Ron's Cafe [Private with Ax Rose]

[Professor W B Copperfield]

Copperfield wasn't sure what Ronald did to his coffee, but it tasted better than what he could make at home. The aroma, the aftertaste, the way it went down. Heaven. And then his steak sandwhichs? There was nothing else here worth your time when this masterpiece was on the menu.

Ron's Cafe wasn't a big place. It was a locally owned by Ronald, had a total of maybe 12 chairs in the place, some cieling fans that Copperfield had to duck his head for, and an open grill that Ronald or one of his employees used to cook. The constant sizzeling of cooking meat and the scent of herbs and spices wafted around the room and could make a hotdog-eating-contest-winner hungry. Copperfield had taken a side booth, waiting on an old student of his to arrive.

[Ax L Rose]

The streets of Vale bounced with a slow, jazzy sort of rhythm as Ax meandered along the sidewalk, a few blocks down from the garage where this cafe was. Her heels clicked on the pavement softly to the beat. Passersby unknowingly stepped into rhythm as she let her eyes wander all along the road to her destination. Her thoughts drifted... things hadn't changed much in the year she'd been gone, yet at the same time, they'd changed so much...

And the Professor wanted to meet with her. It sounded kind of casual, really... but she couldn't refuse him. The idea of meeting with her professor for an early morning coffee like this back when she was a student would have sounded possibly too lame to even consider, but things were different now. He was a fellow Huntsman. There was a certain respect you had to afford to men and women that signed up for this... those that accepted the risks, and rose to face them boldly and courageously.

The door opened and a little bell rang through the modest little shop as Ax stepped in, her eyes drifting over the clientele present. She didn't stick out too bad at a place like this - her leather jacket's coattails road down to her thighs, and she wore a plain black shirt beneath it. She nevertheless gave off immediate huntress vibes thanks to her pauldrons and metal-plated thighboots. Her sleeve was rolled up, so the smooth blue chrome of her cybernetic arm was on display at all times, the leather sleeve secured with a plain-looking set of hairpins.

It wasn't too busy, looked like. The professor was easy to find. She felt like she could feel the noir detective vibes of the slow morning, the scent of freshly brewed coffee... it was calming.

"Hey, doc," Ax's voice was low and cordial as she rose her metal-plated hand to greet him.

[Professor W B Copperfield]

Copperfield sipped at his coffee once again. The flavor was rich and he started happily bobbing his head on beat to an imaginary song. His foot started tapping. And he listened to the cafe. The footsteps of a waitress was to the beat of his foot, clinking of dishes being washed in the back as well. Even the steak on the grill was flipped at the right time. A slow smile crept across his face and he snapped his fingers twice, on beat of course, and signaled to Ronald that he was ready for his sandwiches now.

Not a minute later the dame, Ms. Ax Rose, walked in. And thank the heavens, she was wearing a shirt. He hadn't been such a red-blooded male and examining every woman he came across ever since he and Vera started dating, but Ms. Rose was a finely crafted woman and if she came in here with her signature bra-and-leather-jacket, it would have gotten awkward. Like it always got awkward when she had worn just that. And no, when she was his student he didn't think like that. She was still a kid, just an older kid now. But it was still distracting.

He stood up and shook her metal hand. "Hey kiddo. Get yourself comfortable, I'll be right back." He motioned for her to sit, and went over to the grill. Ronald's opinion was that if you couldn't be bothered to stand up and get your food yourself, you didn't deserve it. Copperfield brought back two plates, a steak sandwhich on each, and a cup of coffee. He set one plate and the cup infront of her. Once back in his seat he took a bite of his sandwich and groaned with the taste. "So good." He said through a full mouth. "Go ahead, eat."

[Ax L Rose]

Ax was indeed a finely crafted woman... and a perceptive one at that. As the professor's eyes flickered ever-so-briefly over her form she resisted the impulse to roll her eyes. Yes, yes, she'd brought a shirt to wear under her jacket, as requested... men.

