InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Jakalope?"

Matthew | Чернобог (chernobog) wrote in paxletalelogs,
@ 2011-09-25 10:19:00

Entry tags:

chernobog, quetzalcoatl

Care for a spot?
Who: Nathaniel and Dom
What: Nathaniel just wants some tea, please.
Where: Lobby of Pax
When: Today! Afternoon

Nathaniel had looked up tea houses while he was in his apartment. There was thankfully an assortment of places he could visit, small rooms and cafes that he could relax in and enjoy a cup, so quickly he dressed and went down to the lobby with every intention of visiting one of the houses.

However, his phone seemed to be having issues. While he had lived in California for nearly a year, he was still growing used to the ridiculously busy traffic patterns and roadways. Now he had to readjust his knowledge of the roads since he was leaving from his new apartment and not his old one. His phone served well and typically told him the route he had to take. Until the phone decided that it didn't want to work.

Cursing under his breath, Nathaniel stopped in the lobby and waited impatiently for his phone to begin working. He simply wanted directions to a tea house, any tea house. While he could make his own tea, he enjoyed socializing with other tea drinkers, or simply people watching. With another muttered expletive he glanced around the lobby and spotted another man. "Excuse me," he called out, his accent crisp as he stepped forward. "Do you happen to know the best route to Teresita Lane?"

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plumageablaze
2011-09-25 03:09 pm UTC (link)

Dominic had gone downstairs this afternoon to check on his mail from Saturday. Forgetting to check it yesterday had been really unlike him, and he couldn't fathom how he'd somehow let it slip from his mind. Maybe it was the current editorial he was working on that had distracted him the past couple of days, or the fact that he'd also secretly been working on a freelance article about altruistic archetypes in today's society.

Whichever the case, he'd collected the few envelopes that were inside his mailbox and planned on heading right back upstairs to open them (two of them were bills, but one was a letter from his sister Felicia, and he was eager to read it).

As he entered the lobby and started towards the elevator, he became acutely aware of another resident in the vicinity. Dominic halted in his tracks, as the man could only be speaking to him and happened to look a little frustrated. And, Dominic noted with interest, his accent clearly marked him as someone not native to the country. Dominic cast a friendly smile at the man, jogging his memory for an answer to the question. He passed Teresita Lane on his way to (and from) work, but had never actually gone down the street.

However, Dominic could at least give the man reasonable directions.

"I do, actually--I go past it almost every day. Do you know where Highland Drive is?"

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chernobog
2011-09-25 06:11 pm UTC (link)

Glancing once more at his phone, Nathaniel gave a frown before pocketing the device and coming closer to the man. "I recognize the street but I'm not entirely sure where that is. Is it nearby? Ah, I'm going to a tea room that's there, maybe you have heard of it... or any tea rooms in the area? I'd be interested in trying any of them."

He gave a small smile and produced his hand to the man. "I'm Nathaniel Dewhurst. I only just moved into the apartment complex and I haven't had an opportunity to really meet anyone besides my neighbor." He had an air of importance in his voice but wasn't trying to belittle the man he was speaking to. He needed his help and he needed his tea fix. Hopefully, this man would have all the answers that Nathaniel was looking for.

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plumageablaze
2011-09-26 04:36 am UTC (link)

He nodded, picturing the route he took almost every day.

"Well, it's not very far of a drive unless traffic's bad, I guess. Um, I'm not really big on tea--I prefer coffee." He shrugged, for it was only a matter of preference, and from the man's accent it was clear why he wanted tea. Dominic gave Nathaniel a firm handshake in return, transferring his mail first from his right hand to his left. He was quietly impressed by the man's sense of propriety, though it was not unexpected.

"My name's Dominic Ramírez. I'd still consider myself to be pretty new to the building, too." He offered up another smile after the handshake was completed. There was that they had in common, at the very least--that and an obvious taste for classic beverages.

"As for directions--you can keep going down Newport Boulevard from here until you reach the Pacific Coast Highway. Just take a right on it and follow it to Dover Drive." Dominic paused, thinking. "Oh, and then it merges into Mariners Drive, I believe...there's a ton of little lanes in that area, you can't miss Teresita." Technically he did pass Nathaniel's current destination point when driving, and once, when he was still new to Newport Beach, he'd gotten turned around amidst the clump of short roads Teresita Lane was enclosed within.

