Tea with the Queen

[welcomequeenalice]

Superheroing was great for the soul but didn't pay the bills. Genevieve subsidized her hobby and her rent payments through working the late shift at a coffee shop. Her coworkers were a relatively ordinary mix--some went out of their way to be kind and chatty, some had a chip on their shoulder, most regarded her with an apathy that was often a relief when she needed to be alone with her thoughts and the blender. The need to focus on each coffee-related task and complete it with practiced motions was soothing and kept her from wobbling in indecision. Some days were easier than others. Some days stress threatened to eat her alive.

The Queen helped with that, but you couldn't bring the Queen to work with you...and of course there was the problem of Jervis.

Genevieve heard the voice of a coffee order as she wiped down the spout of the latte machine. She turned and saw no one, and went back to work. Late night, must be hearing things. She was short, for any gender, and occasionally had to get up on a step stool to reach the spare beans and milk stored in the hidden cabinets behind the menu boards. Seeing particularly small people over the height of the counter was even more troublesome.

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[not_a_doll]

Being the new girl in town was never easy. All right, granted she wasn't exactly new. But she did feel like a fish out of water. She'd spent so long locked away feeling sorry for herself that she had nearly forgotten what it was like to be out in the real world.

And how rude everyone could be.

If they did see her, Mary got semi-assaulted by former fans of her show. It was no wonder she'd receded from society. But, she was broke and needed to get out there again. All her savings had gone to holing up for as long as she possibly could. Now she had to find a job and get used to the outside world again.

A trip to a coffee shop for a tea seemed in order. At least she could feign, like so many writers who frequented the place, work.

"Excuse me?" Mary said, trying to be heard over the clink of cups and woosh of espresso machines. It would help if she could be seen over the counter. At 3 foot, Mary stood just as tall as your average 4 year old. Better dressed, though. Her heels added at least a few added inches.

She waved a hand above the counter. "Aren't these things supposed to be built to be handicapable?" This sure didn't feel handicapable to her.

[welcomequeenalice]

Once was coincidence, twice was a customer. Genevieve turned around again and saw the waving hand. "Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm here. Um. Sorry, what was it you wanted?" She was stumbling over her words, all in a fluster as she raced to the counter, wet rag still dangling from her hand. Herself, she came up barely higher than the cash register and had to stand on her toes to get a good look at the woman in front of her. (She was even tinier than Genevieve. Like a little doll.)

[not_a_doll]

Mary was taken aback by the fact that the barista seemed to have a similar problem. She put on a smile.

"It's ok, I just need an ultra sweet black tea latte." That would keep her awake and alert. "And one of those seasonal scone things." She deserved a little treat after coming out into the world.

[welcomequeenalice]

"Yes, of course! Yes, ma'am!" Yup, there came the social anxiety right on schedule. Her heart was fluttering in fear and shame, in that overreacting way one did when causing a slight that would be far less noticeable to the person who'd actually received it. Ultra sweet got two pumps of syrup, and Genevieve tried not to look at her while she steamed up the milk.

Stupid, stupid. As if she didn't have the same problems.

[not_a_doll]

Mary peered over the counter. Had she said something wrong? That was a rather terse reply. She chewed her bottom lip, trying to think of a way to fix the situation. She hadn't been out among other people in awhile, so it was hard to gauge what she should and shouldn't do.

Once her drink was done and handed to her, she tried to smile. "Thank you, I really need this..." She was trying to be nice, watching every word she said, unsure as they slipped out of her mouth. She probably sounded stupid.

[welcomequeenalice]

Genevieve had to stand on a stepstool to get high enough to hand the drink down to her. She was grinning too wide, the customer service grin they taught you in new hire orientation.

"Can I get you anything else?" Good lord, and she was pretty too. Maybe Gen could go on break and drown herself in the mop bucket.

[not_a_doll]

"Ooo, honey, watch out for that smile, you might break something." Mary joked, so certain it would be taken the wrong way. Why did she even try to be funny?

