2007-04-15: Pony Up

Starring:

Cass_icon.gif Eliana_icon.gif

Summary: Cass comes by the Pink Pony to pick up food for the girls at the shop, but runs into Eliana on her way out.

Date It Happened: April 15, 2007

Pony Up


Lower East Side, The Pink Pony

The Pink Pony isn't quite closed, but as the afternoon drones on and business isn't exactly popping, Eliana is free to leave once her tables are clear. IN order to ensure this happens as soon as possible, the pink-haired waitress is currently assisting a gangly college freshman with the task, piling up plates mugs, and various other table accouterments that will soon be replaced by nice clean ones. She's laughing with the much younger busboy as she works, and she moves quickly enough to get the job done while not exerting herself. There is only one other customer in the shop, and so the other waitresses are either smoking out back or helping hold the counter down in between trips to that table to fill mugs with hot water in order to refresh whatever herbal tea they've ordered.

Even though she's not supposed to be walking much, Cass has offered - no insisted - on getting food for her employees. Especially since everyone missed lunch due to an unexplained rush that left everyone in customer service mode long past when they all should have eaten. As she has still yet to get that sword cane she and Alyssa have been joking about, she limps into the cafe repeating over and over in her head what everyone has ordered. It leaves her a little distracted and she moves right up to the counter in order to order. It's hard to miss, however, the pink hair of Eliana and her journey to order gets put on pause as she freezes. Crap. She has now forgotten what everyone wants.

It's when Eliana turns her head and lifts the dish tray that her eyes catch Cass, and he own laughter dies off suddenly. Rather than quicken, her heart slows and her face pales a bit, making her hair only look brighter against the warm yellow of the restaurant.

Sandy, however, is at the counter and smiling at the vacant-looking Cass. "Hey, there. What're you in the mood for today?" Her pen is poised, and she doesn't look like she's in too much of a rush to take the limping woman's order.

"Hi," Cass smiles at the waitress easily enough, tearing her eyes away from Eliana so that she can order. Rattling off what she can remember of everyone's orders to the waitress, she makes sure to indicate it's for take out. Then, of course, her gaze goes right back to Eliana. "Would you mind if I sat at the counter while I waited?" she asks the waitress as she already starts to shuffle over that way. "And could I grab a glass of water?" Though she has yet to break into her tylenol with codeine, right now seems a lovely time to do so. Not one on making big scenes or ignoring people she knows, she gives the pink haired woman a smile and a nod, content to just leave it at that if that's what she would prefer.

"Of course you can," Sandy says with that sort of Career-waitress/aspiring-Creative-Person nod as she finishes her short hand and turns to go turn the order in to the cooks. Eliana catches the nod, but she doesn't return it before she too disappears behind the wall and into the kitchen. It's not long after that, however, that the pink-haired woman returns, sans apron, with a glass of water in her hand. "Hey," she says with a dry mouth as she scoots onto the seat beside Cass, but she makes no move to be friendly aside from the single word and the transference of glass from hand to counter with a little push toward the shop owner.

Sinking into one of the seats, Cass nods gratefully at the career-waitress/aspiring-Creative Person. "Hey." And, helping along Newton's First Law, she keeps the glass in motion until it's right in front of her. Rummaging about in her pockets until she finds the prescription bottle, she shakes out two, pops them in her mouth and then takes a big swallow of the water. It'll be a little while until the medicine actually starts to kick in, but just the psychological assurance that it will is enough to take a bit of the pain off. "Didn't know you worked here."

Eek. Eliana hopes to never be a career waitress, and with any luck, Cass' latent ability isn't cementing people's futures. Eliana shrugs and looks over the bar, if only so that she doesn't have to look at Cass. "Started…about two weeks ago." Right before…well, that whole mess. "Haven't seen you in awhile." Which is both a good and bad thing, depending how one looks at it. But Eliana did note the dosage, and it is at least a conversation point. "You alright?"

If Cass has any sort of latent ability, it's attracting weirdness - and possibly explosions - not cementing futures. "Ah." She nods and continues sipping on her water since it's there. And something for her to do. "Yeah, I know. Things got a little crazy." Setting the glass down carefully, she nods her head. "Yeah yeah. Just a couple of stitches. I'll be fine. Just need to keep sitting down. Alyssa's trying to convince me to get a sword cane. I'd be lying if I said the idea didn't hold some appeal." She smiles.