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chernobog
2011-09-26 07:03 pm UTC (link)

"Ah, I really do not think I'll ever grow used to all the roadways here," Nathaniel said with a laugh, bringing a hand to his forehead and rubbing at his temple. "It seems that the roadways change every last second. One moment they are looking one way, the next day there is construction, and then it's completed by the end of the week. We're never that fast back home."

He let out a wistful sigh and thought of his home. The move to America was good and needed. He had a job that he truly enjoyed and the distance between himself and his ex was necessary. However he did find himself homesick more than not. "It's nice to meet you Dominic. You're new here as well? When did you move in, if you don't mind my asking?" He shifted on his feet then noticed the mail in Dominic's hand. With a raise of his eyebrows he gave a frown. "I hope I'm not keeping you from anything, I apologize."

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plumageablaze
2011-09-27 10:55 am UTC (link)

He laughed lightly, understanding what Nathaniel meant about roadwork. Taking detours was not something Dominic was overly fond of doing; detours cut into his schedules, his plans, causing unnecessary delay that he'd rather avoid all together. He was particularly not the most charming of people when it came to matters such as road rage, but who wasn't? Saints, Dominic supposed. Those with endless patience.

"Yeah, they always find a way to put tax money to good use. Life doesn't slow down out here." Dominic gave Nathaniel a wry smile, hinting at the usual displeasure the common citizen felt towards misused tax money. He was quick to shake his head at Nathaniel's apology, considering it unneeded.

"Oh, no. Just the usual bills--and my sister's still fond of snail mail." He glanced down at the spoken of mail in his hand, then back to Nathaniel. "Not too long ago, but I guess it's been almost two months. I haven't had much time to meet many neighbors, either. Busy with work, usually. But people around here seem to be pretty friendly." He thought of Benjamin, who had freely offered assistance in what must have seemed like a petty matter (though Dominic felt Nathaniel would understand his coffee...addiction, as it were), and Max, messy yet overall not too bad of a guy.

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chernobog
2011-09-28 11:58 am UTC (link)

Nathaniel gave a nod and rubbed at his chin for a moment. "Well, I'm glad to hear this. The sole woman I've met here is rather lovely but other than that, you are the second person I've met. 'Pretty friendly' is still remaining true." Nathaniel gave him a smile and dropped his hand to his pocket.

"Where is home for you? My own sisters would never dream of sending me mail. I'm lucky if I get an email from them or a phone call." Nathaniel laughed slightly, although it wasn't too funny, he would have appreciated some contact with home other than worried phone calls from his parents. Maybe he could convince his younger sister, who was still at uni, to fly over during a holiday break. He had the money, he might as well put it to use because it was otherwise simply paying for his apartment, food and gas. It seemed pointless keeping it tucked away; especially at this moment while he felt so homesick.

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plumageablaze
2011-09-29 10:30 am UTC (link)

"Felicia's the only sister of mine that insists on writing to me frequently--my others sisters prefer email or phone calls. We all grew up close, but since we've gotten older..." He trailed off, shrugging a little. Even if he didn't talk to his sisters as often as he'd like to, the four Ramírez siblings weren't totally cut off from one another. Shame on them if such a thing ever happened, for their mother had raised them to be better than that.

There was a more somber tone to Nathaniel's voice--barely there, but easy enough to pick up on considering they were the only two people in the lobby. Dominic wouldn't pry into the personal business of someone he'd just met, but he felt it was a safe enough assumption that perhaps there were things amiss in Nathaniel's family, which was unfortunate. He answered the other's question, wanting to get away from the subject of close relatives, should that be the issue at hand.

"Oh, I'm from Fountain Valley, it's...somewhat nearby." He laughed softly, realizing he needed to amend his statement (and secondly, that Nathaniel might not even know where Fountain Valley was located). "Well, Veracruz, really. My mom wanted to move back to the States when I was just a kid." They weren't close enough for Dominic to delve deeper into the subject, namely that he'd only gone back home a couple times since he'd been on his own, work having taken more of a precedence in his life. "You're from England, right?" His question was no doubt obvious--Nathaniel's defining accent and his search for a tea house sang of his heritage--but the smile crinkling at the corners of Dominic's mouth showed that knew it was so, yet was asking regardless in order to make polite conversation.

He had to wonder what would bring Nathaniel all the way out to California. It might as well have been halfway around the world from England.

