Rori had studied alone but 6 months ago she had joined a group. A friend from that group had helped get her a job at a nearby cafe that doubled as a small bookstore. It almost felt like home in there, it also felt like home when she talked with the people from her study group. She rode her bike, the local farmer's market was open by the cathedral in the morning and it was a treasure trove of ingredients for her recipes. For now, she had only gotten a new succulent, a Haworthia Cooperi, its translucent leaves were so interesting to gaze upon. It sat in its little pot, held in place in the bicycle's front basket. Yet she wanted to come back a different day to gather the herbs she needed and the honey she wanted.

She walked from stall to stall getting small samples, taking note of some fanciful trinkets made by an elderly woman. Lined up next to them were handmade soaps. There were round soaps, perfect for holding but also squared off loaves to cut by weight. Rori picked a few of the round, palm-sized ones up to smell them. Some orange and white swirled soaps that smelled of milk, honey, and sweet grains. Another was in yellow that hand chunks of purple curls, which reminded her of the sun in all of its majesty and glory while it was eclipsed by the moon. This one smelled of almonds, vanilla, heliotrope, and frankincense. However, the one she chose to buy was one that brought images of the woodland and its power that reminded her of frolicking witches in the afternoon. As she held it to her nose, there were hints of berries, sage, tea, and a musk. This was probably how the old lady got the money to spend on herself and on her grandchildren. It was quite apparent that this wonderful woman knew how to blend scents to evoke imagery into one's mind.

When she had moved in, she had signed up for classes at the nearby university and had only taken two just to try it out. She had a class in Astrology and another in religion, two topics that she was always interested in since she was just a little girl. This wasn't the first day of class but she knew enough to not be entirely lost on the current focus of the Astrology class. She had her notes in a journal she made by her own hands, the pages which could be replaced once they were full. She wrote delicately with her fountain pen and loved the feedback the paper gave her. Some of her classmates were friendly to her but she already had a little network of friends in a different way even for being new.

The lecture was over and she took the handout that detailed the assignment of the week. She placed her textbooks in the side pannier bags and rode along the path of the St. Johns bridge. It was a long tall bridge, suspended over emerald green gothic arches. The grass was bright in the light of the sun getting ready to retreat behind the horizon. The horizon? She looked at the watch on her wrist. She was running late and cursed under her breath as she biked from her class to the cafe shop.

She ran into her friend Emily who was talking about how the biker guy did finally ask her out and how Rori’s card predictions were right. She tried to be polite. “Oh, amazing! I'm so happy for you, we should talk more about it a little later. I have to go, work!” She dropped her bike by the lady's room in the park and threw her book bag in an empty stall, taking her coat off before the door even closed. She opened her bag which held a change of clothes for her job then threw on the light blue t-shirt and stuffed her black dress and coat back into her bag before she ran back out of the bathroom.

She picked up the bike, ran with it and hopped on. She went across the street, looking both ways and she barreled down the sidewalk. The cafe wasn’t far, it was just that her boss hated it when she was late. Before she could turn back around to look in front of her she smacked right into someone and dropping off the bike in a heap, one of the pannier bags spilled her tarot cards on the sidewalk. “Are you alright!?” She started before looking up at the man. His eyes startled her for a second, they were an icy blue. No. Oh hell no. There was a quickening of her pulse and a tingle down her spine as her mouth suddenly went dry. Rori realized she was staring. “I’m...I’m sorry” she stuttered and shook her head. She bent down to pick up the cards, the only one turned up being the Major Arcana 13, death. Self-awareness, new beginnings, and the purifier. Scorpio. She stared at the skeleton on his horse, the flag it held up and the symbol upon it. She then mashed it together with the rest of the cards in her other hand to pick up the last few cards from the ground. She turned back to the man who she ran into “Again, my apologies!” She turned her bike right side up and tossed the cards into the front basket. “If you’d like, come by the cafe on 5th street and I’ll serve you a free cup of coffee or tea!” She smiled and ran off, glancing behind to the man after her hit-n-run.

"Ah, Sure..." The man picked himself up and patted himself from the fallen leaves that were strewn about the sidewalk. "Are you okay?" By then she was gone and he was left talking alone.

Getting to the cafe 5 minutes late Rori ran through the door and slid behind the counter before clocking in. Instantly she got to work, first by cleaning up to reset the stations to make it easier for her and her coworkers. Her boss then snuck up on her. “Late again.” He looked at her skeptically, his mustache twitching. "At least it is a slow day today, Rori." He was almost like a father to those who frequented the Nightingale Lounge, sure he got angry at lateness but he understood when circumstances were honest and not simply from laziness. "We will be launching our fall menu soon, please look at the recipe book we have in the back. The bookstore will have"

“I know, I know! I’m sorry, my professor kept us late.” Rori half-smiled. Her boss wasn’t happy, but she was a good worker and she really needed the money at the moment. She took a breath and went up to a couple who had just sat down to take their order. As she went through the motions of her job, getting the coffee beans to grind and brewing them. The milks, spices, and different sweeteners, all measured and balanced to make a delicious drink for the customers.

Her boss came by again, "Miss Rori? I want to move you to the other side of the cafe, I think your personal style will flourish and bring in customers to the bookshop. After looking at the schedules, we do need someone over there more than on this side." He patted her shoulder and propped the bookstore's glass door open.

That in of itself sounded great, she applied to work here not for the cafe part but for the bookstore anyways. There were many local authors featured near the entrance and at the register. She went to the bathroom to change into her black dress, jacket and placed upon her head the pretty navy hat. Then she got to giving some customers flyers about the Nightingale Lounge Fall Recipe book. While people did buy the recipe books, many still opted to support the small-time business. After all, you sometimes didn't have the time or energy to go home and make the drinks, sandwiches or food for yourself. The day would be slow for sure, just as her boss said. Not many people were coming in but there a reason wasn't there? A football game? Or a big concert for a musician she didn't care for? It gave her time to take one of the free read books and have a glance at it herself.

Eventually, she wanted a drink one that would be smooth but have a punch of caffeine. She knew just the thing and ordered the beverage from her coworker, Jane. "Just call out for me when it's all ready. I'll hear you."