Another Friday Morning, The second post Taako-incident rolled around again, very suddenly. Angus, after pulling a near all-nighter at the lab, missed his alarm. And woke up late for work at twenty-five to nine rather than his usual half past seven. He's just time for breakfast of just a banana, and to say good morning to the bursar before rushing across town and down to the riverside.
While it's a lovely day there's very few people around. Very few. Angus has never known the city, especially the industrial part of town he rode through, to be this quiet in work hours. Neverwinter seems almost deserted. Despite the bustling busy past few weeks, and Cosie's Tea Rooms flash in the pan fame, it was empty around the shop too. The sign says closed. Angus is suddenly worried. Even though it's only just opening time, there's normally a couple of very early morning customers or delivery people in need of caffeine waiting on the doorstep. And Angus has another nagging feeling about his hissy fit from a fortnight ago, hoping again he hadn't put people off visiting for the sake of Mrs Cosies' business.
Angus pulls his bike up around the back and hurries in to work out of breath. He's about to apologise aloud but there is no body in the shop. Very strange.
"Hello?" Angus calls. "Mrs Cosie? Brenda? Anyone?"
There's a scuffle then Mrs Cosie appeared. But only sticking her head out the office. She mouths "Mornin' love." then disappears again before Angus can say sorry for sleeping in. He doesn't get told off being late. well tardy by his standards.
"Is your mam there? I know I know- alright, listen. No, I insist." Angus hears her say. She's on her Stone of far speech. Angus frowns, trying to remember the rota, and who else was due this morning, to work out who she might be talking too. Pam maybe? No she'd swapped with him, Sundays for his Wednesday. It was always hard to get childcare on the weekends. Especially for the twins.
Angus then decides he is not employed as a detective right now. Even if old habits kick in. He heads back to the cloak room, hanging up his blazer and putting his bag in the locker. He tucks his hair under his cap and pulls on a fresh apron out the box, pinning his name badge next to the Tea Rooms logo. Then washes his hands, and he's ready to go. He pocket watch tells him it's nine oh-four. Which in most people's standards would be nearly on time, but this is Angus we're talking about.
"Hang on a moment dear-! Angus?" Mrs Cosie calls and appeared again as he passed the office again. One hand over the rune, she hissed "I've just got Florence on stone. You alright to potter about by yourself ten minutes, and get setup and open, dear?" Angus nods perplexed. Mrs Cosie passed him the front door keys then disappeared once more.
So, Angus finishes opening. He's never done it on his own before. But Mrs Cosie has done most of of the big jobs before he'd even got there. He puts the chairs back in place, fire up the boiler and put the fresh flowers into their vases on the table. Then unlocks the door, sweeps the fount step and sets out the outdoor furniture and chalk board sign out-front. He's just sanitising the milk jugs with an industrial strength cantrip when his boss reappears. She's carrying two trays of pastries; with a third tray of cakes and biscuits being carried by a mage hand. Angus offers to fetch the others (they normally started the day with at least several) but Mrs Cosie shook her head. Instead with his help Mrs Cosie started arranging them in the display case and under the cake domes.
"I haven't made much today. But there's a fresh loaf and round of buns for sandwidges in the back too."
"Oh…Is Flo aright by the way?" Angus asks.
Mrs Cosie Sighed and shook her head again. "No not really. She's not feeling very well so I told her stay home. Poor love. She's upset, in quite a tizzy. and she sounds terrible! I called her partner and mum to go check on her. I'm not sure if it's just a migraine or with her time of the month coming up. Or the other time of the month for that matter."
Angus winced. Being a werewolf sounded cool, but he'd seen how rough Flo had it the day after. Even with a halving constitution against hangovers.
"So, we are short staffed by one again." Mrs Cosie continued thinking. "But I can phone around if you'd like, see if anyone can pick up her shift? Heaven knows that Twinkle owes you several favours!" She said turning the sign around to Open he'd missed. Then stood at the door with her hands on hips.