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chernobog
2011-09-29 02:48 pm UTC (link)

"Durham, England," nathaniel replied with a smile. "I came here for a job opportunity. I'm a psychologist at a local clinic. I must say, it's quite the difference from home. A lot dryer, more people, more sun, and it's a lot warmer. I don't believe I've grown quite acclimated to the temperature for this region. I still haven't quite grasped the difference between Celsius and Fahrenheit. Nor the switching of dates on a paper. The month, day and then the year? Ah, it's quite an adjustment."

Nathaniel shifted his weight to another foot, gently resting a hand on his hip as he pulled out his cell phone again to check the time and see if it had decided to load the gps function. Disappointed, he pocketed the device again. "I've heard of Veracruz! Although I can't say I could even guess to where it is in relation to here. But I've heard of the name!" Realizing how he must sound, Nathaniel gave a short laugh and glanced to the floor. "I must sound completely like a tourist. Although I suppose I am one. You would think after being in California for nearly a year I would know more about the area but I haven't quite had the time to do much sightseeing."

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plumageablaze
2011-09-30 12:01 pm UTC (link)

Dominic was quietly amused as Nathaniel proclaimed what must have been but a short list of the plethora of changes he needed to grow accustomed to in the States. It'd been almost twenty years since Dominic had been uprooted from his homeland, but he still remembered how strange things had seemed at first. True, it was a big help that his mother had taught her children both English as well as their native tongue, but nevertheless, moving to an entirely new country required a certain capability for adaptation. Given Nathaniel's choice of occupation, Dominic felt the displaced Englishman would get the hang of things sooner rather than later.

The other man's mention of his bewilderment concerning writing dates properly struck a chord with Dominic, though he couldn't place it as anything but relating to his own habit of requiring an up-to-date calendar (along with a planner and a notepad, if at all possible. There was no end to the stacks of lists and the such within his desk drawers.).

He grinned as Nathaniel made a self-deprecating remark, nodding in agreement. "You do sound a little like a tourist--actually, parts of Veracruz happen to be popular vacation spots. It's right along the coast, kind of like California. Plus," Dominic stated with good humor, "there's no shortage of coffee houses to be found." He wouldn't judge Nathaniel's lack of knowledge involving California; if it was his job that gave him less time to learn the local terrain more thoroughly, well. Hadn't Dominic spent many, many nights taking his own work home with him?

Dominic had noticed Nathaniel checking his phone. The man was probably itching for a good cup of tea despite his polite, friendly attitude. He'd asked directions for a reason.

"Is something wrong with your phone?" Dominic hazarded a guess, planning on reaching towards his back pocket for a pen if that was so. He could always jot down the directions he'd given Nathaniel to save the man some frustration.

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chernobog
2011-10-01 10:18 pm UTC (link)

"I've had this thing for a year," Nathaniel commented as he produced the phone once more. "It has been having issues loading as of late. I was hoping to use the gps device to find my tea shop but apparently it has other plans."

He shook his head and placed the phone in his pocket once more. "I think I'll need to get a new phone aside from finding my tea house." He smiled at his neighbor of sorts. "Do the coffee houses you know of have many tea options? I've never quite gotten into coffee. My family was always very much into tea times and the likes.

"But if you happen to have any suggestions of places I should visit when I have an opportunity to play the tourist, I would greatly appreciate it!"

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plumageablaze
2011-10-04 07:28 pm UTC (link)

"Would you like me to write down the directions? I have a pen," he stated, once Nathaniel had finished his phone complaints--technology was a wonderful thing, making communication and the transfer of knowledge almost instantaneous in some cases, yet it still had many faults. Dominic didn't have paper on him (save the mail in his hand), but the concierge's desk was not a far walk around the corner. Surely the man had a notepad of some sorts for jotting down names and numbers, things of that nature.

It was a cliche suggestion, but the business boomed for a reason. Dominic chuckled. "There's always Starbucks. And there's Alta," he added. "It's a restaurant and a coffee shop in one, with a pretty low-key atmosphere. It used to be a bookstore, I think. They don't have many tea options, but they make a pretty good veggie wrap." The atmosphere of Alta was cozy and welcoming, and though the other man might not necessarily take him up on the recommendation, the attitude of Alta would suit Nathaniel's temperament. Dominic preferred it himself in contrast to the generally faster paced Starbucks coffeehouses.

