If it cheered her up, it would be worth it. So, Felix nodded, and continued to carry his smile, pushing down that small wave of sadness that had attempted to surface.
"It does seem to be some kind of factor all Fathers must have," Felix replied with a small chuckle, taking another sip of his particularly sweet coffee, just as the young woman commented on it. He couldn't help but give a laugh; His own taste had always favoured the sweeter tasting drinks, and he wasn't past asking for more syrup to be added. "Overcompensating? Miss, I'd like to think I'm sweet enough," He replied, before grimacing. "Actually, that was pretty cheesy even for me, mind if I retract that?"
Strange, but Asli thought she detected a slight rise in happiness among the young man. This struck her as odd, not least of all because she didn't know quite where it came from. Perhaps he was one of those that enjoyed aiding people and thought that his actions today did so? She logged it away as something to put into consideration, while she continued to study the young man with a critical eye.
The sweet comment actually drew a smile, or at least the ghost of one, out of Asli. She could feel her lips twitching and she had to resist the urge to start shaking her head. "You do seem to be rather personable," she allowed, once again tapping her fingers along the cup. "It would seem almost counter to your personality for you to take away something so soon after saying it. Often the words said in the moment are the most earnest."
Asli took another slight sip, before casting her gaze around the shop again. The barista seemed to at least be more attentive, so perhaps something they'd managed had helped there. Asli found herself drifting for a few moments, studying the people, their emotions, everything around her.