"I was jumping over a log, he grabbed my neck..." Danny waves his hand absently. "He didn't let go either, which is why I'm still griping about it days later." He looks around the Diner with a sigh and busies himself lighting various oil lamps in lieu of the handful of electric lights. The suncatchers fling the yellow lamplight around the room, cheering it up considerably.

Miki just stands there, his journey to the kitchen forgotten. "He must know *nothing* of Perunka. How could... Such..." He shakes his head finally, words obviously inadequate.

Danny reaches up and taps a set of teardrop-shapped chimes, setting them to spinning and their reflected light to dancing. "Enh, I'll just roll next time. Ruth said that way if he stays put, it's his problem. Of course, I doubt there'll *be* a next time, so..." He shrugs again, and looks at the counter. "Anything to eat?"

Speak of the devil, they say, and he'll appear... which could lend credence to some of the things people've said about Serendipity in the past. The door opens, and in he strolls, hands in his pockets, humming quietly to himself. Looking cheerful as usual, if a touch distracted. The guys get a broad grin. "Heya, cuties. How'zit goin'?"

Miki jumps, turning around like a spooky cat when something touches the tip of its tail. When he sees who it is, he is seemingly not reassured, but he manages a polite greeting at least. "Good evening."

Danny watches Ren for a moment, unblinking, then moves behind the counter to inspect the evening fare for himself. "Evening," he says in a polite but unavoidably chilly tone. "Looks like there's some bread, and I bet there's cheese in the kitchen fridge."

Serendipity arches a brow, heading vaguely kitchenward to check out the provisions. "Damn. Is it me, or is it colder in here than out there?" he asks, hands still in his coat pockets.

Miki pauses for a moment, then walks slowly towards the kitchen as well. "I am tired of bread and cheese," he complains, half-playfully. "I am tired of cold meat and bread and cheese. There is nothing else. I am tired of food."

Danny narrows his eyes at Ren and seems ready to offer a sharp response, but Miki's complaint startles a quiet laugh out of him. "I could do with some oranges and Braeburns and a few bananas myself," he laments. "But, until sum, I think we're stuck with bread, cheese, and preserves. Oh, but there'll be new grass in bud."

Serendipity steps to the kitchen, and opens the fridge, looking into it critically. "...nothing like that in here. Looks like someone ate up all the cookies I made last week, too." He closes it again, leans up against the door, studying Miki for a moment with the ghost of a grin. "We should find you some more exciting food, gorgeous. Whatcha like?"

"Some of us cannot eat grass," Miki replies grumpily to Danny before pushing the kitchen door open. He blinks at Ren's question. "Anything which is not bread and cheese," he replies, without much thought. He goes over, fills the kettle, and sets it on the stove, without really looking at Ren. "Apricots. Plums. Padlizsan. Dumplings. Palacsinta."

Danny edges past Ren into the kitchen as well, intent on the fridge. "I saw some rosehip jam around here, and there's some balsalmic marinaded mushrooms..."

Serendipity straightens and steps away from the fridge, toward Miki, letting Danny at the appliance he seems so intent on. "Well, then," he drawls, leaning up against the counter by the stove, instead, and reaching into his coat with a thoughtful expression, "let's see what we c'n do 'bout that..." Moment or two, and he comes up with a box, tied with a bow. It looks kinda fancy. "Oooh. That looks promising."

Miki stares at Ren, wide-eyed, and then looks at the box as though he's never seen one before (although surely that cannot be so). He looks back up from the box to Ren, still blankly gobsmacked. "The coat," he manages, then shakes his head, as if to shake away the surprised expression. "What is it?"

"Beware of Coyote Kin bearing gifts," Danny murmurs as he takes a brick of cheese out of the fridge. A small tub of butter and a bowl of vegetables follow shortly, then he begins a sight-search for the elusive rosehip jam, occasionally casting a curious glance at Ren and Miki.

Ambiguity is the Coyote Kin's friend. "I dunno," Ren replies cheerfully, "Let's find out, huh?" He unties the bow, setting the ribbon aside, and opens the box. "Oooh, chocolates. I think =that= one's a chocolate-covered apricot..." He winks at Miki, offering the box.

Caught in a decidedly awkward situation, Miki reflects his thought processes visibly by shifting from foot to foot like a student who doesn't know the answer to a question. His gaze flicks from the box of tempting chocolates back up to Ren's face, gravely inquiring, weighing, puzzled. Finally he bursts out with, "Why are you offering them to me? You were not... I mean, the things you said before--" Miki bites his lower lip, flushes a little with embarrassment, and says, "I am sorry. Thank you." Then he takes one, randomly, without looking at Ren.

Danny zeroes in on his query, a small jar of reddish-brown jam with an artful label that reads, "Rosehip Jam". He pulls it down from one of the shelves and makes his way back into the main dining room, pausing to peer into the box of chocolates before moving on.

Serendipity looks more than a little lost. "What'd I say before?" he asks, apparently sincerely confused. The box stays in his hands, still open. "...and you're more'n welcome, y'know..."

Now Miki looks even more uncomfortable. "It does not matter," he says. "It is very nice of you to share your chocolate."

"Any time, gorgeous," Serendipity replies, though not as light and unconcerned as it would usually be. He pulls a plate over and starts setting the chocolates out on it, attention at least as much on Miki as the candy. "I don't wanna make you upset or anything, but I gotta say, it kinda matters t' me. What'd I do, beautiful?"

Miki shrugs dismissively. "If you have forgotten, it is not important. I will forget, too." A slight twist in the corner of his mouth suggests that this is a difficult proposition. "Not a thing to worry over. Here, the water is hot." Miki collects mugs and starts putting tea into them. "Did you want tea?"

