Who: Kate Bishop and Lucy When: Early November Where: Sporting Goods Store Parking lot What: Random Encounter Rating/Warnings: Low/None Status: Complete
The large strip mall that housed the sporting goods store also housed a party supply place, a record shop, a comic book store, and a starbucks. Kate went there often, not just for the sporting supplies, but for the other shops that shared the same parking lot. She frequented the record store, definitely hit up the starbucks, and had actually been into the party supply place a couple of times. Mostly to look around, and then back again when she found out they had those awesome chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil. They came in handy when she taught classes with younger kids.
Today she was coming out of the sporting goods shop carrying a quiver full of arrows. Her bow was in the trunk, but she needed some other supplies.
Lucy had caught a bus and ended up at a mall she’d never been to before. Deciding to explore a bit she headed into the record shop and browsed for a while, coming out with a CD she thought her brother would like. She was reading the back of it when she nearly walked into someone.
“Oh crap sorry” she said with a grimace, noticing the arrows, “Oh wow, now that has got to be an interesting shopping list” she said with a smile, “Milk? Check. Bread? Check. Selection of arrows? Check”
Kate stopped in her tracks, taking a half step backward as the girl nearly plowed into her. She broke into an amused grin. “That’s exactly it, how’d you guess?”
Lucy laughed, “I’m just that good. Had the same shopping list myself only last week” she joked, “I am sorry for nearly running into you though” she added a little more seriously.
“You must go through ‘em as fast as I do.” That brought a little laugh from Kate. Cute kid. She nodded. “Hey, it’s all right. I should have been watching where I was going. You need help to your car?”
“Oh I don’t have one” Lucy said, “I got dropped here by the bus. I have a UK licence but the roads here scare me” she admitted.
“Wow. Yeah, I can imagine so. Driving on the wrong side of the road, and everything?” Kate pulled her keys from her pocket, eyeing the girl and weighing the situation. “...you need a ride somewhere?” Of course, the girl probably thought she was some sort of weirdo to offer, but.. Hey. Kate liked helping people.
“Exactly and the roads are huge too” Lucy said before shaking her head, “Oh thank you but I don’t want to be an inconvenience. I’m sure I can figure out how to get back home”
“Here.” The big-hearted Kate reached into her back pocket and drew out a business card. Her name and email address were on it, along with her work phone number. “...if you end up getting lost, you can text me. Or call. I’m Kate.”
“Well thank you Kate” Lucy said with a smile as she took the card, “That’s really nice of you. Can I buy you a coffee or do you need to get back?” she offered.
Kate pulled her phone from her pocket and glanced at it. She only had about ten minutes before she really had to get back to the studio. But a cup of coffee was sorely tempting. Kate loved her coffee. “Yeah, all right. I could go for a cup.” She gave the girl a smirk. “There’s a Starbucks right here, too. How convenient.”
“Great” Lucy said, “Yeah I noticed that too. They’re everywhere here. They’ve only recently started appearing around the UK” she said in explanation as they moved towards the coffee chain, “I’m not a big coffee fan but they’re really great at drinks without the coffee too”
“Oh, really?” Kate asked, moving with the other toward the little shop with the green sign. She held open the door. “I don’t know much about the UK, I’m afraid. I’ve never been.” She stepped into the line. “But I hear you guys have lots of tea over there.”
Lucy nodded, “Yeah, we’re definitely more about the tea. Hot tea too, not the iced stuff you guys drink over here” she added with a smile, “It takes a while to get used to some of the differences”
“Yeah, I can imagine.” Kate responded with a nod, stepping into the line. She looked up at the board. She couldn’t help but sigh at all these weird flavors and pumpkin and peppermint and all that crap. Whatever happened to coffee? That’s what Kate wanted. Coffee. “Well, we Americans sure like to make things our own. Maybe that’s what we did with tea?”
