Both women looked through the window in confusion, trying to figure out what was going on. Laluli's swaying had ceased, though the fingers of one hand could still be seen moving in an almost rhythmic pattern as she leaned forward to peer upward, trying to see where the coffee machines had come from.
Shanique gave a gentle rub to Laluli's back, and turned to Yvette. "So... is this a normal thing here?"
Shanique gave a gentle rub to Laluli's back, and turned to Yvette. "So... is this a normal thing here?"
"Yes sir!" she called after Ruiz, before turning back to look incredulously at the two new women. "Normal? This? No, not at all." She slipped back behind the counter once again, and began brewing a fresh pot of blacker-than-black coffee. It would put hair on a naked mole rat, it would be that strong.
"In fact, this is the first time I've seen such a thing. Although I guess I do draw stran--er, a wide variety of people to my coffee shop. Is there anything I can get you while the chaos is happening outside?"
She felt bad, leaving Ruiz to deal with the situation seemingly on his own, but the most Yvette could do was give luck--good or bad, she still hadn't learned how to control it. Unless she could help the ladies who might be able to help Ruiz. "Neither of you ladies might be able to help him out, would you?"
"In fact, this is the first time I've seen such a thing. Although I guess I do draw stran--er, a wide variety of people to my coffee shop. Is there anything I can get you while the chaos is happening outside?"
She felt bad, leaving Ruiz to deal with the situation seemingly on his own, but the most Yvette could do was give luck--good or bad, she still hadn't learned how to control it. Unless she could help the ladies who might be able to help Ruiz. "Neither of you ladies might be able to help him out, would you?"
"Um... I'm afraid I really don't know what's even going on," Shanique said apologetically. She looked over to the blonde girl and said firmly, "Lali, stay in here for now, alright?"
Ignoring the pout she got, she looked back to Yvette. "And miss? If Laluli here says there's danger, listen to her. I'll... go ask if there's anything I can help with."
She left with that, to go see if she could speak with the man before he drove off. Laluli, meanwhile, let out a loud sigh.
"I don't know why she thinks she needs to protect me," she said, her voice sweet and a little melodic. Turning to Yvette, she smiled a little with eyebrows raised. "So... any idea how bad it really is?"
Ignoring the pout she got, she looked back to Yvette. "And miss? If Laluli here says there's danger, listen to her. I'll... go ask if there's anything I can help with."
She left with that, to go see if she could speak with the man before he drove off. Laluli, meanwhile, let out a loud sigh.
"I don't know why she thinks she needs to protect me," she said, her voice sweet and a little melodic. Turning to Yvette, she smiled a little with eyebrows raised. "So... any idea how bad it really is?"
Ruiz checked the thermometer; the engine was halfway warmed up. Normally he would switch gears to "drive" at this point, but the brown-skinned woman coming towards the car from the coffee shop caught his attention.
He pressed a button to his side, but remembered that the windows were broken. Crap. "Hey there," he called out to the woman. "Something wrong?"
He pressed a button to his side, but remembered that the windows were broken. Crap. "Hey there," he called out to the woman. "Something wrong?"
Yvette nodded at the older woman and then looked back at the younger, once they were alone. "I don't know how bad it is, but judging by what Mr. Sico says, it's not good." The good news at least was that Ruiz's bad luck had already been used up.
"What did your friend mean by saying to listen to you if there's danger?" Already the smell of the brewing coffee was beginning to cover over the previous coffee scent.
"What did your friend mean by saying to listen to you if there's danger?" Already the smell of the brewing coffee was beginning to cover over the previous coffee scent.
"Hello," Shanique said, and resisted the urge to point out the damage to the man's car in answer to his question. She kicked coffee machines aside to get closer, but didn't go too deep into them. "No, I'm quite alight. Just, I'm not sure what's going on, but I was wondering if I might be of assistance."
Laluli frowned as she looked back out the window, and slumped into a chair. She looked up at the question though, and reddened a little. "Oh, um... it just... bad things tend to make the music change. But it's muffled in here anyway. Very quiet." Again she frowned, and looked down. "Shawni told me most don't hear it, though."
Laluli frowned as she looked back out the window, and slumped into a chair. She looked up at the question though, and reddened a little. "Oh, um... it just... bad things tend to make the music change. But it's muffled in here anyway. Very quiet." Again she frowned, and looked down. "Shawni told me most don't hear it, though."
"I don't understand what's going on, either," replied Ruiz. "I don't even know where these coffee machines came from. I guess they teleported here? That's not too farfetched...but anyways, I must leave as soon as possible. My advice for you: watch out for people wearing large mechanical suits with tubes of iced coffee protruding from their backs. They're going after me, and I don't want anyone being endangered here because of me. I can't fight them head on, and so far they are - or at least the only one I've seen so far is - solely gunning after me. I don't want to risk collateral damage, which is why I have to lure him or them away from here.
"This is really important: if they spray iced coffee or any other coffee at you, you will perhaps get knocked unconscious within the hour. I don't know what's in that stuff I got sprayed with earlier, but the only cure that works for this type of coffee is more coffee - the blackest kind. Again, I don't know why it works, but it does.
"One last thing: are you experienced in combat, ma'am?"
"This is really important: if they spray iced coffee or any other coffee at you, you will perhaps get knocked unconscious within the hour. I don't know what's in that stuff I got sprayed with earlier, but the only cure that works for this type of coffee is more coffee - the blackest kind. Again, I don't know why it works, but it does.
"One last thing: are you experienced in combat, ma'am?"