Serendipity slides the now empty box -- and ribbon -- back into his coat, wherever it came from, and leans against the counter again, studying Miki, brow furrowed. "No, c'mon, gorgeous... let me in on what I did, yeah? How'd I fuck up?" He leans in, just a little. "Can't make it better if I don't know, right?" If nothing else, he does seem sincere. "...and sure, I'll have tea."

Miki pours the hot water into the mugs, thus causing tea to exist. "I explained, it is not important." A complicated shrug, half-dismissive, half-irritating. "I do not *want* to talk about it, it is..." He shrugs again, expressively, pushes a mug towards Ren, and picks up two mugs. "Not to be, to be fussed over." He goes into the Diner with his mug and Danny's.

Danny has spread out the modest offerings of the diner on the counter, augmented with a few leftover muffins from earlier in the day. The rye bread has been sliced and piled to one side, and he is currently working on a piece covered with jam and butter.

Serendipity picks up the mug, and just stands there for a second. The chocolates catch his eye, and he considers them briefly before carrying the plate to the table, setting it near Miki, and settling quietly into one of the chairs.

Miki sits down and looks into his tea mug with a decidedly glum expression, as though he's just discovered it contains something much less platable than tea. "Winter is too long," he says, with an involuntary glance at the curtain of the cot room.

"Thanks, Miki," Danny says, taking up his newly aquired mug of tea and sniffing at it. "Just a few more weeks to go, and then bud."

Serendipity looks a touch glum himself, sipping at his tea. He takes one of the chocolates, and nibbles at it absently. "Bud's always nice. Easier t' get about and all..."

Miki sets his tea down, pushes his chair back, and goes to peer in the kitchen, as though there might suddenly be someone in there. Apparently, there isn't. He moves restlessly away from the door, and leans on the counter. "Perhaps everything will be easier in the Spring. Perhaps," he adds, looking a little cynically at the other two in the Diner, "apple dumplings will rain from the sky, too."

"Spring," Danny echoes quietly, looking down into his tea. He shakes his head, casting aside whatever disquiet was about to settle on him, and grins at Miki. "Apple dumplings would be nice, but I'll settle for having the foundation done. Then I can spend the rest of wint building the workshop with Justin and Bryce."

Serendipity half-grins at Miki, and looks at the window -- the upper part -- speculatively. "Well, I'll see what I can do," he replies, at least half serious. "Apple dumplings..."

Miki favors Ren with a disbelieving look. "If you can make apple dumplings rain from the sky all over Katahdin," he says, "I will... well, I will be very startled," he ends, dubiously. He adds to Danny, "That workshop, you and Justin and Bryce just keep working and working. I think I should stop by and make sure Justin is sleeping enough."

Danny fishes out a mushroom from the bowl and nibbles at it. "You should. Sometimes I think he doesn't sleep, he gets so wrapped up in things. And I thought *I* was the one who had trouble sleeping..." He says it lightly and with a smile, but there's an undercurrent of seriousness none-the-less.

"All over Katahdin, huh?" Ren echoes thoughtfully. "...and you'll just be very startled, huh? Nothing else?" He tilts his head a little, watching Miki rather fetchingly.

Miki gives Danny a slightly worried look as he replies, "Then I will have to make sure that he sleeps, will I not?" He looks back at Ren, raising one fine eyebrow. "Why should pastry raining from the sky be something other than startling?" he asks, a little too innocently. "Pastry is not... frightening, or miraculous."

Danny nods at Miki and tips his head at the house. "Just, you know, come by and club him over the head while Bryce and I distract him." He washes down the last of the mushroom with a drink of tea and assembles a sandwich out of cheese and vegetables.

Serendipity plants an elbow on the table, resting his chin on his hand. "Tasty, though," he points out, "...and unusual as precipitation. C'mon, gorgeous... can'tcha do better than being startled?" Lashbat. "...also, I'm not sure you showing up would be the best thing t' get Justin to sleep. Bed, maybe, not so much sleep..."

Butter would not melt in Miki's mouth, judging from his expression. "Oh, but it is easy to get Justin to go to sleep, you just have to make him tired enough," he replies, then looks considering. "I suppose that I might be pleased with apple dumplings falling from the sky, as well as startled," he concedes. "But it is not likely to happen, it is more likely that, that..." he shrugs, "that I will sing dragons out of the mountain, and *that* is not likely."

Danny polishes off his sandwich and nods at the remaining vegetables and cheese. "I've got to get back to the house--should I put these away or do you two want any?"

Serendipity grins at Miki, broadly. "I'll bet," he murmurs, and then turns his attention to the plate, snagging a bit of cheese. "Nah, thanks. I'm good. I prolly oughta get to work on some things, anyway..."

Miki walks around the counter and replies to Danny, "I think I will walk with you to the house, if you do not mind. It is important that Justin... be well." He collects his (mostly undrunk) tea mug and takes it away into the kitchen, returning with his backpack, snagging his cloak up on the way.

"Yes, the alchemist should definitely be well," Danny says, his mouth quirking in a half-smile. He drinks the last of his tea and takes the empty mug and assembled food back into the kitchen, then makes his way over to the coatrack and shrugs into his cloak and scarf. He nods to Ren and slips out the door, holding it open for Miki to follow.

"Nice work if you can get it," Ren murmurs, and settles back into his chair, waving his cheese at the pair in farewell. "Later, cuties. I'll see you 'round."

Miki nods a farewell to Ren. If one eyebrow is raised in a slightly ironic way, well, that's hardly noticeable, is it? He merely murmurs, "Good night," and follows Danny out the door.