“Probably. But luckily my parents send over tea every once in a while so I’m good with that” Lucy laughed looking at the board herself, she kind of liked all the flavours especially since she knew she could now ask for any of them without the coffee element.
“Well, that’s good.” Kate nodded, smiling. “I’m sure you can find some here as like, an import… but it might be cheaper just to have the folks put together a care package.” She stepped forward in line and ordered a cup of drip coffee.
“Oh yeah, they send me a care package of things that it’s hard to get hold of here” she explained before ordering a flavoured milk, paying for both of the drinks. “I’m adapting to most things”
“I’m sure it’s difficult, but you’ll get used to it. Are you staying here permanently now?” Kate asked. They handed over the drip coffee right away, but had to steam the milk for Lucy’s drink. Both girls could stand at the counter by the espresso machine and wait.
Lucy nodded, “Originally it was just a brief stop while I was travelling but I enjoy living with my brother and I’ve got a great job so I’ve recently put in for my permanent VISA”
“It’s good to stay with family.” Kate didn’t have a brother, but her sister was back in New York. And her father. And his new wife. Ugh. “Then again, it’s also good to start out on your own, stand on your own two feet, right?” Kind of like she had.
“I guess I get the best of both worlds since Peter doesn’t really mind me doing my own thing but he’s there when I need him you know?” Lucy smiled, she was close to her brother but they’d all grown up with their unique personalities.
Kate nodded. “That sounds like the healthiest way to be about it all.” She said, then took a step back. The barista at the espresso machine called out Lucy’s name and set her drink on the bar for Lucy to pick up.
“Thank you for the coffee,” Kate added, moving over to sit down at the nearest empty table. “If there’s anything I can do in return please let me know.”
It really was, Lucy couldn't imagine not living with her brother and Caspian though when they married she would need to find something.
"Oh you're welcome. It's nothing really. You've been lovely, at least you didn't think I was too odd for inviting you" she chuckled.
“Not at all.” Kate said, shrugging her shoulders. “I was the one who offered you a ride home, right?” She grinned softly, taking the lid off of her coffee so it could cool just a little. She didn’t want to burn her tongue before going to teach class.
“Maybe we’re just equally odd” Lucy said with a smile, doing the same with her own drink. She’d learnt that from Harry. She’d never drunk as many take away beverages as she had since coming to California.
“It’s good to know I’m not the only oddball out there.” Kate said, smirking softly. “Though, I’ve heard a lot about some really crazy folks around here.” Valarnet, all that Dream stuff. he was still convinced that those people were insane.
“Oh most people here are crazy in some way or another” Lucy grinned, “Most of us in a similar way. But I’m guessing you’ve not dreamed yet?”
“Nope.” Kate said. Emphasis on the ‘puh.’ She shook her head a bit. “It sounds like… I don’t know. Mass hallucinations or something.”
“You’d think so right? I was really skeptical until I started dreaming” though even now Lucy thought it was someone messing with the water supply or something. She had talking animals in her dreams after all.
“I’m still skeptical. One of my coworkers dreams, but… I dunno. And some guy I bumped into a coffee shop said he knew me from his dreams. He knew things about me that he could have googled,” she was a national champion and had public profiles up at her places of business, after all, “but it was bizarre.”
“My advice? Just go with it until you dream. You won’t make sense of it until that happens and even then it’s still bizarre”
Kate nodded. It was good advice, anyway. “If I dream. Still not sure I’m gonna end up with that particular cup of kool-aid.”
Lucy giggled, “I like that expression” she told her, “Maybe you’ll be one of the rare few who don’t dream”
“Maybe. Fingers crossed.” Kate said, teasing a bit. “Well, thanks for the coffee, kiddo. I’ve got a lesson to teach.” She pulled herself up from the table. “We should do it again sometime.”
“You’re welcome” Lucy smiled, “Have a good lesson. Anytime you fancy a coffee just let me know”
“Roger Wilco.” Kate said, giving a little salute, then turned to head out to her car.