She let it roll off her shoulders as he rose to greet her, not willing to let such a small thing sour her morning. A little spark of static harmlessly zapped the tip of his finger as he gripped her hand, though she didn't seem to notice. She nodded a bit as he spoke, shrugging a bit and doing as asked - she stepped to a spot alongside where he'd just been sitting and made herself comfortable, taking a moment to adjust the tailfeathers on her backside as she did.

"Sure," she said. When the professor came back with food, she couldn't help but smirk a bit. He was a man of his word, so it seemed. It might've been a bit early, but that'd never stopped her from enjoying steak before.

"Hey, thanks," she gave the professor an approving little nod. She went for the coffee first, promptly burnt her tongue, and then sat it down to let it cool.

"...damn good coffee. And hot," she murmured, mostly to herself. She turned to look over at the professor as he casually bit into his sandwich.

"Kind a' you. S' this a strictly social visit, doc? I guess you didn't outright say anything, but I guess I did sorta assume you had some kinda motive for reachin' out," she began. She then reached for that steak sandwich, satisfied that the thing wasn't about to fall apart in her hand. She'd had messier. She bit into it, and sure enough her eyes lit up.

"...mm. Don't get me wrong, if you just wanted to sing this place's praises or whatever, I'm all for it," she nodded eagerly as she took another bite.

[Professor W B Copperfield]

"Mmmmhm!" He proudly agreed to coffee.

"Of course-" He swallowed. "Of course I want to sing this place's praises. Doesn't get enough customers and that's criminal. I'd be pretty happy if it became a regular Huntsman spot." He took another bite, chewed, and swallowed. "But yeah, just a social visit." He lied somewhat. "Just wanted to check in with you.

"I remember my first big adventure after graduation. My team all went into Atlas military so I was out alone. Took up a bunch of jobs investigating and beating down big Grimm. Met some nasty monsters, some nastier people. Made some friends."

"You've been out an about for a while now, I wondered what stories you got." He filled his mouth again with deliciousness.

[Ax L Rose]

A huntsman spot, eh? Her eyes drifted to wander over the store again. It was a bit on the modest side, but it did have a certain charm...

She glanced back to him, giving him a vaguely dubious side-eye, feeling a bit led to a certain topic. Incidentally, she felt a bit like this was a topic she didn't much want to linger on. But if he wanted to ensure she could hold it together... maybe that's what this was? A little early morning pop quiz? She felt the bitterness in her chest, wondering if he was playing dumb or if it was even possible for him to not know what had happened.

"I've seen some things, doc. Things I can't explain out there," she said quietly, somberly. She didn't need to fully embrace it, she just needed to acknowledge it. Maybe that'd appease his curiosity.

"It hasn't been sunshine and rainbows, I'll say. Things get ugly. Dust runs out. Resources end up not making it where they're supposed to go, you end up unable to rearm... Good people die, and sometimes for seemingly no reason," she trailed off, making a point to look him in the eye. Her knee bounced a bit too fast - double time with the tempo around her. She tried to dial back the snide sarcasm in her voice, but what was she supposed to do? Smile and laugh about it?

"But yeah, it's been a real adventure," she grumbled, her eyes narrowing just a hint. She looked away and tried the coffee again. It still burned, but her expression was stoic as she swallowed what felt like fire.

[Professor W B Copperfield]

Her old teacher was quiet as she spoke. He didn't eat anymore. She looked him in the eye, and he could only offer a sad, knowing look back. He could feel the tempo rise with her bouncing knee. She was recalling what had happened. Was avoiding it and only alluding to it the same way he did. She was bitter about things that happened, maybe even angry.

He reached out a hand to gently touch hers, he had long arms. "I know." He looked her in the eyes. "I know, kiddo. It's hard. I've been where you've been, trust me. I'm... I'm sorry for bringing up those memories." He pulled his hand back and was silent, hesitantly taking a sip of his own coffee. It was hot, but he was an avid coffee drinker.

