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Hunting Ghosts - Cafe Serendipity

Posted May 1, 2021, 8:19 a.m. by Civilian Luana Iolani Kaili (Director of Mental Health - Sacred Heart Hospital) (Silke Fahl)

Posted by Civilian Atticus Wolf (Property Investor / Developer) in Hunting Ghosts - Cafe Serendipity

Posted by Civilian Luana Iolani Kaili (Director of Mental Health - Sacred Heart Hospital) in Hunting Ghosts - Cafe Serendipity

Posted by Civilian Atticus Wolf (Property Investor / Developer) in Hunting Ghosts - Cafe Serendipity
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

The small cafe was busy for lunch as it often was, but not unpleasantly crowded. Various peoples and species all gathered here for their short lunch breaks, a light tune playing in the background barely audible among the chatter and laughter, but there nonetheless helping the feeling that even if you were by yourself you were never really alone. The smell of fresh bread and other lunchtime delicacies mingled with the aroma of actual coffee, not the replicated sort.

It was a pleasant looking little cafe, with potted trees out the front on the walkway and small wooden tables and chairs spread among the open courtyard. More were spread inside for the patrons that wanted a more sheltered lunch, and around them on the walls were paintings of landscapes from many different worlds and by various artists.

Every table bar one had two or more people lunching and talking together. At that one table was a lone Human man, his brown leather jacket casually spread over the back of the chair he was sitting on while his left leg was raised with his left ankle resting over his right knee. An empty coffee cup rested before him, in his hand was another he appeared to be enjoying slowly. The man was tidy and well presented, good looking enough in an ordinary way and it was clear the man was quite lean but it was an athletic lean, not a skinny lean. With dark brown hair brushed tidily to one side he sported a short, neatly trimmed dark beard. Everything about the man looked ordinary to a casual glance, and her appeared to be in no rush at all. By his feet lay a shoulder bag, and beside the empty coffee cup on the table was a PaDD device with a lid raised.

It didn’t take Kaili long to spot the only person in the Café who seemed to be on their own. But instead of approaching him, she remained where she was and watched him for a few moments. Her body utterly motionless save for the gentle rising and falling of her chest and the occasional closing and opening of either set of her eyelids.

He was seated facing out towards where she would approach the Cafe, the table off to one side so that not so many people were all around it. A lone chair was positioned opposite to him but that chair would also be looking towards the street, closer to being beside him than opposite him. Taking a sip of his coffee, the man’s eyes lifted to the street and moved along it slowly, seeming to pause every few moments as if he was searching the people walking by or the store fronts on the walkway opposite the Cafe. One of those pauses seemed to rest on Kaili, but there was no indication he had seen her.

Raising his hand the Human got the attention of one of the passing waiters and they spoke for a moment, the waiter walking away and the Human returning to his coffee.

Atticus Wolf

Taking a step back, so that she was out of his line of vision, Kaili became visible again. With a slightly guarded, though not unkind expression on her face, she walked straight towards him. Stopping exactly opposite him, she asked without so much as a preamble, “Are you Mr. Wolf? Atticus Wolf?”

~Dr. Luana Iolani Kaili

The human’s eyes had lifted from the cup to watch her approach, by the time she arrived at the table the coffee cup in his hand was resting, empty, beside the first one.

While the man at a distance appeared ordinary enough, close up his eyes were a piercing dark brown. It wasn’t the colour, but the focus and confidence in them that stood out to those around him. “The same,” he answered with a wide smile that turned the ordinary features into something more and he pushed himself to his feet. “You would be Director Kaili, forgive me for assuming but there still aren’t many Xaheans on OED, even fewer that I invited to lunch.”

“I prefer Doctor instead of Director,” Kaili said with a slight bow of her head, her inner eyelids momentarily closed.

Atticus nodded in acknowledgement of her preference. Dressed in a light grey business suit open at the collar without a tie, he had on a white business shirt that was also open at the collar showing a light chain around his neck. A pair of sunglasses rested beside the PaDD and on his wrist was a combination communicator and chronometer device favoured by civilians without access to a Starfleet Comm Badge.

His eyes took in the woman for an instant. Her auburn and slightly curly hair and dark chocolate eyes, the blue markings on her face. She matched the image on her profile but he needed to confirmation, there really weren’t any other Xaheans that should be asking for him. His smile turned to indicate the chair beside him. “Would you care to join me? I know your time is precious, I appreciate you making the time to meet me. Thank you. The waiter is bringing us the menu.”

Atticus Wolf

Slipping gracefully onto the indicated chair, she said, “I’m not sure how I can help you. It’s been only recently that I arrived here myself. Your message intrigued me, though.” She mustered Atticus intently for a brief moment and then added, “I hope you aren’t one of those people who assume that because I am Xahean, I must know every other Xahean. Especially those who aren’t on Xahea.”

“Oh hardly,” his smile was light as he returned to his own seat, his eyes fixed on hers. “I do have some reasons for asking you in particular, as vague as they may be. Still, I prefer to leave nothing to chance. Hopefully that hasn’t come across as a shallow ignorance of your people.”

“No, it hasn’t. At least if you will explain yourself properly,” Kaili replied simply.

In that moment the waiter returned. After they had handed both of them a menu, Kaili asked, “Could I have a Bajoran mint tea, please, if you have?” They nodded and then left them so they’d have time to look through the menu and decide what they’d like to eat.

While looking down at the menu, Kaili asked, “So tell me, how do you think I can help you, Mr. Wolf?”

~Dr. Luana Iolani Kaili

“Do be blunt,” he sighed slightly, “you probably cannot. The man I’m looking for lived here a long time ago, before you were born in fact. But to cut to the chase a little the man is the benefactor of a Trust that holds quite a significant Studio apartment that has lain empty for some time. The trust names him directly as only legal benefactor, and someone has been paying the bills for the apartment every few years so I believe he is still around, somewhere, although possibly not on OED directly. I need to find him, because I want to buy the Studio.”

Pausing in his explanation Atticus picked up the menu and began to leaf through it. “See anything you like? Last time I was on OED the Greek Salad was popular here.”

Atticus Wolf

Instead of answering his question about the food, Kaili asked bluntly, “Then why have you asked me to come here, Mr Wolf? I don’t like to play games and I don’t appreciate people wasting my time by being cryptic about what they want.” Her dark brown eyes locked with his, she stared intently at him as she waited for his reply. And depending on what he was going to say she would either stay - for now - or leave. It was up to him.

~Dr. Luana Iolani Kaili


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