You step onto a cracked but clean tile floor that was probably once red, but is now a faded salmon pink. A large, rectangular communal table seating about 10 takes up the middle of the floor, with mismatched smaller tables arranged near the large front windows. The long counter in front of the kitchen door sports plates of fragrant bread, cookies, and muffins and bowls of fresh wild fruits. A small, rattling fridge in the corner holds a selection of juices and cold spring water in reused bottles and jars. Atop the refrigerator is a can for cash donations; next to it is a box for barter payments. Scrawled on the box in black marker are the words "Pay what you can, when you can."
Did someone call for 'tall, dark, and handsome'? Well, dark's fairly well covered, at least. Jet-black hair's pulled into a long, loose tail at the nape of his neck, a few stray strands about the face occasionally drifting into his almost equally dark eyes, the irises of which are a brown deep enough that one needs to look closely to find the pupil. Nut-brown skin that sets off the white of his teeth and eyes -- it could just barely be mistaken for a very deep tan, if one really tried. Tall is a miss; he's still several inches off six feet, and he probably won't ever get there. Handsome... well, not a classic beauty, to be sure, but well-proportioned, with a stunning, frequent grin and deeply expressive features. Slim, but in perfectly good shape.
He's clad in... well, black leather pants. Somewhat faded, well broken in, but nicely cut and really =quite= nicely fitted. A simple cream shirt hangs untucked above them, long sleeved and fastened with a row of small, black stone buttons. Over that, he wears a decidedly well-worn old black trenchcoat, almost too big for him -- the cuffs hang down half-over his hands, when he lets them, and the hem hangs perilously close to his heels. Scuffed black leather boots with worn soles adorn his feet; there's a seemingly random collection of bracelets, all on one wrist, and several piercings along the upper section of each ear -- little silver hoops. His right ear also bears a rather delicate silver earcuff.
Danny's form is that of a horse-satyr, blending horse and human traits in a manner both seamless and strange to behold. He stands over six feet and moves in an awkward and ungainly fashion, as if he's not sure of himself or his footing. His upper-body is human plainly enough, save for a pair of trim, dark brown, horse's ears that just barely top his head. Fit musculature on a modestly broad frame gives him a lean but hard look, and he has well-defined cheekbones that lend a youthful cast which may belie his true age. A losing battle with a five-o'clock shadow makes his otherwise friendly smile a little disreputable, and his eyes are expressive and match colors with his wavy, full, chin-length hair: a deep dark brown that's only just this side of black.
From his hips down he sports a horse's strong hindquarters in a trim and glossy dark brown coat, with digitigrade legs that are quite agile when he can manage to keep himself steady. His trimmed hooves are shod with dark metal shoes that have designs etched into their sides, and a black, full, floor-length tail sweeps behind him, poking out through a make-shift hole in his loose, grey, double-layered linen pants. The pants are rolled and tied at his hocks, and his shirt is a long-sleeved, light linen in blue. A stamped silver coin bearing the triune horse symbol of Epona hangs around his neck on a silver snake chain.
This slender young man draws the eye, first with his waterfall of perfectly white hair-- not blond, but white and fine as Queen Anne's lace-- carelessly confined with a simple tie at the nape of his neck. His features are delicate and symmetrical to a startling, almost inhuman degree. His skin is pale, nearly translucently so, which reinforces the fragility suggested by the fine lines of his jaw and collarbones; in contrast to this, his eyes are the deep, thoughtful blue of an evening sky.
He is currently wearing a pair of slate-gray pants and a pale green linen formal-looking dress shirt, far too big for him, which falls in graceful folds about his wrists and throat. It is embroidered with small designs in white. Over this he wears a darker green vest, with leaf-patterns on it-- the vest is a little large for him as well.
He wears a simple silver band ring with a dark blue stone-- his only jewelry-- on the middle finger of his right hand.
Miki hands Danny a knife, pulling it out of drawer without looking. This might give the impression that he's familiar with the kitchen, but he does it with an air as though any stranger could have walked in and found it there. "I would like some too," he says, grinning at Danny and the pie.
"Okay, I won't eat the *whole* thing by myself," Danny says with a smile, mostly joking. He takes down two small serving plates and begins slicing the pie into even sections. "Should be ready to do a first firing with the kiln soon," he comments absently.
"What are you firing?" Miki asks, leaning against the doorframe from the Diner proper. "Is it pottery or more glass?"
