A Chat and a Cuppa Coffee

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Rendaz opened the door to the lounge, leaving it open for Hryshen to walk through. He didn't bother waiting for as he immediately, almost automatically walked towards the coffee machine, setting it up to prepare his drink. At first, he only grabbed one cup, before he considered for a moment and grabbed another one. He paused again, then grabbed a third cup. Satisfied as the water boiled, he looked behind himself to see if the gym professor had followed him.

"By all means take a seat," he grinned, sneering slightly, gesturing to one of the seats arranged in a circle around a coffee table. He didn't come here often, preferring to hang around in his own den, but he certainly didn't want any guests there. The teacher's lounge seemed to be the most convenient place for now.

After he'd finished preparing the coffee (something which had become a mindless exercise to him) he carried and placed all three of the cups onto the table - two for him, one for Hryshen. He hoped she had been watching what he had been doing - he would've preferred it if she would make him the beverage rather than the other way around.

((wanted to add more, but the treacher shoved me off the computer because i'm taking up space x_x ))

Hryshen followed Rendaz to the teacher's lounge. She hadn't yet been there so she had at first thought the mechanics teacher had lost his way to his room. Once she stepped through the door he had kept open for he, she saw why he came here. She felt some envy, he seemed to know exactly where he wanted to go. Of course, he'd go to the teacher's lounge where there was a coffee maker. She recalled seeing a portable coffee maker. She laughed quietly at the man who had owned it and how childish he was.

At his invitation, Hryshen went to sit at the table. She sat straight and brushed a stray hair out of one of her gills. She watched as he worked on making the coffee. It didn't surprise her much at how many cups he grabbed. She recalled him expressing his particular like of coffee. She had to admit, she was anticipating the coffee. It would be her first cup, since the man with the portable coffee maker was rude not to share.

Hryshen kept her eye on the cups as Rendaz brought them over. She waited till he had set the cups down before carefully taking one. She thanked him and looked at the dark liquid. It gave off a slightly bitter yet homey smell. She felt it needed something sweet. "Do you happen to know where the sugar is?"

"Get it yourself," he almost instinctively snapped, before stopping to realise that the gym teacher was new, and would probably cause even more of a fuss looking through the limitless cupboards trying to find it. Letting loose a loud groan, he twisted around to slam open a cupboard near the coffee maker, grabbing the nearest bag of sugar. He walked back towards the seats, selecting one directly opposite to Hryshen.

The bag was dumped next to the cups, as Rendaz scowled at Hryshen, almost in a 'You owe me one' kind of way. His own cup was quickly lifted and downed in mere instants, mostly to console himself. An interested glance was given at Hryshen. "...Just what exactly are you gonna do for your first lesson?" he brought up, eyeing her up and down. "You can tell me. I'll try not to let it slip to my students," he sneered.

Hryshen was about to get up to search for the sugar, when Rendaz seemed to change his mind. She watched him carefully so she could remember where he got the sugar from. She smiled gratefully when he set the sugar down on the table. "Thank you Rendaz." She got a small spoonful and poured it into her coffee and stirred.

Hryshen nodded to Rendaz, "Well, until I know the different abilities of my students, I can't do much in teamwork, which was something I particularly wanted to work on in my class. So, I planned to do an obstacle course. Something that will help me evaluate each students' individuall talents."

Rendaz rolled his eyes at the thanks. He had only done it because he had to, not because he paticularly wanted to. Despite this, his head was raised slightly higher with a sense of superiority

"An obstacle course, eh?" he echoed, looking thoughtful. "Not gonna be somethin' lame like 'jump over this bench' or something... I prefer something a little more vigorous." He grinned at the thought of seeing her pushing the students through an army-like course, crawling through mud up to their thighs and being whipped to climb up walls. The thought distracted him, and he glanced at Hryshen as if he'd only just realised she was still there. "Not a horrible idea," he mentioned, downing his second coffee, which was now a little colder than he preferred it.