[Ax L Rose]

"Please just don't," she said firmly, the firmness of her tone cutting through the air. Her eyes locked on him with some kind of serious intent as his hand neared hers. Ax had never been the touchy-feely type.

"I'm not looking for a shoulder to cry on. I'm handling it. This is my fight. You've got your own version of whatever trauma, pain, sure, but we're... not the same."

She frowned a bit, uneasy. It didn't feel good to snap at him about it. She could see what he was trying to do. She could even sort of appreciate it in a way - it was well-meaning, but it wasn't what she wanted or needed. She sighed softly, looking down and shaking her head a bit.

"...your heart's in the right place, but let's maybe slow this the hell down a notch, yeah?" She asked as she turned to look at him, cracking an awkward, sad, forced sort of half-smile.

[Professor W B Copperfield]

Of course they weren't the same. His Semblance was geared towards destruction of his enemies. Hers aloud her to feel emotions to a point. And people about to die went through a lot of those. He'd been through some really tough spots, seen friends and family die, Hemera... but he was also a rock on the beach, unmoving despite getting blasted. He shouldered through despite it all. Ax was trying to do the same. And she was like how he had been, at her age. Not liking others poking their nose into his business, asking if he was alright, trying to get him to share. He had hated that.

He cleared his throat a little. "I didn't mean to get into... into that so fast. Sorry." He took a bite of his food and chewed, thinking of some other topic. "What... What's a good place you found to eat out there? Any places I should check out?"

[Ax L Rose]

It didn't feel good, but there were lines she wasn't ready to cross, parts of the tale she wasn't ready to acknowledge, wounds yet to heal. But in the quiet that emerged after she spoke, she felt herself calming down a bit. She could feel her leg bouncing to a frenetic beat, and she willed it still. She inhaled a deep breath and looked around. She watched the ceiling fan revolve for a moment... and slowly exhaled. She let the slow jazz ease her back into her groove. She was fine, here.

"It's okay, really," she waved a dismissive hand, not wanting the awkwardness to linger.

"We don't gotta tiptoe around it, man. It's just... yeah, I don't know. Anyway, the steak sandwich is good," she bit into it, eager to buy herself a little time to just chew and think rather than try to talk through this unpleasant feeling settling in her gut.

[Professor W B Copperfield]

"It is good, right? Ronald..." He glanced at the owner manning the grill, and thought. "Ronald got the recipe for all his food from his wife, you know. She was a gorgeous woman. Olive skin, just the right amount of plumpness you'd expect from a chef, and she always told food and animal puns. I don't know if it was because animals are meat and they were connected but that was her humor. She'd frown at sunny days and smile at the rainy. Said the humidity would make her food taste better. And you know what? It did. And the taste of warm food after trudging through the rain was like coming..." He stopped and swallowed. "like coming back home."

Empty House...

He closed his eyes and pushed her out of his head again. "They used to run a large restaurant in Menagerie together. When I lived there for a few years I was their top regular. My earnings were always split between more Dust and their food. Brilliant cook, she was." And he filled his mouth with more food before it got cold.

[Ax L Rose]

She'd bitten into the sandwich again more or less just to give herself something to do, but... damn. It was really good. There was just something about that dopamine kick from biting into juicy steak. What was this sauce on it, even? It was divine.

She was keen to let the professor talk for the moment. She resisted the urge to make a crack about the man talking about Ronald's wife in his presence like that - it did sound a bit like these two went way back.

"Oh, damn, for real? All the way back in Menagerie? Long trip from there to here," Ax noted, more or less totally fine talking about literally anything other than herself at the moment. It did still feel a bit strange, still, talking to her old teacher like a casual friend, but hey, if it helped lighten the mood a bit...