The bell on the Diner door jingles, announcing the entrance of a cheerfully humming coyote-kin carrying a pair of dead rabbits. "Afternoon!" he exclaims in greeting, on seeing the place occupied.
"Pottery," Danny confirms. He ushers a slice of pie onto each of the plates, then pulls out two forks and hands one, along with a plate of pie, to Miki. "A lot of it's just me getting my sealegs back, though. It's been maybe a year since I've done anything, so I have to test all my glaze recipes and get used to the wheel again, things like that." His ears turn forward as he hears Ren, and calls out into the Diner proper, "Afternoon. Did you want some lemon pie, Ren?"
Miki accepts the pie and eels around the edge of the door back into the Diner's main room. "Hello," he says to Ren, and to Danny, "You made a wheel? Did you get Justin or Bryce to make it go by itself, you know, a motor?"
Serendipity flashes a shining grin at Miki, and leans into the kitchen, through the door. "Pie? Yeah, thanks. Who made it? ...think there'll be an extra slice I could take with me after?"
Danny shakes his head in response to Miki's question, and gets down another plate. "No, it's sort of like those old sewing machines, with some bicycle parts Martin got me to turn it. Maybe I can see about Bryce making me a motor, though, I hadn't thought of that. My foot can get pretty sore." A third slice of the pie is dropped onto the new plate, and he offers it and a fork to Ren, then covers the pie with a clean dish towel and takes up his own plate. "Miki was saying it was probably Rex, and there's plenty left, even with me doing the serving."
Miki hops up onto his favored seat on the counter and takes a bite from his pie. His gaze darts from Danny to Ren and he taps his heels thoughtfully against the side of the counter, but doesn't say anything.
"Great!" Ren replies, and deposits his rabbits on the kitchen counter, well away from the pie. "...oughta drop by on Rex," he muses, "haven't seen him in a while. So, what're you two up to?" He takes his slice of pie and digs in, apparently with quite a healthy appetite today.
Danny joins them out in the Diner proper, leaning against the counter rather than risking any of the chairs to his satyr-form's horse legs. "Taking a break from work at the Farm," he replies. He takes his time with the pie, eating it slowly. "How about you?"
Miki sets his pie plate down and kicks his boots off-- thump! thud! they hit the floor. Then he tucks his feet up and swivels around on the counter so that he's sitting the other way, with his back to the room, and reaches down for his backpack. He turns around again and sits crosslegged on the counter, the backpack on his lap while he rummages in it. "Today I am studying," he announces, contrary to all appearances.
Serendipity gestures vaguely toward the kitchen. "Went huntin', thought I'd make a dinner," he replies, and looks curiously toward Miki. "Whatcha studying, gorgeous?"
Danny gives the rabbits a Look, and diplomatically says, "I'm sure they'll taste great. Spring grass fattening them up, and all." He looks at Miki's backpack with interest, and awaits the answer.
Miki blinks, looking utterly blank for a moment. "Ah... shade," he says finally. "I am studying shade, you know, because it was too warm to sleep in the sun." He can't keep up the solemn look, and his mouth quirks up. "I am supposed to be working on magic. But I am not." He finds what he is looking for in the backpack-- something about the size of two fists, well-wrapped up in white cloth. The cloth looks like linen.
Serendipity laughs, and points a forkful of pie at Miki. "'s important t' have a good handle on both, your shade an' your sunbeams. Also, soft grassy areas in general," he intones, before grinning again. "Didn't know you were still learning, Magic-wise."
"Looking up anything in particular?" Danny asks Miki, nibbling at the pie some more. He looks at the linen and its hidden contents curiously.
"No, I am supposed to be practicing," Miki says with a sigh. He gives the wrapped bundle a curious little half-smile and then offers it to Ren. "Ren, this is a present for you."
Serendipity blinks, and finishes his bite of pie before asking, apparently startled, "For me? ...Hey, thanks." He sets his plate of pie down on the table, and accepts the linen-wrapped bundle curiously, undoing the linen to see what's inside.
Danny finishes off the last of his pie and cranes his head forward, sniffing with interest. "Solstice gifts early, eh?" he says to Miki with a grin.
When the linen falls away a short black bottle, perhaps the length of a large man's hand, and shaped like a brandy bottle is revealed. It is made of black, opaque, matte-finished glass, and the top of it is covered with a filigreed metal cap of what looks rather like slightly tarnished silver. Over the cap is a seal of dark red wax, and a similar seal adorns the fragile-looking paper label, which is written in Hungarian.