Yvette offered a soft smile at the girl. "Music, huh?" Her little coffee shop did have a soft soundtrack playing in the background, but for the most part she tuned it out unless it was super slow. "Well I'm glad then that the music is playing softly. I-" she hesitated and then switched to ask: "What's you're name? Did you still want a drink? I can fix up anything coffee or hot chocolate or tea-related."
She just hoped that whatever was happening outside, stayed outside.
She just hoped that whatever was happening outside, stayed outside.
"I have had to defend myself before, but it isn't something I typically seek out."
Shanique considered telling him that she was mostly just a performer, but that really had no bearing on the current situation. Instead, she merely asked, "Shall I accompany you as backup, or are you saying you wish to go alone?"
She didn't really know the man well enough to argue if it were the latter, though she did hope he would be alright in any case. He seemed a nice enough man, and it took a strong heart to use oneself as bait.
The young woman didn't say anything else of the music. She had grown used to people not quite understanding. Even Shanique seemed confused by it, much as she tried to understand.
"Laluli," she said with a smile, "and my friend is Shanique. She's a performer, you know, and it's almost like a slow, twisty dance."
She glanced out the window again, then back to Yvette. "She's been very kind to me. Um... hot chocolate sounds good. And, maybe, a cream cheese danish?"
Shanique considered telling him that she was mostly just a performer, but that really had no bearing on the current situation. Instead, she merely asked, "Shall I accompany you as backup, or are you saying you wish to go alone?"
She didn't really know the man well enough to argue if it were the latter, though she did hope he would be alright in any case. He seemed a nice enough man, and it took a strong heart to use oneself as bait.
The young woman didn't say anything else of the music. She had grown used to people not quite understanding. Even Shanique seemed confused by it, much as she tried to understand.
"Laluli," she said with a smile, "and my friend is Shanique. She's a performer, you know, and it's almost like a slow, twisty dance."
She glanced out the window again, then back to Yvette. "She's been very kind to me. Um... hot chocolate sounds good. And, maybe, a cream cheese danish?"
Ruiz put his hand to his chin, thinking about what would happen if he brought the woman along. Would she be able to hold her own against something that even he couldn't hold his own against? His judgment was for her own safety - an assumptive "no", under the assumption that the machines would only go after him and not the coffee shop or anyone else in its vicinity.
"I cannot disclose my destination," Ruiz replied. "I also cannot bring anyone else with me except for certain employees and contractors. I hope you understand, ma'am. The barista will know what to do should something similar happen in the meantime, even if all I've told her is to keep the blackest coffee on hand."
He shifted gears to "neutral". "Stay safe," he advised the woman.
"I cannot disclose my destination," Ruiz replied. "I also cannot bring anyone else with me except for certain employees and contractors. I hope you understand, ma'am. The barista will know what to do should something similar happen in the meantime, even if all I've told her is to keep the blackest coffee on hand."
He shifted gears to "neutral". "Stay safe," he advised the woman.
Yvette nodded when the girl introduced herself, then busied herself with the girl's order. "Well it's a pleasure to meet you both. I'm impressed that she's a performer; you don't run into many of those here."
She handed the cheese Danish over on a plate with napkin and fork, and then started on the hot chocolate. "How long have you been able to...sense...danger?" she asked. "Um, that is if you don't mind my asking?"
She handed the cheese Danish over on a plate with napkin and fork, and then started on the hot chocolate. "How long have you been able to...sense...danger?" she asked. "Um, that is if you don't mind my asking?"
"Very well," Shanique said, and took a step back. With a kind smile, she told him simply, "You stay safe as well, sir."
And she turned to head back in.
Laluli smiled cheerfully as she received the Danish, and stood upon the realization they she had not yet paid. She placed a small, wrinkled handful of money onto the the counter, and shrugged at the question. Her swaying from before had already slowly started back up, though it wasn't especially obvious. "Always, I guess. That's not what I've ever payed attention to, though. It's just the music."
As Shanique came back through the door, the older woman said, "The man seems to want to keep anyone untrained away from whatever is happening. A rather private man, too."
And she turned to head back in.
Laluli smiled cheerfully as she received the Danish, and stood upon the realization they she had not yet paid. She placed a small, wrinkled handful of money onto the the counter, and shrugged at the question. Her swaying from before had already slowly started back up, though it wasn't especially obvious. "Always, I guess. That's not what I've ever payed attention to, though. It's just the music."
As Shanique came back through the door, the older woman said, "The man seems to want to keep anyone untrained away from whatever is happening. A rather private man, too."
"Neutral" gear, check. "Four-wheel", check. The car's augmented four-wheel mode roared to life as Ruiz stepped on the gas pedal. The coffee machines surrounding the car were quickly pushed aside and crushed; Ruiz maneuvered into the main road, switching gears.
At this time, he sought to find the nearest transport chute back to the Central Core to get his car fixed, as well as put out a high priority alert for any mobile Coffee Mechs. He kept in mind that his last encounter with that Coffee Mech, and its pilot, "Frappe Fiyero", was only a few minutes away from the Half Calf.
He won't go there, I'm sure of it, Ruiz assured himself, as his trashed car disappeared into a dark tunnel just a few blocks away.
At this time, he sought to find the nearest transport chute back to the Central Core to get his car fixed, as well as put out a high priority alert for any mobile Coffee Mechs. He kept in mind that his last encounter with that Coffee Mech, and its pilot, "Frappe Fiyero", was only a few minutes away from the Half Calf.
He won't go there, I'm sure of it, Ruiz assured himself, as his trashed car disappeared into a dark tunnel just a few blocks away.