"If you're looking into coffee options, you really should try going to Kéan Coffee. They have a great selection." Dominic's eyes lit up as he remembered they also sold plenty of teas (not that he had tried any but the Chamomile, which admittedly had been pleasant). "Oh, and they do have tea! Loose leaf tea, if you like that kind." He was no tea expert, but undoubtedly the loose leaf teas had to be extra fresh, if the aromatic smells were anything to judge them by. The last time he'd been to Kéan Coffee, he was tempted to purchase some of their Chamomile stock. "I'm afraid I don't know much about tea--my family's more into coffee; I stick to decaf."

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chernobog
2011-10-07 01:30 pm UTC (link)

"Writing down the directions would be absolutely fantastic and I would appreciate it greatly," Nathaniel said with a laugh followed by a sign. "I swear, I am going to take a weeks vacation and just familiarize myself with the area. I'll drive around and go to all of the tourist attractions so that I won't have to bother my neighbors for help in the future."

He moved towards the concierge's desk and smiled at his neighbor again. "I've never been able to handle the taste of coffee; I find it too bitter. But I do appreciate having a comforting cup of... something to drink with my newspaper in the morning... or in the afternoon. Whichever. I sound incredibly British, don't I?"

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plumageablaze
2011-10-10 03:40 pm UTC (link)

"It's not a bother to give you a few tips on where to go for some good coffee. Or tea." Dominic grinned, having amended his statement quickly. The concierge was lounging in his chair--for lack of things to do, or simply slacking at the business he should have been doing?

"You do," he agreed with Nathaniel. "But it's not a bad thing. You could be drinking worse things than tea, right? At least tea is healthy."

Dominic made his way to the desk with Nathaniel, asking the concierge politely for a slip of paper. He was handed a white slip, torn from a pad. Thanking the man, Dominic set his mail on the desk for a few moments while he took his pen out of his back pocket and jotted down directions to Teresita Lane. His penmanship was fairly neat, and he hoped the directions themselves would be easy enough to follow. Nathaniel may have lived in California for what should have been long enough to find his way around decently, but it was clear that he didn't have much time in his life to bother much with recreational activities. Still, getting to Terasita Lane wouldn't take too long.

He read over his directions before handing over the paper for Nathaniel to take. "Here you go, in lieu of your phone not working."

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chernobog
2011-10-15 02:13 am UTC (link)

Nathaniel grinned and looked over the directions. "Thank you, Dominic. I appreciate it so much."

He took a step back and looked over the directions again. The names seemed familiar but that meant nothing to Nathaniel. He had always been of the photographic memory variety. He could see things and remember them with a great deal of clarity- it had been part of his problem with seeing the shadow people when he was a child. He could always remember it clearly and so could anyone else who happened to walk in upon the sight. Maybe it wasn't so much a matter of Nathaniel not knowing where places were, it was that he couldn't follow the directions of street names unless necessary. Now was one of those moments and he was thankful his new neighbor had come to his rescue.

"Well, Dominic, one day I'll have to repay you in coffee. You've been an incredible help. But allow me to let you go and I will venture off to find this shop. Thank you so much again," Nathaniel said sincerely, giving a slight nod of his head for emphasis.

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plumageablaze
2011-10-16 03:38 pm UTC (link)

Dominic retrieved his mail from the desk, thanking the concierge while Nathaniel reviewed the directions. They appeared to be satisfactory enough, for his neighbor mentioned not a word otherwise.

"Coffee would be great. You're welcome--enjoy your tea! I'll see you around." And coffee would actually be great. All this discussion of it (along with the mysteries of tea) had given him the inclination to have a cup. Dominic decided he'd start brewing some to drink while he read over his mail. He smiled at Nathaniel, giving him a little wave before letting the other man to take his leave, a bloodhound on the trail of fresh tea. Dominic headed back the way he'd came, pressing the elevator's button and waiting patiently.

When it came to matters of propriety and having the right drink, Dominic had met a kindred soul. It was good to know that there were like-minded people at Pax. He was glad to have helped Nathaniel with his troubles, and certainly wouldn't turn down a trip to one of the coffee shops in the future, were the offer not only a polite gesture. Dominic glanced down at his mail, wondering what news his sister had brought him this time. The elevator dinged out punctually its arrival, and so he stepped in and began the short trip up to his apartment.

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