Hryshen laughed, "Jumping over benchs would hardly give me the data I need." She sipped her coffee, then quietly add, "Not bad this...coffee." She cocked her head at Rendaz, "Vigorous....I'm not sure...I plan to have my students weave through a few poles, go over a balance beam, jump an either 5 foot or 15 foot pole, lift weights, and long jump. They have to do each of these as fast as they can and run to the finish line. Also...since I don't know where I could find any materials at such short notice for the course I'm making everything out of ice, since it's easy to mold."

She drank some more of her coffee, watching Rendaz to see what he would think. "....I mean, I don't really know how else to learn what each student is capable of unless I have them do some more...rigorous activities. Do you think it's alright?"

Rendaz let out a snort as she complimented the coffee - implying that what he made would be anything but delicious? He'd been making the darn'd drink for years, he knew how to make one.

He listened as she described their task, noting just how complex it seemed to be. "Out of ice?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow. "The cold'll be challenging, no doubt." He grinned with a chuckle before leaning back on the chair casually, having not much else to do. "It's doable, I suppose," he yawned, looking to the ceiling, maintaining a rather unimpressed look. "If you need somethin' more practical, say, iron poles or beams or anythin', I'm sure we could strike out a deal of some sort." Colleague or not, there was no way he was giving away his materials for free.

Hryshen nodded. "Water is one of the most available elements there is...And I have the ability to manipulate it. True it's cold....but life is full of challenges, right." She laughed quietly, drinking more of her coffee.

Hryshen disregarded Rendaz's uninterested gaze. She wasn't going to let one person's dislike towards her ideas stop her. She shook her head, "I think I'll be fine with the ice obstacles. I wouldn't want to bother you with the job of making stuff that won't be used to often." She wasn't just turning down the offer for that reason alone, but also because, from how he said deal, she didn't know anything he may want in return for his services.

Rendaz shrugged indifferently to her statement about the ice. She could do what she liked to the students, actually, the greater the challenge, the better. But the cold was his greatest weakness, and he was merely satisfied that he had no inclination to take any part in it.

However, a frown marred onto his face as she lightly rejected his offer. He'd so kindly offered to make her something, and she was turning it down? He was offended, and it showed plainly on his face. "Are you turning down my generous offer?" he gasped, half pretending to look hurt. "The stuff I make ain't just some lousy junk that doesn't work. And it's recyclable." He turned up his nose, dissatisfied.

Hryshen blinked. Wasn't he overreacting just abit for having an offer turned down. "I never said your constructions were lousy. I'm just thinking that you wouldn't very well like building simple bars and weights. Wouldn't you rather make contraptions like the one you installed into the door of the music room earlier?"

She looked at him, losing some of her relaxed mood to something more serious. "Your offer is indeed generous, especially since it would've been recyclable...But you had said we could make a 'deal'...Thing is, what do I have that you would want?" She finished her coffee, and looked into the empty cup with a slight disappointed look.

"Hey, I'm not the Mechanics professor for nothin'," he snapped, his lack of coffee partially to blame for his irritably. She's been drinking it so slowly, was it just to taunt him? "Besides, I ain't in it just for my own amusement. I'm looking for a little profit here."

Tapping his claws on his chin, he peered thoughtfully. "You're some sort of water monster, right? Well, y'see, water and me don't combine. An' I'm pretty darn certain that there's stuff at the bottom of the sea that I'll never be able to reach." He paused briefly to allow her to understand what he was implying. "What if you looked down there for a peek, and see if there's any clams or pearls or some other stuff? It'd only take a minute, I'm sure."

Hryshen nodded. "Yes. Yes you are." She was abit taken back by his irritability. She saw his, now empty, cups and put the two together. She stood up from her chair taking her cup with her. "...You wouldn't happen to want more, would you? I'd like to give a go at making coffee and you seem to like it."

Hryshen listened to what he thought would be good in exchange. "That doesn't seem to hard. I bet I could coax quite a few clams to give up their pearls. And shipwrecks seem to be everywhere...least in the Caribbean there were many.... Well...I guess you can make equipment then.."

If any time was an appropriate time to fist pump, it was now. However, Rendaz managed to resist the urge, staring with a cool, smug expression. “I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some sunken ships. The waters can be awful sometimes. Not to mention, our peculiar little history with Vikings. Many a treasure for the taking, ey?” The anticipation was delicious – he looked forward to all that he could scavenge from the sea floor. The more money, the more materials, the more jewellery, and then even more money. It was an upwards spiral, at least, in his eyes. Although Hryshen didn’t seem quite as willing as he hoped she’d be. Can’t have it all.

