Stiller than a stone. [For Raven]

[pontmercyfriend]

Marius quite enjoys exploring Darrow still, even as much as the place makes him feel trapped a fair amount of days. Still, there are always a myriad of unique, little shops to discover, to weave in and out of on one of his rare days off. Which is what he finds himself doing today, currently. He's been to a couple of used bookstores and a shop specializing in handcrafted objects. He carries bags with him from all stores, books to satisfy his reading, and some decorations to help liven up his apartment.

He decides to stop for a snack and a drink at a quirky little cafe in a corner building that reminds him a bit of the Musain, he realizes, with a bit of a pang. Still, he smiles, and makes his way through the doors.

He orders a bear claw and a chai latte drink, brings them over to a table by the window, where he can watch people stroll across the sidewalks and eat in peace. He's about to lose himself in his thoughts when a flash of blond catches his eye from the table next to his, and he realizes he knows the woman.

"Hello again, Raven," he says, waving in greeting. "Fancy meeting you here."

Comments

[and_proud]

There's something comforting about Marius. Maybe it's just the calm and pleasant manner in which he speaks, or maybe it's something more deep – like how he almost sounds like Charles.

In any case, Raven enjoys his company. They don't seem to meet much more than by chance but Raven feels determined for that to change. She needs more friends, she's realizing, and to branch out beyond the school. So when she spots him in the café, her smile is easy. "Marius," she says. "Hey. Do you mind if I sit?"

[pontmercyfriend]

Marius brightens when Raven asks to sit with him, pleased. "Of course, please," he says, gesturing to the table. "It would be a pleasure."

They seem to run into each other more than anything else, which he really ought to fix, he thinks. Regardless, they're both here now, and he's happy to enjoy her company for the time being.

"How have you been? It's nice to see you," he says.

[and_proud]

"I've been..." Raven starts with an exhale as she sits, but then has to pause and really think. It's tempting to say that she's been fine, that she's doing well, but the truth is that the past few weeks and even months have tested her. She feels like she's been on edge ever since she almost lost Theresa. "As well as someone can be in Darrow, I guess," she decides on. "What about you?"

[pontmercyfriend]

He nods at her answer, admiring it for its honesty. "I feel like that's a good way of describing how I am, too," he says. "As well as can be expected for being stuck in a city I am unable to leave." He flashes her a wry smile. "Some days are better than others."

"Are you enjoying today, in particular?" He asks, curious.

[and_proud]

"Today's a good day," Raven says. Marius is right in what he says. Some days she feels more lonely than she can bear despite the company she has at the school, while others there's something to be said for the freedom of starting over. As awful as things can be in the city, it's hard to think of anywhere else she'd rather be. It's only that she'd wish the people she misses desperately here with her if only she could. "Better now I'm sitting here with you."

[pontmercyfriend]

"I'm glad to hear that," Marius says, smiling. "Some days it seems like the good days are few and far between." He smiles brighter, flushing a bit, when she mentions that her day is better because she is sitting here with him. That itself means a lot to Marius, especially now.

"I'm glad I can help," he says. "And I agree. My day is certainly better for being able to to sit here with you."

"Would like something to eat or drink? I was just about to go and order," he offers. It seems like a good day for caffeine, too.

[and_proud]

Raven smiles, too. Sometimes her social interactions seem fake given all that she's hiding, but her casual friendship with Marius has lasted long enough that she likes to think it sincere. Still, there will always be the nagging guilt of wondering whether and when to confide in people. She'd never told Ophelia, after all. "Maybe just a hot chocolate?"

[pontmercyfriend]

"Hot chocolate, got it," Marius says with a nod. "Would you like marshmellows or whipped cream with it?" He was originally going to order a tea for himself, but now that she's mentioned hot chocolate, he thinks he has to change his order. Hot chocolate sounds perfect for a day like today.

[and_proud]

"Both?" Raven requests with a smile. It's childish, maybe, but there's something comforting about hot chocolate and marshmallows and cream, especially when it's still a little cold. It makes her think of the time she'd hid in Charles' kitchen as his mother and offered him the same, only for that to be her undoing. "Might as well live large, right?"

[pontmercyfriend]

"Excellent choice," Marius agrees, eyes lighting up at the thought of both marshmallows and whipped cream in hot chocolate. He decides the same for his own drink as he goes to fetch them, returning to the table with two mugs all but spilling over from the abundance of the drinks and their toppings. He offers the frothiest to Raven. "Your drink, mademoiselle," he says, smiling. "It's a perfect day for hot chocolate, I think."

[and_proud]

"Oh, merci," Raven says, taking her spoon and scraping some of the cream off top, spooning it into her mouth. It's so indulgent but it's what she needs, both the hot chocolate and the company. "If I could get away with it, every day would be the perfect day for hot chocolate," she says. Really, she can make herself look however she wants, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have to watch what she eats as much as anybody. "It's so good."

[pontmercyfriend]

"Yes, wouldn't it just be wonderful if that could be the cast?" He says. Even though some days prove much too warm for the likes of hot chocolate, Marius wishes he, too, could get away with drinking it every day. As it is, he savors the days he does get to drink hot chocolate all the more. He takes a bite himself of the creamy goodness of the drink, smiling at Raven. "It's entirely perfect."