"Anyway...no..no, I think I'll be ok." She took her scone and tea. "I'm sorry if I was any trouble." She said quickly before turning and running for a table. She'd hide behind her laptop and hope that she hadn't embarrassed herself too badly. Better to go back to her one bedroom and try this whole out in public thing another day.

[welcomequeenalice]

Genevieve managed to hide herself in her work for a while, the flush beginning to recede from her cheeks, but only for so long.

"Jenny, could you go clear up the tables?"

"I--yeah." She hated being called Jenny, but anything to conform more to the status quo. She sidled out and started picking up cups left behind by lazy customers, occasionally rubbing a table with a wet rag, until like a lava flow creeping its way down a mountainside she wound up next to the small one.

"Is there anything else I can get you?" The words were preceded by a deep breath and came out in a huge rush, tumbling over each other as the cups shook in her hands. She was trying to smile, but not to make it too bad of a smile, just enough of a smile to be acceptable.

[not_a_doll]

Starting up her laptop, Mary started the search once more for a job. There weren't many jobs for washed up actresses, but she was just any washed up actress. She was the smallest, at least.

She sighed as she found just the same old collection of scams and admin positions. She'd put in more applications, her name would get recognized, and that would be the only reason she got an interview. Every liked to see Mary Dahl in person.

Mary jumped, startled by the other. "Oh...uhh...no, nope, I'm good. How are you?" She hoped it was ok to ask that.

[welcomequeenalice]

"Oh, I'm fine, how are you?" Genevieve chirped back, only to flinch and continue with a weak "Oh, you just told me that. You're good, I'm also good." She stood staring at the small woman, swallowed, and then to stop staring stared at her laptop instead.

The name Mary Dahl, in big letters at the top of the resume, meant nothing to her. She'd never taken an interest in pop culture or celebrity news, her apartment even lacked a TV. (At Waylon's they mainly watched sports and news.)

[not_a_doll]

Mary giggled, a girlish sound she thought herself incapable of any more. And yet there it was, the most embarrassing noise she could possibly make.

"Yup. Except for the crippling debt and anxious feeling of failure, I am just super!" Mary could have kicked herself for saying it. "Sorry...I'm sure you have better things to do than hear me complain about my life."

[welcomequeenalice]

"No, it's--really, I'm so sorry I ignored you earlier." She ran her hand over her hair, nails cutting at her scalp on the way down. No no no, this is not how we do socialization. Decades of training on how to interact appropriately with women through trial and embarrassing error were smacking into years of training on how to act like a woman herself. "You, um, you probably have a lot to worry about. I didn't mean to bother you."

[not_a_doll]

Mary smiled, trying to show, rather than tell, that it was ok. "Hey, that's not your fault. They make the counters too high...for me." Mary added. "I just hope I didn't upset you or anything. It's my first day out in a long while and, well...I'm not aware sometimes that my jokes aren't that funny." She used to have writers, damnit.

"You didn't bother me. Far from it. There are many people in this world who bug me, but you're not one of them. It's refreshing."

[welcomequeenalice]

"Oh. Thank you, that's good to hear." She was wringing her hands, and hand to remind herself that she did not deny things with her hands so she'd stop.

"Have you been ill? If you don't mind me asking, of course." It was a good reason not to go out. Genevieve had done it, with 'ill' having a more slantwise meaning than usual.

[not_a_doll]

Mary watched the other's body language. Disarming people was what Babydoll had been good at, but it had been way too long since Mary had to act in front of people. She wasn't sure she could do it anymore.

"I don't mind, it's actually kind of nice to talk to someone." And it truly was. She hadn't spoken to any one about anything in so long she felt out of practice. "Oh, no, nothing like that. I just...I've just moved recently. That's always stressful. And I sorta receded from society for awhile there..." And most people knew why. This person, however, didn't seem to have realized who she was yet. Mary wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or if she really had just become a one hit wonder no one would remember.