[Professor W B Copperfield]

He nodded. "Long trip. Loooong trip." He wasn't smiling and took another bite. "Wish you could have met her. She was a chef but had that bartender wisdom, you know? Would talk to dates left alone or friends shunted with the bill. Gave me some advice from time to time, when I was feeling a little lost. Even gave me the idea for my flying cloak after my sixth failed attempt at making a flying bicycle." He licked the sauce off of a thumb. "Damn shame. They always take the best of us."

[Ax L Rose]

Ah, right... how hadn't she realized it sooner? Of course they were talking about a dead person - someone the professor and the cook both probably sorely missed from the sounds of it. She didn't want to be insensitive, but she found herself unsure what to say. The professor was clearly kinda pausing there as if he maybe expected her to interject, or comment, or emote or something. This was awkward as hell. Her options were to cut and loose or to change the subject, take charge of the conversation. She grimaced, swallowed, and then put down her sandwich, reaching over to a nearby napkin dispenser and wiping her mouth carefully.

"...yeah, I don't know. But either way. The others on the team are dead or gone, but I'm not. I've still got a mouth to feed, bills to pay, etc. So I gotta get back on the horse. Like... yesterday-soon. S'why I'm here again, why I reached out to Beacon. Got any advice for a huntress down on her luck, doc?"

[Professor W B Copperfield]

Copperfield looked at her, and a small smile came across his lips. Some people act tough, or even are tough, but will break down with a little poking, a sensitive story. He wasn't lying about Ronald's wife but he and Ronald were both past it, focused on the future. Continuing to live life. Ax was on that path too, keeping her head high. At some point, whether it already happened or in the future, she'd need to let it out. But not now.

"You got a good head on your shoulders, Ms. Rose. A Huntresses' head." He nodded. "I'm glad I went looking around for positions for you yesterday. You were good in the workshops, designing and building, right? I could pull some strings and get you a spot there, helping out the new students make or upgrade their weapons. More and more students are coming in from irregular backgrounds and they need better gear. One student literally has a wooden spear and shield. That could fit you. And if you're up for it, I have a job in a month or so, whenever I get the device finished. I'll need an extra pair of hands and eyes. Until then, out in the Emerald Forest there is a steady stream of Beowulves, Ursa, and a couple larger Grimm. If we don't keep clearing them out, they'll build up and put my later job in jeopardy. I could get the contracts for anything in that area pushed your way before they go public. Could be a chance to get back into some action."

He took the last bite of his sandwhich. "Wha'dya say?"

[Ax L Rose]

Ax's lips curved into a little hint of a smile at the compliment. Her eyes widened a little soon after that. Damn, this guy moved fast. He'd already been taking the initiative.

"...that'd be amazing!" Ax seemed genuinely taken aback at the idea of working in the workshops. She'd done it as a part-time job during her third and fourth years as a student too, but she had the credentials now to take on more responsibility. What a thought! His other jobs sounded good too - she nodded attentively, filing these bits away for later. Some side work would help her keep her practical skills sharp.

"I can do whatever the academy needs me to do, s' long as I'm not letting my skills atrophy away. Do you ah, really have the pull to arrange this on your own? I dunno why, but I assumed a position here would be pretty heatedly competed for. That maybe I'd have to talk to the Headmistress direct or something, even, maybe," she admitted, pausing to scratch the back of her neck a bit.

[Professor W B Copperfield]

"I supervise detention for all the other teachers, I got mountains of pull." He chuckled. "I'll work it out, don't worry. Maybe there'd be an interview with the Headmistress. Do you want one?" He asked, finishing his coffee. He closed his eyes and savored the flavor before swallowing.

[Ax L Rose]

Ax let out a low little chuckle.

"Oh, that sounds like fun," she rose her mug and blew on the coffee a bit, and then took a slow cautious sip.

"I mean, if I can skip the bureaucracy, I will," she said with a little shrug.

[Professor W B Copperfield]

He nodded. "I'll see what I can do. Come by the school tomorrow. For now, drink and eat up. You'll need the protein." He leaned back and let his own delicious food and drink settle in his stomach.