her morning elegance

“What if I went to the gym every day up until that age? What if I was super fit? That’d be a good way to tackle crime, actually.” Judy pondered for a moment, “The criminal thinks they’re going to get away with it because this old woman shows up, then bam! They’re taken down in less than a minute.”

“For starters you’d be in incredible shape,” she chuckled softly. “I mean if you figure out a way to make it work– I’d love to see that. You’d be an urban legend. And absolute hero. Perhaps it’s a goal to strive towards.

“Maybe, but at least by going about it this way I’m remaining optimistic for my future.” Flynn told the other, noting the smile on her lips and giving her one in return. “You just going to stand there and watch? Kind of off-putting really.”

“I commend you for that,” Ophelia kept the thoughtful smile. “I mean I could help. But it depends on what exactly you’d want my part to be in all this.”

“Well, if you can tell me exactly what their allergies and dietary restrictions are, I can see what we have available. And when is the meeting exactly?” She asked, maybe hoping to help the situation. 

“Well around the room it was– nut allergies, gluten allergies and I’m pretty sure somebody was lactose intolerant,” she listed, going through what she could remember. “The meeting is this afternoon.”

“Oh no, I couldn’t do that. You wanted me to value it, I couldn’t take however much it is from you.”

ophelia swan

“Don’t worry, I can hear you, I’m well aware that you’re telling me this is a bad idea- I’m just saying that I’m going to go through with it anyways.” Flynn commented, looking to the other. “Things do tend to work out in my favour after all.” He lied, not that the other needed to know that.

“Sounds precisely like something somebody would say right before things work out in the very opposite of their favor,” the blonde argued with a light smile on her lips. “But alright, go ahead. Let’s see how accurate your gut instinct is.”

“I’m going to be one of those people who are still working when they’re eighty, aren’t I?” Judy commented, leg bouncing under the table as she watched someone park in a non-permitted area outside the coffee shop she was sitting in. It was her day off and yet she couldn’t switch off her cop brain. “Granted, it might not be as an officer and more of a neighbourhood watch programme, but it’s still crime based.”

“Well it’s certainly admirable that you enjoy your job so much,” Ophelia agreed with a shrug. “But I’d definitely have to agree that you won’t be able to do the same things you do now at eighty. Otherwise well– I’d be pretty alarmed if I called in a robbery and somebody sent an eighty year old to chase down a twenty-something running off with my valuables, you know?”

“I understand you came in for a specific kind of biscuits, but unfortunately we’re out of those today, but there is no need to be upset.” She explained to the customer in front of her. “We have plenty of flavors that you can try! And they pair up with many of our tea flavors.” 

“But...” Ophelia sighed heavily, trying to center herself. This wasn’t something to lash her anger out on the other about. “I just really needed them for this meeting... A lot of people have allergies and dietary restrictions and they were the best biscuits that worked for the whole room,” she elaborated. “Anything else you have that has similar ingredients?”

“I suppose that’s true. It would have a good home here too.”

The girl did have a point. There had been plenty of times Taylor had been chased off by unhappy bookworms who didn’t like seeing hobos in their library. “I do appreciate the thought.” Taylor chuckled to her words. “But what brings you to my corner of the book woods, milady? Not many come back here.”

“I just returned a book and was browsing to see if anything new caught my eye,” she confessed with a slight shrug. “Tired after a long day? Or do you just always cut some time to take a nap here?”

“I didn’t say threatening. It was just a look that said you wanted it,” Pietro said with a shrug, laughing with her, “Well it’s gorgeous. Are you sure you don’t want to keep it?”

“So what’s it going to be?” she looked across the room at the other. “If you didn’t want to come you didn’t have to accept the invitation.” she raised an eyebrow at the other as she raised the glass to her lips, she took a sip. “I’m in the mood for pasta personally.”

“It wasn’t my intention to make you think I didn’t want to come,” Ophelia replied, taken aback by the other’s outburst. “Pasta’s good. Are we going bolognese, carbonara, pesto?”

“You didn’t scare me out of cupcakes. I gave you a cupcake,” Pietro replied, “I uh… I’m not always good of valuing things but I can take a look and if I’m not sure, I’ll ask my boss.”

Darn it… Taylor should have known better than to get all cocky and think that she could find a better spot in the fictional section rather than the usual dark corners of the nonfiction. “Shame… It’s just such great carpet.” She sighed as stood up finally to face the person who had caught her before her library nap. She looked at the blonde with a playful smirk. “Are you sure I can’t convince you just look the other way and pretend like you never saw me?”

“I mean I can surely pretend,” Ophelia replied with a soft chuckle. “But who knows if the next person who finds you will be as generous?”

Derek paused his rant on some girl his friend had accidentally brought home from the bar who was clearly only a 5. “ Fine by me. I was here first, anyway. ” Still, it was never enough to just let her go in peace. “ I doubt you’ll make it anywhere else to eat in time for the meeting, though… Did you bring good walking shoes ? ”

“I promise I’m not going to scare you out of your cupcakes this time,” Ophelia chuckled, approaching the other. “I was actually wondering if you could tell me what the value of something I own has. I might want to donate it to the antique store but perhaps I should be pawning it off instead.”

“Do you ever hear yourself when you talk?” Ophelia looked at the other, aghast. “I think I’m going to get my lunch elsewhere,” she added, seriously debating choosing a different place for her break, not sure she’d be able to stand in line next to Derek for much longer.