Miki glances at Danny and smiles slightly, shaking his head.
You paged Miklos with 'What's the Hungarian say? :)'.
Miklos pages: The gift works on written languages?
Long distance to Miklos: Serendipity believes so. Let me check!
You paged Miklos with '...yes. It's really a nice gift. *^_^*'.
Miklos pages: Okay!
Miklos pages: Blood of Summer. Bottled in the Year about 110 years ago by the Authority of the Dukes of Tatravia, under the supervision of Family Nyaulaszine. First Summer Pressing, Crack the Pits, Half-Moon.
Miklos pages: Sorry, I didn't want to make you wait while I looked up the proper year.
Long distance to Miklos: Serendipity grins! No, no problem. :)
Serendipity turns the bottle over in his hands, admiring it. "...think this's the prettiest bottlea anything anyone ever handed me. What is it?" he inquires, studying the label, intrigued.
"Wow, that *is* lovely," Danny murmurs. "It'd make a really great lamp. Once it's empty, I mean."
Miki looks pleased. "That is true Blood of Summer. You can look at the bottom of the bottle-- there is a seal in the glass. Also, the metal is electrum, not silver. That is a mistake often made by the imitators. Blood of Summer is a cherry brandy they made in Tatravia during the Long Night. They say that one drink of it will strengthen the will, and two will bring true dreams to those who have the gift." He glances sideways at Danny, looking a little uneasy. "But you must not open the bottle in sunlight, ever. That will destroy its virtue and flavor, they say."
Serendipity looks quite delighted with this gift. "Thank you!" he exclaims, giving Miki an enthusiastic hug, and a kiss on the cheek. It's very quick, and sincere but relatively well-behaved. "'s gorgeous, like you. Almost be too bad t' open it; hafta make sure it's an appropriate time."
Danny blinks slowly at Miki. "True dreams to those who have the gift?" He swallows and eyes the bottle with much less admiration now. "You mean it brings them true, or lets them see more of Gaia's dreams?"
Miki nods at Ren. "You are welcome," he says, and one corner of his mouth curls up delightedly. Then he looks at Danny and bites thoughtfully at his lip. "I do not know. I have not... I mean, it is not my gift. I only know what people say about it. I know that, that people used to drink it and ask for a dream, some times, that is all."
Serendipity beams at Miki, and sets the bottle down gently, almost reverently, to finish off his pie. "It's great," he assures Miki, then adds to Danny, "...an' don't worry, I'll make sure not t' give you any. 'cause I'm generous like that." Grin. He was in a good mood to start with, but it looks as though his day is pretty much made.
Danny looks hugely relieved now. "Oh, alright, that sounds a lot less, you know." He smiles and takes his pie plate back into the kitchen. "I was just worried you meant, something else, that's all. If it doesn't mean one of *those* will come true, it's not so bad."
"I do not think it could make a dream come true," Miki tells Danny. "Especially one of your dreams. I think it makes you dream, about something you want to dream of. Like... asking about what will happen in the future. I would not want to do it, though." He untucks his feet and slides down from the counter, then steps into his boots. "I should go, though, and look at the Library," he adds innocently. "I think that I might need to help putting books away." He ties his shoes and smiles at Ren, a quirk of one side of his mouth. "I am glad you like it. I thought and thought, and then I thought you might like this."
"I do," Ren replies firmly, and smiles back, looking tickled. "Maybe I'll try it someday, th' dream thing. Sometime when I got somethin' I gotta know. Let you know how it turns out." He finishes off his pie, and turns toward the kitchen to put it away, patting the bottle once on its cap before he head in. "Have fun at th' library, then. I think th' one big cushion in there's particularly good for studyin' afternoon naps, myself."
Danny rubs the back of his neck, and nods. "I don't think I'd want to know either," he agrees, with another look at the bottle, this time a wistful one. "Kind of ruins the point, doesn't it? I mean to really know, for sure." He grins at Ren, and gives Miki a wave and a nod. "See ya later, Miki."
Miki grabs his bag and remarks, "Yes, that is a nice pillow." That really thoughtful look he assumes somehow turns that completely innocent remark into something else. "Although I am supposed to help shelve books, not study. I will see you both later!" he adds, and then he bounces merrily out the door.