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Post by Mason Broderick on Jan 20, 2011 1:22:28 GMT -5
(LMAO, I couldn't resist)
It was probably his only vice. Mason needed his coffee in the morning, just a little something to get him going for the rest of the day. He really wasn't a morning person, even though he tried to be. He always found it a little hard to get out of his nice warm bed in the morning and go out into the cold, harsh world.
But since he'd discovered the coffee shop, he now had a reason to get up out of bed in the morning. He looked forward to it, the smell of roasting coffee, the buzz of the people as they tried to wake up... and most of all, he looked forward to seeing her. The girl who worked in the coffee shop was easily the prettiest girl he'd ever seen, with two sparkling blue eyes that reminded him of sapphires.
Of course, he never had the courage to talk to her, except to order his coffee. But he knew her name was Aislinn, and he knew she was the daughter of Joe, the owner of the shop. She always had a kind word and a friendly smile to everyone who passed through, even if they were rude.
Today, he actually had a late class, so he had some extra time. But instead of spending that time getting a little extra sleep, he decided to go straight to the coffee shop at his usual time. Then he would sit at one of the tables and drink his coffee while he did a little extra reading.
It was crowded today, as it was every day, and he waited in line patiently. When he finally got up to the counter, he came face-to-face with her.
"Um, g-g-good morning," he said, unable to keep from stuttering a little. "I'll just have a large Sumatra with cream, no sugar."
He ordered the same thing every day, but he did not think himself memorable enough that she would remember "the usual."
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Jan 20, 2011 1:35:23 GMT -5
Aislinn loved working in the coffee shop. She was able to do her job and make people happy, even if they were a little rude. She never really thought twice about people being rude because she knew that they had to have something going on. Waking up, like she did every morning, went down to the shop to help her father start everything up. There was always Mr. Wilkerson waiting for the doors to open so he could get his regular coffee with no sugar. He was a kind older gentleman, who had to be at least sixty. Every morning he would start off with some sort of joke, or funny comment.
Just like every morning, Aislinn made sure that there was plenty of coffee being made as people started coming in. A lot of the people she recognized, since they came in every morning. Her memory was pretty good. She was decent at remembering faces and names. Other than the usual regulars, she was glad to see new customers, even if they were just passing by.
Making it through the line of people, Aislinn smiled at everyone. As the next guy in line stepped up, she let her smile widen just slightly. It never failed that he came in every morning. She was used to seeing him every day with a book while he drank his cup of coffee. "Good morning," she replied. "The usual, huh?" She was good at remembering what people wanted. The regulars were not extremely hard to please and she was thankful for that.
She reached over and grabbed a cup and started to make his drink. "What book is it today," she asked trying to make a small conversation.
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Post by Mason Broderick on Jan 20, 2011 2:03:56 GMT -5
Mason pushed his glasses up on his nose, which was more of a nervous habit than anything else. So she did remember him... she recognized his "usual" order. He felt his cheeks grow warm, and he hoped he wasn't too red.
"Um, yes.... the usual," he replied, staring fixedly at a spot on the counter. "Thank you."
He still held his book opened in his hand, but he forgot about it as soon as he saw her. He was rather surprised, then, when she asked him about it. "W-what? Oh... right. Um..." For some reason, the title of the book had just completely vanished from his mind, and he needed to check it again.
"Shakespeare's Sonnets," he said, feeling quite stupid to have forgotten it. "Have you read them?"
Stupid question. Why was he even asking her that?
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Jan 20, 2011 2:16:48 GMT -5
It was obvious the guy standing in front of her was fairly nervous. Aislinn had noticed it before, and she wanted to put him at ease. There wasn't really anything to be nervous about in a coffee shop.
"Only Sonnets 16 and 18. I think the only reason I read them was because I found them on a piece of paper. I have read several of his plays though." Aislinn offered a soft smile as a comfort. Maybe talking about what he was interested in would be something to ease his mind. "MacBeth, Twelfth Night, Taming of the Shrew, and Hamlet are pretty much the only ones I've read out of Shakespeare's works."
There wasn't anyone behind Mason now, since her father helped the customer that had been behind him so now Aislinn could take her time.
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Post by Mason Broderick on Jan 20, 2011 13:07:25 GMT -5
Mason smiled, but was still too shy to make eye contact with her. He had read all of the sonnets, before, of course. But poetry, even more than fiction, was something he could read again and again, and it felt different every time. Sometimes he would notice a different line that had new meaning to him, or the overall tone of the poem would strike a new chord with him. He hadn't memorized all of them, but Sonnet 18, in particular, was a memorable one.
"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate," he quoted. He never stuttered or hesitated when quoting from literature; it was only when he wasn't sure what to say that he had any hesitation. Of course, if he had realized that what he had just said might be considered flirting, he might have been a little more nervous. "That's a good one."
She was pulling him into a conversation, which had never happened before. Usually it was far too busy in the shop to have a conversation, but there was a slight lull in the crowd.
Blushing, he nodded. "I've read a-all of Shakespeare's plays... Y-you sh-should read R-Romeo and Juliet. Th-that one is my f-favorite."