He looked to Hryshen as she offered to make him some coffee. She was learning fast! Of course, it was already expected of others, and he gave her a dismissal wave of his hand. “Eh, go ahead. Don’t blow anything up.”

Hryshen smiled, taking his cups and heading to the coffee maker. She replayed what Rendaz had done in her mind. She repeated the steps he took as precisely as she could, sighing in relief as the coffee maker began to work when she pressed the button Rendaz had. She turned to Rendaz as she waited for the coffee to brew.

"Very true. The Caribbean had many 'pirate' ships sunken by reefs of coral or ravaged by the storms and hurricanes." She mentioned something about the Bermuda Triangle but it was more of a mumble. "I used to love collecting items from those ships. I was more interested in the odd trinkets than the treasure, but sometimes even I couldn't resist taking a gold cup. It'll be new looking through Viking ships." As the coffee finished, she filled his cups to the rim and hers almost full. She didn't really try her hardest to not spill but not a drop spilled anyway even when the cups tipped slightly. "Here you go." She set his cups down in front of him.

----
Just so you know, the reason the coffee didn't spill is because she was controlling it so he would have as much coffee as the cups would allow.

As Hryshen took the cups to the machine, his foot tapped impatiently, wordlessly hurrying her to brew it faster. He wanted it now, darnit! But he managed to restrain himself until she brought the cups back to him. His reply was delayed by the simple fact of being distracted by the berverage, immediately lifting it to his jaw to guzzle down in instants. The empty cup was slammed back onto the table.

"Vikings have their fair share of valuables I'm sure." He sighed contently, resting back on the chair. "So what'sit you need anyway? A weight machine? Maybe a treadmill?" He displayed an air of confidence around himself - no matter what she'd request, he was pretty sure he could handle it.

Hryshen sat back down in her own chair and rank some of her coffee. She smiled, silently congradulating herself for making a...decent brew for her first try. She nodded, actually excited to maybe have a chance at seeing Viking treasure. It must be different from Caribbean pirate treasure.

She looked up from her cup and set it down. "Well...I'll be needing goals, preferrably soccer. Maybe some weight training equipment....I might need to make a list." She laughed. "Guess you're gonna get quite a few treasures from me in exchange." She brought the cup back up to drink some more coffee but paused and lowered it again "You....wouldn't happen to mind, if I watched you build? It might help me understand the more..machine-like constructions better. I promise that I wouldn't be in the way, or even talk...Unless you'd want me to. I could even hand you the tools you needed..." She looked down. Guessing he'd probably say no, but she wanted to ask anyway.

He picked his teeth slightly as he listened to Hryshen, despite having not eaten anything recently. He merely stared as the gym professor drank her coffee, struggling to get used to others drinking so slowly.

Her request was an interesting one, and he almost leapt at the idea of having someone observe his expertise. Of course, there was always the chance she'd knock off his concentration, which he'd always hated. "I suppose if you pretended you didn't exist, I wouldn't care." He raised an eyebrow as he continued. "I do expect my payment before creating anything. Don't wanna get ripped off, now do I?" His statement carried a slightly accusational tone, and he peered at Hryshen suspiciously.

Hryshen was abit taken back. How could she, herself, pretend she didn't exsist? She didn't really like that idea of ignoring her own self, but her desire to understand machine, especially ones that could harm her, overweighed it. She nodded, hiding the indecisiveness she felt, "That's...doable. It's an honor to be given the chance to watch."

She finished her coffee. "If you want, I could pay you by tomorrow. But...What is the preferred amount that you want? I doubt you'd be happy with a single pearl or gold coin."

Of course it was an honour! It wasn't every day that he even allowed others to be within five feet of his glorifying presence. But he kept the words to himself, instead wearing that smug, arrogant expression he'd been wearing throughout much of the conversation.