Eliana narrows her eyes at the name, but she doesn't spend too much time trying to place it. There are plenty of people Cass knows that she doesn't. "Hope so." Because everyone should recover quickly. She glances at Sandy and the other waitresses on duty at the moment, gathering an order into bags, and then Eliana looks over to Cass. The movement is slow, and Eliana doesn't keep that eye contact, but rather looks between the tip of her right sneaker to Cass in intervals. Submission, much? "You…are you going to need help carrying all of that?"

With a glance over to where the waitress from before is gathering up her bags, Cass shrugs her shoulders. "Mm, I think I'll be able to handle it. Just as long as it isn't too heavy. Thanks, though." It's not a dismissal, it's just the truth. However, watching how uncomfortable Eliana is with the situation, she adds after a pause, "But I could always use company." Once again, Cass hates to see people uncomfortable or in panic and it's showing itself.

Eliana stiffens a little at the modified request, and narrows her eyes in a subtle cringe. "My company?" Is she serious? After…after what happened? Eliana is silent for a moment, but then her lips break into a shocked and relieved sort of smile. "Wow, Cass."

Cass shrugs, not wanting to make any sort of deal about it. "Nothing wow about it. I hate drama. There's too much going on." She gives a weak smile. After all, if she can forgive Lachlan, she can forgive Eliana. Or, if not forgive, then not be full out angry at her. "Plus, pain medication just kicked in. Blame it on codeine."

"The last time I did something like that, it didn't work out so well," Eliana answers with a dry sort of smirk and a shake of her head. But whatever. You can't move on if you can't…well, move on. When Sandy returns with the bags and the check, Eliana automatically takes one of them to lessen Cass' burden.

Pulling out her wallet, Cass pays the bill, leaves a tip and stands up. "Well, then /I'll/ blame it on the codeine." Picking up the other bag, she eases herself out of her seat and then balances the bag so that the weight falls on the side of the unhurt leg. There we go. A big fan of moving on and setting aside differences, one less person to worry about running into is a good thing. "Wow. I can see why people get addicted to this stuff. Things are starting to have a lovely little glow about them. If someone gave me a fluffy puppy I'd forget about this leg thing entirely."

"Well, if you're going back to Lachlan's…" assuming that things are still cool between the too, since Lachlan hasn't called Eliana to say otherwise…but then again, why would he feel such a need? "He's got Bonnie, right? And those two little…I haven't decided if they're rats or dogs yet." If Eliana's smile is any indication, she's joking as she moves to offer Cass a shoulder, should she want to steady herself as the near the door.

Cass laughs and shakes her head. "No, right now it's back to the store to feed ravenous employees. I'll play with Bonnie later, but by then this'll have worn off. Which is good because Lach's in a terrible mood. I've confiscated all of his booze on doctor's orders and hid it in my apartment. If I show up high on painkillers he'll be sulk for another two weeks." Snickering she nods her head. "I'm going to go with ratdogs. That seems to cover all bases." Not needing the shoulder, she smiles her thanks at the offer, however.

Eliana can't help but chuckle as she shoulders open the door, allowing Cass to move through it first. "Poor guy," and she means it. There's nothing but pity in her voice, but it's reserved, distant even. "Bonnie's more cuddle-able anyway." Then, as she lets the door swing shut, Eliana adds, "I'm glad you two are cool."

"I know. I'm the mean girlfriend." Cass gives a smile to show that she doesn't really mean it. "And she is quite cuddly. I've taught her some very bad habits which I think Lach is /still/ trying to get rid of." Grinning, she makes a slow way down the sidewalk. "Yeah. I am, too. Lach's many things, but he's got a good heart."

Eliana simply nods as they walk side by side, her chin tucked. "Yeah," she agrees at last, not really wanting to talk any more on the subject. But Eliana does add a few more words: "You're lucky."
The grin fades into something a little less happy as the topic sort of fizzles to a close. "Yeah." But, then, she was the one doing the forgiving and not Lachlan. "I guess." But, sensing that Eliana doesn't want to talk any more about it, she let's it drop with some of her natural optimism. "Everything works out for the best."

"Yeah," Eliana repeats, the word losing it's meaning with so many usages. "Yeah, it does." Right? Of course it does. Causality and all of that, but still, maybe there is some effect she can't see completely. Not yet, at least. "Sorry I let you down with that manuscript. But…I wrote a song for Jane, the…Jane Forrest. She just found a studio."

"I know Jane," Cass nods, letting Eliana know who she knows. "I'm glad she found a studio. And don't worry about the manuscript. You'll write something else and I'll be able to shop that around." Smiling, the store owner hefts her bag of food to a more comfortable position as the two turn the corner and continue on what is - thanks to Cass' leg - a slow walk back to Enlightenment.

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