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Jan 20, 2011 13:25:52 GMT -5
The coffee shop was where Aislinn felt more comfortable. She was able to be herself there and not get too nervous. Maybe it was just the fact that she knew quite a few people that always came in. She felt more comfortable around the regulars than people she didn't know, but the coffee shop was the exception. If she were out, she would feel just slightly nervous is she were by herself, but here, there was her father as well as the people she remembered.
Aislinn did notice that he didn't stutter when he quoted from Sonnet 18. She smiled again. "Yes it is," she agreed.
She was finishing up his order as she noticed his blushing. Mason's blushing caused her cheeks to feel a little warm. "I'll have to remember that. I might swing by the library on my break to get it." Aislinn gave him another warm smile before finishing up his coffee. "Do you always read for pleasure, or is it for some kind of class?" Aislinn knew about the muggle schools. She heard quite a few people talking about them, especially the people who were in their twenties. They talked about everything they had to do for class. Aislinn wasn't sure if Mason was a muggle or not, so it was a safe question to ask.
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Post by Mason Broderick on Jan 20, 2011 16:23:02 GMT -5
Most people, if they bothered to ask, always assumed that it was just for a class. But she asked him if it was for pleasure first, which made him smile. Yes, it was for a class... but he wouldn't be taking the classes if he didn't love reading.
"B-both, actually," he admitted. "I-I g-go to the U-University... b-but I love to read. I'd d-do it even if I didn't have to."
He blushed again, hoping he didn't sound stupid. He was doing better than he would have expected, really. He was talking to her, instead of freezing up. Maybe it helped that he had talked to her before, just when ordering his coffee every morning. He was still stuttering a little, but that was to be expected.
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Jan 20, 2011 16:40:40 GMT -5
"There's nothing wrong with that." Aislinn appreciated the people that took time to actually read, even if it was a newspaper. She always thought that people were always far too busy to enjoy themselves. "Not many people would admit to that." From the different conversations she heard every day from what she guessed to be University students, they didn't like their assignments, or the fact that they had to read in general.
Once she put the finish touches on Mason's drink, she placed it on the counter. So far, this was one of the more interesting conversations she had this morning. At least Mason was amusing her and continuing the conversation. A lot of people just let it go after the first question, but he didn't. "If you don't mind my asking," she started as she wiped her hands on a towel, "what are you studying?"
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Post by Mason Broderick on Jan 20, 2011 17:13:00 GMT -5
She seemed genuinely interested. Sure, she was probably just trying to be nice; he'd seen her chat with other customers in the past. She probably wouldn't even remember this conversation later, but he'd be replaying it in his mind for the rest of the day, at least. He wished he could be one of those suave, charming kind of guys who would flirt with her and tease her and say ridiculously flattering things. Or at least he wished he could tell her that he thought she was pretty.
He took the coffee from her and began digging through his wallet for some money to pay for the drink. "I-I d-don't mind," he said. "I-I'm studying p-poetry right now. I-I'm t-trying to get my d-doctorate in p-poetry."
He braced himself for the usual question--what did he intend to do with that? What kind of career could a person do with a doctorate in poetry or literature? He really didn't care about that. He thought eventually he might try teaching, if he could get over his stuttering problem, but for now, he just wanted to learn.
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Jan 20, 2011 17:23:46 GMT -5
Aislinn waved a hand as he reached in his pocket to pull out money. "Don't worry about it, your drink is on me." She smiled. She didn't do that for many people, but she figured Mason deserved it, after all he was continuing their conversation. "Your doctorate in poetry," she repeated. "That's pretty interesting." In fact, it was the first time she had ever heard of that. It wasn't that she was pretending to be interested, she really was. People in general were interesting and she was amazed by them all.
"I'm sure that you're going to do great," she said with a smile. "Are you going to want to become a teacher somewhere?"
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Post by Mason Broderick on Jan 20, 2011 18:08:59 GMT -5
"N-no, you don't have to d-do th-that," he protested. But then she was moving on with the conversation, and he stood there holding his wallet and looking somewhat perplexed.
If it had been anyone else, he would have thought that she was making fun of him. No one ever thought the idea of getting a doctorate in poetry was remotely interesting. His parents were supportive, of course, but even they were starting to wonder when he was going to stop going to school and get out into the "real world."
"Er... Well, y-yes... I th-think I p-probably will do that.... B-but I have to w-work on my st-stuttering. I g-get nervous, and my w-words sometimes get... stuck."
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Jan 20, 2011 20:49:06 GMT -5
"If you want, we could work on it every morning," she offered. In a way, she felt like she already knew him, only because he came in every morning. "I mean, the more you practice, the better it can get, right? Plus, you come in here every morning and there's nothing wrong with a little conversation." Maybe it was that Aislinn could relate to having some sort of issue. She had a problem with her hearing and he had a problem with his stuttering. She could understand the frustration sometimes. However, maybe Mason's issue was that he was nervous to talk to people. She could understand that too.
"I'm always here if you need or want someone to talk to. There's the occasional time when I'm not here so I can go out to do a little shopping, but I'm here ninety-eight percent of them time."