"Mind I think we might be in for a quiet one, what with the train and the steel works strike? And the bank holiday. There's barely anyone out there at the minute. And did you see? There was a nasty crash on main street last night. Right into some shopfronts. not just one shop front but three of them! Carts overturned. Quite a few other shops have had to close, and market's been moved to the square for now and all. That's any foot traffic gone."
Angus let out a gasp, relief washing over him. The strike and the three-day weekend? that why it's quiet out! He'd forgotten about that and said as much.
"I hadn't heard about a crash though."
As if hearing what Angus had said, there was a whistle outside. And a kobold tossed the shop a small stack of various papers off his delivery cart. Angus and Mrs Cosie waved their thanks, and Angus brought them in.
"No wonder I hardly saw anyone when I came in." he added, dropping newspaper on the counter. "That road feeds into the city centre."
"Aye. The watch has advised folks stay away from main street for now. One of the shops hit was that new age potion emporium. They don't want anyone stepping in something while they make a pigs ear out the clean-up. They've shut most of the roads around too just to be safe." Mrs Cosie said plucking the binding string and cut the ties. "I dare say it'll do the small traders good though! I've always thought the square was a better place for holding it."
She passed him over the morning edition of Neverwinter News. HOOLIGANS CAUSE HIGHSTREET HAVOC read the slightly unoriginal headline. There's a picture of the wreckage and said hooligans' mugshots. Tapping the front page, Mrs Cosie continued.
"Three idiot drunks got thrown out of a bar around two this morning, somehow got hold of a battle wagon and went joyriding. Not a vernicle proficiency amongst them! Hundreds of of gold worth of damage. No one hurt thankfully but what a mess!"
Angus nods. And decides not to mention he knows Scales, the dragonborn pictured on the front page though. Angus met him via Team Sweetflips. He's Carey's cousin and married into Noelle's family. Plus he sang at their wedding reception. What was her cousin, and the other two of the Hogsbottom Three, doing in Neverwinter? Hopefully not getting tea-!
"Angus?"
Angus blinked, Zoned out. He blinks and apologises but Mrs Cosie is scrutinising him. For a moment he thinks she going to ask how is everything since last week. Again.
"Did you have breakfast this morning?" she said instead.
"Erm." Angus thinks. "I had a banana."
"Just a banana? Honestly! tea and Toast, now." Mrs Cosies is appalled and flaps about like a mother hen until Angus fires up the urn. "and work through your lunch break either again!"
"That was just once Mrs Cosie, by accident!"
"that's not the point. a growing boy like you needs his breakfast and something to keep him going. Not to mention, Angus dearie You've been covering so many days here recently anyone would think you were one of my full timers."
"I'll be fine." Angus said, doing as he's told. "Gora'thien The Blood-Soaked is coming in for half past twelve, isn't he? I can manage till then, especially if it's this quiet. Would you want a tea?"
"Don't change the subject. But aye he's in, but it'll be more one o'clockish. And yes, to a brew as well, pet." She says but still asks. "But didn't you have that trial thing with Mr Miller's new fancy smansy robot last night?"
Angus nods and Mrs Cosie only looks more concerned, "You look tired, Angus. I don't want you working too hard. Or getting a a visit from the fantasy tax man for that matter either, what with the over time!"
Angus shrugged and waved off her fretfulness. She's right though he hasn't been sleeping well. "Thanks, Mrs Cosie, but the trail has actually been Moved to Monday. I was up last night trying to alter it."
The level of eyebrow raised at that sentence was almost a forty-five degree one.
"Oh aye? For good reasons, or is it another one gone berserk?" Mrs Cosie asked.
Angus nods, "both. sort of. Different robot going berserk to the my class is showing. Someone left the new Hodge Podge mark four protype out with the power unit on. It's locked itself in the lecture hall. Acid everywhere. We've moved our demo to the gym."
"Hm, Shame. well, If you're sure you'll be okay till Gora'thien The Blood-Soaked is in?" Mrs Cosie says, taking her own mug. Angus nods. "Hm alright then love. Though I'll give you a hand myself if it picks up before then. Shout me whenever you need. Or when you want to take you're break. I'm afraid the paperwork I've been putting off beckons-!"