[welcomequeenalice]

"Oh. Yes, I've done that. I understand how it is. Sometimes you need a break, right?" Again the insincere cut-glass-fragile smile. They'd released her from Arkham little better than when she went in, save for the drugs. She'd huddled in her home as the dust piled up, reusing dirty dishes and unwashed clothing because she hadn't the energy to clean them and clean-cup-move-down only worked until you ran out of teacups. What purpose had there been to go out? She had no friends, no job, every person on the street seemed to look at her with loathing as if they somehow knew what she'd done. She'd almost cut down through her entire savings before she'd found the dress, and the dress had led to the crown, and after the crown she'd had the courage to start handing out her resume.

It was better now. She had friends, she had a job. She had the crown.

[not_a_doll]

"True...but a 6 year break is long enough, right?" Mary had loved the lime light. She had loathed to leave it. But the world didn't want her to act. She had trained for years for nothing. She wasn't what any director wanted. She could take a hint. So she had thrown herself into other pursuits.

Too bad other pursuits had almost gotten her killed.

"You know, you don't have to smile if you don't want to, right? I mean, I won't feel bad. Truth is beauty and all that." Mary definitely couldn't imagine being in a service industry. Smiling for idiots who didn't deserve it.

[welcomequeenalice]

Genevieve tries to drop the smile, reflexively raises it again, and then stands there shuffling her feet. "Sorry," she mumbles. "I've been, um. I've been taking a break of my own lately too." Out of the world.

[not_a_doll]

Mary gave an encouraging smile. Poor thing, apparently she wasn't the only one with some issues. "Yeah, it's great. If you don't count the crippling loneliness. I think the day I started talking to the stuffed animals like they would answer back is the day I decided I needed to get back out there."

[welcomequeenalice]

"Oh, yes. I know that feeling." The smile's starting to creep back, less artificial this time. She's had few people to talk to besides Waylon, and for all that his appearance made him ostracized Waylon had never been in a situation where the only thing keeping him from leaving the house was his own crippling terror. "Is that what made you come out, then?"

[not_a_doll]

Mary nodded. "It's not an easy life." It was never easy being the odd one in a world full of seemingly normal people. "Mostly. That and I sort of have to find a job." And she wasn't sure she was ready to be this small AND homeless.

[welcomequeenalice]

"Jenny!"

Genevieve's attempts at words of comfort were cut off by a call from the other side of the shop. She winces. Yes, wasn't supposed to be over here slacking off, things to clean, counters to stand in front of. Yes, sir.

"Sorry, I have to get back..." She offers a quick wave and then dashes away. Even when she's put back to work she keeps shooting looks at Mary, then pretending she's not done it.

[not_a_doll]

Mary was glad to see the other woman relaxing a bit. Of course, then she was yelled at and tensed right back up. Too bad. "I get it. You don't need to be on a job search as well. I don't need the competition." Mary winked, and turned back to her laptop, resigning herself to a day of looking for jobs, in between playing those facebook games, of course.

[welcomequeenalice]

Gen had three hours until the end of shift, and every five minutes of it she checked to see if the woman had left. Finally she clocked out, folded her apron, and walked to stand on the other side of the counter.

With a small stutter, she repeated Mary's order to the cashier replacing her and swiped her employee discount card.

[not_a_doll]

Mary had sat there for three hours looking for a job. Three hours. She didn't think it was possible to waste so much time, but here she was.

And now, she felt she was at the end of her rope. Currently on the phone, negotiating with her agent.

"But, don't you think that's a little degrading? I mean, I think it's a whole lot of degrading and I should scream at you just for suggesting it." She sighed loudly. "How much does it pay?" Another groan of irritation. "And all I have to do is give out candy canes to little kids? I am not going to prance." She nodded. "Ok...ok...fine. I'll...I'll do it. It's not like I have much of a choice." She hung up, closing her computer. At least now she could go home and try to pretend she wasn't going to sell out completely.