At the offer, he grinned. The deal was in! She didn't seem to be turning back on his offer now - at the very least, he would recieve something. He tapped a claw on his chin in thought, taking longer with his answer than probably necessary. He could say any price he wanted - but what if she could go higher? He wanted to squeeze every shred of value from this opportunity. Finally, he returned his gaze to her, smirking. "However much you think I'm worth."

By then, Hryshen had a pretty good idea on what type of person Rendaz was. Luckily she had met even more egotistical fish, usually sharks. Even still, Hryshen was determined to be, if anything, aquaintances with everyone. She did worry about that Medusa girl, Alicia. It bothered Hryshen for auite awhile, always trying to think what it was, exactly, that she had said to hurt the girl's feelings.

Hryshen laughed slightly. "That's an impossible amount. I believe that everyone is worth all the money in the world, or maybe the universe... But there are those who think most life, as long as it's weaker than them, can be sold as slaves and such. Even if I looked from their perspective, I couldn't evaluate your worth be cause I know you wouldn't let them touch you let alone sell you."

Rendaz let out a quiet chuckle at Hryshen’s words, as if she’d just uttered some sort of joke. “Interesting philosophy there. You could say I’m worth about as much a slave, I have spent most my life living in the world’s biggest trash can.” Grinning, he puffed smoke from his lips as if he was smoking a cigar, watching the grey wisps float upwards. “But that ain’t what I mean at all.”

“How much d’you think my service is worth? Would’a been much better if I had some samples, of course, but we’re running on estimates here.” He paused to peer in thought at no where. “Tell ya what, because I’m so nice, I’ll let you give me any amount of payment that you want, and after I’m done, you can decide if I deserve any more. Sound fair?” The fairer the bargain sounded, the easier it would be to bump up the price later, he hoped.

"Trash can? Why would you say that?...I don't believe you mean that about yourself anyways." Hryshen looked at Rendaz with a serious expression. He shouldn't doubt his own value. But if that's what he thought she didn't think she could get him to change his opinion.

Hryshen nodded. "That wouldv'e been a better question... How about I give you the most expensive looking objects I find on my first run?.. But I may be limited. There might only be a certain distance I can swim without losing the island."

Obviously, Hryshen didn't seem to understand what he meant by 'trash can'. He'd never expected her to, and her confusion only gave him another reason to feel more confident in his own knowledge. "Hey, I'm only sayin' the truth. I lived in a junkyard most my life I suppose you've never seen one before," he shrugged carelessly as if the matter was of unimportance. "You could define it as a big tip of junk that no one else wants."

"But," he began, after listening to Hryshen's offer. "How do I know that your eye for value will be the same as mine? You might pick up something like say, some dumb rock that's worthless to me." He shook his head in mock sadness, "You really may as well just bring me everything. Besides, if you go too far, I'm sure Hendry," the name had been uttered with gritted teeth, "would be willing to offer a ride back on that useless plank of wood he calls a boat."

Hryshen looked down, trying to think if she might have heard of his 'junkyard.' She lifted her hand, "Oh, I've seen barges that haul human garbage elsewhere. Some carried organics, others.....more disgusting stuff....and some with stuff I don't know why they'd throw them out." Her face looked frustrated. She remembered seeing all those particular ships pass with some stuff that looked pretty interesting.

Hryshen pouted abit. "You don't trust a nymph's intuiton?" She knew the difference between rocks and treasures. It was a nymph's affinity to gather trinkets of human and non-human wealth. She sighed though, his stubborness seemed unwavering. She nodded, "I'll do my best, then."

"Humans in general are a rather idiotic race," he mentioned casually to Hryshen, as if the matter was obvious and no big deal. "I could take some old machine that they chucked away, give it a new paint job and they'll be swarming it like flies. The outside appeal is all that matters to them." He picked at his teeth, grinning. "Suppose that's half the reason I had to hide from 'em."

His hands clasped around his cup and he raised it, not realising it was empty. Upon noticing that it was lighter he expected, a frown formed on his lips, and he tossed the cup to one side. Upon impacting with the wall, it shattered, falling to the ground in several pieces. He blinked to Hryshen as if nothing had happened at all. "It ain't that I don't trust you. Gotta be careful with who I make deals with, ey? Wouldn't wanna be ripped off now."