I just realize
fucking something. Somer's Rock patron are deaf, right? And Annette Hebert used to be linguistic professor, right? And Taylor was very close to her mother, right?
See where I'm going with this?
(Assumes Coil or others doesn't do shenanigans)
(Which is forlorn hope, but, well, hope)
----
It's already 15 minutes in the Somer's Rock, but Taylor already hated the place.
For starter, the place is gloomy, dark, depressing, hot (considering she wears formal kimono, that's unbearably annoying), damp, smells funny, and the worst of all....
The place. Doesn't serve. Non-alcoholic drink.
That's it. Formal business or not, no way she's getting anything done without some proper hydration first. So she skips formalities and ask the patron, a young girl (isn't she too young to serve here?) if she had some non-alcoholic drink-
Only to have this rude guy laugh at her and telling her that the patron is deaf, so don't bother with anything not on menu.
This is
really get to her nerv-Deaf?
Oh.
Oooh.
Dear Mom in Heaven, thank you for everything you gave me.
Well, it's a long shot, but it worth a try....
****
Rina Estevez had no illusion about what kind of people this place serve.
She had already had her fill of being stared at, groped, and on some unlucky days, get almost molested by stupid patron.
The only silver lining is that the last people do that will be horribly maimed at minimum. Patron change is bad for
their business, as it is.
Also she didn't need to hear all the jeers and whistles. She just
knew there will be whistles, but at least she didn't need to hear it.
Well, there are patrons that, at least, polite, and often enough that she can preserve and moving on through bad, ugly days. Like this girl in foofy, Asian-looking dress (or robe?).
It's just that while they're nice, they can't really
communicate with her. Not entirely their fault, she guess.
Ah, the girl was go to the counter. Well, what is she want-
What.
What.
Did... did the girl just do...
that?
Did she just say 'I am Brushstroke. Nice to meet you. Who are you?'?
****
All the assorted rogues and villains can only watch the magic unfolded.
It started innocently enough. Brushstroke, insisting on non-alcoholic drink, had come to the waitress and requested a non-alcoholic drink. Which, in most cases, will only end up in disappointment, since they only served what's on menu, and assumed that most people won't be able to tell what they want.
Assumed was the keyword here.
And then somehow, Brushtroke, with some gestures and wave of hand (literally), manages to summon not only a glass of cold, pure water, but about 25 minutes later, somehow manages to get a kettle, some bottled mineral water, sugar, and a box of tea leaves.
And she keeps...
communicating with the waitress.
And in about 15 minutes later, somehow, she manages to makes everyone to sit down, have some tea, moving the negotiation on
her terms, and somehow everyone involved get satisfied and just a tad bit paranoid.
Less than usual.
However, the real knockout came a month later.
Somehow, Brushstroke manages to acquired Somer's Rock and making a
massive refit out of it. But it's not the biggest news that month.
A week earlier, Thomas Calvert had been ousted as Coil. Both PRT and the rogues/ villains are unhappy with this, and even more unhappy when it found out that he played both sides like a fiddle. And also using patsies on meeting on Somer's Rock.
So, nobody pay attention much when one Danny Hebert manages to buy Somer's Rock under the table, remove all the patron (into protection details), and refurbish the pub into more respectable place.
When the villains found out, it's already too late. And there's nothing they can do about it. Especially when New Somer's Rock had Armsmaster as effective bouncer.
So, the only neutral place available are the Pawprint Shrine, and most villains, begrudgingly, accept that.
They will never admit that tea was
that good. Never.
...Okay, maybe a bit.
****
Rina Estevez consider her plight.
She never knows literature can be
this hard.
Not that she's not grateful for this change, not at all. For starters, now she had
friends. Companions.
People to
talk with.
Is just that, well....
It's kind of frustrating. She never write this much before on her life.
....
...Brush-no, Taylor
did say she try new batch of tea today....
****
Taylor Hebert is busy on sweeping the path, when she heard the footstep. She looks up.
Former Somer's Rock waitress, Rina Estevez, was there.
'Hello, Taylor'
'Hello, Rina. What brings you here?'
'Well, you said you want to try new batch of tea....'