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Post by Mason Broderick on Jan 20, 2011 21:29:30 GMT -5
Mason blinked, not quite sure he could believe his ears. She was offering to help him? He was just a guy who passed in and out of the shop every day, just like hundreds of other people. It was one thing for her to start a conversation with him just to be nice, but quite another to offer to help him with his stuttering. He had never known anyone so sweet.
"Y-you w-would d-do that for me?" he asked, his face flushed. "B-b-but why? Y-you don't even know my n-name."
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Jan 20, 2011 21:58:43 GMT -5
"You're in here every morning so it's almost like I know you already, in a way." Aislinn shrugged. "Plus, let's just say I can relate in a way." She wasn't going to say at that moment that she had problems with her hearing.
"We all need someone to help us sometimes, right? We can kill two birds with one stone. You come here in every morning to have your coffee, and while you're in here we can talk and work on your stuttering. You don't have to go out of your way or anything in the mornings, especially if you have class."
Aislinn smiled. "So what is your name Mr. Sumatra with cream, no sugar?"
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Post by Mason Broderick on Jan 20, 2011 23:31:49 GMT -5
Maybe he was dreaming. Yes, that had to be it. That was the only possible way that she could be talking to him like this, asking him about his studies and offering to help him with his stuttering.
He took a larger than normal sip from his coffee as a test to see if his mouth burned. It did, and he was barely able to swallow the hot liquid without choking. So he wasn't dreaming.
"Th-that's r-really kind of you," he said, smiling. "Um, my n-name is M..." He paused to take a breath so he wouldn't stutter on his name. "Mason. Mason Broderick."
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Jan 21, 2011 7:18:34 GMT -5
"It's nice to finally officially meet you Mason," she said with a smile. Aislinn wouldn't have offered to help just anyone like that. She wasn't exactly sure why she did it, other than they had a similar dilemma even if Mason's could eventually be worked out. "I'm Aislinn, but you probably already knew that." She didn't wear a name tag or anything like that. Sometimes her father would call her name out, so quite a few people picked up her name that way if they didn't ask her.
"I know this changes the topic a little bit, but if you write any poetry and want someone to read it, I'll be more than happy to. I actually like poetry. E.E. Cummings, William Blake, Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allen Poe, and Robert Frost, are just a few of my favorites."
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Post by Mason Broderick on Jan 21, 2011 12:31:39 GMT -5
Mason was quite sure he looked like a tomato. His face felt warmer than his cup of coffee. "I-It's n-nice to meet you, too," he said. "I-I know your n-name. I h-heard your father say it before." Then, almost without even thinking, he added, "Y-You have a v-very p-pretty name. It r-reminds me of a f-fairy tale princess."
Before he could even think about what he had just said, she was asking him if he wrote poetry. It was interesting that she would ask that, since he hadn't mentioned it. Of course, he did write poetry, but he never really showed it to anyone except his parents. Who else would he show it to? He hadn't even shown it to his teachers.
"I-I d-do write poetry," he said. "I-I d-don't think it's v-very good, but I like to write it anyway. M-Maybe I c-could sh-show it to you sometime..."
He paused to take another sip of his coffee, needing to think for a moment. He had never even offered to show his poetry to anyone, and even though she had offered to read it first, he was still surprised at how easily the words had come out. Well, with a little stuttering, but that was to be expected.
"Th-those are all good," he agreed. "Have you r-read anything by Shelley? He-he's m-my favorite."
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Jan 21, 2011 12:53:15 GMT -5
Mason's blushing caused Aislinn's cheeks to continue to stay warm. She was sure there was a light pink tint on her cheeks. Her smile widened a little as he was willing to share his poetry. "Sometimes some of your best is something you may think is your worst," she said.
"I've read a few by Shelley. A few of his poems is in one of the books of poetry I have. I think 'The Indian Serenade' and 'The Triumph of Life' are in there." Mason looked just a little more comfortable than what he did when she first started talking to him. Aislinn started to notice the smaller things about Mason as their conversation continued. "What's your favorite poem by him?"
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Post by Mason Broderick on Jan 21, 2011 15:44:51 GMT -5
He liked the way she looked when she blushed. There was a soft rosy tint to her cheeks that made him think of rose petals. He could actually feel a poem coming on at the moment, and he was sure he would spend his time between classes working on it.
"Th-those are good ones," he agreed. "M-my f-favorite is I Arise from Dreams of Thee. It's c-considered one of the m-most r-romantic p-poems ever written."
Then, once again without thinking, he began to quote, "I arise from dreams of thee
In the first sweet sleep of night,
When the winds are breathing low,
And the stars are shining bright."
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Post by Aislinn Dean on Jan 21, 2011 19:40:13 GMT -5
There was a soft smile on Aislinn's face as Mason quoted a poem. She noticed that there was no stuttering as he quoted. Aislinn started to wonder if his stuttering was just something that occurred when he was a nervous. Mason was confident with poetry and when he could quote something, he spoke without any stuttering.
"That's really pretty," she said once he finished. "I'll have to find that poem, and a few more like that." Aislinn loved literature that was romantic, as well pretty much everything else. "I'm pretty sure that you will do very well with your doctorate in poetry, with whatever you decide to actually do with it."
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