Oh, paperwork.

[xp_tarot]

Paperwork, how much do I not enjoy you? My dislike of paperwork is in exact proportion to the size of the stacks of papers.

Yet, I missed New York saturday mornings. The city is busy and yet not - no angry stock brokers yelling into their phones on my subway car. I have coffee from the good shop with the baristas who recognized me, a bagel from the man with the cart outside the office, and lunch on takeout from the Cuban deli. I think I even missed the subway.

Perhaps not the subway.

I have told the baristas I was on an educational sabbatical. I let them think I was at the University of New Orleans for architectural studies. It seemed like not a thing to disagree with.

Comments

[x-deadpool.livejournal.com]

What kind of paperwork are you doing? And what were you up to in New Orleans if not an educational sabbatical for architectural studies? Inquiring minds would like to know.

And also get coffee some time. Inquiring minds would like to know about the good shop with the baristas who know your name.

[x-tarot.livejournal.com]

No one has told you what we do at the Snow Valley Institute, have they?

I am not sure they know my name. But they did know that I like all of the adjectives in my coffee to be ridiculous and also excessive. Today's drink was a double-whip hazelnut-cinnamon-caramel latte macchiato with an extra shot of espresso.

[x-deadpool.livejournal.com]

Nope, nobody's said anything about what Snow Valley does, except that it's got something to do with mutant affairs and people like to bicker about how it's spelled.

I don't think that's a real drink, just in case you were wondering. I think you made it up on the spot just to see if I was gullible enough to believe you.

What happened to plain old coffee? Or coffee and milk? Or coffee and milk and sugar?

[x-tarot.livejournal.com]

That is not a discussion I should have out where everyone can see it. Who was bickering about spelling?

It is a real drink. A latte macchiato is steamed milk with a small amount of espresso. I wanted an extra shot of espresso, and then it had one shot each of hazelnut, cinnamon and caramel flavoured syrups, and double the normal amount of whipped cream.

I take my tea black with sugar, if that makes you feel better.

[x-deadpool.livejournal.com]

So basically you wanted a tiny bit of caffeine with a bunch of sugar and other stuff? Whipped cream is good when you put it on pie.

What's a regular macchiato? Or a regular latte, for that matter? What's different about them when you stick them together?

If I drank tea, I'd feel better.

[x-tarot.livejournal.com]

If I have to drink coffee I want it to taste good and not like it is the potting soil from the plants.

Macchiato is espresso with a small amount of milk. It means 'stained' in Italian. A regular latte (which means milk in Italian) is espresso and steamed milk in more equal amounts. A latte macchiato is milk with a small amount of espresso.

[x-cypher.livejournal.com]

That was me and Amanda. And it was more in the nature of me teasing her about the British spelling on our letterhead, which she decreed Right And Proper.

[x-tarot.livejournal.com]

Because she is clever and also correct.

[x-cypher.livejournal.com]

Like I said, more teasing than bickering.

[x-tarot.livejournal.com]

Oh, like when you and Jubilee say "your face" and "your mom" and "your mom's face."?

[x-cypher.livejournal.com]

Something like that.

[x-jubilee.livejournal.com]

You know, sometimes I totally think if you went far enough with that you'd disappear into an alternate reality entirely.

Like, your mom's, mom's, grandfather's face from like your twelvth removed uncle Clive.

[x-jubilee.livejournal.com]

Now you know why I totally loved that I'm like, non-deskjob person. Not as much paperwork, and I get to run around the city at least once a day. It would be best job ever if it wasn't for the being shot at once a month or so.

[x-tarot.livejournal.com]

You have to stand out in the cold and rain and damp. I get to sit in my nice warm office with a little space heater for my feet and a cute man flirting with me in emails.

[x-jubilee.livejournal.com]

Which cute man flirting with you in e-mails? Enquiring minds, dude.

Also, I have this enormous coat thing that I wear when it's cold. It's both warm and waterproof. Also, I crocheted you a hat. It was a first attempt so it's a little lumpy. So maybe you could use it as a tea cosie instead.

It is in your favourite color however.

[x-tarot.livejournal.com]

Wade. Your mind can cease inquiring now.

Yes, until one of us demands that you climb up a tall precarious structure and you have to remove your coat and pretend to be a lemur.

I shall put it on my new stuffed penguin. His name is Perseus.

[x-jubilee.livejournal.com]

Huh. Is he a good flirt?

I do do a good lemur, I must admit. I've been practicing my hidden dragon lately though. I got incredibly bored with the crouching tiger.

Do penguins get cold? I mean, I can't say I've ever seen a penguin need an overcoat. Don't tell me you shaved him or something, that's just cruel.

[x-tarot.livejournal.com]

Yes. I thought your mind was going to stop inquiring.

I think he simply enjoys hats. Penguins do that sometimes.

[x-jubilee.livejournal.com]

I have a very enquiring mind, it gets into all sorts of questioning behaviour if I don't watch it closely.

My mind also wants to enquire if you had any plans for tonight? I don't believe I've taken you out for a welcome home meal yet. It happens to know quite a few interesting new places.

Penguins do like hats, that's true.

[x-tarot.livejournal.com]

The only plans I had was to see if I could convince you to go be a lemur, but I think you would have been on to me.

How many new places can have opened in six months?

They also enjoy tap dancing. I saw a cartoon movie, it told me so.

[x-jubilee.livejournal.com]

All you had to do was ask, dude. I enjoy many lemur like activities. Jumping, running, more jumping. Singing 'I like to move it' at random unsuspecing citizenry.

This is New York, dude.

Hmm, I don't know if you should go trusting cartoon movies. Next thing you know, you'll be pricking your fingers on needles and getting kissed by frogs.